Last Voyage of the Omen IC

[Hazuki]

"If you insist." Velvet nods.

Spoiler: Perception

Show

(1d20+11)[31]

[Miltonian]

It's...all around her. It's in the mist, it's in the ship, it's in the men themselves. It's vast as an ocean. And in this exact moment, it's looking right at her.

The moment passes and it's gone. She senses only the men, making their way through the mist and retrieving their fallen comrades. In mere moments, they will be ready to return to the infirmary.

--

Scratch scratch scratch...

There's that sound again. In the vents and drawing closer.

Marl nods and reaches for his comlink. "Hallo? Deck Officer Borne? Are you there? This is Warrant Officer Marl. We're in life support." He waits a moment and frowns. "I can't hear you. Are you holding the mic away from your face for--" A piercing, electronic squeal comes from his comlink and he drops it, cursing loudly.

[Hazuki]

"Careful now." Velvet says, as he makes sure each vent's exit is sealed as he continues to head towards the main reactor. Scratches are just scratches.

[Izzarra]

Zhanty

"I feel we are in grave danger Lt Korr, it is like nothing I have ever sensed before, but it is gone for now. I suggest we get this ship underway as soon as possible."

[Thundercracker]

Darren nodded.

The Force could be a big help he knew, from what little experience he had with the Jedi during the war before they turned against the Republic, but it was a hit or miss kind of thing.

“Let’s pick up the pace then,” he said, keeping watch in the mist and encouraging the men to get everyone outside the mess hall.

Once there he did a head count to make sure everyone made it out and then he closed and locked the door.

“Back to the infirmary,” he said, holstering his pistols again and picking up the stretcher with the spare equipment on it.

[Miltonian]

Marl picks up his comlink with a doubtful look at it. "Darn thing must be malfunctioning again," he mutters. A quick look around his him frowning. "Say, I know a shortcut, if you're up for it."

--

The door safely locked and all heads accounted for, they make their way back to the infirmary and drop off their precious cargo of human lives. The doctors are hard at work and have little time to spare, but snap off a thanks and get back to work. Sergeant Lorne offers to accompany them up to the bridge with half his men, but ultimately it is up to Darren and Zhanty to decide how to proceed.

[Hazuki]

"I think the usual way will suffice." Velvet says. "We might meet others. And our time is not so limited." Also, he doesn't trust shortcuts to be as spacious or safe - if the shortcuts were reliable, they wouldn't be shortcuts, but the main path.

[Izzarra]

Zhanty

"Sergeant Lorne, we will be heading to the bridge. I would like four troopers to come with us, everyone else should stay here."

Into comm "Starling, we have secured the infirmary, Lt Korr and I are headed to the bridge, what is your status."

[Thundercracker]

Zhanty

"Sergeant Lorne, we will be heading to the bridge. I would like four troopers to come with us, everyone else should stay here."

Into comm "Starling, we have secured the infirmary, Lt Korr and I are headed to the bridge, what is your status."

Darren Korr

“It’s critical this infirmary remain safe, we’ll be in touch by comlink and will send relief when we can,” Darren said
“Until then sergeant,” he said with a salute.

[Miltonian]

The officer shrugs. "As you say, as you say," he says and follows along behind, blaster drawn and ready to fire. The scratching in the vents continues, slowly following along behind them. However, Marl doesn't seem to notice. If he does, he doesn't comment on it. He keeps his eyes on the path ahead, grim but showing no signs of fear.

"We'll get there in...well, we're walking, so five minutes," he says, "So...if you don't mind me askin', how'd you wind up in the service?"

--

"I'll send my best," Lorne promises and picks four troopers to accompany them. They fall in, blasters at the ready, and march on behind the two.

Once again, there are two routes forward. It's a long climb up the maintenance shafts to the bridge, but that is the direct route. Likely, it will take some effort though and could leave everyone winded before they even arrive. Second is to reroute power to a lift somehow, but there are many, many ways that could go wrong.

[Thundercracker]

Darren Korr

“Anyone have mechanics training?” Darren asked, “otherwise we’re climbing a couple hundred meters up a maintenance shaft.”

