# STAR WARS - The Clone Wars - Child of Prophecy FOLDED



## Dr Midnight

PROLOGUE 1
“Begun, the Clone War has.” 

Yoda sat back in his seat. The tension of the conflict had clearly taken a toll on the wizened Jedi master, leaving him weary and worn. For the first time, he looked his age, or so Plo Koon thought to himself. 

Koon spoke in his modulated voice. “Master Obi-Wan, we must talk of this again, and soon. For now, however, we have done all we can and must take rest.” 

Obi-Wan Kenobi nodded and said “I understand.” He turned and left. The expression on his face said that he did not truly understand, not about how the overwhelming victory at Geonosis could be perceived as a defeat. _To his credit, he says nothing,_ Koon thought. _That one’s defiance died not long after Qui-Gon. He now listens and accepts, though he does not agree. Kenobi may make a councilmember yet._ 

Koon turned his attention to Master Yoda, sitting in his chair overlooking the grim ceremonies below. “He does not see the meaning of your words.” 

“He needn’t.” The small Jedi master said. “Never seen war, has Kenobi. Not in his lifetime. Not true war.” Yoda looked out over the centuries of marching clone soldiers, walking aboard their transports like so many well-behaved ants. 

Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke. “Most of us haven’t. This is a galaxy-wide conflict. It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever known, and will swallow many lives.”

Mace Windu stood over Yoda's shoulder, staring off at the transports rising up into the sunset, full of soldiers and war. He asked “Do you fear?” 




Mundi paused and thought. "No." 

"I do. At least, I think so. I haven't felt even a trace of fear in so long that I no longer think I can recognize it." Windu set his mouth in a grim line and looked at his fellow councilmembers, the only people he would ever confess such a thought to. Only Yoda did not regard him with surprise.

Plo Koon said "I have a cold feeling in the pit of my third llophen. I do not think it is fear. It feels rather like a certainty that some ill will come of this war."

"Hard to see, the future is," Yoda said in that way of his. "Easy to know is the treachery of war. Easier still is fear."

Mace nodded and said "I think we would be wise to heed our feelings, and know our fear. Only when we let that fear overtake us do we stumble." He watched for a moment as a large wedge-shaped transport lifted up into the orange sky. "I think we should take steps to protect the future of the Jedi."

"You speak of the Child of Prophecy," Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "You think he may be in particular danger throughout the conflict."

"Yes. Furthermore, I think if he should come to harm or death, we may be in greater trouble than we know. The loss of the one who would bring balance to the Force would cripple us. I think we should take pains to see him safely back to Coruscant, so that he might be in our care."

Mundi considered this. "I do not think he is in terrible danger. Skywalker has proved himself a capable young man, strong in the Force. He fought nobly in the battle on Geonosis."

"For one," Mace said, "I have heard that Skywalker acted foolishly and impulsively. I see him as being a willful boy, and have never believed he was a true candidate for the Child of Prophecy. This brings me to my second point... I wasn't talking about Skywalker."

END OF PROLOGUE 1


----------



## Dr Midnight

Just a note - I know I've had a lot of start-and-stop story hours over the last year... Feng Shui, Buffy, even another Star Wars... I just want you to know that I never mean to leave these things behind, and I mean to give this story hour as much effort as I have all my projects. 

Barring anything unforeseen, I think we're looking at a complete package here. I miss having a story hour and I miss you guys, so if you're in the mood for some SW-style action, let's get our Force on. 

This'll be a brief (4-8 sessions or so) campaign, set in the Clone Wars, in the Clone Wars cartoon style. There will be no connection to my other Star Wars campaigns. 

First game is scheduled for Saturday the 15th.


----------



## Salthorae

*woohoo*

Let me be the first to say: "YAY! A new Doc Midnight SH!"  I loved KotSQ and was a faithful lurker, even in those short other SH's. Can't wait to see this one Doc!


----------



## Felix

The Doctor is 
-----IN-----

Alriiiiight! Doc, the theater doors are open, and Felix is sitting middle row center with popcorn and soda. Can't wait for the show to start!


----------



## Ao the Overkitty

Ah. there is much niftiness in a Midnight Story Hour.  Especially a Star Wars one.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Salthorae! Felix! Ao! Ahh, the old names. Good to see you guys again. 

Anyone else? Where's Lela? Tsunami? Richards? Horacio? I needs my old peeps back for maximum impact powah.


----------



## Wee Jas

/Delurking

I've got a got a baaaaad feeling about this!


----------



## ledded

Whoa!  Hey, hey, Doc Midnight is back in the house!


Loved your other SH's, and have missed 'em on the boards for a while.  Welcome back, I look forward to this one.

.


----------



## fenzer

Hey Doc!  It's good to see you behind the quill again.

Wee Jas, you bring your singular whit.  A whit unlike any other whit and one long missed.  Magnus looks cool.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks-
Good to see you guys too. Wish I could keep this thread bobbin' at the top, but until we play, there's no way to really keep things going until I post more prologue, which probably won't happen for a day or two yet. 

I also have PCs to show and discuss (as in Wee Jas' sig pic), but I don't want to show any more of those until the characters are introduced in the story.


----------



## Baron Opal

*He returns...*

Well, Doc, it's good to see you again. Star Wars was always one of my favorite genres to play in, and it will be fun to see what you make of it.

I've noticed that most of your SW games are very finite, 6-10 sessions or so. Your fantasy games have been more open-ended. Does the SW mileu inspire you to more specific storylines? Or, have you had your fill of the extended campaign?

Baron Opal


----------



## Dr Midnight

Baron-
Neither, in fact- I just feel that certain games and genres have a life expectancy to them. I think it's best to have Star Wars games from 4-8 sessions long, D&D for years (if possible), and Feng Shui one session at most. I think the adventure nature of Star Wars kinda prohibits it from being a long campaign. You can't keep up the heat over thirty sessions, so it's better to burn bright than to burn long.


----------



## Razamir

NICE! Looking forward to a new Doc Midnight story hour.

Welcome back.


----------



## Dr Midnight

PROLOGUE II

The Jedi stepped into the Supreme Chancellor's office and took their usual seats before his desk. "Good of you to see us, it is," Yoda offered as a greeting.

"Not at all," the Chancellor said. "I am always happy to receive the Jedi Council. How goes the campaign?"

Mace Windu replied "Well, after a fashion. We've taken twelve more systems under our wing since last week, and Manaan has agreed to speak with us about joining the Republic."

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine smiled and held his hands palm-upward in a Naboo gesture of gladness. "Wonderful. This is very good news. If we could get them to commit, we would have no shortage of kolto for our medic units."

"Moreover," Windu added, "Manaan has had a millenia-long tradition of neutrality. If they even consider coming to our side, it will show other systems and planets that our cause is just. Their very attention will provoke the attention of countless undecided systems."

"Oh?" Palpatine blinked and nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. I hadn't even thought of that." He nodded again, in that grandfatherly way of his. His face was kind, his eyes wrinkled from  years of polite smiles.

Yoda regarded the man. "Supreme Chancellor, if you will, we have a boon we might ask of you."

"Yes, of course."

Yoda and Mace exchanged unsure glances, and Yoda spoke. "A prophecy, there is. Ageless, it seems, and yet unrealized. There will be a child. One who brings balance to the Force."

"Yes, I remember hearing of this." Palpatine paused in thought for a moment. "...Skywalker, was it?"

"There was one who believed this when he was taken in to the Jedi Order, as there are some who believe it now," Windu said with his eyes to the sunset, just out the window. "When Skywalker came to us, Qui-Gon Jinn took him as his student, claiming the boy was the Child of Prophecy."

"Master Jinn. Oh, I can't imagine how terrible it was to lose him." The Supreme Chancellor's face fell, and he reflected sadly on the death of the Jedi. "And how alarming that he should die at the hands of one of these treacherous Siths."

"Sith," Windu corrected. "At any rate, yes, the Force is very strong indeed with Skywalker. He is one candidate for the Child of Prophecy." Mace paused and looked to his companion.

"Another, there is," Yoda said.

Palpatine's eyebrows raised. "Truly?" He cleared his throat and smiled again, his face serene. "This is good for the Jedi Order, yes? What does this have to do with me, my friends? You mentioned a boon."




"Strong, Skywalker is, and nearly a full-fledged Jedi," Yoda said. "He can defend himself and has proved himself in combat. Sirus, as the other potential is named, is but a youngling. He is but ten standard years old."

"Oh my. Sirus, you say?"

Mace nodded. "Pock Sirus. A human boy. As strong in the Force as any we've seen. The Force flows around and through him, and he takes to his lessons quickly. He is still young and headstrong and not yet knowledgeable in the ways of diplomacy and the Code, but he's mastered the early tenets of using the Force without problem. He's training under Master Turon on Ilstaes-IV. We want to bring him back to Coruscant."

"As soon as possible," Yoda added. "We ask you to sign an order for a full squadron of soldiers to be sent to bring him safely home. His life is too valuable to trust to risk."

Palpatine bent his head down and thought. "I see." He stood and stared through his window, watching the speeders and transports flying slowly in their orderly lanes through the sky. "I'm sorry, my friends, but I must deny this request."

Mace spoke calmly. "This is very important to the Order, Supreme Chancellor. Sirus could be the one to restore balance to the Force."

Palpatine nodded absently. "I understand your concern, Master Windu. Still, consider the Republic's needs. There is galactic war. In every system, conflict between our forces and the Separatists' threatens to swallow countless lives. Our troopers are spread too thin as it is, and I cannot place the life of one Jedi above the lives of others. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

Yoda said "Sympathize we do, yet the Child of Prophecy could grow to save more lives than we could ever know."

Palpatine shook his head. "That makes sense if you subscribe to Jedi dogma." He smiled. "I'm afraid I do not. I do wish you the best of luck in his safe return, but I cannot grant your boon."

Windu sighed and looked to Yoda. "We should send a group of Jedi out to Ilstaes and bring them home as soon as we're able."

The Supreme Chancellor frowned at that, not unkindly. "I believe that Coruscant's Jedi Knights all have their assignments as generals in the war, do they not? I don't wish to naysay your plan to save this brave lad, but we can't very well call Masters Fisto, Unduli, Kenobi, or even yourselves away from the war."

"Plo Koon will go," Windu said. "He is Turon's former Master. Or I will."

"I'm afraid all the remaining Jedi have assignments to report for," Palpatine said as he turned from the window to face the two Jedi. "Some tasks haven't yet been assigned, and will be given shortly. There's just too much to be done. We can't spare a one of you."

Windu and Yoda stood as one, bowing and turning to go. "Then we'll trouble you no more. If you'll excuse us, we have a message to send."

Palpatine smiled. "Of course. Good day to you."

The doors closed behind the Jedi as they left. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine turned and watched the gloaming sunset and the growing darkness over Coruscant, smiling slightly as he did.

END OF PROLOGUE II


----------



## Felix

Sweetness.

Have you all started playing yet, or is this just the set-up for your players? And what a set-up: "Hey! Sithlord Palpatine, a Child of Prophecy is right... over... _here_." Heh.


----------



## Dr Midnight

No, haven't started playing yet... The date got pushed back to next week. 

And HEY, regarding the Supreme Chancellor, that's libel. You can't prove a thing about this wild allegation of some connection to these treacherous Siths.


----------



## Richards

...you called?

Glad to see a new Story Hour starting up, Doc.  It's been too long.

Johnathan


----------



## Wee Jas

Richards?  My song-paraody sense is tingling!




			
				Richards said:
			
		

> ...you called?
> 
> Glad to see a new Story Hour starting up, Doc.  It's been too long.
> 
> Johnathan


----------



## Felix

[Felix's Lawyers]

What Mr. Felix _meant_ to say was "Pithlord" Palpatine. "Pithlord" because not only does Supreme Chancellor Palpatine possess a sharp wit, but also because the Empire, er, Republic, was based on British colonialism, and brits wore pith-helmets. Palpatine is a pithy British-cum-Republican Lord, so Pithlord is not libel.

Any statements to the contrary will be served papers.

[/Felix's Lawyers]

Umm, yeah. Pith...lord.



Richards, can't wait!


----------



## fenzer

Hey Doc, more please.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hey there Fenz- I'm planning at least one more prologue chapter before the game, so soon. That's the good news. The bad news is that "soon" now means next week, as the Child of Prophecy is going up for a karate exam of some kind. Black belt? I think so. 

Anyway, the ever-morphing first-session date is now Saturday the 22nd. I should just write up a buncha stuff and post it because I miss the ego-soothing reader posts. Sniffle. 

Wee Jas was reading KoSK earlier today and pining for the good ol' days when I had legions of slavering fans, instead of now, when I'm not even recognized in supermarkets. I've been downgraded to Liza status.


----------



## fenzer

Doc, don't fret now.  You're like good music, you get better with age.   

If you post, they will come.


----------



## threshel

fenzer said:
			
		

> Doc, don't fret now.  You're like good music, you get better with age.
> 
> If you post, they will come.



 Yes, they will.
Excellent beginning, Dr.


J


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Anyone else? Where's Lela? Tsunami? Richards? Horacio? I needs my old peeps back for maximum impact powah.



Haven't seen Horacio in a while myself. He seem to vanish for months at a time as of late. Still, I popped in after seeing the Star Wars logo (no idea why) and didn't even realize it was you until after I'd read the intro. Now I'm hooked.

As long as our star writer doesn't start going nuts on the fans, I'll hang around. 



			
				Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> I've been downgraded to Liza status.



Who?


----------



## Dr Midnight

PROLOGUE III

Jaren Creel checked his chrono, annoyed. Whoever called him here to this meeting was late. He hated dealing with people who kept him waiting, especially in squallid conditions like this. He sniffed, shuffled his feet and looked around.

The industrial sector of Coruscant was little more than a dismal landscape of droid-run factories, tower-mounted power couplings and smokestacks. The sky overhead, even in daylight, was a muddy and overcast brick red. The atmospheric reconditioners took care of the air once it got to populated sections of the planet, but the industrial sector seemed to turn everything gray. The smog and airborne technochrine particles tended to cling to everything like dust. Jaren’s hand-tailored Cylorean suit was getting somewhat less vibrant with each passing moment. 

Jaren brushed off his flowing, bright orange sleeves with an irritated grimace and checked his chrono again. To his left, a figure in a black robe stepped from the shadows. Only the lower portion of his face was visible, and the wrinkled mouth smiled in greeting. “You’re late,” Jaren said. 

“And you’re angry,” the man replied.


“That’s because my time is valuable. What’s this job of yours?” 

The robed figure nodded and spoke. “First, I feel obliged to tell you that our business is of utmost secrecy. I must insist on your complicity in nondisclosure.”

“You’ve got it,” Jaren sniffed proudly. “I’m a professional- I don’t discuss business.”

“Excellent.” The figure smiled and paused before going on. “You are going to the Ilstaes system.” 

“Where is that?”

“It’s far out on the rim. You’ll be accompanying a small party of Jedi back here to Coruscant.”

Creel chuckled. “Doesn’t sound like any kind of secretive project to me.”

“This is but the first part of your job. Your second is more complicated; there is a child among them. You are to watch him. When you are sent a coded signal, it will be your cue to try to separate the child from the others. The boy will soon find himself in new company.”

Jaren held up his hands. “Whoa, whoa. Hold on. Is this kid going to be alright?”

“He will simply find himself with different friends.”

“He won’t be hurt, will he?”

The man in black grinned. “I recall a day when bounty hunters did as they were bid, without question.”

Creel shrugged. “I like to know things about jobs I’m on.”

“Your concern with the boy ends when he disappears, at which time you must as well.”

“I can do that.”

“There will be other interested parties. If the boy finds himself among separatist forces, away from his master, do your best to let him go without revealing yourself.”

“Separatists??” Jaren sneered. “Am I getting myself mucked up in this Clone War that’s going on?”

The robed man waved his hands over the ground. “Does it matter? You are earning your share. You will be contacted by Republic forces within the hour. Comply with them and mention nothing of this meeting.”

“Why will I be contacted by the Republic?”

“They need a man with your qualifications.”

Jaren frowned, confused. “But I’m a bounty hunter.”

“They believe you are something else entirely.”

“I see. How much am I making, here? My going fee isn’t cheap, especially for a trip to the outer rim. Lotta blasterfire being exchanged in space, and I value my hide.”

“Complete this task and you will make a great deal of money, my friend. You stand to make over one hundred thousand credits.”

Jaren Creel’s eyebrows shot up and he quickly composed himself, donning his Sabacc face. “One hundred thousand. That seems about right.”

“I thought you might think so. I’m afraid our time here is ended- remember everything I have told you… and say nothing.”

Jaren rolled  his eyes. “I assure you, I won’t discuss this with anyone.”

“Let us hope you are correct,” the man said threateningly. “The consequences for betrayal would be most dire.” He peered from beneath his hood, and his eyes glittered there like small gems. Jaren felt the gaze buckle him somehow… like the weight of the stranger’s stare could crush him if it chose to. The bounty hunter bowed, straightened himself, and walked off. 

The man in black watched him go before turning and moving into a nearby darkened building. There he met another man, taller, standing near an odd-looking starship. “My master,” the tall man said. He had a white beard and well-coifed white hair. His dapper cape hung behind him. 

“Lord Tyrannus. Everything goes as planned?” 





“Yes my liege. Our Confederate forces are poised for takeover in the systems you’ve indicated. More systems join our ranks by the day. With their strength, we can defeat the Republic.” Darth Tyrannus smiled proudly. “Another skirmish has broken out, above Muunilist. I fear the battle may be taken to the ground, but we’ve assured the Banking Clans our protection.”

“Good, good. I am encouraged. Have you found this warrior to be sent against the Jedi?”

“Indeed. One, named Durge, is en route to Muunilist as we speak. I will go to the gladiator pits of Rattatak to find the next.”

“Excellent. You do your job well, my pupil… which is why I will entrust to your forces another task.”

Tyrannus stiffened. “I am ready, my master.”

Darth Sidious said “There is a child…”

END OF PROLOGUES


----------



## fenzer

Thanks for the update Doc.


----------



## Stone Angel

Ahh nothing gets the blood flowing like a good Doc Midnight story hour. The sigs the art..... Just priceless. Will we be seeing any DocM art by chance. And what grocery store was it that disrespected you....Would you like them..ahem..."handled". 

Looking forward to the first update.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks Fenz and Stone-
Played the first session tonight, all went well. I begin writing. I'll maybe have something up before tomorrow... I'll have stuff up tomorrow by the latest. 

Oh yes, there will be Doc M art... in fact there already is, I'm just waiting for the proper time to unveil it.


----------



## Wee Jas

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Played the first session tonight




Yeah...  Rockin' da house Jedi-style.  Good jorab Doc!


----------



## Lela

Trust us, a skeleton with a broom can garantee no one will ever shop at that grocery store again.  And if they try to deny entrance, well, that's discrimination that is.  Undead have rights too.


