THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

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THE SWARM SHEET
  • Informational
    • The Brood of Blades
    ​
    Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke
    LEVEL: 5
    XP: 205/210
    TRAITS
    Strategic Genius: Once per structured encounter, Sam can create a piece of the environment that is in her favor as a sticky spark. Roll a d3 for its value.
    Empathetic: upon meeting an NPC, learn their motivation!
    Legendary Commander: Gain 4 Command sparks at the beginning of each mission/combat. Command sparks may be spent to give NPCs orders, which they may either obey or refuse to obey (doing nothing instead.) Command sparks may not be regained via skills or powers.
    Hunted: Something wants her - but for what? +1 Danger to all scenes​
    SKILLS
    CLOSE COMBAT (2): Brawling, Edged Weapons
    PERSONAL (2): Awareness, Resilience
    SOCIAL (4): Charm, Empathy, Leadership, Taunt​
    MASTERY
    ACU Pilot (2): Nanofabrication [Mass], ObSat Operations [Range]
    The Hilt (4): Biomorphic Spawning (People), Regeneration (Durability), Physical Perfection (Speed), Telepathic Dominion (Range)​

    POWERS
    The Living Swarm
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Gain 1 Living Swarm spark, +1 per vent reduction.​
    The Living Swarm: While this swarm exists, move in three dimensions and through anything smaller than a keyhole, reforming at will. You may expend these sparks to cause 3 Hit Sparks in a Area 2 radius.​
    Area Upgrade: +1 to Area Characteristic​

    Biomorphic Reinforcement
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create 1 Biomorphic Reinforcement spark, +1 per vent reduction, which can be given out to anyone within Range 2, or to yourself
    Biomorphic Reinforcement: +1 to Damage or Mass characteristic for the purpose of raw physical strength/feats.

    Back to Back
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Choose 1 ally (+1 per vent reduction), within Range 1. Each can take one action using one of your skills, any of them that you wish. Once they have done so, you may make a free attack with your melee weapon, getting +1 to your skill per ally that acted.​

    Adaptation
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create a number of sparks equal to the enemy's difficulty, narratively based on turning their abilities against them. Works on enemies of Diff 2>, +2 per vent reduction.​

    Just as Planned…
    Vent: 6-0
    Effect: Vent 6 heat and create 1 Planning Spark for her or an ally, +1 Spark per vent reduction.​
    Planning: The person holding this Spark can expend this to get +1 to a skill check as a free action. Using this Stack counts as you are helping for the purpose of relationships.​

    GEAR
    Zeratul's Psi-Blades
    Adds: +0 (Edged Weapons) | Characteristics: Damage [Speed] (4)[1]​
    Shadowstep (3): Can expend as a free action to move without crossing intervening space.
    Guarded Space (3): Can expend to use Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability, reducing incoming Damage characteristics.​

    GALACTIC WAR
    Victory Points: 5    ​
    RESOURCES​
    TERRAN DOMINION [Background] (1)​
    The men and material of the Dominion - limited, but they're mustering as we speak. ​
    ALLIANCE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES [Mastery] (1)​
    While you have access to several ACUs of every faction, they lack economic and technological support to be fully effective. ​
    ZERG HIVE [Mastery] (1)​
    The scant few Zerg you control that are free of Amon's influence. Mostly Zerglings. ​
    AEON FLEET [Background] (1)​
    While half a dozen CZARs seem impressive, they're not actually well made for ship to ship combat. ​
    ALLIED COHESION [Motivation] (1)​
    The alliance is fragile and weak.​

    FRONTS​
    Trade Sector-34-51 [Pirate Activity]
    Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)
    COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
    RESULTS: Pending

    Braxis [Zerg Invasion]
    Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)
    COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
    RESULTS: Pending

    Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]
    Typhan II Occupied 6 (Xel'Naga ACU Spotted 1)
    COMMAND: Lt. Colonel Mathew Horner | ARMY: UEF Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending

    Deep Space Sector 981 [Hive Fleet Identified]
    Zerg Hive Fleet Spotted 6 (Kerrigan? 1)
    COMMAND: Citizen-Commander Dostya | ARMY: CN Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending
    ​
    ENEMY ASSETS (Currently Known)
    ​
    THE GOLDEN ARMADA
    ACTIVITY: Unknown | Threat Level: 6​
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Mar 18, 2024 at 8:56 PM, finished with 17 posts and 9 votes.
    Click to expand...


