Dawn of Defiance gets Savaged...

[Lysander]

19 BBY...

A joint task force of Jedi, Clone Troopers and civilian 'experts', disguised as the mercenary company 'The Star Blades' completed one of their infiltration missions against the Separatists and headed to one of their safe ports aboard their transport ship The Sun Dog. Clone Commander 'Gundark' received a priority one communication from the office of the Supreme Chancellor. It read:

Order 66: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.

Commander Gundark immediately set out from his office with 2 of his troopers, located the Jedi Master on board (an Ithorian named Ror Whuvuum) and executed him. However, he did it in plain sight of the civilians on board, who were none too thrilled that the clone troopers had gone off the deep end. The resulting firefight was brutal and destructive, with the Sun Dog suffering catastrophic damage. The few civilian 'experts', even fewer surviving clone troopers and the lone Jedi padawan were able to steer the ship into a controlled crash landing on an out of the way planet spaceport. They were able to sell the salvage of the ship, and the survivors dispersed, by themselves or in small groups. This is the story of one of those groups...


This is a personal journal/story of my gaming group as they plunge into the Dawn of Defiance, heavily modified from SAGA to Savage Worlds. I took the 6.0 Star Wars conversion and stripped out what I liked and left the rest (much like a salad bar...). I mostly ditched the Force power system, as it is in no way FFF. As my group has only one Jedi, I worked out a system that I think works well and retains the feel of the movies.

The cast (in order of ... my whim...):

Neth: Miraluka, Male, Jedi Padawan: Neth was close to the end of his training at the time of Order 66. He has secured his master's lightsaber and training holocron, and sticks with the rest of his group for mutual protection. He is aware he is Wanted and has an Enemy, so he does his padawan best to lay low.

Izza: Zeltron, Female, Face/Rogue: Can be very persuasive, is an excellent pilot, and a good shot with a blaster.

Gonzo: Rodian, Male, Scout/Tracker: Gonzo is at his best in natural environments, and is very sneaky when needed.

Morder: Feeorin, Male, Soldier of Fortune: The obvious soldier/thug of the group. At his best with a weapon in his hand... any weapon.

Follow the adventures of the remnants of The Star Blades as they regroup, and plot how best to to strike back at the new Galactic Empire.

[Lysander]

STAR WARS: DAWN OF DEFIANCE

Episode I

THE TRAITOR’S GAMBIT

It is a dark time in the galaxy. The evil Galactic Empire has spread
from the Deep Core to the Outer Rim, and everywhere
the Empire’s tyranny can be felt.

Fleeing from the oppression of the Emperor’s minions, agents of
Senator Bail Organa have run to a remote space station above
Brentaal. Known to be a vocal opponent of the Empire,
Organa may be the last hope of freedom in the galaxy.

In the hopes of stopping these dissidents before they can
reach the Senator, the Empire has alerted its forces on
Sel Zonn Station, where the struggle for liberty rages on,
and the first sparks of rebellion have begun to burn. . . .


A surviving group of personnel of 'The Star Blades' has been on the run for the past 6 months. The heat has died down from the events following Order 66, and our heroes have been subsisting on small jobs and tasks suited to their skills. They get word that their might be lucrative work on an out of the way space station on an out of the way Core World of Brentaal. Our heroes arrange passage to see what can be found...

Seemingly motionless among a sea of starships and satellites above the twinkling world of Brentaal, Sel Zonn Station grows larger into view every second. A central pylon forms the bulk of the station’s mass, and three landing platforms leading to docking bays extend from the central section, equidistant from one another and jutting out into space. The dorsal side of the station features a disc shaped secondary structure, on top of which blinking lights indicate the presence of a landing platform reserved for wealthy patrons.

Our heroes disembark to the station, and find it is not all spit and polish. A few steps off of the beaten path quickly reveal that the station is rotting from the inside out. A short walk away from the main venues leads to decrepit sections of the station, filled with broken lights, tarnished metal walls, missing deck plates, and all manner of suspicious aliens that have been driven out of the nicer sections by the Empire.

The heroes head toward the tourist trap area of the station, disguised as The Promenade. This area is filled with the bustle of revelry and commerce. Spilling out of the gambling halls are the sounds of victory and the moans of defeat, while the music of local bands issues from the cantinas. Only a handful of citizens mill about in the main areas of the Promenade, a few gazing out the massive windows at the planet Brentaal hovering below. Businesspeople hawk their wares to the passersby, and a few Imperial stormtroopers make their way down the main avenue of the Promenade on their usual patrol at a leisurely pace. A couple of our heroes notice there are also some people dressed in traveler’s clothes and carrying poorly concealed hold-out blaster pistols, these civilians seem as though they are keeping a watchful eye on nearly everyone at the same time. Their also seems to be an air of animosity against the obvious aliens of the group (Gonzo and Mordor) but nothing overt. This has our heroes slightly more on edge and alert as they continue on to business.

Our group heads into the local cantina, eerily named Gundark’s Cantina and order food and drink from the owner, an human who names himself “Gundark” Saff. As business is slow at the moment, he accepts an invitation to sit with them. They ask if he knows of any work that a group like them might be able to procure, as they've heard Sel Zonn might have some people hiring. Mr. Saff says he'll inquire through some contacts, and to enjoy an order of his specialty 'Jawa Chalupas'.

