In reply to LCDR T'Lara (msg # 147):

I have a Notice thread with the current Threat & Momentum here: link to a message in this game

Decker sighed and poked a couple of controls on his tricorder, verifying that it was dead, "... and that's not good, either." He slowly backed out into the corridor, then popped the access port on the back of the tricorder open to see if it was truly as dead as that security officer.

I'm guessing a Reason + Engineering. We'll throw in a third die with momentum

11:46, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 15 using 3d20 with rolls of 5,8,2.  Diagnose/repair tricorder: Reason(12) + Engineering(2) (+1 momentum die).

That's 3 successes. Or 4, if Computers counts as a focus.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:45, Fri 28 Aug 2020.

The scan painless, at least physically, Mcreeg feels his grip on his phaser tighten, looking around even more, the feeling of being watched like ice down his back even more so now, the sound when the tricorder goes almost making him jump, part of him wanting to yell, to challenge, but that would make things worse..

Forcing himself to take calming breaths, In..Out..an old family lullaby going thru his head, something he uses to calm himself, his mind racing, seeking answers, possibilities for action even as he awaits orders from his Superior Officers..

ch’Pertha, comfortable that the room was clear of immediate, recognisable threats, moved over to stand to one side of the single doorway opposite the one the landing party peered in through.   He wanted to be able to immediately react to anything that came through that door.

Once in position, he said, “Ok, come on in, and do what you each do so well.
 T’Lara and Decker,” he said, carefully tossing his own tricorder to Decker, “I’d like you to please identify that body as best you can, and the nature of his death, with as much detail as you can”.

Decker backed out into the corridor and opened up his tricorder.  A puff of smoke emitted as the access port came loose.  It was indeed fried.  But Decker was a proficient science officer, and the tricorder was his main tool.  There were bypasses he could run, and parts he could rewire.  He had to kneel in his environmental suit in the hallway and put the parts on the floor to do the job, but he was confident he could do it. Just take a minute...

T'Lara, meanwhile, had managed to keep the lock from Decker's tricorder that they'd shared, and the next FedTech^(tm) signal was still in the queue.  She'd backed up and was right near Mcreeg, who she noticed was sweating beneath his helmet.  The young lieutenant looked nervous.  His pupils were almost dialated.

ch'Pertha tossed Decker his working tricorder, having secured the room.

Can I get an Insight + Medicine roll from T'Lara? Difficulty 2. Her focus of Psychology will apply.

And an Control + Security roll from Decker, to catch the Tricorder?  Difficulty 2 due to his cumbersome spacesuit. A focus in catch-the-tricorder would apply, if he had one. Failure means more hilarity ensues...

Mcreeg can make an Insight + Security check, difficulty 2 also.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:23, Mon 31 Aug 2020.

This was okay. He could fix this. He knew the tricorder like the back of his hand, and it was obvious that if he just cross-circuited to B, then...

...he caught sight of ch'Pertha's tricorder coming at him out of the corner of his eye. He never had much interest in sports, but he did have excellent hand/eye coordination. He reached out one hand and...

Buying an extra die with 1 momentum, you bastard GM.
00:27, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 36 using 3d20 with rolls of 16,13,7.  Catching the tricorder (or trying): Control (11) + Security (2).

...catches the device neatly, if not gracefully. "You want to be careful with these, sir. We really can't afford to run out in here." He offered it to T'Lara, "Can you please take a preliminary scan with this one. It'll just take me a minute, but I think I can get mine working again. I don't want to risk losing those other signals."

Without saying a word T'Lara placed a gloved hand over Mcreeg's arm and forced a thin smile to her lips; part to reassure him, and part to try to calm her own nerves.
She was about to say something too, but when Decker handed her his tricorder she nodded silently and left the young man and stepped back into the room to carry out her duties

OOC: 4 successes for the psychology roll, with one momentum.  But with difficulty 2 that should be a net gain of one

22:26, Today: LCDR T'Lara rolled 10 using 1d20 with rolls of 10.  rerolling 19 (cautious medicine, one die this time) .
22:25, Today: LCDR T'Lara rolled 25 using 3d20 with rolls of 5,4,16.  rerolling 19 (cautious medicine) .
22:24, Today: LCDR T'Lara rolled 30 using 3d20 with rolls of 9,2,19.  Insight+Medicine+Momentum .

Mcreeg feels the touch on his arm and looks to see who it is, heart hammering even more in fear at what it could be, what it could mean, a small sense of relief when he sees it's T'Lara, but still his mind is going in a thousand directions as he tries to find something to soothe it, to calm it, or to at least keep it busy..

23:55, Today: LT JG Xanatos Mcreeg rolled 3 using 2d20 with rolls of 2,1.  insight (9) + security (3) difficulty = 2. my bad if that should have been just one roll
This message was last edited by the player at 06:59, Tue 01 Sept 2020.

