Fortunately, the ship didn't sustain any damage from the radical course change within The Drift, and the rest of the journey proceeded smoothly.

Before too long, the ship left The Drift.

Proximity alarms went off immediately!

The Starhawk had come out in the middle of an asteroid field!

Normally, asteroids in a belt are far enough apart that it's a bit hard to get hit by one. That's the case here, as well. It's just that one asteroid came within about 100 feet of the ship.

"That was a close one!" the captain announced.

"We need to figure out just where we are before we can re-enter The Drift."

"Meanwhile, we're going to get out of this asteroid belt!"

Revonoss decides to assist the pilot in navigating the astraoid field manning the sensors and helping him plot a path to saftey out of the belt leaving the figuring out where they are to the others.

((OOC: I was working on the next adventure when my brain was hijacked by aliens! I finally managed to escape; now I just have to find my way back to Earth!))


Maneuvering out of the asteroid ring was a better option than trying to match vectors with asteroids because while most of the asteroids had the same heading, not all of them had the same velocity.

With Revonoss's assistance on sensors, it only took a few minutes to get clear of the belt and take up a relatively stationary position while they determined their location.

As expected, they were somewhere in The Vast, in an unmapped, unmarked, unexplored section of the galaxy.

"If it wasn't for the Vesk that we believe are following or pursuing us, we could take the time to explore this area," Captain Zenith announced.

"As it is, we're in a complex trinary system with 17 planets and three asteroid belts. We're taking all the sensor readings while we can, but we're not planning on hanging around unless we find something compelling to investigate."

Phelar begins accessing the computer, comparing the external stars to existing star charts, as well as distance travelled in the Drift before and after the course changes to try and determine where they ended up.

There are no familiar star patterns in the sky, but that was to be expected, since you are so far away from the Pact Worlds that most stars appear much dimmer. The astronomical science recognizes that there are certain stars that have a consistent pulse regardless of where you view them from. These are called pulsars.

By identifying them first, Phelar is able to triangulate the Starhawk's current position.

As it turns out, you are in an unmarked area of the galaxy--an area that hasn't even been designated into quadrants, sectors, or subsectors yet. Completely unexplored.

There's not even any record of a trinary system.

Even as Phelar determines the ship's location, Revonoss picks up something on sensors: a moon of the nearest gas giant planet appears to be ejecting something. Once they separate farther from the planet, Revonoss can determine that they are spheres... about 100 feet in diameter. There are five dozen of them, and they are heading straight for the Starhawk. They'll reach the ship in about an hour.

"I have our position. We are here." She put's up a starmap, then puts a green dot on it for their current position. Then expands it out putting a blue dot for the position that they are trying to head to, and a yellow dot for the position that they left, and red for last known position for the vesk. "I've expanded it out and placed markers for our destination, where we left, and last known location for the Vesk shit."

Probably more calm then he feels he says to the captain.

"Captain sir. You might want to see this and go on full alert just in case while we try to hail them?"

He redirects the images to the captain while he tries to get a better scan of the things to determine what they are and how dangerous.

The size of the approaching objects is consistent with a small starfighter, but the sensors are picking up energy readings considerably greater than what is normal for that size ship. Until now, it would have been considered impossible, but clearly it isn't.

"This is not good," the Captain says when the sensor readings come through.

"If they have a power generating system that good, it is indicative of an advanced technology. And the only reason to put it into a ship that small is to power weapons."

"That many starfighters indicates they probably aren't friendly. At the very least, they are prepared to defend themselves against a known enemy."

"I don't think they should know where we come from. They might be conquerors."

"So, no, we aren't going to hail them. As fast as they are, they don't appear capable of reaching us before we enter The Drift again."

Using Phelar's data, Zenith had the astrogator plot a new course and moments later, the engines cut off and the ship entered The Drift.

"I wouldn't put it pass those ships to pursue us into The Drift," the Captain announces, "so we're going to make another course change."

"Well, we never thought that this would be easy or uninteresting."

"Here's hoping we can get this data back to the Pact Worlds. I don't think they are ready for yet another war."

He studies Phelar's data again, and directs a radical oblique course change.

"Entering The Drift isn't the same as finding another ship with your sensors, so hopefully, we'll get away from them... assuming they even follow."

Phelar will ensure to pay more attention this time to the direction, speed, and time in drift and plots them into the computer allowing it to do keep a more real time tracking of their location as best as she can. This way she can have a better idea of where they are when they exit, and hopefully have to take less time to figure out their location when they exit the next time.

Revonoss just nods in agreement with the captain relieved there was no order that made them stay to find out if that overwhelming force was friendly. Still he'd love to get his hand on one of those power sources to look into but much like the last location there would most likely be plenty more things he would love to see before they found Golarion. For now he keeps scanning just to make sure they did not follow.

"The potential threat definitely outweighed the possible benefits," Sol agreed with the Captain's decision.

"I'm still deciding if things have gotten more interesting the farther out we go. Nor have I decided if what we've encountered so far bodes well or woe for us. And the Pact Worlds."

He made a mental note of these 'oddities' that they'd run across already. He doubted if he'd ever make it back to further investigate them, but he'd check reports if others did.

After two days on the current course, sensors detect something ahead. It soon turns out to be a wall of fire!

Although sensors can't make the distinction, presumably this is a 'piece' of the elemental plan of fire that was shifted to The Drift.

