Act 3: Ashes of Power

[eltorin]

Jana

"I'll take point", Jana says. "Let's be cautious but steady..I have a bad feeling about this."

 

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 1/14

With one solid nod, Karrik swiftly put his knife away and redrew his bow.

 

"It pays to have nimble fingers. I'll provide support over your left shoulder, Jana. Please, lead on," he offered as he looked down the hallway. "I, too, have a bad feeling about this. Watch for more of those pale cyborgs. I wouldn't put it past them to cling to ceilings to drop down in ambush."

[TheRealSife]

Proceeding down through spiraling vaulted halls humming with power reserves likely more ancient than some modern civilizations, the keleres feel almost as though they must be making their way to the center of the planet. Long enough to try their nerves, but not so long as to allow them to feel relaxed, their journey comes to an end as they approach a chamber filled with a large device, the likes of which none of the keleres has ever seen before.

The device chamber is a large, circular room ringed by five raised power coils. The floor and walls consist of plates of strange metal, mounted on mechanism that can shift to change the alignment of the apparatus. Two of the coils are already alight with energy.

What's more, the keleres are not alone. In the center of the room, at a tall, metallic figure stands at what is clearly the main control console, flanked by four smaller figures. The four smaller figures look near identical to the cyborgs the keleres fought before, now no longer bothering to hide their sleek metalic augmentations under cloaks.

At first the kelere's believe they have managed to sneak up on the group, but then a cold, metalic laugh echoes out of the depth of the tall figure.

"Ah, keleres, you've come at last," he says as he turns towards you, "I hope you didn't think me ignorant of your presence on this planet. Audacious. presumptuous."

His mouth doesn't move as he speaks. looking at him, you have to wonder if his desiccated skeletal face is even capable of movement. Rather the voice seems to be played from speakers mounted about the chasis that passes for his body, with the last two words sounding out in a monotonous machine-like drone. The only think on his face that does move are the glowing red cybernetic eyes that seem to track your every movement from sunken, unblinking sockets.

"I have watched you since your first arrival on this planet. Through the eyes of my minions. Through the neural uplink shunted into Doctor Ragiphom's brain stem. Judging. Calculating."

His cold optics trained on you, he lets the tense silence hang in the air for a moment, then he raises his arms in a gesture of peace.

"But I am not the enemy you think me to be keleres. Will you listen to what I have to say? I wonder, have your species evolved at all since the twilight wars? Primitive. Base."

[Ipphli]

The Undersecretary steps forward, still clutching his Lazar mace in one hand. Looking up at the tall figure, he speaks in a loud, clear tone. "The Keleres are always willing to reason. A chance at peace between the Council and your people is a welcome surprise, should that be your goal."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheRealSife]

The L1z1x seems pleased with your assent and begins to explain his presence on this planet.

“Keleres. I am 109.XY. You hunt the enemies of the Galactic Council. Ignorantly. Ineffectively. But you do see the threats within your capacity. They are enemies to our Mindnet also. But only we accurately comprehend their danger.”

“The Council believes it is rebuilding the galaxy after its worst disaster. But your species’ memories are cinders among ashes. The Lazax exiled the galaxy’s true enemy eons ago: the Mahact Gene Sorcerers!

"...Then you let them back in at the Acheron gate.”

“We are the Lazax heirs. Wise. Righteous. have their knowledge. We must lead the Council. Your rejection and autonomy are irrelevant.”

109.XY pauses for a few moments. His optic lights pulse and a holographic animation appears in the chamber’s air. Then he continues in an even more mechanistic voice.

“Analysis: the Mahact transform and enslave other life quickly.”

A hologram of a massive Mahact lord waves their scepter, and a semicircle of mixed species writhe and twist into featureless, ghoulish, white figures. Then the view rolls backward across ever wider circles of victims as they too are transformed in a geometric progression.

“Analysis: current galactic civilization has low probability of decoding gene sorcery in time to stop the Mahact. The galaxy will be conquered in a matter of decades.”

The view shifts to a map of the galaxy as its sectors are rapidly overtaken by the Mahact’s golden, sharp sigil.

“Analysis: the device housed in this facility can prevent the Mahact fortress-world of Ixth from traveling at superluminal speeds for two to six months by releasing its quantum-mass particle cascade upon the galactic core. This will give the L1Z1X time to marshal forces to defeat the Mahact again.”

