"Ilus"

"Ilus" is the fifth session of the first chapter of Convergence. The party recover from an intensive battle, and encounter the pacifistic planet of Ilus, where they stop and make much needed repairs. 
== Synopsis ==
=== Assessing the situation ===
The party have gathered following their escape from Ghorz to assess the situation that they are in. After some discussion, Steele organises the party and they begin to make repairs to their damaged vessel. 
On the bridge, Calli begins scanning to look for the shuttlecraft that H0W-D33 is piloting, to no avail. Numerous sensor sweeps confirm that Ghorz's ship is not in pursuit and that the Odyssey is not within range either. After the repairs are completed, sensors detect a small vessel on an intercept course. Dr Arbo recommends that a bio-scan be carried out to confirm the type of lifeform on board, after scans reveal the presence of a bio-electrical life form on board, the party wonder whether this could be H0W-D33 or possibly another Unified like B-8 or B-9. 
Calli opens up communications with the vessel, and although the signal is bad, the sound of western music being played confirms the party's initial suspicions that it is indeed H0W-D33. They welcome him back on board, where H0W-D33 apologises for leaving, remarking that he couldn't cope with the constant attacks against him. Steele reassures him that the attacks on him from Bunka will stop after he had words with her. 
Despite the full repair of the ship's systems, the hull of the ship has taken a real beating, and the party come to the conclusion that they will need to find a safe harbour to repair their ship. Since they are about to hit the final sector before they reach the neutral zone, they will need to take advantage of the hospitality of Union planets as much as possible. The party get themselves to their stations, however, Del Rio tells Steele to take the command chair, which Steele begrudgingly obliges to. After running some preliminary scans on the next sector, the Eastwood jumps to the next sector.
=== The journey ===
The journey from the end of the sector to the start of the next would take at least a day. Many members of the party used this time for themselves. Dr Arbo remained on the bridge with H0W-D33 piloting. The remainder of the party went about their business.
Arthur went to go and tinker with his Executioner's Pistol, as it was starting to break. He modified the device to scale down it's overall power to prevent further damage, he also patched up the damage to his pistol as best he could. As far as he could tell, his modifications will work, but he has yet to test them. 
Petra attempted to assimilate his sniper weapon, in the hopes of making it a permanent part of his physical form, removing the need to have the physical weapon anymore. However, in his attempts to assimilate it, he damaged the weapon to the point of it breaking. He found Arthur, and he was able to help him repair the weapon.
Remembering the problem they previously had trying to locate H0W-D33, Calli asked Steele if it were possible to install a makeshift beacon onto the shuttlecraft, to allow for it to be tracked beyond the sensor's range. Steele agreed that this was a good decision, and got to work. He used the scrap previously stored on the Eastwood, and took apart his recovered drone, and make a rudimentary beacon, which he installed onto the shuttlecraft. This will now allow the shuttlecraft to be tracked more easily by the Eastwood. 
Meanwhile, on the bridge, Del Rio recommended that the party get some rest before they arrived. Which they obliged.
=== Ilus ===
After their rest, the party were called back up to the bridge, where they assembled and prepared to arrive. Upon arrival, they detect a planet. Steele ask Holly if she has anything in her database about where they are. Holly informs the crew that they are in orbit of Ilus, an M-Class planet inhabited by a race known as the Ilaarians. The Ilaarians are a race of monks and pious individuals. They are also a member of the Galactic Union. 
The party open communications with their orbital control centre. They are recieved by a monk by the name of Galaran. He welcomes them to Ilus, and inquires as to the nature of their visit. The party informs them that they are on a mission and that they are seeking repairs, they also tell Galaran that they are being pursued by the Red Hand. Galaran recognises the Red Hand and asks the party whether these are the same people who attacked Mimosa III. The party confirm this. Galaran, welcoming their peaceful intentions, invites them to land at a repair station on the surface of Ilus. He does however request that the party obey their laws, and prohibit all weaponry while on Ilus. The party begrudgingly agree after being assured of their safety while on the surface. 
Steele, now the Commanding Officer of the Eastwood, decides to make Dr Arbo his de-facto Executive Officer, by leaving the Eastwood in his hands when he is not present. Dr Arbo, Del Rio and Bunka stay behind on the Eastwood while the repairs take place. 
H0W-D33 lands the Eastwood on the surface, at the repair station that Galaran had informed them of. They leave their weapons behind and disembark. The party are greeted by two individuals who work for the repair station, they agree to repair the ship, and tell them it shouldn't take more than a few hours. While the repairs are taking place, the party decide to split up to go and accomplish various tasks. Petra decides that he wishes to find a communications hub to talk with Galaran again, while the others wish to explore and buy supplies before they leave.
The party go through a security device to detect any weapons they have on them. All party members proceed through the device without issue, despite H0W-D33 concealing a pistol inside his body. 
