Episode II: Coming Storm - 11 Jan 2015

Last time…

Work is nearly complete on the Citadel-class ship, Atin Oya;ka, loaned to the crew by Ghurn Skirata for their landing on Nyriaan. Once the LTA sensor system is installed on the outside, now the crew just needs their bonded navigator to complete the hook ups in the cockpit before they can land on the planet. Waiting to be acknowledge is their man.

Wanting to get the show on the road, Nadia escorts the navigator to the cockpit where she continues to careful observe him as he finishes up hooking up the console joining the LTA sensors to the ships. Although he is dressed in the uniform of a bonded navigator, the Snivvian acts somewhat wet behind the ears. He drums his fingers nervously as he works, oblivious to the fact that those around him can sense his discomfort.

Aela Viszla checks in on Nadia, to see how everything is going. "We good here?"

Tevlun clears his throat and looks up at Aela. "All set to launch."

Nadia looks up at Aela and shrugs. Apparently the technical aspect is beyond her.

Aela Viszla: "You wouldnt be lying, right?" She eyes him, and then checks the work.

Tevlun seems very affronted. "Of course not, miss. This is a very routine installation here on Nyriaan."

Aela Viszla: "Then why do you look like a scared novice while doing it?" With her helmet off, he can see her eyebrow raise up.

Tevlun: "No no, everything is fine!" He says trying to sound reassuring. "I have been trained thoroughly to both install and land a variety of ships onto the surface."

Aela Viszla looks at Nadia, then Tevlun. (Does the work look bad? Is skilled mechanics + tech specialist enough to check with any effectiveness?)

Story Teller: tech specialist doesn't do anything outside of tweaking devices. you can roll a mechanics to tell if he's done a shoddy job.

Aela Viszla: Mechanics 3)+(floor(7/2))+floor(14/2-5)+0+5+0+0+0">13

(who rolls a 3? =P )

Story Teller: Looking over the work, it all looks like he made all the necessary connections, routing all the systems (navigation, sensors, etc) through his console

Bill: Mechanics 8)+(floor(7/2))+floor(19/2-5)+0+5+0+0+0">20

Story Teller: Bill sees the same

Bill: "Hmm, looks fine, let's go."

Aela Viszla checks for tracking devices, and other things that might make him sweat while working.

Story Teller: the only new equipment installed on the ship is the portoble console Tevlun is using and the portable LTA sensor system installed on the outside of the ship.

Aela Viszla nods, and takes her paranoia with a grain of salt, "All right then. Lets get to business."

Tevlun nods, seeming to be eager to get the business over with as well. "If you would all please strap in. There can be quite a bit of turbulence."

Aela Viszla straps in.

Tevlun straps into the co-pilots chair, with his console nearby.

Nadia sits in the pilot's seat as usual and watches her own readouts.

Bill stands firm.

(From Bill): i activate mage feet

Tevlun looks back at Bill and says. "Sir, I must insist you strap in."

Nadia looks back at Bill her eyebrows raised with amusment.

Bill stares back his hooded visage not bothered. "And I sir must insist you get a move on. A little turbulence indeed, I will stand just fine thank you very much!"

Aela Viszla watches Bill and the Tevlun curiously.

Tevlun: "Then sir, I'll need you to sign this liability form, saying that I have advised you to follow safety procedures and you have declined. Now where is that pad."

Aela Viszla stifles a laugh, and continues watching them.

Bill: *sigh* "Oh how I HATE bureaucracy! Very well then." Bill signs whatever forms are necessary for the group to move forward.

JT: seriously thou, i hate bureaucracy

Alicia G (GM): you're the one that wouldn't sit down... lol

JT: FIGHT THE POWER!

Tevlun finds the pad and after signing the liability waiver essentially saying that the navigation guild can;t be held responsible for anything occuring due to parties not following instructions, he gets clearance to leave.

The ship leaves the platform with little trouble and as it's maneuvered into descent trajectory, the crew gets another look at the stormy darkness which encompasses the entirety of the planet.

The sickly clouds swirling around the planet below begin to darken as your ship slowly approaches them. Tevlun, the navigator, sits at the copilot's station, his stubby fingers picking nervously at keys and switches as he monitors the ship's descent.

JT: if i could have gotten a parachute I would totally dive out mid decent

Tevlun reports, "We are within fifty kilometers of breaching the ionosphere. I will now be shutting down all unnecessary systems until we touch dawn."