Mr. Saff advises a few minutes later that he has arranged a meeting at the casino across the Promenade called The Credit Chip. They are to go in together and someone who has been given a description of them will meet with them to discuss employment opportunities. The heroes down the last of their drinks and their Chalupas and head out of the cantina.

Meanwhile... A woman with short black hair and the greasy uniform of a mechanic comes stumbling onto the Promenade, clutching her midsection as though injured. She struggles to make her way across the floor toward our heroes, though clearly she is having difficulty walking. She spots the heroes coming out of the cantina and calls out to them.

“Please, help me! There are credits in it for you, just help me!”

Mere seconds later, two of the civilian informants of the empire as well as 2 stormtroopers burst into the area from the north end of the Promenade. They raise their blasters, aiming them at the woman, and shout through their helmet speakers, “Step away from that woman. She is under arrest in the name of the Emperor!”

Gonzo sneaks away from the group and starts to circle around to get in behind the armored troopers, while Neth backs off to the side. Morder stands still but is plotting what to do, and Izza assess the situation but doesn't take immediate action.

The agents move in, covered by the stormtroopers and tell the woman to get on her knees with her hands on her head. She complies as best she can with the abdominal wound. Izza then says "You best do what they tell you." and winks. The woman catches it and plays along.

Morder tried to pull out a vibroknife on the sly, but the other agent sees it and points his pistol at him. "Freeze!"

This is all Izza needs. She backs away from the agent that is about to cuff the woman, draws her own blaster, and takes down the agent with skill and precision. A firefight breaks out, with the agent returning fire on Izza as well as one of the covering troopers. She barely avoids the attacks as she takes cover behind a fountain. Neth then gets involved by trying to employ a Force Slam. He concentrates and finally draws upon the force, stunning the agent still standing but failing to effect the trooper behind him. Both also managed to stay on their feet.

Morder takes the opportunity to move in and stab at the agent, and the vibroknife does its job and the other agent falls. Gonzo then moves in behind one of the troopers, and with his own vibroknife slashes into the trooper he has the drop on. The last trooper backs up and seeks cover by the large central fountain and fires wildly, but Neth has managed to activate his own Padawan Lightsaber and deflects the shots easily.. The group descends and focuses their firepower on the last trooper and he goes down before he can make his escape.

They pick up the woman, who has sought refuge in the cantina, and she directs them to take her to one of her safe hideouts. The imperials do not catch their scent, and they make a clean getaway. She says her name is Maya, and she reveals that she is a member of Alderaanian Security and part of Senator Organa’s personal security detail, and that she was waylaid by the Empire mere hours after arriving on the station. Apparently, the fact that she works for a vocal opponent of the Emperor has flagged her as a troublemaker, and the Empire wants her off the station one way or the other. Our group uses a medpac to ease her condition, and she pays them each 100credits, plus another 100 for payment on the use of the medpac. She then offers them a job, to complete her task since she cannot do so.

Maya indicates she was to secure some very valuable cargo by meeting with a contact on the station named Switch. Switch was responsible for receiving and storing this cargo, which was shipped all the way from the Deep Core. Maya was supposed to contact Switch, recover the cargo, and deliver it to Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. She asks if the heroes will complete the job for 500 credits each, 1/2 now and half at completion. She can also put in a good word if they are successful with Senator Organa, who is also looking for skilled people that do not agree with the New Galactic Order. Our heroes agree, and set out to find Deep Storage Bay V14. She states as soon as they've located the cargo, to let her know so she can arrange transport for it off the station.

In their investigation of the Sel Zonn central computer, they find out that DSB-V14 is in a section of the station that has been quarantined for over a year and a half, yet no maintenance requests have been made for repairs to that section. Additionally, the terminal reveals that DSB-V14 is located along one of the station’s primary exhaust systems, meaning that exhaust conduits should be running right through the storage bay.

The locals also inform our group that despite the fact that DSB-V14 is in a quarantined zone, a large number of aliens are often seen going into that zone. Rumor has it that the aliens operate some kind of criminal organization out of that section of the station, and that a contingent of Gamorreans is always on guard near the deep storage bay. They also are able to learn that since the quarantine was put into place, the station manager has been taking bribes to keep it that way. The bribes are delivered to the manager on a monthly basis by an unsavory-looking Twi’lek, and though the Empire doesn’t like it, the local security forces ensure that Imperials never get too close to the quarantined areas. (Skip to part 2 below)

[Lysander]

Our group gathers and heads into the quarantined areas to find Switch. Upon arrival, they find that they have entered a very neglected part of the station. Many of the lights have burned out, and blaster marks and carbon scoring mar the walls, ceiling, and floor. The area reeks of ozone and electrical fires, and pools of coolant litter the hallways at regular intervals. After winding their way through a near-labyrinth of decrepit corridors, the heroes come upon bay V14, which is guarded by a pair of Gamorreans wielding vibro-axes.

