# Star Wars - Tales from the Outer Rim



## Jodo Kast (Jun 1, 2002)

* PRELUDE - WELCOME TO MALABAR ...* 

*A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...* 

EXTERIOR: DEEP SPACE.  _Thousands of stars shine brilliantly against a backdrop of black.  Suddenly a modified Correllian YT-1300 transport lurches out of hyperspace.  The ship’s cockpit has been removed from the right side of the hull and replaced with a center-mounted unit that sits between the mandibles.  The engine section has been almost entirely removed and replaced with three powerful sublight engines and a first-class hyperdrive. Two modified laser cannons are mounted to turrets, one dorsally and one ventrally, and they are supported by a single blaster cannon.  The vessel's sleek silhouette, however, is belied by its carbon-scored hide and limping movement.  This is the Rim Runner._

INTERIOR: THE COCKPIT OF THE RIM RUNNER.  _An azure planet dominates the view from the cockpit of the Rim Runner.  It is an ocean world, the only land taking the form of tiny island chains.  Massive cyclonic clouds cover much of the ocean surface.  Inside, a Sullustan jabbers something in a strange language as he attempts to patch a sparking, crackling wire, his dark eyes wide with panic beneath protective goggles.  A rugged looking Rodian sits at the controls and sighs._

"Malabar.  Why did it have to be Malabar?"

EXTERIOR: MALABAR.  _The Rim Runner's three sublight engines ignite, propelling the transport into the planet's atmosphere, one of the engines cutting on and off sporadically.  The front of the vessel is outlined in a penumbra of red as its shielding protects it from the heat of atmospheric entry.  Then the transport assumes a less steep angle and the heat dissipates as the ship skims over the surface of a cyclone cloud, some ten miles deep with a diameter greater by far.  Lightning dances in the giant storm below.  And then the Rim Runner is clear, past the storm and above calm ocean.  The transport dives low, practically skimming the surface of the sea.  Suddenly a monstrous creature rises from the water directly in the transport's path, its head impossibly broad.  The creature arcs, its head plunging back into the sea, followed by a long, broad, serpentine back lined with rows of curved fins.  Finally, the wide, powerful tail of the beast crests the surface and slaps down, sending a spray of seafoam high into the air, soaking the cockpit window of the Rim Runner as the transport flies past.  As the water beads and runs off the window, a small landmass becomes visible ahead.  The island is covered with lush tropical forest._

EXTERIOR: GANLO ISLAND.  _The tell-tale signs of smoke rising indicate the small coastal settlement ahead.  The hull of an old ripship rises from the moist sand, a casualty of setting down too close to the tide line.  Further up on the beach several transports are landed.  Here the island's broad beach is packed hard by pounding waves, and it's as good as any duracrete landing pad.  The Rim Runner lurches to a halt in midair and landing gear emerge from its underside.  The ship rocks from side to side as it touches down hard, sending up clouds of sand.  The boarding ramp lowers, and the Rodian and Sullustan emerge, their knees wobbly from the rough landing._ 

The short Sullustan stumbled down the ramp, tugging at his flight suit.  The baggy suit was weighted down with tools of every variety, each clamped to a metal ring on the suit.  He babbled incessantly, large jowls flapping, pointing back at the ship with his stubby fingers.

The tapered end of the Rodian's green snout formed a rueful grin, and a light gleamed deep in his dark eyes.  "No, Tevy, not yet.  We'll get parts later.  First we stop for lum.  And I have some ... business to attend."  The grim Rodian's hands casually dropped to the butts of the heavy blasters slung low at either side.

Tevy shrugged his shoulders and muttered under his breath.  For Baydo, it seemed that lum was always the top priority.  And there always seemed to be some unpleasant business to attend.


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## LostSoul (Jun 1, 2002)

Jodo... the last time I saw you, you were on Tatooine hunting for Adar Tallon.

Looking forward to another Star Wars story.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 1, 2002)

LostSoul said:
			
		

> *Jodo... the last time I saw you, you were on Tatooine hunting for Adar Tallon.
> 
> Looking forward to another Star Wars story. *



I remember Tatooine.  Tallon never had a chance.  I always get my man.  Seriously though, LostSoul, I believe you'll find I have taken liberties with the Jodo Kast character that make him an even more mysterious and formidable foe than he was in those great old West End Games d6 products.  In fact, you'll find that I've incorporated many WEG characters, vessels, places, etc. into my d20 game.  I'll try to give credit where it is due.  Hope you enjoy this Star Wars story hour.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 1, 2002)

*... HAVE A NICE DAY!*

Baydo and Tevy sat at a table made from a large jungle tree.  The nearby makeshift bar was fashioned out of old plastic and metallic cargo crates with a board of plastic over them.  Several animal fat lanterns hung from the ceiling, sputtering away and providing meager light.  Banks of wind chimes hung near the door, tinkling softly in the warm, humid breeze.  Tevy greedily slurped from a bowl of spicy stew.  Baydo sipped a liquor distilled from various native jungle fruits and watched the door intently.  The only other person in the cantina was the bartender, a contemplative Ithorian.  She was humming softly to herself, the mouths on each side of her neck producing a stereo effect.

Tevy spewed soup from his jowls all over the table when Baydo elbowed him in the ribs.  "Company," the Rodian hissed.  Baydo nodded to the door, and the companions watched as two newcomers entered the cantina.  The first was a Quarren, its head tentacles moving anxiously below its mouth, a heavy blaster worn visibly at its side.  The second was a tall Trandoshan with a scaly hide and armed with a blaster carbine.  The Ithorian bartender stopped humming and disappeared into the storeroom.  

The Quarren spoke in its alien tongue.  "<Baydo!  You have a lot of balls coming here.>"  

"<You tell your slimeball boss Choti the Squid,>" said Baydo in perfect Quarrenese, "<that I've got his money.>"  

"<Good!  Show it to me,>" snarled the Quarren.

Baydo chuckled.  "<Well, I don't have the money _on_ me.  I just need a little more time ...>"

"<Choti thought you might say that.  Here is his answer.>"  The Quarren nodded to the Trandoshan, and before either Baydo or Tevy could react the reptilian thug lowered his blaster carbine and let fly.  The blast struck Tevy square in the chest and sent him flying against the wall with a yelp and a sickening thud.

"<No!>" cried Baydo, this time in Rodian.  His hands flew to his blasters, drawing the weapons with lightning speed.  The Trandoshan tried to dive behind the bar, but he was riddled with blaster burns before he even hit the floor.  

The Quarren thug was attempting to slip out the door when Baydo trained those deadly blasters on him.  "Oo-ta goo-ta, scumbag?"

Just then, however, the wind died down, the chimes stopped tinkling, and an ominous quiet fell over the room.  Baydo saw a familiar silhouette framed in the doorway.  The armored figure strode confidently into the room, one hand raised toward Baydo, wagging the forefinger in a silent warning.  The other hand trained a modified heavy blaster on the Rodian.  Knowing he was far outmatched, Baydo holstered his pistols angrily, crossed his arms, and glared at the man in red and black.