The animation shows the particle cascade from Herool’s truce tearing through the galactic core, becalming all travel of ships in that region. You can all tell that while this likely will work in slowing the Mahact down, it will also grind galactic civilization as you know it to a halt as everyone will be stranded on whatever planet they happen to be on until the effects dissipate. Any ships in space will be set adrift and deep space stations will be unable to be resupplied.

“Conclusion: Mahact advance through the galactic core must be slowed by this device. Net projected galactic deaths from use of the device are fewer than from accelerated Mahact conquest.”

The animation ends as Herool’s Truce wrenches suddenly in its orbit, emitting a vast, wave-like beam. From the looks of it the planet itself will not survive the activation of the device.

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 1/14

The Shikrai was ready to draw an arrow when some dialogue opened and gave Karrik pause. Then the robotic being started making sense. Too much sense. The mention of the Acheron Gate brought a shadow of shame to his face.

 

"Finally!" he proclaimed, taking a step forward as the projections came to life. His bow hand relaxed. "The Mahact are the true enemy of the galaxy! A vile cancer once thought cut clean. The Argent Flight will not allow the gene sorcerors to take over! I will do what must be done to squash them until nothing but an afterthought."

 

Karrik looked at his companions. "I don't imagine you to understand my convictions. We failed once already... I will not allow that to happen again. The cost of failure is too great."

 

Looking back to 109.XY, he said, "What are your estimates for the deaths from activating this machine versus allowing the Mahact to continue unhindered? And how confident are your calculations?"

[eltorin]

Jana

"I don't have a hard time a hard time believing that the Mahact are the true enemy of the galaxy", Jana says, turning to Karrik, while still keeping an eye on 109.XY, "but the L1z1x are not exactly are allies, either." Her memories about the mechanical race involuntarily return to the surface of her mind, reminding her the unpleasant time with them. Turning back to 109.XY, she asks, "What are you proposing? Sacrifice all the people on Herool's Truce for the greater good, right? Am I getting there?" Lowering her voice, she continues: "I'm not letting anyone massacre these unknowing people based on the words of the L1z1x! There's always another way."

 

[TheRealSife]

To Karrik 109.XY says "Our calculations are flawless... but available data is incomplete", he spreads his arms in a gesture approximating a shrug.

"Rest assured that the amount will not exceed the low billions. This is nothing compared to the destruction the Mahact will wreak across the galaxy."

Turning to Jana he says, "The population of this planet is even more primitive than your galactic council. Calculation: Their deaths at the hands of this device would be of greater value to the galaxy than their lives ever could."

OOC

If you guys are happy to role-play this out that works for me, though ultimately the whole group must agree on one path to take. We can also use opposed leadership rolls to decide who convinces the other if you would prefer to do it that way.

FYI just to be clear so you know this scenario isn't designed to screw Karrik over, karrik's agenda is considered accomplished if the group spares 109.XY's life while still foiling his plan as he is clearly an enemy of the Mahact and will continue to fight them in the future.

 

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 1/14

A shadow passed over Karrik's face. His fist gripped the bow handle hard--were his skin unfeathered, his knuckles would show white.

 

"Billions? And none here will survive?" he asked, quieter than before. Can I really sacrifice them all? Can I trust this Lazax? he thought.

 

Though conflicted, Karrik looked at Cheliyxx and finally at Jana.

 

"Surely there is another device? Another method to pursue that doesn't kill so many? The Mahact are our true enemy... but I am also sworn to protect this galaxy. What makes us different from them if we murder so many? The potential genocide of three species on this planet alone... Do we not become what we hope to stop? Where is the line in the sand?" he asked weakly. His hand began to hurt from gripping his weapon so tightly.

 

In a voice low enough only for the Keleres to hear, Karrik asked, "He is clearly no friend of the Mahact. What if we destroy the machine but leave him to continue the fight? He is not our true enemy."

[eltorin]

Jana

"We're Keleres, to uphold the peace and integrity of the galaxy. I wil not let billions die

without a chance to flee or evacuate, based solely on the words and insufficient data of 109.XY alone!"