    So, I come back after a few days of feeling weirdly discouraged (sometimes, my brain goes, "ahah, everything you write is bad actually!" for no apparent reason), and the vote is a tie! How ironic...
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Mar 18, 2024 at 8:56 PM, finished with 17 posts and 9 votes.
    Click to expand...


    So, I come back after a few days of feeling weirdly discouraged (sometimes, my brain goes, "ahah, everything you write is bad actually!" for no apparent reason), and the vote is a tie! How ironic...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    I enjoy your writing. Thanks for keeping on doing it even though your brain sabotages you sometimes!
     
    ACT TWO, MISSION SIX: To Open the Way (0.3)
  • Threadmarks
    • In the moist darkness of the drop pod, you tried to focus on the mission, and not how close Sarah was. Her body molded against yours in the organic space, and her mind and yours felt closer than ever - and the prickly nerves of the moment twined and linked together. Her nerves and yours, though, were running along different tracks. She was nervous about something deeper, in the future. You were nervous about the disruptor, Char, Duke, Daggoth and everything in the here and now. Her hand slid against your belly, stroking you gently in the outfit you had fabbed, based on Nova's designs.

    I used to wear this all the time, you know.

    It explains a lot about your modesty,     you thought back.

    Heh. Her hand dipped lower than was entirely appropriate for a stealth insertion mission. You peered against the thin membrane of the drop-pod, and saw that the glittering lights of the oncoming fleet remained...quite distant. Maybe it would be. Okay. For now. Did you know when I was first infested, they didn't care much about aesthetics. I had what amounted to stitches all across my face.

    ...unpleasent.

    I think my first real rebellion was convincing Abathur to redesign me,     she thought, a bit wistfully. It was so irrelevant to the Zerg. So unimportant. So...human. But it was still my choice.

    You snuggled against her more. Your voice was loud in the close space. "Mmm."

    You felt her smiling against your neck. Her tongue darted along your throat.

    Orbital insertions do take a while. Think we have...time?

    Her fingers had reached their destination.

    What would Zeratul say? your mental voice was decidedly flustered.

    He's taking a different route, so... You could hear her grin, through your mind.

    You blushed - then blinked and looked ahead. The dots were all getting noticably larger. We're almost there! You said.

    Then why are your thighs tightening, my Armiger?

    You squirmed and Sarah laughed.

    ***
    ​
    The pod split open at a predetermined moment. Vacum tasted like cold metal, sharp edged and grinding against your teeth. You flipped around by kicking off the last remains of the organic material and saw the looming bulk of the science vessel. The engines flared below you and the airlock you had aimed for was right there. Sarah, her body clad in the skintight Ghost psycho-reactive armor, simply flexed her arms and spurted towards the metal bulk. Her hand gripped onto the edge of the airlock and she reached out with her other hand, and you felt force clench around you, then draw you in. You both rested against the airlock while you tugged the ghost's helmet around your head. The heavy duty optics and breather hissed and the taste of metal was replaced with the warm rush of oxygen.

    Pleasant. But not required.

    You tried the keycard that you had copied off Nova. Her high level codes had to have been changed, but the Raiders were good at fudging codes around so that the low level systems would still work. As you slotted it in, Sarah turned on the doohicky that Egon had handed her before you had slid into the biological drop pod. It would supposedly keep the alert that this airlock door was opening from getting to the bridge. A few moments later, the door opened and you and Sarah stepped inside. The door closed, the airlock cycled, and you stepped into the engineering space of the Chesapeake.

    The first thing you noticed was while you were on the engineering bay, this science vessel still seemed a lot spiffier than the prior one you had boarded. The walls were pale silver and steel, the floors smooth, the ceiling lights didn't flicker. And no one had stapled up any pornography anywhere. "Is this even a Terran ship?" you muttered.

