[Last time on Jumpers you arrived on the SPACE DONUT and found an exciting job opportunity involving delivering spare parts to Fantastic Park.] [This quadrant’s center for Danger-Tainment.] (That's entertainment only stupider, for those of you taking notes.) [You have some time on the station to get stuff, grab the part, and get the exact details of the mission. Unless you'd prefer just to be in space with the spare parts and parts for Thalan to build an elevator and no additional information. Either works.] [So, you get the spare parts, the navigational coordinates of fantastic park and for the low low price of 50 credits get the parts that Thalan is gonna need.] [You're now at FTL speed back in your ship. Current ETA: When dramatically appropriate.] [Start!] (What's the gravity at now? .8 or so?) (Actually, bit less, so .4) * Murynal is on her feet and pacing a little. The bladeless hilt is in her hand, and she occasionally turns it in her fingers. (Which is still a bit much for Justine to be walking around. I don't mind, just sayin' for the record.) * Thalan is working on the elevator. He's got a toolkit and a whole bunch of parts sprawled over the ground, and he's currently building the rough body of it. * Neisis stands a few feet from Thalan and is opening another of the boxes of parts, "Which one was it again?" * Justine is sitting on the upper bridge / access to ships level, in the pilot seat since no one else seems to be flying at the moment. (We've got the computer -that can't count- for that!) I told you, I need the size 15x200 Linear Actuator. * Murynal stops where she is and looks to Justine. "What does the gravity have to be at for you to walk, anyway?" * Neisis turns the box so she can see the label, and then gives up on trying to read it, "They need to make glasses that work like these headsets." 'About point one gee. One quarter of this.' Justine smiles apologetically. They do, they just aren't all that cheap. * Murynal nods and goes back to pacing. "It's all right. Not your fault." * Neisis opens the box and...closes it again, "Not this one either...and remind me to get some after we buy fuel, they'll be handy for everybody." 'But this isn't so bad. I can move enough to fly the ship without trouble.' Wait...Hey Denal? Can you tell which box I'm looking for? That's good. I can't say I'm used to it, but if you can handle the humidity, I'll adjust to this. One box to the left. * Neisis grins and shakes her head, "I should have thought of that when we started." * Neisis picks up the box, opens it and presents the linear actuator to Thalan. * Justine nods. She's sweating a bit in the high humidity, actually, but doesn't seem to mind. * Thalan takes it and starts suiting it up. (We're such an accommodating group. ^_~) (We are misfits from the LAND of misfits :P) (The landS of misfits.) (Aaaah, there's more than one!) (Nah there's only one, but is very big you see :P) We will be arriving shortly. Unless otherwise instructed I'll return to normal space a few minutes away from the station, in case of hostile activity. 'Hostility? In the danger-tainment centre? Perish the thought.' * Murynal snorts, then grins. "It sounds like mass suicide, really." * Thalan nods. "Alright, hand me the other one and the L unit." I think...we should return to normal space...somewhere that isn't a usual place. [G-forces rise a little as the ship increases its rate of de-acceleration.] * Justine is thrown forward a bit, but fortunately is strapped in. I need more guidance to act on that order Neisis. Denal, could you lower gravity so I can put this stuff away? * Neisis opens a box that looks just like the last one she opend and extracts another actuator, "...I'll let one of the people who knows more about such things tell you where...I just know that that's where I'd set an ambush." * Murynal walks over and has a seat in the co-pilot's chair, strapping herself in. (Greg: Can I make a military science (tactics) or piloting (spacecraft) roll to figure out a tactically superior place to warp in?) That will be difficult before I come to a stop. (Sure military science (tactics)) (Success by 8) * Neisis hands it over and asks Denal where an L unit might be found. Alright, alright. * Thalan takes the pieces and fixes them to the frame. Taking out an electronics kit, he goes about wiring the elevator up. 'I think we should circle around and come in on an approach vector that isn't actually from anywhere but deep space. They won't likely set up an ambush aimed at ships arriving from nowhere.' (electronics (robotic) roll Thalan) (By 1.) [Thalan gets a good start on it, but he won't be done for a bit. He'll have an easy time picking up later though.] 