“Star Wars: Dark Times” Session 5 — Tram to trouble

Fellow role-players, here are Jason’s and my notes for Session 5 of his space opera scenario, which Brian W. hosted on Monday, 11 November 2013, in Newton, Mass.:

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away — the Galactic Republic has been replaced by a ruthless empire, and the Jedi, once guardians of peace, are now hunted fugitives. In the Unknown Regions, at the edge of explored space, a few Jedi and their allies hope to survive and continue the fight for justice….

Player Character roster for Jason E.R.’s “Star Wars: Dark Times” miniseries, using Savage Worlds, autumn 2013:

“Ekafti Acomar“ [Gene D.]-female Rhinnalian human Jedi consular, older diplomat with many contacts but few remaining friends
“Garolos Banku Nuruolos — Garos“ [Beruk A.]-male Chiss (blue-skinned humanoid) ex-Jedi, gambler and owner of the light freighter “Lucky Strike“
“Oong Bak“ [Brian W.]-male Duros (gray-skinned humanoid) honorable and talented mechanic
“Ari Sundar“ [Sara F.]-female Ssi-ruu (raptor-like reptile) military medic, outcast from a species intruding upon the galaxy
“Thayne Highlander“ [Bruce K.]-male human Jedi padawan close to knighthood, 19 years old; saw master killed by Order 66
“Tark Agros“ [Brian S.]-male Bakuran human pilot and noble, mildly delusional hotshot
“Tharg Thargsson“ [Rich C.G.]-male Gamorrean scoundrel and bounty hunter with connections to the Black Sun syndicate
“Max Power“ (MX-PR) [Rich C.G.]-male protocol droid with secret combat subroutine, ordered to protect Jedi (overrode Order 66); killed by Sith Bela Trepada on Bakura

“From the journals of Ekafti Acomar, 19 B.B.Y. (before the Battle of Yavin):” The crew and passengers of the Lucky Strike had attended a garden party on Bakura, where I hoped to continue the diplomatic work I had begun for the old Republic. However, we were brutally reminded of how the galaxy has become an even more dangerous place.

Droid MX-PR, “Max,” sacrificed himself protecting recent padawan Thayne Highlander and me from Bela-Trepada, a powerful Sith and twisted copy of me. B-1E4, another protocol droid, had left Princess Tethys of Chandrila, another clone.

Meanwhile, medic Ari Sundar and pilot Tark Agros confronted Tolovo Nathu, yet another clone of mine whom we had been tracking on behalf of Bal Grainer, a Rodian bookie and associate of ex-Jedi Garolos Banku Nuruolos.

We staggered back to our hosts, since the party had been disrupted by vehicles flying overhead. Oong Bak attended to Thayne’s and my injuries, while Tark asked Bakuran head of state Grina Arden for other medical assistance. Princess Tethys seemed as oblivious as ever.

Ari and Tark sensed movement in the trumpet flower garden, where they saw droids hunting on behalf of an unnamed master. The droids sensed Tethys, as well as traces of Tolovo (who had gotten away), Bela, and me, so there was no mistaking whom they were looking for.

Garos shared with us an Imperial transmission that had beenintercepted weeks ago. Imperial scouts had learned that the Chiss Ascendancy (Garos’ home space) included twice as many worlds than it claimed, and they requested military support.

In combination with the list that we had obtained of surviving Jedi — and Jedi clones — being hunted, it was clear that the Chiss were competing with Palpatine’s new order to gain control over or eliminate me and my peers.

We added the Chiss to our growing list of enemies, including the empire, the Sith, Bakuran cloners and arms dealers, Krevaaki zealots, and Ssi-ruuk invaders. We also believed that the Hutts and Black Sun criminal syndicate were responsible for a virus that had shut down most computer networks.

But first, we had to deal with more immediate concerns. Tark talked with weapons designer Juris Keel, who agreed to take Garos, Thayne, and me to Salis D’aar, the Bakuran capital. On the way, however, a Mind Read determined that Keel wasn’t thinking about getting us to a hospital.

Instead, I had a vision of the Bakuran human sitting in a room full of Separatist droids watching video of Thayne and his late master Shin-wu Sorotai fighting. Garos and Thayne subdued and restrained Keel, who was working with the insectoid Verpine, as well as supposedly against the “droid menace.”

We took Keel’s speeder back to the rest of our crew at the Lucky Strike ’s landing pad. Oong, Ari, and Tark had repelled an attack droid and confiscated its stun blades, which Garos discovered could be tuned to be short force blades.

