OOC: If it is possible, can we make for the door/exit and use the counter for cover so long as we/I are moving to get out of the store?

Yes, but outside is safer.

Make for the door firing or fire and make for the door.  Whichever is more feasible an action

Everyone makes for the door in a rush.  Desi fires, and hits and kills the Sathar, giving Hammer and Orvo a chance to escape.

Kri'lik makes for cover.

The beeping on the grenade gets faster...and louder...

Ejidali also runs to the door, but like most dralasites, he is slow.

Everyone makes it out of the shop except for Orvo, Ejidali, and Kri'lik when the grenade goes off.  It is some sort of incineration grenade.  It decimates the body of the Sathar, kills the other remaining Sathar, and sets the shop into an extremely hot blaze.

Kri'lik was not complete safe from the heat behind the cover.  (10 dmg.)  He runs out of the shop before the blaze can bring the building on top of him.

Likewise, Orvo is hit by the explosion, his dralasite body burning.  But at least he is a little distance away, lowering the damage.  (14 dmg.)  Orvo then slips out of the shop before it can burn him up.

Ejidali is badly injured, his limbs flailing as he slams against the wall and falls to the floor.  You hear him scream as the flames overtake his body, and then he is silent.

Soon, you are sure the authorities will arrive.

Hammer looks around. "Well, there goes our reward," he says pragmatically.  "Maybe we should get out of here before the authorities arrive." He is assuming Ejidali died in the explosion and fire.

Bartja dusts himself off and turns off the Albedo Screen before looking after the injured.  He's no doctor, but he can assist if needed.

"Well, no reward for us except knowledge.  We now know that the Sathar are trying to get this formula and either they aren't communicating well with the Qantariate or they are at odds as well.  Why else would a Qantariate break into the lab to steal this stuff if they had already hired us to get it through the Sathar agents?

It doesn't make complete sense, but perhaps they are at war with each other or there are factions warring against each other.  We can use this to our advantage somehow.

Let's return to the lab once this all blows over.  I've got the paperwork on this formula.  Maybe we can rent lab space and make this ourselves.  If we can make some of it, we can load up needlers with it to fight Qantariate invaders."

Orvo grimaces while sitting on the floor, hunched over, trying to  let as much night air as possible cool his charred back side.  "Son of a bees wax" he manages at the bristling pain.  Listening to the others, he adds, "Has anyone seen or heard of this many Sathar acting together in Federation territory?  I thought even one was rare - using agents the more likely means.  Could they have one of those Qantariate snappy show-up-wherever-I'm-not-invited-devices?  Sathar seem to be teeming everywhere, don't they?"

Orvo will spend 5 rounds increasing his surface area to volume ratio (arms and legs and torso stretched as much as possible) to increase the amount of oxygen contacting his skin.  "Ahhhh," he says as he feels the fry, "if I were a real doctor I'd pump myself full of some pain meds right now."

Desiraye looks around the area to make sure everyone that is important made it out in one piece but, a little damaged to some extent.  She reaches down to her magazine pouch and retrieves a fresh power clip for her K-Pulse pistol, reloads, and places the partially spent one in a pouch or pocket for the time being.  "Yeah, our reward is down the damn drain but, we did get some good Intel I'm not sure staying around would be a completely bad idea since we should be reporting that there are Sathar on world and authorities should know about it.  Better yet, we can let out contact know what happened ere to give them a little insight on what's going on here.  Sound better?"

Soon, the fire authorities arrive, and the Vrusk are manically putting out the fire as the local police arrive.

They immediately put you into "protective" custody and take you to the station to answer some questions.  You are all herded into a room where two Vrusk officers ask what happened.  "Arson is punishable by 10 years hard labor," says one.

Your weapons are taken from you during the arrest and another says, "You better have a good explanation for why you have these weapons."

They wait for a response.

Hammer says, "Self protection only, I assure you.  We are conducting an official, or maybe not so official, investigation with RIK Zzik'Ti.  You can check.  He's in charge of starport security. The fire was caused by sathar that were in the building, not us.  We're trying to get to the bottom of the murder of LeGrange."

The authorities begin looking up the information and then step out to make a call.  He comes in a few minutes later.  I just spoke with RIK Zzik'Ti.  He says he never heard of you and doesn't know what you're talking about.  Nevertheless, he wants us to transport you and your possessions over to him for investigation."

You are transported back to the Starport, where RIK Zzik'Ti leads you into a back room and gives you back your weapons.

"You need to keep my name out of this.  Your investigation for me is not to come to light.  Next time, I won't be able to help you."  He then says, "So tell me, what have you found?  Anything related to LeGrange's murder?  And what were you doing way out there in the black market district next to a raging shop fire?"

Desiraye had remembered too late (OOC'd this yesterday) and was unable to stop Hammer after he had already made the comment about Zzik'Ti and kept her mouth shut until they were brought to the RIK station for questioning.

