Thevshi

When Starshot reached the ATV bay, Laark was over examining the aft cargo door. "Does not appear to be any damage to door." He commented at seeing the captain, an observation that Starshot quickly agreed with. There did not appear to be any significant damage to the interior of the door, but that did not necessarily mean that there was not some exterior damage, or damage to the operating mechanisms that the two could not see. The large alien looked over at Starshot. "Could always cut open, but perhaps I can try to assist in opening first?" He suggested.

The airlock sealed shut behind Starshot once more as he updated his crew. The faint howl of wind shut outside once more. "I haven't had time to check the recycler just yet." Soreen replied with a slightly irritated tone. "Still focused on assessing what it will take to fix the core and engines. Unless you want me to set that aside for the moment and start checking everything else." "Tank appears to have suffered no significant damage." Laark interjected over the com system. "However, the aft cargo door is not opening." The gruff crewmember then added.

Oskar and Seika started up the rocky incline to the jungle above. The going was a bit treacherous, particularly having weapons at the ready that occupied their hands, but the pair were able to make the ascent without any serious mishaps. Once they reached the higher ground, where the jungle began once more, Seika was able to pick back up the tracks. The jungle appeared to be situated along a band of flat surface that followed along a cliff side that rose more than a hundred feet up and seemed to go on for several miles. As the two moved along the higher jungle, they both noticed something change. All of the animal noises that were so common down below, were all but absent now.

"Understood, going to check tank." Laark replied. With most of the internal lighting shut off, the inside of the Xeno got very dark. What faint light that was given off, was hazy due to some smoke that drifted up from damaged systems. The sensors just outside the airlock took only a few moments to take readings of the conditions outside. The atmosphere reading came back as safe for the crew, although slightly higher in nitrogen than most other oxygen rich planets. The temperature was cool, but not at all different than one might expect in a desert environment at night. How hot it might get during daylight was another question, one the sensors could not answer now. Exiting the airlock, Starshot was greeted by a cool breeze that blew a bit of sand into the ship. The terrain beyond was generally flat, with more dunes visible off in the distance. Mostly covered in sand, there were a few patches of barren rocky terrain visible in the area Starshot could see. The enhanced sensors inside the helmet did not pick up anything moving out there, at least not nearby.

"I am fine." Replied the gruff voice of Oskar's second crewmember, Laark, a seven foot tall humanoid that was primarily for helping with any heavy lifting that might be needed, but could provide Oskar some muscle when needed. "There appears to be some damage down in the cargo area, still inspecting." "I could be a lot better, but I am in one piece." Soreen replied. "The main core is offline, we are mainly running on batteries right now. We might want to power down everything we can to conserve what backup we have. Not sure just yet what it might take to get the core back online."

I was thinking two crew members.

OOC for this thread.

Sitara Shashikala, often better known as the Traveller, was waiting for her three "former" teammates in a cantina only a short distance from where they were currently weaving their way through the crowds. The cantina was the type of place Sitara often liked to frequent when she could, where one could encounter a wide range of individuals at any given time and most of the patrons kept to their own business. Since the incident with Aquaria and Jessie, Sitara had made the most of the opportunity provided to spend some time travelling this part of space, gathering what information she could about the state of things. In some cases it had been relatively easy, but in others so much more difficult that the amount of information she had been able to gather had been relatively small, and often based on rumors and other secondary sources. The region sized by Sovereign following the Incursion had been almost shockingly easy to slip into. While the renegade Borun prince had been able to take control of the region with ruthless efficiency, he was far less adapt at controlling the territory he had. While the systems were clearly afraid to defy him due to his current position of strength, many did what they could to undermine his authority or just flaunt it outright. It would not take much for a number of worlds to outright revolt. Even Sovereign's control of the motley collection of pirate fleets was far from absolute. Many only followed the Borun due to a combination of fear and contentment with the spoils his campaign to establish and empire had provided. Now that Sovereign's expansion had been significantly slowed, as a result of both efforts by the Praetorians and Star Knights, as well as resistance from other warlords in control of former Khanate territories, there were some grumblings within his forces. The regions controlled by some of the other warlords that had sought to seize power in the aftermath of the Incursion had varied in how difficult it had been, or not been, to get into. For the most part, many of the warlords had been involved in ruling the Stellar Khanate under Star Khan, and thus tended to have a core group of forces that were much more loyal to them than most of Sovereign's. They also, for the most part, had firmer control of the systems within the area they claimed, often in part because they were familiar with those worlds and governing them. But there had been one factor that had arisen which even they were not able to fully control. Under the Star Khan, the Stellar Khanate had always been a haven for criminal syndicates, so long as they did not cross the Khan and his lieutenants. Following the Incursion, those criminal syndicates had been, for lack of a better term, let off the leash. Many had thrived in the chaos that had come with the Incursion and the uncertainty that followed. With Star Khan more or less out of the picture and his remaining lieutenants weakened and in some cases fighting among themselves, the syndicates had been able to greatly expand operations and openly flaunt the Khanate authority. A few had even taken direct control of a few regions themselves. Most of the worlds which had declared their independence from the Khanate had been among those most recently conquered by Star Khan, with populations that still recalled what it had been like to be free of Khanate control. Others, such as Kembel, had decided to try to forge their own paths. All had similar difficulties, as they lacked much in the way of significant military forces or other means to defend themselves against Sovereign and the other warlords seeking to expand their power. They primarily survived due to alliances among themselves, the Lor Republic and other governments willing to provide some assistance. Many also relied on some measure of protection from the Star Knights and Praetorians. The only area that Sitara had not been able to venture far into was what remained of the Stellar Khanate. Still proclaiming itself loyal to Star Khan, the exact fate of Kinan Khan was not entirely clear. There were rumors that he had somehow managed to fully recover from the partial cybernation process the Communion had inflicted on him, other rumors stated he was dead and his former closest advisors were merely using his name to rule themselves. But one thing was clear to Sitara, the remnants of the Khanate had dug in their heels and were tightening their grip on the area still under their control. There was also indication that the Khanate was working to rebuild its forces, but whether this was simply to stop any further loss of territory or to try to reclaim that which had been lost was not clear.