They decide to see if negotiation is possible and attempt to parlay. But the dull witted but loyal Gammoreans refuse to let them pass until they state why they are here and who their looking for. Getting exasperated and an itchy trigger finger, Izzy considers just blasting them, but with a wave of his hand and a "We are here on official business and you want to let us through," Neth manages to easily convince the weak willed Gammoreans to let them through. As they pass by, Izza quitely states 'Don't ever try that with me Neth, or I'll kick you where it hurts...' Our heroes step through the outer doors...

{This is where the plot stopped for the night. Got all of this done in about 2.5 hours. Tune in next time when our heroes meet Switch and try to secure the oh so important cargo...}

[terrell]

... and it freakin' rocked ...

Terrell aka Mörder

[Mask_of_winter]

Good work Mike!

[Lysander]

Traitor's Gambit (Part 2)

The deep storage bay is as run-down as the hallways leading up to it, with entire metal plates missing from the floor and a huge, open exhaust shaft near the back of the room. Large crates litter the area, creating the appearance of a haphazard mess, and the air has a distinct smell of sweat and fumes that makes the entire area unpleasant. Flickering lights provide modest illumination, and a burst pipe along the ceiling leaks blue fluid down one wall.

Near the center of the room is an item that seems very out of place—a large, finely crafted desk made of Japor ivory wood, which means that the desk is both priceless and rare. Sitting peacefully behind the desk is a protocol droid with shiny, ebony coverings that seem to soak up light and offer only the slightest reflection. The droid’s eyes flicker slightly, as though imitating a person blinking rapidly.

In addition to the protocol droid, three bodyguards hide behind crates scattered around the room, a blue-and-red astromech droid beeps and burbles quietly besides the protocol droid, seemingly lost in its own world. Lastly, Switch’s majordomo, a Twi’lek thug, stands quietly off to one side, not actively hiding but also not clearly visible.

The heroes find that Switch seems to have aspirations of sophistication that are likely remnants of his protocol droid programming. With a male personality and a Coruscanti-Imperial accent, he speaks cheerfully and lightly. “What business may I conduct with you?” he says.

The heroes explain they are here on behalf of one of his business partners, Maya, and are here to secure a cargo she initially came to collect. Sensing a possibility of additional profit, Switch indicates he would be happy to part with the cargo for a paltry sum of 1000 credits. The heroes were unaware that they were going to have to pay for the cargo, but Switch is not really moved by their position. He offers the group a drink from an extensive collection of liquor he seems to be proud of, but only Izza partakes. She realizes after a short time into the conversation that her Zeltron phermones and female good looks will be useless against the protocol droid, giving Switch the upper hand.

Switch then proposes to have them work for him on a delivery that needs to do to Alderaan in order to reduce the price as a compromise. He will discount his fee to 800 if the heroes will deliver some Corellian ale, and upon confirmation of completion, the will send then another 200. Izza starts to get nosy about the cargo, to which Switch states that specifics about the cargo itself has a price, adding an additional 100 to the tallies above.

Sensing through their body language that the organics were still iffy about handing over the credits, Switch adds some incentive to the pot. If they agree to supply information to Switch in their travels, he’s willing to reduce the fee by an additional 100 credits each. This seems palatable enough and the crew gathers 400 credits, while Switch states their cargo is a slab of carbonite with an organic inside. They are further surprised to find the cargo is hiding in plain sight in the Sel Zonn Imperial Storage Bay.

As they are preparing to exchanging credits and cargo manifest information, the sound of Gammorean guards outside the office squealing amid a hail of blaster bolts catches their attention. The blast doors leading into the storage bay slide open to reveal a number of armed thugs outside. In the midst of the rabble is a large Chevin, his trunk hanging low to the ground and his mouth twisted in a snarl. “So you thought you could hide your deal with the offworlders from me, droid? I’m tired of not getting my cut! Turn him into a scrap heap, boys!” Switches’ rival, Ganga Lor, has arrived.

As the battle starts to unfold, the heroes scatter to take cover and prepare for a firefight. However, Neth gestures and sends a crushing wave of force on Ganga Lor and his lot. The thugs fall due to the crushing weight of the Force, but Ganga manages to escape. Evading blaster fire, Ganga calls out in his native tongue loudly, and suddenly, the 4 thugs that were in the room with Switch become turncoats, and ambush our heroes. Lots of moving, ducking, shooting between Izza, Morder, Switch, Ganga Lor and the thugs follow. Neth gets caught in the deadly crossfire, but manages to negate the energy of not one, but two well placed blaster shots! Gonzo is in hand to hand combat with a thug wielding a vibroknife, and neither can get the upper hand on the other.