=== H0W-D33 and Steele's religious journey ===
After going through the doors. The party find themselves in a 'mall' like place. They themselves standing on an overhang, surrounded by flora and sounds of water in the distance. The 'mall' itself is spotless. After looking around, the party finds that the overhang splits into two directions, left and right. H0W-D33 and Steele split off from Calli and Petra, and take the right path. 
They find the entrance to a hover-train station underground. They decent the stairs, and go to a machine, which gives them information on the various stations. H0W-D33 decides on a destination called 'Green-grass Station' which is at the end of the route this hover-train is taking. H0W-D33 purchases himself a ticket and purchases one for Steele too. The two then decent the stairs further and arrive at the platform. After some time, the train arrives and the two find their seats. 
Steele and H0W-D33 have a chat, but H0W-D33, apparently without realising, was speaking with a rather loud volume. H0W-D33 mentions how he has gun concealed on him, and due to the loudness of his voice, everyone in the train cabin hears and appears to shoot them terrified and concerned glances. Steele attempts to laugh this off as a joke, which does seem to relax the passengers a bit. Steele notices that the passengers appear to have backed off slightly and have moved to seats further away from the two of them. 
Steele recieves a communication, first from Calli, who inquires about an old ship weapon she found at a scrap shop called an Ion Disrupter. She asks Steele whether this is worth a purchase, which Steele tells her that it is as he can fix it up. Steele then recieves another communication from Dr Arbo, where they discuss recommendations for their mission moving forward. Eventually, the hover-train starts up at some speed, and they proceed to their destination.
After some time, the hover-train stops at their destination, 'Green-grass Station'. The two disembark and leave the station. They are greeted by rolling green hills and a blue sky above them. They have arrived in an old-style town, with cobbled roads and wooden homes. They notice that the people here appear to wear the usual robes that most Illaarians wear. H0W-D33 heads to a large chapel like structure at the end of the cobbled road. 
Inside, they find rows of pews and an altar at the end. They note that it is rather quiet. H0W-D33 heads to the altar at the end and has a look at it. He sees that there is a sigil bearing a design that resembles a Sun on top of the altar. He looks underneath the cloth and finds two candlesticks, he grabs them and puts them on the altar in an arrangement that he feels looks right. Just as he does, he and Steele hear someone approaching. 
They look towards the door, to see an elderly Illaarian, wearing a white coloured robe, distinct from other Illaarians. The man takes an interest in what these 'strangers' are doing. H0W-D33 enquires about the purpose of the chapel and what God the Illaarians worship. The old man simply laughs and states that they do not worship a god, but an ascended Illaarian known as the Guardian of Light. H0W-D33, interested in this, wishes to know more. The old man tells him that the Guardian is the reason that the sun rises and sets each day, by pulling the sun around using a giant chain forged in the hearts of many stars. 
H0W-D33 asks how this person ascended, and whether they too could forge a chain like this. The man laughs off the inquiry about the chain, but does tell H0W-D33 about ascention. He tells him that to ascend, one must meditate, and that it can take decades for an Illaarian to even feel anything different. The old man tells H0W-D33 that he has spent ninety years of his life trying to ascend, to no avail. H0W-D33, determined to ascend, begins to meditate. Not long after, H0W-D33 extatically claims that he has ascended. The old man, absolutely baffled, wishes to know more. Steele, who can no longer stand to watch this carry on, kindly whisks H0W-D33 out of the chapel and back to the train station. 
Steele and H0W-D33 take the train back to where they began, and head back to the ship. 
=== Calliamarianna's shopping spree ===
Calli decides to take the path that goes to the left. She looks at a row of shops ahead of her to see if there is anything she takes an interest in. She notes a few restaurants ahead of her, as well as a scrap shop. She decides to visit the scrap shop.
After entering this large warehouse like building, she browses the various aisles looking for something that might catch her eyes. She notes a secured area towards the back of the shop that sells second hand ship weaponry. She speaks to the attendent who is both guarding and selling these. He notes that due to the laws of the planet, weapon selling is extremely regulated. Calli browses for a while, and eventually notes a weapon called an 'Ion disruptor', and she asks the attendant about it. He tells her that it is a weapon that does not cause damage, but is used to completely disable ship systems. She calls Steele to ask him about it, and tells him what it does, and that it is in fairly moderate condition. Steele tells her to get it as he can fix it. She wishes to buy it, the individual gives her the price, and tells her that profits go to local orphanages. Undeterred, Calli asks for a better price. After wearing him down, Calli eventually gets a better price and pays for the device. The attendent tells her that the weapon will be shipped to them, and Calli tells him the location of their ship. 
Calli leaves the shop and heads to the other path. The path leads to a hover-train station and another row of shops. Calli heads to the other row of shops. She notes an armour shop, which she gladly visits. She asks the attendant about anyone being able to modify armour in the shop, and he directs her to a man at the back hammering away at a bench. She heads over to him, and he appears to be extatic to be visited by someone with armour that he can tinker with. She asks him what he has available. He shows her three modules. A night vision module, a shield generator, and shock absorbers. Calli wants all three, until the man tells her that it will cost a large amount of credits. She aggressively negotiates. Eventually haggling the man down to one of the modifications at a lower price. She even threatens to leave, obviously taking advantage of the man's crippling desire to work with actual armour. He installs the shock absorber modification to her armour, and she hands over the credits to the man and leaves. 
