S'Krllk looks long at Desi and Porter before he speaks. "Perhaps of equal importance would be just what the Sathar have on this planet. If they're committing that sort of overwhelming response to entry into the system, there must be something important here. If they truly want to protect that, and it happens to be on this planet, they'll be looking for those escape pods, and will likely find... well... us."

It is perhaps an hour after the communications call, and you are debating what to do, how to connect batteries to aircars, and so forth, when your communications pick up an incoming signal.

You quickly turn it on, and hear the following voice:

"Crew of the UPFS Eleanor Moraes, do you copy?"

After you respond in the affirmative, the male voice continues, "This is Lieutenant Gregor Dentin, Captain of the CMS Assault Scout Osprey. We were in tow of the UPFS Cruiser Ridley Weyland when it was attacked by a Sathar frigate and mothership. The Sathar opened fire on all fleeing escape pods and vessels without mercy. We don't know if any made it through. We hid in the radar shadow of the Weyland to avoid notice but came out of when the Cruiser was destroyed. We came under fire but were able to escape, albeit with major damage. We sent out wreckage and rubbish and floated blind and without power to make the Sathar think they destroyed us. We are now beyond radar."

He pauses, and the radio crackles. "All this is to say that we have homed in on your signal and are coming your way. As I said, we are badly damaged, so the rescue operation may be mutual. We have wounded and at least one fatality. It will not be a gentle landing, but we will get as close as we can. We should make landing in the next two hours."

Another slight pause. "We are picking up the signal from your ship in orbit. Appears there are three lander modules still intact up here. I will send a detachment to the ship in an escape pod. Let's see if we can't get those landers working to rescue us all. If we can get one safely to the ground, it might just be our ride out."

As you may or may not recall, the UPFS Eleanor Moraes exploratory ship had four lander modules for the ship you are on. Three were left in orbit and one was brought with you. An intact lander module will have fuel, some spare parts to scavenge, and possibly more.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:19, Wed 16 Sept 2020.

9:00 a.m. (Day 4 on Mahg Mar)

OOC:
It's a little quiet, so let me bring up some talking/action points for you:

1) Respond to Captain Dentin on the radio.
2) Explore opening the two locked chests left by Terry.
3) Talk to LeGrange to determine how he can help with Qantariate threat.
4) Return to site of Captain Marlboro and Engineer Innesti's disappearance to begin search.
5) Return to site at river where you saw the shiny giant gleam below the water.
6) Finalize decisions on repairs of ship, Hammer's upload, etc.
7) Talk to Appleburg about his experiences being captured by Sathar.
8) Get your inventory sorted and distributed.

Did I forget anything?

If you simply want to wait two hours, you can sign off with Dentin and he will reconnect with you once his ship is in the atmosphere. You can also go outside to see if you can spot his ship coming in.

Porter will suggest he and whomever wants to accompany him go and start the search for Marlboro and the engineer.

S'Krllk opines that looking into Terry's locked chests should be a priority, as he might have some sort of beacon for either Sathar or Qantariate forces. Such a beacon should, obviously, be used to our advantage. So S'Krllk will go to do exactly that.

Captain Dentin signs off and says he will contact you when they are getting close.

Porter starts making arrangements to back and search for Marlboro. (Whoever goes should make an equipment list.)

S'krllk checks out the two lockers.

As a reminder:


Both lockers are locked. The personal one is locked with two manual locks, a built in one and a heavy duty padlock. The military one is locked with an electronic lock requiring a code to open.

"He's got nothing that I saw of use S'Krllk.  If you thik you can get ito the other two have at it but, please be careful!"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:45, Fri 18 Sept 2020.

In reply to GM Heath (msg # 25):
"Received Captain Dentin.  This is the 'acting' Operations commander, Desiraye Lipost.  Be advised, we believe that their is Sathar activity on planet.  Will be investigating that soon.  Request radio silence unless it's an emergency!  Contact again when lander is secure and your on your way down.  We're spread pretty thin so, it's going to be interesting."  Moraes, out."

TBC...

"Sarge, start getting a team ready to go after the Captain and the Engineer.  Let's see if we can get this Captain Dentin and his people down first before we shove off.  It'll give us time for our good Doctor Appleburg to give us a break down of where he was working and the Sathar there.  I'm going with their the ones who have the our crew members.

S'Krllk & Bart, keep trying to run diagnostics and getting equipment ready for our various rescue missions.  See where the ships Vrusk Tech can lend a hand.  See just what the two Drals can help out with.  Maybe they can help the Sarge sort gear out? Use them where youneed them.

Orvo, make sure you and Doc Appleburg have medical bags ready to go for the rescue missions.

We need to talk to LeGrange too!"

I think we might need a medic on this trip.  We don't know what condition they are in.

Porter will take his weapons, ammo, a chronocom, grenades of various sorts and magnigoggles, if we have some.

Orvo agrees to go with Porter. He is cognizant that they need to have two extra seats to bring back the captain and engineer, but not sure if the aircar should just take as many as can go in it for numbers and then make multiple trips after the rescue. "There's safety in numbers," he suggests. "Splitting up may not be in our best interests."