"Jodo Kast.  It's been a long time.  Still Choti's lapdog, eh?"

The armored man said nothing.  The Quarren had recovered, however, and glared menacingly at Baydo.  "<Consider this your last warning, Baydo.  Next time, you will not be so lucky.>"  The Quarren turned and stomped out of the cantina, leaving his Trandoshan companion dead on the floor.  Jodo Kast backed slowly out the door.  Baydo was certain the bounty hunter was smiling under that helmet.

As soon as they had departed, Baydo rushed to Tevy's side.  The gruff, crusty smuggler was surprised by the depth of the sorrow that gripped him.  He had lost partners before, but Tevy had been more than that.  Tevy had been his only friend.  "Well, Tevy, at least you died a violent death.  Where am I ever gonna find someone else who can keep that old hunk of junk flying?"

_This installment of Tales from the Outer Rim owes special thanks to West End Games' wonderful supplement, Platt's Starport Guide by Peter Schweighofer.  Ganlo Island is modeled loosely after Port Haven from that book.  Additionally, the bounty hunter Jodo Kast appeared in several West End Games products as well as other expanded universe materials.  I have taken the liberty of changing the color scheme of Kast's Mandalorian battle armor to black and red, as well as other changes that will be seen in future installments._


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## Horacio (Jun 1, 2002)

Wow! Another Star Wars Story Hour!
Cool!


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## Grifter86 (Jun 1, 2002)

So, was this the first session, an introduction to the game (a smuggler seeking a new partner and maybe a crew), or part of a character's background?
Whatever it is, I like it.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 1, 2002)

Grifter86 said:
			
		

> *So, was this the first session, an introduction to the game (a smuggler seeking a new partner and maybe a crew), or part of a character's background?  Whatever it is, I like it. *



Thanks Grifter.  Actually, it was all of the above.  Our group varies from 5 to 7 players, each of whom will be introduced in time through this story hour.  You'll meet the first of the actual PCs in the next installment (which I hope to post tonight).  His goal was eventually to become a free-wheeling smuggler in charge of his own stock light freighter.  We designed the Rim Runner based on the Chaser, a ship featured in West End Games' Wretched Hives of Scum and Villainy (one of the all-time best Star Wars supplements, in my opinion).  But I didn't just want to hand him the keys.  So we half-gamed, half-brainstormed through his early adventures, before he even knew how to pilot a transport.  As you have probably guessed, this PC is going to cross paths with the Rodian Baydo in the near future.  I wrote the prelude "Welcome to Malabar ... have a nice day" because the PC was curious about what happened to Baydo's former partner.  You see, Baydo's partners have a bad habit of getting fragged....  I also wanted to foreshadow the appearance of some of the campaign's major NPCs, such as Jodo Kast and Choti the Squid.  I'm eventually going to post a website, I'm in the process of commissioning some character art to put up on the site and want to hold off until I have that in place.  Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this story hour!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 1, 2002)

*HEAD TRIP - PART I*

*A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...*

"If there's a bright center of the universe, this must be the planet farthest from," groaned Jirair Gann.  The young man lay in a hammock, his hands crossed behind his head, staring up wistfully at the late afternoon sky.  Stars were already becoming faintly visible through the canopy of thick foliage overhead.  The ocean breeze rustled through his shaggy, sandy blonde hair.

"Yup.  This is the ass-end of space," muttered Biqua distractedly.  The Mon Calamari was studiously eyeballing some unidentifiable component, holding it out from his face at a distance by its frayed power cord as if it might bite him.  The part was from a real hunk of junk, a YT-1300 tramp freighter that Biqua would not trust if it was the last ship on the planet and the sun was about to go nova.  And he certainly didn't trust the shady Rodian who owned the ship.  

"It's just not fair.  Jaros got offworld over a year ago, and he's three years younger than I am.  Meanwhile, I'm stuck here taking care of the family."

The Mon Cal sighed.  "You, my friend, are a whiny loser.  You have passed up every opportunity to leave ..."

The Mon Cal's voice trailed off as a loud humming broke the silence of the jungle.  He eyed the strange component dubiously, then realized the sound was coming from elsewhere.  Crashing through the dense foliage was a speeder bike, recklessly hurtling at top speed directly at them!  Biqua threw himself to the ground and covered his head.  Jirair bolted upright, then fell off to the side and became hopelessly entangled in the hammock.  The speeder bike skidded to a halt less than a meter away.

"Woo hoo!" yelled the speeder bike's rider as he dismounted.  The human's wide smile was infectious.  Even as Jirair cursed the rider, his face broke into a grin of its own.  He hung there in the hammock, staring upside down at his best friend.  Biqua brushed dust and grime from his overalls and began looking around for the strange part, his annoyance obvious. 

"Dev Novo, give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you?"

The younger man bent down, hands on his knees, and tilted his head until it was on a plane with Jirair's.  "Because killing an Imperial officer is a capital offense!"

Jirair's eyes widened and he squirmed.  The hammock responded, dumping him unceremoniously onto the jungle floor.  "You were accepted?!  That's ... that's great!"

"Yeah, Imperial Navy Flight School.  This time next year I'll be flying TIE fighters out there."  Dev pointed up with one hand, extending the other to help Jirair to his feet.  

Biqua tried his best to appear put out, but eventually he broke into a smile as well and congratulated his friend.  "I just hope you fly better than you ride that thing," he said, nodding towards the speeder bike.

The friends were interrupted by a gravelly voice calling impatiently from the nearby thatched shop.  "Biqua, Jirair, get in here!  Lazy fools!"  

Jirair rolled his eyes and waved his arm at Dev, indicating he should follow.  The three ducked into the low backdoor of the dingy shop.  Junk of every description lie heaped about, crowding the backroom such that they had to follow a narrow, precarious path through the shop.  Near the front, a fat Toydarian hovered above a work bench, poking at the head of a droid with a servowrench.  This was Bobbo, Jirair and Biqua's disreputable employer.

"Why you bring that no good friend?"  Bobbo wrinkled his hooked nose at Dev Novo and spat upon the ground.  Dev shrugged his shoulders and looked behind him, then back at Bobbo as if to ask, "Who, me?"  The Toydarian growled and redirected his attention to Biqua.

"Look at this head.  It's an old L80 model.  Bobbo find it going through that salvage shipped from the droid moon.  Bobbo is surprised to find it.  Those droids recycle everything useful.  Anyway, Bobbo find the memory not wiped.  Maybe something useful in this droid's head, no?  Maybe something worth ... money."  The Toydarian grinned slyly, but then scowled and kicked the head off the workbench into a wall.  "But Bobbo cannot access memory of stupid droid.  So Bobbo say, you two do it!  What does Bobbo pay you for anyway, to lay in stupid hammock and talk to no good friend?"

Jirair picked up the head.  Bobbo huffed and buzzed away, his undersized wings straining to propel his girth through the hanging curtain that separated the front of the shop from the workroom.  Dev Novo began a chant that all the inhabitants of Ganlo Island learned as children.