For a moment ch'Pertha regretted tossing the tricorder, as Decker's catch wasn't stellar.  But, it didn't hit the deck and so all was well.

With his keen instincts, security training and general paranoia, the doors sliding open next to him - the doors opposite the ones the party had entered through - did not catch him entirely off-guard.

But what was behind them did.  Five figures clad in Starfleet spacesuits that matched theirs...

Meanwhile, Decker caught the tricorder well enough, and had already rewired his own.

T'Lara saw the building panic in Mcreeg's eyes and, using her psychological training, realized the young man was not handling the stress well. But her reassuring smile and grip was enough to steady him.

But then she saw his eyes widen even as she began to turn away to do her scans.  And, keenly perceptive, she caught the reflection on Mcreeg's visor...

Which Mcreeg also saw.  Down the long hallway they'd come, out from around a corner some 20 meters away, a lone figure stepped out, dressed in a Starfleet uniform with a field jacket.  He was human, male, and headed their way.

OOC: ch'Pertha, you have the first action.  Then we will go to an NPC action, and then a PC action, and so on.  You first.

ch'Pertha hasn't seen the lone, running figure, has he?
Just the five Starfleet personnel?

Correct.  ch'Pertha is in the room, and the lone figure is down the hall you came from, out of view.  The only two who have noticed the lone figure (he's not running, more like advancing at a fast march) are T'Lara and Mcreeg.

Decker has noticed his tricorder, at this point.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:48, Wed 02 Sept 2020.

ch'Pertha turned, phaser ready, when the door next to him opened ... but he paused when he realised those on the other side were five figures clad in Starfleet spacesuits that matched his own.

Looking at whichever was closer, he attempted to gauge whether they were, indeed, the lost and confused people his team were here to find, or some kind of threat.
- rolled 2d20 with rolls of 3,5.  Insight + Security (15).
- Constantly Watching:   When you attempt a Task to detect danger or hidden enemies, reduce the Difficulty by 1.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:26, Wed 02 Sept 2020.

This counts as a minor action, still leaving an attack or action for ch'Pertha on his turn if he chooses.

Looking at the helmets, the face ch'Pertha sees is his own, crazed with Andorian ice-rage.  And his mirror image reached for his phaser.

ch'Pertha recognised the threat level immediately ... even if recognising the face on it was unusual.
But he knew that this first in the pack of five needed to be dealt with, fast ... and hopefully in a way that would inconvenience the others in its pack.

With a mean right hook, using all his years of Hand to Hand Combat training, he swung a huge right hook up into that very attractive (if angry) race, hoping to put the Andorian 'down' fast and hard ... and sending him stumbling/sprawling backwards into those behind him.

- rolled 3d20 with rolls of 3,1,10.  Security+Fitness(16) using 1 Momentum.
using 'Hand to Hand Combat' focus
and his Talent of 'Mean Right Hook'.

I think that gives me 5 successes?  Any successes beyond what I need, please put them into inconveniencing the other four people behind him. 

Nice shot!

Now it's your turn to roll Action Dice.  I think that's a first for the game. :)

Your Difficulty was 1.  You got 5 successes, so you have 4 Momentum extra, which can help adjust the effect of the punch.

To start with, you roll 6d6.  Action Dice are special.  Make sure you "record each die".  1s = 1, 2s = 2, 3 & 4 = 0, 5 or 6 = 1+Effect.

Since you have Vicious 1 on your HTH combat, You do +1 damage for each Effect rolled...

- rolled 6d6 with rolls of 5,3,1,2,5,6.

Reminder that ch’Pertha is hoping to inconvenience those behind that lead figure.
If he can knock the aggressive down, and (like skittles) send him sprawling into those behind him in a way that entangles them also, that would be optimal

That's 5 damage plus 3 effects.  Nice punch!

The three effects trigger 'Vicious 1' - +1 damage per effect - and 'Knockdown', which sends him sprawling.  Spending the 4 extra Momentum you generated lets the attack hit two more targets for half damage.  So that's 8 to 'ch'Pertha' and 4 to two of the others.

Narritively:

ch'Pertha's haymaker smashed into the helmet of his doppelganger, starring and cracking the helmet and sending the carbon-copy flying back into the copies of Mcreeg and Decker.  While the blow was nowhere near as devastating for them, they sprawled over like bowling pins, knocked down!

And now we switch to an NPC for action.

Outside, in the hallway, striding towards Decker, T'Lara, Jav'Ker and Mcreeg, the man in the Starfleet field jacket drew his phaser and fired at Jav'Ker!

09:27, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 25 using 2d20 with rolls of 16,9.  Phaser shot.

The blast came close enough that the engineer could feel the heat through his suit, but just barely missed... probably due to the longer range.

And now we go back to a PC for action.  First one to post gets it; then we alternate, until all have acted!

I was giving someone else a chance to go first, but let's keep things moving...

