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[Digital Hellhound]

Frigate Command Bridge

The General frowns at Valoth's question. 'Didn't they cover this in your training? Oh, well... I'll forward you some database summaries later on. The only important thing you need to know is to bow a bit deeper when someone tells you they work for the Autarchy of Man, or the Glorious Pankhaganate, or the 'Gods' of Elysium. Then there's CHARIOT's people - if you can call them that - and the Coalition of the Lost, or whatever they're calling themselves today. They're all much more powerful than all of your spunky little empires combined. You can read all about them in the database. They all sent representatives, if anyone's still alive out there.'

With that, Valoth and the Ciphers head out, following the directions to the armory. If the Ciphers were hoping on a more private time, Valoth ruins it by tagging along. The lone guard at the armory door lets them in to a long, low-ceilinged room full of locked weapon cabinets. If the operatives were expecting a wealth of different arms, they're in for a disappointment. The frigate's armory carries little else than standard Pankhaganate weaponry, though they spot the Keshigi Marksman's Rifle and several exotic sidearms locked away. The guard goes around and brings them two suits of light camouflaged armor and a Temujin. He remains behind, seemingly to keep his eye on the team.

Area: Frigate Armory

Spoiler: Valoth Hrandbon (Xantalos) (click to show/hide)

HP: 25/25
Protection:
   *Dragonscale Armor
          Strength: 15/15
          Resistance: -3 to all Damage
          Special: Flame-Resistant, No Helmet
   *Unstable Primal Aegis [6 turn cooldown] - INACTIVE
          Strength: 25/25 AP
          Resistance: +4 Close-Range Damage, -3 Other Damage
          Special: When destroyed, detonates. Dam 3 Blast, Stunning +0, Stunning +1 to user.
Equipment:
   *Dragonclaw Sword
          Damage: 2
          Speed: 3
          Special: None
    *Temujin Heavy Rifle
          Damage: 5
          Rate of Fire: 1
          Accuracy: +1
          Clip Size: 8
          Mod Slots: 1 (Empty)
          Special: None
    *-
    *-
    *-
Abilities:
*Psychic
*Kinetic Driver [3 turn cooldown]
−   Dam 5, +3 Dam against Aegises and Armor
*War Cry [5 turn cooldown]
−    -2 to CR of all enemies in Area for 3 turns
*Shiftspace Jump [5 turn cooldown]
−   The user breaks through the dimension-between-dimensions, executing a psi-charged charge in the physical world. Free move to target, Dam 5 (+2 against Aegises) and Stunning +0 if targeted enemy (also on self).
*Draconic Champion [Passive]
−   +1 to CR, +1 Melee Accuracy 

Spoiler: Cipher 19 (Dwarmin) (click to show/hide)

HP: 20/20
Protection:
     *Yst Shield Emitters
           Absorption: 1-6 damage
           Resistance: 5/5 hits
           Recharge: +0.5 per turn
           Special: None
      *Pankhaganate Scout Armor
           Strength: 15/15
           Resistance: -2 to all Damage
           Special: None
Equipment:
     *Snubnose Revolver
           Damage: 2
           Rate of Fire: 2
           Accuracy: +0
           Clip Size: 6
           Mod Slots: 1 (Empty)
           Special: Close-Ranged II [+2 Damage (per Hit) at Close Range, -2 Damage at Long Range]
      *Steamrapier
            Damage: 1
            Speed: 4
            Special: Vibroedge can be activated [3 Uses] for the turn for +3 Damage, -1 Melee Accuracy
      *Flashspinner [3 turn cooldown]
            - Stunning -1 Blast at all looking your way.
      *Multikey [3 Uses]
            - Grants +2 to a physical security (lockpicking, etc.) roll
      *Flicker Projector
            - +1 Dodge for 3 turns
Abilities:
*Experienced Operative [Passive]
−   +1 to all stealth and charm rolls
*Quick and Agile [Passive]
−   +1 to movement and combat manouever CR, +1 to agility rolls
*Double Team [5 turn cooldown]
−   Together with Cipher 20; +2 to all CR, +1 Accuracy, +1 to all subterfuge rolls for 3 turns