----------



## Dr Midnight

In the Ilstaes system, on the far edge of the outer rim of the known universe, thirty-six moons float around a central mass of asteroids so dense it creates gravity. These moons orbit around their gravitational core in a complex sphere of motion, always in motion, never colliding. The asteroids at the core spin so quickly that they never touch, even though the pull on them to the center of the “planet mass” is immense. 

On Ilstaes IV, one of the six moons that can sustain most sentient life, the surface is covered in coniferous trees dressed in bluish needle-leaves. Here and there large mountains loom over the forested landscape. The horizon, as a result of the high Defrionic gas content in the upper atmosphere, glows orange-pink in the perpetual twilight that is the moon’s natural state, being without day or night.

Ilstaes IV hasn’t much to offer the few visitors it has. A small furrier trade is based on the rabbitlike Telmaks that inhabit the treetops. The wood is low in lead content and can be used in some kinds of construction. Mostly, Ilstaes IV is temperature mined. Temp miners live here is small camps and mine the cold depths of the rocky planet for rich veins of white heat that can be converted to other forms of energy and sold through their employer, the Techno Union. 

It is at one of these camps that three Jedi recently arrived, traveling on the steerage class of a freighter/transport convoy. They earn their keep among the miners by doing menial labor and adjudicating between disputes among the miners. In return they’re given a place to sleep and food to eat- which, as the master continually reminds his padawan, is all they require.

In a clearing near one of the main camps, the master and the padawan are exploring the living Force as it flows around them.

“What is the nature of balance?”

Pock Sirus, padawan Jedi learner, stood on his hands with his eyes closed. Around him several large rocks floated in the air like soap bubbles. “Balance is light winning over darkness.” 

Magnus Turon, Jedi Knight, stood nearby with a pensive frown on his face. He studied his student and saw that the boy wasn’t even beginning to break a sweat. “Not exactly.” He walked around the student and spoke, watching the rocks tumble through the air. “Winning over darkness is only balance if the darkness has been too powerful. Likewise, if the light side becomes too overbearing, balance can be darkness winning over light.”

“I don’t understand, master. What is balance, then?”

“This was my question to you.” Turon sat on a tuft of moss. “Clear your mind and let the answer rise to the surface.”

Pock scrunched his eyebrows as he thought. “Balance is… uh… a state of being not unbalanced.”

Magnus sighed. “Correct, yet not the answer I’m looking for. Again.”

Forty meters away, a primitive sort of court was in session. There was a dispute between two miners, a barada and a weequay. The plaintiff had asserted that the defendant broke into his temp-mine and stole from a rich vein of heat he’d discovered just the day before. 

The defendant stated that his machines had drilled into the mine not seeing it ahead in the maps, as the plaintiff had not registered his machine at that time- he had been mining “off the books”. This was perfectly legal, and counted as overtime, but only a mine you’d discovered while on the Techno Union’s chronopunch was technically yours alone.

Mikau Me, Jedi Knight, oversaw the disagreement. The tall kaminoan listened patiently to both sides of the argument and waited until all discussion was finished, nodding and asking for more information when he could. In polite tones the Jedi spoke at last. “I understand that the defendant has wronged the plaintiff. Property has been ‘taken’. Yet, all this temp you mine goes to the Techno Union, and all you are left with is a commission for your vein. It is my judgment that the defendant shall share his commission for the vein evenly with the plaintiff when it is received.”

The defendant nodded, but the plaintiff’s face clouded. “This isn’t fair at all. The vein was mine!”

The kaminoan nodded his long, graceful neck and blinked politely. “One can truly own nothing. You shall both benefit for your find, and in this will you both find a small measure of peace, the only true worthwhile pursuit.”

“Republic scum. Come down from Coruscant and help him steal my vein, will you? I hope the Separatists rise up against tyrants like you, and soon!” The plaintiff stormed off. Mikau sighed and walked from the court-area, over to the clearing where the master helped the student study his lessons.

Pock looked up from his handstand. “How goes it, Mikau?”

“As well as ever. They do not respect my judgments unless it suits them.” Mikau folded his hands before him and watched the rocks circling the padawan in a slow current.

Magnus said “Take heart, friend. Judging the locals has to be easier than teaching this one the tenets of the Force.” Pock grinned at that, and Magnus smiled back. 

Pock dropped to his feet and straightened. The rocks around him lowered gently to the ground. “When are we getting off this boring planet? I’m bored.”

“For one, my young padawan, it’s a moon, not a planet. For two, a Jedi does not seek excitement. A Jedi seeks…”

“Enlightenment, peace, all that,” Pock said, rolling his eyes. “I know.”

Mikau’s deep dark eyes contemplated the sky. “Most of a Jedi’s life is very dull to a child, Pock. The stories would have you believe that our duties are made up of flying all about the universe in ships, with daring adventures around every turn. It’s just not…” he paused as a light in the sky grew larger… it wasn’t a star. It was a ship, and it was coming down to the surface. As it grew closer it was clearly a CEC _Consular_-class space cruiser, chased in lines of deep brick-red, with three large sublight engines at its rear and a tubelike head. 

A Republic ship.

The three Jedi watched as the cruiser landed softly at the edge of the clearing and the bay door opened. There, silhouetted against the harsh lights of the interior of the ship was a man with a cape. He wore a brightly colored shirt with large, draping sleeves. He had two blasters in holsters on his hips. He was handsome, save for a large jagged scar across the bridge of his nose that ran from his forehead down to his left cheek. His thick head of sandy blond hair flopped to one side and the wind tousled it as he looked over the surface of Ilstaes IV. 

When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he muttered “Of all the places to be.” 

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Lela

Surprising, but Pock is already growing on me.  He's got just enough questions to draw my attention.

Can't wait to hear more.


----------



## Tanager

Doc Midnight, You tease! 

Great start. Can't wait to read more.


----------



## Wee Jas

Tanager said:
			
		

> Doc Midnight, You tease!
> 
> Great start. Can't wait to read more.




I'm a Jedi Master not a Knight...  Pshh.. George Lucas will tell ya.  A Jedi Master is a Jedi with a Padawan, Stupidhead.

Another slip like that and you get a Lightsaber in the FACE!

Hey.. Charimsa = 8.. bite me


----------



## Dr Midnight

Just having a padawan student that calls you "master" doesn't make you a Jedi Master. You're a Knight with a student, putz. Carrie agrees, so NYAH.


----------



## fenzer

It's good to have you back Wee Jas.  I've missed the whitty repartee.

Thanks for the Update Doc.


----------



## Wee Jas

> It's good to have you back Wee Jas.  I've missed the whitty repartee



and My Ultimate Knowledge of the rules? 

Magnus Turon is a Jedi Guardian 6/ Jedi Weaponmaster 3/ JEDI MASTER 1

He has a padawan learner.. and according to GEORGE LUCAS that makes him a master.  Its not a big deal.. its not like I have rank over anyone.. It just means Pok has to listen to me..


From the Star Wars FAQ


> Why is Jedi Master a prestige class in the Revised Core Rulebook?
> We changed Jedi Master to a prestige class
> because Lucas Licensing made it clear that you are
> considered a "Master" because you have a
> Padawan. It’s just that simple. It wasn't a general
> title of respect, after all. Thus, Obi-Wan, right after
> becoming a Jedi Knight, acquires a Padawan
> (Anakin), and devotes his next couple of levels to
> being a Jedi Master.
> Now, why isn't Jedi Knight also a prestige
> class? A lot of reasons, but they boil down to the
> idea that a 20-level Padawan class doesn't make a
> lot of sense. Can you honestly envision a 20th-level
> Padawan Consular? Because what happens if, by
> 7th level or so, you don't meet the requirements of
> the prestige class? Thus, Jedi Knight is built into
> the progression for the Jedi classes. In one respect,
> it's rather like a 14-level prestige class that a Jedi
> character automatically acquires when he has six
> Jedi levels. That's also, in a way, how we thought
> of the Jedi Master originally, though the clarification
> from Lucas Licensing made it clear that attaining
> the rank of Jedi Master is far more variable than
> we'd thought.




In short.. NAYYNAHH Carrie!


----------



## Lela

Um, that seems idiotic. Why not just grant the title Jedi Knight at 7th level?

Oh, and where's Yoda's padawan?


----------



## idarii

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> He has a padawan learner.. and according to GEORGE LUCAS that makes him a master.




hey doug

do you not remember the end of phantom menace? right before granting anakin as a padawan to obi-wan, yoda tells obi-wan "confer upon you the rank of jedi knight, the council does" (not an exact quote i'm sure, but i don't feel like popping in the DVD right now)

according to mr. LUCAS himself, obi-wan never attained the rank of jedi master. he was a knight all the way up until his own apprentice, pupil, and PADAWAN killed him.

so NYAAAAH doug


----------



## Lela

Does he call himself a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master in Clone Wars?


----------



## idarii

Oops- forgot to log Idarii out...
-Doc


----------



## Dr Midnight

The man from the ship spotted the Jedi and asked “Are you Turon?”

Magnus stepped forward. “I am Magnus Turon, yes.”

The man came down the ramp steps with a  swagger. “Jaren Creel. Got a communicator here for you.” He held out a holoprojector in his hand. 

Magnus took it and pressed the button. The beacon bleeped for a few moments before its call was answered, and Plo Koon’s head and shoulders filled the air above the projector in a transparent bluish cast. He spoke in his modulated drone. “Magnus,” Koon said with some relief in his voice. “The ship found you well?”

“Yes, of course. Should we not be?”

Pock, nearby, said “Hi Plo!”

The Kel Dor nodded, acknowledging the boy. “Greetings, young Pock. Magnus, may we speak privately?” 

Magnus frowned. That didn’t sound good. “Certainly. Pock, you stay here with Mikau and do as he tells you.” Magnus walked into the treeline with the holoprojector. 

When they were alone, Plo Koon began. “I’ll not waste our time. Magnus, war has broken out. There was a skirmish on Geonosis about a week ago, and the Confederation of Independent Planets and the Republic finally came to blows. The Supreme Chancellor was granted special power to form an army to combat the rising Separatist forces. Two galaxywide factions are now at war.”

“Wait,” Turon said, confused. “A week ago? Galactic war? Why haven’t I heard about this?”

“You’re in an outer rim system,” Koon replied. “One that, I might add, is particularly difficult to get communications to. The holonet has been suspended, and I suspect news of the conflict is only now reaching your moon via holorecordings and week-old newsfeed transmissions.”

Magnus thought for a moment. “This is bad. You know we’re on a moon with heavy Separatist sympathies, don’t you?”

“Yes. This is why it’s imperative that you get Pock out of the system and home as soon as is possible.”

“So who’s this man who came aboard the ship? Why haven’t the Jedi come to escort us home?”

Plo Koon seemed almost to wince at this. “There were complications. It seems the Supreme Chancellor’s got all the Jedi tied up in sensitive missions at the moment, acting as generals and commanders for clone warrior strike teams around the galaxy. I myself only have a moment to speak to you before I’m back to duty here on Dantooine. The man is a great soldier, Chancellor Palpatine assures us. He was hand-picked for this mission. You’re in good hands with him. He’ll protect Pock as vigorously as you do.”

Magnus set his jaw, frustrated and thinking hard. “The prophecy of old. You know he still isn’t aware of his own potential.”

“Yes, and he must remain ignorant of the idea.”

“Understood. One more thing: clone warriors??”

Plo Koon nodded at his former student. “They’re a recent addition. I’m afraid it’s a long story, but if you should see a large number of men clad in white armor from head to toe, that’s them. You can trust them.”

 “I see.”

“Magnus, Pock must be returned to the safety of Coruscant as quickly as you can manage. Leave immediately.” 

“We will, Master. Thank you.” He clicked off the communicator.

Back at the clearing. Jaren was standing and making friendly conversation with the two Jedi. He showed some interest in the boy. “So. You’re Pock Sirus?”

“Yep.”

Jaren nodded. “Nice to meet you. Looks like we’re going to be shipmates for a while. If there’s any trouble, stay by me, kid.” He smiled.

Pock shrugged. “Okay.”

Magnus was walking briskly over to the group. “Pock, Mikau.” he called. “Get your things. We’re leaving.”

“Right now?” Pock cried out. “Look, they finally managed to get a transmission feed out here! Maybe it’s a vidshow or something. Can we watch it first? Please?” He pointed away, towards the camp, where a large group of miners were huddled around the camp’s only holoprojector hub. They were watching grainy news footage of Jedi warriors fighting droid soldiers on some rust-colored and dust-strewn planet. A line of scrolling text along the bottom read: 

_HOSTILITIES BREAK OUT ON GEONOSIS - - -  CONFEDERACY DECLARES WAR ON REPUBLIC - - -_

Mikau blinked. “Oh dear.”

A large number of the miners were speaking angrily and gesturing towards the Jedi and the Republic ship that had set down among them. One reached to the ground, picked up a rock, and hurled it with all his force at the group. It bounced off the ship’s hull with a echoing noise.

Magnus said “Oh dear indeed. Everyone on the ship. Now.”

Jaren casually unclipped the fasteners on his blaster holsters as the miners began picking up weapons. Some grabbed rocks, some grabbed sticks, and others still grabbed vibro-axes and blaster rifles. They began walking forward, yelling anti-Republic slogans. The foremost and loudest of them was the plaintiff from Mikau’s earlier judgment. “WHERE YOU GOING, TYRANTS? WANT TO MAKE WAR ON THE UNION, DO YA?”

Magnus, Pock, and Mikau were slowly making their way to the ship, not wanting to set the mob into a frenzy. Jaren, at the front of the group, stood his ground and drew his pistols. “Now see here,” he said. “All you just get back to your shanty-town and we’ll forget about this. Let’s not get ugly.” When it became clear that he’d failed to stop the group from advancing, he fired off a warning shot into the dirt at the foot of one of the mob. The man lost his nerve and fled, but the others merely began screaming and attacking in earnest. 

In a very poorly timed moment, another traveler aboard the ship decided to introduce himself. “Greetings,” a polite voice said behind the Jedi and Jaren. “I am Y3-Ns, droid/ship interface and maintenance. I’m quite pleased to make your- OH!!” The rust and bronze protocol droid flailed his arms as a blaster bolt ricocheted off the hull just half a meter to his left. 

Jaren began firing into the crowd. “Kid, stay with me, I’ll protect you!” Pock broke into a run and ignored the invitation, heading straight into the ship. Magnus joined him, and Mikau as well. 

“Pilot,” Mikau called. “We must make a hasty exit. Now, if it pleases you.” 

The pilot, one of three crewmen on the ship, answered “I’ve got to warm the ship back up… hold them off as long as you can!” The three Jedi drew lightsabers and lit them, prepared to deflect incoming blaster shots. Pock’s lightsaber was a bright green. Mikau’s glowed purple, and Magnus’ was orange. 

Jaren took a shot to the shoulder and grunted. “My shirt!” He fired two return shots into the crowd and dodged some thrown objects. One man threw something that wasn’t a rock. It was metallic and silvery. It landed on the side of the ship with a  metallic clap and stayed there, beginning to make a high-pitched whining noise that raised in frequency to almost inaudible levels. Jaren yelled “Bomb!”

Mikau cast his hand out at the thing, grabbed it with his mind, and flung it away from the ship. It landed twenty meters away and continued to hum. It hadn’t landed very close to the attacking mob, but suddenly they were retreating. “Run!” one yelled. “Release it, now, NOW!”

Jaren grinned for a moment. “Hey, they’re running! Hah, I…” His grin faltered. “Release what?”

Across the camp, at a storage pen that stood nearly thirty meters tall, one of the miners was hitting a combination of numbers on a keypad. He then ran away to join the others, huddling with weapons drawn, watching the pen and the Republicans both. The sliding door on the pen slowly drew down into the ground. There, in the darkness, something huge was standing. The high frequency noise from the blaring metal object on the ground near the ship reached the immense creature, and its eyes blazed red with madness.

*“RREEEEEEEAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHHKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!”*

“Oh.” Jaren’s face fell and his eyes widened. “It.”

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Dr Midnight

our heroes!


----------



## Lela

RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Disco Man's coming! And he's brought his own light show!

. . .



Okay, rules guru WJ, can you tell me how lightsaber colors work?  It always seemed to me that Padawans have blue, Knights and Masters have green, and Mace Windu has purple.  We had debated that Masters get purple and Yoda was using green due to color scheme but I was wondering what the "offical" rules where.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Lela said:
			
		

> It always seemed to me that Padawans have blue, Knights and Masters have green, and Mace Windu has purple.  We had debated that Masters get purple and Yoda was using green due to color scheme but I was wondering what the "offical" rules where.



You guys are wayyyyyy off. It all has to do with the color of the crystal you use when you build the saber. Only Mace has an official purple saber, and the blue and green sabers don't seem to have any real reason to how they're selected. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic would have you believe that Jedi Guardians and Jedi Consulars get blue and green, respectively, but I think they just made that up for the game.


----------



## ledded

<clapping excitedly>


Wahoo!  Great stuff Doc, keep it up!  Love the artowrk also.


----------



## Wee Jas

Yeah crystals....   Blue and Green are the common colored crytals.  All other colors are very rare.  Lucky you Mace!

Red are common for the Sith but I think red crystals captured by jedi are disposed of.  

I think a large quantity of the colored crytals were destroyed.


----------



## Lela

Oh, we knew the crystal thing.  That wasn't at issue.  Simple deduction.  No, it just seemed to us that the Padawans used the blue crystals and the Knights used the green.

Also note that Luke is handed a blue one first while Ben/Obi is using a green.  Later, when he makes his own, he uses green.

I can't remember if Obi uses blue in Episode 1 or not.  I'm pretty sure he always uses green in 2.


----------



## DarthMoby

Obiwan's in Episode 1 and 2 was blue.

Qui Gon's in Episode 1 was green.


----------



## Welverin

Well as George explained to Samuel L. in one of the bous features on the Ep2 DVD, good guys have blue or green and bad guys have red. Sam then asked for Purple and George said maybe (or somethig to that effect).

In the universe itself the general explanation by EU material, as others have mentioned, is the crystal used determines the color.

Story Comment: Good work as always Doc.


----------



## fenzer

So aside from the asthetic, is there a reason why only the bad guys do red?

Thanks for the update Doc.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Nerds!


----------



## Lefferts

What's wrong with being a nerd?   

Also wanted to say how much I enjoy your story hours.
Keep up the good work, Doc!


----------



## Lela

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Nerds!



 Thanks!


----------



## Felix

Wern't the blaster-fire colors different for the Imperial and the Rebellion starships? It was red for the Rebels, if I remember rightly, and that's a Sith color!

Could it be that the red color is not from being a bad or not-a-bad guy, but rather the color of choice among the underdogs? That RED is the color of the anger at being at a disadvantage? The color of your face when you get worked over by your enemy!

...Or perhaps it was the TIE fighters that had red lazer fire...

heh heh

Doc, is that the sound of a lonely rancor? You don't waste your time. Put a big arrow over the padawan for the Sith, then throw a mob and a Rancor at them first thing. This episode begins with all of the subtlety of A New Hope! Awesome!


