Episode XXIII

Back on the ship, the group hurried to get of the planet. Their call for help from the imperial base as well as the holovid recording of Dex the separatist hero were going to broadcast in a while and they wanted to be well underway when they did.

The ship lifted and headed out to space. But it didn’t get far before its sensors started blinking and Natook shouted.

- I think something is coming out of hyperspace!

The group gathered in the cockpit and watched how two imperial victory class cruisers appeared in front of them, cutting them off from their escape route.

- Make the jump! Aleema exclaimed.
- We can’t, we’re too close to the planet, the hyperdrive won’t let us jump. Natook responded.

Static sparked on the comm system before the imperial cruiser alerted them about their intent to board and search the small freighter.

- Just cut off the security system, we don’t need it. Dex said with a great deal of confidence.
- And crash into any planet on the way? No, thanks. Natook wasn’t convinced. They’re looking for jedis, why don’t you two just hide?
- Alright, we’ll hide but in the mean time, you disable the security system preventing us from jumping to hyperspace. We’ll make two small jump to the other side of the planet and then make the real one. That should confuse them, said Imnos.

The jedis grabbed whatever items they could think could give them away and crawled into the hidden smuggler compartments. Natook grabbed her tools, ran to the machine room and started working on the hyperdrive. The security system was easily identified and she disconnected it just as Dex punched the jump button. She was tossed against the wall as the ship suddenly accelerated.

The jump was fast and Natook barely recovered before the ship jumped again, tossing her onto the other wall. As the ship stopped again Natook quickly reconnected the security system and headed out into the cockpit.

- you fly like a wookie on gigglegust. She grunted.
- I am a wookiee on giggledust, Dex responded happily.

At least they finally were on their way to the rendez-vous point where they would be meeting George again.

—

The rendez-vous went well and the group delivered the head of the person they had been commissioned to silence. (As you might recall, the order wasn’t necessarily to kill him but as the person was found in such a bad shape, the kill was merciful)

Natook once again found herself flirting with George to get to share some of his liquor. It tasted vilely, but Natook couldn’t tell if it was the drink or the company.

The journey went well and they found themselves back on the pirate outpost.

The first item on their agenda was to decrypt the datapad that they had found on their mission. Natook had identified that the encryption required some more computer power than they had. The two jedi seemed anxious to read it so they asked George for help. George didn’t even seem to know what a datapad was and redirected them to a ubese that might be able to help them. She could be found in one of the shady joints of the outpost.

The grouped headed there and while Imnos and Aleema did their best to fit in at the bar with their glasses of milk, Natook and Dex tried to get to talk to the ubese computer expert . Her table was garded  by two grunts who refused to let them in. Natook took a breath, changed her posture and tone of voice.

-”She would love talking to me, we have sooo much in common.” Natook said with confidence and somehow managed to bat her lashes at the same time.
- “Oh, well, in that case… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. But only you!”.
The guards let her through but Dex was left alone.

As they talked, Dex didn’t run out of ideas. Persuading the guards by himself wasn’t working so he took some credit chips and headed over to a couple of dancing girls. He convinced them to go over and flirt with the guards. The plan was successful and suddenly Natook found Dex standing next to her.

After the negociations were done, the group decided to use the ubese’s service in exchange of payment and that she would be able to decode the datapad for them but with the promise of not storing the information. They were given an address to a hacker who would help them.

The hacker couldn’t give them a price until he had seen what he was working with. He gave it a try but quickly changed mood. From casual and cocky to fascinated and consumed by his task.

“Go ahead, have a seat, and use the holonet if you want. This will take a while”

The group looked at each other, this was usually an expensive service and they were getting it for free. They didn’t waste any time and as Imnos monitored the hacker’s work to be sure that he wasn’t up to anything, the others sat down at the free monitors and began reading up on what was happening in the world.