    "The Dominion likes to crack down on discipline it seems," Sarah said, as you and her started to walk forward. The first test of your disguise came a few minutes later as you walked past a marine on guard duty of several power junctions. The only thing that happened was that he came to slightly more attention - but he didn't bother you.

    "What a pig," Sarah muttered under her breath.

    "I didn't pick anything up..." you said.

    "Yeah, cause the thought was focused on me," Sarah said, sounding amused. "All right. What's the play here?"

    You gestured her over to one of the wall consoles that popped up here and there in the engineering bay. A few quick taps brought up the map of the Chesapeake. You pointed. "There's the psi-emitter in the central area. Heavily guarded. But there's..." Your finger gestured. "Focusing emitters. They're pointed down at Char - i bet they're not even on right now. The emitter is a threat, aimed at Daggoth." Your grin was wry. "Less of an alliance, more desperation here. And then...what's that?"

    "Oh that's the detection array," Sarah said. "It can't pick us up unless they are actively looking for us - but if they turn it on, they'll sniff us out immediately. And Zeratul, for that matter."

    You nodded, then glanced over your shoulder. A half a dozen techs were leaving a room - and from their conversation, you could tell they were annoyed at what they had to have done - standard technicians bitching about having to do maintenance and repair. Once again, though, your disguise worked: The techs glanced your way, then hurried on, more terrified than anything else.

    Even with what amounted to skintight latex on.

    Quietly, Sarah murmured. "Each of these are a good first target. With the detector out, we're a lot safer. The emitters could be turned on early to get Daggoth and Duke fighting. And the emitter itself..." She trailed off. "If it's turned on me, then I lose control of my hive cluster."

    You rubbed your chin.

    ---
    HEAT: 5/6

    [ ] Sneak to Emitters (Diff 2 Stealth check - 2 heat, lightly overheats - sets heat to zero)
    [ ] Get caught sneaking to emitters (Fail, sets heat to zero.)
    [ ] Sneak to Detection Array (Diff 2 stealth check - 2 heat, lightly overheat - sets heat to zero)
    [ ] Get caught sneaking to Detection Array (Fail, sets heat to zero.)
    [ ] Sneak to Psi Disruptor (Diff 4 stealth check, 4 heat, heavily overheat - sets heat to zero)
    [ ] Get caught sneaking to Psi Disruptor (fail, sets heat to zero.)
    [ ] Write In

    So, failing means you get intercepted along the way but aren't necessarily are in danger. Overheating means you get there, but the situation will get more dangerous. None of it really means "cover is blown immediately."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Get caught sneaking to Detection Array (Fail, sets heat to zero.)

    Resets our heat, doesn't immediately get us caught as enemy infiltrators, just unauthorized Ghosts, which can probably be bluffed pretty easily as a need to know operation that they don't need to know. And I want to hit up the detection array first. As long as we don't heavily overheat during it, we probably don't need to worry about the disruptor going off.
     
    [X] Get caught sneaking to Detection Array (Fail, sets heat to zero.)

    I think this is good.

    Or increasing the danger would also be okay, but I'd like our protags to fail first.
     
    [x] Get caught sneaking to emitters (Fail, sets heat to zero.)
    [x] Get caught sneaking to Detection Array (Fail, sets heat to zero.)

    I'm still not sure which of those would be better, but hopefully a vote just for two of six is still useful.

    My thinking is that the psi disruptor itself, being more difficult, is something we might want to stack up more of an advantage before going for. And with the provided explanation and the method of our infiltration, it sounds like getting caught might just be someone stopping to talk with us; we are, after all, sneaking by blending in, by actively not looking like we're trying to remain unseen. And encounter like that is a risk, needing to be handled properly -- but it could also give us more useful information.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Mar 23, 2024 at 9:45 AM, finished with 9 posts and 7 votes.
    • [X] Get caught sneaking to Detection Array (Fail, sets heat to zero.)
      [X] Get caught sneaking to emitters (Fail, sets heat to zero.)
      [X] Sneak to Detection Array (Diff 2 stealth check - 2 heat, lightly overheat - sets heat to zero)
    Click to expand...


