White Star: Star Rogues episode 7

 White Star: Star Rogues episode 7, A Little help from friends

Players:            Game played on: 5/10/24             

Josh: Dame Joodi Dench - Alien Mystic & Diplomatic Bot: CH-T8UM

Steven: Argenti Root - Bounty Hunter & R3-K8 mechanical bot

Joe: Zorn - Alien Brute

Scott: B00m-5haka-L0c4a - Robot, Sports/Entertainment model

Argon Station

Location: 

Red Shift - Kelron Sector - Argon Station - Vector 14/33

The shipment of parts was finally sorted and prepped for refurbishment. BOOM turned away from the racks and placed the empty bins in the corner. The robot yearned to overextend his spring coils and rezz up the null grav gyroscope. His hands crumpled a sheet of zyluminum into a ball, he spun around and tossed the now ball-shaped metal ten feet across the room. The ball ricocheted off a shelf and landed in a wastebin.

BOOM: "That's a 3 pointer!" the bots vox-box chimed, mimicking a GSPN announcer. [ BOOM turned to head for the exit, his shift was over and he felt the urge for a spicy lube pint from one of the bars on the station.]

Supervisor Borg

Supervisor Borg: You're sheduled for recycling duty next cycle B00m. You are meeting all work
standards that have been set for you. I must admit I did not think a Sport-Model like you would fit in here. You have exceeded our expectations. Have a good recharge cycle. [ The supervisor watches as B00m leaves the work area and heads for the lockers.]

BOOM: [ turning towards the Supervisor as he walks by] "No hocus pocus, just focus from Boom-Shaka-Locka on that drive!" Placing the non-static coverall in his locker, the tall robot dons his well worn Nova team jersey and leaves the Android Recycling and Parts Replacement warehouse. There was a time, he would have overloaded the logic capicitors on a Borg like her after a game. But those days were over, and he missed his team. Time for that drink, maybe more than one.

Theta-Blooms Hydroponic Agri-bar was packed with patrons. Since the disaster on Brinn Beta alot more ships were diverting through Argon station, and spacer crews were not shy about their shore leaves! At a circular table near the back of the bar a human, a pair of aliens and diplomatic-bot are deep into multiple rounds of drinks.

T8UM: Since our return from Gizon system, Dame and I have become engaged in a journey of enlightenment of not only ourselves but to bring the light to others as well.

Joodi: Illuma guides me, I follow where her light shines.

Zorn: This light shining your way to any creds?

Argenti: Well, I don't know about all this Lords of Light stuff but my old mentor Buloke paid homage to them. So do as you will my friend, I'm just no zealot for this stuff.

Joodi: There is more to life than creds, Zorn. 

Zorn

Zorn: [The large alien brute frowns and finishes off the pitcher he's using as a mug.] Hugs and starlight never bought anyone more ammo and a stack of zorst steaks.

As the conversation continues Zorn happens to see a tall robot enter and head to the bar, the faded astro-ball jersey catches the big guy's attention as he notices the name and number on the back!

Zorn: Well I'll be a scratchers uncle! That looks like Boom-Shaka-Locka over at the bar.

Argenti & Joodi: Who? [ Looking in the direction Zorn indicates.]

Zorn: #81 Boom-Shaka-Locka! Star player of team Nova!? Astro-ball Champion! [ The brute is bewildered his friends have no clue who he refers to.]

T8UM: If I may sir, Zorn is speaking of the disgraced Astro-ball champion that was the only survivor of Tanoan system Solar Flare catastrophe of 3022. We watched the docu-drama on the feed last night.

Joodi: I must have been meditating during that part.

Zorn: [ getting up from the table] I'm going to see if I can get him to autograph the rookie holo-card I have. Imagine running into BOOM here on Argon!

Pushing his way through the crowd, Zorn reaches the bar and overhears the sports-bot trying in vain to order a drink, but his ability to only communicate in game calls is annoying the server.

Barman: Look buddy, I get that you're an astro fan but the lingo needs to be put in orbit. When you know what ya want tell me.

BOOM: " They need a timeout to stop the bleeding!" [This is so much easier with non-organic servers, as I can order using binary.]

A large figure looms over the former baller and he turns to get an optic full of a big organic

Rookie Holo card image

brute smiling and holding out a holograpic Astro-Ball trading card.

Zorn: Hey, aren't you BOOM-shaka-Locka? Will you autograph my card? I've followed you since you started with Aranons. I think you got shafted by Computia.

BOOM: " It's always been an adventure at the free throw line."

Zorn: I'll say! Hey would come meet my friends at our table?

BOOM: [ reaching for the holo-card, he is jostled by a patron moving to the bar.] " That was a smart foul!"

Zorn: Oh sorry, I mean if you don't wanna be bothered I'll move along. [ thinking the remark was meant for him]

BOOM: [turning towards Zorn and motioning to the brutes friends] "The refs should let them play." [ he then puts a digital-autograph on the rookie card.]

Zorn: [ smiling, he puts his arm around Boom's shoulder and guides him back towards his friends] Yeah, they should get to play. C'mon they're going to love you!

BOOM: "They play above the rim."