Garos also found a Gamorrean enforcer for Bel Grainer waiting for us at the pad. Through a mix of bargaining and traded insults, we persuaded burly Tharg Thargsson not to attack us in return for information about Tolovo.

While Oong easily repaired our ship, he was unable to do the same for Max. Sharp-eyed Ari spotted a restraining bolt on Keel. The Duros removed it, incapacitating the android, which was nearly indistinguishable from a human. How many of the people on Bakura were droids or clones, and whom did they serve?

Tark asked his racing buddy Roviden Belden to help us get into the “Lesser Grace” spaceport, an exclusive retreat for Bakura’s elite. We hoped to rest there and devise a plan to fight the Sith and shut down the cloning operations.

We were interrupted when a group of Mandalorians found us. Foxdi Zess and two armored troopers had Tolovo with them, but she was badly wounded. Foxdi explained that my clone had sought out the mercenary Brotherhood, which was composed of clones of soldiers from the Mandalorian Death Watch (enemies of the Jedi) as well as the Grand Army of the Republic.

Tolovo offered a Kaminoan vaccine against a Separatist virus that would extend the clones’ lifespans. Unfortunately for her, the Brotherhood had been taken over by Griz Starfire. Thayne was surprised to hear the name of the clone trooper (Clone Commander Starfire) who had turned on Shin-wu.

Garos realized that it was Griz who had offered to sell Shin-wu’s light saber to Bal Grainer. Even though we called off our deal with the Rodian, we were able to persuade Tharg to continue working with us. Bal Grainer also noted that Chandrila hadn’t been a monarchy for 25,000 years, calling into question Princess Tethys’ story.

We agreed to help Zess sneak into Gesco City to rescue deposed leader Calo Zythor. A failed colony, this far northern base of the Brotherhood was protected by ray shielding, so we ultimately decided on a maglev subtram to get through. Thayne was anxious to recover his master’s weapon.

The Bakuran authorities set a reward for the missing Juris Keel, so I asked Tharg call Capt. Blaine Harris to tell him that Keel could be found near Gesco City. I hoped to set the military police against the Brotherhood and slip in during the confusion.

We left two Mandalorians to guard Princess Tethys and a weak Tolovo at the Lucky Strike. Mechanic Oong and pilot Tark took the front car of the automated train. I meditated and sensed that Bela-Trapada (who was on the Chiss list) was at Gesco City. More bad news.

Thayne used telekinesis to send a guard probe away, but Tark noticed something ahead on the scanner just as we reached the shielded base. A Mandalorian clone riding a Basilisk war droid blocked our path. Bakuran Tark shot out the train’s controls, as the rest of us headed to the windows.

The Basilisk’s shockwave cannon destroyed the front of the subtram as we jumped out. Duros Oong and Gamorrean Tharg swung down the same rope, and Chiss Garos jumped to a maglev ring. Tark and “our” Mandalorians flew around with their jetpacks, but one perished. I activated Force Cloak and slid down dispensed liquid cable.

Thayne swung to the roof of a falling train car, and Ssi-ruu Ari slipped until she grabbed the ring. Foxdi shot at the Basilisk. I sought shelter among the rocks. Tark descended to cover, and Ari and Garos clung to the collapsing ring support.

I used Hear My Thoughts to tell Garos where to find a line, and he kissed Ari for luck as they swung down. Foxdi was hurled into a nearby cliff, and Tharg caught her. Tark and Ari hit the droid-riding sentry, but Garos’ shots didn’t penetrate its armor.

Ever cautious, Oong hid behind a different rock from me. I usedBattle Mind to help Thayne, who blasted the clone, dropping him 100 feet. Tharg frenzied and finished him off with his vibro axe. Ari took the trooper’s pistol and attended to Foxdi’s wounds.

Tharg was going to throw the Mandalorian over his shoulder, but Ari was a more careful bearer. We walked through the empty subtram station, and Foxdi directed us toward the Brotherhood’s headquarters. We saw an Imperial shuttle and prepared for another battle.

On a balcony overlooking a broad plaza, we saw a group of people in Mandalorian armor, no doubt members of the clone Brotherhood. They were facing off with a robed Sith and her guards. My clone Bela-Trapada was negotiating with usurper Griz Starfire over the light saber of fallen Jedi master Shin-wu Sorotai.

We knew we were outnumbered, and we needed to get past the two factions to release Calo Zythor. I recommended a diversion. Garos ran ahead and threw a grenade, blowing up four Mandalorians. He and I ran toward the holding cells.

