>>1094843

Oh don't start that, things are peaceful!! Peace is important for morale!

Kaktus 2024/08/06(Tue)15:08 No. 1095399 ID: 681cb5
File 172298208250.png - (42.79KB , 700x550 , 32.png )

>Screaming contest!
No.

>Not in front of the baby, you two.
Vex: “Sorry, dad.”
Tozlan: “I just w-”
Zento: “No.”
Tozlan: “But I-”
Zento: “No.”
Tozlan: “…of course, friend.”
Vex: “*Snrk*”
Zento: “You to, Vex.”
Vex: “Aw, come on…”

>Ah shit. The "virus" disappeared during the battle, at the same time the child was born. We need to scan the kid.
It’s most likely a coincidence… and surely Vex has already checked that the baby is healthy, right?
Zento: “Vex…” you whisper, looking over at your son, “Did you scan the baby for this virus as well?”
Vex: “Of course, dad.” he rolls his eyes, “What kind of a doctor would I be if I didn’t?”
Tozlan: “Apparently, one you have to ask if they make sure a newborn is healthy.”
>Also, scan all the members of the crew again.
Vex: “I’ll make sure to give everyone another full medical, when time permits it.”

>Greet your child Zento.
He stares at you with he’s large, green eye, clearly curious about who and what you are. Taking a step forward, he crawls a bit further into the warm embrace of his mother, making her stir in her sleep for a moment. After a bit of silence you stretch out your hand towards him…

…and he grabs you finger, holding it tight. The two of you share moment, seemingly connecting as he holds your finger. As if he understand who you are. As if… he knows you’re his father.

…you spend the night embracing Tizli and your newborn son…

Kaktus 2024/08/06(Tue)15:08 No. 1095400 ID: 681cb5
File 172298209523.png - (73.59KB , 700x550 , 33.png )

>I get the feeling Tozlan may have a few holes way up in his family tree.
There’s definitely history with him and this fifth clan. Though, if it’s personal or not, you cannot tell.
>Well, there is good news about those cells. It's likely they aren't from the IOD, or at least can't be weaponized by them. Otherwise, they would've been used against us by now.
…are we sure they aren’t? We have no idea what they do, after all.
> If they were being used to observe us, somehow, it would make no sense to remove it. Perhaps the opposite is the case: The cells are some form of identification markers the IOD uses. If they can be removed by radiation from their weaponry, it'd be a pretty ingenious method to out criminals and rebels.
While an interesting idea, it seems overly convoluted. No, you have a feeling this virus has a more simple use… you just need to figure out what.

A notification from Doxy wake you up all too early, making you stumble into the bridge still half-asleep with a cup of coffee in hand and a baby on your chest.

Zento: “Commander.” you drowsily mutter, “Anything to report?”
Doxy: “We are about to reach Tarkus Alpha and the Wroknir mining colony, sir.” the commanders voice is perky as ever, “I thought you wanted to be present when we do.”
Zento: “Indeed I do.” you take a sip, “Something is different since last time, I can feel it.”
Doxy: “Well, there is a… um…” taking a moment to find the right words, Doxy continues, “Someone is pulling us through hyperspace. They aren’t trying to get us to leave it this time but more like guide us to a certain spot in the system, sir.” She turns around and looks at you, “What are your orders?”
Zento: “…let them guide us for now.” you yawn in unison with your son, “Just be sure we’re ready to jump if there’s a surprise waiting for us.”
Doxy: “Speaking of surprises, our sensors are telling us there’s a lot more activity in the system than last time, sir.” the pink lizard taps her datapad, “As in… more than double the amount.”
Zento: “Hmm, at least it will be interesting.”
Doxy: “Reaching our destination in 1 minute…”

Kaktus 2024/08/06(Tue)15:08 No. 1095401 ID: 681cb5
File 172298210996.png - (78.65KB , 850x550 , 34.png )

Barely having time to find the captain chair, you arrive at the Tarkus Alpha system, and just as the Commander had said there is a lot more commotion here this time around. Of course, the first thing you notice is the large Wroknir ship and the small fleet surrounding it ready to attack you at a moment notice. Doxy is about to say something, but you just point at the main screen, signaling her to put up whatever message you’re about to receive there.

Wroknir: “Attention unidentified ship.” an unnatural deep voice calls out, “This is the Everlasting Citadel of Glorious Triumph, the capital ship of the 34th legion of the Everlasting Monarchy Navy.” The screen flickers for a second before showing a fully armored and mean looking Gargoyle, “Identify yourself immediately!”
Zento: “Hmh…” you take a sip of your coffee, “This is Captain Zento of the-”
Wroknir: “What the crack are you!?” it suddenly bellows out, seeming seeing you for the first time, “You some kind of blobface trick!?”
Zento: “We’re Sakkilian’s.” you tell them calmly, “We’re… ah… from outside this sector.”
Wroknir: “You what?” the Wroknir disappear from view for a moment, clearly trying to find some kind of information on you, “But how did you get… Nevermind.” Trying his best to regain his menacing presence, he states, “Know this, outsider, this sector is controlled by the IOD, and IOD law rules here.” he hits his chest doing some kind of strange salute, “We, the Everlasting Monarchy Navy, gracefully serve their will as peace keepers. Do not break the IOD law or you will face the full might of the Queens Glory!”
Zento: “Understood, loud and clear.” you take a moment to scratch your son’s head, making him purr, “We’re not here to cause trouble. We are simply here to trade.”
Wroknir: “…so it may be, we will still report your existence to the IOD, outsider.” Now that might be problematic, “Now, we are hunting a group of Kelshin pirates who has stolen a precursor artifact.”
Zento: “We did-“
Wroknir: “We are not here to ask questions, outsider.” Suddenly, every last weapon in their fleet light up, “Power down your engine immediately and get ready to be boarded. We will search your ship thoroughly for any traces of pirate scum and this artifact.” Pressing a button, he makes all the turrents on his ships slowly move to face you, “Comply or die.”
Zento: “Ah, there it is…” you take another sip, “The interesting part…”

>>1095401
I don't think we can fight *this* one, and if we get boarded then they'll find:
1, a bunch of Kelshin
2, a damaged Kelshin pirate ship
3, a captured IOD captain
4, some captured IOD drones
5, a bunch of unrecognized tech they'll want to claim or possibly even say it's the "artifact" in question.