"There has to be another way", Jana thought, her mind reeling.

"Let's not pretend that an enemy of our enemy is our friend, as it's clearly not the case here", she said, addressing Karrik, in a low voice only her companions could hear. "If we can destroy the machine, so be it, the lives of billions is more important than the destroying a L1z1x, but I will not stand aside and let all those people suffer only because they're in the way of a galactic consipracy, popped out from the L1z1x's head. I'm not sure we could completely destrory it, anyway, given what it is."

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by eltorin (see edit history)

[Ipphli]

Chelyixx silently listens as 109.XY, and then his two companions, speak. He keeps the same pleasnt smile, mastered over a long political career, in place as the L1z1x makes its proposal, and then as his allies voice their opinions on said proposal. Finally, he pithces his own voice low so only his companions (hopefully) can hear him. "I agree with Jana. We cannot let him destroy galactic civilization, especially with missing informaiton." Turning back to 109.XY, the undersecretary calls out once more. "We all agree the Mahact are our true enemies. And I'm sure the Council would agree. Perhaps your people and ours can reach an accord, a war pact, to focus our efforts on the sorcerers instead of fighting each other. However, avoiding the death of billions will be required.

Perhaps calculate the odds of stopping the Mahact if the Council works with the L1z1x together. Does that change your calculations?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheRealSife]

"Do a parent's chances of fighting off an enemy increase if he brings his child to the fight with him? Negative." 109.XY says in response to Chelliyx's question.

The L1z1x eye's you and despite his message of peace you sense his patience nearing its end. The time has come to act, either to flee this doomed planet, or to save it from its fate.

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 1/14

Karrik had considered joining forces with the Lazax. It spoke lofty goals, but the price of admission was simply too high.

 

"Children still deserve the opportunity to try. Without that freedom, we are the same as the Mahact." he said, eyes locked on 109.XY. "Bring him low but keep the Lazax alive!" he followed up, swiftly yanking an arrow from his quantum quiver. He lined up a shot at the machine instead, hoping the specialized nanite-filled arrow would be enough to start shutting it down.

 

OOC

Using my single Entropic Arrow on the machine. This may be a waste, but here we go! I have no other plan but pew-pew lol

I'm guessing it's 2 Difficulty Dice for this? I'm adding the red d12 as well... that's a Challenge Die?

I'm using a Story Point to activate Avian Agility, which adds 2 Success and 2 Advantage to an Agility skill. I can't have this thing miss! That should be a total of 2 Success and 3 Advantage; that's 3 damage with 9 soak ignored. I'll spend 1 Advantage for a Critical Injury and 2 more for the bounce effect to hit another target (likely the Lazax!).

 

[eltorin]

Jana doesn't waste any more time with words, so in a second after Karrik's shot she aims at the device with her carbine and shoots.

[TheRealSife]

The power coil sputters, sparks flying from it, and the corresponding light on the device shifts to an angry red. 109.XY turns his cold stare to you. “Interference by Keleres agents is meaningless. Rerouting all auxiliary power from main generator to compensate for lost coil.” The lights beginning to strobe in the room, the crackling sparks of the power coils further confusing things. But there was a note of desperation in 109.XY’s dissonant voice. You are certain: if it loses another coil, the device cannot function.

However, just as the thought occurs to you, 109.XY reaches out and taps a few keys on the control panel, causing a kind of energy field to power up around each of the coils. Attempting to destroy them now will surely be a daunting task (4 purple difficulty die). Furthermore, with the chaotic lighting the keleres will find it difficult to draw a line of sight on their targets or carry out fine manipulations (ranged attacks and mechanics checks receive a black setback die).

Rather than advance towards you though, 109.XY moves to one of the nearby coils begins to operate on it, apparently attempting to bring the device fully online before the keleres can do anymore damage. His minions are another story and promptly open fire on the interstellar agents with laser weapons that pop out of their cybernetic limbs.

The laser beams fly wide, missing their target, but manage to blast open some kind of air vent. Fog hisses into the room further obscuring the cyborgs until only the red glow of their eyes and laser weapons can be seen through the haze.

(Spending 3 advantage to give a black setback die to ranged and physical attacks against the cyborg minions in the next round)

 

Edited November 8, 2023 by TheRealSife (see edit history)