----------



## Lela

No, rebal X-Wings have red blaster cannons.  TIEs have green.  I think it was partly astetic choice, as the X-Wings were painted red/orange colors and the TIEs were gray to black.

It's also worth noting that individual bad guys carrying a red saber screams evilness and rage, while individual heros with green or blue seem calm and collected.  Modified, of course, by the individual weilding it.

But red is also a power color and giving it to a mostly impersonal machine draws your focus, letting you form some sort of connection.  They give it to the heros because they can control that connection and build on it.

Green, on the other hand, is a bit more repulsive when in laser form.  Picture the TIEs or Stargate SG1's partical beams.  You tend to shy away from it.  Perfect for bad guys.


Mechanically, it could either be a focusing crystal/lens or an entirely different kind of blast.


----------



## Richards

Originally posted by Wee Jas:







> Richards? My song-paraody sense is tingling!



And with good reason!  I don't know how many of you are Frank Zappa fans, but the following song, sung by Magnus Turon, is a parody of Zappa's "Disco Boy" and is based on the events of the latest update.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*JEDI BOY*

Jedi boy!  Run to the spaceship and don't look back!
Jedi boy!  The miners are pissed, they don't seem friendly
And it looks like they won't cut no slack.

Jedi boy, you know you might be
Child of Prophecy,
Either you or him:
That whiny Anakin.

Jedi boy, you're outtasight,
You need a Jedi Knight to hone your might.
I'll put you to your tasks, stand you on your head.
While you're upside-down, make those rocks spin round!

Jedi boy!  Follow Mikau Me and run like heck!
Jedi boy!  He's over eight feet tall, like all kaminoans,
And most of that is neck!

Jedi boy, war has broken out, 
And the Jedi Knights, without a doubt,
Gonna lead the clone force, 
Because we Jedis are so frikkin' devout.

Jedi training is so vast,
Watch lightsabers deflect laser blasts!
A Jedi trick, a quick wrist-flick,
You know it's our duty to look so slick.
You know it's our duty to look so slick.
You know it's our duty to look so slick.

Duty.  Our duty!
Duty.  Our duty!
Duty.  You know it's our duty.
Duty.  You know it's our duty.
Duty.  You know it's our duty.
Duty.  You know it's our duty.
You know it's duty.  Our duty.
Duty.  You know's it's duty.

Jedi boy!  This is our last chance to make it safe aboard.
Jedi boy!  They're closing in fast, and that bomb can't be ignored.

Jedi boy, what's that awful roar?  He sounds awful sore,
Screaming with anger, do you think it just might be a rancor?

Jedi boy, get your ass inside, and thank the Force you did not get fried.
With any luck at all the bomb'll take out that ticked-off monster.

It's Jedi fast retreat.  Make sure you take a seat.
It's Jedi fast retreat.  Make sure you take a seat.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Johnathan
Wandering Unofficial Bard


----------



## Wee Jas

Woot!


----------



## Welverin

fenzer said:
			
		

> So aside from the asthetic, is there a reason why only the bad guys do red?




Not that I can remember hearing.



			
				Felix said:
			
		

> Wern't the blaster-fire colors different for the Imperial and the Rebellion starships? It was red for the Rebels, if I remember rightly, and that's a Sith color!




Yep, and the imps had green. Oddly as I recall it was reversed for hand held weapons. It may be more a general thing and not apply to sig/iconic characters. and I'd check but tapes are too much of a pain, come on DVD's!


----------



## fenzer

Good to see/hear you Richards.  It looks like Doc's story hours is back in form.

Your up Doc.


----------



## Broccli_Head

Can't believe I missed this one, Doc. 

Glad to see you with a story hour again.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Broccli!!! How are ya, buddy? Ahh, my first reader, come back... you know, you're like the first dollar, framed on the wall, and I'm the local shopkeeper. I always look at you and sniffle fondly. *snrk* OH, HOLD ME- weep weep

Story chunk coming tonight!


----------



## Dr Midnight

The Rezschechk are peaceful herbivores. These lumbering giants roam the forests of Ilstaes IV, stripping the trees of their cobalt-rich pine needles for sustenance. When the settlers came to the moon, they “domesticated” a few and put them to work hauling equipment such as the two-ton canisters used to safely store mined temp. Rezschechk are easily twenty meters tall, generally, and have two strong “arms” tipped with thick, heavy claws used for climbing the sides of the mountains that form the landscape. They have large eyes that gleam red in the darkness, to better exploit Ilstaes-IV’s unique light spectrum, and their mouths are lined in sharp teeth that are little more than tools to “comb” the needles from the branches. 

One thing was learned early on about the Rezschechk: they are engraged beyond belief by a certain frequency of noise generated by Kellian disintegration mines. These mines are used to clear new tunnels beneath the earth, generally, and the first time one was used with a Rezschechk in the camp, twelve men died before the beast was put down. The mines were abandoned as a tool, but some cautious miners kept the deactivated mines on hand for the simple idea that one day they might need the beasts to rage upon invaders or hostiles. 

The idea hadn’t been used until the day Jaren Creel came down in the _Indelible_. 

Jaren adjusted his grip on his blasters nervously and shouted “How long’s it going to take to get this ship moving?!” 

The pilot yelled his frustrated response. “This isn’t a speeder, this is a capital ship! I’ve got two men co-piloting, and it’ll still take a minute to get in the air!”

The beast lumbered from its pen, roaring and brandishing its claws. Froth dripped to the hard-packed ground and the thing advanced on the hated thing that was making the noise, lying close to a large metal monster of some kind. 

Jaren waited until the thing stood over the mine. He aimed and shot the silver thing he thought to be a bomb. To his dismay, it merely sparked and lay there in pieces. He’d hoped it would detonate and destroy the monster. The Rezschechk stared down at the thing, and the noise that drove it mad was no more. Still, the bloodlust was in the beast and it needed an outlet for its rage. It stomped across the camp to the ship. It seemed determined to rip something apart for putting it through the noise-based madness.

Jaren ran aboard the ship from where he’d been standing, at the ramp’s base. The ramp closed behind him and the ship began humming to life. The Rezschechk screamed and raked a taloned paw down the starboard side of the _Indelible_’s hull. Sparks flew and there were four ragged, parallel gouges baring the ship’s inner workings. 

The thing savaged the hull further, apparently under the belief that the hovering ship was trying to fight back. It didn’t notice when a boulder lifted from the ground and flew up to strike it in the back of the head. The force didn’t kill it or even hurt it badly, but it turned and roared at the huddled miners, two hundred meters to the north. They had clearly tried to hurt it, and the tiny pink things would pay. 

It didn’t notice when the _Indelible_ turned in the air away from it and hit the thrusters. The jetwash of the capital ship’s atmospheric thrusters scorched it and immediately lit it on fire just before the _Indelible_ flew off, up into the dark sky. 

Magnus watched out a window as the flaming Rezschechk screamed and tore its way through the camp, destroying everything it could. The bodies of men flew into the air over the backlit treeline. The Jedi Knight then turned to his student and asked “The rock- was that you?”

Pock looked up at him, unsure. “Yes Master.” He was clearly wondering whether he’d done the right thing. Sometimes what was right by the Jedi code wasn’t entirely clear to him, and often he was scolded for doing what he thought was helping.

Magnus nodded. “Your instinct serves you well. You strove to distract the beast so that we might escape. Good job.” Pock grinned. 

Jaren cursed nearby and looked at the hole in his shirt the grazing blaster bolt had left. “I’m hit,” he grunted. He seemed more upset that his finery was damaged than that he’d been struck in a firefight. 

Pock laughed. “And you were going to protect _me??_” He wandered over to the man. “Hold still, I can heal you.”

Creel said “Don’t hurt me, kid…”

Mikau Me spoke to the droid that had chosen an awkward moment to introduce itself. “Hello. I apologize, but I am afraid I was unable to make out your name over the sound of blasterfire.”

The droid bowed politely. “Understandable, I’m sure. My name is Y3-Ns, droid/ship interface and maintenance. I’m quite pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Y3, can you tell us if the ship was damaged at all by the creature’s attack?”

“Of course, sir.” The droid hobbled over to the computer and interfaced with it. After a moment, Y3 said “Ahh. It seems most systems are functional- the sublight drive is at 98% operating capacity, the fuel cells remain unmolested, and the hyperdrive is undamaged. Only the velocital dampers are down.”

“I see. I know nothing of a ship’s workings… will damaged velocital dampers prevent us from entering hyperspace?”

“No, sir,” Y3 twittered.

Mikau relaxed somewhat. “Ahh. Very good.”

“It will, however, prevent us from safely leaving it.”

Magnus glared at the droid. “What?”

“Velocital dampers are, in effect, what makes going from light speed to sub-light speed possible. Without them, the sudden reduction in speed would rip us to our component molecules instantaneously. It’s not unlike striking a durasteel wall at light speed.” 

“Wonderful,” Turon said. 
The ship rose out of Ilstaes-IV’s stratosphere and into orbit. The thirty-five other moons of the system floated about them. 

“Now what?” the pilot asked. The tone of his voice told that the encounter with the monster had left him shaken, and that this matter of the velocital dampers wasn’t helping his mood. “Stuck on the outer rim without light speed. This is not good at all.”

Mikau spoke calmly, as he always did. “Y3, is there a nearby planet where we can make repairs? Preferably one friendly to the Republic?”

Y3 took a moment, then said “Why, yes, sir. The Tarsoan system nearby boasts the planet of Phelene, a Rebublic-sworn metropolis planet.”

“Truly? A city-planet out on the rim?”

“Yes, sir. It should be just a few hours away, provided we use our top sub-light burn speed.”

The pilot and his two crewmen gasped and pointed out the viewshield. Separatist forces were entering the Ilstaean system from the opposite side- three large cruisers, moving slowly. “Separatists… they haven’t spotted us yet.”

Jaren Creel said “Well, poodoo… seems we’re not done running yet.”

“Quickly, pilot,” Mikau Me chirped. “Can we make it out of the sytem without their noticing?”

“We can try,” the pilot said, easing the ship into place, heading for Phelene while putting Ilstaes-IV directly between the _Indelible_ and the Separatists. “Let’s hope this works…”

_*More to come…*_


----------



## Stone Angel

Yeah art and an update, just like the good ol days. Wow DM the art is good, not what I expected, really goes right along with Cartoon network's series hand in hand. So good to have you back in full blown glory.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## Dr Midnight

The ship eased into its top speed away from the Ilstaean system. The whole while the crew and passengers watched the scanners for any sign of pursuit from the Separatist cruisers, remaining silent. After an hour, they relaxed. They were safely away from the system and there was no sign that the Separatists were on their way. 

“We’re very fortunate that Ilstaes’ moon bodies interfere with scanning equipment as well as they do,” the pilot said with a sigh of relief. “Without the high sulfite content in the asteroid core, we might not have made it away. Those Techno Union ships are outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment.”

They flew for four more hours before they came to Phelene. It was a large, hazily tan planet. 

Mikau observed Phelene as it loomed larger in the viewshield. “Are we certain this is a metropolis?” he asked. “It appears to be an ordinary desert planet. Perhaps our information is outdated.”

Y3-Ns interfaced with the ship’s computer again and said “I’m sorry, sir, but according to all indications, this is indeed Phelene, Republic metropolitic planet. Perhaps there is an explanation.”

“One you can’t give us just yet?”

The droid seemed embarrassed that he couldn’t function to suit his hosts’ needs. “No sir. Our data on outer rim worlds is scant, as a rule... The little information we have on the planet is far greater than that of most planets this deep in space, and that is only because this is a large center of trade.”

“Trade?” Magnus looked and said “I see no in or outgoing ships. We appear to be the only bird in the sky.”

“Yes sir,” Y3 said. “I am unsure of what this could mean, but the coordinates are constant in that this is Phelene.”

The _Indelible_ came down into the upper atmosphere and the group looked on the landscape. The planet had no outstanding topography- that is, it seemed perfectly round… and desertlike. Tan-orange ground extended from horizon to semicircular horizon, unbroken by mountains or chasms… or cities. Only small hemispherical glass and steel huts glinted in the sunlight, far below, each a half kilometer from the other. They dotted the land for as far as the eye could see.  

“Perhaps there was a battle,” Mikau suggested.

“Negative,” Magnus replied. “Look, there are no scorch marks, no rubble… just huts. There’s been no fight, but apparently there’s no city, either.”

The pilot said “No landing beacon, either. Whatever this place is, it’s not equipped for interstellar trade, I’ll tell you that much.”

Y3 huffed defensively. “The instruments and coordinates are all correct. I can only…”

Magnus waved off the discussion. “It doesn’t matter, we really have nowhere else to go at the moment. Maybe we can fix the ship once on the ground. Put her down anywhere, captain.”

The _Indelible_ landed gently on the dry ground, and a cloud of dust puffed over them and settled as the engines idled. 

“The instruments say that the atmosphere’s breathable,” the pilot said. He glanced at Y3-Ns. “Let’s hope at least that much is correct.” He thumbed the button for the ramp door, and it opened.

The Jedi, Jaren Creel, and Y3-Ns walked outside of the ship and stood staring around at the landscape. The air was hot and dry and the sun beat down on them. Pock shielded his eyes from the glare and looked about. He asked “What are those little dome-things?”

The igloo-like domes that lay over the landscape in a gridlike pattern were no less odd from the ground. They were glass half-spheres, and the insides were worked with bits of steel, layered in a clockwork fashion. There was no sign of life anywhere. 

“I don’t know, Pock,” Magnus said. “Don’t go near them. Y3, what do you think of the damage?”

The droid had been looking up at the claw marks in the hull. “Hmm? What do I think?”

“Yeah, what do you think about it?”

The droid seemed confused about Magnus’ question, and he answered the inquiry as plainly as he could. “I, err… I believe it was caused when the monster attacked the ship.”

“I know that,” Magnus said, almost impatiently. “Do you think you can fix it?”

“Oh, gracious me, no,” Y3 said immediately. “I’m programmed for minor computer recoding, internal rewiring, interfacing… small things. This is hull damage. I’m afraid I’m just not equipped to handle such a task.”

Creel sighed. “We’re going to need a repair team. Let’s go investigate these huts, maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Mikau Me walked gracefully to one of the huts and examined it. “I say,” he called, “it appears there is a door in the side of the construct, and a panel to operate it. I wonder if…” He reached for the panel with a slender white hand and before he could touch it the door hissed open. The kaminoan straightened himself. “Oh my.”

Inside the hut was an odd creature. Its body was a brown, furry pill-shape. From the sides, two swirling green tentacles moved about. It had one tentacle coming from its lower half, and on this it stood. It had a beanlike head extending from the top of the body, and in the face was set four eyes and a three-lipped mouth. The eyes blinked excitedly- two vertically, and then the others horizontally. It spoke. 

The sound was a rude torrent of snorting noises and wet smacks. Mikau Me had never heard this language and did his best to appear friendly to the creature. “Pardon me, sir, but do you speak Basic?”

The thing snorted and writhed its arms. 

“I see,” Mikau said, at a loss.

Jaren nudged Y3-Ns and said “Hey, are you one of them droids that speaks three hundred million forms of communication?”

“Why, no, sir. I’m afraid I am only fluent in three million two hundred thousand nine hundred and seventeen languages. A failing on my part… I’m mostly programmed for shipboard protocol. I do believe, however, that the Pheleeni is speaking a broken dialect of Ghenan, which I am familiar with.”

“Get to it, then,” 

The droid wobbled over stiffly to the hut, where the creature and Mikau stood staring at each other. 

Y3 snorted some form of greeting. The Pheleeni snorted back, and the two spoke briefly. The droid turned to Mikau and said “I believe he says his name is Pontu Forto, and he is pleased to see us.”

“This is good. Extend our greetings from the heart of the Republic.”

The droid did that. When the Pheleeni was done responding, Y3 translated. “He seems to insist that though he is ‘joyful of Republic’, we should not be here.”

Mikau thought about that for a moment. “Why not?”

The answer came back after a moment. “He says that it is ‘make no time’, which I take to mean that we shouldn’t be here just now. He says that ‘near time great…’ I’m fairly certain he’s saying precipitation here. Rain.”

“Rain?” Mikau looked upwards. Only two small clouds hovered in the perfect blue sky, like tiny puffs of smoke. They seemed to be dwindling. “I beg your pardon, Y3, but those clouds could never condense enough moisture to rain. I hail from a rain-soaked planet, where the oceans toss and heave, fed by the constant torrents. This is a desert.”

“Yes sir, I noted that as well. Still, mister Forto seems to be stating that it will rain soon, and that this is somehow a problem.”

The droid and the Pheleeni spoke again. Y3 said “He tells us we can ‘yes ship make’, or that we can repair the ship. We can do it soon, apparently, but we cannot do it now. ‘Make no time, though ship make time near’.”

Mikau related the conversation with the others. No matter how ridiculous it might seem to fear impending rain under clear skies, the two Jedi Knights thought it best to obey the local’s counsel.  The pilot volunteered to take the _Indelible_ offplanet until after it had rained. Magnus was given a ground-to-orbit comlink, and the ship lifted up into the sky. 

Y3 said “Our host graciously says that we should ‘make go under’, or go inside the hut with him now. I don’t believe he thinks it safe out here.”

The sky was now perfectly clear.

The group walked into the hut with the alien and the door closed behind them. Inside it was cramped and the sun acted like on the hut like a greenhouse. It was uncomfortably warm within, but the Pheleeni didn’t seem to mind. The humans and the kaminoan, however, began to perspire. 

After a time, Jaren grew impatient of waiting. “Our friend here said soon we could get the ship fixed, is that right? What’s the holdup?”

Before Y3 had a chance to ask the Pheleeni, the comlink crackled. 

“_Indelible_ to ground, _Indelible_ to ground…” the pilot’s voice said, nervous and fuzzed by static. “We’ve got a problem.”

Several kilometers above the surface, the ship had broken through the blue of Phelene’s ozone and was emerging into the dark space of the planet’s orbit, dwarfed by the immense Separatist ship waiting there.

_*More to come…*_


----------



## fenzer

Thanks for the double update Doc.  Nicely done.


----------



## Stone Angel

Yeah more update goodness....

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## strawberryJAMM

Just wanted to say that I *am* enjoying this. I'd always heard that Dr. Midnight's story hours were good, but as there hasn't been a current one I couldn't do anything to verify that.

Looking forward to the next update.  

Jenni

PS: I hope you will post an illustration of the natives to this most recent planet - they sound very interesting. 
=JAMM


----------



## Dr Midnight

By request- a quick Pheleeni drawin'...


----------



## strawberryJAMM

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> By request- a quick Pheleeni drawin'...



Kewlness!  Thanks!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Game day! 

I know I haven't caught up in the story hour to the end of session 1. I can only ask your forgiveness for now.


