As the Sathar get into range, S'Krllk turns on his albedo screen and prepares to shoot, using his anestetic needles. He whispers to Orvo, "I'm shooting that guy with the flashy lights. Maybe I can get him without damaging the mechanism."

Porter readies himself for the conflict.

Orvo nods to S'krllk and whispers back, "I'll shoot the leader." His laser rifle is set to SEU 10 and he takes careful aim, waiting for someone else to shoot first..

Porter will take action as soon as the Sathar are exposed to fire from inside the command center.

"I'll target the one with the plasma rifle," as she flips on her Albedo screen.

Ooc: Aiming her shot at the sathars center of mass holding the plasma rifle firing a Burst of Fire.

PUNCHING DAMAGE: 7
CURRENT STA: 62/62
Firing Burst: +20%

SKILLS:
Beam Weapons: 6 [DEX:30 + 60 = 90%]
Martial Arts: 3 [DEX:30 + 30 = 60%]
Melee Weapons: 2 [STR:32 + 20 = 52%]
Demolitions: 2
Gyrojet Weapons: 4  [DEX:30 + 40 = 70%]
Projectile Weapons: 3  [DEX:30 + 30 = 60%]
Thrown Weapons: 2  [DEX:30 + 20 = 50%]
Technician: 2

[1] Civilian Skeinsuit [26/50]
[1] Albedo Screen [90/100]

[1] Power Backpack  [50/50]
[1] Power Beltpack  [95/100]

[1] War-Tech GAR-10
- [11] 20 round GAR-10 mags  Current MAG: 15/20
- [1] Bandoleer Sling (holds x10 mags)
      Bandoleer: [1] MAG 2/20, [1] MAG 10/20
- [1] Muzzle Extender: Eliminates the Medium Range combat modifier and reduces the
   Long Range combat modifier from a -2 Column Shift to a -1 Column Shift
- [1] x3 Magnification scope w. Infrared optics
- [1] Rifle Holster
- [1] Power light  [1.5 kg]

WarTech GAR-10 Gyrojet Assault Rifle (#12 p.49)
Wgt: 5.5kg, Damage: 3d10/8d10,
Ammo: 20 rounds, Rate: 3(1), Defense: Inertia,
Range: -/5/75/150/300
This message was last edited by the player at 18:40, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

Bartja also flips on his Albedo Screen although he knows that Sathar tend to use sonic weapons.  He has the Gyrojet Rifle hanging from a bandoleer, ready to raise into action, but in his hand he holds a Tangler grenade as they wait for the first shot to be fired.

When the Sathar get within the crossfire range, you open fire...

ROUND 1 (Surprise attack)

Porter throws his frag grenade toward the leader and brings up his rifle...

S'krllk fires his anesthetic needles at the strapper...

Orvo fires his laser rifle at the leader...

Desi fires a burst at their center, roughly at the man with the plasma rifle...

Bartja throws his tangler grenade...

Porter's frag goes a bit wide but hits them with splash damage (12, 21, 23, 20 dmg).

S'krllk's needler jams (14:19, Today: GM Heath rolled 99 using 1d100. critical miss.) It is not operable until he takes time to take it apart and clean it.

Orvo, who is not a great shot, actually hits the leader with careful aim. (67 damage). The leader falls down dead.

Desi fires a burst, making a great shot in the center of mass. (18 damage to each of the remaining 3.)

Bartja throws his tangler grenade at the group. It goes wide but does capture one of them (machete) in its strands.

Seeing they are under attack, the two remaining mobile Sathar jump into action. The plasma rifle holding one jumps behind the strapper, using it as a human (Sathar?) shield and using the shoulder to steady the rifle.

The strapper begins running toward the ship with the plasma rifle Sathar following him. You see that what is strapped to his chest is actually some sort of bomb. His rifle is still at his side but he has a detonator in his other hand as he runs toward Orvo and S'krllk. The plasma rifle Sathar aims toward Porter.