Decker spun around quickly on his knee, abandoning his tricorder, as the phaser blast shot past the group. His hand instinctively went to his own phaser. He quickly sized up his target, dropping into the habits drilled into him. Starfleet? Perhaps, but there were many possible explanations. Logic dictated that it was safer to stun first and ask questions later.

He quickly drew his weapon and fired a snap shot at the oncoming figure. There was no time to take careful aim, but knelt down he was in a good position for a stable shot.

Free minor action to draw his phaser. I'll spend one momentum to buy a third die (as opposed to taking the aim action, which I think is better under the circumstances.

14:10, Today: LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 39 using 3d20 with rolls of 9,14,16.  Phaser shot at the figure in the Field Jacket. Control (11) + Security (2). Spending 1 momentum.

1 success (lousy hasty shot)....but that should hit?
Nevermind, ranged shots are difficulty 2. A miss.

His jaw clenched slightly as the shot went wide. Control. He needed to focus and act deliberately. Reckless action was wasted action...hopefully his crew mates would not pay the price.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Sat 05 Sept 2020.

Jav'Ker's doppelganger had sidestepped the bowling pins ch'Pertha had set in motion. His Tellarite tusks showing in anger beneath his visor, the piggish eyes ablaze with red, he drew his phaser (minor action) and tried to shoot the Andorian before him!

19:00, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 5 using 2d20 with rolls of 4,1.  Phaser shot.
That's 3 successes, which is a hit (difficulty 2).  1 Threat banked...

19:01, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 17 using 6d6 with rolls of 3,3,1,3,1,6.  Phaser damage.

That's pretty shitty.  3s = 0, two 1s = 2, the 6 = 1 + effect.  I'll spend that Threat generated to reroll the three 1s.

19:03, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,5,2.  reroll 3 dice, phaser damage.

That's better (for the bad guys!).  Total damage is 6, with 3 effects.  However, the doppelganger of Jav'Ker didn't use a minor action to Prepare (set the phaser) to anything but Stun, so the effects are ignored.

That's 6 damage to ch'Pertha.  He has 18 Stress, but any hit of 5 or more causes an Injury.

You can spend 1 Momentum to Avoid an Injury (Normally 2, but your Tough talent redues it to 1).  This means you still take the Stress, but aren't KO'd.  However, your more vulnerable should you be hit again before performing the Recover task.

In any case, it's up to ch'Pertha!  And we're on to the next player (who has not yet acted this turn).  Any questions, let me know.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:11, Sun 06 Sept 2020.

Spend that 1 Momentum, thank you.
Without wanting to sound like I'm blowing any trumpets, I think we NEED ch'Pertha up and at it right now.

Ooc: sounds like plan

T'Lara didn't think.  If she started contemplating the situation, she would have panicked.  And had she really thought things through, she wouldn't be in this mess to begin with, but safely in her office back on the Independence.
Letting her instincts guide her, she pulled out her phaser and took a quick shot at the lone figure down the hall who opened fire at them:

22:29, Today: LCDR T'Lara rolled 10 using 4d6 with rolls of 3,3,1,3.  phaser damage.
22:25, Today: LCDR T'Lara rolled 8 using 2d20 with rolls of 4,4.  aim+fire at lone figure .

A hit, but only one damage :(

The striding figure took a glancing blow in the shoulder that jerked his torso in a twist for a moment, but it didn't slow his pace.

Meanwhile, back in the room... ch'Pertha's duplicate was down, KO'd from his original's punch.*  Decker and Mcreeg's clones had been bowled over and bruised, but weren't down.  Jav'Ker's copy had just shot the real ch'Pertha, and T'Lara's copy decided to follow up with a phaser shot of her own...

17:19, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 19 using 2d20 with rolls of 18,1.  Phaser shot.
17:19, Today: Starfleet Command rolled 15 using 4d6 with rolls of 4,4,2,5.  Phaser damage.That's 2 damage, 2 more Stress to ch'Pertha.

...but her luck was little better than her original's.  The phaser shot skimmed ch'Pertha's off arm, sending pins and needles through it but doing little to actually stop him.

*And his GM forgetting to spend Threat to have him Ignore an Injury. Ah well. :)

Over to the players!  Jav'Ker and Mcreeg have yet to act!

"Surely you three can deal with one man," JavKer said, drawing his phaser.  "I'll help the Commander."

Ducking through the doorway, the surly Tellarite summed up the situation.

"There can be only one," he announced, and then promptly shot himself... or rather, his duplicate.

20:37, Today:  LCDR Gullak JavKer rolled 27 using 2d20 with rolls of 15,12.  Phaser shot.

The shot barely missed, and the duplicate leered at JavKer in contempt.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Tue 08 Sept 2020.

Decker's duplicate rolled out from under the fallen copy of ch'Pertha.  Still prone, he drew his phaser, but that was all he could manage.

OOC: Over to Mcreeg.