Kembel Outer length of the Perseus Arm, former Khanate Space Lor time mark 1482.4 [April 2, 2016 (Terran Calendar)] Kembel was a lush, mostly tropical world that rotated around a blue giant star. With more than half its surface covered with relatively shallow seas, the continents that extended out from the planet's equator were covered with thick jungles. Despite the seemingly inhospitable terrain, Kembel had been colonized centuries ago, and quickly developed into a rather thriving world with dozens of species from around the sector within its small cities. Its location along the outer edge of what had once been part of the Stellar Khanate meant that it had been fortunate enough to be bypassed during the Communion's initial advance. The tide of refugees from many other Khanate worlds had only swelled the planet's population, a situation that had not changed much since the Communion’s defeat. With the chaos that had gripped the Khanate in the aftermath of the Incursion, Kembel had been one of the worlds that had taken the opportunity to establish its independence from the Khanate. It was here that a small group of Praetorians made their way through the crowded streets of one of Kembel's major cities. Cavalier and Moon-Moth did not have to worry too much about being jostled by the crowds, as Seresk's massive presence just behind them tended to cause the crowd make a bit more space for them to pass. The old buildings of this part of the city were covered with trees, vines and other planets that had grown up along the walls over the centuries, making the city itself seem like just another part of the jungle that lay around it. The three had been sent here to meet up with Traveller, who, since the incident involving the two Terrans that had been caught up with the Spectrum Knights and pursued by the Lor military, had officially been disavowed by the Praetorians, and had headed off into the border regions of Khanate space. Of course, this had been a planned by Paradigm and Traveller, to provide Traveller the appearance of being an independent, as she made her way out into Khanate space to see what sorts of information she might be able to gather about the state of things.

Round One 21 Queenie (unharmed, 1 HP) 18 Insectoid (unharmed) 16 Melee fighter (unharmed) 15 Tough Alien (unharmed) 14 Grue drones (8 in total, minions) 13 Seresk (unharmed) 9 Paradigm (unharmed, 3 HP) 6 Magnetar (unharmed) 5 Grunt alients (4 in total, minions) Okay, Queenie is up!

GM The four heroes sped down the central corridor of the abandoned Grue facility, quickly reaching the other end as Queenie suggested they split up. But the need for that quickly seemed to be negated, as they reached the openings at the far end that branched toward other parts of the facility. Off to the left, in a chamber like they one they had used to enter the facility, was the spacecraft that the Praetorians had initially been pursuing. In the room were over a dozen individuals, all strange an alien to Queenie. Eight red skinned humanoids with a roughly androgynous physique and a smooth face that lacked either a nose or mouth were in the middle of loading a number of containers into the spacecraft. Also nearby were four other aliens, with more typical features associated with humanoids, but each distinctive in appearance, and all carrying some sort of energy weapon sidearm. The three figures in the room that stood out the most were a towering humanoid almost as large a Seresk; a insectoid alien covered in dark blue chittin that looked somewhat like a coakroach walking on two legs; and a tall humanoid that carried some sort of staff. All the figures turned to regard the heroes as they rounded the corner into sight....