[Hazuki]

"I was purchased as a slave, freed, and enlisted into an Imperial Academy." Velvet says to the older officer. It's not the first time he's been asked the question, and he's learned to answer it so as to avoid all the parts he'd rather not share. "I would still be there, were it not for the Empire."

[Izzarra]

Zhanty

"Considering what I have seen so far today, I would rather make the climb then risk getting trapped in a small metal can."

[Miltonian]

"I was put through the vehicle repair course, sir," one of the troopers offers, "I can have a go at it."

The other troopers remain professional, but Zhanty can sense some dread radiating off them at the mention of climbing up the ladders. Of course, being trapped on a ladder has its own dangers. At the end of the day, they will just have to come to a hard decision.

--

The man nods. "There are some similar stories among the crew. We find humans way out in the Outer Rim, you see. Offer them a chance to join up, train 'em, and make 'em part of the crew."

The scratching pulls ahead of them and stops right at the vent they are about to pass, one they will have to step right under.

[Hazuki]

"It is a good thing to do." Velvet concurs. He knows it sounds lame, but there's no other reply that he can think of quickly enough. The scuttling overhead gives him a moment of pause and he holds a hand out before the older officer. "Can you give me a boost?" He asks, gesturing to the vent as he pulls out his liquid cable dispenser. If the man consents, he quickly stretches out a liquid cable, then another, to form a cross over the vent.

[Thundercracker]

Darren Korr

“Get started on the lift, if you can’t fix it we don’t have a choice anyway,” Darren said.

He motioned Zhanty over a few feet away from the others?

“What have you seen?” he asked quietly, “just asking because maybe you’re okay climbing up 150 meters through an open shaft but that’s a pain in the rear for an old fart like me so I’m not real keen on doing it unless there’s a good reason. That and if we end up having to fight something in the shaft it’s going to be real tough. Not saying fighting out of a turbolift is easier but at least if one of us gets shot in a turbolift it doesn’t mean a fall to our deaths.”

[Izzarra]

Zhanty moves off with Darren Korr.

"There is a presence in the ship, possibly surrounding the ship. I do not know what it is but from what I can sense it is strong, very large, and I think it might be watching us. It attacked TK 679 twice, almost crushed him with a bulkhead and performed something like force choke near as I could tell. Asked me 'Was it worth it?'"

[Thundercracker]

Darren Korr

Darren grunted.

“Hopefully it’ll die when we shoot or stab it,” Darren replied, “meantime, are you able to sense danger like the Jedi before they turned bad? For example if the lift is repaired can you say whether we’ll all be turned into red paste if we get into it?”

[Izzarra]

Zhanty

"Assuming that there is something that we can shoot or stab." *Shrugs* "While sensing potential danger is possible, it is typically a general sense of impending danger. Right now there is a chance that this presence will drown out any reading I try to make on something as subtle as a lift. I can feel a constant aura of danger emanating from it without even trying."

[Thundercracker]

Darren Korr

“Well, since we’re hosed either way, I say we take the lift because why climb when you don’t have to,” Darren replied.

[Miltonian]

"Sure thing," Marl says and boost Velvet up to the vent. But, at the first contact of the cable to the vent, something heavy bangs on it, denting it downwards. The cable holds, put in place just in time. The second reinforces it. Whatever is in the vent lets out a long, electronic screech of rage. A sharp, metal blade stabs through the grille, trying to tear it apart.

"Time to go!" Marl says and begins to run.

--

While Zhanty and Darren confer, the trooper kneels down and quickly reroutes a bit of power to the lift. It whirs to life. He stands up and dusts off his armor. "There you are, sir."

The lift is now open. It can be used to travel to any level on the ship, but most importantly the bridge.

The group crowds aboard and heads on up. The elevator opens into darkness. A few console lights provide the bridge's only illumination. The gravity is out too and everything not nailed down floats in a slow-moving spiral around the center, where the room is darkest. In the corner, the comm console spews out a steady stream of static.

[Thundercracker]

Darren pulled out a pistol and checked the low light scope to see if there was anything moving.

“This is lieutenant Darren Korr, anyone alive up here?” he asked.

Assuming there was no answer, Darren moved into the room and checked the corners nearest to the lift before motioning to the others.

“Secure the perimeter first, make sure there are no hostiles hiding behind the consoles or around the edges. Zhanty, any idea what’s going on in the center of the room over there?” he asked, “Last time I checked stuff doesn’t nornally float in a circle in zero G.”