_"Old Bobbo is a dirty bird
Hot peggats in his purse
His flippers stink like bantha curd
His breath smells even worse"_

Jirair had joined in, but Biqua held up a hand to stop the two humans.  A very serious voice could be heard from the front of the shop.  "-cuse me, we are investigating a theft.  We think you have something that does not belong to you.  If you are smart, you will turn it over and no one will get hurt."

_To be continued ..._


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 1, 2002)

Now that I see some of your material, I'm getting more an more excited about this adventure!  After 20+ years of D&D, I'll have to learn a new language, it seems, but I believe it'll be worth it.


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## Pillars of Hercules (Jun 2, 2002)

*Yesssssss!*

Punch my ticket!  More Star Wars goodness.  Love the depth of the world (err, galaxy) and characters so far.  It's not often you have a kick-a$$ intro that doesn't even introduce a PC.


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## Horacio (Jun 2, 2002)

So these young an inexpert boys are the PCs... And the bold pilot was only a NPC...

I like this story!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 2, 2002)

Glad some of you folks are enjoying the story hour.  While it does unfold rather slowly, I hope you will all find the pay off worth it when the action eventually heats up.  So you know, I added a few sentences to the second paragraph in "Head Trip - Part I" that will help explain events to come, I believe.  Thanks for tuning in!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 2, 2002)

*HEAD TRIP - PART II*

"Excuse me.  We are investigating a theft.  We think you have something that does not belong to you.  If you are smart, you will turn it over, and no one will get hurt."  The human woman stared fiercely at Bobbo.  Her shoulders were back and her bearing haughty.  She and her two companions, both human men, were each wearing miner's grey jumpsuits, but the creases were neat and precise, and their hair was short and worn in a military style.  The suits bore the insignia of Outer Rim Oreworks.  

"Hey, baby, ORO might own this stinking planet, but this shop belong to Bobbo!"  The Toydarian rubbed his hands together, leering at the woman.  "Besides, Bobbo have no idea what you talking about."

In the back of the shop, Jirair Gann, Dev Novo and Biqua listened intently.  Everyone knew that Bobbo's dealings were often somewhat less than legitimate.  But this ... this sounded serious.  Suddenly, a metallic voice called out loudly.  "Where am I?  What is this place?  You are not the master!"  Jirair looked down at the head of the droid in his lap.  It had somehow activated!

From the front, a man's voice said, "That sounds like our target!"  Biqua pushed at Jirair and Dev, waving them out of the back of the shop.  Jirair was still staring at the talking droid head.  Dev grabbed him by the arm and the two raced through the junk in the shop and out the back door.  When the three ORO agents burst through the curtain into the backroom they ran directly into Biqua, and all four hit the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs and junk parts.

Out back, Dev Novo mounted his speeder bike and it roared to life.  Jirair looked from the droid's head to the shop and back.  Dev's blue eyes flashed with excitement.  "C'mon, Jirair, hop on!"  Jirair climed on behind Dev, holding the droid's head cradled in one arm.  The speeder tore off, flying down a narrow jungle trail. 

"Duck!" yelled Dev above the hum of the repulsorlift engine.

"What?"

"Duck!"  Dev leaned down far over the controls.  Jirair barely saw the branch before it whacked him in the face, but he somehow managed to stay on the bike without losing his head or the droid's. 

As they neared the end of the trail that opened up on the beach they saw something coming their way up ahead.  It was a group of three swoops, piloted by two Quarren and an Aqualish.  Dev and Jirair recognized them immediately ... thugs in the employ of the local crime lord, Choti the Squid.

Dev accelerated, and the swoops parted as the speeder bike whooshed past, narrowly squeezing between two of the larger swoops.  The Aqualish, his four eyes wide in terror and anger, shook a fist at the two humans and cursed them, his pincer-like mouth tusks moving fiercely.  But one of the Quarren had spotted something of interest.  Clutched beneath the arms of one of the humans was the head of a droid.  Could it be the droid they were looking for?  He signaled with his hand and the three henchmen whipped their swoops around and accelerated in pursuit of the speederbike, their ion engines roaring through the jungle.

Dev and Jirair burst out of the jungle onto the broad, hard packed beach.  Jirair yelled above the crashing surf, "We've got company!"  Dev looked back over his shoulder to see the swoops in hot pursuit.  He was the best repulsorlift pilot on Malabar, but his old speeder bike could never outrun the more powerful swoops.  He turned sharply and headed down the beach, accelerating to top speed.

"You are in big trouble, you know!  I belong to Riboga the Hutt, and I suggest you return me to the master immediately!"  Jirair was so surprised to hear the droid speak again that he almost fell off the back of the speeder.  

"Riboga the Hutt is dead," shouted Dev through gritted teeth.  He looked back to see the swoops were gaining.  "If this droid belonged to him, no wonder everybody's after it.  They say Riboga stashed treasures all over this system.  If the droid knows their locations, whoever gets that data will be extremely wealthy!"

Suddenly a blaster bolt exploded past their heads!  A warning shot.  But there would be no more warnings.  These thugs meant business.  "Take my blaster!" Dev yelled.  Jirair grabbed the blaster, but it was difficult to hang on to both the weapon and the droid's head as Dev maneuvered side to side evasively.  Jirair had never fired a blaster at someone before.  His eyes squeezed almost shut, he reached back and triggered a blast.  Not even close, but the swoops did scatter and lose a little ground.  

Now all three thugs were firing away, and blasts passed through the air all around the speeder bike.  Realizing he was fighting for his life, Jirair looked back again and squeezed off another shot.  The blast took one of the Quarren in the arm and he went flying off his swoop.  The swoop kept going until the nose dipped down suddenly and it hit the beach, sending up a spray of sand and parts and pieces flying everywhere before exploding in a fiery blast.  The lead Quarren whipped around the explosion, still in hot pursuit.  The Aqualish ducked his head and flew right through the fireball, emerging on the other side unscathed.

"These guys just don't give up," yelled Jirair.  

"Hang on," said Dev.  He decelerated rapidly and whipped the speeder bike off the beach and back into the jungle, this time taking a path so narrow and unused that vines grabbed at the riders and threatened to pull them from the bike.  The sun had set almost completely, and the jungle path was dark and forbidding.  The swoops roared after them, tearing through the foliage.  At least the trail was treacherous enough to force the thugs to holster their blasters and concentrate on flying.

Jirair continued firing the blaster pistol, but it was impossible to aim with any accuracy as Dev raced the speeder bike down the winding trail.  Jirair looked forward just in time to see what appeared to be a dead end ... a stand of enormous palms rose up out of the trail directly ahead!  Barely slowing down, Dev forced the speeder bike into a tight turn.  The front forks barely missed a tree, and now the bike was hurtling down another path.  Behind them the Aqualish tried the same turn, but his swoop was moving too fast.  He crashed into a giant palm, sending fragments of swoop and Aqualish spinning through the jungle.  The Quarren made the tight turn, however, and was now gaining on them rapidly. 