'Someone else want to take the helm? It might be a good idea if I got into 'Trap in case we have a welcoming party waiting anyway.' * Neisis nods, "Thalan? Murynal?" Yeah, okay. * Murynal looks back. "Thalan? You coming?" She unbuckles and gets to her feet. Scanning star charts.... Suggested course available in helm control panels. * Thalan finishes up his work for now and gets the elevator secured. He jumps up and into the chair. (Navigation (space) roll?) ( Nope, just piloting. Denal handled the nav on this one. If you want to trust her.) (Okay, but isn't someone else taking the helm?) (Thalan.) * Neisis walks back to her chair and sits down. (And Justine, your chair is in reach, right? ;P) (That's the piloting roll) (Thalan gets to drive there.) (Yes. Yes it is. In .4, I think Justine can switch chairs. She wouldn't be able to at .8. I can make a Body Roll, though, if Greg thinks necessary.) (Sure. -4 bonus) (Mhm, dice hate.) * Justine, with some visible effort and one near slip, manages to pull herself out of the pilot seat and flop into her wheelchair. ('Cause it was a Marginal Success) * Thalan has assumed his position and takes control of the ship. "Alright, so." (piloting (spacecraft) roll thalan) * Justine heads over to the hatch leaving to her fighter. * Thalan looks over the control panels. [Thalan sees a suggest course laid in.] (Made by 7 or 8, depending on stat.) So...You pilot, Murynal shoots at things, Justine shoots at other things...I try to keep the people we're giving this too from shooting at us too? Yeah. About the size of it. * Murynal nods. "You can show her the controls, Thalan. I'm going to get ready." She heads off to her fighter. Right. * Justine opens the hatch to her fighter, and tries to get through it. [The ship drops to normal space quite easily, just where it's supposed to.] Preferred gravity level? * Thalan nods and starts showing Neisis the controls! * Justine manages to board her fighter, and is out of the oppressive artificial gravity of the main ship and into her own sweet zero gravity fighter. Anything 1G or less. 'I'm off the ship now, so you can put it at anything you like.' * Neisis looks at controls, my that's a lot of buttons. * Thalan doesn't think it's a lot. * Murynal gets over to her fighter and slips in, strapping herself in. The first thing she does is check the comm channels. "Trying this out. Can you hear me?" No, that's what I like. 'Loud and clear.' Affermitave. So good so far. [Gravity is set around .7] Good. This'll be an interesting test run. * Justine pulls down a helmet that was floating in her cockpit and puts it on. It clicks into place on her uniform, forming a spacesuit. Whose console should I send the scan results too? Send it to hers, she needs the practice. ^_^ Mine? I think everybody else is going to be buisy not get getting shot at. 'Which hers? We're all hers around here, except you.' Yeah, but only one of you needs practice. 'True. Some of us were made perfect,' Justine says with a laugh. And some of us are still getting there. 'I was just kidding. I'm sure you'll do fine.' * Thalan laughs. * Murynal laughs. "Don't worry about it, Neisis. You've got the instincts." If you say so. Nah, you've got the talent. Just gotta exploit it. 'Don't worry, Neisis. I've never lost a ship I've escorted yet.' * Murynal snickers. 'It's true,' Justine protests. * Neisis eyes her console, "anyway, this says that the docks are full, but there's a bay we should be able to squeeze into...but there's some ships around it. One looks like it's got heavy armor, one that's got external controlls...and....a giant tree?" Not doubting it. Not at all. Oh, and lots of people are fighting out there. ... A giant tree? What? (Aah, we're fighting the jurai!) (Who?) ... A *tree*? (Ents... IN SPACE!) (Please see: Tenchi Muyo and Ships That Are Trees.) * Neisis pushes a few buttons and tries to send the scan data on the tree to Mury's fighter, "Look for yourself...Tree." [Mury sees a tree. Really big one. Aren't close enough to figure out whether the leaves or the roots are engine side. 'Huh.' * Murynal eyes that and mirrors Justine's statement: "Huh." * Thalan peeks over. "That's... weird." 'So, what's the plan?' I might be able to just sneak past their scanners, but how much fun would that be? 'Thalan, resist the siren call of danger-tainment.' Operative word is might. We're at maximum scanner range, but they'll probably notice us rather soon, even if we don't move closer. Won't they charge us for that? * Murynal mmms. "Give it a try, and when and if they do notice us, we can fight back." 'Want me to start missile jamming? * Neisis mutters mostly to herself, "Talk to the station, talk to the armored one, talk to the round one, talk to the tree...talk to whoever’s shooting at us...talk to the station again, make delivery, get shot at, run away?" How about we kick their ass, then? 'I can turn on sensor jamming too, but that would affect us as well as them, so probably not a great idea.' Probably not, no. 'How about the missile jamming, though?' We are out-gunned at the moment. I would not advise a direct assault on all three crafts. It won't affect me. I don't think we have any missiles, but they might notice the jamming. So after they see us. 