----------



## Wee Jas

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Game day!
> 
> I know I haven't caught up in the story hour to the end of session 1. I can only ask your forgiveness for now.




Write bisch!  Don't make me talk about watching DS9 season 1 here


----------



## Dr Midnight

Over the next few minutes, the group on the ground quickly dictated actions to the _Indelible_ above. A tractor beam had caught the Republic ship and was pulling it into its hangar bay.

The pilot was ordered to dispatch an SOS message to the Republic and not put up a fight when boarded. He said he would, and added that it was a pleasure to serve the heroes of the Republic in their time together. Static cut through the commlink, and a moment later the transmission was ended. 

“They followed us,” Magnus muttered. “I don’t know how.”

Jaren bemoaned the loss of his three footlockers full of expensive garments. “My clothes,” he said. “Do you know how long it takes to collect a wardrobe of that worth?”

Mikau blinked and said “The lives and freedom of three men are in jeopardy. You’ll pardon our lack of empathy for your trappings, I’m sure.” He turned to the droid. “Y3, tell Mr. Forto that we have Separatist company coming, and please ask if we have any options for hiding or fleeing.”

After a brief translation, Y3 said “He tells me that he is most aggrieved that Separatist Forces are inbound, but as for now, we have no recourse but to remain hidden in these huts. Rain and all that, you know.”

Jaren peered through the glass and watched as large detachment ships came down through the blue sky and began landing. “I hope he knows what we’re in for. Let’s just hope searching these huts keeps them busy long enough for us to form a plan.”

The ships  finished landing. Trade Federation MTTs began floating out. These round behemoths spread out and opened their bay doors to allow deployment rack to mechanically unload one hundred and twelve folded, compact droid soldiers. These activated and stood, clutching their rifles dutifully. Soon, nearly a thousand droids patrolled the area. Battle droids, super battle droids, destroyer droids, and other, less familiar infantry stood about in ordered columns. 

The Republicans watched this occurring from their hut with growing unease. If a fight broke out, they could not win against these numbers. “We surrender,” Jaren said suddenly. “It’s the only way.”

Magnus shook his head. “No. Pock’s life is too important to be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy.”

Jaren looked at the boy. “Why? What makes him so different?”

Magnus gazed at Jaren and sensed something there… something hidden. “Nothing.”

Pock pointed and said “Who’s that?”

Walking slowly down a ramp was a humanoid in white armor. He had a small blaster mounted on his left shoulder, and it swiveled to point where he looked. On his hip was a vibrosword. 

“Someone important, looks like,” Jaren replied. 

The figure gestured and began giving orders. “Search the huts, every one of them. They’re here somewhere.” 

The droids began spreading out and opening huts all over the landscape, leading Pheleeni at gunpoint to the landing area. It wasn’t long at all until the droids opened the hut the heroes were in. They looked inside and saw that the hut was empty. They uttered “Clear, roger roger” and walked away. 

The man in white armor was not pleased to learn that the Republicans were not found. “They’re here somewhere. Something’s interfering with our scanners, but I’m betting these things will tell us what we want to know.” He turned to a communications droid and had it ask a Pheleeni where the visitors were. The thing said it didn’t know, and the man in white armor shot a nearby Pheleeni in the head, striking it dead instantly. He then asked the question again, and the weeping Pheleeni gestured to the empty hut.  

All guns turned to the hut, and the heroes within, though invisible to the invaders through use of the Force, began quietly arguing about another plan. 

“Come out,” the man in white called. “Come out and throw your weapons to the ground. You are absolutely surrounded and you know it. Come out or we blast another alien to atoms.”

Magnus had run out of options. He had to protect Pock at all cost, but innocent life should never pay a Jedi’s debts. Pock would agree, were he older. Magnus set his jaw and began walking outside. As he did he had no idea of what he planned to do. He needed more time to think…

“Stay your hand,” he called. “I am Magnus Turon, Jedi Knight. These people you seek- you will not find them here. You will take your men and leave.” He waved a hand in the air as he affected the mind trick.

“Nice try. Do you know who I am?”

Magnus looked around, studying the enemy’s forces. They truly were surrounded on all sides- droids, as far as the eye can see, each with crosshairs trained on him. “Should I?”

“I am called Cydon Prax,” the man in white armor said, sounding pleased. There was a reptilian sibilance to the way he spoke his name.

“Prax,” Jaren said as he walked out of the hut. His hands hovered over his blaster holsters. “I thought you were still running death sticks out of Verudo! When did you fall in with the Separatists?” Magnus stared at Jaren fiercely for having come out, and Jaren whispered “Sorry. You weren’t doin’ so well.”

Prax replied “When Count Dooku’s last right-hand man got his idiot head cut off. I’m afraid I’m not so easy to kill.”

Magnus asked “Why are you here, then? Why take such a large group of thugs out to recover a Jedi and a pilot?”

“Three Jedi,” Prax corrected. “Another nice try. Where is the boy?”

“Gone. Sent him away over the desert in a speeder.”

“You won’t mind us checking the hut, then.”

Magnus stood still, mind racing for an option. There really was none.

Cydon Prax sighed. “We’re taking the boy, one way or another. Move aside.”

The Jedi, all ideas exhausted, slowly unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to kill me before I let you touch him.”

Prax laughed. “Thisss… is not a problem.” He gestured casually. “Kill him.” Two hundred droids clicked in unison as they adjusted their rifles against their arms and stared down their sights at Magnus, whose lightsaber ignited menacingly.

Just then, a distant thunderclap and a great rumble shook the ground. The droids stumbled, half-crouching as they regained their balance against the shaking. Another, deeper rumble, and the earth split beneath their feet. Long, thin, black fissures opened up. More cracks appeared, spidering out from their parents. The Pheleeni began moaning hysterically under the clear blue sky, quaking with fear. 

Magnus watched as a pebble lifted from the ground, slowly, and flew straight up into the sky. It was followed by another, then another. A larger rock lifted past him. The droids stumbled as the pieces of cracked hardpan everywhere trembled. 

The ground began falling into the sky as it started to rain.

_*MORE TO COME…*_


----------



## Lela

Now that was forshadowed well.

Noticed your new .sig Doc.  I seem to recognize a couple of those. . .


----------



## Dr Midnight

Droids tumbled as chunks of ground lifted up. Slowly at first and then more rapidly, slabs of earth rose into the sky. All around, droids were smashed by the chaos, and those that remained did their best to follow their commander’s orders. These fired their rifles at the hut, Magnus Turon and Jaren Creel. 

Magnus’ lightsaber flashed in glowing arcs as it wheeled around him, deflecting blaster shots from all directions. Jaren fired back, attempting to shoot Cydon Prax, who was trying to keep his footing amongst a field of boiling dirt and falling droids. 

Over the din, Mikau saw the Pheleeni moving back to the huts as fast as their slithering limbs could carry them. “Get inside the hut,” he called to the Jedi and pilot. “These are built as havens against the ‘rain’!”

The two heroes moved back to within the hut. Once there, they closed the door and watched as the droids around them were crushed by the grinding rubble. A few managed to fire off shots at the hut, and these bolts deflected from the glassy surface up into the dust-darkened sky.

Cydon Prax was keeping low to the ground, like a cat. He was jumping from one huge chunk of debris to another. He unsheathed his vibrosword and jumped down to the hut from the floating rock and smashed the glass shield to shards with a double-handed chop. 

Sound flooded back in on Pock, Mikau, Magnus, Jaren, Y3-Ns, and Pontu Forto. Blaster bolts now shot by in rapid succession, hissing past the ear as they barely missed. Pock and Mikau lit up their lightsabers and blocked what shots they could. 

Cydon Prax was within striking distance and he swung at Jaren. The scoundrel managed to avoid the blow, and Magnus stepped forward to block the armored mercenary from reaching Pock. The vibrosword crashed against Magnus’ lightsaber and held there. A normal object would be cut instantly in half by the energy blade, but clearly, Cydon had had his vibrosword coated in a cortosis weave. The two opponents strained against each other’s strength. 

A shot grazed Magnus’ arm and he fought on, never faltering in his defense against Prax. He cleared his mind and swung a complicated six-part attack against the Separatist. Each shot was blocked reflexively. Prax was a skilled swordsman, it seemed. 

The two battled in the midst of the raging storm as the Jedi deflected blaster shots away from the group and Jaren tried to hit Prax when he could. Y3 and the Pheleeni huddled against the floor.

Cydon landed a slice along Magnus’ thigh, and the Jedi grunted from the pain. Mikau extended a bony hand and used the Force. Prax was launched back into the furious rising storm and swept up into the sky by the debris. 

Mikau yelled “The battle seems to be easing! Too many droids are being destroyed, soon they’ll be entirely decimated… Until then, keep fighting!” They continued to deflect blaster shots, though the shots were growing fewer as the droids were destroyed by the tide of rock. 

Pock cried out as a blaster shot seared his leg. He went to one knee, clutching the wound. Just then, Cydon Prax jumped down from the sky, wherein he’d been rapidly descending from the upward dirt-clods, leaping from one to the next. 

He landed hard and immediately kicked Pock in the face. The padawan fell face-down to the ground. Prax whirled his sword and gashed Mikau Me along the back. 

For the instant, Pock was seemingly helpless against Cydon Prax. The fall was a ruse, however, and Pock was not just alive- he was conscious. He mustered his strength and cut out against Prax’s legs. The mercenary was too quick, though, and his foot caught Pock’s saber-hilt against the ground. 

Magnus leaped over and landed astride Pock’s downed form, slashing furiously with his lightsaber. Cydon Prax defended himself from these attacks and responded with a shot from his shoulder blaster that blackened Magnus’ torso. Prax took the opportunity to reach down and grasp Pock’s wrist. He flexed his knees- he clearly meant to jump backward, taking Pock with him up into the sky to escape. 

As Prax began to jump, Magnus swirled his saber in a figure-6 pattern. Prax flew back screaming. He was struck by the rocks hurling skyward and gone within an instant. His severed hand gripped Pock’s wrist tenaciously. Pock shook it free and recoiled, sitting up. 

The battle around them was all but ended. All the droids, all the landing ships, and in fact all the anything had been destroyed and carried upward by the mineral rains of Pheleen. The sky was darkened and clouded with dust, pieces of ruined metal fell lazily around them as the large chunks of dirt and rock broke up as they reached the atmosphere.

The horizon was visible once more, and it was astonishing. The dirt and earth had fallen away to reveal a two hundred meter drop in all directions, down to a city of gleaming glass and metal, shaped all of cylinders and domes. The heroes of the Republic stood atop a skyscraper.

“That’s some view”, Jaren wheezed. 

“Oh, my,” Y3 muttered as he dared to lift his head from where he’d been hiding. “It seems I was right after all.”

A crackle came from Cydon Prax’s severed hand, and the Republicans looked to see a small holographic figure standing there, projected above the wrist. The figure was of a gaunt man with white hair and beard. He stood proudly with a cape hanging from his shoulders. “Prax,” he said. “Prax, are you there? Have you found the child yet?”

Magnus Turon frowned at the image. It seemed that one of his more grave concerns was fulfilled; somehow, the Separatists knew what Pock was. 

They knew what he was and they wanted him taken. 

_*End of Chapter 1

Next: THE PIRATE LORD OF THE FIGHTING PITS*_


----------



## Wee Jas

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Next: THE PIRATE LORD OF THE FIGHTING PITS




ohhhhh


----------



## fenzer

That was a hoot Doc.  Thanks for another double update.


----------



## Dakkareth

w00t! Great Star Wars feel  Please continue ... how about now?


----------



## Broccli_Head

Nice stuff Doc. 

Not to ruin the story with mechanic's questions, but how do you feel Star Wars runs with the d20 system. Are you looser with the rules?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> Nice stuff Doc.
> 
> Not to ruin the story with mechanic's questions, but how do you feel Star Wars runs with the d20 system. Are you looser with the rules?



I feel d20 works well with Star Wars, but I think for a true Star Wars feel, you have to run rules-loose... which, luckily, is all I ever do. 

The rules work as a system but they don't contribute to the heroic fantasy feel. You kinda need to be your own sentinel against that problem.

To prove I'm not totally rules-garish, next chapter I'll be posting stats for something from my side of the GM screen.


----------



## Wee Jas

double postness


----------



## Wee Jas

/intrudes

I love Star Wars D20..  If I knew more about the world I'd probably even run a game...

Now maybe if I made a Trek version!

Live long and prosper you crazy Vulcans!!


----------



## Stone Angel

Oh me likey...Can't stop don't wanna. Good update Doc.

The Seraph of Earth of Stone


----------



## Morte

It's great to see you in action again Doc. This is good fun so far, and I'm looking forward to more of this whole star wars thang.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Thanks, glad you liked it. If you guys liked this session you'll friggin' love the next one, which will garner several Tsunami "woah"-moments. And the end of Chapter 2? You will love the end. I guarantee.

Wow... just to let you guys know, Chapter 1 came out to 7,370 words. I don't know how many words your average game session write-up has, but I imagine this is on the high end.

My personal record was the final session of the Knights of Spellforge Keep, which capped at 17,459 words.

Does anyone know about how many words go into your average game session write-up? Your average update post? Gimme facts here people.

I write... RIGHT NOW


----------



## Felix

Oh ... come ... on ... the _suspense!_ The Humanity!

Write faster!


----------



## Dr Midnight

The heroes were picked up shortly in a small repulsorlift craft and taken down to the heart of the city. There, they were led through long, lit hallways, where Pheleeni rushed around them to various tasks, stopping only to gawk at the odd, tall aliens in their world. 

They were taken to the Prime Minister. His name was Bornu Gorko, and he flailed his tentacle-arms in an annoyed fashion. Y3-Ns stepped forward and translated. “His magnificence asks why we have brought war to his planet.”

Mikau Me, ever the diplomat, bowed and said “We have not brought you war, your honor. The Republic is and has been at war for a week now. We were followed to your planet, yes, but we never meant to bring the war to your home.”

This was said to Gorko, and the reply came through Y3. “He says he is sorry for not being aware of the war. It seems the mineral content of the sky-silt that gathers before the rain blocks incoming transmissions.”

Magnus muttered “Seems everyone’s getting their news late these days.”

Y3 went on. “He says his people have been prepared for the eventuality of war, however, and he is scrambling the Pheleeni to their ‘Air Towers’. I think these are the local starfighters.”

“What were the huts we were in, above?” Mikau asked. 

“These are survival outposts. Each is manned by one Pheleeni, and the huts are built to withstand the storms, each stocked with consumables suited for a wide variety of spacefaring species.”

“I see.”

Before Mikau could form another question, Bornu Gorko snorted one of his own to the droid, who dutifully translated. “His magnificence asks why you have come to Pheleeni, if not to bring war.”

“Our ship had damaged velocital dampers. We put down here on your beautiful planet to seek repairs. As our ship has been recently acquired by the Separatists, we are now without need of repairs, and in need of a new ship.”

Gorko thought about this, then twittered his answer to Y3. “He offers one of two solutions: One, you are given a Pheleeni Air Tower, and ascend to the sky to infiltrate the Separatist ship and rescue the _Indelible_. This he offers you as a gift. Two, you are each given Pheleeni Air Towers to pilot in the war over his city, which is sure to come to pass within the hour. In exchange for your aid in the fight he will reward us with a transport.”

Pock was confused. His eyebrows scrunched together and he said “I thought we beat the Separatists already.”

Mikau nodded sadly. “Yes, we turned away the ground forces, with the aid of nature. The next assault will be on the city itself. The three capital ships in Pheleen’s orbit have more than enough starships on board to send down a fearsome attack. We have only until the mineral clouds completely vaporize from solid form before the attack comes.”

Gorku spoke as he pressed a tentacle into a control panel, and a large white disc floated to the center of the room, low to the ground. It stopped and a holographic layout of the city appeared in mild blue outlines. Small dots were rising from the city, and other dots were coming down from the sky. They began exchanging blaster fire. Y3-Ns said “Prime Minister Gorko says that even now, Separatist droid ships are piercing the atmosphere and attacking. The valiant Pheleeni Air Force is rising to the task, and should soon-“ Y3 stopped in the middle of his sentence. “Oh my, what is that?”

From the right side of the holographic city layout, something was coming into view. Something very, very large. It towered as high as the city itself. It was slowly walking on six spiderlike legs. It was shaped roughly like a sentry droid. From one side jutted an immense scythe mounted on a thin hydraulic arm. On each “shoulder” was mounted a gun turret pod. From these, laserfire arced out at the Air Towers. 

Everyone in the room watched this giant walking monstrosity as it drew close to a building. Its scythe-arm pulled back and paused, then rocketed around in a semicircle, shearing through the building entirely. The little holographic building toppled in half. A rumble shook the room where the Prime Minister and the heroes watched as the building fell outside, killing roughly 1,300 Pheleeni in one stroke. The walker moved on. At the other side of the holo-table, another walker appeared. Both were slowly walking towards the center of the glass metropolis. 

Bornu Gorko and the other Pheleeni in the room began madly snorting and wailing in what must have been terror and fury combined. 

“Y3,” Magnus said. “Tell them to prep three Air Towers. We’re going up.”

Within moments they were hustling down the hallways towards the hangars. Pock seemed excited. “Do I get my own Air Tower?”

“No. You fly with me. Mikau and Jaren will each fly one. In ours, I will be the gunner, and you will be the pilot, my young padawan.”

“I will??”

“You’re a better pilot than I am anyway.”

“This is so wizard.”

Magnus paused and turned to his student with a stern glare. “Pock, calm yourself. This is not for fun. This is not a game. Many are dying around us, and we are being given the opportunity to help them. A Jedi does not let his emotions control him… especially not when there is work to be done.”

“I’m sorry, master.”

“It is nothing. Let us go.”

They stepped into thin rooms with ascending vertical ladders. These they each climbed, and found themselves in small cockpits. Pock tried out the controls. “Hmm… these seem to be made for tentacles, but the system’s familiar enough.”

“Good,” Magnus said. “Let’s get going.”

Pock, Jaren, and Mikau took off in their Pheleeni Air Towers. These, it seemed, were just tiny buildings, identical to the rising glass and steel structures that made up the city in all but size. They separated from their docks and flew upwards to join the fray.

Above the city, the air was alight with laserfire. Air Towers were weaving amidst the cityscape and blasting at Droid Starfighters. Just at the edge of the city limits were the two gargantuan walkers, set forward on their destructive path. 






_*More to come… *_


----------



## Morte

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> My personal record was the final session of the Knights of Spellforge Keep, which capped at 17,459 words.
> 
> Does anyone know about how many words go into your average game session write-up? Your average update post? Gimme facts here people.




Kursis Charter stands at 23745 words, covering about 10-12 hours of play.

A long update for me is, um, 1500 words. I'm obviously a lightweight.

And whilst your PCs are called "The Heroes", mine are called "The Avaricious", which sums up the difference between Star Wars and Traveller pretty well.


----------



## Lela

Holy frick!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Magnus said “Jaren, you’re a pilot, correct?”