She meets up with H0W-D33 and Steele, and the three head back to the ship. 
=== Petra's fear ===
Petra, still feeling emotional after his encounter with Ghorz, and fearful of the Red Hand, decides to look for a communications hub where he might talk to Galaran about the security of Ilus. He finds a communications hub after going through the mall's back corridor. After explaining his purpose to the guards outside, he is let inside and put into contact with Galaran. He convinces Galaran of the threat to Ilus and tells him that Malware might have some sort of superweapon at his disposal.
Galaran has Petra transported to him at orbital control. He explains to Galaran when he gets there that the superweapon may be an EMP like device, but that his memory is fairly fuzzy about the weapon overall. Galaran shows Petra to the security terminal, and tells him that he can interface with the orbital defense grid there, as Petra had promised to try and improve their defenses. However, Petra, in a moment of emotion, causes a malfunction that disables the entire grid. Galaran has Petra taken away from the controls, initially suspecting him of subterfuge. Galaran brings the grid back online.
Petra apologises to him and assures Galaran that he is not an enemy, and that is was just an accident. Galaran believes him. Petra then instead tells an operative about the improvements that need to be made, and it appears if his improvements will make a difference. Galaran thanks Petra. Petra in return asks if Galaran has a communications area, which Galaran leads him to. 
Petra opens up communications to the USS Odyssey, remembering that Del Rio called them to assist with Ghorz. He is put through to a 'Lieutenant Steele' who operates the communications on board. Petra asks them about what the Odyssey is doing, and explains that he is on a secret mission for the Union. Steele eventually believes him, and tells him that the Odyssey has arrived at the location where the party fought Ghorz, to find he is no longer there. Petra tells them that they need to cease investigations and leave immediately, and tells Steele about the superweapon. Steele finds her commanding officer, and brings Commander Maria Williams over to hear what Petra has to say.
Williams interrogates Petra about the superweapon, but Petra cannot provide details as he cannot remember much about it. He again repeats his warning about staying in that location. Williams takes his warning but doesn't appear to decide to leave. She thanks him and tells him to pass on her thanks to Del Rio too, which Petra begrudgingly agrees to. 
He eventually departs orbital control and heads back to the Eastwood. 
=== Departure ===
The party all gather back on the Eastwood, where Dr Arbo informs Steele about the potential price of the repairs. The party gather together the little amount they have, and Steele remembers the cache of Jewels they found during their first engagement on the Eastwood. The two engineers come requesting a payment. The party hand over the money and the cache of jewels, which covers the cost after a discount is given. 
The repair crew depart, and the party take their stations and prepare to leave the planet. After Calli consults the map of the sector, they decide on their next location. They leave orbit and jump to the next beacon. They find themselves in the middle of an asteroid field. Deciding to simply go through and ignore the potential plunder, Steele orders H0W-D33 to carefully navigate through. After some expert piloting, they reach the other side of the asteroid field.
They scan the next beacon, and detect a possible three ships waiting there. They decide to cloak and jump to the beacon.
=== Red Hand Marauder ===
Upon arrival, they find that two of the ships have moved on, but one is still there. Scans reveal that it is a Red Hand Marauder. Steele calls battlestations and the Eastwood engages them. After a volley while cloaked, the Marauder takes a lot of damage. They don't appear to retalliate, nor do they communicate with the party. The party decide to board the Marauder. A team of three board the Marauder. 
Upon beaming over, they note the silence on board. They investigate room-by-room, and find the ship deserted. They had earlier detected an explosion in the engine room on board, and a bio-scan from Dr Arbo had revealed the presence of five lifeforms (one being fairly large) in the engine room after the explosion. However, when the party reach the engine room, it is empty, save for piles of 'ash' on the floor. They take a sample, and Calli notes that it is biological in nature but cannot discern anything further about it. After some further exploration and looting of the ship, the party note a large grey mass 'crawling' and speading over the bulkheads in one of the rooms. The mass doesn't appear tto be moving, and Calli goes in and takes a sample. Calli also downloads the last four crew logs.
The three transport back over to the Eastwood. Calli listens to the badly degraded logs, which mention the three marauders raiding a civilian transport. They then note strange sounds coming from inside their ship, and recieving reports of similar goings on on the other ships. Arthur immediately orders the marauder be destroyed. The party argue about the sample taken by Calli. With some such as Dr Arbo arguing that it is best being thrown into space, as this grey mass may have caused the deaths of the crew, and he likens it to a type of butterfly he has studied. Arthur however, overules him, and tells him that he will have the sample handed over to the nearest Union station for study. 
The party depart the area, and head to the next beacon.