[D6 SMR] Anxiety over Depression

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

"Is that all spice?" he asks Cuyler, surprised. He looks to the bats... were they gathering here to get high?

"The potentially hidden spice operations... are they spending on heat resistant equipment so they can go out to areas like this and collect? How many such places are there on this planet?"

It was a curiosity directed at Ahmina.

[Kannon]

His curiosity received a sudden rejoinder; four blurred lights pierced through the smeared windshield way ahead of them, bleak for now, three swarming like fireflies, one larger, moving ahead more evenly. The lights seemed to be coming from exactly opposite direction from the one the auditors were coming from.

Their thopter was unlikely to be seen just yet; to spare the cells, the Sardaukar had switched off most of the illumination, and they didn't have the searchlight on, flying by the bats and the moonlight. They just might have the advantage of being unnoticed. But for how long?

"There's some of this goo in the rotors and in the flapwing joints. We're flying, but unsure for how long." The Sardaukar said grimly.

[Ahmina]

''Then we should land and repair'' the Fremen replied ''But that is dangerous on it's own...just better then the alternative''

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

Bomilcar agreed with a nod. "She is correct."

[Kannon]

''Then we should land and repair'' the Fremen replied ''But that is dangerous on it's own...just better then the alternative''

[Ahmina: Understand 2, Fremen brings it down to 1.]

[Ahmina]

Her Fremen senses tingled

Understand+ Faith tn 12, 1 threat for one die: 3#1d20 11 2 5

[Kannon]

Her Fremen senses tingled

Understand+ Faith tn 12, 1 threat for one die: 3#1d20 11 2 5

[+2 Scene Momentum]

Ahmina would know that as long as the spice mass after the blow was still wet from the shattered bodies of the little makers, Shai-hulud wouldn't come. Here in the depression it would dry very fast, but they had at least an hour, maybe two. After that, the Old Man of the Desert would rush in here with tremendous ferocity and obliterate anything around with extreme prejudice.

If the lights before them foretold a spice mining team, those people knew exactly what they were doing - reap the best spice with relative impunity as long as they could be quick about it.

[Ahmina]

"We have an hour, mayb more, maybe less, until the Shai-Hulud come with fury and destruction" she says before pointing to the lights "So do they"

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

Bom nodded, trusting in Ahmina. He looked to their pilot with an expectation that they should land. But he still had no clue that Cuyler had issues with spice like this. He was somewhat expecting her to help clean not realizing what that meant for her.

[Kannon]

"Where." The Sardaukar barked. Across this pan of molten salt and scattered spice, having thopters on their way, where could they hide?

[Ahmina]

"Anywhere" she replied flatly "Let them think we crashed and have them investigate"

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

"Might try to rob. Ambush," Bom responded, agreeing.

[Cuyler Gray]

"They're coming for the spice, not us." Cuyler's eyes were still closed. "As long as we're not in the middle of it all, we have a chance."

[Dorian Drake]

Deferring to Ahmina's expertise in the desert, Dorian had to agree, "There is no choice, we can either land here and repair or risk being caught out in the open desert." He shuddered, remembering the sight of two worms moving across the dunes. His mind went back to the lights in the distance, "If they want to attack us, we'll be ready, but what kind of a prize would a downed thopter be compared to a wealth of spice, they are also working against the clock." He spoke with a confidence he only half felt.

[Kannon]

The Sardaukar snarled and nodded, cutting altitude. "Perhaps some battle, finally."

They landed on a spiced patch over a bed of salt. The light in the distance were approaching, sweeping the desert below. They must have noticed the blow but had yet to assess the spread of the fallout.

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

Bom moves out of the Thopter and into the oppressive heat, relying on what protection he can from his stillsuit. He goes about cleaning the spice sludge from joints as best he can, putting effort into it. "Someone keep eye," he says inclining his head towards the lights.

[Ahmina]

Ahmina is the second one out but she does not go towards the spice goo right now.