As if on cue, the interior lighting dims, and the omnipresent sound of the air scrubber is replaced by the faint thrumming of the sublight engines. The ship seems strangely quiet, and looking through the cockpit viewport you have the sudden impression that you are falling toward the planet-an impression that is not entirely wrong.

Tevlun reports, "We are within fifty kilometers of breaching the ionosphere. I will now be shutting down all unnecessary systems until we touch dawn."

Nadia:

As if on cue, the interior lighting dims, and the omnipresent sound of the air scrubber is replaced by the faint thrumming of the sublight engines. The ship seems strangely quiet, and looking through the cockpit viewport you have the sudden impression that you are falling toward the planet-an impression that is not entirely wrong.

Alicia G (GM): oops

Tevlun continues, as if speaking to himself, "Orbital laser telemetry acquired. Surface laser telemetry acquired. Adjusting course to maintain synchronization. Entering atmosphere in 3 ... 2 ... 1."

Nadia has an odd expression cross her face as they enter the atmosphere, like she suddenly feels a bit lost. "What the..." she mutters as she looks at her readings more closely.

The view beyond the cockpit suddenly goes dark and the sublight engines begin to sputter. Tevlun flips a switch, compensating for the burst of intense ionization that the ship has suddenly been exposed to. The engine noise subsides somewhat.

Aela Viszla looks at Nadia, "What?"

Nadia: "Er... nothing important. Just feel a bit queer all of a sudden."

Tevlun ignores the exchange as he concentrates on his work.

(From Bill): do I know what is happening by the sound?

(To Bill): from the sounds, it's the storm causing the sublight engines to work a bit harder to keep you going where you want to, rather than where the storm wants you to go.

Suddenly, a light on Tevlun's console blinks an angry red, and an accompanying alarm sounds shrilly in the confines of the cockpit.

Tevlun stammers in panic, "Uh oh … I've lost surface laser telemetry!"

Bill: "See this is why I wanted to get a parachute before we left!"

Aela Viszla frowns, "I fucking knew it." She strongly considers shooting the Snivvian.

Tevlun starts to hyperventilate. "Why would the turn it off!"

Alicia G (GM): they*

Bill: "Did the sensor get hit or something?"

"Also you didn't happen to drain power to shields when you were draining unnecessary power?"

Aela Viszla pulls her helmet on, and prepares her jet pack.

Alicia G (GM): Desktop has decided its going to run CPU at 100% and not do anyrhing...

On my phone atm

Bill: "Oh no you don't! You are not really thinking about jet packing into an Ion storm are you?"

Aela Viszla: "I'm thinking of being prepared, in case its necessary, yes." She checks all her armor features again, to be ready.

Bill: "It's a storm you can't fight it! And if you go flying into it you'll be fried and oh screw it!"

Bill moves towards the controls for the co-pilot. "Navigator, trajectory towards the capitol?"

Alicia G (GM): Pc is rebooting

Tevlun: "That's what the LTA sensor is for... so we know where to land!"

Bill: "Uhg ametuer they don't have you memorize any co-ordinates? Your just useless without special tech we had to pay for?"

The ride begins to get bumpier as the descent becomes more erratic.

Nadia unbuckles herself and shoves the snivvian out of the way. "Normal sensors do crap in this kind of soup... and you can't see much of anything. Without the LTA we're flying blind. Oh move over.:"

Aela Viszla: Aela stares at the Snivvian, looks around for anyone else to blame, and narrowly avoids ranting about underlings who are incompetent.

Bill: "We need to get below the storm if were gonna find our way to a landing and not a crash!"

Nadia looks at the controls. "The orbiting array is still active. We have an idea of what direction we're going at least."

Poison: brb

Nadia: "We could go back, and wait for them to fix the problem, or try to land..." she looks up briefly at the others as she tries to stabilize their descent.

Bill: "If we accelerate through we should be able to regain enough sensors to figure out our way towards the capitol."

Nadia: "At what point do I decelerate before we crash?" she asks sarcastically.

"Why don't you use your skills and see if you can clear up our sensors."

Bill: "You don't you reduce our angle of decent, we're in the storm a bit longer but we don't have to immeadiately pull up when we get under the cloud layer."

Bill moves towards the sensors to see if he can find a way to boost the gain

Nadia: roll use computer

Bill: Use Computer 14)+(floor(7/2))+floor(19/2-5)+5+0+2+0+0">28

Story Teller: You manage to break through some of the atmospheric and magnetic interference.