Slowly but surely, the thugs are whittled down to just the turncoat Twi’lek and Ganga Lore. As Ganga is slowly pushed toward the gaping exhaust vents in the back of the room, which would spell certain doom to man or machine should they fall in, Neth comes around, lightsaber in hand and tries to strike down the Chevin gangster. But a bad spin of the blade, plus an off balanced lunge from Ganga causes the saber to fly from Neth’s hand and over the lip of the vent. Leaving the rest to their fate, Neth slides to the edge of the vent precipice and reaches out with the last of his power to grab the saber before it falls too far out of reach. He succeeds against all odds, and his saber is retrieved. He turns to see Gonzo has the Twi’Lek thug in a headlock, and Ganga is on his knees with hands on head. The heroes start to ponder what to do with them when Switch strides up and executes his rival and dumps him into the vent. He allows his former majordomo, the Twi’Lek to leave, rewarding his service to date by giving him one hour to get off the station or suffer a traitor’s fate.

Switch then goes back to business, as if nothing ever happened. He thanks the heroes for keeping him functioning, and rewards the space hoppers by advising he has a new proposal. He will give them the location of the cargo, tell them what it is and why it is important, and pay them to haul the Corellian Ale 200 now and 200 more on delivery, and all the gear of the thugs in exchange for their droidguard services for the last 2 minutes. He also wishes to maintain their contact relationship for future information in their travels. The heroes happily accept and Switch immediately sets about acquiring new talent.

The heroes are told that an agent of Alderaanian Security has been frozen in carbonite for transport from the Deep Core world of Empress Teta. The agent had himself frozen so that he could be transported as cargo rather than as a passenger, reducing the chance that the Empire would find and arrest him. The agent was spying on the Empire’s secret interests in the Deep Core. In the months since the rise of the Empire, hundreds of warships have sealed off the few known trade routes into the Deep Core, only allowing wealthy Imperial loyalists in or out of that region of space. Over the last few months, the Empire has set up the Deep Core Security Zone, and Emperor Palpatine himself has overseen the transfer of large amounts of resources and nobles loyal to the Empire into the Deep Core. The frozen security agent had been scouting one of the dozens of worlds that the Empire had discovered during its recent expansion into the Deep Core.

After selling their thugs gear booty, the heroes return to Maya, who advises them transportation has been acquired and is standing by. When she finds out the cargo is in the Main Cargo Bay on Blue Deck, she is very concerned. She tells her new friends that Blue Deck is one of the nicest and most dangerous sections of Sel Zonn Station. Reserved almost exclusively for Imperial loyalists and off-duty personnel, Blue Deck is a combination of luxury and fanatical devotion to the Empire. Everything on Blue Deck is pristine and well maintained, with none of the technical problems seen elsewhere on the station. Propaganda posters for Emperor Palpatine cover the walls, and the insignia of the Empire is found almost everywhere the eye can see. Stormtroopers guard every entrance and exit to Blue Deck as well. She also notes to them that the anti-alien bias encountered on the Promenade is even worse here. Shopkeepers steadfastly refuse to serve non-Humans, and cantina bouncers prevent aliens from entering the establishments. Very few aliens walk the halls of Blue Deck, and those that do are usually servants or slaves of nobles and Imperial agents. This gives the group an idea. With ‘Lady Izza’ in charge, her servants and slaves in tow, they will enter Blue Deck with the illusion of purpose, in hopes of making it to the Main Cargo Area without incident.

As the turbolift doors slide open and they step out onto Blue Deck, it is like entering a wholly different space station. The floors are polished and possess a metallic sheen, and the massive windows along one wall grant the most magnificent view of Brentaal available on the station. Maintenance and service droids flit about from one place to the next, keeping everything clean and ordered. Moving about the halls of Blue Deck are large numbers of Humans, most of them wealthy by all appearances. They pay little attention to the few aliens found in the area, except, perhaps, to sneer as they pass.

[Lysander]

(Part 2 of the story)

Lady Izza makes discrete inquiries about Blue Deck and the Main Cargo Bay, and is able to find out that the Empire has just sent an entire squad of stormtroopers to the main docking bay to check out some suspicious cargo. Meanwhile, Neth has stealthed into the shadows and is scanning the crowd when he sees one of the stations informant/agents. He recognizes that this agent was present at the Promenade battle, but does nothing about it. Finally, the informant spots Neth. The two lock eyes, and the informant bolts. As Neth gives chase, the rest of the group sees Neth taking off, and Lady Izza also notices the informant and realizes he could finger them. The chase is on, as the group hauls after the informant. After a few moments of navigating the crowds, they chase the agent into the less populated areas of Blue Deck. The chase ends when Neth gets close enough to Force Grip the informant, and he fails to break free. The heroes close in with blasters drawn…

[glacius]

Guys this a truly awesome game, thanks again mike

[Lysander]

Our heroes secure the Imperial informant, Skig Banos. With a mop of greasy black hair and a physique that is little more than skin hanging off bones, Skig looks a bit on the pathetic side. His beady eyes and oversized nose give him a more sinister edge, causing him to resemble a wild womp rat eager to escape captivity. The group starts to press Skig for information, and Izza turns on the charm. Although deathly afraid of the heroes and the Empire, something about the Zeltron’s demeanor calms the snitch. He lets the heroes know that there is a small group of stormtroopers with an officer heading into the Main Docking Bay, something about contraband cargo. They have a repulsor sled with them, so it must be a nice find for the Empire.