Won't look very good! I think what we want to do here is run away. If we can't immediately jump out then we can consent to be boarded, and delay the inspections a bit until we can jump. Maybe hide the more objectionable stuff so that they don't raise any alarms until we can jump?

...well, we could negotiate to release the captain in exchange for letting you escape, but I suspect they won't agree to that.

our options;
Fight: Bad, we're not recovered from the last fight yet, and it would bring trouble to our Wroknir friends.
Deceptive Compliance: Bad, even if we didn't have IOD prisoners, IOD property, kelshin pirates, and reproductive tech that must remain secret; I wouldn't trust these arrogant authoritarians not to attack us just because we 'seemed suspicious'.
Flee: Okay, assuming they can't interdict us, it would mean we can't return here for some time so as to not associate the colony with us in the eyes of the IOD.
Bluff: Ideal if possible, but what leverage do we have?

Orient the ship for a jump out-system. Try to start an argument over the com to stall, but we simply have to flee this encounter. Moving further from IOD space would be good until we can get a fleet of our own. And can we a get some kind of scout ship? These ambushes are getting ridiculous.

Oh I just thought of something devious.
You have an IOD captain. Make a quick recording that portrays her as being caught in some kind of embarrassing sexual position, and you can pass the ship off as one of the leadership's privileged sexual cruise liners; the kind of situation that gets petty officers causally 'reassigned' (read:arrested) for interrupting.

Good thing you have the perfect excuse for this. Your chief doctor has recently informed you that your ship may have contracted a yet unknown virus. Complying with his demand would expose that to his crew, and this "artifact" could be in your possession.

Don't jump just yet. You could pump him for intel, at least. What about "blobface tricks"? Could he describe the nature of this artifact, and why his Queen may be interested in it? Emphasize his Queen, as in possibly not the IOD.

Remember their navy is technically independent from the IOD. Even if they are their enforcers, and are lawful, they might not like being under their thumb. Endearing yourself to them seems doable. It's not like you have any love of the slave trade, either. You might not even need to jump, if you're smooth enough.

Having your first mate flirt with him couldn't hurt, either. Your species' appearance does seem to throw him off his game. It's almost cute :D

Kaktus 2024/08/09(Fri)13:59 No. 1095603 ID: 681cb5
File 172323717903.png - (85.62KB , 700x550 , 35.png )

>Can we a get some kind of scout ship? These ambushes are getting ridiculous.
To be fair, this wasn’t an ambush. We knew we were going into a well-guarded system, we just didn’t know they would be hostile. Though, some kind of scout drone would be a boon, if we should get our hands on it.
>You have an IOD captain. Make a quick recording that portrays her as being caught in some kind of embarrassing sexual position. The kind of situation that gets petty officers causally 'reassigned' (read:arrested) for interrupting.
…no, we have an Ek’tall captain, not an IOD. Tozlan made it clear they are battle thralls serving IOD, not actually IOD themselves. Besides, their ship is way bigger than the captains we captured, so they probably outrank them anyway.

>Orient the ship for a jump out-system.
Zento: “Commander, how long will it take to prepare the ship for another jump?”
Doxy: “A little over a minute, sir… maybe two?”
Wroknir: “What part of immediately don’t you understand?” the Wroknir shouts, “Fire a warning shot!”
You can feel the ship shake before several kinetic impact warnings starts blaring.
Doxy: “They tore through our shield easily, doing major damage to our armor in three spots. Luckily, no integral damage was reported.”
Zento: “…and how long will it take for these weapons to turn us into junk?”
Doxy: “Far less than a minute, sir.”
Zento: “Then power down the engine. We cannot run.”

>Your chief doctor has recently informed you that your ship may have contracted a yet unknown virus.
Wroknir: “We do not care for your disease! We will board you wearing full power armor. They protect us from even the vilest of chemical weapons, let alone a weak disease.”
>What about "blobface tricks"?
Wroknir: “Those freakish Plumi to the south can change shape.” he grunts, “They cannot be trusted.”
Zento: “To the south?” you take a moment to think about the map you have, “You mean the Wirnay? At least, that was what Vul Wrok called them.”
Wroknir: “Wirnay, Plumi, blobs, slimes, does it matter!? They keep changing their names each time they get caught!” the gargoyle is about to say something else, before he visibly double takes, “Did you say Vul Wrok? As in, High Magister Vul Wrok?”
Zento: “The one who rules this colony, yes.” you give him a little smile, “Didn’t I mention that she’s the one who personally requested my presence, hmm?”
Wroknir: “…we will take that into consideration.”