Porter will shoot a full burst on an attempt to keep them from acting.

Bartja brings the gyrojet rifle around to bare and fires off all three shots in an attempt to drop the strapper after all.

S'Krllk chitters, but there are no Vrusk nearby to be suitably shocked at the curse. His needler is dropped and he begins to manipulate his cybernetic hand. "Ok, universe, all or nothing."
As soon as the bomb gets within ten yards, S'Krllk will try to hit it with an EMP pulse.

Orvo fires at the strapper, his laser rifle still set on SEU 10. He will then quickly try to move back into the cover of the inside of the command module to avoid the effects of any explosion.

Desiraye slightly adjusts her sights to the center of the 'Strapper' who isbeing used as a shield by the Sathar Plasma rifle user.  She steadies and then fires another burst at it.

PUNCHING DAMAGE: 7
CURRENT STA: 62/62
Firing Burst: +20%

SKILLS:
Beam Weapons: 6 [DEX:30 + 60 = 90%]
Martial Arts: 3 [DEX:30 + 30 = 60%]
Melee Weapons: 2 [STR:32 + 20 = 52%]
Demolitions: 2
Gyrojet Weapons: 4  [DEX:30 + 40 = 70%]
Projectile Weapons: 3  [DEX:30 + 30 = 60%]
Thrown Weapons: 2  [DEX:30 + 20 = 50%]
Technician: 2

[1] Civilian Skeinsuit [26/50]
[1] Albedo Screen [90/100]

[1] Power Backpack  [50/50]
[1] Power Beltpack  [95/100]

[1] War-Tech GAR-10
- [11] 20 round GAR-10 mags  Current MAG: 10/20
- [1] Bandoleer Sling (holds x10 mags)
      Bandoleer: [1] MAG 2/20, [1] MAG 10/20
- [1] Muzzle Extender: Eliminates the Medium Range combat modifier and reduces the
   Long Range combat modifier from a -2 Column Shift to a -1 Column Shift
- [1] x3 Magnification scope w. Infrared optics
- [1] Rifle Holster
- [1] Power light  [1.5 kg]

WarTech GAR-10 Gyrojet Assault Rifle (#12 p.49)
Wgt: 5.5kg, Damage: 3d10/8d10,
Ammo: 20 rounds, Rate: 3(1), Defense: Inertia,
Range: -/5/75/150/300
This message was last edited by the player at 14:57, Tue 08 Dec 2020.

Orvo, Bartja, and Desi fire at the strapper, while Porter files a full burst and S'krllk begins prepping for an EMP burst.

The ambush is a complete success. The strapper falls about 15 meters from the command module while the other Sathar falls on top of him. Before you can tell how badly they are injured, the bomb strapped to the strapper's chest explodes. Those in the command module duck back and are protected from the blast. The others duck down and cover their heads...

...and also do not get hit with any shrapnel.

The bodies of the Sathar are almost unrecognizable piles of meat now. Nothing seems recoverable. There is a small crater where the explosion took place.

Porter rises and looks around.

"Okay, everyone ready to move in 5.  There won't be anything worth collecting from that hole in the ground, but you can bet that that explosion didn't go unnoticed.  I don't think it will be a good thing to head back to the Moraes right now.  We will need to treat what we can and move towards the EMP source.  Any other opinions, speak now."

Bartja rises from cover, ejects the clip and starts adding gyrojet rounds to it to fill it back up to a full clip.

"We've done what we can here.  I'm with you Sarge.  From now on, no more soloing for me!"

In reply to GM Heath (msg # 79):
Desiraye switches her weapon s safety to 'ON' and comes to her knees, finally standing when she sees that the right is over.  Following Bartja's lead, she drops he partially used magazine and begins to consolidate the other used mags into one.  Placing the now empty one's back into the sling carrier, she checks and reseats the magazine back into the magwell.

"Agreed.   We are short on personal already, we need to stick together as a group, we'll be more combat effective like that. Correct Sarge?"