Now that they know what they’re up against, they disarm Skig and remove his commlink and set him loose. The heroes make it to the Docking Bay and enter, finding 3 troopers, an officer, and a 4th trooper on an armed repulsor sled, which is moving a large block of carbonite out of the storage area for further inspection. Izza tries to talk her way through, but the troopers indicate they need to see her manifest for her cargo, and further, she’ll need to wait until ‘official empire business is completed’. Izza further offers to help with the carbonite, but she is politely rebuffed. Neth gestures and convinces the trooper that he has seen their manifests and they may collect their cargo. However, they are still not allowed to approach the carbonite. Our heroes move to the smaller storage area and prepare an ambush. With their attention diverted to the carbonite, the troopers are a bit surprised when they are suddenly fired upon. One of the troopers on the ground and the repulsor sled driver are dropped by Izza and Neth, and before they knew what happened, the officer is cut down as well by Morder. Finally snapping out of it, the two remaining troopers return fire. Neth barely avoids a blaster shot, but Morder is not so lucky and he is hit pretty hard. Morder finally takes down the trooper that shot him, and Izza and Neth deal with the other trooper and 1 reinforcement that enters the cargo bay, only to be nailed before he can react.

The heroes call Maya to let her know the cargo has been secured, and she tells them transport is on the way, and the group finds Switchs’ cargo held by a large, one eyed labor droid. It follows their command to take the Corellian Ale aboard a large Baudo-class Star Yacht named the Banshee that drifts into the main docking bay and lowers its ramp. Over the loudspeaker, the ship’s captain, a woman named Sirona Okeefe, calls out to the heroes that Maya sent her to fetch them. When the heroes all board the ship, Captain Okeefe blasts off from Sel Zonn Station and make a quick jump to hyperspace, headed for Alderaan.

Captain O’keefe advises that she’ll be taking the characters to meet with the Senator, and she encourages them to relax and recuperate during the journey to the peaceful planet of Alderaan. The journey to Alderaan goes off without a hitch, and as the Banshee soars over the planet, the heroes enjoy a great view of the beautiful landscape of the world. The heroes overhear Aldera’s spaceport control tower clearing the ship to land at the Royal Palace’s landing pad.

When the heroes disembark, they are immediately greeted by several Alderaanian honor guards and one of Bail Organa’s servants, who escorts them into the palace and to the Grand Hall—an ornately decorated chamber where the royalty of Alderaan holds court. The heroes are given refreshments and asked to wait on Organa’s arrival. During this time, the Senator’s servants unload the precious cargo from the Banshee and set about releasing the Alderaanian Security agent from the carbonite.

The doors to the Grand Hall open, and in strides a middle-aged man who has a well-kept goatee and is wearing Senatorial robes. Easily recognizable as Bail Organa, he smiles and nods to the servants before turning to you. “Welcome to Alderaan,” he says. “I had hoped we might meet under more pleasant circumstances, but unfortunately the Empire makes almost everything unpleasant. Still, I am glad to see that the . . . difficulties at the spaceport above Brentaal didn’t impede you too much.

“I’ve asked you to join me today because the agents of mine that you rescued seem to think you can be trusted. Since you worked hard to help them, I believe I can put my faith in you as well. I have a task that needs to be completed, but unfortunately my status as a Senator prevents me from taking care of it myself, or even from sending someone directly associated with the Royal Family. “The planet Felucia was ravaged during the Clone Wars, but once the fighting was over, the Empire set up a permanent facility on the world. Nothing large—just a small garrison where they could keep prisoners out of the way. Some months ago, I was contacted by an Imperial Admiral who was disillusioned with the way the Empire had twisted the once-great Republic, and he began feeding me sensitive information. A little over a week ago, that communication stopped. My agents tell me that the Admiral has been taken to Felucia, where he is being held against his will. I’d like you to learn what has become of him, and rescue him if you can.”

The heroes learn several things before making their decision. The Admiral is one Gilder Varth is a veteran of the Clone Wars and an honorable man. He commanded one of the ships at the Battle of Coruscant and was promoted for bravery. His loyalty to the Empire seemed unwavering, but now it seems his conscience has caught up with him. They also learn the Imperial presence on Felucia is light. The facility itself is a secret, so they do not advertise its presence with large numbers of troops. The knowledge of the facility’s existence is their greatest advantage. Additionally, since they wouldn’t be going anywhere near the planet’s major cities, they should be able to travel largely undetected.

Neth then explains to the rest that Felucia is dense with overgrowth, huge fungi, and massive creatures are the order of the day on Felucia. It’s a wild, untamed planet, and they should be careful to avoid much of the local wildlife if they accept their mission. The heroes seem to be on the verge of acceptance, so Senator Organa decides to add a little more to secure their help. “Each of you will receive 2,000 credits, and if things go well, I will guarantee more work when you return. Additionally, if the Admiral has as much information as I believe he does, this could be an excellent chance to strike a blow at the Galactic Empire.” The heroes agree to the terms...