>Could he describe the nature of this artifact, and why his Queen may be interested in it?
Wroknir: “The IOD has demanded that a precursor artifact that was stolen from them by Kelshin pirates is to be returned! We will find it and bring it back!”
Zento: “…you don’t know what it looks like, I take it.”
Wroknir: “…we know how precursor tech looks like… and what Kelshin pirates look like.” He slams the console in front of him, “BAH! Enough chatter! Our boarding party is ready to be deployed! Prepare to be boarded!”

Alright, no time to panic… we can’t fight, we can’t run and we can’t hide… which leaves talking our way out. What will they even find on the ship? We have nothing to hide…
Except for a bunch of Kelshin, all but one former pirates…
And a damaged Kelshin pirate ship…
…some captured IOD drones…
Oh, and a captured Ek’tall captain…
Is there something else you’re forgetting?
Either way, you need a plan… how do you spin this? They are looking for pirates and weird artifacts, not captured IOD battle thralls…

You take a sip of your coffee… its way too early for this kind of crap.

Okay, fine. Let's lie our asses off.
We can explain the pirates and the damaged pirate ship by saying we conquered them. Okay that's actually the truth but we don't have to say WHEN we did it. We can show off the claw from the dead pirate captain to prove we killed him, and say the rest of the slavers died too. The Kelshin in our employ were former slaves or disloyal crewmates that are now no longer pirates? Or do even former pirates get executed by the IOD? We may have to claim they're ALL former slaves, and be sure every Kelshin on the ship has their story straight.
We can explain the drones by saying we took them off of the pirate slavers' ship. The Ek’tall captain will probably try to demand rescue and blame us for her capture so we need to either silence her or hide her. Killing her would still require hiding or disposing of her body.

...did we collect any weird artifacts from the expeditions we went on? Or the Tuul-infested facility? If so then we need to hide those as well. Maybe the pirate ship has smuggling compartments? Or we could shove it in a vent or inside a bulkhead.

Time for operation Throw a Blanket Over It. It's not impossible, what with time shenanigans, that Sakilians are the precursors. Or that our tech will look alien enough for them to look closer than we would like. So we have a very short time to hide or disguise all of our potential contraband.

The Kelshin need to be hidden, there's no way to explain them away that doesn't end in them getting dragged off to a fate worse than death.
The Kelshin ship was captured by us in a fight we stumbled upon where pirates were fighting Ek'tall. We arrived just as the pirates seemed to be loosing, but something something, hidden bomb, phyric victory for the Ek'tall, we could only pick up the pieces.
This also explains how we have drones on the ship. Unless we can hide them, but that's not a priority.
The captured captain is a problem. Could we dose her and rig some bits so she passes as a drone?
Reproductive tech needs to be jurryriged to look like something else, anything else. The IOD cannot find out what we're capable of.

Rig the docking bay doors to open slowly to stall for time. Pass it off as our clearly inferior technology. Present a picture of our ship being just worse than theirs in general, make them see what they expect.

Oh, the heavy combat cyborg might be suspicious...

...if he DOES find something objectionable on the ship I wonder if we can simply bribe him?

>>1095603
The Wroknir and the Ek'tall militaries likely to have differences in doctrines or philosophies that they squabble over. That's an angle to exploit. Pass off the spoils from the last battle as self-defense from a crazy fanatic, adding that you were returning from a mission advised by the High Magister.

There's a chance the tree captain wouldn't want to be handled by a "lesser race" anyway, but now would be the time to convince her it's not in her best interest to turn herself in. Perhaps you could give her reason, or bluff at one, to distrust him and play along.

>>1095655
With exotic women, or hope of a galaxy free from tyranny. Only half-joking, it's what we have. Do get a feel if he's amenable to such things before you try, though.

Kaktus 2024/08/15(Thu)14:22 No. 1095887 ID: 681cb5
File 172375694299.png - (65.65KB , 700x550 , 37.png )

Wroknir Grunt: “Look what I found! A pirate crab!”
Zento: “That’s our janitor.”
Wroknir Officer: “You hired a Kelshin?”
Zento: “Actually, we saved him from a bunch of pirates.”
Wroknir Officer: “Hmm, yes, he does have the telltale signs of a slave collar… and no pirate markings either.” the officer gesture to the rest of his men, “Alright, he’s clean.”
Wroknir Grunt: “Can I shoot him anyway.”
Wroknir Officer: “We don’t shoot civilian, stone for brains.”
Wroknir Grunt: “Aw…”

Zento: “We also have a few drones we took from the pirate ship as well.” you tell them, “if you wish to take them back?”
Wroknir Officer: “Drones? No, we don’t deal with those freaks.” he avert his gaze, “Just let them die… it’s better that way.”
Zento: “And down there are our hydraulics bays, if you wish too-”
Wroknir Officer: “We are here for one thing and one thing only, lizard.” the gargoyle interrupts you, “And that is to find that artifact.” He turns to his soldiers, “Troops, spread out in four teams and use your scanners across the ship. If you find anything giving off strange readings report it immediately.”
Wroknir Grunt: “Sir, yes sir!” the Wroknir lifts a fist up in the air before scampering off, “For the everlasting queen! HUZZAH!”
Wroknir Officer: “The rest of you, with me. We’re going to the hanger.”