Tharg started jogging, and Tark shot two more guards. Oong ran for cover beneath the catwalks, and Ari and Foxdi ran forward, dodging Mandalorian fire.

Impetuous Thayne shot at Griz. I’ll have to remind him that revenge is not the Jedi way. Even though she nearly killed me, I have to admit a bit of disappointment when Bela and her force pike-wielding entourage left the scene with Shin-wu’s light saber.

Griz drew a darksaber (once owned by Pre Viszla, the head of Death Watch or Kyr’tsad) and jumped down to face us. Ari shot at him with a heavy blaster, but Griz still hurt Thayne and Tharg. Garos wounded Griz, and Tharg grabbed Oong and killed a Mandalorian on the way.

Oong shook off his injury, and I managed to hit Griz with my light saber. Tark shot another Mandalorian clone, and Thayne defeated Griz. Now all we had to do was find Calo and get out without getting caught in more crossfire….

“Strange Tales From Chicago,” Session 4 — “Earl of crime”

Fellow role-players, here are my notes for our fourth “Drop Squad” telecom session, which was held on Sunday, 10 November 2013:

Player Characters for “Strange Tales From Chicago,” Geoff C.’s street-level superhero game, using FATE Accelerated Edition (FAE), Skype, and an online dice roller:

“Fightin’ Fritz” [Gene D.]-male human, flashy Tank, wants to pound knuckleheads, knows all the brawlers about town
“Capt. Grommet” [Beruk A.]-machine whisperer, wants to get back at the man; knows lots of techies
“The Crocodile” [Byron V.O.]-old tough guy, wants to clean up the city and get paid
“Dr. Occult” [Josh C.]-master of occult, seeking enlightenment; knows stage magicians
“Angel of the Night” [Sara F.]-gargoyle-themed guardian of the city, lives above a library

Chicago, “4 to 6 October 1982:” After chasing leads across the city, the flamboyant private investigators had connected a case of tainted drugs to a mysterious shapeshifter named Earl and the Giovanni crime family.

The team discusses its next moves at the “Drop Spot.” Capt. Grommet contacts Officer Fine, who says that he can hold Earl only temporarily because of circumstantial evidence. Fine also explains that the police can’t raid a mob warehouse because of some “prior arrangement.”

The “Drop Squad” still decides to return to the warehouse where guards had shot at the Angel of the Night. The crime-fighting consultants suit up, with Fightin’ Fritz and Dr. Occult putting on capes and their companions grabbing guns to end things “the Chicago way.”

The team stops for “cheezeborgers” at the Billy Goat Tavern on the way. The Crocodile parks a block away from the warehouse in question so Grommet and Angel can scout ahead. The gargoyle-themed adventuress stealthily climbs to the roof, while the machine whisperer interferes with security cameras.

Capt. Grommet uses a grapple gun to follow Angel. He then uses a yo-yo to ensnare a sentry, dangling him over the side of the building before tying him up and gagging him. The daring duo then peeks into the Giovanni warehouse and sees about 20 men inside. Some are in suits and head into a meeting room, while others wait near parked town cars and a truck.

Fritz, Dr. Occult, and Croc wait out in the car and listen to Grommet and Angel’s progress via walkie-talkie. Angel creates a diversion by climbing up to a smoke detector and setting off a fire alarm and sprinklers.

The Crocodile and Fightin’ Fritz shove some dumpsters to try to block vehicles from leaving the warehouse. The Angel of the Night searches crates but finds only packing peanuts. Capt. Grommet jumps onto the moving truck, as goons pull guns.

The men in suits start to drive off, and clever Dr. Occult throws powder onto their windshields. Croc happily hurls cinderblocks to slow the getaway cars, and mighty Fritz pounds knuckleheads, who soon surround him.

Gadgeteer Grommet throws marbles, but the mobsters evade them. Agile Angel ducks under one auto to slash its tires. Fritz gets winged but uses one henchman as a shield against potential gunshots. Dr. Occult ends up on top of the same car as Croc, who is unable to pull a criminal out the window.

Several felonious minions tackle Fritz, and Capt. Grommet takes out a gunsel with his ball-bearing pistol. They overhear a radio squawking that “the canary has left.” Fritz throws off one of his attackers and radios Angel to search the area.

Meanwhile, Croc and Dr. Occult try to hang on as one Mafioso tries to drive off. Dr. Occult manages to choke him out, and Croc throws rocks at the remaining guards. Capt. Grommet grabs a car and runs down some of the goons.