After a while, the hacker had given up. He claimed the encryption was too hard, it seemed to be official in some way. The only thing he managed to figure out was the name of the file: Project Vader. He appologized for not being more helpful and assured them payment wasn’t necessary.

Episode III

The group marches through the forest, following the native as he skillfully navigates the paths. During the second day the Dex manages to find some berries to eat. Trying to preserve the few rations the group had he ate them instead of one of his rations. Causing him to have stomach issues the remaining trip.

After a few days marching the group reaches a native village. The villagers seems scared, shying away from the group. But the native who led them there talks to them, and all of a sudden the villagers form a line, showing the way into a cave. The cave is central to the habitat, all cottages are built along a main road, leading to the cave.

The group moves into the cave, eager to find out why they have been brought here. The cave is reeking of incense and torches light the path through the cave. As the group goes deeper into the cave the lighting in the cave shifts from being yellow from the light of the torches to a more green glow. The group reaches a large opening in the cave, forming a circular room with a big fire in the middle of the room. The fire burns in light green colors and is the only source of light in the entire cave.

On the far end of the room, behind the green burning fire. Sits an old native. Apparently he is a shaman of sorts for the natives around here. The native whom led them to the village briefly talks to the shaman in their native tongue and then leaves the cave.

The shaman looks at the group, examining them as he chants in his native tongue. And then, in bad basic he calls them “The children of the starts”. Then he utters the word, prophecy.

Apparently the shaman is lacking in his skills in basic, there are not many words that the group can apprehend. The few they can sounds like, “bringer of peace”, “child of the moon”, “child of the sun”.

Realising that the groups has a hard time understanding the shaman, he instead turns to the cave walls. They are littered with carvings portraying the history of his people.

Apparently, his people have been fighting another clan of natives since the beginning of time. The other clan more vicious than theirs had often killed their children, poisoned their waters and caused terror in the village. Lately the other clan had received magic sticks causing burns on the villagers, and now this village is all that exists of a once large clan.

There is a prophecy ending the carvings in the cave, describing how the children of the stars will come and save the villagers, and drive the other clan away. The shaman asks of them, even though the group does not know it, to now drive the other clan away and fulfil the prophesy.

Dex, Natook and Row quickly sees an opportunity to earn some credits. Agreeing to help the villagers in exchange for riches and alike. Imnos and Aleema are not comfortable with this, but agree to try to find a solution for the villagers suffering.

A day later the group again marches of, this time with two guides from the local natives. The group marches up into the mountains to see where the rival clan has their village.

As the group is marching in among the mountains, they are ambushed by ARC troopers. These troopers are sent out by local Republic forces to take care of the surviving Jedi that had been reported earlier. The ARC trooper ambushes the group surprising them, hitting Row directly in the chest with a rocket launcher. The group fights of the ARC trooper but Row could not be saved. The Jedi insist in giving him a decent burial and while Dex and the Jedi create a shrine of rocks to bury him in, Natook takes the opportunity to ransack the body without the others knowing.

The group then carries on, reaching a final minor cave opening in the mountain. Here their guides leave them, daring not to go deeper into the rival clans turf.

Game master note

We’re currently working on writing the story up to the current point in the story. As a result the first posts can be somewhat lacking in detail.

As we reach the current point in the story I hope to see more detail.

Also posts can be added later to elaborate on he previous posts if the players are interested in specific details of a specific episode.

Episode II

The quartet is knocked unconscious as the escape pod crashes into the soil of Dantooine. When they wake up, they scavenge through the ship to see if they can find any emergency rations to help them as they figure out what happened aboard the Republic Transport.

They spend the night at the escape pod. During the night they pick up a signal from another escape pod, not far from the theirs, but they also have the suspecting feeling that they are being watched.

As the day breaks they make their way to the second escape pod. All the time, with the feeling of being watched. As they enter the edge of one of the forests of Dantooine they start hearing the familiar sound of BARC-speeders. Happy to finally see some glimpse of the Republic the quartet rushes to greet their saviours. Only to be fired upon by the Clone troopers driving the speeders.