Spoiler: Cipher 20 (click to show/hide)

HP: 20/20
Protection:
      *Pankhaganate Scout Armor
           Strength: 15/15
           Resistance: -2 to all Damage
           Special: None
Equipment:
      *Lusitan Light Shotgun
           Damage (per Hit): 2
           Rate of Fire: 2
           Accuracy: +0
           Clip Size: 8
           Mod Slots: N/A
           Special: Close-Range I [+1 Damage (per Hit) at Close Range, -1 Damage at Long Range], Scatter
      *Chameleoline Shroud [Passive]
           - +1 to stealth rolls, +2 when stationary
Abilities:
*Quick and Agile [Passive]
−   +1 to movement and combat manouever CR, +1 to agility rolls
*Double Team [5 turn cooldown]
−   Together with Cipher 19; +2 to all CR, +1 Accuracy, +1 to all subterfuge rolls for 3 turns

The Void

[4] - The Aro, Za-Shaddalac, advances through the vastness of space on her faithful mount. The Mir-Farilil accelerates as they go, but keeps her speed low to avoid any undue attention. Her rider keeps her mind clear as they move in to the wreckage's edge, searching.

The wreckage is cold, emanating nothing but death and the flickers of simple machine-minds, safe from the grasp of a psychic. But hiding within, motionless, she finds the ziyaki cruiser. On the far edge of the wreckage field, it's swarming with life - including some obvious psychics. She keeps her tendrils subtle to avoid detection by them, though their minds have nothing on hers. The transport ships aren't far either, all locked into the station. If the cruiser has detected the frigate approaching slowly, it's giving no sign.

The station itself bears many scattered minds, both subtly alien - the ziyaki, she supposes - and recognizably human, in two large pockets on different levels and a few alone. Ziyaki are swarming around the human groups, but she can't tell if they're fighting or not. There's little else she can tell about them without risking discovery, so she moves on to the wreckage, searching for residual psi activity from the dead.

[3] She peers through the wrecked ships - and they are easily recognizable as ships of different types as well as ruined escape pods - but finds little. The deaths here happened too long ago, and whatever remained of people's minds has washed away. She feels there might still be something to find, but not in this area of the wreckage.

So - the ziyaki are present in large numbers and on the station, and the two beacons seem to be from actual human survivors. The location of the groups seems to correspond to the emergency beacons.

[Harry Baldman]

Za-Shaddalac, sensing that there are indeed living humans in the station, decides that this information may be worth relaying to the Messenger-Listener on-board the ship.

~The Messenger-Listener, Calleen, this is the Aro, Za-Shaddalac. There are living humans on the station, surrounded by what you call ziyaki, including powerful psychics. The emergency beacons are indeed theirs. I will attempt to ascertain more, then return.~

Reach out to Calleen and communicate, awaiting response if successful. After that, look for fresher wreckage and investigate psychic residue on that, making sure not to get too close to the station. If there isn't any, try to figure out a way to directly reach the mind of one of the humans on the station without alerting the ziyaki.

[HailFire]

Though she lacks the technical knowledge to decipher most of the information, Catherine silently circumnavigates the bridge as the others talk, listening to the chatter of the crew and peering at the various viewscreens and data feeds, sheaf of documents tucked under one arm and hovering a couple inches from the floor- though she eyes the Aro suspiciously as she abruptly leaves the room, and gives a derisive snort at the mention of "Fate"- finally approaching General Septimus when the conversation ebbs as Valoth and the Ciphers leave.

"As much as I hate to ruin the surprise, General, I feel it pertinent to ascertain the status of our new ship. Assuming there are no wards around it, I can view the craft from here; all I need is an image, or the closest approximation you have." She pauses for a moment, taking the reading material she'd been carrying with her- research papers on nuclear physics- and dismissing them into thin air with a word; with another word, a melon-sized crystal orb drops into her waiting hands.

"In case you want to watch..." She says off-handedly, moving towards the nearest available seat- the General's. "If I can establish the situation on the ground, contacting or supporting any survivors shouldn't be difficult- translocation of personnel directly on-board the station may also be possible, depending on the circumstances.