Zorn: Sure BOOM, we're all on the same team.

Minutes later a round of spicy-lube and a pitcher or three of Bloom ale are served up and the group get to talking. Suddenly the bar is stunned into silence as a shaggy old prospector climbs up on the bar pulls out a double barrel hand cannon and blasts a lighting fixture to smithereens!

the old man

Prospector: Listen up you bunch of hull hugging Rills! I got a little something for any of you brave enough to dare the dangers of space! [ from his pocket the old man reveals a half dozen palm-sized stamped plates of what look like gold latinum.]

Each one of these is a map to a stake on an uncharted planet, enough to set a being up for life! 

Bar Patron: Stuff it, you old coot! 

Prospector: Believe me or not, but I made these here maps from just a little of what lies waiting for someone to claim it! I got the RADS and no time left, so this is my gift to you blackhole bastards! Get it before the Consortium does! [ the old man tosses the golden maps up in the air and in an arc across the bar.]  

The entire bar goes quiet as the light reflects off the golden rectangles, everyone thinking about what the old man said. Then chaos explodes across the room! Fists, tentacles, and a myriad of other appendages slap, swing, and pound into faces and bodies. Knives and pistols start to be drawn and the barman ducks down to get his own roomsweeper! He knows this is going to get real bad before station enforcement arrives. The old prospector on the bar points his gun into the crowd firing and howling like a rabid moon-hound.

Zorn made use of his "fake" grenade, allowing Argenti to grab a gold map plate and the party escaped from the bar out the emergency exit. Figuring they have little time to waste the group board the bounty hunters small ship and quickly decipher the star chart imprinted on the golden map.

Argneti: These are coordinates alright, but according to the nav-comp there is nothing there but empty space. The old guy could have made this all up, some kind of sick joke!

BOOM

Zorn: Or it's a real treasure map, and leads us to his secret stash! We better leave now!

Joodi: A new path lies before us, yet is our choice as to whether we follow it or not.

BOOM: "This game has turned into a free throw shooting contest!" 

Argenti: Ok then. K8 power up the engines, looks like we're going on a treasure hunt.

A course is plotted and Argenti takes his ship out of Argon station headed into deep space. Once safely beyond the asteroid field they power up the jump drive and punch in the mysterious co-ordinates. During the week long trip in jump space, the ship suffers a minor malfunction leaving the flight deck in darkness as the interior illuminator power regulator overheats and becomes slag.

Red Shift - Kelron Sector - Uncharted System - Vector 19/28

Soon after dropping out of jump, the group find they are indeed within an uncharted star system. They follow the map and soon locate the single hospitable planet and head for it. The long range detectors wail as another ship is picked up going in the same direction as our team.

Survey ship: Amelia Earhardt

Zorn: You got guns on this thing right, we should shoot them down!

Argenti: Calm your jets Z. We don't fire on anybody till we know their intentions. I'll signal them on the comms, see what sort of response we get. K8, take the wheel.

K8: -affirmative-

Detector screen

Argenti: Unidentified ship, this is Shesha's Nest. Please state your inten . .  [ get's interrupted by Boom entering the cockpit]

BOOM: " It's a two possesion game." pointing at the blip on the detector screen. 

Unknown Ship: Shesha's Nest, this is the Amelia Earhardt. We are on a parallel course for the planet ahead. Did you guys get one of those maps too?

Zorn: [whispering to Argenti] Get closer so we can shoot them, or maybe board them...

Argenti: [ waving Zorn out of the cockpit] Amelia, we did get a map. We would prefer to keep things peaceful if that's good with you? [ motions to K8 to maneuver their ship closer to the newcomer, and activates the vid-feed]

Amelia pilot

Amelia Earhardt: We would prefer that as well, we're just a survey vessel hoping to score this chance for a planetary listing. There isn't much we could do if you guys are lying anyway...

BOOM: "That was a ticky-tack call!" [moving into view of the comms vid-feed]

 Amelia Earhardt: .. we, holy quasars!!! Is that BOOM-Shaka-Locka!?!

BOOM: [ giving a thumbs up sign] "Coast to Coast!"

Argenti: [ muttering to himself ] How does everyone recognize this Bot? Yeah, Earhardt. It's the old astro-champ himself!

Suddenly both ships detectors begin screaming as multiple incoming objects are picked up. It is quickly surmised the objects are missiles, and right behind them is the bulky ship that launched them. Some fancy flying by Argenti allows the Nest to avoid being hit, but the Earhardt is damaged and a casualty is seen being sucked out a hull rupture!

Amelia: Shesha's Nest, we're hit and venting O2. Engaging emergency landing protocols. We can't take another hit like that!

Argenti: Everyone strap in! [ turning back to the comm vid-feed ] Amelia, hold her steady I've got a plan. We're going to magno-grapple you and use my retros to stabilize your re-entry! 

The two ships link up and are able to pull off an emergency landing without damaging themselves. Also the bounty hunter was able to knock out another pair of missiles fired at them by the intruder! Once planetside the crews of both ships make introductions and form a plan of action.