Senator Organa tells them that he has arranged transport aboard a vessel owned and operated by one of his longtime friends, Captain Sirona Okeefe. She is a free trader and transport pilot who frequently works for Organa and his agents— most recently, Maya. Captain O’Keefe also keeps a droid copilot, an RX-13 pilot droid nicknamed “Crash,” who is curmudgeonly and prefers to gripe about nearly everything rather than go about his duties. The team decides to do some shopping and prepares for their trip to Felucia…

[Lysander]

The heroes board the Banshee and take off for Felucia for the prison break mission. They are cautiously optimistic about the mission, but like that it will be more lucrative, and that they will be harming the Empire in at least some small way.
As the blue tunnel of hyperspace fades away and the pinpoints of stars fill the windows of the ****pit, the group gets a brief glimpse of the planet Felucia hanging just below the ship. Almost instantly their eyes are then drawn to the dagger-shaped starship looming ahead of them—an Imperial Star Destroyer.

“Hold on,” Captain O’keefe says, “We’re in for a bumpy ride.” With that, the captain slams the control stick forward, sending the ship tumbling rapidly into the atmosphere of the planet. As the Banshee passes through the thin cloud layer, they get a good look at the fungal swamps and jungles of Felucia, where towering mushrooms reach up into the air like skyscrapers. It would be beautiful if it weren’t rushing up at them so quickly.

Eventually, Captain O’keefe pulls the ship out of its dive, a move accompanied by the sounds of metal shearing from somewhere in the rear of the ship. The transport lurches, nearly throwing each of the heores to the ground, and dips sickeningly down toward the fungal canopy. Another massive bump jostles the ship before the captain brings the vessel to a screeching halt, resting deep within the mushroom jungles.

When the dust settles, Captain O’keefe and Crash quickly move around the interior of the ship, assessing the damage and ensuring that no one is injured. After a few minutes, the captain opens the hatch and steps outside into the jungle. The thick, humid air seeps into the ship almost immediately, and soon she returns with less than stellar news. While the Banshee has survived the landing mostly intact, it won’t be taking off any time soon. O’keefe thinks she can make the repairs, and fortunately the ship is hidden by the Felucian jungle’s canopy. However, she cannot give the heroes an estimate of when the work will be done. She suggests that the group make their way through the jungle toward the prison. The ship’s navigational systems brought the vessel down near the prison facility, so it shouldn’t take them more than a day or so to trek through the jungle and discover the ultimate fate of Admiral Varth.

Our group assesses their gear and equipment, and takes on some supplies from the Banshee to help complete their journey. The captain provides the group with the directions to the prison facility, which she uploads into datapads carried by the crew, which gives them the location of the Imperial prison facility and the relative location of the Banshee so they can make their way back.

Their first steps onto the soil of Felucia make it clear that this planet is truly alive. Massive mushrooms tower overhead, their overhanging edges creating a canopy that blocks out much of the planet’s sunlight. Every step on Felucian soil turns up insects and other fungi just beneath the surface. The noise of the jungle is loud and alien, full of the sounds of a hundred insects and animals moving through the mushroom swamps, all part of a living and vibrant ecosystem.

The Rodian, ‘Gonzo’ takes point and puts his considerable survival skills to the test, and help the group evade numerous natural hazards including, but not limited to: Acid Pools, Exploding Fungus Blooms, and Razor Mushrooms. Even the Sinkhole that Morder fell into was no problem, as the rest of the heroes were able to extract him with minimal effort.

So after 6 hours, our group had progressed far along their path. The cacophony of noise created by insects and other animals makes it nearly impossible to hear the splash of their own footsteps through the Felucian swamp. The open area they start to walk into resembles a large, shallow pool of water with narrow islands rising out of the water, looking like stepping stones that are slightly too far apart to jump across. A faint mist hangs over the swampy ground, drifting over the still pool of water. The group’s keen eyes and wary nature pick up 3 forms. Tall and muscular, the bipedal beings seem to be a member of the native Felucian species. A long, slender form of a rancor’s jawbone juts down from the Felucian’s hand, and the scout’s bodies are barely covered by a leafy loincloth. A tangle of tendrils around their faces makes it impossible to see their eyes and the mud and other foliage plastered to their body camouflages them against the backdrop of the swamp.

Before Neth can try to communicate their intention to not being hostile, the Felucian Scouts attack! One manages to close in on Gonzo and nearly plants the Skullblade into the Rodian’s head, while Neth and Morder try to hold off the scouts. Gonzo is able to return fire and drops his attacker, while Neth battles Lightsaber verses Skullblade, and Morder equips his vibroblade for hand to hand combat. Neth and Gonzo are suddenly hit by an intense wave of force emanating from one of the Felucians, stunning them both, while a 4th scout springs up and moves in or Morder as the battles continue.

Suddenly, a man’s voice echoes through the swampy area. “Peace! Please, stop fighting!” He repeats his plea in the strange undulating vocal patters of the Felucians. The scouts seem to recognize the man and take a defensive stance. The heroes decide to hold back as well. The man further introduces himself as Vazus Mandrake. He has a scarred face and stringy grey hair, but seems adept in the Felucian environment. He explains they are at the edge of some territory belonging to this tribe of Felucians, and have been mistaken for Imperial Agents. Vasus offers to take them to their village and translate on their behalf if the group wishes. They accept the help and they move on into the village.