The quartet fights off the attacking Clone Troopers, causing their speeders to explode. Leaving the group with a confused feeling. Why is the Clone Troopers, loyal to the Jedi attacking them?

They carry on to the second escape pod. In the pod they find Row Dusk knocked out. As Dex is trained in First Aid during this recruitment, they wake Row up. Row turns out to be another recruit for the Republics Army. A gun nut to say the least.

Not before long the group is divided as it comes to Row. Dex who can relate to Row’s gun fixation befriend him, but Row doesn’t get along with the Jedi or Natook.

For survival the group carries on entering the nearest forest. There they spot one of the local inhabitance of Dantooine hiding in the bushes. Explaining the feeling of being watched. The native signals them to follow, leading the group on a march through the forests of Dantooine.

Episode I

A capital ship is making its way for Dantooine escorted by fighters. On this ship is Natook, a young twi’lek, working as a Comm technician, Aleema and Imnos, two human jedi apprentices and their master Corrax Sanus and a Dex, a new recruit.

As the ship approaches Dantooine, everyone is asleep except for Natook who is working the nightshift on the bridge. It is as usual a quiet night until she receives a transmission broadcasted across the ship’s intercom “Execute Order 66″. After this the ship suddenly awakes and heavy shooting begins. Natook then notices through the bridge window the fighters turning on the ship. Cursing and swearing, she makes a run for it and reaches the elevator. Then all goes black.

Dex is asleep in his bunk and wakes up by the sound of firefight. Entusiasmed by the sudden surge of action, he throws on his helmet and grab his weapon before he runs out into the corridor. Just as he makes it through the door, an impact makes the ship’s gravity shift which flings Dex to the roof, knocking him unconscious.

The two young jedi apprentices are quietly meditating in their cabin when their meditation is cut off by a vision of their master Corrax Sanus.  He is fighting a group of clone troopers and is highly outnumber. The jedi see him die, shot down by the troopers. They rush out to help him but as the explosion shakes the ship, they too are knocked unconscious.

When Aleema and Imnos wake up, they first try to locate their master and find him laying dead in the corridor amongst corpses of clone troopers. The walls are scorched with blaster shots. Imnos grabs his masters lightsaber and takes it with him. They then move on to try to find a way out.

They stumble upon Natook, on the floor of an elevator,  just waking up. Together they decide to try to reach an escape pod. As they make their way through the ship they find a soldier who is still alive on the corridor floor. The helmet he is wearing seems to have saved his life bu he is still unconscious. The jedi decide to try to carry him with them.

The way to the escape pod is rough because of the extensive damage on the ship, but with a rope made out of duct tape to transport Dex, they manage to climb up a few floors and find a free, working pod. They buckle up, punch the emergency button and fly out into space.

As the quartet is hurled thowards the safety of Dantooine, they can see the republic transport burn up as it enters the atmosphere.

THE RISE OF AN EMPIRE

The republic is at war. The Senate have declared a state of Emergency granting Supreme Counsellor Palpatine the full control of the Republics armed forces, in order to stop the threat posed by the separatist worlds. Soon after Palpatine launches a full scale attack on the Separatists, a Jedi plot to overthrow the Republic is uncovered, an order resulting in the deaths of thousands of Jedi.

The republic troop transport R-441 is en route to Dantooine with reinforcements. The ship is filled with clone troopers, new recruits, but also carries the Jedi Master Corax Sanus and his two Jedi Padawans.

As the order to execute the Jedi is carried out a the clone troopers aboard R-441 viciously attacks Master Corax. To guarantee the demise of the Jedi Master the transport, its escort of fighters turn on the ship and leaves it for dead above the orbit of Dantooine.

Litle do they know that aboard the transport the two Jedi Padawans and three of the recruits are still alive, fighting for their lives.