Kaktus 2024/08/15(Thu)14:22 No. 1095888 ID: 681cb5
File 172375695151.png - (115.05KB , 700x550 , 38.png )

Wroknir Grunt: “Look sir! A pirate ship!”
Zento: “The very same pirate ship we saved those slaves and drones from.” you nod towards the way we came in from, “I still have the gold claw the pirate captain had, if you wish to see it.”
Wroknir Officer: “We should check it out, in case it was someone known. Where did you fight them?” his visor scans across the debris in the room, “Why are you repairing it?”
Zento: “We are in dire need of extra ships… and besides, we need to know our enemy if we are to fight them, no?” the officer looks at you in confusion as you smile, “And we met them just outside the system, when we were on our way back from a mission. A mission given to us by the High Magister herself, mind you.”
Wroknir Officer: “Hmm… very well. Let’s keep moving men.”
Wroknir Grunt: “Can we blow the pirate ship up?”
Wroknir Officer: “No.”
Wroknir Grunt: “Aw…”

Kaktus 2024/08/15(Thu)14:22 No. 1095889 ID: 681cb5
File 172375696337.png - (95.12KB , 700x550 , 39.png )

Wroknir Grunt: “Sir! This thing gives off strange readings!” one of the grunts yells, holding up a datapad towards our cyborg resident, “Is it the precursor artifact?”
Wroknir Officer: “Of course not. That thing is clearly not a few hundred thousand years old, now is it?” he lean his head to the side, “But it is old… and strange… where did you get this?”
Zento: “She’s one of ours.” you nod towards the cyborg, “We made her back in our home systems.”
Wroknir Officer: “This thing is clearly older than anything else around here.” the officer looks around, before focusing his gaze on the cyborg, “It looks like old Forska tech.”
Zento: “Who are the Forska?”
Wroknir Officer: “BAH! Just some weaklings the IOD took care off.” he clenches his fist, “But their tech was advanced, and the Queen wants anything we can find that’s left of them.” The gargoyle turns towards his men, “Soldiers, take it to the ship.”
Zento: “Hey! You can’t just take her!” you snarl, “There’s a Sakkilian in there! She’s a cyborg!”
Wroknir Officer: “Cyborg? Really?” he takes a moment before continuing, “The only one with this kind of Cyborg tech around here was the Forska. Meaning this is the Queens property!”
Zento: “And what will the High Magister think?”
Wroknir Officer: “Bah! Who cares?” the officer chuckles, “The Everlasting Queen is the highest authority there is! Now, step aside, worm!”
Zento: “…”

While they didn’t find our prisoner, this is still bad. You’re not going to abandon one of your people like this!

>It's not impossible, what with time shenanigans, that Sakilians are the precursors.
The jump between galaxies would only take about 100 years, and with it going wrong we might add another hundred or two. In comparison, these precursors where around hundreds of thousands of years ago, making it very unlikely it was Sakkilians.
>...if he DOES find something objectionable on the ship I wonder if we can simply bribe him?
Well, that’s an idea… but with what?
>With exotic women, or hope of a galaxy free from tyranny.
Seeing as he’s loyal to this “Everlasting Queen”, a galaxy free from Tyranny doesn’t seem like a thing he would want. He’s a monarchist, after all. As for exotic ladies… you have no idea.

Either way, you need to do something if you want to keep the cyborg, be it trying to bribe him or something else. Time is of the essence.

Our cyborg crewmember is currently undergoing a BIOS update. If it's interrupted, it will brick her completely. Not only would this become a kidnapping-turned-murder, they'd render her cybernetics useless.

Also, the anti-espionage systems will activate if they try to examine her without administrator credentials. Would their Queen appreciate having cyborg death squads sent to contain a security breach?

>>1095889
What if he took the gun arm, but not the cyborg? The gun's mostly useless to us anyway.
...actually, the cyborg is useless to him as well. She can't be turned on, show him how there's no longer anyone with sufficient authorization to activate her. Hmm, won't he be able to recognize from the language on the terminal that it's not Forska tech?

Thank him for the compliment, but you're sure this isn't anything as impressive as what he's describing, as its an experimental unit made only a few years ago. Tell him you had heard a rumor that the design was based on some alien tech discovered somewhere, maybe that was of Forska origin.

In any case, she is not in a stable condition to be unhooked right now. If he insists she must be delivered to the queen it will have to be on this ship. We would be willing to negotiate compensation for this inconvenience, but we will not allow him to execute one of our crew without proper cause.

>>1095889
"So anything thats too advanced becomes forska for you? eitherway removing her will just destroy the cybernetics and kill her"

>>1095891
>there's no longer anyone with sufficient authorization to activate her.
Wouldn't that also mean that there's no one with sufficient authorization to deactivate her?

Because we could imply that if they try tampering with her in any way, she'll go into murder mode and kill everyone on the ship, including us, and we can't stop her because we don't have the authorization to tell her to stop.

"Think this through, Officer. I would think your Queen would want her in a state to give answers. There are questions I'd like to ask her myself, frankly."

If she's wearing Forska tech, it's possible she may been in contact with one of their kind in the past. Reading between the lines, it looks like he's very invested in following this lead.

You want in. You don't want her to leave the ship, and he doesn't have the discretion to deviate from his current mission or any mission not assigned by the IOD. If he leaves a team with you, you can do the Queen's work for him. They'll be treated well. If he could, he could even assign himself.

Kaktus 2024/08/22(Thu)16:11 No. 1096320 ID: 681cb5
File 172436830558.png - (123.25KB , 700x550 , 40.png )

>If she's wearing Forska tech, it's possible she may been in contact with one of their kind in the past.
All of her cybernetics is of Sakkilian make, and she surely was outfitted like this before the expedition even left our galaxy. This Wroknir is just rather dimwitted.
>Wouldn't that also mean that there's no one with sufficient authorization to deactivate her?
Which is why you asked Regina to put a kill switch inside her. If she wakes up and start trouble, you should be able to just shut off all her cybernetics with the press of a button.