Agreed.

"I also agree.  I was going hoping you or Appleburg would go along with the Sarge.  Who else do you need?".

For this mission, probably need the guns more.  One medic is enough.

Desi nods and puts her hands on her hips for a few seconds.  "Yup.  OK, I'll get my gear ready.  You want anyone else?  We're kind of spread thin.  Maybe Bartja and one of the bots if he's got one ready?

We need to keep LeGrange locked down until we get back.  Hopefully Appleburg can handle that."

Desiraye will go and get her equipment & weapons and report back.

OOC: Am I missing anyone who wants to go out with us?  I don't want to hold anyone back if they would prefer to go!
This message was last edited by the player at 01:07, Sun 20 Sept 2020.

We will need some to stay here and fix it up and be ready with the other aircar, just in case.

Bartja is torn but nods in agreement with Porter.

"I'll stay here, finish uploading Hammer, and work on the aircar.  I can lend S'Krllk a hand opening Terry's chests if needed but I want to make sure we preserve Hammer if at all possible.

I'll see if we can salvage parabatteries from the survey robots also, then get them charged up.  We can use them in the aircar, or aircars if we get this other wreck fixed."

OOC: Remember that you can check the current inventory of the Moraes here: http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=6687/SHIP%20EQUIPMENT

You can take the remaining airship gondola and fit more people. The aircar is more limited. So taking the last airship, anyone can go who wants to. I will not determine for sure who that is at the moment so that S'krllk, Bartja or whomever can decide later. Alternatively, they can join the group later by taking the last aircar separately.


You return to the site of the crash where you left Captain Marlboro and Engineer Innesti. it takes about an hour to reach the site after gathering gear and getting ready, which also takes about an hour.

The site is as Orvo and Porter left it last night.

OOC: Reminder about what Orvo and Porter found at the crash site:

22 DAYS UNTIL QANTARIATE INVASION

DAY 4 ON MAHG MAR

0 HOURS UNTIL CAPTAIN DENTIN ENTERS ATMOSPHERE.

10:00 A.M.


You expect to hear from Captain Dentin about his arrival at any minute.

Bartja is working on Hammer and can man the radio for any calls. (Not sure which way S'krllk went.)

Bartja also updates LeGrange about the Qantariate situation and gives him all known information so far. LeGrange says he needs to receive copies of messages or other artifacts and mumbles under his breath that it would have been nice if you hadn't lost the glowing artifact orb because that would have been perfect.

S'Krllk was opening the lockers. The one with the mechanical locks first, then the other.

Porter wants to leave at least a couple with the aircar for backup.  For now, he will take the gondola and whomever said they were going.  From there, we will assess the local clues and then pair up from there and search what paths we find.

Orvo will investigate the area where the pocket tool was found and the pocket tool itself.

Porter looks for tracks or drag marks.

So, we have; Desi, Porter, & Orvo?  S'Krllk & Bartja are staying with the ship.

While Orvo & Porter look around the site, Desiraye will act as security while the other two's attention is elsewhere.

Orvo examines the pocket tool. It is a normal pocket tool from a standard equipment pack.

Orvo and Porter begin searching around the area where the pocket tool was found. You find an area of dirt where it looks like feet were dragged, pointing east before disappearing into rocks and grasses. The area is a forest area with many things that would block a trail, which makes following such a trail difficult.

However, as they stand there staring east, they see a gleam in the distance. About 50 meters east of the tracks, you see a chronocom hanging by its chain from a branch at about eye level.

Back at the ship, S'krllk is working on the locks of Terry's lockers. The mechanical lock is tough, and he works at it crudely before finally having success and opening the footlocker.

The footlocker contains the following:
  1- A personal electronic transmission device ("iPhone," if you will)
  2- Several ID cards, including for the Sanitarium, a passport, commercial pilot's license, military/veteran ID card, a membership to "Vrusk's Aren't Us" club on Kraatar, and an unmarked electronic access card to...somewhere.
  3- 2 hypo injectors marked "VSDx"
  4- 3 hypo injectors marked "TMP
  5- 5 implants of some kind
  6- 4 implants of a  different kind
  7- A heavy 5 kg device labeled "Body Jump Box"
  8- 1 progit
  9- Two pairs of night goggles
 10- One tightly folded slipsuit


Bartja is having a tough time with Hammer and needs to take a break.


It is at about this time that Captain Dentin contacts you. "Moraes Crew, We are entering [static] now. Our engines are failing and we will be [static] west of your location when we touch down. We expect a hard landing. Our communications systems [static] damaged. We will--" The communication cuts out.

Looking outside, you see a streak coming down to the west of the ship (southwest of the away team). While this will make determining the general vicinity of the ship fairly obvious to you, it will also be seen by anyone else within a 100 kilometer radius, including Sathar.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:45, Thu 24 Sept 2020.

Porter radios the ship:

"Can you guys take the aircar out to the crash site?"

Meanwhile, he and the crew with him will start heading east towards the forest, looking for more clues.  "Maybe they left a trail of items?"