'Okay. I'll leave it off for now, then. Tell me if you change your mind.' * Murynal chuckles. "We may want to nominate one of us captain after this. Did you pick out a course of action yet?" Denal's likely right. I don't want to match unknown skill and uneven firepower against us. So we tell them we're making a delivery...they might even believe us, and it'll improve their danger-tainment somewhere else in there. * Thalan nods. Well then, do you just want to talk to them? It's worth a shot, and if it doesn't work...the three of you get to shoot them full of holes. * Thalan grins. 'Or they get to shoot us. But that's the nature of the business,' Justine says calmly. * Neisis blinks down at her console, "Whups, one of them spotted us." * Murynal asks, also calmly, "Are you going to talk?" Well, forget that. * Neisis grins, "Going to try." * Neisis presses a button, it might open a channel, it might start the food machine on the lower deck making ice. (But that ice will, ironically, later save our lives.) (Wahoo!) (give me a computers roll Neisis -2 bonus) (Ice cube time!) * Denal speaks in a slightly worried voice. "I don't think you want to do that." Neisises control panel then reconfigures itself to have a picture of each ship being scanned and a button by each with "Press this to talk." In about five different forms of pictograph. * Thalan chuckles. * Neisis rubs her forehead, and then searches out the rectangular and armored ship, "well, it's practice." [Channel opens and a small rect appears in one corner of the main screen....] [In that rect there's a humanoid in a rather dignified but simple looking military uniform. More naval than anything else. Has hair that's kept ordered but not buzzed or in any other severe style.] Welcome, I'm sorry to inform you that you're presently fourth in line for entry. I notice you have two well equipped fighters, if it is your wont, you're welcome to have them join in the current skirmish to pass the time. * Neisis nods, "We're not here for the danger-tainment though, have a delivery to make." * Thalan idly cusses under his breath to pass time. o/` (This is where we learn that this was all a ruse to turn us into targets for the paying customers.) * Navy guy smiles thinly, verging on a smirk. "I'm inclined to be a naturally trusting person, but unfortunately that's the same thing three out of the last four ships said." Someone in the background of the bridge adds. "Including the laggers from the space marines." There's some background snickering at that, though the naval captain keeps a straight face." [At this point, the talk button next to the demi-spherical ship starts blinking.] Receiving communications request. * Neisis shakes her head and then grins, "But how many of them had invoices?" Two. (We have invoices! INVOICES!) (Woot!) * Neisis nods, "Ah...hold on a sec, somebody else wants to talk to us." [There's a call from the background. "Space marines would have had one two, if the standard invoice could be made in crayon." There's more snickering but it's silenced by a look from the apparent captain.] * Neisis attempts to put the military on hold and presses the button next to the round ship. [The first panel dims but stays up. A second opens to an alien with thre antennae.] I know you've been talking to them. Don't believe their lies! I don't think they've had time to lie to us yet, what should we be looking out for? * Antennae stares at Neisis. "They'll try to gain your alliance in an attempt to capture me, the Bloody Pirate... " He? then stares at you. "I mean, so- called. But... This is some sort of trick. They told you to ask that!" ... [Navy guy is having a chat with an apparent female subordinate. They're on hold so you aren't hearin git.] Does everyone in this universe need lessons in BSing? (Is that over the comm? ;P) [The tree talk button starts blinking.] (Over ours, yes. Not over to the other groups, though. :P) * Neisis talks to the bloody idio...er pirate, "Nope, but personaly, if I was a Bloody Pirate I wouldn't sitting next to their ship." But now you have been caught in your own web of lies! How would you know what they, falsely, call me if they had not told you? * Neisis manages to keep a straight face, "Because you just told me when I asked." Fool! You think your mind games will work on the bloody pirate Yurbel? I would never reveal my true name. (This is awesome.) (This is... My god.) (Can we shoot him and put him out of his misery?) The requests for communication from the space tree are becoming more urgent. 'But the Bloody Pirate isn't even his true name!' Justine says on this-ship-only comm. 