This episode begins with the team preparing to enter into combat. Several dog-sized animals begin to approach from an upper-level. The creatures, quadrupeds, have strong muscular bodies to tolerate the harsh 1.2G environment, and feature a large jaw that they appear to be able to hold liquids in. Out-of-game, the players discuss some combat specific rules such as how initiative, AC and making attacks should be handled.
Rolling into initiative, V1CK3 starts first. She uses her laser pistol, but fails to land a shot. Rayner considers teleporting closer to one of the creatures, but opts to run forward instead, closing some of the distance. Billy moves towards the raised platform holding the administrative consoles, and aims using his slug pistol, but also fails to hit. RV-96 expresses no confidence in taking a shot, but tries anyway, also failing, deciding to not try again any time soon. He considers if they can make some cover using equipment in the industrial area. One of the creatures approaches and engages into melee distance with Rayner. It strikes, hitting him for one damage. A larger variant of the creatures approaches and aims itself towards Billy. Using its jaw, it spits up a type of acidic liquid in his direction, but he easily avoids it. A final creature approaches from another direction towards V1CK3, but doesn’t close enough distance to attack her.
In round two, V1CK3 fires at it in retaliation, but again fails to hit. Rayner, now in melee range, decides to punch, making an unarmed attack against the creature, dealing enough damage to see it fly off a side railing onto the floor far below. RV-96 creates a make-shift barricade to help protect the team from one side. Billy fires his slug thrower again, but misses. The larger creature makes another spit attack, but also fails to hit Billy. The creature coming from the south continues to move towards V1CK3, almost within striking distance.
Round three sees V1CK3 attempting to step away from the approaching creature, and shooting again. She misses, but gives herself some distance. Rayner attempts more punch magic, but doesn’t get enough juice to hit through the larger creature’s armour. Billy makes another shot, still missing, and decides to move away from the larger creature as much as possible. RV-96 asks M.I.R.A. if she can provide security assistance, but the system is limited while in reserve power mode. RV-96 tries with the pistol again, but fails. The larger creature steps forward, trying another spit attack, but only just misses Billy. The smaller creature, in melee range now with Rayner, attacks and gets an eight.
For round four, things finally get interesting, with V1CK3 getting a critical hit against one of the creatures. The single shot is enough to take it out. Rayner walks heroically up to the remaining creature, and makes a single wide swing with a punch attack, getting another critical.
With the creatures defeated, the team assess the situation and move to ensure it is defensive. V1CK3 continues the required works on the electrical feed, needing several hours to get it done. RV-96 explores, finding a large opening that appears to have been open with explosives, presumably by the Grashnar when they were sealed in by M.I.R.A, and would explain how the native creatures got inside the station. Several hours pass and V1CK3 hits the switch, bringing main power back to the station itself, with lighting and other non-critical machinery spurring back to life. With power restored, M.I.R.A. has regained additional access and directs them via an elevator suite to the atmospheric control chamber on an upper level. M.I.R.A. coordinates for the researchers to be brought up as well with their equipment, and they regroup in the room.
![](https://talesfromtrantor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/grashnar-device.png)
Inspecting the new room, they find a large open chamber with several tanks of atmospheric elements, stored in different liquid or gaseous states. The researchers note that M.I.R.A. doesn’t appear to have access to the atmospheric controls, and that something may be blocking it. While not technically in contract, RV-96 offers to review the situation. The team walk up to a main console and see an alien device connected to the machinery, faintly sending off a signal, and possibly performing an override over local controls. Reviewing the controls, they see it has been set to a mixture of Nitrogen 50%, Methane 30%, Hydrogen 12%, Carbon Dioxide 3%, then trace gases. RV-96 knows that this sounds like what the Grashnar home planet consists of, and assumes the device is intending to maintain an override and report on the status to the initial team that came to the station. They elect to change the controls back to a human-preferred mix, tweaking the percentages accordingly. The team inform the researchers that with the change, the Grashnar may return, but they could activate M.I.R.A.’s defences and give the team a call if they get into trouble. The researchers send the agreed amount, a total of 3000 credits, and begin to review their equipment and examine the terraforming station machinery.
The team travel back to the ship, and fly it back to the open dockyard they had parked it in earlier, on the outskirts of Kallisto. With some more money, they debate on what to spend it on. Billy checks his voicemails, finding dozens of messages made by Datum, expressing concern on the return of the Argo. The voicemails play, including at the time the ship took off, the day after, and eventually a threatening voicemail from Keelex, the hot-headed leader of the other party. Billy approaches the team about this, and they decide that they need to deal with the situation. Billy calls Datum, continuing the lie of being a government inspector, and indicates that the ship can be returned, but only for an absurd amount of credits. He hangs up and blocks Datum’s number, hoping the situation has been dealt with.
They consider how the ship could be tracked and agree to get it repaired, making it capable of operating as a vacuum once more, and also decide to re-paint and formally rename it. See The Ship for more details. They update the transponder with new details, using the name of “Victoria” as captain, and change the ship’s broadcast name to Argocadian, painting the ship a mixture of olive green and brown. They pay the necessary cost for the ship parts and spend a day and a half getting it repaired. As the episode ends, the players recap having accomplished player goals, having now reached a level-up in Stars Without Number, and their intention to follow-up with Stavros on the radio signal.