Okay, at the moment the bad guys that are up are not doing much other than running, so don't feel that warrants a GM post. So Corona is up Rav!

So far the chaos was not getting any better, but at least some of the crowd was getting clear of the park Then Tsunami focused on the panicked voice of the man calling out for who she could only assume was his son. Focusing on the water spout that had brought her here, the Asian young woman flew over toward the man, stopping in the air above him as she crouched down. "Sir, are you missing someone? Where did you last see them?" She asked, trying to get the man's attention. "I will help you find them."

While Velocity was not too bad at diplomacy, she was not nearly as good at it as Stesha. In any event, the speedster was not able to get as close to the girl as some of her other teammates and attempts at diplomacy tended to be rather less effective if you were having to shout. So, the yellow clad speedster zipped over to the other side of Sandman's barrier along with Tiamat, to try to help keep the crowds back at a safe distance. "Okay everyone, it looks like everything is getting under control, but please keep your distance until we are sure it is completely safe."

Velocity (10) One Month Mission (1) Brave Enough to Burn (4) Favored Son (2) ToV: Short Attention Span Theater (3) Tsunami (8) Selfie Shtick (3) ToV: Thicker Than Water (5) Synapse (5) The Secret Garden (2) Trade Show (1) ToV: Harden Pharaoh's Heart (2) Paradigm (19) Fault of the Stars (5) Revanche: At the Point of a Sword (8) Praetorians: The Deadly Dozen (4) The Red Planet (2) GM (109) Praetorians: The Deadly Dozen (11) Praetorians: Zealots (2) Fault of the Stars (6) Crash on Volturnus (36) Climate Justice (2) The Family Business (3) Gangbusters! (11) Praetorians: Sovereign Right (8) Revanche: At the Point of a Sword (2) The Red Planet (5) Revanche: Engines of Destruction (5) Pest Control (2) An Easy Mark (4) Revanche: Under the Sword (5) Favored Son (1) ToV: Harden Pharaoh’s Heart (4) ToV: Darkness Three Days Long (2) (So, this is the last month I will need to keep counting Tsunami's PP gain beyond 250, as she will have "earned" enough to unwind her PL bump back when I made her. I have enough GM/Velocity rollover posts for both Tsunami and Paradigm to get 100 posts, the rest to Synapse (which should put her just over 50). Ref point to Tsunami as well, which will give her the 6 PP she needs to unwind her PL bump.)

Ask Vahn, he uses the flaw quiet a bit. But really, at some point it is going to be a problem for you. Even toughness shifted, you are just making it easier for someone to use a full Power Attack on you, so at some point you are bound to get tagged because of the flaw.

Waiting until the last possible moment, Oskar fired all the Xeno's maneuvering thrusters along the lower hull and forward sections of the vessel, which caused everyone aboard to jerk against the restraints of their seats, but helped reduce the plummeting vessel's velocity. But the maneuver did not bring the ship to a complete halt, there simply was not enough power available to do that right now, but at least it made the impact considerably less than it would have been. They were going down on the side of the planet currently in the night cycle, making it hard to tell what they were landing, but Oskar had done his best to guide them towards what appeared to be some sort of open section of land with some gentle hills. *WHAM* The Xeno skipped off of a large sand dune, continuing forward to slam into several others. *WHAM* *WHAM* On the last impact, the ship began drifting to the right, as it slammed onto the desert floor and began sliding sideways, threatening to flip over. There was enough power for Oskar to turn hard to the left, keeping the Xeno more or less level as it skid along the sands. Then, finally, after traveling more than a hundred meters after it had fully contacted the ground, the Xeno came to a halt, as it ran into a large sand dune that towered above it.

Okay, you are likely only going to want to use a rank or two of progression (to avoid blasting stuff almost 10 miles out!). That just hits the normal pirates, but actually misses the larger ones that threw the rocks at you. The 10 regular pirates you catch in the blast all miss their toughness saves and are out.

Okay, so you all arrive at roughly the same time from slightly different directions. Let's go ahead with initiatives now!

Giang had taken a moment to change into the costume she wore as Tsunami, a full body suit of morphic molecules that was colored several different shades of blue that all seemed to almost flow and shimmer like water. The optical illusion of the costumes color patterns was enhanced by the thin sheen of shimmering water that flowed over the surface of the costume, providing Giang protection. As she and Blode stopped on a nearby rooftop to get a view of what was going on, the Aisan teen looked over to her friend. "So, shall we wait and see for a bit? Or just head on down and introduce ourselves?"