    Detection array detection! how ironic...

    Also, sorry for the slowdown, I've just been busy, which is a crime
     
    ACT TWO, MISSION SIX: To Open the Way (0.4)
  • Threadmarks
    • You pointed at the center of the ship. "There," you said.

    "The array?" Sarah pursed her lips behind the helmet - the motion of the chin was too familiar for you to mistake it for anything else. "...yeah."

    The two of you started walking together. Even the combat boots that Ghosts wore were fairly quiet against the metal grating. You didn't walk as if you were sneaking, but you still managed to surprise several people as you wound your way up and out of the engineering section. Each time, the same - or at least a similar - reaction: They froze, they jerked back, they waited until you were gone, then they whispered. You were pretty sure even a Ghost would have heard them, but your Zerg enhanced senses made it even easier.

    "What are they doing here?"

    Then you and Sarah came to an elevator. You stepped in first, taking up the right corner, while Sarah simply took the middle. You leaned against the wall and tried to not feel too large and noticeable, while Sarah pressed the button for Level 5A. The elevator doors remained opened for just long enough, though. A clanging sound of feet echoed out, then a tech jerked in at the last second, his Dominion uniform somewhat mussed, grease staining his fingers. He panted, then pressed Level 6B, then said, half turning as he did so: "Thanks for holding, I'm running l-"

    That was when he saw Sarah. His eyes widened. Then he looked at you. Of course, since he had been looking at Sarah's head, his leyeline was more on your shoulder. His eyes flicked up. Then he hurriedly turned around.

    You grinned behind the mask.

    "...s-so, anyway, uh...gotta replace the positron flow inverters on the third level," the guy said.

    Hey, Sarah, you said. Laugh at something.

    ...why?

    To cemenet our image as creepy Ghosts, so he doesn't get suspicous.

    You just want to make him uncomfortable cause he checked me out and finds you scary.     Her voice was wryly amused.

    That's just right and proper, he's a man. Men aren't into girls like me.

    Sarah let out a quiet giggle.

    "W-What?" the guy asked, glancing back. "...you can't read my mind, that's against the regs."

    Both you and Sarah looked back at him - and then the elevator door dinged open with a quiet rumble. His expression was priceless - triggering a mixture of your predatory Zerg instincts and the pleasure of seeing the enemy squirm. You chuckled under your breath, while Sarah followed after you out of the elevator. She did turn back, saying: "Don't worry. We won't tell anyone."

    "T-Tell anyone what!?" The tech asked - and then the elevator doors closed, to take him off to 5B.

    "That was mean," Sarah said, her voice amused as you saw that the main body of the science ship was even swankier than the swanky engineering bay. The walls were steel and smooth, the floors polished to a mirror shine - you even saw a few glum looking crewmen who were at the job of chipping paint with hand tools - and every officer that walked past was in their trimmest, most fascist looking uniform. A few glanced your way as you and Sarah continued follow the map you had examined before, but none of them stopped you.

    "A little," you murmured back.

    The two of you reached your first real obstacle at the end of the corridor leading into the detection array's main chamber: The door here was thick, huge and clearly hardened against radiation and similar inputs that might interfere with the sensitive equipment inside. There were no guards, but you did notice a security camera that was situated above the door. Think that might cause problems? You asked.

    Depends on how fast we work, Sarah thought as you pulled the keycard that Raynor and his boys had whipped up. You slotted it into the keycard reader. The doors chirruped, whirred, then let out a quiet blat and a flash of red light from the reader. You took the card out and, reflexively, pushed it back in. Same result. The door remained closed.

    Crap, you thought.

    Well, now we have to do a plan B... we go loud or we try and find another way in? Sarah thought.

    "You two!"

    You and Sarah turned. An officer was standing at the end of the corridor, looking down at his documents. "988 and 721?" he asked. "Tora and Crone?"

    You and Sarah exchanged a glance under your helmets.