Zento: “So anything that’s too advanced becomes Forska tech for you?”
Wroknir Officer: “What? Of course not!” he shuffles his feet awkwardly, “I’ve just heard that they were experts on Cybernetics… and all their tech is supposedly as boxy as this one.”
Zento: “Supposedly?” you raise an eyebrow, “So you haven’t seen any yourself?”
Wroknir Officer: “Of course not! The Forska disappeared before I was born! Before the war!” the gargoyle audibly huffs, “And no, I haven’t seen it in person, only in images.”
Zento: “Well, thank you for the compliment, but I’m sure this isn’t anything as impressive as this Forska technology you’re describing.” You take a deep breath while looking straight into his eyes, “No. She is fully and completely Sakkilian technology. As seeing as we didn’t arrive in this ga- ah, this sector until recently, we cannot even have met this Forska species in the first place.”
Wroknir Officer: “…still, I need to bring her back to the Kingdom.”
Zento: “She is currently undergoing important BIOS updates. If she would be unplugged now, her cybernetics software would be completely bricked. ” giving him a moment to digest your words, you glances over at the cyborg, “Not only would this become a kidnapping turned murder, but her cybernetics would be completely useless.”
Wroknir Officer: “…and if we wait until the update is done?”
Zento: “I will not allow you to execute one of my crew without proper cause.” leaning a bit closer, you state calmly, “If you insist, then she must be delivered to the Queen in this very ships. I’m sure we can negotiate a compensation for the inconvenience, though I’m not sure how you’ll break the news that you failed your actual mission here.”
Wroknir Officer: “…”
Zento: “Not to mention, I’m sure the High Magistrate would be rather cross with you if you took us away.”
Wroknir Officer: “…fine.” he huffs again, “We will leave her.”
Zento: “Thank you.”

The Officer turns away from you and the cyborg, grumbling to himself. Casting a quick glance at the Cyborg herself, you swear she has moved her head to look at you… but surely you just imagined it.

Kaktus 2024/08/22(Thu)16:11 No. 1096321 ID: 681cb5
File 172436831605.png - (83.55KB , 700x550 , 41.png )

As the officer and his soldier start to leave, you can overhear him radioing the other Wroknirs on the ship.

Wroknir Officer: “The is Officer Uron Taq. All units report.”
Wroknir: “This is unit 1.” there’s a noticeable static on the wire as they speak, “We found several Kelshin onboard. None of them had pirate marks.”
Wroknir Officer: “Leave them be. Unit 2?”
Wroknir: “There was a Wroknir working in the hydroponics bays, lord… and a lot of strange plants… and a tree?”
Wroknir Officer: “We’re not here to pick flowers. Unit 3?”
Wroknir: “Nothing to report… well, there is this cute, pink gal here that-”
Wroknir Officer: “No.”
Wroknir: “Aw…”
Wroknir Officer: “We’re leaving. Immediately. Over and out.” he turns to you, “We will meet again, lizard. And I will make sure I report this meeting directly to the Queen her-”

He stops as he spots something in the hanger... before he starts scanning the whole room very thoroughly. Try as you might, you can’t see whatever it was that he saw, but it clearly made him lose his balance. The only things in here are the ships, which he has already seen… hmm, maybe he spotted the Raolme ship?

Wroknir Officer: “…I will make sure to report this to the proper people.” turning away from you, he adds, “We have pirates to hunt.” before leaving.

And with that they are gone, leaving on their ships just as quickly as they got here… huh…

Kaktus 2024/08/22(Thu)16:12 No. 1096322 ID: 681cb5
File 172436832585.png - (38.17KB , 700x550 , 42.png )

Doxy: “Sir, the Wroknir have all powered down their weapons and are leaving combat formations.”
Zento: “Good.”
Doxy: “Oh! And they are leaving the system, sir! In fact, every last ship that was… um… purple is hyper jumping away in different directions.”
Zento: “They are hunting for pirates.”
Doxy: “That leaves us free too… well, whatever we want to do? What are your orders, sir?”

Finally, a moment to relax…

>>1096321
Oh ^&*(. He knows Ralome don't have eyes. You are now suspected of either conducting illegal experiments on Ralome or using illegal cyberware that might be potentially Forska.
From now on, make sure your hybrid crew members have special disguises.

>>1096322
That said, make more hybrid crewmembers! You have a larger roster to mix-and-match now!

>>1096322
He saw something. Get someone to examine the hangar carefully to find what he might have spotted. Someone native to this galaxy. Ask the High Magistrate for help if you must. Whatever he thought he saw, or actually did see, it's something you need to account for.

Also where the hell did the former pirates hide, exactly?

Oh right, the conspicuous pink hybrid. Well, at least he didn't arrest or kill the lot of you on the spot. Better not take too long here.

Check in with the magistrate. Don't give everything away, but ask how big of a deal having a hybrid on staff is, and weather you should expect IOD response. We wouldn't want to bring trouble to the colony, but we would like to remain friendly even if it has to be secret.

>>1096322
Go thank your pirate waifu.

Kaktus 2024/08/30(Fri)10:00 No. 1096698 ID: 681cb5
File 172503724082.png - (96.17KB , 700x550 , 43.png )

>He saw something.
But what? What is it too see in the hanger? A ship? Some tool? A crewmember? Wait…
>Oh right, the conspicuous pink hybrid.
…No, he wasn’t looking at Rose. At least, not at first. He was looking directly at Shal, the daughter of Tescia and some unknown Wroknir down on the colony. Does he know she’s a hybrid, or does he simply think she’s got bio-modifications? Hmm… then again, why didn’t he act on it? So many questions…
>That said, make more hybrid crewmembers! You have a larger roster to mix-and-match now!
You’re sure as soon as things calm down and the crew get some time off, there will be a few more hybrids on their way.

