Contract: The Don's Request
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Waking from the horrific nightmare #Team High Turnover Rate prepared to depart with all haste. The only delay Jerzac Scarlewe tolerated was some further questioning of Panelliar. He did not have any knowledge of The Veil or how the lovingly named 'Door of Death" had anything to do with it.
The threat of global destruction lit a fire under your collective ass so you force marched through the entire night, day, and night again until you reached The Plague Warden. There you rested all through the next day. During the night Genji's rest was interrupted by a dream.
He was sitting at a reader desk at the back of a forgotten library leaning over an ancient book. He was searching for lore on the Elves. Unable to find anything new he spent time reading other lost lore. His viewpoint in the dream focused on his book which faded away into the image and sounds of a busy diverse starport. A gleaming white ship settled into the last berth and lowered its gangplank. Out of this enormous ship walked a young girl with a holstered pistol and a thin circlet. As she moved through the port yellow fog started to roll out of the ship and follow her. No one seemed to take note of the girl or the fog but whenever the fog touched one of them their bodies underwent a dreadful process. All their joints seemed to loosen and bones hung limpley internally. As they spent more time in the fog their skin stretched and their bodies seperated at the joints.
She continued to walk through the town ignoring everything until she got to a small dilapidated building in the slums district. Finally turning from her path she climbed the two rickety wooden steps and pushed open the door. As she walked into the small library the door's hinged rusted away to nothing and it fell with a muffled thump. The only person visible in the building was a man huddled over a book in the back. She confidently stepped forward and laid a hand on the side of Genji's face.
In the morning while Genji tossed fitfully in his sleep Jerzac discussed with the crew what to do with Professor Muhali and Professor Solstarni. Given the crew capacity of the ship you could only take one. You all deemed Muhali the more useful one and planned to talk with her later about options. You also talked about trying to comandeer the Xi Tablet but came to the conclusion that you could just look up the text online if needed.
The next day's travel was more difficult, causing you to camp earlier than you wanted but the next day you pressed on. This next 2 day march brought you to the edge of the jungle where you set a rendezvous time with the Turhalu Point security forces for after you slept. Here Bash had his own nightmare.
He was piloting a Crimson Blades long range intercept vessel during a training run out in the depths of space. He followed the perscribed course eyeing his sensors trying to find his quarry. He had spent hours doing so with nothing more than space dust appearing on his sensors.
Suddenly something slammed into the bottom of the ship knocking it off course. Even while acting on instinct to regain control Bash stared at the instruments trying to find the source. Empty space.Since the instruments showed nothing he spun the ship to look with the MK I eyeball.
Another slam but this time he could see an odd ripple spreading amongst the stars in the background like someone had dropped a rock in a pond on a starry night. After riding the impact he moved closer to the epicenter. As he approached to ~1000 km a point directly in front of him started to stretch like something pushing from behind a sheet of plastic. In an instant it had stretched halfway to the small ship. Now that space had thinned around the point Bash could see swirling smoke bulging out. With a tear that Bash felt deep in his abdomen space tore and a ropey black tendril of teeth, tentacles, and eyes rocketed out and slammed through the cockpit to consume him.
He jerked awake feeling weakened like something had taken root inside his mind and twisting it. Unable to get back asleep he took the remaining watches.
Before heading out Jerzac pulled aside Muhali to talk about the planned evacuation. Despite being a kidnap victim she wants a ride off this likely doomed planet. When Jerzac mentioned you could only take her she dug in her heels. She did not want to leave Solstarni. Jerzac pulled out the "desperate times" speech. She reluctantly agreed but after a few minutes of conversation she got a sly grin. "Deperate times" means she would consider actions she wouldn't normally. She told that the Qabarat University of Xenoanthropology and Xenoarchaeology had a small fleet of research vessels. She couldn't gaurantee one would be available but most of ships seat about 4 passengers.
After marching partway across the Turhalu Point grasslands you met the security in their 3 vehicles. During the 10 mile drive back to the research outpost Jerzac worked his magic and convinced them to check out one of the vehicles to Muhali so the exhausted professors could get back home quickly. Losing no time you drove through the Aiudara and hauled ass to the small university landing port.
Here Jerzac, Roswell Mogul, and the 2 professors got off while Roquesta (Rocket) Strauss, Genji, and Bash headed towards the docked Kormoran. The university crew approached the small building at the front of the port where Muhali suspected the keys were. With a little effort Jerzac was able to hack his way through the electronic lock. Turning to Muhali he ordered her to run and grab her research as fast as she could.
The starport crew pulled up to a minimally manned security checkpoint where a police officer challenged you. He asked your purpose and when you pointed towards the Kormoran he perked up and looked more closely at the passengers in the vehicle. Unable to find Jerzac or Zuri of House Du'Mansia Officer Well Endowed looked a little crestfallen. Rocket kindly said they're on their way. With a wink the officer let you through and asked you to make yourselves scarce when he and the newlyweds arrived.
Right after the university crew stepped onto the lot and the starport crew drove through the barricade the world ended. An enormous thunderclap and shockwave bowled over those standing and almost flipped ground vehicles. Turning towards the city center a perfectly spherical section of the high rises had completely disappeared. While watching in disbelief a black orb flared into existence taking another large bite out of Qabarat.
Jerzac screamed into the com for Muhali to get her ass to the research ship ASAP and ran forward himself. Partway across the lot a hulking beast and a robot burst from an alleyway. Seeing the Jerzac, Roswell, and Solstarni there the robot zapped the creature with a cattle prod, sending it charging at you. Frightened by how quickly the creature moved into melee, Jerzac threw a sticky grenade. This allowed Jerzac to safely back away and Roswell to catch up an start fighting.
Back at the starport that crew pulled up to the ship just in time for its engines to turn on.
The creature broke free and savages both Jerzac and Roswell. Jerzac once again stuck it in place and Roswell savagely tried to beat it to death.
Rocket quickly wrested electronic control form the highjacker who didn't care anymore and just wanted off the planet NOW. He retreated to "his" cabin and awaited the crew. Rocket broke into the captains cabin to find a large cat person calmly sitting on the bed. Given the desperate straights everyone was in she didn't care and ordered everyone to the bridge.
Back at the university it broke free causing Jerzac's two shots to go wild. Unconcerned by Jerzac the creature clawed Roswell, knocking him out and leaving him gushing his lifeblood on the ground. Trying to distract it from his companion Jerzac shot wildly in melee. This reckless act let the beast strike him several times. In a burst of bravery and dexterity Jerzac repeated this action. Both shots actually landed while he dodged the creature's return strike. Before it could even fall Jerzac ran over to Roswell and with the help of the newly returned Muhali was able to stabilize the uncoinscious man.
With your new ship and new companions (one uninvited) both groups took off, fleeing the doomed world.
Review starship combat both base rules and the added roles in starship operations manual.