Jirair reached back to squeeze off another blast, but the pistol was snared by a vine and ripped from his hand!  The Quarren was close now, close enough that Jirair could see his mouth forming curses between his writhing head tentacles.  The Quarren accelerated, pushing his swoop forward at near top speed, and suddenly jerked to the side, slamming into the speeder bike!  Dev and Jirair howled in pain as their legs were crushed between the two repulsorlifts, but Dev managed to keep the speeder bike on the trail.  The jungle foliage whipped at all of them as the trail narrowed even more.  The Quarren began pulling up for another ramming maneuver.

Jirair raised the droid head high, and yelled back at the Quarren.  "You want this?  You can have it!"

"Oh my!" said the droid as Jirair hurled it through the air.  The head struck the Quarren right in the face and he was thrown from the swoop.  Dev slowed and the swoop sped riderless past the speeder bike, crashing off the trail and into the jungle ahead.  

"Nice shot," said Dev.  Jirair's heart was pounding.  He had never known such excitement, and he found he was thoroughly enjoying it.  Dev turned the speeder around, and as he passed at a slower speed Jirair leaned far over and plucked the droid head off the chest of the unconscious Quarren.  They were safe for the moment, but the ORO agents were still after the droid's head, and they had no doubt earned the ire of Choti the Squid this evening.  

_To be continued ..._


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 2, 2002)

Outstanding!  This is still a character lead-in to the upcoming campaign, right?  It's already turning into a very intriguing story.

"Impressive.... MOST impressive!"


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## Horacio (Jun 2, 2002)

Wow!

Impressive, yes! I want more!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 2, 2002)

cthuluftaghn said:
			
		

> *Outstanding!  This is still a character lead-in to the upcoming campaign, right?  It's already turning into a very intriguing story.
> *



Thanks for the kind words, DM Cthulu and Horatio.  Actually, the Prelude featuring Baydo, Tevy and Jodo Kast was character lead-in.  "Head Trip" chronicles the first actual adventure session, introducing the PC Jirair Gann.  I tried a new approach with this that other GMs out there might find interesting.  Part of the beauty of Star Wars: Episode IV is that each of the characters had personalities and backstories that were established before they all came together.  For example, we know that Han Solo and his Millenium Falcon made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs and Obi-Wan Kenobi fought in the Clone Wars.  These details made the characters, and the world around them, real and vibrant.  Only Luke Skywalker was relatively inexperienced.  But in the Star Wars RPG, it is implied that the game begins with a party of 1st level characters, all of whom are less experienced than Luke (he was a Fringer 2 at the beginning of Episode IV)!  The players have to work to establish their characters and discover their personalities, while also learning how to act as a team with the other players.  I didn't like this model for Star Wars.  So here is what I decided to do about it.

I'm actually gaming through the first few levels with each of the players individually.  To move things along to the point where the whole party comes together, I'm not gaming die roll by die roll.  Rather, I'm using game mechanics for some of the highlights, but I'm mostly just shooting the breeze with the individual players about their background.  It's sort of an interactive storytelling experience where we feed off of each other.  It has worked well so far.  During Head Trip, Jirair Gann is an inexperienced, naive fringer who has never been off Malabar.  By the time he meets the other characters, he will be a confident free trader, skilled in piloting space transports and even better at jury rigging repairs in a pinch.  The player and I have been talking/gaming through the backstory that leads to this point and it has been a BLAST!

One real advantage of this method is that by the time all of us sit down around the game table, my campaign will already be full of NPC personalities such as Choti the Squid, Jodo Kast, Dev Novo, Bobbo, Biqua, and Outer Rim Oreworks ... and those are just the characters from Jirair's background!  Cthuluftaghn (DM of a GREAT Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign in which I play the self-righteous, evil-smiting fighter/cleric Gann Tolar ... check out his Story Hour) is one of my players.  We have not yet created his character, but I suspect it will be a ton of fun.  All of the characters are on a web, being drawn inevitably to the center where they will meet in the first full game session.  By then, they will have their personas down and have no trouble playing their respective roles. 

Okay, I've rambled on, and this really isn't Story Hour type material.  I'll let you folks know how this method works out, although you should be able to gauge its success based on future installments of this Story Hour.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 2, 2002)

*HEAD TRIP - PART III*

It was apparent that neither Jirair Gann nor his friend Dev Novo could safely remain on Malabar.  They could not lay low forever.  Outer Rim Oreworks owned the planet, and even now their agents were scouring Ganlo and the other nearby islands for the droid's head.  Even if the friends turned over the head, they were certain that Choti the Squid would want revenge for his slain henchmen.  Dev Novo had his ticket offworld - in a matter of days he was leaving for the Imperial Navy Flight Academy.  Jirair needed a different solution.  And so it was that they came to the Tailfin Cantina, just two nights after the head first fell into their hands.  

Jirair had clandestinely contacted his friend, the Mon Calamari Biqua, who informed Jirair that he and Bobbo had completed the repairs to the Rim Runner's hyperdrive.  He also told Jirair that the Rodian captain Baydo could be found most times in the Tailfin, sipping the local liquor distilled from various native jungle fruits and keeping to himself.  There was no love lost between Baydo and the local crime boss, Choti the Squid, and Biqua was certain that the Rodian would be leaving soon now that the repairs to the Rim Runner were finished. 

"I can get you past ORO, but it will cost you extra, kid.  I could smell trouble as soon as you two walked in this joint.  I prefer to avoid that kind of trouble."  Baydo sat in a corner booth, his boots propped up on the table and a wooden cup of booze in hand.  His other hand was beneath the table, and Jirair was positive it was not far from his blaster.

"Look, I don't have many credits.  But I do know how to repair starships.  And that hunk of junk you're flying looks like it could use someone who knows their way around a hydrospanner."  As Jirair negotiated with the gruff Rodian, Dev kept a lookout on the door.

"She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts, kid."  Baydo took a swig of booze as he sized up the human.  "Say, what's in the sack?"

Jirair winced, hoping the droid's head would not start talking.  No matter how many times he deactivated the blasted thing, it kept coming back online.  "Um, nothing.  Just some tools."

"Tell you what, kid.  Meet me at the Rim Runner in the morning with 2,000 credits.  Think you can come up with that?"  Jirair nodded slowly.  "Good.  That will get you offworld, but it won't get you far.  And bring your tools.  I'm giving you a bargain, so I'll expect you to put in some work.  Deal?"

"Sure.  Sure!"  Jirair smiled and stuck out his hand to shake on the deal.  Baydo just looked at the hand and scowled at the young man.  "Uh, see you in the morning, then!"

Jirair and Dev left the table, scanning outside the door carefully, and rather obviously, before exiting the Tailfin.  "In the morning," said Baydo ominously.  "If you're still alive."

Jirair and Dev stepped out into the humid night air and made their way out back of the Tailfin, where Dev had hidden the speeder bike.  Dev groaned as he rounded the corner, and Jirair soon saw why.  Leaning casually against the speeder was a familiar figure ... the Quarren thug whom Jirair had knocked cold with the droid's head.  He had a light repeating blaster trained on the friends.  If he decided to use it, they would have no chance of dodging the deadly barrage of blaster fire that would issue from the gun.