    "I've been looking for you," the officer said, walking down the corridor. He frowned slightly. "I know that you ghosts think your special training lets you get away with anything, but could you stop trying to creep out the detection crew. This is the third time this week." He grumbled under his breath. Then, stopping before you, he put his hands on his hips. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

    "...we were just curious," you said, hoping you sounded a bit like Tora. It helped that the mask and respirator fucked with your voice. "Detection. Ghosts. You know." You shrugged.

    "It won't be aimed at you, Tora," the officer shook his head. "Well, I'd normally put you both on scut work - how does guarding the recycling vats sound?" He frowned. "But...we have an op coming up soon and as much as I'd love to show the Ghost Corps what they're actually worth, we do need your overpaid, psychotic asses."

    He turned on his heel and started off, clearly expecting you to follow.

    Hmm... Sarah thought, glancing your way. We can try talking. But following along might be fun.

    Yeah, right up until the real Tora and Crone show up.     You frowned slightly, feeling faintly curious to see if Tora was as tall as you were.

    Or we can just garotte him, Sarah said. Claim the violence inhibitors just broke down. People won't even be particularly shocked.

    Hmm.

    You had to make the call fast.

    ---
    HEAT: 0/6

    [ ] Try talking your way into the Detection Chamber (Diff 8 Deception - 8 heat, light overheating)
    [ ] If you write in a good line, you get enviromental bonuses based on roleplay​
    [ ] Knock him out and then break in physically (Diff 2 Brawling check, Diff 2+1 stealth check to hide the body. Diff 5 Physical Perfection to open the door through brute strength. Total Heat: 4)
    [ ] ...follow him!
    [ ] Write In
    ---
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Try talking your way into the Detection Chamber (Diff 8 Deception - 8 heat, light overheating)
    -[X] Actually sir, today we're here under orders. Duke is worried that with Raynor's band of Podunk terrorists in system, his ninja Protoss buddies or Sar- the Queen of Blades will try to sneak in and go after the emitter, with this being their first stop to make things easier for them. He sent us to stop them, but with how much of rush order it was, the tech idiots gave us the wrong key cards, and I doubt the general will be happy with anyone on this tub if we can't do our jobs do to internal error.
     
    [X] Try talking your way into the Detection Chamber (Diff 8 Deception - 8 heat, light overheating)
    -[X] Actually sir, today we're here under orders. Duke is worried that with Raynor's band of Podunk terrorists in system, his ninja Protoss buddies or Sar- the Queen of Blades will try to sneak in and go after the emitter, with this being their first stop to make things easier for them. He sent us to stop them, but with how much of rush order it was, the tech idiots gave us the wrong key cards, and I doubt the general will be happy with anyone on this tub if we can't do our jobs do to internal error.

    It IS a good line. The best way to decieve is, after all, the truth.
     
    You know what, going to steal Legionman and Sheep-Dodger's ideas: Full credit to them.

    [X] Plan: Write In the Fascist Skull
    -[X] Use Telepathic Dominion to make him accept what we are about to tell him as truth.
    -[X] "Sir, we are under your orders. With Raynor's band of Podunk terrorists in the system you felt that the strategic risk would be his ninja Protoss buddies or Sar- the Queen of Blades trying to sneak in and go after the emitter to remove the metaphorical gun from the head of the zerg and that this would be their first stop to make it easier for them to operate. You needed some Ghosts to try to place some mental blocks in so whatever alien mind tricks they have won't work on them, even if just temporary, and you decided on us as a team building exercise as we have been tormenting the detection teams when bored, also since you knew Crone has been getting a kick out of it and it would annoy them to be forced to help them out after. You didn't trust the techs to issue the right cards on the rush job since you revoked access because of the teasing, so you met us here to assuage those concerns- since we are to be meeting up with you for the briefing after and never even acknowledge that this operation was a thing so you could present it to Duke for recognition of how much you deserve a promotion. So if you could open the door for us then you can rush off to prepare the briefing and we'll meet you there later."

    Again thank you for Legionman and Sheep-Dodger for providing the meat here. Also if you can count all the puns you'll get a prize. (My amusement, you'll make me amused.)
     
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