Fritz switches “dance partners” and is grateful when Capt. Grommet and Angel come to his aid. Croc and Dr. Occult drive in with another seized vehicle and knock down the last batch of bad guys.

The “Drop Squad” ties up the suspects and leaves them in vans for the police. Luigi Giovanni reveals under Dr. Occult’s hypnosis that the five of his men who got away are heading to a major pharmaceutical factory with Earl and high-grade toxins.

Dr. Occult calls Officer Fine, and the P.I.s pile into the “Dropmobile.” Capt. Grommet burns rubber to get to the facility. There, they find Earl ranting about how the entire city must suffer because his friend, a well-known philanthropist, was shot by police in a raid gone wrong.

Fightin’ Fritz engages Earl in conversation while the Crocodile circles around. Capt. Grommet shuts off a valve on a vat, and Dr. Occult looks for more mobsters or local security. The Angel of the Night tries to sneak up to the catwalk, but Earl grabs her and slams her down.

Fritz flips up, but Earl tosses him aside. The shapeshifter drops vials into the vat, which is secure but still starts emitting noxious fumes. Croc kicks Earl in the chest, but the man, who alternates in appearance from a burly blond to a slight Asian-American, seems unaffected.

Capt. Grommet finally figures out how Earl keeps changing his appearance and disrupts his hologram generator. Earl is revealed as a blobby green alien! Mostly unfazed, the “Drop Squad” tries to capture the malefactor.

Croc hits Earl with a wrench, but the creature easily dodges it. Fritz drops to the floor and kicks out the catwalk support in the hope of dumping Earl into the vat. Dr. Occult tries to swing clear but gets caught on the edge of the vat. Angel heads to his rescue with a salvaged pool cue.

Dr. Occult feels the chemicals burning through his shoes, and Angel helps him to safety. Croc tries to block Earl’s escape and is slimed for his efforts. Fritz kicks out a second catwalk, but Earl slithers out a second-story window toward blinking lights.

Croc dives after the alien and into its spherical, liquid-filled craft. Fritz crashes out a window, as Dr. Occult throws a rope around the spaceship. Unfortunately, both it and Croc pass through the gelatinous mess.

Good nyborg, dude! — Spherical space ship

Earl swears revenge and flies away. Officer Fine arrives to take custody of the mobsters, and the “Drop Squad” goes to the police station to talk to the Earl in lockup. He — or more properly, his suit — melts away.

While the vigilantes have solved the mystery of the adulterated drugs and prevented the city from being poisoned, they have little to show for their success. Their reward money goes to pay for damages at the pharmaceutical factory, and though there are fewer mobsters in the warehouse district, they have made an alien enemy….

Thanks again, Geoff, for the fun scenario! I thought it was a good demonstration of the “FAE” rules, and the retro feel worked well. I wouldn’t be surprised if we returned to these heroes at some point….

In the meantime, I’ll see some of you at tonight’s “Star Wars: Dark Times” game, and I look forward to starting our “Vanished Lands: A New Dawn” fantasy telecom campaign next Sunday, Nov. 17.

“Star Wars: Dark Times” Session 4 — Cabals of Bakura

Fellow role-players, here are Jason’s and my notes for Session 4 of his space opera miniseries, which Rich C.G. hosted on Monday, 28 October 2013, in Waltham, Mass.

Player Character roster for Jason E.R.’s “Star Wars: Dark Times,” using Savage Worlds, autumn 2013:

“Ekafti Acomar“ [Gene D.]-female human Jedi consular, older diplomat with many contacts but few remaining friends
“Garolos Banku Nuruolos — Garos“ [Beruk A.]-male Chiss (blue-skinned humanoid) ex-Jedi, gambler and owner of the light freighter “Lucky Strike“
“Oong Bak“ [Brian W.]-male Duros (gray-skinned humanoid) honorable and talented mechanic
“Ari Sundar“ [Sara F.]-female Ssi-ruu (raptor-like reptile) military medic, outcast from a species intruding upon the galaxy
“Thayne Highlander“ [Bruce K.]-male human Jedi padawan close to knighthood, 19 years old; saw master killed by Order 66
“Max Power“ (MX-PR) [Rich C.G.]-male protocol droid with secret combat subroutine, ordered to protect Jedi (overrode Order 66)
“Tark Agros“ [Brian S.]-male Bakuran human pilot and noble, mildly delusional hotshot

“From the journals of Ekafti Acomar, 19 B.B.Y. (before the Battle of Yavin):” After exploring two disabled Imperial cruisers near Cattamascar, the light freighter Lucky Strike followed the Shirotoku Way to Bakura. We had taken on a few passengers, including Zeltron scavenger Adaha Tila, protocol droid B-1E4, and Princess Tethys of Chandrila — an unauthorized clone of me.