>Where the hell did the former pirates hide, exactly?
You call up Eki to ask her.
Eki: “Huh? Oh, we were hiding in plain sight, Cap’.” her tone is jovial, though you can hear someone argue in the background, “They were looking for Pirate Captain Ikekeki, not nurse Eki, Kekekeke!”
Zento: “The one Kelshin on board that isn’t a former pirate almost got his head blown off…”you mutter, “Why didn’t they do the same to you?”
Eki: “They were a bit gruff around us, but when they didn’t find any pirate marking on us they left us alone.” the shrimp smacks her mandibles, “After all, not all Kelshin are pirates.”
Zento: “None of you had pirate marks, even though you were pirates?”
Eki: “None of us have actually survived a whole tour of duty… nor been promoted to anything above the lowest rank.” you hear her claw click twice, “Well, except for that really old, one eyed guy. He had a mark on his arm. A bunch of them, in fact.”
Zento: “…so he hid somewhere then?”
Eki: “Um…”
Vex: “-in the goddess name made you blow of your own arm with a plasma rifle!?” you can hear your son, Dr. Vex, yell in the background of the call, “You’re lucky it cauterized the wound, or you’d be dead!”
Old Pirate: “Ha! I’ve lived through far worse, lad.” someone with a really deep voice says, “This is but a flesh wound.”
Vex: “Your whole arm is gone. And a large part of your chest!” it is clear that the lizard doctor isn’t very impressed, “And I think I can see your heart beating through the scorched skin!”
Old Pirate: “Only one of them!”
Vex: “How are you even alive, let alone not knocked out by the pain!?”
Old Pirate: “Bah! Youngster today, can’t even handle a bit of pain.” you can hear him laugh, “Why this is nothing compared to the pain matrixes they used during the war, let me tell you!”
Vex: “…give me strength.”
Eki: “…we hid him, sure, let’s go with that.”
>Thank your pirate waifu.
Eki: “Don’t mention it, Cap’.” she chirps happily, “Though, I’m not sure what a bay fo is?”
Zento: “Did I say that out lo- I mean, forget about it. Good work, Eki.”
Eki: “Thank you, Kekeke!”

Kaktus 2024/08/30(Fri)10:00 No. 1096699 ID: 681cb5
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>Check in with the magistrate.
The Commander calls the colony, and almost immediately a familiar face appears on screen.
Vul: “This is High Magistrate Vul Wrok of the Everlasting Monarchy.” the Gargoyle, this time already clad in full regalia, states in a rather proud voice, “Captain Zento, I’ve been expecting you.”
Zento: “I am sure you have, Vul.” you give her a slight smile, “Our arrival wasn’t exactly subtle, now was it?”
Vul: “I do apologize for the goon legion troubling you.” she gives you a little nod, “They are not under my command. Glad to see that they didn’t cause too much of an inconvenience.”
Zento: “No need to worry, Magistrate.” a small smirk escape your lips, “We had them under control from the start.”
Vul: “Still, this does change things. We cannot aid you any further, and must ask you to leave as soon as possible, never to return to this system.” with a sigh, Vul continues, “We will of course still honor our earlier agreements and properly compensate you for the scanning data as well as any organic material you may have gathered.”
Zento: “I see… and why this sudden change?”
Vul: “Those buffoons might not have known what they were looking for, probably because they are out here on their own initiative and haven’t been briefed properly, but I do.” she gives you a stern look, “They are hunting ‘Kelshin pirates’ who has stolen a huge ship filled with odd technologies. That is to say, your ship. They are hunting you… and I can’t risk getting caught in the crossfire.”
Zento: “…understandable.”
>Ask the High Magistrate what the Wroknir might have seen.
Vul: “I cannot say what he saw.” the gargoyle rubs her snout, “But if they didn’t immediately arrest you, it means it can’t have been too bad. It’s possible he simply saw something that wasn’t there for a moment? Just imagined things?”

>Don't give everything away, but ask how big of a deal having a hybrid on staff is, and weather you should expect IOD response.
Vul: “Hybrids? What do you mean, hybrids? Have you been gene-splicing alien DNA into yourself or some… thing…” she spots something behind you, and as you turn around you can see your current ships pilot, Shal, glancing up from her console, “…wait, who is that?”
Zento: “That would be Shal, the daughter of one of my crewmembers and a person living on your colony.”
Vul: “…”

Kaktus 2024/08/30(Fri)10:01 No. 1096700 ID: 681cb5
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Vul: “Depower your warp drive immediately!” her demure change, her voice suddenly far stricter and unforgiving, “And fly to these coordinates. It’s near to the orbital space station.” The gargoyle pushes a few buttons out of sight before adding, “NOW.”
Doxy: “Um… they just sent some kind of mass relay message, sir.” the commander behind you states, “It went out over the whole star system?”
Vul: “I need you to remove power from as many system as you can, Captain.” she doesn’t even look at you, instead tapping something on a screen behind her, “Weapons, shield, comms, navigation, scans… everything.”
Doxy: “Every last ship in the system just powered up, sir.” the pink lizard shouts, “They are heading this way.”
Vul: “We don’t have time to argue.” Vul Wrok raises her hands, as if to show that she bears no ill-intent, “You have to trust me.”

>>1096700
Ah, since you didn't hide the hybrids and they were spotted, then the IOD will know you can make hybrids, and apparently that's a huge deal. They will be back very soon, I'm guessing. The High Magistrate has some kind of plan to hide you; the only reason to completely power down would be to hide your energy signature. So alright, do it.