The comlink crackled. “Uh, yeah, yeah.” 

“Okay. You take the north walker. Mikau, Pock and I will take the south.”

“Check.” 

They flew off to their opponents, cutting through a sea of Pheleeni and Separatist forces fighting furiously in the air.

A droid fighter came in behind Mikau and began singing the sides of the Air Tower with its lasers. The glass surface of the ship acted as a mirror, reflecting glancing shots. More accurate shots, however, cracked the surface and sent sparks raining. Mikau’s ship was trailing a thin line of black smoke. 

“I require assistance,” the Kaminoan said politely. “My ship has been hit.”

Pock leaned on the controls and the Air Tower wheeled around to come up on the offending droid fighter’s starboard side. Magnus fired and the fighter was struck several times. It broke off and circled, taking fire from other Pheleeni ships nearby. 

The Republicans flew in toward the giant destroyer droid. The small turrets on its shoulders each had one battle droid in a swiveling seat. The turrets began firing on the heroes, and the Air Towers turned and rolled to avoid the bolts of red energy. 

Magnus centered his concentration and shot a long line of blasts at the closest turret. It blackened, then exploded in a shower of sparks and fire. The giant walker was not slowed. 

Mikau swooped around and shot the other turret. As he did, Pock saw that the giant scythe arm was drawing back, slowly, then raising, then stopping. “That arm’s going to cut again,” he said to Magnus. 

Magnus looked and saw that the arm had raised to about the level the ships were flying at. “They’re trying to destroy us with the scythe. Arming missiles.” He flipped a cap at the top of the control stick, revealing a red button. “Firing.” He thumbed the button and two missiles shot out from the Air Tower towards the scythe-arm. Magnus then closed his eyes and began to feel around in empty space for the missiles, using the Force. He gently nudged them and corrected their paths, guiding them straight to the five-meter thick arm. 

The missiles detonated and the arm was blacked and practically ruined, but the scythe still held. The arm released and began swinging. Pock shouted “Mikau, look out!” as he piloted the ship over the scythe.

“Thank you, Pock, I see it,” Mikau replied calmly. He aimed his ship straight at the oncoming arm and fired a stream of laserfire. The lasers cut through the remaining piece of arm, and the scythe itself flew out over the city, spinning on a horizontal plane. 

The walker’s scythe arms alone are made of several tons of metal, and the motion of its swinging would severely unbalance it if not for the internal evenweight, which at the same time throws an internal pendulum to compensate for the great shift of mass.

The internal evenweight performed its action, but now with no scythe to balance for, the evenweight threw the walker to the side, pitching it over into a small portion of the city. The giant droid kicked uselessly on the ground, then lay still. 

Meanwhile, Jaren Creel was trying a different approach. He was not a pilot, as the Jedi believed, yet he still had more piloting experience than any one of them. He was looping and weaving around buildings, trying to keep enemy laserfire off of him long enough to reach the other walker. 

He cut in and began firing at the walker’s great red eye. He blackened but did not destroy it. He looped down around the walker’s back and flew through the legs, firing at the inverted pyramid that formed the robot’s hip. Jaren did damage here and there, rarely concentrating on one area, rarely staying still enough to take a shot, though the droid turrets did their best to hit him.

Finally, a starfighter managed to slip into his wake and followed him, taking shots that Jaren had to quickly dodge. The droid fighter was closing, and Jaren was having trouble splitting his concentration between dodging lasers and avoiding giant metal spider-legs. 

The droid abruptly detonated in a cloud of sparks and light, and the Jedi-piloted Air Towers flew through it. “Thanks,” Jaren said tensely. 

“Not at all. What’s the plan?”

“Let’s take out that scythe-arm on this one, it seemed to work pretty well on the other. Missiles armed. Fire.”

They each fired missiles on the scythe arm. Though some flew off into the distance, most crashed into the arm, severing it immediately. The arm dropped slowly to the city below, crushing buildings beneath it. The walker, however, was not discharging the arm at the time, so the giant robot stayed afoot. Its legs could still pierce the buildings below, its turrets could still shoot the Air Towers. 

Pock dodged some turret-fire and said “It didn’t fall over. What now?”

Jaren replied “I don’t know, kid… let’s take out those turrets at least.”

The heroes swept over the turrets, destroying them within moments. Several enemy starships had come in and were trying to shoot them out of the sky, seeing what a threat they were to the walkers.

A reddish light began flashing on Pock’s control panel. “What is that?” A moment later he felt the Force twinge, and he knew what it was. “Oh no- they’ve locked onto us.”

The droid ship on their tail fired its two proton torpedoes, and they shrieked through the air toward Pock’s Air Tower. Pock pulled back on the controls, and the ship shot up from its low point beneath the walker to climb up its front, barely five meters from the hull of the robot itself.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Pock,” Magnus said, not quite anxiously.

“I do,” Pock said, easing back on the throttle. The ship slowed in the air as the torpedoes flew in at them. They grew large in Magnus’ eyes, and he wondered if his padawan had just gotten them both killed. Pock then yanked back on the throttle-lever and the ship shot up into the air. 

The proton torpedoes couldn’t correct in time and struck the giant walker droid in its already damaged eye. The red optic lens shattered and the entire head of the droid shook and pulsed with the explosions wracking its insides. The entire head then exploded in a mushroom cloud of black smoke. The dead walker swayed on its feet.

Jaren saw what was coming next and said “Mikau, follow my lead!” He swept under the walker and fired his remaining missiles at one of the two rearmost legs. Mikau saw what he was doing and fired on the other of the two legs, right at the joint. 

Both legs were blasted through at the knees, and Jaren and Mikau flew out from under the droid as it fell back into the wake of its own destruction. It crashed to the ground and a great thundering wall of broken glass and steel were thrown up into the air. This rained down, sparkling in the light. 

The giant walkers were destroyed. 

The Air Towers had little trouble mopping up the remaining droid starfighters, and in short order, the day was won. 

The heroes landed their Towers carefully at their docks and walked back into the city. Here, countless Pheleeni were crowding the halls, waving their tentacles and sending rippling cries of victory into the air. They greeted the pilots with great hails of glory. 

In the following ceremony, the Pheleeni honored the pilots with medals. Mikau Me, Jaren Creel, Magnus Turon, and Pock Sirus stood alongside fifteen of the Pheleeni pilots to survive the battle above the city. They faced the cheering crowd and smiled. The Separatist ships had left orbit and the Pheleeni would live to fight another day. 

Planning for memorial services and cleanup efforts was already underway, but this moment was for the victory.

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Lela

Why did the Seperatists leave?  Bigger battles somewhere else?


----------



## Wee Jas

Lela said:
			
		

> Why did the Seperatists leave?  Bigger battles somewhere else?




Loss of morale as we destroyed their heavy hitters... silly.  I think Magnus is going to name his pet rock Lela for this campaign  


Great write up Doc!


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> Loss of morale as we destroyed their heavy hitters... silly.  I think Magnus is going to name his pet rock Lela for this campaign
> 
> 
> Great write up Doc!



 I'm not entirely sure if that's better or worse than a skeleton with a broom. . .


----------



## Dr Midnight

As promised:

*Pheleeni Air Tower*
*	Class:* Starfighter
*	Size:* Tiny (16 m tall)
*	Hyperdrive:* None
*	Passengers:* None
*	Cargo Capacity:* 70 kg
*	Consumables:* 1 week 
*	Cost:* 130,000 (new), 70,000 (used)
*	Maximum Speed in Space:* Attack (8 squares/action)
*	Atmospheric Speed:* 1,000 km/h (17 squares/action)
*	Crew:* 1
*	Initiative:* +6 (+2 size, +4 crew)
*	Maneuver:* +6 (+2 size, +4 crew)
*	Defense:* 26 (+2 size, +14 armor)
*	Shield Points:* 40 [DR 5]
*	Hull Points:* 120 [DR 5]
*	Weapon:* Laser canons (2 fire-linked); Fire Arc: Front; Attack Bonus: +8 (+2 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control); Damage: 5d10x2; 
	Range Modifiers: PB +0, S –2, M/L n/a.
*	Weapon:* Concussion Missile launcher (6 missiles); Fire Arc: Front; Damage: 7d10x2; Missile Quality: Ordinary (+10)


----------



## fenzer

I don't know.  I think I like the pet rock idea, Wee Jas.

Thanks for the posts Doc.  More please.


----------



## Dr Midnight

fenzer said:
			
		

> Thanks for the posts Doc.  More please.



Air strike is inbound, Fenz... I'm writing now. Gonna post a big chunk within the hour.


----------



## Dr Midnight

The heroes were given a Pheleeni transport. This, like all Pheleeni constructs, was a large dome-topped glass cylinder. It had a pointed antenna at its top and four fins at its base. 

They were wished the best and sent on their way. The ship lifted up out of Pheleen’s newly mineral-heavy atmosphere and flew into space. 

Jaren leaned back in the pilot’s seat with his legs up on the console as he punched the coordinates into the nav computer. “Next stop, Coruscant,” he said with a crooked grin. “We should arrive in about two days’ time. Till then, everyone get settled in.”

The Jedi walked to the recreational area to relax. Y3-Ns stayed up front, as was his duty aboard a flying transport, though Jaren did try to convince him his presence wasn’t necessary. 

“I assure you, sir, I am a full-service maintenance and interface droid. You will find my abilities most useful, should the need arise.”

“The need won’t arise,” Jaren said impatiently.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t be sure of that.”

Jaren leaned back and closed his eyes. “Droids.” He muttered it like it were a curse, then fell asleep.

He was awakened several hours later by Y3, who was leaning over him and doing his best to shake the pilot awake. Only the nagging tone of the droid’s voice had proved worthy of rousing Jaren from slumber. “Sir, sir! Do wake up. Oh, won’t you wake up?” 

Creel swam back to consciousness feeling very irritated. “What.”

“I beg your pardon, but…” The droid pointed to the console with its metal hand. A red light was flashing. 

Jaren’s eyes widened in confusion. Why would the realspace prep light be flashing? Then, the ship lurched slightly as they came out of hyperspace. He sat forward, frowning. “This isn’t right, we can’t possibly be back at Coruscant already. It’s only been…”

“Four galactic hours and twelve minutes, sir.”

Jaren glared at the droid. “So what’s wrong?”

Y3 answered in a stress-wracked warble. “I don’t know, sir!”

“What do you mean, you don’t know? Aren’t you a full-service maintenance and interface droid? Interface with the computer already.”

“That’s just it, sir- the computer isn’t there!”

“What?!”

“When I try to interface with the computer, nothing responds. It’s like the computer is dead- I can’t even get a signal. Still, our piloting systems seem to be guiding us somewhere, so I am unsure of what has happened.”

Creel began punching buttons on the console, trying to turn them from their course and put the ship aright. Nothing responded. “How, what…” He paused, trying to figure which insult to berate the droid with first.  He then looked up to the viewshield. “Just where are we being guided to?” Through the viewshield, a large red planet loomed. The ship was heading straight for it. “What planet is that?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Y3 said, a bit defensively. “I haven’t got access to the nav computer.”

“Of course not, how stupid of me.” He leaned over and spoke into the shipwide comm. “Hey, uh, looks like our trip’s been cut short. We’re heading for some planet, it’s NOT Coruscant, and we seemingly have no control over the ship anymore. Otherwise things are fine.”

The Jedi rushed in and were told of the situation. They remained calm and tried to think their way through things. While Pock and Mikau offered suggestions, Magnus had a suspicion. He reached out with the Force and tried feeling about for another Force user. Beside Pock, Mikau, and himself, he sensed… another. He concentrated, probing for the location of this new presence. He felt it sitting right before him. 

Magnus looked at Jaren Creel. The Jedi had suspected something hidden in the pilot’s cool demeanor. He’d never seemed quite qualified enough to be a pilot escort for Jedi, and he’d always seemed guarded in his intentions. Now, to learn he was Force-sensitive… what did it mean? Did it mean anything? Some people are born Force-sensitive and live their whole lives without realizing it on their own.  Maybe Jaren really was what he said he was, but he would bear watching. Magnus said nothing and watched as Jaren explained the odd absense of the ship’s computer.

Mikau asked “Have you checked the wiring?”

Y3-Ns said “No, let’s try. Maybe the core circuit wire was lost.” A small screwdriver extended from Y3’s wrist and quickly unscrewed the main computer panel from the console. When he lifted it back, there was nothing there- at all. The wires from the buttons were snipped and loose, hanging into the darkness of the vacant computer housing. 

A light was shined into the console, and it seemed all the panel’s instruments were gone, cut. There were wires on the ground, though, that led off to the right, through the crawlspace where small repair droids are meant to fit. There were scratch marks on the ground. 

Mikau extended his long neck into the hole and looked about. “The computer was taken, shortly after liftoff, it seems. How can we trace it? This crawlspace is too large for sentients.”

“Not for me,” Pock said proudly. “I can fit in there, easy.”

Magnus weighed the idea and decided it would be best to allow him to try it. They didn’t know what planet they were coming in on, and they were almost certain to be safer on their way back to Coruscant. “All right, but be alert.”

Pock went down into the crawlspace and went to the right, underneath the console, in the dark. Only a few dim button lights lit his way. He eventually came to an access hatch. A large number of wires ran behind this hatch, and Pock pulled it open. 

There, behind the hatch, was a small room lit in dull red that served as a docking area for the hardware repair droids. In it was the computer’s core, a cube of dense plates and wires that should have been seated beneath the console, two dozen meters to Pock’s rear. Above the computer, with a makeshift control panel across his knees, was a boy of about Pock’s age. He held a blaster toward Pock and regarded him with dark eyes. 

“Don’t move, Jedi scum. I will kill you if you do. Believe that.”

Pock stayed still and said “I won’t move. What are you doing here?”

The boy was having none of it. “Out. Out.” When he said it, he gestured threateningly with the blaster. “We’re almost landed, so save yourself the trouble and get out of my way.” Pock considered pulling his lightsaber, but there was very little elbow room here. A blaster was a far more deadly weapon in such close quarters. He backed out and moved to the console’s removed panel, then stepped out.

“There’s a kid in there with a blaster. Looks like he’s got the computer and reset our course. He kicked me out before I could find out anything.”

Mikau’s large dark eyes blinked. “A stowaway… and he’s a child? Curious.”

“I could have taken him, but I remembered about ‘defense, never attack,’ and all that. Did I do good?”

Magnus nodded. “You did well.” He meant it, but still, he didn’t like the idea of touching down on this unknown planet. He half-wished there were some way to retake control of the ship from this child… the only way, though, was through Pock, and Magnus wouldn’t risk him.

“I guess we land.”

The ship came down through the red planet’s equally red sky, revealing a scorched crimson landscape beneath cruel dark clouds. Large cliff formations made up the large part of the terrain, and some ships were docked on platforms adjacent to steel doors set in the sides of these cliffs. 

The ship moved over what looked like a large junkyard and began descending into a clearing. Around the landing transport, large stacks of piled, rusted junk towered. A toydarian appeared at one end of the junkyard, accompanied by a droid. 

Jaren’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why are we putting down in some junkyard at the end of space? Pock, did the kid say what we were here for?” 

“Nope.”

The toydarian approached the ship, his little orange body hovering in the air as his wings flapped. He regarded the Pheleeni ship with shrewdly appraising eyes and scratched his bulbous nose. 

The heroes within heard a release of hydraulic air, and they knew the ship’s ramp had opened. Jaren, Y3-Ns, Mikau, Pock, and Magnus walked to the ramp and stopped there. Before they could say anything, their toydarian host asked “So what you come for, eh? Nice ship, you looking to sell or to trade?”

“We didn’t…” Jaren began, before stopping himself. “Uh, we just touched down briefly so we could affect some repairs.”

“Nice model. Pheleeni, eh? I ain’t seen one in years. I’ll trade you something nice for it.”

Jaren sighed. “Fine, trade, whatever. Hey, where are we, by the way?”

“Rattatak. You wanna trade, come into my office and we’ll work something out.” The toydarian floated away and his droid followed. 

Jaren shrugged at Magnus. “We don’t have many options. Let’s just do what we have to and get off this rock.”

Magnus frowned and said “I’m afraid I agree. We can’t leave the ship here in the care of a hijacker, though- Mikau and Y3, stay here and see if you can’t capture the stowaway and set things right.”

Mikau nodded. “I’ll set an illusion to look like we’re walking with you away from the ship, so that the stowaway believes we’ve left him alone.”

“Good idea. Okay, let’s go.” Magnus, Pock and Jaren walked down the ramp, while Mikau used the Force to show an illusion of himself and Y3-Ns walking with them, while in truth they remained concealed and motionless on the ramp.

When the group were fifty meters or so from the ship, the toydarian turned with a smile on his face. “That’s far enough.”

All around them, figures stood from their hiding places atop the piles of scrap metal. They were perhaps fifty or so in number, and each held a high-powered blaster rifle aimed at the Republicans. 

Magnus, Pock, and Jaren halted, glancing around. Jaren cried out in his frustration. “Ahh, c’mon… what is this? We don’t even know you!”

“Of course you don’t… otherwise you never would have taken a nice, shiny new ship straight into the arms of Yet Yash, the most notorious space pirate of the outer rim.” The toydarian grinned, and his henchmen on the junkpiles laughed and cheered. “Weapons on the ground. Now.”

Magnus muttered to the others. “There are too many of them. We have to play things their way, for now. We’ll figure something out. They don’t see Mikau, he’ll be our backup…” The heroes reluctantly dropped their weapons to the ground and kicked them over to the droid, who picked them up dutifully.

Yet Yash chuckled. “So. Why would you come here if you don’t even know what planet you’re on?”

“They didn’t,” a voice said from the ship. “I did.” The stowaway boy stepped into the light and squinted across the distance at the toydarian. “I’ve brought you this ship to pay you your ransom. You said if I brought you a ship of equal or greater value, you’d return what you pirated from me. Give me back my father’s ship, Yash. Give me the _Slave 1._”

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Wee Jas

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Magnus had a suspicion. He reached out with the Force and tried feeling about for another Force user. Beside Pock, Mikau, and himself, he sensed… another. He concentrated, probing for the location of this new presence. He felt it sitting right before him.
> 
> Magnus looked at Jaren Creel. The Jedi had suspected something hidden in the pilot’s cool demeanor. He’d never seemed quite qualified enough to be a pilot escort for Jedi, and he’d always seemed guarded in his intentions. Now, to learn he was Force-sensitive… what did it mean? Did it mean anything?





Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?  

Nice write up Doc!


----------



## Wee Jas

Oh Doc,  when are you going to start a Star Trek RPG session?  I would so play! Thats just what this board needs!  I don't think there has ever been one.. we could be the 1st!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> Oh Doc,  when are you going to start a Star Trek RPG session?  I would so play! Thats just what this board needs!  I don't think there has ever been one.. we could be the 1st!