MX-PR and I had visited Bakura during previous diplomatic missions, and the protocol droid recalled that the planet had about 68 million inhabitants, making it one of the more civilized systems in the sector. Bakura was colonized by core worlders from Hemei IV more than a century ago (in galactic standard time) and was known for its repulsorlift and biomedical technology.

I reminded “Max” to watch out for intolerance, since the colonists had put down a droid uprising about 70 years ago. As during the Clone Wars, when Gen. Grievous killed several planetary leaders, I still hoped to keep Bakura free from Palpatine’s new order.

Tark Agros took us into Salis D’aar, the quartz capital. It was a reluctant homecoming for our pilot, who was related to Bakura’s ruling clan. We left Oong Bak to continue repairs on the ship and Garolos Banku Nuruolos to communicate with Rodian bookie Bal Grainer.

At the landing pad, a customs agent insisted on putting restraining bolts on Max and B-1E4. Recent padawan Thayne Highlander and I were ready to use the Jedi Mind Trick to talk our way past, but a cloaked figure in a hologram did it for us. I talked with the agent later, and he didn’t recall much, but he did give us a contact number.

We bid Adaha farewell. Ari Sundar needed medical attention, so the Ssi-ruu and Thayne went to the residential and commercial “B” ring of the circular city to ask about shady clinics. Dilettante Tark went to talk to his racing buddies Roviden Belden and Rennt Govia, other members of Bakura’s long-lived aristocracy.

Tark learned that Sen. Orn Belden, representing the Bakur RepulsorCorp (BRC), was planning an exclusive party around a local holiday. It would be on Braad, a continent mostly inhabited by the primitive Kurtzen. Braad was also the source of the holo to the customs agent, but our trace of the signal was blocked by military police.

We regrouped at a clinic that Tark’s friends had suggested, hoping to avoid official scrutiny of Ari, whose reptilian people were new to the Unexplored Territories. Garos and I also hoped to find a link to the clones of me and Ssi-ruuk we had encountered.

We noticed that the receptionist was an android designed to closely resemble a human, which was a surprise on droid-hating Bakura. Tark was forced to clean out his bank accounts to pay for Ari’s surgery and medical supplies.

I asked Max to keep watch on Ari and gather information as he went with her into the operating theater. Thayne, Tark, and I walked around the building and found no doors or windows. Tark used his jetpack to confirm that there was a landing pad and door on the roof, as well as a security scanner.

Rather than risk Ari while she was under laser scalpels, we planned to return at dusk. Max confirmed that the entire facility was run by droids, although I sensed a single human presence deep within. Ari, Max, and I headed back to the Lucky Strike to drop off the supplies and pick up weapons, while Thayne and Tark were supposed to watch and wait.

Their stakeout was interrupted as an unmarked airspeeder landed, disgorging special operations troops. Thayne and Tark rashly decided to take advantage of the raid to infiltrate further. The duo flew and climbed to the roof, then took an elevator. They incapacitated two sentries and hid in bacta tanks as Capt. Harris ordered the building searched.

Ari, Max, and I disembarked from a hover train, and I politely asked an officer what was going on. He claimed it was a gas leak, but a Mind Read indicated that the police had found whatever or whoever they were looking for, and an air strike had been called. We went around the corner and warned our friends to get out fast.

Thayne found an exterior wall and cut a hole with his light saber. The building exploded. Tark broke the young Jedi’s fall, thanks to his jet pack, but we were forced to lie low at the Belden estate for the night. At least Ari’s scar from Ssi-ruuk younglings was removed, and we had found where different factions were covertly fighting.

That night, Thayne had another dream of a tower and Endolana, the kidnapped daughter of Jedi masters from 25,000 years ago. He saw Marala, a young woman who looked like another of my clones, lying washed ashore. Endolana shouted from the tower for Thayne to leave her alone.

The next morning, we caught a lift with Tark’s friends to Telaan Valley in Braad. Buildings had been built into the valley’s walls, and lovely terraced gardens masked the sinister conspiracies we planned to uncover. We carried concealed sidearms but nothing more, and we were not frisked.

I talked with President Grina Arden, the Bakuran head of state, who was surprised to see me alive after Order 66. She explained that Bakura sought to keep its independence by trading with the empire and other parties. I wondered if she knew of the warrior clones sought by the empire and Ssi-ruuk.