"<We meet again,>" snarled the Quarren, a snide grin barely visible between his head tentacles.  "<I believe you have something I want.>"

Jirair looked at Dev, and Dev shrugged back.  Neither of them understood Quarrenese, but the message was obvious and it didn't seem like they had much of a choice.  Sighing, Jirair reached into the sack and retrieved the L80's head. 

He was just about to toss it to the Quarren when twin blasts erupted past them, lighting up the night, both slamming into the Quarren and throwing him to the ground.  He lay there smoldering.  

"I've wanted to do that ever since I first laid eyes on the scumbag."  Jirair and Dev turned to see the Rodian smuggler Baydo walking towards them, a blaster in either hand.  "He and another one of the Squid's cronies fragged my partner Tevy.  Now we're square."

"I'm glad it's you," said Dev.  "Figured it would be ORO guys, or worse."

The Rodian walked a little closer and smiled a rueful little smile.  He trained his blasters on the friends, one on each.  "Sorry kids.  This is the way it has to be.  I've got every bounty hunter this side of the Corellian Run breathing down my neck, and if what I've heard about that head is true, it should just about satisfy my debt to Choti.  So be good lads and hand it over."

Jirair's disappointment was written all over his face.  He had admired the Rodian and his way of life, plying the spaceways and surviving on grit, wits and a healthy dose of good luck.  Now he realized that Baydo was no better than the rest of the scum of the galaxy, just looking out for himself.  Jirair turned the L80 head over in his hands.  Maybe it was for the best.  The head had brought him nothing but trouble.  He tossed the head through the air.  The Rodian spun one of his blasters around a finger, holstered it smoothly, and caught the droid's head in his free hand, never taking those big black eyes off of Jirair and Dev.

"Don't feel bad, guys.  You sure gave Choti's goons a run for their money.  But you can't win them all."  The Rodian turned to walk away.

"Just once would be nice," mumbled Jirair.  Suddenly another blaster bolt lit up the night.  This one came from the jungle and struck Baydo, spinning him around.  He crashed to the ground, still clutching the droid's head.  Outlined against the treeline Jirair could make out the silhouette of an armored man marching toward the fallen Rodian.  But before he could get there, more blaster fire erupted in the night, this time directed at the armored figure!  

ORO operatives were flooding into the clearing, unleashing a volley of blasts at the armored man.  One found its mark, leaving a blast mark on his red and black armor.  The armored man appeared unaffected, however, and returned fire with deadly accuracy.  Each time he fired his weapon, an ORO agent fell.  Jirair and Dev hit the ground.  Caught in the crossfire, they could do nothing but watch the scene unfold.  A well-placed shot from the armored man sent the blaster of the last remaining ORO operative flying out of her hand and through the air.  The armored man then sprinted to the remaining agent, holstering his blaster and drawing a large weapon off his back as he closed upon his prey.  The weapon resembled a staff with two heavy blades at each end.  It hummed with energy as the armored man expertly cut through the air with it, whirling it about impressively.  The ORO operative never had a chance ... the blade sliced through the thick night air and her neck with equal ease.  Her head rolled to a stop about a meter from Dev's face, her features frozen in an expression of terror.

The armored man glanced at Dev and Jirair, and, apparently perceiving no threat from them, turned his attention back to the Rodian ... who was no longer there!  The man slung his double-bladed weapon back over his shoulder and onto his back and stalked off into the night.

"C'mon," said Dev, leaping to his feet.

"Where to?" asked Jirair.

"We've got to get to that thieving Rodian before that bounty hunter does!"

"And then what?"

Dev grinned as he revved up the repulsorlift engine on his speeder bike.  "Do I have to think of everything, Jirair?"  Jirair grabbed the blaster rifle off the still-smoldering Quarren and jumped on the back of the speeder just as the bike leaped away toward the beach.

_Next: The pulse-pounding conclusion to Head Trip ..._


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 3, 2002)

I hope everything is alright!

I'm going to invoke my bragging rights.... _I get to play in this one!!!_

I'm about ready to start thinking about character creation, I think.  I look forward to an epic e-mail mini solo adventure.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 3, 2002)

cthuluftaghn said:
			
		

> *I hope everything is alright!*



Everything is fine, thanks for asking.  My little "emergency" was actually no big deal ... just got called away in the middle of posting Head Trip - Part III.  I've gone back and edited the post so that it is now complete.  Only one more installment of Head Trip to go before the Story Hour takes a new direction, following another character.   



> *I'm going to invoke my bragging rights.... I get to play in this one!!!  I'm about ready to start thinking about character creation, I think.  I look forward to an epic e-mail mini solo adventure. *



Can't wait to start working with you on it.  Start sending those e-mails and let me know what you have in mind so far!


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## Horacio (Jun 3, 2002)

Great action packed update!
More! More!


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## Rel (Jun 3, 2002)

I just picked up the SWd20 book and I gotta say, Jodo, between you and Dr. Midnight, I can't wait to actually play!  Please keep up the excellent posts until I can get a game underway.  I promise to reciprocate with tales from my game too.

May the Force be with you!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 3, 2002)

Rel said:
			
		

> *I just picked up the SWd20 book and I gotta say, Jodo, between you and Dr. Midnight, I can't wait to actually play!  Please keep up the excellent posts until I can get a game underway.  I promise to reciprocate with tales from my game too.
> *



Thanks Rel.  I'm anxiously awaiting your Star Wars story hour.  Star Wars story hours seem to be growing in popularity here, which I think is terrific (nothing against all of the great D&D flavored story hours).  I've also been pleased to see some "different" story hours, such as the ever popular "Drunk Southern Girls with Guns ..." series.  Variety is the spice of life.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 4, 2002)

*HEAD TRIP - PART IV*

EXTERIOR: DEEP SPACE.  _Brilliant white stars light the inky darkness of space.  The planet Malabar is visible, but from this perspective it is shrouded in shadow.  The light of Malabar's sun, the star Valkaria, is barely visible as a halo behind the planet.  On this side of the world it is night.  Suddenly twin capital ships roar out of hyperspace headed toward Malabar.  The ships are Correllian Engineering Corporation Corvettes, each over 150 meters in length with a crew of over 100.  Each of the vessels bears the same insignia and large black lettering which reads "OUTER RIM OREWORKS."  These are not simple cargo ships, however.  These Corvette's have been modified, and each carries a bank of double turbolaser batteries.  The sublight engines of the large vessels hum loudly as the ships enter high orbit around Malabar._ 

INTERIOR: THE BRIDGE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER.  _Men and women dressed in crisp miner's grey jumpsuits move about the bridge purposefully, performing their duties aboard the capital ship.  A woman with silver-streaked black hair sits in the captain's chair, communicating with her superior over the ship's hypertransceiver.  _

"Yes sir, I understand completely.  The droid's head is not to leave the planet intact.  And those who possess it are to be dealt with appropriately."