Unless you have any objections? In the meantime, what can you tell us about these 'Ziyaki' creatures?"

[Xantalos]

Valoth just then came walking back, cradling his Temujin like a new toy. He cocks his head at Catherine's voice, then says, "What that you say? Speak louder; I am not hear you."
Return to bridge. Admire rifle.

[Dwarmin]

Cipher 19 and 20 helped fit each others armor on, noting the specs and materials for future study. It was, for one, much more generously proportioned and comfortable than the scrap and scavenge tech she and he had known all their lives. She had been slightly surprised many times, having lived a life in cramped corridors and eating fish-paste cubes, that some people could have so much space and material-why her people had so little. It made her angry, and she had tried not to show it. To a mark, they both still preferred their dependable personal arms over the uncertain new weaponry they had been shown, even though they had made some tertiary upgrades on the fly to keep them lethal.

Emotions felt, if not mirrored, by Desmond.

Lara idly commented "...form fitting too, who would have guessed...should be good enough for now.

I do wonder why they even sent us here, really-aside from this mysterious project we've qualified. Our skills are not exactly suited to duking it out in the front line-the Alliance must be desperate enough to read our dossiers and think 'oh, they can use guns, lets send them on assault missions'...might as well have gotten a Bladetech* for this job." She rolled her eyes, but despite her words her mood was unsettled, and she was already anxious to take the fight to an enemy, whichever one presented itself.

It was time to show them how Cipher Agents fought.

Spoiler: Bladetech and The Cost of Living (click to show/hide)

In Laras own world, Bladetechs are highly skilled personal combatants, well armored and considered elite soldiers-made famous by their daring aerial assaults using the personal steampack, steamblades, twin rotary pistols and tendency to die young and hard. Lara herself only just did not qualify for the program needed to train them-she had the potential physicality and proper marks in social deviation and recklessness, but deemed too valuable as a potential breeding asset and assigned to a slightly less hazardous job as Cipher, much to her future consternation.

It is a sad fact of life that survival in Lara and Desmonds world requires very careful population control, as life among airships mean every bit of resources must be utilized to it's utmost-few, if any, of the lower classes have anything resembling a family-instead being slotted in and trained for a life of whichever job is most suited to them based on predisposed genetic markers and societal observations, often from age five onwards.

Action: Afterwards, back to the bridge and prepare for launch.

[penguinofhonor]

Janus' hair rose. He didn't like situations like this - too tense. Still, there were people to be saved. No time for complaining.

"I think I need something a little heavier, general. Is that Keshigi Rifle open to me too?"

Get weapon, head back to bridge.

[Digital Hellhound]

The Void

It takes the psychic onboard a while to answer to Za-Shaddalac's communication.

Understood. Message relayed. General asks to search for unseen way into station if time.

[4] - Za-Shaddalac guides her mount along the wreckage, searching for more recent debris, perhaps from ships that tried to bide their time and escape later. To her eyes, the pieces of metal and electronics floating through the void look identical - but to her mind, they all contain different traces and remains of living minds now gone.

In the remains of a sleek, bisected shuttle she finds something, the remains of a pilot lost to a long death of air running out from her ship. Za-Shaddalac guides her tendrils into the residue.

[2] She isn't able to tell much. The Aro catches glimpses of her memories and final moments - a life in the service of the military, first in some lost world - the memories of her escape from there are too painful to view - and then the Coalition of the Lost. Flashes of love, loss, all things that made her human flicker just beyond Za-Shaddalac's grasp. The last day of her life is shattered, confused - there was a surprise attack, but if she knew if the ziyaki were behind it, she's not telling.

Frigate Command Bridge

After a short exchange with one of the bridge crew, the General relays Za-Shaddalac's intel to the rest of the crew. An obvious sense of relief washes over the men and women on the bridge, though the worry and tempered fear remain.

The General nods to Janus. 'If you think it necessary. I'll let the armory know you're coming.'