Princess Tethys was happy to be in a high-class setting. She may be my clone, but she’s happily oblivious. B-1E4 went missing, so I sent Max to find the suspiciously acting droid.

Ari caught scent of Tolovo Nathu, Bel Grainer’s runaway nurse and another of my clones. Thayne tried to make conversation with officers Capt. Blaine Harris, Anya Foravis, and Dana Galveson, who complained about having to attend such formal events.

Tark talked with Juris Keel, a weapons designer, and Jarik Tai, a recruiter for the mercenary Brotherhood, both of whom he had met at the Terminus restaurant in the Grand Pelgar hotel. They said that business was good.

My hopes for keeping Bakura out of imperial entanglements were fading, and Ari spotted Tolovo moving some equipment with long-necked Kaminoans, members of the same species that produced the republic’s clone troopers.

Ari radioed the rest of us via comm link, but she stepped on a trumpet flower, alerting Tolovo that she was being watched. Meanwhile, Max saw a cloaked figure removing a data storage unit from B-1E4. They were flanked by two men with Force pikes. As Jedi knights, Thayne and I knew we had to confront them.

Tolovo drew a pistol on Ari. Tark pretended to be tipsy and hopped in a speeder. He ran down Tolovo and her hover cart, but the Kaminoans got to their cloaked ship. Ari and Tolovo carefully righted the vials, which Tolovo claimed were full of medicine urgently needed by the Brotherhood.

Thayne and I joined Max in the Cloud Berry Garden, where we used Sense Force and Sense Life to track down the three robed figures. Bela Trepada, yet another young clone of me — does it ever end? — ignited two red light sabers, reminding me of Asajj Ventress.

Komari Vosa — Bela Trepada, yet another clone of Ekafti

I asked the young woman to stand down, but she was mute, well-trained, and aggressive. Fortunately, I was able to dodge or deflect her first few blows. Max was not so lucky. Thayne and I eventually defeated the two Force pike wielders and rushed to Max’s aid.

Bela wounded me, and Max picked up a pike and shoved me back, saying I should run. However, I couldn’t leave him and Thayne to face my doppelganger, so I stayed. Despite my Battle Mind, the would-be Sith destroyed the valiant droid and stabbed me in the abdomen, knocking me unconscious.

Thayne grabbed me and parts of Max as Bela disappeared into the vegetation. Ari and Tark agreed to let Tolovo go, on the condition that she get back in touch with us to answer some questions.

Ari attended to Thayne’s and my injuries, while Tark took us back to Garos and Oong on the Lucky Strike….

Captains courageous

Funny, I would have thought Picard…

Your results:
You are James T. Kirk (Captain)

James T. Kirk (Captain)		60%
Will Riker		60%
Geordi LaForge		60%
Worf		55%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt)		55%
Deanna Troi		55%
Jean-Luc Picard		55%
Chekov		50%
Leonard McCoy (Bones)		45%
Mr. Sulu		40%
Uhura		40%
Mr. Scott		40%
Spock		39%
Beverly Crusher		30%
Data		29%

You are often exaggerated and over-the-top
in your speech and expressions.
You are a romantic at heart and a natural leader.

Click here to take the “Which Star Trek character am I?” quiz…

“Star Wars: Dark Times” Session 3 — Dead in space

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 3 of Jason E.R.’s face-to-face “Star Wars” game, which Brian W. hosted in Newton, Mass., on Monday, 7 October 2013:

>>Player Character roster for Jason E.R.’s “Star Wars: Dark Times” space opera miniseries, using Savage Worlds, autumn 2013:

“Ekafti Acomar“ [Gene D.]-female human Jedi consular, older diplomat with many contacts but few remaining friends
“Garolos Banku Nuruolos — Garos“ [Beruk A.]-male Chiss (blue-skinned humanoid) ex-Jedi, gambler and owner of the light freighter “Lucky Strike”
“Oong Bak“ [Brian W.]-male Duros (gray-skinned humanoid) honorable and talented mechanic
“Ari Sundar“ [Sara F.]-female Ssi-ruu (raptor-like reptile) military medic, outcast from a species intruding upon the galaxy
“Thayne Highlander“ [Bruce K.]-male human Jedi padawan close to knighthood, 19 years old; saw master killed by Order 66
“Max Power“ (MX-PR) [Rich C.G.]-male protocol droid with secret combat subroutine, ordered to protect Jedi (overrode Order 66)
“Tark Agros“ [Brian S.]-male Bakuran human pilot and noble, mildly delusional hotshot

“From the journals of Ekafti Acomar, 19 B.B.Y. (before the Battle of Yavin):” We seem to be more adept at getting into and out of trouble than agreeing on or getting to a destination. After encountering clones of me in the Grand Pelgar Hotel, we had gone to the Zanazi religious retreat on Cattamascar.

