Book 1: Incident at Absalom Station - Act 2: Ghost Ship

When a mysterious visitor comes to Absalom Station selling items belonging to a lost Starfinder, the Starfinder Society takes note. The PCs are dispatched to discover out how the recent arrival found these items, leading them on a series of quests beyond the Pact Worlds and into the stars.

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Book 1: Incident at Absalom Station - Act 2: Ghost Ship

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:59 pm

The undead Ambassador has as much patience as the dead, waiting on his visitors to mull through their thoughts and respond. "Payment would of course be provided; I'm not expecting this to be a charity service. 1000 credits per person, upon your report."

He pauses, considering the 'salvage' question. "As for what you can take, the ship technically is being contested by two Corporations for ownership rights, so what I can say is that you can take whatever you believe you can get away with that they won't notice. I'm the Mediator for the dispute, not a security guard. I find their squabbling and proxy warfare distasteful, so I wish you good hunting."

He lowers his voice to the point that only the three of you can hear him. "There is one additional detail that I'd like to ask your help with," Nor says, steepling his bony fingers. "Among its other cargo, the Acreon was carrying a package destined for this Embassy, myself in particular. Of course, with the ship being quarantined, the package has been rendered undeliverable. I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival, and I'd consider it a personal favor if you could find the package and bring it to me when you return to the Station. It's clearly marked, so I don't imagine it will be too difficult to find. And if that is accomplished, I will double the reward for your services."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Book 1: Incident at Absalom Station - Act 2: Ghost Ship

Post by Vardaen » Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:01 pm

The rat man's tale swishes, "Deal!" He reaches out and shakes his furry hand with the boney one of the Ambassador.

He looks at the others, "Well?! Wake up lazy bones. We have a good-good deal and a mission."
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Book 1: Incident at Absalom Station - Act 2: Ghost Ship

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:38 am

The Ambassador is as good as his word, and you are swiftly given access to a shuttle, the Hippocampus, waiting in a private docking bay. For those with the engineering chops and an interest in ship design, it looks to originally be a Ringworks Wanderer mode, heavily modified for security use. Everything from the armor, defenses, and shields have been visibly upgraded, along with a turret-mounted coilgun sitting pretty on the top.

The skeleton guards escort you to the ship, and then you have it to yourself. The Hippocampus's thrusters take only a couple of minutes to warm up, Absalom Traffic Control gives clearance for takeoff, and in a moment you are accelerating into the dark of space. The ship's computer is pre-programmed to take you to the Acreon, so no navigation necessary. Along the way you get a good view of the exterior of Absalom Station, as well as the so-called "Armada", the endlessly moving fleet of independent ships that surrounds the gigantic space platform.

On the way over a couple fighter ships peel off from the anonymity of the Armada to try to prevent the party from making it to the Drift Rock, but the gigantic laser arrays of the Station begin to track them, and they peel off to live another day. The message is clear - Absalom Station will not be messed with right now. The Quarantine Zone is in effect, and you're the only ones allowed near.

---

The Acreon is an old prospecting and mining ship that has seen years of hard use in the asteroid fields and hard vacuum of the Pact Worlds and beyond. It's a boxy and ungainly ship, and its patched and repatched outer hull bears the scars of countless micrometeorite impacts and is faded from exposure to the radiation of space. The Acreon floats alone in space, far from Absalom Station, its only companion the misshapen asteroid called the "Drift Rock", which is tethered behind the ship on long tow cables. The Acreon's transponder broadcasts a repeating message that the ship is under quarantine by order of Absalom Station security, warning away any curious onlookers and would-be explorers.

Quig is quick on his paws, and scans the Acreon with the Hippocampus's sensors. The sensors are unable to get a good reading of any life signs that might be present on the ship. However, the aft airlock is open, exposing the interior to the harsh emptiness of space. There are two more airlocks (port and starboard), but those are closed as would be normal. The Acreon is armed, but none of the weapons are currently active. The power core is outputting minimal energy - enough for things like life support and gravity, but little else.
Welcome to the ship that those darned Corporations and Gangs were fighting over! There are 3 points you can dock to the Acreon, the closed port or starboard airlock, or the open aft one.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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