Though I'm not sure why the IOD inspectors didn't just capture your ship then and there...

>>1096703
The IOD are scared of Hybrids.
But scared does not mean terrified. They're going to nuke your ship from a distance, the same way one would purge a supersoldier carrier or a zombie infested scout.

Do as she says, it might be the only way to stealth this.

Will she be OK? It doesn't sound like she'll be OK. Good thing we didn't tell her about about the cryopods. The less she knows about about that, the better.

Oh wait, our surprisingly advanced bio-tech IS what we should've hidden from the population control freaks...

Screw it. Promise her an heir, if we both make it through this.

>>1096700
Of course the transmission was being tapped.

Kill the power ASAP!

Trust her. If she intended to trick you why would she tip her hand now instead of drawing you in?

>>1096710
Support

>>1096700
>It’s near to the orbital space station.
Are the coordinates within range of those giant cannons that she controls? Because she might be intending to use them to protect you and that requires you to trust her.

>>1096707
>Screw it. Promise her an heir, if we both make it through this.
Don't do that. She already has a son with her.

Kaktus 2024/09/06(Fri)11:58 No. 1097049 ID: 681cb5
File 172564908517.png - (91.52KB , 700x550 , 46.png )

>Are the coordinates within range of those giant cannons that she controls?
The whole system is within range of those giant cannons. Why even have cannons if the enemy simply can take them out from outside their maximum range?
>Kill the power ASAP!
Zento: “Commander Doxy, prepare the ship for complete blackout.” you sit down in your chair, “Shut down anything that isn’t vital and put the engine on low power mode.”
Doxy: “What? Really? Are you sure we can-”
Zento: “Now, Commander.”
Doxy: “Yes sir!”
Zento: “Attention Crew!” pressing a button on your chair, you make sure your voice is relayed all across the ship, “This is your Captain speaking. Proceed with emergency shutdown. All systems need to be offline yesterday!”
Doxy: “Systems are going offline as we speak, sir.”
Zento: “Shal, set a course for these coordinates. Take it slow and make it happen.”
Shal: “You got it, boss.”

While slowly drifting towards the Wroknir space station, the systems of the ships starts going out one by one. First thing you notice is the window screens all going black, with the exception for the main navigational one, followed by the lights… and then the gravity subtly changes. Even the background noise is different, as the engine powers down and the habitat systems shuts down. As the ship slowly dies around you, you drift ever closer to the space station, the massive hangar bay opening up like a maw with jagged teeth, swallowing the front of the Shed Scale. You watch as hundreds of gargoyles are hard at work opening up a way for you, as they seemingly have to rip apart the whole hangar area just to make the snout of your ship fit. Then, with a light thud, you’re hilted inside it all the way to the engines. Even then, half the ship is still outside.

Zento: “Commander, take the crew on shore leave. I am certain the High Magister wants to have a long conversation with me in private.”
Doxy: “Yes sir. At once, sir.”

You were half-expecting meeting a group or two of armed infantry outside the ship, maybe even some heavier mobile armor, but instead all you can find are workers running around trying their best to get the station up to par again. In fact, there is only a small group of lightly armed Wroknir keeping an eye on you from a distance, clearly some kind of peace keeping force and not military. Then you spot a gargoyle waving you down, easy to spot as he’s sticking out as a sore thumb wearing rather posh clothes compared to everyone else’s work overalls. The two of you exchange nods before you silently follow him towards the space elevator.

Kaktus 2024/09/06(Fri)11:58 No. 1097050 ID: 681cb5
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In the center of the colony, on top of the highest spire, in a grand hall you find High Magister Vul Wrok lounging on a throne, looking as she’s deep in thought.