Pilot 10)+(floor(6/2))+floor(16/2-5)+5+5+0+0+0">26

Nadia grits her teeth as she trusts in her own reflexes to keep them from crashing, "I need more power to the engines!"

JT: cliche drinking game

Alicia G (GM): Aela willmake this roll when she gets back...

Poison: use computer?

Story Teller: mechanics

Aela Viszla: Mechanics 1)+(floor(7/2))+floor(14/2-5)+0+5+0+0+0">11

(Do I have a reroll?)

Story Teller: ouch.. no, but we can give the ship -1 to CT to make this a sucess

Aela Viszla: (lol I had a reroll like 6 weeks that went unused, the week I need 1, no reroll =) )

Story Teller: take the -1 to ship's CT?

Aela Viszla: (is the alternative the ship blowing up?)

Story Teller: well.. you guys still have a bit of creative thinkng to do to get your through this. and you can only do one mechanics check

Bill looks over when he sees Aela fail. "What the hell was that?"

Story Teller: you guys are in a skill challange

Aela Viszla shrugs, "When I fix my armor, it isn't usually life or death..."

JT: i say we take the -1 we can work through that

Story Teller: The engines groan as they're put under more duress, but Aela does manage to route more power to them.

Bill: "You fed in too much power at once!"

Aela Viszla: (Pilot is the only other one I have that seems relevant...)

JT: i believe nadia is piloting

Alicia G (GM): well you can try and help navigate a course

Aela Viszla: "Yeah. Well, chalk it up to this being my first time doing a power transfer on a rapid descent possibly leading to my death..."

JT: although you could assist her and leave the technical stuff to the mysterious hooded man you met on a ghost ship.

Story Teller: Mechanics and Use Computer can't be used again

Bill: "Excuses! You kids thinking your hot and then your under pressure and what happens? That's why you lost the war you know!"

JT: might as well get into a fight with aela as we die

Aela Viszla gets a dangerous glint in her eye, "I wasnt fucking around with a wrench in the war."

Nadia is fighting against the yoke to keep the ship on a steady descent. "Could we save this argument for when we hit ground?"

Bill: "NoOOO!!"

JT: so in my mind were shaking violently and stumbling as we work and argue

Alicia G (GM): sounds about accurate

Story Teller: There's two more successful skill checks which need to be made.. how would you two like to help next?

JT: so i'm unfamiliar with skill challenges what CAN we do?

Story Teller: anything not involving mechanics, use computer, acrobatics, athletics, deception, gather info, persuasion, stealth and treat injury

instead of it being a combat encounter you're using skills to overcome the situation

I gave you two your first skills :) you can be creative with this last set

Aela Viszla: Pilot is the only one I have that isnt crossed off

Story Teller: you can make skill checks untrained..

but you can only fail so many times

Aela Viszla: pilot is the only one I have with a hope of it working when I roll a 3.

Story Teller: pilot will also be at a -10 due to the CT and ship modifier

Aela Viszla: ok, nvm

JT: could i possibly use my sciency knowledge to know what a lull or opening in the storm to help us get through more safely?

Poison: its a bad idea for me to try any, I'll just eat another failure.

Story Teller: you're required to participate

JT: I recomend you go for it

Story Teller: could you rephrase what you want to do JT

right now you have no failures

JT: so i have like all the knowledge of all the sciences ever so can i use like knowledge physical sciences and or perception to point nadia towards the safest trajectory

Aela Viszla: I'll go ahead and try a technology knowledge untrained to advise on what the ship can or cant do

Story Teller: Perception would work to help judge distances and spot any obstacles. know galactic lore could be used to judge the altitude and bearing using the geography you studied on the trip

JT: don't have galactic lore or bureaucracy trained but i do have +13 perception

Story Teller: go for it..

Bill: Perception 16)+(floor(7/2))+floor(16/2-5)+0+5+2+0+0">29

Story Teller: would you like to spend a FP?

JT: why not

Story Teller: Bill manages to point out a distant mountain range which gives Nadia an indication of which way she should be going and how close to the ground she really is.

JT: i've never used the force before in saga

Aela Viszla: (roll 1d6 at our level, I think)

Alicia G (GM): you just needed a 1 to pass.. usually you'll roll 1d6

JT: ok

Story Teller: what are you going to attempt Aela?