Baydo pushed through tangled vines and came out onto the broad beach at last.  In one hand he clutched the head of an L80 droid.  The other was pressed against his chest, where his blast vest was badly blaster-burned.  The blast vest had saved him, barely.  He did not intend to give Jodo Kast a second chance to finish the job.  He cursed the bounty hunter in his native Rodese.  "Ploota deesh."  His eyes keen even in the low light, the Rodian could make out the distinct disc-shaped outline of his ship the Rim Runner ahead.  Seeing the ship made him think of his partner Tevy.  Poor Tevy.  He cursed Jodo Kast again.

A glint of silver light from the corner of his eye alerted Baydo to the presence of an interloper.  Baydo drew his blaster in an instant and leveled it at this potential foe, just to lower the weapon a split-second later.  "Just a droid," he muttered, dismissing the 3P0 protocol droid walking stiffly toward him from the distance, a datapad in hand.

Baydo continued toward his ship when he heard a high-pitched hum behind him.  Turning back he saw a speeder bike, riding low under the weight of two riders and sending sand blasting out to either side as it passed.  It was the two young humans from the cantina.  The bike slowed and stopped a short distance away, and the shaggy blonde human jumped off onto the sand.  He was carrying a blaster rifle.  Baydo raised his own blaster.  He didn't want to kill the humans.  But then, he had never been one to let sentiment stand in the way of making a profit.

"I don't care what happens to the droid," yelled Jirair Gann.  "I just want off this planet.  And you're going to take me!"

Dev Novo stared at his friend in amazement, but he slowly began to grin.  Jirair was finally standing up for himself.  Besides, he didn't really care about the head anymore either.  Sure, it had been a wild ride, but he had no desire to seek out a dead Hutt's treasure.  He had a different kind of adventure ahead of him.  He'd be behind the controls of a TIE fighter before long, shooting down pirates and bringing justice to rogue systems.

"Excuse me," called a metallic voice.  Jirair, Dev and Baydo all looked at the droid's head in the Rodian's hand, but it was silent.  "I say, excuse me!"  The silver 3P0 called from a distance, still walking stiffly through the sand towards Baydo.  Jirair and Dev hadn't noticed it previously in the dim light.  "Organics," groaned the 3P0, shaking its head.

"Not now," hissed the Rodian, his blaster still trained on Jirair.  "I'm in the middle of something here."

"Excuse me, fleshlings" continued the droid, "but my sensors indicate that you have the remains of an L80-RC on your person.  Those remains belong to the droids of Uffel.  Are you willing to return those remains?"

"I said I'm in the middle of something," said Baydo, not taking his eyes off of Jirair.  

"Look, can we mellow out a little here?"  Jirair didn't like the feel of having a blaster aimed at him, and he had seen the Rodian's handiwork back behind the Tailfin Cantina.  "I just want a ride.  I'll pay you, just like we agreed.  2,000 credits."

"IT-07 was right," said the 3P0 droid.  "One simply cannot reason with organic sentients.  Very well then."  The droid hit a key on its datapad, and the L80 head in Baydo's hand began to whine as its ancient circuits came back online with a sound that grew higher-pitched and more urgent by the second.  The Rodian stared at it in disbelief.

"That sounds like ... like a thermal detonator about to go off," stammered Baydo.  The 3P0 droid had halted its approach and stood off in the distance watching, its arms crossed and shoulders thrown back haughtily.  "Now what did you have to go and do that for?"  Baydo pointed his blaster at the droid.

"Uh, guys?  Guys?"  Baydo and Jirair followed Dev Novo's pointing finger along the beach, past the 3P0 droid.  The black-and-red armored bounty hunter from behind the Tailfin Cantina was coming their way with blaster drawn, and he looked like he meant business.

"Pudu!  Jodo Kast!"  Baydo spit the words.  Smoke was now pouring out of the ears and throat of the L80 droid's head.  "Pudu!"

Baydo drew his arm back and hurled the droid head as far as he could.  It hit the beach in front of the 3P0 droid and rolled between its legs, stopping between the droid and Jodo Kast.  Kast watched the head, not sure what to make of the situation.  Baydo threw himself prone on the sand and covered his head and neck with his arms, and Jirair and Dev followed suit.  Then the head exploded.

The sound was almost deafening as the blast rolled over Jirair.  The explosion lit up the night, bathing the Rim Runner in its orange glow.  Jirair heard a strange, high pitched noise in the air above that sounded like some sort of projectile.  "Look out," he cried at the last second.  He and Dev barely scrambled out of the way before the torso and head of the 3P0 droid landed precisely where they had been laying in the sand.  There was no sign of the droid's arms or legs ... nor any sign of Jodo Kast.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all night or are you coming with me?"  Baydo now had both blasters in hand.  Kast would recover quickly.  

Jirair's eyes widened.  He was actually going to get off Malabar!  Thoughts raced through his mind ... he had not said farewell to his family ... Biqua ... Bobbo.  But there would be time for that later.  He was not going to let this chance slip through his fingers.  His face a portrait of grim determination, he shook Dev's hand.  

"Good luck at the academy, friend."  

"Good luck to you, Jirair," said Dev.  "I've got a feeling you'll need it," he added, eyeing the Rim Runner skeptically.

"Tell my folks I'll be in touch.  And tell Bobbo I quit!"  As Dev mounted his speeder bike, Jirair stooped and heaved what was left of the 3P0 droid off the beach.

"What are you doing, kid?" yelled the Rodian.

"Salvage!" called Jirair.  Then he was off as fast as his legs would carry him, straining under the weight of the droid.  He waved back at Dev, who had powered up the speeder bike and was ready to bolt.  He didn't want to wait around to see who else came out of the woodwork tonight.

Baydo pushed a button on a remote unit and the Rim Runner's loading ramp lowered to the sand.  Baydo raced inside the transport and Jirair followed, droid in tow.  He stole one last look back at Dev and waved to his friend.  Then he dumped the droid on the floor of the transport as the ramp closed and followed after Baydo, who was already in the cockpit.

"Pudu!"  Jirair could see why the Rodian was cursing.  Through the cockpit window Jodo Kast was visible, firing his blaster at the ship.  Baydo fired up the repulsorlift engines and the Rim Runner shook as it rose into the air, the resulting sand spray obscuring the bounty hunter below.  

"Hang on, kid!"  Baydo hit the sublight engines and the transport nimbly bolted for the sky.  "Told you she's got it where it counts!"  The ship flew out over the sea and up into a storm system that had been headed for Ganlo Island.  The ship hurtled straight up, and as it left Malabar's atmosphere behind and entered space Jirair felt an adrenaline rush like never before.  He made up his mind that instant that he was going to become a starship pilot, just as his grandfather had been.  

"Pudu!"  What now, Jirair wondered, looking over to the cursing Rodian.  Baydo pointed to the sensor display.  "Two capital ships.  Look like Correllian Corvettes, maybe.  What are they doing here?"

"Unidentified freighter, halt your progress.  You are entering a temporarily restricted space lane.  You are ordered to return to Malabar using the approach beamed to you immediately following this transmission."