He turns to Catherine. 'I'm afraid we don't have any image data - or much anything - on the ship onboard,' he says. 'Reasons of secrecy, I'm sure you understand. If you think you can still contact the people still aboard, by all means try.'

'The ziyaki are... well, I can forward a database summary of them your way once you have proper access. They're aliens, but they've been with us even before the Abomination. They're allies of the Autarchy, mainly - the golden boys just love them because of their 'genetic loyalty' deal - that is, they're racially predisposed to doing anything an authority figure tells them to. I suggest targeting their leaders if it comes to that - though admittedly that might just make them fight harder. What else? Uhh... they like to hit hard and precisely, both in space and with small arms. They practically never lie or exaggerate. And... well, that's all I remember off-hand.'

The General speaks with one of the crew again. He addresses everyone present next. 'Right. We'll be wanting to get onboard that station as soon as possible. The shuttle will get past that cruiser easily enough, but ideally we should find a way inside unseen. We might have to go in through the landing bays, but the ziyaki are guaranteed to notice that - if they don't just lock the doors. In any case, we'll be prepping the shuttle for launch. Priority objective will be finding the ship and finding out what the hell is going on. If the ziyaki are hostile, we'll need to get rid of them as well. Rescue any survivors you might find, but the ship comes first. Questions?'

Frigate Armory

Through their bond, Lara can feel Desmond attempt to project calm and warmth, though he's not completely settled himself. There's a feeling of slight amusement when he speaks.

'To be fair, they couldn't have known this would happen. I'm sure they'll let us stay here out of harm's way if we ask them nicely...'

Before he can continue, Janus walks in for his gun. Privacy seems surprisingly hard to come by even with a ship as empty as this. The operatives begin to make their way back to the bridge just in time for the General's speech.

[Harry Baldman]

The Aro decides that the information about a surprise attack is worth relaying as well.

~The Messenger-Listener, Calleen, this is the Aro, Za-Shaddalac. The space station was hit by a surprise attack. Further information pending.~

Fly closer to the station, try to slip into the minds of one of the humans undetected and read them for recent events. Also, show the Arnam the memories I just glimpsed.

~Here are the thoughts of the dead human. Enjoy them at your discretion.~

[Digital Hellhound]

The Void

There's a short acknowledgement by the specialist in response to the Aro's report. She decides to relay the fragmented memories to the Arnam, who reacts with joy. Za-Shaddalac begins guiding him closer to the station and casts her mind outwards.

[5] - The minds she sensed lay behind layers of metal and stone - something rudimentary for a psychic of her skill to bypass. She roams through the halls and corridors of the lonely little station. She sees little of the physical world, but living creatures shine through like beacons, beckoning her closer. She can easily tell the sharp, alien ziyaki minds from the blossoms of human thoughts. There is something artificial about the former, though they are clear of the taint of Turning and thus not thralls of the Abomination. That is no guarantee they have not allied themselves with the thing. Za-Shaddalac avoids them nevertheless, homing in on the closer group.

[4] The minds here are varied, frantic with emotion. She can tell some are asleep or otherwise unconscious, but a few remain alert. Za-Shaddalac chooses one of these as her target and strikes. The foreign mind floods into her, but she forces it to stay separate, to remain herself. The Aro moves quickly, gathering only a name - Dramos - before looking into the man's memories. At this distance she has to strain herself to make the man's mind clear - and still remain undetected by him and the ziyaki psychics.

[3] Za-Shaddalac moves in leaps and bounds, discarding the man's youth as useless, skimming past memories protected by primal mental barriers the man likely doesn't even realize exist. The Aro focuses on recent events.

The man, a representative of the Pankhaganate, arrived on the station late, one of the last to arrive. But not the last - that was the ziyaki, jumping right in the middle of the assorted Alliance ships. Before the first hail could be made, the ziyaki ship began firing - and here the memories flash past too fast to follow. Za-Shaddalac sees destruction and a narrow escape, then fighting inside the station, and finally, Dramos and other survivors sealing themselves in this safe room and activating a beacon. The man's raging emotions distract Za-Shaddalac from finer study.