[Hazuki]

Velvet's eyes go wide at the sound of the electronic screech. He's been putting whatever's crawling around was some kind of...Force, thing, or the kind of things you'd hear in a cantina. Not a robot. But those worries don't stop him from running along with the older man, as fast as his legs will carry him.

[Izzarra]

Zhanty

"I am not much of a scientist, but it could be a problem with the gravity generators, the result of airflow, or the presence is using the force to mess with us. Lets see if we can the gravity generates working first after we sweep the room."

Zhanty uses handholds to scout the room.

[Miltonian]

Darren receives no answer, but in the corners of the room, the grisly remains of part of the bridge crew lie in piles, flesh fused with one another as if exposed to horrific acid. The troopers fall silent, but use the magnets in their boots to move into the room and secure the edges, though the darkness in the center remains impenetrable, no matter what instruments try to read it.

"Area...secure," one of the troopers says with some hesitancy. They keep their rifles pointed at the center of the room.

A low hiss comes from the darkness. Animal, feral, and very angry.

--

They run, the sounds of the droid's pursuit echoing through the vents behind them. They fortunately round a corner before the sound of the vent slamming down on the floor behind them. "We can make it," Marl says, huffing a bit, "Just one more corridor. Follow me!"

He heads off, but not quite in the direction that Velvet thinks they should be headed.

Spoiler

Show

1 Will Save please.

[Thundercracker]

Darren shoots the darkness.

Spoiler

Show

attack: (1d20+16)[27]
Damage: (4d6+11)[19]
Attack: (1d20+16)[24]
Damage: (4d6+11)[24]

[Hazuki]

"Wrong way!" Velvet calls out to his companion, as he himself turns to follow the correct route.

[Izzarra]

Zhanty draws her sabers and ignites the blades while taking up a defensive stance.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Lightsaber defense talent.

[Miltonian]

The hiss becomes a screech of pain. The black mist explodes outwards, forming writhing tendrils and revealing a core of flesh and warped metal where the captain's chair once was. The stormtroopers open fire immediately.

Spoiler

Show

(1d20)[19]
(1d20)[11]
(1d20)[9]
(1d20)[20]

However, the mass of flesh doesn't seem down for the count only from that. The misty tendrils whip around, striking at everyone in the room in a furious flurry of lashes that move too fast to track with the eye.

Spoiler

Show

Darren
(1d20+7)[20]
(1d20+7)[17]
(1d20+7)[20]

(1d6+2)[6]
(1d6+2)[8]
(1d6+2)[8]

Zhanty
(1d20+7)[20]
(1d20+7)[11]
(1d20+7)[20]

(1d6+2)[4]
(1d6+2)[5]
(1d6+2)[6]

Trooper 1
(1d20+7)[19]
(1d20+7)[25]
(1d20+7)[22]

(1d6+2)[6]
(1d6+2)[5]
(1d6+2)[4]

Trooper 2
(1d20+7)[21]
(1d20+7)[13]
(1d20+7)[19]

(1d6+2)[4]
(1d6+2)[7]
(1d6+2)[5]

Trooper 3
(1d20+7)[12]
(1d20+7)[27]
(1d20+7)[10]

(1d6+2)[3]
(1d6+2)[6]
(1d6+2)[6]

Trooper 4
(1d20+7)[10]
(1d20+7)[11]
(1d20+7)[8]

(1d6+2)[7]
(1d6+2)[8]
(1d6+2)[8]

--

Meanwhile, Marl keeps moving in the direction he's been going. "What're ya talking about, kid! This is the way!" He shows no sign of stopping, so the question is whether Velvet prefers to go the right way or stick with his companion.

[Thundercracker]

Darren Korr

Darren twisted as best he could, narrowly avoiding being struck.
He even managed to get a shot off while whatever it was attacked the others before lining up both pistols again.

“Keep firing!” he shouted.

Spoiler

Show

Advantageous opening free attack:
Atk: (1d20+16)[35]
Dmg: (4d6+11)[22]

Full attack: Atk: (1d20+16)[36]
Dmg: (4d6+11)[21]
Atk: (1d20+16)[19]
Dmg: (4d6+11)[29]