'He was just denying it was even his legitimate nickname!' * Murynal comments, dryly, "You don't say." Look, I won't tell anybody what you just told me your name was...but, I do wish you wouldn't try to shoot at us. Neisis. The trees want to talk. (The broccoli! IT SPEAKS TO ME!) So you can have first shot? I think not! [Listen checks everyone. +2 modifier.] Yes, and the pirate wants to shoot us. * Murynal sighs and starts readying her fighter. (Failed.) (Ditto.) (made) (Wait, would HA have counted?) (Does it? If it does, I made it. ;P) (Me too.) (Hmm... Naw, this or more just hearing) (I still made it. :P) (Then I failed. Failed!) (*sob*) [Thalan and Neisis hear the sound of an ice machine after the Antennae guy hits a button. He then turns to a subordinate. "Fire a barrage of missiles, then jump to light speed and back out. They'll see two ship images and have no idea which to attack, and thus can be easily destroyed."] (The Picard Maneuver!) ... (Too bad he hit the ice machine button.) Three missiles, headed our way. Justine! * Justine hits the ECM Missile Jamming. Can she do it in time? (Be a jerk and say, "Yes?" as missiles hit us. ;P) (Nah, but mostly because it was prearranged that she was to turn it on as soon as combat started so she has her orders.) [Two missiles veer off course, one keeps going straight ahead.] (Uh, Greg, according to the rules for ECM, if the modified roll is above 13, I get control of the missiles. What am I missing here?) [The tree communication button starts blinking red. In the meantime you can hear antennae guy talking. "With the sight of two ships, they will completely shut down, who could possibly realize that the ship moving to attack them would be the actual one?!"] My god, this is pathetic. [Rather two vere off and are controlled. The other doesn't.] [I don't list all modifiers on rolls.] * Neisis tries to switch the bloody idiot to recieve only so she can talk to the tree. * Murynal says, ever so calmly, "They fired at us. That's good enough for me." [Neisis does so successfully.] 'Permission to redirect missiles against attacker?' Justine asks briskly. Do it. They've already acted against us. * Justine redirects the two missiles against the ship that fired them. Yeah, let's kick some ass. (We so need a captain. I mean, look at Mury and Justine. :P) (Alright, let's go to init. Everybody roll.) (Add in maneuverability bonuses and stuff?) (Yup) (*boggels at dicy, "YOU GIVE ME A ROLL LIKE THAT NOW!?) d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Thalan (d6+7) and gets 11. (Oh, right. That's an extra +4 for Justine for Maneuverability, so she comes to 13.) (Oh, +2 to mine too from maneuverability.) (Wait, how much maneuverability does Justine's pyramid HAVE?!) (Level 6.) (Wouldn't that be +3?) [Justine-Pirate-Thalan, Murynal, Neisis] [Justine and Thalan] (Snerk. Mury's got level four.) (Page 175 of the manual (first printing) says +4) (He's right. I've got the book here.) (Ah. I'm probably wrong then. ^^;) (Aaanyways..) 'Permission to scramble and engage?' Justine asks. Hell yes. (We should make Neisis captain just so she can go nuts. ;P) * Justine disengages from the main ship. (Greg: can I still attack?) (O.o;) (We’ll say it takes an attack action to disengage.) (Okay. Which means I can still do what?) (Use other attack actions.) (Can I blow the shit out of the tree-ship? ^^) (So you're saying it just used up one of my attacks and I can use the others?) (I thought it was the sphere that attacked us.) (right) (Yes, and yes) (Was it the sphere?) (Yes!) (The tree just wants to talk. ;_;) (it's the sphere, the tree just wants to talk) (Then blow up the sphere!) (Okay. Did the redirected missiles blow up the ship that fired them?) (No) (Haven't reached it yet.) * Justine shoots off into space, heading for the attacking ship. She places 'Trap into position to fire and, using primary firing mode, blasts it. (Made by 9) * Thalan takes it in and uses all the G's this ship can handle to make a strafing run on the Sphere by firing two cannon shots at it. Whoo! (By... 3 and 4.) [The spherical ship suddenly catches a solar wind of no apparent origin but involves really pretty streaking lights and a lens flare or two. Then another ship of the exact same type appears over top of you. Both ships fire beams of light at the main ship.] [Okay, initial piloting roll, and which ship you attacking Thalan?] (Yeah. Three levels of Extra Attacks. One gun per pyramid face.) 2d6-7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Justine (2d6-7) and gets 0. (Good lord.) (Made by 8.) (Which ship you attacking Justine also.) (One shot at each, since I can take two shots.) (Check, roll the second attack) (Thalan piloting roll to actually target whichever ship you want. (Made by 7.) (Mind piloting in this case.) (Um... That one!) (In that case, I made my piloting by 9.) (Okay, this is where Mury's relatively low stats are going to bite her in the butt. ^_~) (If I can tell which one is real, anyways.) (They both look real. So call your target.) (Okay, the one on the right?) (My girl here can't even walk, but damn, can she fly.) (What's the rolls that I need?) (scroll up and look at what the BI said, he told you which one was real.) (Right? Okay. Original position or on top of you.) (And Neisis. No helping!) (:P) (As left or right, not so applicable really.) (The