Sure, here's your Star Trek RPG story hour right here! Okay, you're in a stupid looking ship wearing stupid looking outfits. Suddenly, stupid looking villains appear on the screen and say they're going to blast you. You get blasted and throw yourselves around stupidly to fake the idea of the ship rocking. Then, you and some stupid "red shirt" grab these stupid looking things called "phasers" and win the day, but not before red shirt dies stupidly. You've won the day! 

Next session: a stupid alien consciousness or something stupid like that infects the ship, taking stupid control! What will our heroes do? Find out next time, stupid!


----------



## Wee Jas

My keen senses detect sarcasm.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

I can't believe I've not found this sooner !!! 

 => 

But now I'm here to say great stuff Doc, usual! This SH has it all: great plot, interesting characters, its own art & player feedback! The instalments for the first chapter were huge & I'm hoping the ones coming up will have the same dimension !!!

Keep it up, Doc! Keep it up!


----------



## ledded

Man, Doc... you rock.

Lovin' the Star Wars goodness here.  

Some very interesting developments.  Keep up the good show.


----------



## Stone Angel

Ah yes like a good *insert favorite thing to stuff into one's mouth* gets better the more bites you take.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone.


----------



## Lela

Since Tsunami doesn't seem to be around, I'll fill in.

Woah.


----------



## fenzer

Go Boba! Go Boba! It's your birthday!  It's your birthday!

Okay, so how _does_ he see out the view screen anyway.  I mean, can he even reach the peddles?  What about a license, does he even have a license?  I mean come on!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Posting tonight... 

Remember when I said you'd love the end of Chapter 2? Anyone care to hazard a guess?

I'll give an Xbox to the first person to guess correctly. Of course, this Xbox will likely get lost in shipping, so... I mean... y'know, don't get your hopes up.


----------



## Lela

Hmmmm, it's Doc so. . .Jar Jar shows up and is killed by Boba?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Yet Yash laughed. “Ahh! Young master Fett. You’ve actually managed to steal a ship and bring it to me. Why would you do this for your father’s old Firespray ship, eh?”

“Sentiment. Where’s the ship?”

Yash looked again at the Pheleeni ship. “Ehhh… this ship isn’t worth a Firespray. I’m afraid you’re going to need to come up with a little more.” 

Boba Fett curled his hands into fists at his sides. “You said you’d trade me back my ship if I brought you another. You pirated my ship and spun me out into the cosmos on an escape pod and I *did* what you said and brought a ship to you to trade so I could *get the Slave 1 back!!*”

Yash just smiled innocently. “I’m sorry, but this ship just doesn’t measure up. We’ll call this a down payment, though. Don’t be so angry with me, I’m just a businessman.”

“You’re a sleemo and…” Fett froze as he heard something shift its weight on the ramp right in front of him. He eyed the spot, saw nothing, and took a step back.

That’s when Mikau made his move. He darted from his position on the ramp, taking down the illusion that hid him and scooping Boba Fett into his arms. He moved into the darkened safety of the ship’s interior before the snipers on the junkyard’s bluffs could fire. 

When they did, though, Y3-Ns was standing there without any idea of what to do. He threw his hands up and shouted “Please, no!!!” The droid was lanced through by fourteen of the thirty-six blaster bolts that scorched the ramp’s surface. The smoking pieces of the droid clattered to the ground. 

Yet Yash seemed surprised- he hadn’t seen that one coming. Jaren rolled his eyes. “He’ll be missed,” he quipped.

Yash said “Well. A Jedi trick, and now you are safe in the ship, ehh?” He took out a blaster and held it pointed at Pock Sirus. “Come out or I kill him. Right now. That ship is mine, as are you.”

Magnus stepped in front of Pock. “Shoot me if you have to. You will not shoot him.”

The toydarian chuckled. “Fine, yes. First the big one, THEN the boy. Come out, Jedi, or your comrades die here, instead of getting a fighting chance in the pits.”

Mikau Me calmed the struggling Boba Fett using the Force, then communicated with Magnus using telepathy. _What should I do?_

_Let’s go along with this for now and look for a way out. There are too many sentries around- I can’t risk Pock’s life._

Mikau called out “If I choose to come out, what then? Will we be harmed?”

“Not if you behave. You’ll become my slaves and fight for your lives in the pit. Jedi, yes… Jedi will draw a big crowd. Win the fight and you win your freedom. You’ll make me a lot of money, yes? Heh heh.”

“On one condition,” Mikau said. “The boy doesn’t fight with us. Whether we win or lose, the boy will not be harmed. I want you to swear to it.”

Yet Yash sighed. “All right. If you come out peacefully, I do hereby swear that neither I nor my men will harm your young paddy-wan.”

_Good enough,_ Magnus thought to Mikau. _I think that’s the best we can hope for, for right now. Best to go with it._

Mikau passed his hand before Boba’s face. “You want to stay here and be quiet, where it’s safe.”

Boba’s glassy eyes blinked. “I want to stay here and be quiet, where it’s safe.” He nodded and moved off into the deeper shadows of the ship, to hide. 

Mikau strode down the ramp. He dropped his lightsaber to the ground and was taken in with the others. 

Hours later, the heroes languished in a small cell. Extra guards had been put around them, including droids, who could not be mind-tricked. Pock slept on one of the two cots in the room. He tossed fitfully, kicking his legs now and then. He must have been dreaming. In other cells around them, large and fearsome sentients paced back and forth like animals. These were other battle-slaves who would someday fight for their lives in the pits. 

Magnus called out to one. “Psst. Hey… what’s your name?”

Red eyes flashed from the darkness, and the thing said “My name is eat your skull like candy, tiny pink-man.”

A gamorrean guard bashed the cell bars with the butt of his vibro-axe and snorted something- it was unintelligible, but the meaning was clear. Be quiet. 

“So much for that,” Magnus whispered. 

Jaren said “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”

“So I noticed.”

Mikau said “Pardon me, but I’m not sure I take your meaning. What is Mr. Creel’s plan?”

Magnus smiled. “You were on the ship, so you didn’t notice- and neither did Yash, which is fortunate.”

Jaren leaned back on his bunk, smirking proudly. “I may have made us a few friends among the guards.”

Mikau made the kaminoan expression of confusion, which is not unlike most kaminoan expressions in that he didn’t seem to express anything at all. “How? When?”

“When you guys were making all your yelling noise in the junkyard, I was whispering to the nearby guards. ‘Hey, you, looks like you’ve thrown in with the wrong outfit,’ stuff like that. One takes the bait and says ‘Oh yeah? Who’re you?’ I said ‘I’m Jaren Creel, I run operations out of Corellia,’ yadda yadda…”

“And they believed you?”

“Yep.”

Magnus said “It was a very convincing performance. I almost believed Jaren was a scoundrel myself.” He gazed at Jaren, who shrugged coolly. 

“They bought it is all that matters. I convinced them that there’s a lot to be gained in helping us escape. Tonight they’re going to come by and we’ll discuss plans.”

The group settled in and slept the night. On the morrow they’d be brought to a fighting pit to battle a number of creatures and enemies. Pock, as per the deal, would watch the fight from the safety of a viewing seat with Yet Yash and his cronies… under armed guard, of course.

Late into the night, the guard changed, and with the change came several of the guards Jaren had enticed with his offer. They knelt by the cell, out of arm’s reach of course, and woke Jaren. 

They whispered their hushed plans. Jaren didn’t wake the others to tell them what had been said… and he didn’t realize that Mikau Me had lain nearby listening to everything that was said, feigning sleep. 

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Dr Midnight

In the morning, the Republicans were wakened and fed semi-edible protein gruel. It tasted awful, but it seemed to strengthen them somewhat. 

Jaren, Mikau and Magnus were led to a small room. They were sealed inside and a panel in the wall opened, revealing two lightsabers and two blaster pistols. They once again had their weapons.

A voice beyond the stone wall boomed. “Ladies and gentlemen,” it roared. “You’ve come tonight for excitement! You’ve come tonight for blood! Mostly, you’ve come for something special… and have we got it for you. Tonight, for one of the few times in Rattatak’s history, we have some of the most deadly of the galaxy’s warriors! I hope you’ve placed your bets, now let’s introduce Mikau Me and Magnus Turon, JEDI KNIGHTS!!!!” The sound of a crowd cheering sounded dimly to the heroes before the wall rose up and the sound crashed in on them. 

They were looking at a large empty chamber, maybe one hundred meters on a side. The whole chamber was roughly hewn out of the reddish rock of the planet’s surface, and the floor was stained with dark splotches. The walls rose up into darkness, high above. In the walls were notched hundreds of bright horizontal notches- these were viewing rooms, and many figures sat watching the heroes below. 

Magnus leaned over to Mikau. “Why’d you get top billing?” The kaminoan smiled. 

Jaren frowned. “I didn’t even get mentioned.”

“And now,” the booming announcer went on, “Let’s meet their opponents! Hailing from right here on Rattatak, our next combatant is an arena favorite! Let’s give a hearty greeting to IGNEOTH!!!” A huge creature emerged from a door on the left side of the chamber. It had a fang-rimmed circular mouth, huge rippling red arms, and a staff maybe three meters long, humming with a dozen attached vibroknives. 

“Our next warrior is a wickedly fierce swordsman that I think will take issue with our Jedi friends! Welcome ‘dark Jedi’ NILS ARROYO!!!” A panel slid open and a black-cloaked pale man stepped out. He took out a black and chrome lightsaber and held it lightly in his right hand, grinning at Magnus and Mikau. 

“Having no home planet, this bounty hunter has lived his life in the reaches of space, earning his keep fighting and doing the dark work of crime lords. Meet, know and fear… BEVAL DAMARIS!!!” A heavily armored man stepped into the arena and greeted the crowd with a gout of flame from his bandolier. The crowd roared its approval in return.

“Tatooine is a harsh planet, filled with deadly predators. None is deadlier than our next combatant! Hide your children from… HOAR!!!” A sand person wearing dusky rags and bearing a well-used gaffi stick appeared and raised his arms, roaring a  guttural war cry. 

“Feared on his home planet of Kelris as much as he is here, this fighter may be slow. He may be large. He has also been the death of many an overconfident opponent, let’s say hello to… GANNO THE HUTT!!!” A large, slug-like hutt slithered slowly out of his waiting chamber. He had a leather bandolier slung across his chest, and his tail was wrapped with spiked strips of rawhide. In each hand he held the end of a long chain. At the other end of each he spun a large, spiked steel sphere. 

“One is a field-tested warrior with a heart of iron, and one is a monster from the frozen wastes of Hoth! Let’s welcome the deadly combination of blaster and beast that we can only find in RAVAQ FAHEY and OCKA!!!” A bizarre thing lurched out, and it took the heroes a moment to realize it was a man with two blaster pistols riding a wampa. The creature had a makeshift saddle across its back and shoulders, and it  tore at the air furiously with its claws while the man on its back twirled the blasters on his forefingers.

“Our final combatant is built for destruction… No, really! He’s a battle droid assembled for the Guild War, several decades past. He’s lived this long, can he keep his cervos intact for another night? Let’s dodge the laserfire of NG-11!!!” A crimson-painted battle droid, clearly an antique, carried a blaster rifle and surveyed his opponents grimly. He made no attempt to please the crowd, yet they cheered all the same. 

“Now that we’ve met all our fighters, I’d like to remind you that this battle is TO THE DEATH! Only one of these fighters will emerge victorious… but thanks to a deal with Yet Yash, if the Jedi and their friend survive as a team, they will be allowed to leave as a team. Let’s hope they’re ready for a battle unlike any other they’ve fought in, then, because THIS battle will be APOCALYPTIC!!! Combatants, ready yourselves…”

The fighters tensed.

“…FIGHT!!!”

Magnus lit his lightsaber. The dark Jedi did the same. No one moved. For five seconds or so, everyone stood watching to see who would make themselves the first target. 

Then, all at once, several blasters fired, several fighters lurched out to attack others, and Yet Yash’s Rattatak fighting pit exploded with violence. 

The crowd roared with pleasure. 

_*More to come… *_


----------



## threshel

Awesome.

J


----------



## Wee Jas

threshel said:
			
		

> Awesome.
> 
> J




Wrote Doc Write!


----------



## Stone Angel

falling out of my seat writ more write more.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## Lela

I can't wait to see the hutt fight.  That's going to rock.


----------



## Felix

Go Ravaq Fahey and Ocka!!! Dual blaster and wampa coolness! Badassatude meter is going off the scale!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Then, all at once, several blasters fired, several fighters lurched out to attack others, and Yet Yash’s Rattatak fighting pit exploded with violence.
> 
> The crowd roared with pleasure.
> 
> _*More to come… *_



Wow...that makes that pit scene from Episode 2 sound like Teletubbies! Great!


----------



## fenzer

Let's go, go, GO!


----------



## Dr Midnight

Typing now, I'm going to put the rest of Chapter II up tonight... then, I get to work on Chapter III. 

With luck, I'll put up two, maybe three updates tonight. Can I get some more reader love?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Beval Damaris fired his blaster gauntlets at Magnus, and Magnus deflected the shots and began moving in that direction. He wouldn’t be made into a target. 

Nils Arroyo twirled his red lightsaber and began moving snake-like across the ground towards Ganno the Hutt. He was intercepted by Hoar and the two started trading blows with their whirling weapons. Ganno began slithering cautiously towards them, swinging his chains over his head.

Ocka the wampa, completely beyond its master’s control, saw Igneoth and scampered across the room, slavering and roaring. The two monsters met in the center and hacked at each other with staff and claw. Ravaq Fahey, strapped to the wampa’s back, had no choice but to shriek in alarm and shoot Igneoth in the face from point-blank range. It seemed to make Igneoth angrier, but that was the only noticeable effect. 

NG-11 fired his blaster rifle at Mikau. One of the blasts grazed the kaminoan’s shoulder. Behind him, Jaren was the only combatant not being actively attacked. He was leisurely firing at the wampa and Igneoth, who were too busy tearing each other apart in the center of the arena to notice. 

Magnus was slowly working his way across the arena to Beval Damaris, on the other side, who was raining blasterfire on the Jedi. Magnus deflected what he could, but the bounty hunter’s aim was fierce, and he struck Turon more than once. 

Nearby, the dark Jedi Nils Arroyo was slowly whittling Hoar the sand person down. Ganno was still slowly approaching Hoar from behind, but the hutt had only covered maybe ten meters.

Ocka and Igneoth were hacking at each other with claw and fang. The shaken Ravaq Fahey, atop the wayward wampa, was firing shot after shot into Igneoth’s face. The creature was taking heavy damage, but then, so was Ocka- it seemed wampas were ill-suited to go toe-to-toe with… whatever Igneoth was. Ravaq himself went unnoticed by Igneoth, and only Jaren Creel was hitting him from the side of the arena. Ravaq was too terror-stricken to take note of the blaster fire he was taking.

Mikau began moving towards NG-11, carefully deflecting shots all the way. The battle droid quickly noted that it was doing little damage to the Jedi and a panel in its chest opened up, revealing a red cone embedded in a recessed silo. The cone shot from NG’s chest in a shower of sparks and flew at Mikau, who nimbly and danced aside. The missile left a trail of gray smoke as it flew by, then began to arc up and around in a turn. 

Beval Damaris raised his arm and a thin wire net shot out, weighted by four small steel balls. Magnus Turon cut through it with a broad vertical slash and closed the remaining distance, cutting and twirling his blade. The bounty hunter danced back when he could, firing more shots at the Jedi. Some shots connected, but most did not. The battle seemed fairly even… until a red lightsaber swung at Magnus’ head from behind, nearly severing it. 

Magnus ducked and rolled to a crouch, seeing that Nils Arroyo had left Hoar crumpled and dead fifteen meters away. “Jedi,” the black-robed man hissed. “Come, dance with us.” 

He and the bounty hunter both then attacked Magnus from both sides. The Jedi fought furiously, turning and deflecting one attack to spin and counter another. He relied on the Force to deflect blaster shots from behind him without looking when he could. 

Magnus couldn’t go on this way, he knew. Not for long. He took an opportunity and faced Nils, then darted backward and flung his lightsaber behind him, through Beval’s torso. The bounty hunter died quietly and Magnus wheeled his saber once more around to his front, never having looked when he killed. 

To his secret satisfaction, Nils Arroyo grimaced at the show of skill. Magnus smiled and redoubled his efforts, trading blow for wicked blow. The crowd cheered feverishly.

Igneoth swung his staff and missed Ocka, hitting instead his rider. Ravaq Fahey was killed instantly when five vibroknives pierced his chest. The blaster-charred fighter’s body fell to the ground, and his wampa never noticed. Igneoth died a moment later when a large spiked ball struck him in the temple. 

Ganno the Hutt had arrived. It had taken him a long time to slither to within an enemy’s position. Nils Arroyo had left when Ganno drew near, but now the hutt had closed with the monsters in the center of the room. Ocka stepped over Igneoth’s body and swung claws. They were blocked with chains and quickly countered.

Mikau Me grunted politely when he was struck in the back with the returned missile. The force of the explosion ripped his robes apart and almost forced him to the ground, but he struggled and kept his footing, graceful as always. He leaped forward and cut NG-11’s rifle in smoking halves. The droid began firing small blasters from concealed turrets on its forearms. These bolts were rapidly deflected and NG-11 was helpless when Mikau spun on one heel, cutting the droid three times into large chunks that clattered to the stained ground with brightly glowing, smoothly cut insides.

Jaren stayed rooted in the same spot he’d stood in the entire fight, firing casually at whatever enemy he thought presented a decent target.

Magnus Turon felt the Force strengthen him as he called on it. His lightsaber flashed off of Nils Arroyo’s with ferocious speed, and the dark Jedi fell back, almost tripping on his robes to move away from Magnus’ lightning speed. Nils choked audibly when his opponent’s lightsaber pierced his chest. The black-robed man dropped his lightsaber, stood a moment longer, and fell down dead. 

Ganno the Hutt was proving to be a crowd favorite. He may have moved slowly, but the movement of his ponderous arms was skillful and deliberate. He swung his chains at Ocka and dragged long gashes through his white fur. The enraged wampa lunged forward with his fangs, intent on ripping out the hutt’s considerable throat. The slavering jaws closed on a taut length of chain held between Ganno’s hands. Without missing a beat the hutt whirled his arms around the wampa’s head, encircling it once, then pulled tight… and twisted. An audible crack roused the audience to a delighted standing ovation as Ocka died.

Ganno then began slithering toward Mikau, who seemed the most injured of his remaining opponents. Mikau met the slow charge and began fighting. He was struck once, then twice, and he marveled at the masterful attacks of the fat, seemingly slow creature.

Magnus jumped on Ganno’s tail and began fighting him from behind. The hutt fought the two Jedi with his two chains, swinging them back and forth in skillful figure eights. Both Jedi were hit by the spiked balls. 

No blasterfire was hitting the hutt, Magnus noticed. He took a half-second to look for Jaren. The scoundrel was rummaging through the belongings of the dead. 