Vul: “Ah, Captain Zento.” she gives a dismissing wave to the gargoyle that brought you here, as well to her two guards, making them leave the room, “Just the man I wanted to see.”
Zento: “High magister.” you visibly move your gaze around the room, “Should I bow or…?”
Vul: “As I said before, call me Vul. And no, no need for those formalities. Never liked this throne anyway.” rubbing her chin, the Wroknir looks you up and down, “You have caused me quite a lot of stress, little Sakkilian, you know that? Though, at least my death won’t be boring…”
Zento: “I take it that our technology that allow hybrid species isn’t very liked by these IOD fellows?”
Vul: “Hybrids? No, it’s not that they are hybrids. Of course, I’m not sure they even know that’s possible. I for one thought it impossible at least.” Vul sits up properly and look you straight in the eyes, “Do you remember how I told you that one of the few things we had to do to stay independent was to accept a package from the IOD?”
Zento: “I do have a vague relocation of it, yes?” you rub your beard, “What did it contain?”
Vul: “Nothing, as far as my scientist and sensors can tell.” the gargoyle lean back into her chair again, “But, after it arrived… barely a few days later, every last person in this colony, be it in the mines or out in space, became sterile.”
Zento: “…and you don’t know how?”
Vul: “Be it from some biological agent or electronic wave, all I know is that every last person here cannot conceive a child no longer.” she clasp her hands, “Until you came.”
Zento: “…and suddenly made a hybrid with one of your people.” you sigh, “I see now why the IOD wouldn’t like our hybrid crew members.”
Vul: “Indeed.” her head leans to the side, “What you have is not some weapon they fear… but something far more dangerous. A cause to fight for.”
Zento: “…but why didn’t the IOD inspectors just capture us there and then?” you walk over to the steps that leads up to the throne and sit down, “Or are they planning on just blowing up the nearby star? Just to be sure?”
Vul: “That would be folly. No, if they wanted you dead they would have open fired already.” leaning on her elbow, she rubs her forehead, “They outrank even me in such matter, so we would be forced to help them gun you down where you stood. No, there has to be some other reason.”
Zento: “Maybe he didn’t actually see what we thought he saw?”
Vul: “Possible. But let us not get mired in unimportant details.” still having her head in one hand, she gives you a strange look, “We have far more important matters to discuss about your hybrids, Zento.”
Zento: “Oh?” you smirk, “What? You want me to promise you an heir?”
Vul: “Ah, I see that you’re familiar with the traditional Wroknir contract signage, good.” her voice doesn’t betray even a hint of sarcasm, “But that is for later. No, what I need is the mere idea of what you can do. With it, we can finally have a way to fight back against the IOD. To unite the old alliance and retake our freedom.”
Zento: “…While I do agree the IOD seems like a problem that need solving, what you suggest seems a bit… let say it’s a difficult goal to achieve with just one ship.”
Vul: “Indeed, but we need to begin somewhere.” Vul stands up from the throne, “I will make sure your ship is repaired and is suitable fitted for your duties to come, Captain. As well as spare the few troops I am able. Then, when the coast is clear, you will leave this colony and find larger allies for this revolution.” The gargoyle takes a step towards you before stopping, “Oh, but of course I cannot do all that for free. No, I have several Wroknir of a higher standard of breeding here who is dutifully waiting for the privilege to sire an heir, something that will most likely take years. Now, if we had an alternative to offer, I’m sure these powerful men and woman would aid us in our plans, no?”
Zento: “…you’re suggesting I rent out my crew?”
Vul: “I am in need of your most fertile men and woman, five of each, so that we may sway the highborn of this colony to our side.” she chuckles, “Yourself excluded, of course, as you have far more important matter to discuss here with me. Do we have a deal, Captain?”

Well she would know her people best, so if she thinks it would help then sure. Finding ten volunteers shouldn't be too hard.

well guess it's up to us to save an entire civilization/species.

>>1097050
>IOD made everyone sterile
Ahh. That's what we detected in the scans, isn't it? Why did it disappear though? We need to do research. Scan people on the station to find people with the same "virus"(probably everyone), and then do various things to them that you'd do if they were hired as crewmembers, testing them again after each one. Did *all* of our alien crewmates get fertility treatments? It's also possible the solution has to do with our food, or sanitation, or... I don't know. At any rate, finding out the exact antidote will make it easier to complete this request.
Might also be neat to do some more in depth research to find out how the sterility works? Like, how does it interfere with the reproductive process exactly?

>>1097050
>Mass-genocide through sterilization
Bastards. Not the population control part, the extermination of all cultures outside of the IOD for the crime of merely existing part.
...Wait. Could it be? Could they be trying to exterminate all life other than themselves because they are also biologically doomed?

>5 Sakkilians as breeders
You'll ask around. Many of your colonists wanted back into cold sleep, or to find their prospects elsewhere. You can spare a dozen volunteers.
However, it would be more viable to purchase Wronkir genetic material and start cloning right away. With their engineering crews, you could temporarily increase the yield of your cloning facilities and get everyone's kids in a couple days.

>>1097050
>everyone is sterile
It's a form of population control, to make sure that nobody can gain the numbers needed to attempt to overthrow the IOD.

>need breeders
You'd better explain exactly how things work, so that she knows what she wants.

Explain the accelerated pregnancy process that allows birth within one day. And also explain the process of rapidly growing a child into an adult while implanting memories of their entire lives.

And if she wants the children to be rapidly grown into adults, then you'll need to update you capsules to implant memories of her race's culture, so that the children won't be alienated from their own parents by getting only Sakkilian culture implanted into them.

...wait, if we've powered down the ship, do we still have our prisoner contained and the drones cared for? What about the cyborg, how long can she go without a charging station?

Accept the deal, on condition that you vet who you will send over. You will need to do a roll call of willing volunteers, and evaluate their fertility, eagerness, and likelihood of romantic attachment. That last one isn't necessarily wrong, but resources are tight enough that you wouldn't want to lose your crew to anything, even this. Of course, discussing logistics can want after the signing. You don't want this contract declared null and void from dissatisfaction during the "signing" ;)

If there's any highborn that prefers a live-in partner, they will need to wait about a week for them. Ostensibly, this is to clear their work schedule and settle their duties. In truth, you'll need time to spin up the cryopods to make Breeders, or replacements for any crew that retires here. You can guarantee they'll be the most fertile among your crew, at least.

Ask about the child-rearing practices for her kind. With one of your own to care of during shore leave, you might as well help with hers while you're at it.

> “Be it from some biological agent or electronic wave, all I know is that every last person here cannot conceive a child no longer.
Hand off a copy of Vex's viral analysis as show of both good faith and interest in her colony's problems. It might prove misleading or outdated, but it's aid nonetheless.

Whatever the means, your species has been proven "naturally" resistant to IOD methods of control. All the more reason none of your kind be in their hands, least they use them to circumvent the means.

>No, there has to be some other reason.
Twice you've made clear how close you are to the High Magister. It'd be quite dim of him if he didn't realize what would happen if he left you to your own devices here.

He did recognize the symbol on Tozlan's ship, though. His motives could be gleaned from whatever fate befalls the house the ship belongs to. Getting ahead of that still seems possible, but that can wait until after business is settled here.

>>1097067
uh oh... Better hope her guards can get prepared for Angry Plant Lady, or she's going to bust in here at the wrong moment.