Although the icebreaker was far bigger than Torpedo Lass would normally be able to move, working in conjunction with the two tug boats the patriotic heroine was able to add just enough that the Horizon was finally brought to a halt about half a football field from the bridge. Once the Horizon's momentum had been halted, the two tug boats were able to start push it away from the bridge, allowing Torpedo Lass to focus on other tasks. Many of the hanging protestors were already starting to pull themselves back up to the bridge, with assistance from the police. The remaining kayaks and canoes had all been cleared to the side by other police boats.

Using their various forms of movement, all three heroes headed toward the sound of the explosion as quickly as they could. Jason did not see any sign of people running from the area, the streets being mostly deserted. Soon all three arrived at a section of the block where a faint trail of smoke drifted up into the air. Several police cars were pulled up outside of a bank, which had a hole blasted in one of its walls from which the smoke rose. A couple of figures were faintly visible inside the bank, when suddenly a jet of flame shot out from the hole in the wall to strike one of the police cars. The police officers that had been behind the car looking over the hood ducked down behind it as flames washed overhead. The jet of flame was followed quickly by a bolt of lightning, which shot out and struck another police car, blasting a hole in the side and sending to the police officer behind it scampering away as electricity arched across the surface of the vehicle. The last police car present was hit by a blast of ice, which encased one side in a thick layer of ice, the police officers behind ducking down as well.

"Very nice to meet you Sandman." Velocity had stated with a warm smile when hero had introduced himself after Stesha had called him. Once the decision had been made for the group to head to Hawaii, Velocity had zipped back out to the main house's living room to say goodnight to Lawrence (in case she was not back before he went to bed) and then was off in a blur of yellow. The trip to Hilo too the speedster only a couple of seconds, and it took a fraction of that time to find the source of the problems. When the other League members and Sandman arrived, Velocity zipped over next to them, skidding to a halt in the sand. "Well it just appears to be by itself, not part of some lava men invasion." She commented while Sandman put up a barrier between the crowd and the creature.

Inside the command center in the heart of the Praetorian headquarters aboard CoVic Station, Amara Val-Ren looked at the image of Draan Raal that appeared in the air along one of the walls. The young Naram know as Paradigm, and current leader of the Praetorians considered the brief message the Stellar Khanate ambassador had just delivered before she glanced over to one the Praetorians with her in the command center. "Cancel the general alert, but have all members currently on CoVic Station remain on standby. Then, get me a channel with Ambassador Th’emme." While she waited for the channel to be opened with the Lor ambassador aboard CoVic Station, Amara glanced over at Elite who stood near her. Elite was among the Naram's closest friends among the original Praetorians, and one of her key advisors as the group adjusted to their new roll in this new time. "Well, what do you think?"

GM Kestevan 79 Coalition Victory Station Lor time mark 1482.4 [April 2, 2016 (Terran Calender)] The slightly over a year that had passed since the Battle of Kestevan 79 and the defeat of the Communion had seen the former Communion mothership converted into a thriving center of galactic trade and politics. Multiple city sized sections of the former Communion mothership had been converted into living areas, markets and commercial districts, ship yards, industrial facilities, and all the other amenities one would expect of advance spacefaring societies. The station had become a truly cosmopolitan collection of the various galactic civilizations that had made up the Coalition that had defeated the Communion. Within the station there could be found representatives from all the races that made of the former Coalition members, and beyond. While it was not uncommon for tensions to exist between those that had long been enemies, those feeling were somewhat offset by the promise that the station represented, when those former enemies had come together to face a common foe and ensure the survival of all. But today, the normal routine of the vast space station had been disrupted, at least for the organizations aboard with sensor equipment that scanned the area around the station and monitored the traffic at the nearby wormhole which connected the remote system to other parts of the known galaxy. Just a short while ago, a Stellar Khanate cruiser had emerged from the wormhole, quickly causing the many smaller transports that were flying to or from the wormhole to scatter from its path. The Khanate cruiser approached CoVic Station at a steady pace, not making any overtly hostile movements. As best as the many sensors scanning it could tell, the cruiser had not charged any of its many weapons. Then, a transmission was sent from the Khanate cruiser to CoVic Station, focused on the channels used by the various governmental embassies, the station peacekeepers and administrators, and the Praetorians. "Greetings, I am Ambassador Draan Raal of the Stellar Khanate." Stated a stern and confident Zultasian noble in GalStandard. "I am here on behalf of the great Kinan Khan and request an audience with the ambassadors of the Lor Republic, Grue Unity and other governments that made up the Coalition Council which have official embassies aboard Coalition Victory Station."