Introduction Story
The following is the story of adventures in The Great Ring Galaxy. The story can show any new adventurer what to expect while roaming the vast expanse of space.
A Fateful Landing
Sarah strained to look at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Hoping to see someone else. Instead, she just saw the same dirty hair, brown eyes, chapped lips, and grungy clothing. Humans that left their home planet seemed to suffer this fate. A place she never saw, as she was born far away- not even planetside. Her parents left Earth a while back. "It wasn't safe." That's what she remembers her parents saying, anyway.
When Sarah was seven, her parents got caught up in a labor camp as they were struggling to survive. For the last ten years, most of her life, she's worked tirelessly for the profit of some alien who cared little for others and even less for humans. However, that was then, and this is now. Now she looks in the mirror of a ship flying across the stars, having been freed by a man named Bosch. Perhaps it was because he was also human and didn't like the way she was being treated. Or, more likely, it was because of her owners stiffing Bosch of his pay. Either way, he took her from her cruel life and into another. Her parents had little choice and were actually happy in a way to see her escape. She had no intention of living like she once had. She was going to somehow prove to this crew of mercs, and the whole of space, her worth. The ship bumped a little bit and shook Sarah from her gaze. She turned around and left her tiny quarters to join the rest of the crew on the flight deck.
The flight deck felt massive with its wide view screen wrapping around the room giving way to the view of deep space. In truth, it was cramped for a Large Civilian ship. But Sarah loved it the most. It was where she practiced flying and learned a lot about space ships. Most of the crew had been happy to teach, and she wanted to be as useful as possible as quickly as possible. At the moment she wished she knew more about Spaceship Operations as she felt useless. She glanced up at Bosch had left is captain's chair to stand over the Tamara the helms officer. He had not noticed her as he focused on what the instruments on the Helms console where saying about the approaching planet.
The communications console lights up. An electronic voice comes through the speaker informing the ship's crew of the decent path. Sarah looks at her newfound peers. An odd group of desperadoes. Despite being the newest member she seemed to fit right in poor, desperate and not a care in the Ring for the law. This was a crew who knew that credits talked and those who knew how to listen where fat and happy. There was a lot of credits being offered according to this distress beacon.
She knew little else about the crew. She after all just joined them a few weeks ago. She and Bosch were the only humans. The pilot was a Volar, a species she never saw before. Dark green leafy hair and pale green skin spotted with light and dark shapes. Her name was Tamara. Sarah quickly realized that Tamara wore as little clothing as hygienically necessary and does not like being touched without permission. A very awkward first meet. But after a while, she was able to break past the differences between there species and she learned that Tamara could be warm and inviting. Tamara gets the captain's quarters because its the only one with a window and they would sit and watch the stars go by to pass the time. Captain Bosch didn't mind the small cramped quarters. He says it reminds him of his time in the Soviet Navy whatever that is or was.
A Cryous was curled up on the weapons console twiddling both sets of thumbs. His name was Leth, or at least that is how Bosch pronounced it. The Cryous had mostly blue scaly skin and the lower body of a snake and the upper body of a four-armed humanoid. His lower set of arms were weaker and much shorter than the top. He seemed to ignore Sarah for the most part. He tried to show her how to shoot a weapon a couple of times, but Sarah figured it was because Bosch told him too. Other than that nobody else was in the bridge room. "Kid" was in the engine room of course. He seemed never to leave that place. Bosch called him Kid, although he was a grown man for his species. He was a Murids or "Rat folk" as humans called him. To Sarah, it seemed more like "Mouse folk". Kid was fun to be around he talked in squeaks that made her laugh, and he seemed to have much more energy then Tamara. The thought of landing soon made her think of the time she mentioned to Kid about how 'slower' Tamara sometimes appeared, and he explained "It's because she is a flipping plant! *squeak* Once she... *squeak*... is planetside she will be bouncing around just you wait! *squeak*". Sarah smiled at the thought of being planetside.