Two imperial cruisers that had been pursuing the clones floated in orbit, unresponsive. Adaha Tila made claims for the right to salvage, but the Zeltron woman got no response from the cruisers or Bakuran authorities, as far as we could tell.

Star Wars: Dark Times imperial cruiser — An early Imperial cruiser

At my recommendation, Garolos Banku Naruolos hailed Tila’s ship, which was docked with one of the disabled warships. Tark Agros piloted the Lucky Strike close enough to the Folly so that we could scan the sleek Hwk 290-class freighter for life signs.

Meanwhile, Oong Bak continued to make repairs on the Lucky Strike, and Thayne Highlander and MX-PR prepared to join Garos and me in going aboard the cruiser. Ari Sundar received a royal signal from her people, the reptilian Ssi-ruuk.

After some negotiation, Tila granted us permission to come aboard after an hour, during which she was apparently looking for something of value. I resisted recommendations that we shoot at the Folly before then, in the hope we could avoid a fight.

Garos contacted Jarik Tai, a Bakuran recruiter for “The Brotherhood” he had met at the Terminus restaurant, to see if he knew anything about Tila. Unfortunately, Tai had little useful to say about the attractive Zeltron.

We detected small-arms fire at the Folly, so Thayne, Garos, and I donned vacc suits and jumped to the cruiser. Droid “Max” easily followed. Oong, Ari, and Tark stayed with the Lucky Strike.

We interrupted a three-way shootout, with Adaha Tila drawing her blaster pistol on two groups. One included four tentacle-faced Krevaaki, similar to sage Moross Sapan, whom we had met at the retreat. They yelled something about “heretics.”

The last party to the standoff was a yellow Ssi-ruu guarding several blue-scaled younglings. Ari later explained that her red hide denotes the warrior caste, with the yellow representing scientists and blue the aristocracy. I told Ari what we found via comlink, and she rushed to join us.

I asked Tila how she was doing, and onetime Jedi Garos asked everyone to hold their fire. Ari and I wanted to protect the innocent younglings, so Max fired a grenade at the Krevaaki. One of the zealots managed to catch the explosive and throw it back at us!

I narrowly escaped serious injury, and recent padawan Thayne ignited his light saber and attacked the Krevaaki. Garos and Max shot them, and Ssi-ruuk Ari and Idiian wanted to get the royal younglings to safety.

Meanwhile, Oong and Tark were amused by our attempts to figure out what to do. They were forced to make evasive maneuvers as another Krevaaki ship fired on the Lucky Strike.

Tila slipped away, and Thayne and I headed to the main bridge, passing numerous stormtrooper corpses on the way. This could have been the work of my clones.

We found Tila blocked by a hazy green force field that blocked only organic matter. Over the comlink, I called for Max to join us, even as we glimpsed a dim shape moving on the bridge.

Adaha admitted that she was looking for confirmation of the Sanctuary Route, a rumored hyperspace lane. Garos seemed to recognize it. As the Krevaaki riddled the Folly with holes, I called for Ari and the other Ssi-ruuk to join us, away from the docking bay.

Max entered the cruiser’s bridge and saw an anomalous life form that he described as a mass of muscle and sinew, similar to Durge, the Gen’Dai bounty hunter. It had ripped the command crew to bloody shreds, and we decided to leave the force field containing it alone. With Krevaaki still around, we decided to leave via Idiian’s ship.

The Ssi-ruu scientist said (although not in so many words) that his people had made a deal with the Galactic Empire for clones in exchange for technology that converted vitality into energy usable by starships.

As Ari translated, I discovered through Mind Read that Idiian planned to take us all back to his homeworld, where we would be strapped to gurneys and tortured for our life force. I used the Jedi Mind Trick to get him to drop out of hyperspace near Gymelo, and I granted Max permission to take him down.

The belligerent droid immediately resorted to lethal force, which I should have predicted. Garos and Ari were confused, and worse still, Max wasn’t able to immediately incapacitate the pilot. To add to our difficulties, the younglings reacted by trying to protect their fellow Ssi-ruu.