Rather she circles the thopter to get a good hiding spot

[Kannon]

Bom moves out of the Thopter and into the oppressive heat, relying on what protection he can from his stillsuit. He goes about cleaning the spice sludge from joints as best he can, putting effort into it. "Someone keep eye," he says inclining his head towards the lights.

The thing beneath his step was not exactly mud, but it had a similarly wet feel, giving in before his feet would reach the hard salt underneath. It was a unique experience, to be annoyed by exorbitant riches sticking to your boots. There were some leathery organic shreds added to the mix. Dorian and Cuyler would recall something similar from their first day on Arrakis - the vermin Harkonnen had tried to lasgun down.

[Understand 4 to locate all the key parts than needed de-spicing, can be assisted.]

The Sardaukar left the cockpit almost as quickly, smearing his cloak with the spice around and getting ready to set up a sniping spot in some distance from the thopter.

Despite nose plugs and face flaps, the spice vapour of exceedingly fast gaseous transition, reacting with salt, was permeating the air. It felt like being near the sea, but there was no sea. [Discipline 2 to not get high, unless you want to get high. Cuyler's prior roll holds, Ahmina auto-passes.]

[Cuyler Gray]

Cuyler made sure her stillsuit was still fully in place before stepping out. She was maintaining her lucidity by sheer force of will and was concerned about how long she could resist the effects of the spice. But, everyone would need to help with this.

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

The spice does not tempt Bom nor does he get enough in him to have a problem.

D6 SMR, Don't get High, Discipline + Duty, Focus: Self-control, TN 15, Difficulty 2: 2#1d20 8 11
Success, Not High

[Dorian Drake]

Putting his noseplug and mask into place, Dorian stepped out of the thopter and was still overwhelmed by the presence of the Spice. It saturated the air and although his nose and mouth were covered, he could feel it seeping in through his pores and his eyes.
-----
SMR6, And Then I Got..., Discipline 4 + Faith 6, TN10, 1 scene momentum for 1d20: 3#1d20 2 20 17
Failed? 1 success vs 2 difficulty, 1 complication at 20, could Opulent trait reduce difficulty? I know how to handle my drugs.

[Cuyler Gray]

She looked over everything carefully, trying to discern what needed cleaning the most. Cleaning out the spice made her nervous, but it had to be done.


- - -
[D6 SMR] Anxiety over Depression, Thopter Cleaning, Understand (6)/Duty (7), Deductive Reasoning/Attention to Detail?: 2#1d20 4 14

2 Successes I believe

[Bomilcar Thorvald]

Bomilcar was doing his part to make sure all was cleaned properly.

D6 SMR, Understand + Duty, Assistance, TN 13: 1d20 10
+1 success

[Kannon]

Putting his noseplug and mask into place, Dorian stepped out of the thopter and was still overwhelmed by the presence of the Spice. It saturated the air and although his nose and mouth were covered, he could feel it seeping in through his pores and his eyes.
-----
SMR6, And Then I Got..., Discipline 4 + Faith 6, TN10, 1 scene momentum for 1d20: 3#1d20 2 20 17
Failed? 1 success vs 2 difficulty, 1 complication at 20, could Opulent trait reduce difficulty? I know how to handle my drugs.

This felt good, to be in the open, to walk the desert, not being afraid of worms, not being afraid of the Harkonnen, empowered by the very essence of the planet! Who cared about the thopter repairs, Dorian was a Swordmaster of Ginaz, one of the rare breed, the old school they no longer trained, he could take on those incoming thopters if he wanted! He'd mastered strategy, tactics and personal combat long before some of these other people here even achieved adolescence. He'd humble a Sardaukar if there was need for it! They wanted to find him with those lights? Why not let them!

[Opulent works... and it doesn't. Dorian doesn't phase out, but feels like on top of the world! Complication: Bravura.]

[Kannon]

Not until then had they realised that what was approaching were military-grade thopters, unmarked. Three of them, accompanying a carryall carrying a mighty spice factory. Still, one of them felt distinct, as if custom-made for additional firepower, with two lasgun turrets and some undisclosed payload.