"IT wasn't intentional Zzik'Ti.  We're not sure what this is related to but, we found that there are Sathar operating on your planet here!  We understand this isn't relating too much to the LeGrange investigation but, I wouldn't rule it out.  We were killing some time in the district and we happened upon the shop keeper."

He says, "Sathar on this planet?  Don't be ridiculous.  Kraatar has never had the presence of Sathar.  Ever.  You must have mistaken another race for the Sathar.  Humans have a tendency to do that sometimes."  His Vrusk features reveal nothing as he makes that condescending statement.  "Well, it is getting late.  I trust you will have more success in the coming days."  He makes sure you have your gear back.

It is currently evening.

Quietly, S'Krllk says, "Humans do, Zzik'Ti. I do not."
"Whatever else you do, you should be on your guard. The Sathar are never profitable.
He says nothing else, and merely waits for his gear to be returned and the group to leave. In the meantime, he runs diagnostics and checks the sensor packs on his bodycomp. Of course, in the process he has to scan the area, almost out of habit.

Placing her weapons back in their holsters and the rest of her gear on her person, Desiraye adds, "Zzik'Ti, you're trusting us to investigate LeGrange.  Some of us well know all too well what Sathar look like back from Volturnus, we know what we saw and we know there's a problem.  You need to talk to Tariel Nuna at lab in the Kipur District!  She may be able to shed more light on this."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:28, Wed 19 June 2013.

Zzik'Ti looks taken aback, as if his honor has been insulted.  "I am in charge of security at this Starport.  I can assure you that no Sathar has ever come through here on my watch.  I do not know the Tariel Nuna, nor do I wish to go to Kipur district."  You can sense that he has prejudice against that area, since it seems to treat other races as equal to Vrusk.

"Nevertheless, I will ask around about any Sathar, though it will make me look the fool.  In the meantime, I suggest you find something substantial on LeGrange's killer.  Last I heard, you were on to three suspects:  Kirscht, Semoins, and Blirdor.  Did you find anything on them?"

In reply to GM Heath (msg # 52):

"Please don't take offense, we aren't suggesting that they came through the starport.  Their using some weird technology that let's them jump into areas like through a jump machine or something like that.  Don't say anything but, do be wary of a possible threat."

"Friend, do not let your pride blind you. The Sathar were there, 5 of them."

Persuasion 35%

(Persuasion failed.)

"I'll believe it when I see it.  Maybe you think you saw Sathar.  Maybe you were drugged by this Nuna character.  They are known to do strange experiments in those labs over in Kipur.  And we all know that teleportation or 'jump' technology is but a pipe dream proven to be infeasible.  But I am more interested at the moment in your progress on LeGrange."

"You're correct.  We were a little interested in making a couple of bucks and it didn't stray us too far from our mission, so we thought.  We will be starting fresh on our investigating on the LeGrange matter in the morning," Desiraye says humbly enough to show that there was some error on the groups part.

Orvo observes this officer that thankfully enough has set them all free.  But Orvo is perplexed at his unflinching position about Sathar on this world.  Orvo thinks of the Dralasite expression, "pride'll get you nowhere."

Orvo puts his feelers out (metaphorically speaking) to see if this guy is legit with what he's expressing and what's going on internally.
08:16, Today: Orvo rolled 9 using 1d100. Empathy test.

Bartja files the experience away in his memory to mull over when there is a moment to think.  Investigating LeGrange's murder had given them a pass on the planet, but there were much greater threats than anything Zik'Ti would be able to accept.

Once they were free of RIK protection, Bartja breathed a sigh of relief and asked his companions several questions:

"What do you think the odds are the Legrange was somehow wrapped up in all of this?  If he was the most knowledgeable on the planet, it could be he was 'silenced' for some reason.  I had thought it was just our pass to the planet - this investigation - but I think we might should take it more seriously.  He might actually have had some sort of involvement with the Qantariate or even the Sathar.  At least, that what my instincts are telling me.

Which lead do we pursue next?"

PM

Zik'Ti gets an important call and excuses himself, asking you to hurry and find something he can use to solve this assassination before the riots start up again.  Then he hurries off, reminding you of the reward involved.

It is nighttime, so you return to your hotel, which has now been fixed.  (I assume Orvo joins them.  Otherwise, he will be stuck in the dorms with the other visiting lab workers...and no security protection in case anyone else shows up.)

As you turn on the daily broadcasts in your hotel, the Ssi'Aq'Krr (SAK) news service broadcasts this report that catches your attention:

"Today's shock news bulletin is that in the wake of the riot in Jedsis, Vist'Lat has sacked all of its Human workforce. Humans living in VL company houses have been forcibly evicted by RIK per-sonnel, and in some areas of Jedsis, street-fighting has again erupted. Attempts by the Commercial Council to reinstate the workers have been rejected by VL, who claim that they are a danger to the starport."

You rest comfortably that night without incident.  (Everyone injured regains 1 point of lost stamina.)

Everyone gains 2 XP to use or save as needed.

For new players, please make sure to update your own character sheets.