The small but vicious raptors scarred Ari, tore circuits from Max, and attacked Thayne and me as we tried to gain control of the ship. Adaha cowered in terror. Fortunately, Thayne was able to land the ship, and I depressurized the cabin on the way to knock out everyone not in space suits.

We sent a signal to the Lucky Strike, which soon joined us in Gymelo’s jungles. Oong attended to the injured, and Thayne tied up Idiian and helped me move the insensate younglings to a locked compartment.

Oong found that the Ssi-ruuk ship was powered by P’w’eck, a reptilian subject race, wired into its systems. We released the weak slaves, who staggered off into the forest. Garos was disappointed that we couldn’t obtain any data or useful salvage.

Tark, Garos, and Max wanted to kill the younglings, but I knew that unconscious Ari wouldn’t. Even though they were bred or cloned to be killing machines, I couldn’t take their lives in good conscience, even if they had tried to kill us.

After another heated debate, I told Idiian that we would leave him and the younglings on Gymelo and that they should remember our mercy. As we left, the Lucky Strike got a Clone Wars-era distress signal, CC-648.

We followed the signal to a small clearing, where clone Cmdr. “Thorn” and the remains of his platoon greeted us. Over Garos’ objections, I revealed my identity as a Jedi. He greeted us as officers, but I had to explain how the old Republic had fallen to Palpatine’s schemes.

Naturally, “Thorn” had difficulty understanding why the Republic would have fallen from within rather than as a result of Separatist or Ssi-ruuvi attacks. Somehow, his group hadn’t heard about Order 66, which outlawed all Jedi, so Thayne and I were safe for the moment.

We shared what supplies we could, and I promised the loyal troopers that I would try to return. Thayne and I viewed these men as potential assets and their base, far from imperial orders, as a rare safe landing site. Garos and Tark would have preferred to kill them in cold blood.

Tark detected the source of the signal jamming these clones’ transmissions, which we traced to a Separatist emplacement. We left the clone troopers behind, as well as recuperating Ari. She agreed to watch the Lucky Strike and reluctant passengers Adaha, Princess Tethys (one of my clones), and suspicious protocol droid B-1E4.

We found nine commando droids circling the clone trooper camp, plus lumbering Viper droids with transmitters. We decided to leave them alone and head back into space, since destroying them might expose the troopers to Order 66.

Since Cattamascar was on the Shirotoku Way between Gymelo and Bakura, where I still hoped to thwart the empire, we stopped back at that desert world. Tark and Garos wanted to examine the second disabled cruiser.

On the way, Thayne had another dream of a dark tower and a banner with a centipede symbol. He again saw Endolana, the young daughter of Ataru, a Jedi master who lived 25,000 years ago. This time, Endolana was joined by friends including mute Aliza, Dal-Vha, Khatyen, Tomi and the adolescent Miru.

From the holocron of Sai Agorn, I recognized these girls as the daughters of masters Djem So, Makashi, Shien, Shii-cho, and Soresu, respectively. All had light saber forms named after them, and the children’s kidnapping was a major cause of the Jedi vow of celibacy.

The girls sung a morbid nursery rhyme, according to Thayne’s later recollection. Endolana told Thayne that he was close to reaching them in “sanctuary,” possibly a reference to Adaha’s hyperspace route.

We arrived at Cattamascar to find more Krevaaki ships attached to the hull of the second imperial cruiser. As Tark flew us by the bridge, its window blew out, and the Krevaaki blasted another fleshy anomaly into space and restored power. An emergency force field replaced the window.

Oong found a way to get a landing bay to open, and we hurried to the bridge, stepping over yet more slain stormtroopers. Tark put on his jet pack and flew ahead, despite my warning. Garos ran after him. Both were shot and wounded by fanatical Krevaaki.

Thayne, Max, and I then rushed in, followed by Garos and Tark. Oong worked to regain attitude control, since the cruiser had been set on a collision course with the Zanazi retreat. This was the third time in as many days that I was on a falling vehicle — first the Grand Pelgar out of control through Cattamascar’s heart, then the Ssi-ruuk vessel, and now the cruiser.

At least we’ve been able to limp away from those events so far. Oong managed to get us back into orbit, but the Black Sun virus re-emerged, threatening to take us to Nar Shaddaa, the Hutt homeworld. We had to leave.

Thayne and I grabbed a few medkits, and Garos hoped to get more useful data. Max and the others grabbed more blasters — we’ll have to see if that protocol droid can be reprogrammed. The Lucky Strike again set forth for Bakura, which we still hoped to defend from imperial grasp….