Earhardt crew ATV

The party leave K8 to help two of the Earhardt's crew repair their ship. While Todd and Amanda the planetary surveyors let the rest of our guys ride in the ATV they have. Using the map plates they head out for the location shown on the flipside of the star chart.

Joodi: [ to the group] I feel the light of Illuma here. It is strong, and has grown stronger since we landed.

Joodi

Amanda: That bodes well for our journey then right?

Todd: Seems you've got a fellow believer here 'manda. [ smiling he starts the ATV]

Argenti: We should go, no telling where that ship went that tried to kill us all.

Zorn: If we see them again, I'll smash them into pulp!

T8UM: I do hope there is no further need for violence on this trip.

Joodi: [ to his Bot, and the others in the ATV] Let us be quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come.

BOOM: "We need to domiate the boards!"

wildlife

The next couple of hours are spent driving through thick jungle and dense grass plains. Eventually the ATV arrives at the destination co-ordinates supplied on the map plate. Everyone is in awe of what they see upon arrival.

Jungle temple

   The party enter and begin exploring the temple while Amanda and Todd perform their environmental survey. Dame Joohdi takes the lead as the alien's connection to the Luminae guides them to something awaiting within!

Upon entering a large chamber near the top of the temple complex, Joohdi is overcome with the spirit of Luminae and the room springs to life with cosmic power!

Zorn: [ hefting his power axe ] Do we need to fight?

Argenti: I don't think this is bad, but we should be wary. . .

BOOM: [gives a thumbs up to Argenti], stays close to the big alien Zorn.

T8UM: There is no power source within my sensor range, the lights we are seeing are being created by some other means.

Joodi: The White Star senses us, I will enter the circle and commune with Illuma. [ the mystik steps forward and enters the glowing circle upon the dias at the center of the room]

Argenti: Be careful Joodi.

Joodi: There is nothing to fear here, other than that which we bring ourselves.

While the Mystik communes with the cosmos, Zorn and Boom hear cries of alarm from outside. Finding a vantage point in the crumbling temple wall, the pair witness a group of armed humanoids capture Amanda and Todd. The scruffy opponents proceed to blast the ATV before departing into the jungle in a large open topped air-car.

BOOM: [ pointing to their captured friends] They can't buy a basket!

Zorn: I think the pirates just kidnapped our friends, we gotta get back down there!

Joodi: [ coming out of the trance ], I am done here, we can go.

Argenti: [ quietly to the mystik ] What did you see?

Joodi: In good time my friend, let us aid those in need first!

Reaching the base of the temple the party discover the ATV has been disabled by laser fire. Argenti notes he could track the pirates, but doesn't advise trekking  through the alien jungle on foot! Suddenly T8UM alerts the group that they are surrounded by two dozen lifeforms!!

the natives

Surrounded by native inhabitants, the group prepare to possibly fight their way to safety. Joodi commands T8UM to start a communication link through his language database in hopes of communicating with them.

After a tense few miniutes with things seemingly headed towards a bad outcome, it's BOOM that swings the situation back in favor of a peaceful outcome. The Astro-ball player activates his internal Inflato-ball modification, and begins a one-bot display of his Astro-ball skills!

Zorn: We gonna fight, or play ball?

Argenti: I think BOOM may have saved us from a big misunderstanding. . . 

Joodi: His actions are giving T8UM time to analyze their speech patterns. This non-threatening display is de-escalating our predicament from outright violence to probable parley.

BOOM slowly gets one native after another to join him in a makeshift game of Half-court. Twenty minutes later T8UM is able to assemble a rudimentary translation matrix allowing him to act as intermediary between the two parties for communication.

BOOM: They match-up well size wise. [motioning to the natives]

The party learns the pirates have a makeshift base set up a few kilometers to the west of the temple. They also learnn they have been using the locals as forced labor in an strip-mining operation. The native leader agrees to lead the party to the base in exchange for aid in freeing their people and destroying the pirate threat.

In the end, the group through wise use of Mystic powers, stealth and robo-sports were able to destroy the mining facility, save Todd, Amanda, and the local natives. The group also took command of a modified cargo ship carrying a load of unrefined latinum ore. They sold the ship and stored the ore for later use once back at Argon station. The system and planet was registered by the crew of the Amelia Erhardt and the natives are now under protection from further illegal activities as the Galactic Consortium takes over commerce with the Sector guild commitee.

Red Shift - Kelron Sector - Argon Station - Vector 14/33

Relaxing with a round of Blue-Nebula's, the party thinks about what to do next.

Argenti: Well done everyone, there's nothing better than breaking up pirate schemes!

BOOM: We really lit up the scoreboard!

Zorn: Ended up with a fat load of credits too!

Joodi: We surely brought the light of Illuma back to the oppressed beings of that world. However the darkness of the void still closes in around us. I gained knowledge that can help spread the light once more across the sectors, will you all aid me in this endeavor?

There is a moment of silence as the Mystik looks to each of his companions.

Zorn: As long as there are credits to be made and foes to be smashed!

Argenti: I hunt those who break the law, and I can't abide any who would willingly do evil to others. I'm in.

BOOM: Looks like the refs are gonna have to let us play!

THE END