"ORO.  Damn them!"  The Rodian's fingers flew across the ship's astrogation computer, seeking out a preprogrammed hyperdrive route.  "Hold on to something, kid!"  And with that, Baydo activated the hyperdrive.

And nothing happened.  "PUDU!" Baydo screamed.  Baydo tried the backup hyperdrive.  Nothing.  The big capital ships were closing rapidly.  Jirair began to smile.  Finally, he had a chance to do something useful.  

"What are you smiling about, boy!?"  But Jirair was already gone, racing to the hyperdrive service access with a hydrospanner in hand.  He quickly threw open the service panel and began searching for the problem.  "Whatever you're doing back there, better make it quick, those Corvettes are closing fast!"

Jirair believed he had found the problem.  He could not repair it in time to escape the closing ships.  He was not even sure he could properly fix it given all the time in the galaxy.  But he just might be able to jury rig the backup hyperdrive and get them out of this tight spot.

EXTERIOR: SPACE.  _The twin ORO capital ships are closing on the beat-up YT-1300 transport.  Suddenly the starfield around the freighter blurs as the vessel makes the leap to hyperspace._

INTERIOR: BRIDE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER.  _The black-and-silver haired captain of the capital ship slams her hand down on the arm of her chair._

"Dammit.  So much for my bonus this year."

INTERIOR: COCKPIT OF THE RIM RUNNER.  _Stars streak past as the Rim Runner hurtles through hyperspace.  The Rodian captain, a grin on his long, tapered snout, slaps the young man on the back.  The young man's smile widens ... until somewhere from the rear of the vessel a harsh grinding sound is heard, and the transport lurches out of hyperspace._

"I thought you fixed it ..." 

_Thus concludes Head Trip.  Head Trip was loosely inspired by Jeff Grub's short adventure of the same name, available for free download at http://www.wizards.com/starwars.  Note that I've relocated the droid moon Uffel from the Cularin system.  I don't plan on using the Cularin system, which is the home of the Living Star Wars Campaign, but I did like the idea of a moon ruled by droids, its atmospheric gases too poisonous for most organic beings.  I first encountered the corporation Outer Rim Oreworks in Bartyn's Landing, a great setting from Star Wars Gamer magazine._


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## madriel (Jun 4, 2002)

Nice to see a SW campaign where the bad guys aren't just another bunch of Imperials.

Looking forward to further installments.


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 4, 2002)

Very nicely written!  Keep it coming.... it'll give me more ideas for my character.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 5, 2002)

madriel said:
			
		

> *Nice to see a SW campaign where the bad guys aren't just another bunch of Imperials.  Looking forward to further installments. *




Thanks Madriel.  It's a big galaxy, and there is certainly more to it than Empire and Rebellion.  From crime lords, corporate conglomerates and bounty hunters to pirates, alien monsters and the Dark Side, the Star Wars game offers an abundance of challenges for players.  That's not to say they'll always be able to avoid Imperial entanglements.  More posts coming soon ...


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## Horacio (Jun 6, 2002)

Nice update!

So now, how many PC have you?


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 6, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Nice update!  So now, how many PC have you? *




Thanks Horacio.  Let's see ... at least 4, probably 5, maybe 7.  How's that for an answer?  I know 4 for sure, and probably 5 (I'm pretty sure cthuluftaghn's son is going to play, right cthulu?).  If my wife and cthulutftaghn's wife jump in that will make 7, but so far the ladies have been less-than-interested in a Star Wars game.  They like playing D&D but have not gone beyond that yet.


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## Horacio (Jun 6, 2002)

Jodo Kast said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Thanks Horacio.  Let's see ... at least 4, probably 5, maybe 7.  How's that for an answer?  I know 4 for sure, and probably 5 (I'm pretty sure cthuluftaghn's son is going to play, right cthulu?).  If my wife and cthulutftaghn's wife jump in that will make 7, but so far the ladies have been less-than-interested in a Star Wars game.  They like playing D&D but have not gone beyond that yet. *




And, by now, you have only intruduced us two of them, haven't you?


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 6, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *And, by now, you have only intruduced us two of them, haven't you? *



Um, actually, only one so far.  The only PC you've met is Jirair Gann.  You'll soon meet others, including the likes of Detten Harcrov and Jaros Gann, but I'm not going to give anything away about them yet.  I like having a lot of fleshed out NPCs in the game.  Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll see the likes of Jodo Kast, Dev Novo, Baydo and other NPCs from "Head Trip" again in the near future.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 7, 2002)

I know I hinted at some major updates this weekend, but due to a certain unforeseen announcement that you are all well aware of by now, I will probably be otherwise occupied until June 21.  I will post if I can before then.  Hey, this Story Hour is only one week old and I've already posted 6 installments ... not too shabby, right?


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## madriel (Jun 8, 2002)

I'm helping my brother move into his new house (his first ever) on the 21st, so I'll have something to look forward to, then.


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## Horacio (Jun 9, 2002)

My holidays, without internet, begin on June 21st, so I will read it twenty days later


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## Rel (Jun 10, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *My holidays, without internet, begin on June 21st, so I will read it twenty days later   *




Hell, Horacio, if you're going to be gone, Morrus might as well shut down the Story Hour forum.  You are the driving force behind the whole place.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 11, 2002)

Sorry folks, no new material yet, but I did want to show off my new signature banner (down at the bottom) and see what you think.  I will reveal that soon you will meet the next of our PC heroes, the gruff explorer and prospector Detten Harcrov.  Here's a sneak peek at Detten:


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 11, 2002)

Very nice!


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 12, 2002)

*CLAIM JUMPING - PART I*

*A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ...*

Detten reclined casually in his chair across from his supervisor, Emik Rehte.  The burly alien Emik had wrinkled gray warty skin, a face lined with four pairs of stubby breathing tubes, and was nervously drumming his three-fingered hands on his desk.  “Det,” he began, leaning forward across his desk, “I know that you have fulfilled the terms of your contract.  Admirably so, I must admit...”  Detten acknowledged this statement with a slight nod of his head, leaning back a bit further and crossing his legs as he did.

Emik continued “... but you know that we are having a difficult time meeting the material demands of the Empire.  We need good scouts like you in order to keep up with production.  If you would extend your contract, I’m sure we could make it worth your while."  The Skrilling gave his best approximation of a broad smile with this last statement.

Detten folded his hands together and scanned the finely appointed office of his Outer Rim Oreworks corporate supervisor.  Emik narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the scout.  Detten Harcrov was one of his best scouts, and had scored an exceptional number of claims for the corporation.  As loathe as he was to admit it, Detten’s successes had helped considerably in Emik’s rise in position within ORO.  Emik had come to depend on Harcrov’s talents, and this led to Detten being made privy to some of Emik’s shadier dealings.  The Skrilling supervisor had a good deal of faith in the human’s discretion, but nonetheless suspected the shrewd scout might use his confidences as leverage.