Magnus didn’t have time to demand his help, though, and he ducked another swing, then brought his lightsaber up in an arc and down through Ganno’s head and body. The two halves of thick, fatty hutt meat fell away to either side in greenish slices, and Mikau was standing there on the other side, hurt but alive. 

“Disgusting,” Mikau said cordially with ragged breaths. “Thank you very much.” 

“Quite welcome,” Magnus said. “Jaren, we’ve won. Stop looting bodies.” 

Jaren straightened, grinning guiltily. “Sorry. I didn’t find anything good, anyway.”

The announcer’s voice boomed through the arena once more. “Wow!! Who’d thought we’d have seen anything like this, folks? That was incredible! May I present our champions- The TWO JEDI and their friend!!” The crowd applauded the winners deafeningly. “Fighters, please drop your weapons and proceed to the exits.”

Jaren tossed his pistols to the ground. “Can you believe it?” he asked Magnus. “’their friend,’ they call me. The two Jedi… and their friend. No respect at all. I picked the wrong career.” He grinned as he walked toward the exit.

Mikau put his lightsaber down on the ground and said “Jaren, you weren’t attacked once. Why is that, I wonder?”

Jaren shrugged and said “Call it luck.”

“Mmm,” Mikau answered calmly. “Luck.”

Magnus dropped his lightsaber, walked over and looked down and saw that his suspicion was correct. Nils Arroyo’s lightsaber was missing. The Jedi went to the exit with his two companions.

They were taken through winding corridors to a splendid luxury viewing booth. This one did not overlook the arena they’d just fought in, but Yet Yash was there. He was sipping Corellian Pitch Lager from a three-cupped drinking flute. He looked up and laughed warmly. “Heyyyy, Jedi! Excellent battle! You won a lot of money and made a lot of people very happy. My congratulations!!”

“Happy to please,” Jaren said coldly. “What’s the deal, we’re free, right? Why couldn’t we take our weapons with us?”

Yet nodded. “Yes, you’re free. I’m a man of my word… after a fashion. There’s still a small matter we must see to before you leave.”

Magnus asked “Small matter? What’s that?” He then looked about the room, seeing only guards. “Where’s Pock?”

Yet smiled his tusky grin, and Magnus felt something cold settle in his gut. 

The announcer’s voice spoke again, out in the arena. “Ladies and gentlemen, we promised you entertainment, and we’ve delivered only half of the bargain! Now, in tonight’s second spectacle, we have a grudge match! Two combatants pitted on a hovering field of treacherous, randomly falling tiles, fifty meters above a full-grown dianoga! One is a Jedi padawan whose ship was HIJACKED by his opponent, an apprentice bounty hunter whose very FATHER was KILLED by the Jedi!!“

The doors at opposite sides of the arena opened, and Pock stepped from one, holding his lightsaber and looking unsure. The cheer of the crowd alarmed him, and he looked around. He was alone. 

From the other door a small figure stepped out in oversized silver and blue armor, clutching a chrome blaster pistol loosely in one hand. The two figures looked at each other across the arena as the audience yelled for murder. 





“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve brought you two fledgling warriors at the start of their careers! Two fighters below the legal pit-fighting age on most planets! Two well-trained young men will fight for your amusement, TO THE DEATH!!!”

Jaren nudged Magnus and discreetly slipped him the lightsaber he’d taken from Nils Arroyo. The Jedi took it and caught Jaren’s eye for just a moment, nodding slightly.

“May I present… _POCK SIRUS_ versus _BOBA FETT!!!_”

_*End of Chapter 2

Next: THE FIGHT AND THE FLIGHT *_


----------



## idarii

doc says post, so i post! he also says not to mess with the time-space continuum, cause that's what doc brown taught him.

i don't know what else i can say. talented, yes, yes, marvelous.


----------



## Felix

[Reader Love]
You've got some light fingers there, Jaren... seems like Yet Yash will be laughing out the other side of his face. 

Awesome.


----------



## threshel

I'm so glad this story hour exists.  Fantastic characterization, and so much inspiration for my own SW game.
Thanks and more, please.

J


----------



## Broccli_Head

This is seriously good stuff! But should I expect less from Doc Midnight?

Makes me wish that I could play in a Star Wars game again...but alas, our GM got upset when they came out with the Revised Core edition and sold his other rulebook. And I was on my way to becoming a dark jedi


----------



## Morte

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> This is seriously good stuff! But should I expect less from Doc Midnight?
> 
> Makes me wish that I could play in a Star Wars game again...but alas, our GM got upset when they came out with the Revised Core edition and sold his other rulebook. And I was on my way to becoming a dark jedi




Show him Paladin and watch his head explode.


----------



## Dakkareth

Great stuff


----------



## ledded

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> <snip>Red eyes flashed from the darkness, and the thing said “My name is eat your skull like candy, tiny pink-man.” <snip>
> 
> <snip>
> Mikau made the kaminoan expression of confusion, which is not unlike most kaminoan expressions in that he didn’t seem to express anything at all. “How? When?”
> <snip>



Whee!  Okay... those 2 lines alone just made my day.  I'm still giggling, which is very unbecoming and is convincing the people who work around me that I'm a bit unbalanced...


----------



## caixa

*Oh for the love of the infinite moons of Yavin!*

Hell yeah, Dr. Midnight is back and in full force.  Stand back citizens, least you get some "jabba bits" on your nice Corellian Sandpanther fur coat!

My Empire, Dr. Midnight, if I could think up half of Star Wars games as you, I would have wrote for WEG back in the day!

Good work, my man.  I would love to play in any online things you ever get off the ground - just shoot me a howdy-doo if one ever comes about.

Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention?  The _ Doctor _ is * in *!


Peterson


----------



## Metus

Well I'm about two months late, but I've found the story and I'm all caught up!  It's ironic, because I've just recently been checking out the SWRPG and have been considering running a game of my own.

In any case, more story, Doc!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> Typing now, I'm going to put the rest of Chapter II up tonight... then, I get to work on Chapter III.
> 
> With luck, I'll put up two, maybe three updates tonight. Can I get some more reader love?



 You got it! I don't know how you do it, Doc, but please keep it up !!! We want to see Yet Yash eat some red lightsaber !!!


----------



## Lela

fenzer said:
			
		

> Go Boba! Go Boba! It's your birthday! It's your birthday!



Turns out it might not be a happy birthday.


----------



## fenzer

True Lela but we know Boba survives...


----------



## Wee Jas

Enough talk!  Write!


----------



## idarii

Doc here---
I've got a full weekend... I start writing again on Mondee. I might get the opportunity today to run the D&D adventure game box set for a group of kids who've never played. I'm excited. 

As soon as I get money, I'm going to get the Eberron campaign setting. If I like that, I might have to start whipping up a new campaign. Oooooooh.


----------



## Richards

Before the next exciting chapter in this storyline gets posted, I think it's time for another parody song.  This time, it's to the tune of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
*JEDI AND KID FETT*

Hey, fans, wasn't that a great bout?
There's nothing like some bloodshed
To get all your screams of hate out.
We've got another match up next, so stick around.
You're gonna see a battle 50 meters 'bove the ground.

Say, there in the grandstands, have you seen them yet?
Oh, but they're so damn cute!
J-J-J-J-J-Jedi and Kid Fett.
Oh, but they're young, inexperienced.
That Jedi, he's just a kid.
A Child of Prophecy, he just might be,
You know I saw it on a holo-vid.
J-J-J-Jedi and Kid Fett.

Hey, fans, check out Boba's blaster.
If Pock is gonna win this,
He'd better hope he's faster!
Who will survive?  Better place your bets real fast.
'Cause the fight's about to start and the
Dianoga's lunchtime has passed.

Say, there in the grandstands, have you seen them yet?
Oh, but they're so damn cute!
J-J-J-J-J-Jedi and Kid Fett.
Oh, but they're young, inexperienced.
That Jedi, he's just a kid.
A Child of Prophecy, he just might be,
You know I saw it on a holo-vid.
J-J-J-Jedi and Kid Fett.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Johnathan
Wandering Unofficial Bard


----------



## Dr Midnight

Hey Richards, nice stuff! I'd enjoy that a lot more if I could remember how the song goes besides the "B-B-B-Benny..." part. 

Richards, while I've got you here, I thought recently that there's a tale you'd love from my current D&D campaign. It's not got a story hour, and that's kinda sad and kinda fortunate. Sad in that it's funny as hell, and fortunate in that there's just NO WAY that the party would have been selected for this regal quest they're on. 

Anyway, the story is this- I ran them through Gorgoldand's Gauntlet. They got Hoardmaster and were incredibly excited about the idea of having a coin dragon with them. For those that don't know, Hoardmaster, when placed in a pile of coins, turns the coins into a dragon-shaped mass of deadliness to fight anyone who might try to steal the coins. Time passes and they eventually go into the Sunless Citadel and are having a hard time fighting the goblin horde near the back of the first level. They come up with a plan, and pour ALL their party treasure into a pile, then stick Hoardmaster in it. They call the goblins out from a distance and say "Hey goblins, that's our treasure... it's yours now, take it!" They crouched back and giggled, waiting for the fireworks to begin. The hesitant goblins started coming out and loading all the coins up. They took everything, and the dumbstruck party couldn't figure out why the dragon hadn't appeared to turn them to mush. 

They had, of course, GIVEN the treasure to the goblins, and it was thus rightfully theirs. I had to hold in the laughter until they figured it out, and when they did I just about fell on the floor.

They eventually had to bargain to get Hoardmaster back, but the treasure was lost for good... about 800 gp, the sum of ALL their coins. So funny.

OKAY, ENOUGH D&D! I'm writing now. Here's a taste:


> Pock reached Boba and cut out at him. The young bounty hunter’s apprentice dodged with remarkable speed, but a second swing gashed his armor. Boba rolled backward and up to a kneeling position, extending his left arm. A thin cable shot out and would have wrapped completely around Pock, but the Padawan sliced the cable into four parts that skittered off in different directions around them.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Magnus growled “Yash. You said Pock wouldn’t be harmed.”

Yet chuckled and waved a finger. “Ah-ah, I said neither I nor my men would harm him.”

Pock cast his eyes up, feeling for which booth had his master in it. He found it, and tried to imagine what Magnus would guide him to do. His concentration was rudely wrenched forward as Boba Fett fired at him. Pock deflected the blast, the crowd roared, and the fight was on. 

Pock began running across the tiles. Beneath the two meter square glasteel hovertiles he could see the deadly drop to the tentacles swirling in the muck below. Off to his right, one of the tiles suddenly fell. A tile behind him did the same. All the while, Fett repositioned himself, stepping lightly, never taking his gaze from the young Jedi rushing him from across the arena. He fired rapid blasts that were roundly deflected. 

Boba Fett was quickly running out of space. He changed his strategy and thumbed a button on his blaster. He fired a blurred blue circle across the arena and hit Pock. 

The stun bolt didn’t take, though, and Pock kept his footing. He kept running and nimbly ran around a square as one of the tiles fell. The tiles were falling at the rate of one every three seconds. Within three minutes there’d be nowhere left to stand. 

Pock reached Boba and cut out at him. The young bounty hunter’s apprentice dodged with remarkable speed, but a second swing gashed his armor. Boba rolled backward and up to a kneeling position, extending his left arm. A thin cable shot out and would have wrapped completely around Pock, but the padawan sliced the cable into four parts that skittered off in different directions around them. 

Boba dodged two more lightsaber cuts, then darted through an opening and ran to increase the distance between them. He knew that close combat would go poorly for him. 

Pock turned on his heel and ran after Boba. He got four steps before the tile he was on dropped beneath him. For a moment he fell with it, but his quick arms snapped out and grasped the rim of the remaining tiles. He pulled himself back up and continued his pursuit.

Boba fired more stun shots. He was apparently looking to incapacitate Pock, if for now. Pock closed the distance again and began attacking Fett in earnest. 

Boba stood his ground this time. He held up his arm and with a _CHAKK_ noise curved, razor-sharp blades sprouted from his forearms’ gauntlets. He began slicing and punching at Pock, who stepped back a bit to allow him room to dodged the other youngster’s quick strikes. The lightsaber slashed Boba several times on the legs and arms. The armor absorbed a lot of the damage, but blood oozed slowly from the smoking wounds. 

The floor dropped away beneath them. The crowd gasped with pleasure as both fighters began to fall. Both managed to cling to the sides and pull themselves up. Boba was faster, though, and he rolled to his feet, pulling out his pistol in one smooth motion and shooting Pock with it. 

Pock was struck in the back with a stun bolt as he stood from the edge of the pit. His limbs froze up and he couldn’t move at all. The audience cheered lustily as Fett walked up to the Jedi. 

“Jedi dog,” Boba hissed. “You and your kind have all got this coming. I’ll start with you.” He grasped Pock’s hanging padawan braid and cut it quickly with his gauntlet blades, then fastened it to his belt. He took Pock’s lightsaber and studied the colored blade up close. The green light reflected in his helmet’s visor.

Fett casually turned and walked a few paces away. He hefted the lightsaber and paused. “This will be quite fitting, I think. You’re going to die the way my dad did.” He began to run at Pock. 

Jaren, in the viewing booth above, leaned over and whispered “Do we move? He’s about to get shorter…”

Magnus seemed strangely calm. “Not yet. I’ve trained him too well.” 

Pock’s forehead gleamed with sweat. His body was frozen stiff and he was completely defenseless. His mind, though, was free. Pock concentrated. He called upon the Force, and felt it answer. The glasteel tile Boba Fett was just about to set his foot down on turned upright, spilling Boba down its front like a slide. 

Boba held fast to the side and pulled himself up. He was alive, but the maneuver had bought Pock several precious seconds. He began to feel the feeling come back into his hands. His fingers tingled with pinpricks and his fingers twitched reflexively.

Boba Fett reclaimed his footing on the floor, which was now half gone. Only a rickety checkerboard of surface area remained of the arena’s floor. Boba lunged at Pock, swinging the lightsaber for the padawan’s neck. 

Pock reached up with his left hand and caught the hilt of his lightsaber in his hand, stopping its swing. At the same time his right hand rushed out and pushed at the air, and Boba was launched backward. He slammed into the still upright tile that Pock had turned with his mind, then fell straight down, screaming as he did. He splashed into the water below and the tentacles twisted after him below the surface.

“The WINNER,” the announcer voice yelled. “POCK SIRUS, JEDI PADAWAN!!!” It had been a great fight and the crowd were all on their feet cheering thunderously. 

Jaren cast his eye to one of the guards in the room. The guard winked at him and made a barely perceivable gesture. Jaren nodded. Mikau and Magnus saw it but didn’t care to ask at the moment. 

Magnus faced Yet Yash, body tensed to spring. His hand floated near where the pilfered lightsaber rested in his tabard. “Yash,” Magnus said. “What now?”

Yash turned with a smile. “What do you mean, ‘what now’? You all are free to go.”

Magnus blinked with surprise. He hadn’t expected that.

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Lela

The cost of freedom was merely a few lives and the entertainment of couple hundred sentients.  Why were they complaining?


----------



## Richards

Excellent update as always, Doc.  And that Gorgoldand "Hoardmaster" story was pants-wetting hilarious!  I would have loved to have been there to see that.

Hmm, this is the second Elton John tune you've failed to recognize.  I may have to cut him from my list of source material...

Johnathan


----------



## Dr Midnight

It was determined that yes, the heroes were free. Yash had made a great deal of money but kept his word and released them.

The downside to this was that Yet considered their Pheleeni starship his own property, and the Republicans had no ship. 

They could, however, perform a small service for Yash. In exchange for delivering a parcel to Manaan, they would be allowed to leave with the Pheleeni ship. Yash told them this as if he were doing them a great favor. Jaren bristled at the offer, but Mikau politely said the group would agree to deliver the item. 

The group were led outside and the ship was waiting. Inside, a large crate was placed in the cargo area. 

“I’m glad we didn’t have to fight our way free,” Mikau said casually as Jaren primed the ship for liftoff. 

“Me too,” Magnus agreed. “Pock, you did really well.” 

Pock grinned. “Thank you, master.”

Jaren nodded. “Yeah, Pock, you were wizard out there. You hit that kid fast and merciless, just the way to do it.”

Magnus said “I don’t believe merciless is a good word to describe a Jedi’s actions.”

Pock added “Yeah… thanks though!”

From the loading ramp, a voice called up. “Wait, don’t take off yet, wait!”

Jaren hit the Idle switch and got up expectantly. “What is it?”

Two of the guards were walking up the ramp, pushing another crate on a repulsorlift dolly. Magnus and Mikau exchanged a look- they were two of the guards that had been making signals with Jaren back in the viewing chamber. 

“Another parcel,” the guards said breathlessly. “You know what to do.” 

Jaren nodded and placed the crate beside the other. He then sat back in the pilot’s seat and continued the liftoff sequence as the two guards went back down the corridor. 

Mikau was suddenly alarmed. His senses were on the alert, and his skin felt tense. Taut. It took him a moment to realize that he was smelling something. He was smelling something aquatic… a predator. His kaminoan ancestry had gifted him with a finely honed sense for knowing when a dangerous sea creature was nearby. He was getting that now. He looked at the second crate and lifted his hand to his chin as he pondered the dripping corner. 

“Magnus,” he said quietly. “Look.” He pointed out the crate’s bottom. 

Magnus knelt and examined the crate. “Jaren, want to tell us what this is about?”

“Not until we’re off-planet,” Jaren said coolly. 

The ramp closed and the Pheleeni ship lifted up into Rattatak’s reddish atmosphere. When they’d broken the planet’s orbit, Jaren set a course for Manaan and punched the hyperdrive. The stars melted around them in straight lines as they made the jump to lightspeed. 

Jaren turned in his pilot’s chair. “That,” Jaren said, “Is something of a side deal I made on Rattatak. Open it.”

Magnus paused a moment, then opened the latches holding the crate’s lid closed. He lifted the lid and looked inside. Boba Fett was lying at the bottom of the crate, soaking wet and unconscious. He was covered with bruises and lacerations, but he seemed to be alive, if barely.  Magnus was stunned. “Jaren… what…” 

“Hold on, hold on. I made a deal with some of the boys from Yash’s guards. Turns out this kid Fett was at Geonosis. He had an insider’s look at the Separatists’ side of things. He’s worth a lot of credits to your Jedi Council, who’ll want to talk to someone with his perspective.” The other two Jedi merely stared at him, so he went on. “The deal was that if the guards get the kid- and me- out, I let them in on the profits from his handover. Seventy-five percent.”

Magnus said “The kid- and YOU. Not us?”

Jaren rolled his eyes. “Us, yes, of course. You’re missing the big picture here, which is that I made us friends on the inside. If things had gone badly, the guards would have sprung us. They were the ones that suggested we run this parcel mission for Yash and saved us another fight. They’ve done a lot of work for us behind the scenes- did you notice how none of the things in the arena battle attacked me?” The others nodded. “My doing. It was one of the conditions. I don’t know how you convince a bunch of warriors to NOT attack someone in a fight to the death. Maybe my prowess was slightly exaggerated… Hmm…”

“And you think the Council will pay for Boba Fett?”