Another crew member bumped into her on the way into the bridge. "Excuse me huuuman you are blocking the entrance!" said the little Grayling. His big dark eyes seemed to look down at her despite being a foot smaller. "Oh sorry I didn't mean" Sarah was interrupted again by the alien as he moved past and went for the communications console without saying a word. Emulex was his name, and Bosch's nickname for him was "Pain in my ass". He too was a relatively new member of the crew and had signed up temporarily to avoid some apparent legal trouble in another Arm of the galaxy.
The ship bumped again. This time it jerked the crew around causing Sarah to nearly fall over.
"By the Ring keep this ship steady!" Spouted Bosch with an angry Russian accent. The Volar seemed to ignore her captain as she concentrated on the many lights flashing red on her console. Sarah was no pilot and in fact had spent the better part of the last ten years underground but still, she noticed that things did not appear to be going as planned. The view screen was now hot, and it was impossible to see beyond a big red blur. Tamara turns to the rest of the crew. "Hold on this is going only to get worse!".
Sarah was shaken awake by Leth. "Here quickly the air here is not good for most species!" and he shoved a mask on Sarah's bloody face. She struggled to stay conscience and held onto a familiar voice. Bosch is yelling somewhere off in the distance. "Of all the damned places! All the places in the Ring it has to be this planet! This system!". "It's not all bad sir!" Another far-off voice said. "We got our lives at least, and they know where we landed." The kid replied even further in the distance. "That was an automated voice. It's likely that the people who sent that distress call are dead or at the very least unable to help." Bosch sounded closer now. Sarah's eyes opened again to see Bosch's bearded face directly in front of hers. He lifted her up after checking her mask. Turned and faced the rest of the crew. "Listen up! They say strange life forms appeared here from time to time, and this place is already known for its hostile environment. We were supposed to land in a safe zone in the middle of the colony. We gotta get there on foot, and we gotta do it quick. Let's move out!"
Camping can be fun...right?
Outline: Tamara has been severely wounded and moving through the thick woods is slow. They eventually find a clearing and camp for the night. While Bosch tends to Tamara's wounds, Kid tries to cheer the nervous Sarah up by telling her the story of how he became an engineer.
Dark or Light
Outline: The team attempts to find better shelter. They come across a cave that Bosch believes will lead them to the other side of the mountains and much closer to the colony. While taking a break in the caves, Tamara explains why she broke away from her species traditions and joined up with Bosch. Later on, however, the cave proves even more dangerous than the forest outside. As they flee, Tamara dies.
Alone
Outline: Once back out in daylight the team gets separated, and Sarah and Leth have to find a way to meet back up with the others. Leth tries to explain to Sarah how to deal with the loose and hopelessness of the situation by sharing his own story. In the end, Leth has to sacrifice himself to allow Sarah to escape and meet back up with the rest of the team.
Safe! Now where is the Danger?
Outline: Once in the colony Sarah follows a single comms set up by Kid to find Bosch. However along the way she finds a new ally a Dimension Knight who informs her that she has the 'gift'. She and the Knight face off against an unknown alien threat that was at least partially responsible for bringing the colony to ruin. And at the same time meet back up with her crewmates. Bosch instantly hates the Dimension Knight.
All for something
Outline: Once together the team realizes that they must find the source of the devastation to rescue themselves from being stuck on this planet. While on the search Bosch explains to Sarah a part of his life story in an attempt to make her side with him and stay with the crew. However, this contradicts the theme that he and the other crew members had been telling her which was to define your own path. However, at the same time, Bosch has proven to be right about every decision he has made. Sarah proves to herself and everyone else that she can handle herself in a fight and that she does indeed have the 'gift' which is what the Dimension Knight was talking about. The Knight wants her to leave with him to train and become a Knight. In the end, she most chooses between staying with Bosch or leaving this new life or a whole new one with the Knight.