one that moved. :P) (Thank you. ^_^) [The ship that appeared on top of you manages to skirt the blast from Justine and the first of the two fusion cannon blast, but the second one nails it.] * Justine's other shot goes right through the illusory ship. (I presume.) [The missiles that were targeting the initial location of the ship, and the bolt from Justine all make a very satisfying looking explosion.] [Meanwhile, the remaining missile and the two light bolts from the pirates all attack your main ship.] (Justine: scourge of ghost afterimages!) (You showed them!) (Hey, Greg? How much do levels of extra defenses cost?) (Death to Meimi!) [Three defense rolls Thalan. Ranged (ship). Let me know what order you're making them in.] (Missile, then each bolt.) (Actually...) (Yeah.) 2d6-3 (Given that the ship has a maneuverability bonus to DCV of +2, I think we dodge them all.) (Can you feel the love tonight?) (Should be +1, by the way.) (At least, I think...) (Figure it out. :P) (If it's Maneuver level 3, it's +2 init and +1 DCV, and Greg goofed from copying Mury's fighter or something. ;P) (Dodge it all according to the ship. :P) (But according to the book, I missed the last roll by 1.) (I get the same results as Murynal.) [Thalan dodges the initial missile by going up towards the pirate ship and dodging the missile at the last minute.] (Also, if you add the cost of all Attributes, it doesn't come out what Greg has it. I think Denal calculated the cost for him.) [Resulting in the missile hitting the pirate ship above you.] (Yeah, I'm confused on it.) (Ha!) (Fixed that up) (heheheh!) (Alright so if it's level 3, that's a hit?) (Yes.) [However, the ship shudders as one of the light beams fly past it but the one from the illusionary original ship hits causing a nice scorch mark.] [Happily no consoles explode.] [Mury!] (Care to share with us the damage done?) * Murynal disengages and boosts up towards the pirate ship above them, bringing herself into firing range and making a run with her shiny new cannons. (What kind of rolls do I need?) (Nope.) [Your guns aren't fixed, so just an attack roll.] (Made by four.) (YAY AUTOFIRE. Ahem.) (*wants autofire) (*keeps it*) (Buy new guns) [Two of Mury's cannon blasts hit the ship, increasing the scarring on its surface. You can see a sparks flying in the background of the communications screen.] [Neisis!] [Oh and for the record, the naval guys look amused, but you can't hear what they're saying. 'Nice shooting.' * Neisis answers the call from the tree, "Hi, sorry for making you wait so long, we're kinda busy right now." Same to you. [Thalan-Justine-Pirates] (I hope Denal didn't put them on hold and play crappy muzak, or I won't blame them if they open fire.) (We need to make more piloting rolls?) (Denal is off playing solitaire.) (If you're targeting with fixed guns) (and loosing :P) (I am.) 2d6-7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Justine (2d6-7) and gets 0. (I think I can use my fixed guns.) (I can totally see Justine's ship. Crazy spinny shooty thing.) (Made by 4.) (Made, obviously.) * Thalan brings it around again and starts another strafe run with the ship's cannons. (Made by 8.) (Piloting...) (By 1/2) (Actually, by 1-1/2) [A third window opens up, this particular one having someone in what apparently is meant to be an incredibly formal robe. This formality is expressed in a gratuitous number of ribbons and puffy looking spheres on the shoulders and arms and the like.] (...It is the Jurai. o_o) (SEE?) (And those by 7 and by 3.) (Justine: give me one more attack roll, we'll say you can bring two guns to bear because of the crit success) * Tree guy who has a half drawn sword. "It is well you answered when you did, had it taken any longer, my honor would require that I answer that insult in the purest form of space combat." [The pirate ship goes into a frenzy of dodging as bolt after bolt flies past them, they're jumping around so much Thalan can't even bring them into his sights, let alone hit 'em.] [One hits the craft, and about a quarter of the semi-sphere collapses.] (I rolled 2d6-7 for piloting and got 0. Then I rolled three attack rolls, got 11, 2, and 7.) * Antennae looks to his subordinate. "Well, I've always said running the hell away is the better part of valor." Aye-aye sir. [The weird badly damaged ship doesn't attack and starts to build up speed moving rapidly away from you and the station.] [Murynal!] Think they've had enough? * Murynal brings her fighter to a stop and hits the comm. "Shall I persue?" Your call. [Neisis!] (If you don't he'll become a reoccurring villain!) * Murynal nods once and stays where she is. Good bye, danger-tainment! (Nah, if he comes back, she will bother going after him. ;P) * Neisis looks at the !Jurai on the screen, "I suppose that's a good thing...is there anything you want besides a free show?" No, it would simply have been impolite not to greet you. [And I'll cut it there. As my brain has melted a bit. Stupid cold.]