[1] War-Tech GAR-10
- [11] 20 round GAR-10 mags  Current MAG: 17/20
- [1] Bandoleer Sling (holds x10 mags)
      Bandoleer: [3] MAG 0/20 + [7] MAG 20
- [1] Muzzle Extender: Eliminates the Medium Range combat modifier and reduces the
   Long Range combat modifier from a -2 Column Shift to a -1 Column Shift
- [1] x3 Magnification scope w. Infrared optics
- [1] Rifle Holster
- [1] Power light  [1.5 kg]
This message was last edited by the player at 02:41, Fri 18 Dec 2020.

The two injured you found, Bogan and Junior, say they will take the explorer (and the utilitay robot) around the EMP pulse to general vicinity where you left the aircar and meet up back there. If the EMP goes off, then they can get back to the ship, but they can't travel on foot as they are.

You gather your things together. The EMP pulse still hits you every 30 seconds or so.

After about two hours of travel, the sun has risen and you are making your way through the forest without incident toward the EMP pulse.

Just then, off to your left (east), you hear noises coming through the brush as though several creatures are moving in your general direction.

Knowing it could be either Notui, dinos or Sathar, Porter opts to draw his gun and hide in the brush.  Though he pays attention to what is behind, he is looking to the east.

Bartja reaches for his Tangler grenade and realizes that he's already used it.  Pulling the gyrojet rifle around and into position, he follows Porter into the brush, hiding as best he can.  If there's a tree nearby, he'll scramble into its heights and take cover among the branches.

"No Monkey jokes - any of you!"

At your scrambling, the noise stops. Then, after a moment, the Notui who escorted you last night come into view (Beet-Chest and two of the wingless Notui).

"You are louder than a Screethin flamping a Kerscotch," Beet-Chest says as he stops a little ways from you. "We hear you from far away like scampering Citherhoppens. We guide you if you wish, as far as we can. You go to black pyramid, yes?"

Rising and holstering the weapon, Porter says, "Yes, that is the next objective.  Thank you."

If his skin was fleshy and uncovered like a humans, Beet-Chest would be able to see the flush of embarrassment on Bartja's face as he slides back down the tree into which he'd scrambled.

"We could use some good guides who know how to not get eaten by the...Screethin?  Are those the giant lizards that keep trying to eat us?"

Desiraye Will lower her weapon and stand when she sees that it is the Notui approaching them.  She gives a welcome nod to them and waits for them to lead everyone to the pyramid.

With the Notui as guides, you are able to traverse the jungle in two hours instead of four.

21 DAYS UNTIL QANTARIATE INVASION

DAY 5 ON MAHG MAR

9:00 a.m. (4 hours awake)

Due to lack of sufficient sleep due to being interrupted, everyone is -10% to all rolls.

You see the pyramid through the trees from about 100 meters away. It stands about 20 meters tall and is stark black. A dense fog seems to emanate from the pyramid out almost to where you stand. The pyramid itself is black with a red, glowing pattern on it. What is strange about it is that its form seems to be less than solid--almost a shimmering substance--like it is a hologram or something not quite real.

It's almost as if it does not have solid edges or sides. It pulses with a blackness like you have seen before with the attacking Qantariate invasion.

At its top, a red glowing object slowly rotates. You recognize this as what is likely causing the EMP pulses.

About 50 meters in front of the pyramid (at each of the four sides) stands a 10 foot tall humanoid figure, almost completely black with glowing red with glowing red lines on it similar to the pyramid. At first, you think these might be some sort of alien creatures, yet they stand completely still and you realize they are statues or robots or some other artificial constructs of some kind.

All of this strikes you as very strange and otherworldly. This is likely not Sathar technology, and nothing local either. Your best guess is that this is Qantariate technology from their dimension.


This message was last edited by the GM at 11:33, Wed 30 Dec 2020.

Porter will draw back and ask the scientists their opinions.  If these are robots, can they be disabled?  Can they be blown up?  Can we even enter the structure, or shut it down?