The man does not appear to be aware of the other group of humans and their beacon, presuming everybody else dead. He has little concrete info on the ziyaki - images of humanoid creatures with quills and skin the color of bark, the very thought radiating wrath from the man - and his estimates are too emotion-influenced to be of any use.

There's no question on the ziyaki's role now, then, though information on their motivations or a more detailed course of events remain lacking.

[1] Before she can dwell on this more, Za-Shaddalac feels a pulsing presence in the back of her mind and the image of a psychic searchlight honing in on her flashes through her mind. The Aro knows what these indicate - she tries to mask her psychic tendrils, but it's too late - the ziyaki psychics have her scent. She senses three incorporeal minds approaching, fast.

[Harry Baldman]

They are sharp, these beings. A tad too sharp for the Aro's liking.

Use the Arnam Mir-Farilil to withdraw as quickly as possible away from both the station and the ship of her current masters, making sure to perform a psychic masking of the trail if possible. If escape proves impossible, try to mentally overpower the three psychics.

[penguinofhonor]

Janus stands at attention while the General speaks. Yeah, "the ship comes first." Like he'd pass over innocents.

Wait for shuttle, board when ready.

[Digital Hellhound]

The Void

[5] - The Aro springs into action, pulling back into her body. The Arnam senses her alarm and begins to withdraw on her command.

~We will be far gone when they arrive, overseer.~

The Aro seeks the three alien psychics out with her mind, [1] hoping they do not follow the psychic trail back to her as masking it proves difficult. Her attempts only seem to leave additional residue to lead back to her. As the Arnam speeds back towards the depths of the system, the ziyaki minds arrive at the group of humans and begin to cast their 'searchlights' over the area.

[2+1=3] Despite her inability to mask the signs, the ziyaki psychics seem unable or unwilling to follow her trace. The Aro watches them until they pass outside even her range, but they don't make a move to follow. She remains wary until they are far into the system, distant from both the station and the frigate.

~They will be ready now, overseer.~ the Arnam says, matter-of-fact. The Aro is forced to agree - it might be necessary to distract them or mask their approach when they attempt to enter the station. She could probably still get past them for additional recon if needed, but it would be risky.

[Harry Baldman]

~It is quite unfortunate, I must say. At least they do not know the nature of their attacker yet. But now, new information needs relaying.~

The Aro signals back to the ship. Seems an optimal time for it.

~The Messenger-Listener, Calleen, this is the Aro, Za-Shadallac. The aliens are not the Abomination's thralls, at least not direct ones. They were, however, responsible for the surprise attack. They are also now aware of a psychic in their vicinity, though they do not know what exactly it is, nor are they aware of your exact presence. I can continue gathering information, create a distraction for your attack, retreat or perform some other instruction, provided it does not violate operating parameters.~

Relay that info and relay it well.

[Digital Hellhound]

The Void

[3] - Despite the distance, Za-Shaddalac's message has no trouble reaching the human on the ship. It does appear to be too much for Calleen, though - the Aro receives only a vague sense of acknowledgement and a call to return in response. She gets the feeling they plan to enter the station.

Frigate Command Bridge

The General converses with her crew psychic again and turns to the assembled Heroes.

'I suggest you head down to the shuttle now. The ziyaki are responsible for the attack and will be assumed hostile. As soon as your friend returns, we'll launch our attack - get you inside fast and smooth, hopefully finding an entrance that doesn't attract every ziyaki on the station.'

He sits back down. 'Deal with the situation as you best see fit. I'm not gonna babysit you once you get there. If you can get information out of the ziyaki or, god forbid, reason with them, give it a shot. If you don't want to go in guns blazing, I'm sure you can find your way around unseen - there's even a pneumatic tube system running through the station, used for transporting materials that you might be able to use. As long as you get the ship, I'm happy. I don't expect you to deal with that cruiser alone - I'll call in reinforcements once you get evidence this place isn't a lost cause - but you seem to do that sort of thing regularly anyway, so if you get the chance...'

[Xantalos]

Valoth nods. "Don't die." Without further ado, he turns around and walks off the bridge.

To the shuttle!