On the outskirts, the party sees stormtrooper armor staked out in effigy, and each of the scouts hits it with their skullblades. Morder repeats the gesture with his own vibrosword, earning the respect of the scouts. The village appears to have been carved almost completely out of the massive mushrooms that dominate the Felucian landscape. Each one looks old and petrified, making the mushroom huts appear far more solid than their still-living counterparts elsewhere in the jungle. In the center of the village, a number of native Felucians gather in a half circle, squatting by a cooking fire and turning to look at the group as they enter. Though the village area has been cleared, small mushrooms and other plants still rise up from the ground, as though the jungle itself resists any attempts at civilization.

Vazus mediates the initial meeting with the chieftain, who looks over each of the heroes in turn, taking a keen interest in Neth, and a wary interest in Morder. The chieftain states he will hold a formal session at dusk, so the heroes are fed and escorted around the village to where Vazus has set up at the edge of camp. They notice in passing a mushroom house full of younglings who seem sick, but as not of the heroes have medical training to offer, they move on without asking further on the situation.

At Mandrakes place, they encounter his small constructed hut with a makeshift coral with 5 Kybucks, long legged mounts. Vazus explains he was in charge of a Mercenary Group working for the Separatists on Felucia during the clone wars. The living mounts were used in lieu of mechanical transport due to the high density of particulates in the air given off by the native flora that would befoul standard speeders and the like. He advises his unit was destroyed by the clone troopers and he managed to escape and nursed himself back to health. When the war ended and the Empire rose, Mandrake decided to make his home among the Felucians, where he has been living ever since. He still tends the small group of kybucks, and has named them after his former comrades (Phil, Gian, Terrell, Varn, and Mike.).
Mandrake states the chieftain will want to know why they are here if they are not Imperialists, and the more Vazus knows about them, the more helpful he can be as a speaker on their behalf. The heroes reluctantly advise they are here to scout out an Imperial Outpost for possible action. Vazus smiles, and explains the chieftain will want to know about that, and to be prepared to tell the truth, for the chief has an uncanny to know truth from lies, even if translated.

That night, the chieftain has a meal in their honor, and then asks why they are here. He is told the truth for the most part. The chieftain in turn tells them they know of this dark place. They have lost scouts that are known to have been taken there, but have no ability to free them. He senses darkness there, and the Dark Ones expand ever outward on their machines. If the heroes intend to travel there, he cautions them. The party asks for guides, but the chieftain is reluctant to send anyone. He will sleep on their request and let them know of his decision, as he doesn’t want to risk any more of his people to that place.

Gonzo and Morder head off to quarters, but Neth stays behind to talk to the chief, intrigued by the ability of the Felucians to use the force without out ‘training’. He learns they all have the ability to generate Force Energy. The two spend several hours together, learning from each other different ways of using the Force.

Meanwhile, Vazus arrives late at night with Gonzo and Morder with a large duffel bag in tow. He reveals that he has found a new way of life, but the prison facility must be destroyed. He shows them what’s in the duffel; a huge explosive charge. He advises the pair he no longer has the courage or determination to use it himself, but he senses the heroes do. He gifts it to them and then leaves…

[Lysander]

Morning dawns upon our heroes and they begin preparations for travel to ‘The Dark Place’ (as the Felucians call it); the Imperial Prison Facility. But then a low whine coming from the outskirts of the village is heard, as though a repulsor engine were passing around its edges. Upon further investigation, the heroes spot a scout trooper on a speeder bike zooming away from the village, headed into the deep jungle. They catch only a glimpse of him before he speeds out of view, but it seems certain that the scout trooper saw them.

Vazus Mandrake urges the heroes to give chase, as he knows the scout trooper will report the hidden Felucian village—and the presence of the heroes—to his superiors, and soon after, stormtroopers will descend upon them. He tells the group that the mushrooms in the area have chemicals in their stalks that block long-range communications, so there is little chance that the scout trooper could report his findings before reaching his base. He urges the heroes to take his kybucks and catch the Imperial scout before it’s too late.

The heroes mount their kybucks, and the chase begins! The kybucks move very, very quickly, and as the beasts lurch forward, the heroes realize that they’ll have no trouble keeping up with a speeder bike. Large mushrooms and other huge fungi streak by faster than the eye can see, and the ground whips by at an incredible pace. The kybucks provide a relatively smooth ride, and it is clear that the animals know the terrain far better than any of the heroes might. Each kybuck leaps, turns, twists, and dodges between the massive growths of the fungal forest.

The heroes streak out of the village and into an area of sparse growth. But soon, they have all entered a massive fungal swamp. Shallow pools of water litter the landscape, and the kybucks send up huge splashes as their hoofed feet pass through the puddles. Large, multicolored fungi droop low over the landscape, and huge birds swoop down to scoop up prey. The fungal swamp is so thick that the heroes can hardly see in front of them, but the kybucks have no difficulty navigating the swampy terrain. Izza even manages to maneuver her Kybuck into a relatively clear area and gains considerable ground on the fleeing bike trooper.