“Of course. If they don’t, no big deal, but I promised the boys a great deal of money as a condition of getting us out of there. I’ll pay them one way or another. It was worth it to get their help.”

Mikau said “What he says is true for the most part, I overheard him discussing the deal late last night with the guards. He most certainly did not include us in the bargain- but he, Boba and Pock were to be extended certain protections.”

Jaren shrugged guiltily, smiling, while Magnus’ face went dark. “Pock? Why Pock?”

“He’s a good kid, I hated the thought of him getting hurt.”

Mikau was kneeling by the crate. “We can discuss this later. Young master Boba needs to be placed in the bacta unit immediately.”

Pock stood over the crate, looking at his fallen enemy impassively. “He shouldn’t have tried to kill me.”

The crate was taken belowdeck to the infirmary. Here, Magnus, Pock and Mikau were further surprised to find roughly fifteen of Yet Yash’s guardsmen playing Pazaak in the engine room. One looked up. “Creel. Are we clear of Rattatak?”

“Yes. You guys sit tight, we should reach Manaan sometime tomorrow. Then it’s straight to Coruscant to deliver Fett and get your money. Hey, point of interest- what’s this parcel going to Manaan?”

The guard shrugged. “Something about a biological weapon. Going to a Selkath named Ekra Tev.”

Mikau’s posture stiffened. “Ekra Tev?”

“Yeah, you know ‘im?”

Mikau exchanged a glance with Magnus. “Yes, I know him. At any rate, we have to take Boba to the infirmary. Can you check on him now and then?”

The guards nodded agreeably. “Sure. We’ll be down here if you need us.”

The heroes went by quietly and hooked Boba into the bacta system. His vital signs were faint but persistent. “The kid’s hardy,” Jaren observed. “I don’t know many full-grown men that could survive a minute in a dianoga pool.”

“Let’s get back upstairs,” Magnus said under his breath. “I don’t want to keep Pock around these scoundrels.” They walked again past the guards and back to the cockpit, where they closed the door. 

Magnus faced Jaren and gave him a hard glare. “Creel, I’m a little tired of the secrets. You’ve lied to us about a great many things. You’re going to start telling the truth. Right now.”

Jaren looked silently from Magnus to Mikau and back to Magnus. He sighed and sat back in his pilot’s seat. “All right.”

He told them everything. 

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Broccli_Head

_Everything?...._ 

I don't believe it.


----------



## Wee Jas

Broccli_Head said:
			
		

> _Everything?...._
> 
> I don't believe it.





Me either!


----------



## Lela

Maybe everything he was planning on telling them. . .


----------



## Felix

Everything, in the mathematical sense, is the set that contains all sets.

As it is impossible for a set to contain all other sets as well as itself, the only set of Everything that contains Everything is Nothing. 

Therefore, when Jaren told them everything, he told them nothing.


----------



## fenzer

Felix, your mathematical prowess is intoxicating.

Thanks for the updates Doc.


----------



## Stone Angel

*Gives Cyberspace hug*

I love your story hours so much. Somedays they are the sole reason I get out of bed. [grumble, grumble] *concocts master plan to operate all functions from his bed*

At any rate good update.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


----------



## Dr Midnight

Stone Angel said:
			
		

> I love your story hours so much. Somedays they are the sole reason I get out of bed.



Hey, thanks! I mean, I'm sure that's some craaazy exaggerating there, but still, I appreciate it. I love reader response more than anything about writing a story hour. Gimme more, if you dare!

No game this week, or the last. I'll try to finish Chapter 3 by Saturday. There should be maybe two more updates to Chapter 3, and one, MAYBE two more sessions to the game in general before I move on to other things.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Whoof... I'm up wayyyy late reading the Knights of Spellforge Keep thread from long ago. I love going over the reader comments. I do miss the days of having a big D&D story hour. So many people read it. With the Star Wars stuff, I think only so many people are willing to give it a shot. It's more of a niche attraction on a D&D message board. Le sigh.

Maaan, the debate over Jamison's actions is HARSH. 
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?t=23664&page=1&pp=20


----------



## Richards

> I do miss the days of having a big D&D story hour. So many people read it. With the Star Wars stuff, I think only so many people are willing to give it a shot.



Solution: when the Star Wars campaign ends, start up a new D&D Story Hour!

Johnathan


----------



## Wee Jas

Gah.. IM STUCK reading this (TKoSK of course) now.. grr..  I hate you.


----------



## Wee Jas

Doc Midnight said:
			
		

> “Oh, this is most fortunate. I’ve been looking for those.” He gestured down into the pit. The party looked down and found they were lying on a carpet of slime-slicked bones.




LOL.  Curse you DM!


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> Gah.. IM STUCK reading this (TKoSK of course) now.. grr..  I hate you.



 Weren't you planning on doing a PDF version? What happend to that?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Neverwinter Knight said:
			
		

> Weren't you planning on doing a PDF version? What happend to that?




I've got a lot of stuff I want to do with KoSK... Mostly, I want to edit it. I go through and I see a lot of errors. I want to trim up the beginning and make the writing style match the later writing style. I want to fix the grammar and syntax, make general corrections. So far I haven't had time to do it. Once I do it I'll re-release things in four .doc or .pdf files as a kind of celebratory KOSK: SPECIAL EDITION or something.

You won't believe the new scene wherein Dartan confronts crappy CGI Jabba!


----------



## Lela

Yeah, but Dartan, unlike his peers, won't step on the tail.  He'll cut it off.

Gotta love Dartan!


----------



## Dr Midnight

“I knew something was wrong,” Magnus said to himself. When Mikau didn’t reply, he added “I never trusted him. I felt the Force in him, and I sensed deeper motives.”

“We must not be too hasty,” Mikau said. “He’s come clean with us. I believe he’s told us everything there is to know.”

“Oh? Then who’s this ‘man in black’?”

Mikau’s head bobbed slowly as he thought. “I don’t know, but I believe that Jaren doesn’t know either. He feels like his 'mission' is soured, and he says he's come to value Pock. Otherwise he might not have strayed from the path he agreed to.” 

“There’s something bigger going on here than we know. What’s upsetting me the most is that whoever this ‘man in black’ is, he’s got Republic connections. Connections high enough in the chain to get a Separatist agent assigned on a priority mission.”

“We were never a priority.” 

The two stood in the small tool lock at the rear of the crewman’s deck aboard the Pheleeni ship. Here, they felt isolated enough from the others- but Pock was just outside. Magnus could sense him there. He wanted Pock close, if not in earshot. If Creel were brazen enough to take the boy now, Magnus would sense it before the scoundrel could make a move… yet Pock couldn’t overhear the discussion of Jaren’s confessed nature as a double agent.

Jaren had told Yash’s guards that Boba Fett would be worth several thousand credits on Coruscant, and had promised them a seventy-five percent share if they helped get him- alive- to the Council. “The logic being,” Jaren said, “that Boba Fett was at the first battle of the war, at Geonosis. He was on the Separatists’ side, and he probably saw a lot of things at his ‘dad’s’ side that the Jedi would be very interested in.” Neither Jedi could refute that yes, Fett was probably worth something to the Council. A mind-probe might turn up valuable information that could end the war. 

Magnus sighed. “What do we do now? We can’t leave Creel in charge of the ship. We’re going to Manaan on some insane courier mission for a crime lord. That barada on the lower deck said we’re delivering ‘some biological weapon’ to an ‘Ekra Tev’. I most definitely will not be responsible for bringing large-scale death to Manaan. I want to honor our bargain with Yet Yash, but not until I’m sure we’re doing the right thing.”

“Agreed,” Mikau said. “I know Ekra Tev. He’s a Selkath. I sat with him on a provincial council of aquatic worlds. He’s something of a radical, with ideas and opinions that few others could agree with. Tev despised the Republic as an ‘archaic fossil of beaurocratic fatcats,’ if I remember correctly. He eventually left the council to form his own group.” He looked to Magnus and added “It would hold that he’s fallen in line with the Separatists by now.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Magnus said. He walked from the room and found Pock meditating on the floor. The padawan quickly snapped awake and followed them back up to the cockpit. 

“Creel”, Magnus said coldly. “We’re going to have this parcel of Yash’s investigated. What’s the nearest Republic-friendly world with a  decent hazardous materials team?”

Jaren punched some buttons and waited a moment for the answer. “Ithor is about an hour away, but it’s off-course.”

“Make it on-course. We’re not delivering this box until we know what’s inside it.”

Jaren sighed. “That would be twice today I’d have broken a deal. I’d never broken a deal before coming along with you people.”

“You have my sympathies,” Magnus said. “Do it.”

Jaren plotted a new course for Ithor. He thumbed a red button and announced “Ithor control, this is… uh… the Pheleeni Rain, Republic transport. We’ve got a situation and we have need of a hazmat team. We’ll be reaching Ithor’s orbit in about fifty-five standard minutes.”

A warbling, deep voice came back, speaking Basic in a thick Ithorian accent. “Pheleeni Rain, this is Ithor control. That’s a negative on coming into orbit. If you want a hazmat team we’ll dispatch one to you in space. What seems to be the problem?”

“We’ve got a box up here. Quite possibly something dangerous. A ‘biological weapon’, we’re told.”

Mikau and Magnus had very carefully opened the crate and were looking down on four metal canisters set in molded packing foam. Mikau picked up a datapad lying there and read it. “The material is known as ‘Nessaecide’, if this is to be trusted. It also says that this is the fifth delivery to Manaan on this docklist. Can they have four other containers of this material already?”

When the ship reached the space just outside Ithor’s orbit, a craft was waiting for them. They docked together and three bright yellow-bodysuited Ithorians stepped aboard. “Greetings,” one said. “Please direct us to the items in question.”

They were led to the crate, and after about five minutes of testing, the Ithorians pulled off their yellow headpieces. “This is Nessaecide,” their leader said crossly.

Pock asked “What’s that?”

“It’s not a biological weapon. It’s the antiparasite solution that kills Nessae.” Seeing the next question coming, he went on. ”Nessae are a waterborne organism that multiply quickly and devour all kinds of metal, reducing its to its base components. Nessae, likewise, is not a biological weapon.”

Mikau turned to Magnus. “It would be on Manaan, where an entire world of aquatic creatures has built a civilization out of metals from the ocean floor to the surface.” 

“You’re quite right.” He thanked the Ithorians, who returned to their ship. “It looks like your friend Ekra Tev has ordered Nessae, and this box is merely the means to kill them if Manaan’s government agrees to his demands.”

Mikau blinked. “You think Tev is plotting some form of terrorism?”

“You don’t?”

“I suppose you’re right. The Selkath have evolved for millennia with technology. Taking all of their constructs from them and plunging them back into the sea will likely leave them unequipped to deal with predators as they were long ago.” His head bowed sadly. 

Magnus sat in the copilot’s seat and thought. “I can’t justify going on now. We should get the Nessaecide to Manaan, but… I need guidance. We should go back to Coruscant and discuss this with the Council. Besides, I need to get Pock home. That was the original mission. We’ve been sidetracked long enough.”

Mikau said “What about the men belowdeck?”

Magnus replied “Their mission is on Coruscant with Jaren, delivering Boba Fett to the Council. They’ll be happy to go.” He looked at Jaren. “As an added bonus, we can see what the Jedi Council wants done with you. Plot a course for Coruscant.”

Jaren Creel grumbled indignantly and pushed a number of buttons on the astrogate console. The ship turned in space, adjusted its angle, and shot forward into hyperspace.

_*More to come… *_


----------



## Lela

I can't believe he told them about the black robed man.


----------



## Dakkareth

I'm surprised he _could_ ... well, He will know already anyway ...


----------



## Dr Midnight

Lela said:
			
		

> I can't believe he told them about the black robed man.



Yeah. It's, uh... kinda an odd situation. See, Jaren's player thought Yet Yash revealed that the man in black had betrayed him. Yash, in parting, said something like "heh heh, your work is not done yet, Creel." Jaren's player took it to mean that Yash knew about his secret mission for the man in black, and as such, the man in black had been blabbing about the mission. Jaren considered that a deal-breaker. 

It turned out he was wrong, but the decision was made and the Jedi were informed by the time we'd hashed out the problem. It makes it hard for me to write, and I have to kinda work around Jaren's leaving the job for a rationale that doesn't work within the framework of the story. It's a bit wonky, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. I tried to write it as best I could.

Tomorrow- game day! Back to the action, and back to the war. I know I haven't completed Chapter 3, but hang in there.


----------



## Dr Midnight

The game was today, and was unbelievable. I don't really mean that in a good way- I can't believe how the game went. The game eventually devolved into giggles and we gave up.

I'll try to write up the rest of the story as I'd like to read it. Most of this will be entirely fictionalized. Then, I plan to tell you what REALLY happened. There will be funnies as a result.


----------



## ellestar

Uh oh.. someone made a naughty at the table?


----------



## Lela

Not quite logical reasons is exactly what makes a character unique.  It's also what makes for a great story.  I'm good with it, though I figure it will mess with your plot a little.

Ah, the power of the PCs.


----------



## Neverwinter Knight

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> The game was today, and was unbelievable. I don't really mean that in a good way- I can't believe how the game went. The game eventually devolved into giggles and we gave up.
> 
> I'll try to write up the rest of the story as I'd like to read it. Most of this will be entirely fictionalized. Then, I plan to tell you what REALLY happened. There will be funnies as a result.



 Bring them on, Doc...and another great update, btw !!!


----------



## Wee Jas

"I bet Obi-Wan never has to deal with any of this!", said Magnus Turon


----------



## Dr Midnight

As it’s getting less and less likely that I’m going to get around to writing the story up the way I’d like to see it, I might as well tell you what actually happened.

Three big things happened in Chapter 3 that brought about the downfall:
#1- Jaren confessed, believing something Yet Yash had said indicated that the Man in Black had been discussing their deal and exposing Jaren to danger. Jaren considered it a deal-breaker.
#2- They went back to Coruscant. The whole point of the campaign was the journey to get Pock back to Coruscant, out of the intergalactic war. Once on Coruscant, he’d be kept in the safety of the Council. There would be no Pock for another adventure. 
#3- When told of what Jaren had been doing, Plo Koon kicked him out of the group. I just couldn’t think of any reason for them to keep Jaren on-hand. With a wince in my heart, Plo Koon kicked Jaren out of the temple. 

SO- When I started up Session 4 without Jaren and having Pock still come along on a mission to bring the Nessaecide to Manaan (total cheese, going against my earlier edict of HE MUST NOT BE PUT AT RISK), the credibility was teetering horribly. I didn’t know how to balance this stuff, and it showed. Energy was uncertain, people couldn’t really get focused, I wasn’t sure how things would go. 

Eventually, things kinda shaped up, and Mikau came up against Ekra Tev. Mikau’s player had been complaining that I didn’t concentrate on him enough and give him enough screen time, so I made Ekra to be his old nemesis. When Ekra confronted the group, he spoke to Mikau, and Mikau’s player shrugged and passed the diplomacy off to someone else. Guh!

Later, there’s a big battle going on. Mikau versus Ekra Tev as aquatic battle rages on Manaan. Mikau says something like “We needn’t fight, there’s no reason we can’t bring about change through legal action!” She rolls a freakin’ 36 for a diplomacy check. It’s so good that I say yeah, Ekra Tev’s mind is changed. He lowered his sword and nodded. That’s when Pock’s initiative came up. “I STAB HIM IN THE BACK WITH MY LIGHTSABER!!!” 

At that point we felt secure in just folding the game up.


----------



## Metus

Whoa.  So are you guys done with Star Wars?  Are you going to be moving on to another game?  Will we get a SH of that?

Also, there was something I was real curious about.  Who were the players behind the characters for that game?  I know Wee Jas was Jaren, but were there any other players from KotSQ?


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wee Jas was the only KotSQ player. Pock was Wee Jas' son, Mikau was my girlfriend, and Jaren was her friend from a Star Wars message board. 

There are plans for something new, but it's too early to give details.


----------



## Wee Jas

I was Magnus.

Doc you left out all the great "Ham sammiches" quotes.  Oh and when the new Jedi in the group started cutting appendages off our hostage with his lightsaber to get info.   Doh!


----------



## Razamir

Too Bad. I was really digging this SH. If you don't mind... Magnus, Pock and Mikau will make cameos in my next Clone Wars game.

Can't wait to see what you have in store for use next.


----------



## Dr Midnight

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> I was Magnus.
> 
> Doc you left out all the great "Ham sammiches" quotes.  Oh and when the new Jedi in the group started cutting appendages off our hostage with his lightsaber to get info.   Doh!



Aww man, I did forget all that... care to do the honors and tell the people? Don't forget all the fish jokes!


----------



## ragboy

Dr Midnight said:
			
		

> At that point we felt secure in just folding the game up.




It's too bad that your game went in the dumps. Worse that you SH is gone. Are you going to do another?


----------



## Dakkareth

Ooohhhh


----------



## Morte

Hard luck on the game fading out, Doc. I was enjoying your SH --I'd kind of turned my nose up at Star Wars being more of a "gritty Traveller type", but you were making me wonder . Hope you get something new going.


----------



## Wee Jas

Morte said:
			
		

> Hope you get something new going.




I beg him all the time.

What will be the next thang?

Return to the Depths of the Silver Quill Slave Lord Mountain?


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas has a son!?!

That may be one of the scariest realizations I've ever had. . .


----------



## Felix

And here I thought liches were infertile.


----------



## Lela

That, I think, can be fixed.  It has to do with unspeakable and inhumane rituals involving three random animals with hooves and a cheese danish.

Now, I'm not sure the danish is necisary.  But I've never seen a working ritual without one.


----------



## DralonXitz

That's too bad Doc, SH was great.  I know what it's like to have a long running SWRPG campaign go to oblivion.  I was GMing my group's campaign for about 13 sessions, going great, than they finally get a Starship, a Firespray-31 after storming through a Black Sun officer's penthouse.  First flight into space, a Bossk the Bounty Hunter flew in(note, the players actions landed them a 90,000 Credit bounty on their heads, so naturally) and combat went underway.  Now, the Shield Operator and Engineer were making nothing but high rolls, all good, but the Pilot PC couldnt roll above a 3 or 4 for the life of him, got the whole ship torn to shreads.


----------



## Wee Jas

Lela said:
			
		

> Wee Jas has a son!?!
> 
> That may be one of the scariest realizations I've ever had. . .




.. someday he might be a better power gamer than his dear old dad.  I doubt it though.  I was a lot more sly and devious at his age.

Unless he is good enough to hide that from me!


----------



## Lela

Wee Jas said:
			
		

> .. someday he might be a better power gamer than his dear old dad.  I doubt it though.  I was a lot more sly and devious at his age.
> 
> Unless he is good enough to hide that from me!



 In which case we're all _dooooommmmmeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddddddddd._


----------