JT: go for whatever your good at

Aela Viszla: I'll go ahead and try a technology knowledge untrained to advise on what the ship can or cant do

JT: you can't use knowledge skills untrained

Story Teller: ok.. you are going to be at a disadvantage since your knowledge is 3k+ years out of date

JT: unless you have that one noble talent

Aela Viszla: I'll use endurance to think really hard while under pressure?

Story Teller: she'd know basic knowledge untrained

Aela Viszla: thats galactic lore, iirc

Story Teller: basic knowledge in any field of study

Aela Viszla: alright, whats the penalty for 3000 years out of date?

JT: well if she's going of the intel we got that doesn't apply

Story Teller: which for tech would probably mean knowing what the equipment is, but not knowing how it works in any given detail

Aela Viszla: ok, lets pause a moment. What skills am I not allowed to use?

Story Teller: anything not involving mechanics, use computer, acrobatics, athletics, deception, gather info, persuasion, stealth and treat injury

Aela Viszla: ride?

JT: yes ride the ship to safety

Story Teller: if you can think of an applicable application... it wasn't listed, which looking at the skill I don't think it would since it deals with animal handling

Aela Viszla: any part of the ship that could be used to supercharge the engines? I'll use endurance to get there? otherwise I'm making pilot at -10

Story Teller: well you can't make any more mechanics check, so that would do nothing to benefit your quick descent

Aela Viszla: ok

Pilot 19)+(floor(7/2))+floor(21/2-5)+0+5+0+0+-10">22

Story Teller: With Aela's help, Nadia is able to get better control of the ship enough to steer the ship toward what appears to be a city growing every closer in the muck of the storm.

The engines whine as the ship fights against the ion and magnetic interference of the storm, and then there's a lull as the ship breaks through the worst of the storm and leveling off the sight of a city can be seen in the ever present gloom of Nyriaan.

Nadia let's out a sigh of relief as they break through the storm, for more reasons than the others can guess at.

Bill: "So where were we in that argument eh?"

Nadia looks at the navigator's panel. "We're getting landing coordinates from starport control. I'll take us in."

Aela Viszla: "Well, that was fun. We should do that again." She looks at the Snivvian, then at Bill, "I believe you were flapping your lips and complaining?"

Bill: "Oh I'M SORRY that missus mandalorian mercenary mechanic can't do a basic power reroute without screwing up the engine somehow.

I'll be in the engine room checking the damage." Bill walks out shouting as he leaves "And we expect a partial refund for this bantha fodder eh!"

Aela Viszla: "I'm gonna do a power reroute on your face if you keep talking!" She growls through her helmet.

Nadia rolls her eyes as she brings the ship in for a relatively routine landing after everything. She nudges to snivvian cowering on the floor. "Hey, stop freaking out. We've made it!"

Bill comes screaming through comms seconds later "I dare you to try it RED. Seriously you and me any day any time. You don't scare me!"

Tevlun only seems reassured when the ship touches down. At which point he makes a bee-line for the ramp

JT: someone grab him

can we just say GK is guarding the ramp

Nadia doesn't notice him leave as she finishes the ship shutdown procedures.

Alicia G (GM): why would he be guarding the ramp when he would have safely secured himself to protect himself during the turbulence?

Aela Viszla ignores the sniveling snivvian, and exits the ship post-haste, getting off that death trap while the getting is good.

JT: damnit, we better get some of OZEL's money back for that crap though

Story Teller: The ship has landed safely in one of the Neutral Zone's docking bays, the price for which to use is 10% higher than elsewhere.

Aela Viszla shakes her head, thinking how typical.

Aela Viszla: (What were we doing here, on this crazy planet, by the by? =) )

Story Teller: Once the bill has been paid (I'll have Ozel take care of that), you're able to easily find an information terminal giving you a map of the city of Locus. The layout of the city is similar to that of most colonial cities. Structures are built low to the ground. DIm, flickering illuminators are placed at even intervals along the streets to compensate for the lack of natural light. The air, if you're able to breath it directly, has a stale, musty ordor. Areas of light foot and vehicle traffic have less fungal growth, but practically all surfaces in the Neutral Zone, walls, streets and sidewalks, are covered in a thick layer of phosphorescent fungus.

Aela Viszla: (Ohh, the job with the mining people, I was supposed to be Ozel's bodyguard, right?)

Bill: And I was gonna be a shady back alley doctor

The crew step out into the fungal illuminated streets of Locus, and get their first look of the city where they're to find the clues they need to locate the missing agents and ultimately stop the climate control device. But that will have to wait... for next time!