Soon the chase leads into a thick area of undergrowth and the scout attempts to lose the heroes by entering a hollowed out trunk of a massive deceased mushroom tree. Izza, Gonzo and Morder manage to follow, but Neth and their Felucian scout loose the trail and enter into the thickened terrain and fall behind even more. Izza and the scout exit the massive trunk almost even, with Morder not far behind, however Gonzo is slowed as he gets entangled by a grasping set of roots that hang down into the tunnel like tentacles. He manages to get untangled but he loses considerable ground, exiting and linking up with Neth and the Felucian guide than had to take the long way around.

Izza is able to move ahead of the Imperial scout, and prepares to put her new blaster carbine scope to good use to line up a shot on the fleeing scout. The scout veers, but before Izza can take a shot, the ground in front of him erupts. An aged and dying rancor had buried itself under the dirt and undergrowth, and now it rises up and swipes at the scout and his speeder bike. The rancor is sluggish, but as it rises to its full height, pieces of debris and detritus fall off its body, creating a rain of soil and plants that spatters the area. The rancor connects on the speeder bike, causing the scout to lose control and crash into a tall mushroom nearby. He is thrown clear but is stunned by the event. The heroes close in, and Morder removes the scouts helmet and rifle butts him into deep unconsciousness.

“XR-14, XR-14, respond. Relay last message,” crackles the helmet mic.

Izza takes the helmet, alters her voice to a male register and responds. “I’m stranded and need retrieval. Bike is wrecked. I am not injured.”

“Activate locator beacon on the bike and prepare for retrieval.”

Izza complies, and the heroes agree to allow her to don the trooper armor and try to infiltrate the Imperials, while the rest of the group follows on their kybucks. Izza is soon picked up, and tells her rescuers that she was being chased by 2 unknown parties, but then points to the thrashing rancor, advising they have met an untimely end. The scouts accept her report and begin to take her back. The heroes follow at a safe distance.

Izza is diverted to a communication outpost, which is nothing more than a huge antenna with a moderate power generator. Several huge mushrooms tower over this area, nearly obscuring the Imperial outpost that stands across a narrow stream. The stream winds through the middle of a forest clearing, splitting around both sides of a humongous mushroom whose cap hangs like an awning over much of the area. The outpost consists of little more than a few small barracks and a computer system with a rotating satellite dish at its top. There are 4 troopers stationed there, as well as the two bike troopers. Izza manages to bluff her way through her report and is told to hole up at the outpost and they’ll call for a retrieval team for ‘her’ and her speeder bike in the morning. She then takes the time to scout out the station and think of what to do next.

The rest of our heroes start to stalk into the area, except for the felucian scout, who is left to tend the kybucks. Gonzo begins to sneak across the stream, with Neth not too far behind, while Morder stays back to provide cover fire. Izza sees her companions moving up (even though the imperial scouts don’t) and quietly slips off under the guise of having to take a latrine break and finds a defensible location for the impending shootout. She fixates on a speeder bike trooper closest to her teammates and waits for the fireworks to begin.

Sure enough, Neth encounters debris in the stream and splashes enough to draw the attention of the Bike Troopers, who kick into gear. However, Izza opens fire, succeeding in a head shot one of the bike scouts. The other swoops around a large mushroom and returns fire, pinning down Neth as he tries to swim across, and the troopers split up to try to pin down Izza and the others. Morder manages to put down the other bike trooper, allowing Neth to get across and boost his speed to join the rest of the battle. One by one, the troopers are gunned down by Izza, Gonzo and Morder, and Neth finishes off the last one with a wave of his padawan lightsaber.

Plans are conferred on how best to take out the communication tower when it is finally determined that they can hack the computer systems and reset the communications array to the same frequency as the interference generated by the Felucian plant life. This would essentially broadcast white noise across the entire Imperial communications spectrum. Doing so would also scramble the navigational arrays built into scout trooper armor, which prevents reinforcements from arriving, so this course of action is taken. Finally, the group is able to cobble together enough trooper armor suits to possibly disguise themselves, although the large Feeorin Morder and the small Rodian Gonzo might have problems up close, as they do not fit the standard clone trooper physical profile. The group then prepares for their trek to the imperial prison facility…

[Lysander]

Authors Note:

This campaign has been a blast to run so far! I must give kudo's to Rodney Thompson, the author of the Dawn of Defiance Campaign. It's originally written in the SAGA d20 format, so I've had to take liberties with the 'conversion' of sorts. But I've done my best to retain the cinematic feel of the movies, and I think Savage Worlds is a great system in which to do that. It's unfortunate that 'Magicians of the Beach' have ended their involvement with Star Wars...

Secondly, my players have been a blast, so I am giving a shout out to them as well. (Philth, Gianmh, Terrell, VarnFury, and hopefully we'll get Barftoast back in the near future...)

Lastly, I give props to Fantasy Grounds (Version 2) for the Virtual Table Top platform. My investment in this has paid off in spades over the past 3+ years, and Skype for free chat has helped tremendously.

I enjoy writing the recaps, as it helps me and my players remember what happened previously, and if/when we pick up new players, there's a campaign history they can read. I hope you enjoy reading them, and any questions and comments are encouraged.