The Captain brought the ship to a stop before it entered the 'wall of fire' and let the sensors do their job.

"Our shields can handle the heat for a short while," he comments to everyone on the bridge. "It depends on how extensive the fire is."

"Hmmm. Sensors aren't indicating any immediate way around it."

"Wait! There's something in there!"

He directs the sensors to focus on a spot on the screen and enlarge it.

It appears to be some kind of citadel. At least, it's built like one. It is about five stories tall with a domed top. Its brass walls glisten in the fire.

"Is it just me, or does that look like a piece of the City of Brass?"

"It does look familiar doesn't it? But if its there its at least a little misplaced isn't it?"

Revonoss starts a scan to see if there is a safe path to it. Their home system had citadels in the sun that where approachable on the right angle after all. He also starts to try plot a route around it just in case.

As the image on the screen enlarges, there is something about it that looks familiar to Phelar.

A nearly forgotten scrap of knowledge floats up to her consciousness.

It's a temple of Casandalee, the android Iron God part of Triune.

Revonoss may know that a star or sun is not quite the same as the Elemental Plane of Fire. The Elemental Plane of Fire in intertwined with magic, which is why efreeti can wield such powerful magic effects. Suns don't have that, though there might be some sort of connection with them.

He's also aware that every time a ship enters The Drift, it seems to pull some random piece of another plane into The Drift. Current theory says that it's a 'flaw' with the Drift engine itself, but that's also 'blasphemy' against Triune. However, others speculate that this is intentional by the Triune and that eventually all Planes will become part of The Drift. If that happens, one theory claims, it will mark the end of the universe.

Revonoss can't find any 'path', 'channel', or otherwise safe route to the temple. This is probably because the temple was not intentionally built for the Elemental Plane of Fire.

Nor is he able to find a route around it. The ship's sensors simply aren't that great. One option is to leave The Drift and then reenter it at some point beyond the fire. The problem with that, though, is that you don't know how extensive the fire is so you don't know where to reenter.

Phelar slowly walks up to the screen, and cocks her to one side. After a moment she straightens up and lifts her hand, tracing it around the temple for a moment. "Casandalee. But how do I know that?"

Then suddenly she would stagger a bit, then straighten up, shaken her head she just stood there for a moment staring off into the distance like she had before. "Fires of the strange fires are not normal fires they are from the elemental plane of fire." Then another short pause. "Worlds not of our own, planes not of our own, piece of the elemental plane of fire." Then a final short pause but this time instead of her saying anything prophetic, the computers working, working on the shields, adapting their modulations. It was her. She was doing it. Suddenly her voice came over the PA. "Someone needs to go to the shield access port, and close breaker B, they will also need to install a bypass module at junction A. I am working on the computer modulations that are necessary. Doing so will make the ships shields able to withstand fire indefinitely. Please hurry if you wish to pass through the elemental fire to the temple before the Vesk discover us."

THat was interesting. Revonoss looks at Phelar for a moment and then jumps onto his feet. Fire immune shields and this place was a promise of maybe getting rid of their pursuers? He leaps onto his feet to go and make the neccecary adjustments trying to figure out if it was all regular science or if Phelar was doing something in the process of him doing this of a more magical nature.

Many debates and many experiments have been conducted over the centuries on the nature and differences of fire, magical fire, and solar fires. About all that was determined was that they are different but have some similarities.

The adjustments that Revonoss and Phelar make the to ship's protective shields seems to have upped the resistance to solar fires, which is impressive since the fire of a sun is considered a thousand time more powerful than any normal fire.

That's not to say the new modified shields will be effective against magical fire. In a way, it's like weaving gold threads into a normal cotton fabric. Once you weave magic into the fire, something about the fire changes. It's not as potent as solar fire, but it affects things somewhat differently.


Once the fire-proof shields are in effect, the captain decides to take the ship to the structure.

It becomes more distinct the closer you get as there are not as many dancing flames flickering between you and it. It's a bit hard to classify... it has the general look of a citadel (as opposed to a fortress) but has a tower-like look to it as well. The central structure is a domed-top tower with flanking  buildings at the base from which protrude two spires. The whole thing appears to be made of brass, and every surface except the dome is finely etched with runes (including the underside, which you can see as you approach since the building is just 'floating' in the fire).

The crew constantly monitors the shields and the ship's external as well as internal temperature as the ship enters the fiery region and slowly creeps forward. Should anything suddenly change, the captain is prepared to retreat as fast as possible.

Nothing changes, nothing goes wrong. As you near the structure, double doors open in the tower just below the dome, a platform extends outward and two people appear in the doorway holding out welcoming arms.

In short order, the ship 'docks' at the platform, and the captain heads for the airlock.

"Phelar, Revonoss, Solsantharis and Saia... you're with me. I don't know if this place has anything to do with our quest, but I'm sure we won't know until we ask!"

Revonoss was more then a little in awe of the feat they pulled off. Eyes on the readings he says to her.

"Phelar my dear you are a miracle but a magnificent one. The stuff hidden in that pretty head of yours makes me wonder what more marvellous things beyond talking with machines comes out."

When its time to go he puts on his Rinbgwear to join the away team setting his drone up to keep an eye on the temperature at all times and having it warn them of rapid and dangerous temperature changes.