Detten’s eyes slid back to meet those of his supervisor.  The human played a smile of his own to match the Skrilling's.  “I appreciate your offer Emik, but I have really humped the nerf to fulfill my contract early.”  The weather-worn scout leaned forward, the flat, humorless gleam in his gray eyes saying far more than his words.  “I am sure you will agree that that my _services_ to you over the past decade warrant your blessing of my early retirement.”

Emik’s face clenched slightly at the implied threat, but he quickly regained his composure.  The smile returned to the Skrilling’s face as he responded, “Of course, Det.  Your services have been greatly appreciated.  That is why I consider you so valuable. Your hard work and discretion have been of great benefit to the company, but we still need you.”

Detten chuckled softly.  “You still need me Emik.  I think ORO will do just fine without me.  You know that I have been working closely with Jorba these last few years, I am sure you will find him a suitable replacement.  I am more than ready to put the long hours of flight time and ... ah, business dealings behind me.”  Detten flashed an insincere smile.  “I think I'm ready to go into business for myself.  You have been an excellent teacher in both the mining industry and negotiation skills.”

Detten once again settled back, his smile fading to a barely discernable smirk as he watched Emik’s reaction.
The Skrilling shrugged and leaned back into his chair.  "I think I understand Detten... of course.”  _Seems you’ve learned a little too well,_ the supervisor thought to himself.  _He knows I could find a loophole in his contract to keep him tied, so he’s pulling a little light duty blackmail to keep me in line._  "I don’t need to remind you of the confidentiality clause in your contract, or that you are strictly prohibited from freelancing for our competitors.”

“Of course Emik, don’t worry.  The company’s confidences will be closely guarded. You know I can keep a secret.  I have already purged my personal logs of any compromising information, and I am fairly confident my backups are clean as well.”  _Fairly confident?  Nice touch, but not too subtle_, thought Emik. 

Detten stood up and straightened his worn but rugged duster.  “And you don’t have to worry about me working for the competition.  By now my loyalty should be without question.” 

_Yes Detten, loyal to your own ends.  I was hoping for more than that._

“Well, if I can’t talk you out of your decision, then at least let me be the first to congratulate you.”  The Skrilling thrust a meaty hand out to the Human.  “As per your contract, your ship is being prepared as we speak.  I'm surprised you want to spend your retirement in that old Vangaard Pathfinder after logging so many hours in it during your time with the company, but it was part of your bargain.  Your stipend will be deposited directly to your account, as I am sure you will be difficult to contact.”

Detten laughed.  The Skrilling was playing this as he had hoped.  No need for the old crook to push the issue.  He was sure Emik realized if anything untoward happened, the supervisor’s dirty dealings would quickly come to the attention of the ORO executives.  When playing these games, you always carried a little insurance.  It was the only way to ensure people kept their bargains.  “It’s been a pleasure working for you Emik.  Don’t worry, I will keep in touch.  I like to keep my friends close.” 

_And your enemies just a little closer, as the Human proverb goes._

“Good!  I look forward to it.  We will talk of your exploits over an old bottle of Norvanian Grog.  I've been saving one back for just such an occasion.  And perhaps I could talk you into a little freelance work after you get good and bored of retirement.”  

Detten grabbed the Skrilling’s hand and gave it a firm shake.  “Don't count on it.  You know me, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding excitement.”  

Emik chuckled.  “Just remember, Detten,  ORO no longer accepts responsibility for posting your bail, so don’t go looking for too  much excitement.  Heh, I'll never forget that incident on Ryloth ...”

With a smile, Detten turned and left the supervisor’s office.  He was relieved that everything went according to plan, but knew he still had to be wary.  Emik did not like being toyed with.  The old bantha stuffer might yet try something.  But Detten planned to be far away before he had the chance.

A few hours later, Emik was still in his office.  On his desk sat a full glass of lum.  The Skrilling carefully measured a small dose of chukka powder into the glass, just to take the edge off.  As he rolled his fingers to mix the last trace of the brown narcotic into his drink, he received a voice com, one he had been expecting.

“Is he gone?” the Skrilling inquired.

“Yes supervisor, he just left.”

“Did you finish the job?”

“Yes.  The tracer won’t kick on for another hour.  He did a fair job searching the ship before he left, but I don’t think he suspected anything.”

“And you rigged his beacon?”

“As you directed.  Everything is set on a time delay, so he shouldn’t notice anything right away.  I also double-checked his droid’s programming.  It won’t alert him to anything.”

“What about his files?”

“Couldn’t find anything.  You know he’s too careful for that, but you can be fairly sure his ‘insurance’ is well taken care of.”

“Good work.  Det was right, you’ll be just as good as he was.”

“No, Emik, I'm even better.  Jorba out.”

Emik dipped his finger into the spiked lum and then sampled the sweet mixture from his fingertip.  Perfect.  He settled back into his chair, crossing his legs and placing his feet on his desk.  As he reclined, and sipped his lum, the Skrilling finally began to feel the tension ease.  _Foolish Detten.  Did you really think you could strike deals with my contacts?  Choti does not deal with underlings.  Every plan you made was reported to me.  Did you really think you could forge your identity and stake a claim behind my back?  Did you really think that the Squid would underwrite your little mining operation?  I do appreciate your business sense, however.  Making business deals with Incom to discretely deliver refined ores, at inflated prices due to Imperial restrictions, was a stroke of genius.  The deals still stand, though you will not be the one to benefit.

I thank you for your one last favor to me Detten.  I am sorry you never learned the true meaning of loyalty, as you have learned so many of my other lessons.  Although you don’t realize it yet, class is still in session.  I have one more lesson to teach you, and you won’t much care for it, I fear._


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## Rel (Jun 12, 2002)

Fantastic stuff, Jodo.  The care and attention you are giving to these character intros is really going to pay off down the line.

And when I leave the office early on Friday, I'm so telling my boss, "I really humped the nerf all week and I deserve to take off a couple hours early you old bantha stuffer."


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 12, 2002)

Rel said:
			
		

> *Fantastic stuff, Jodo.  The care and attention you are giving to these character intros is really going to pay off down the line.  And when I leave the office early on Friday, I'm so telling my boss, "I really humped the nerf all week and I deserve to take off a couple hours early you old bantha stuffer." *



Hilarious.  I wish I could take credit for all of this.  Detten's player and I sat down and talked through his intro, and he wrote it up.  I tweaked it a little, but it's mostly Jeff's work.  When I read the "humped the nerf" line I almost died.  I even told him, "Dude, people are going to be quoting that!"  And here not an hour after I post it, Rel has found a good practical application for the quote.  We hope to have the next installment of Detten's background up soon.  After that I'll turn my attention to the next of our characters, Jirair Gann's younger brother Jaros.


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## madriel (Jun 13, 2002)

Detten's player came up with a great background-even if it does make him seem more scoundrel than scout.

Nerf humping.


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 15, 2002)

*Artistic contribution*

I stayed up late and woke up early with a fussy baby who seems to be fighting off the flu.  I had some time to mess around with Paint Shop Pro, and this is what I came up with.

The Rim Runner is, obviously, a doctored-up picture of the Millenium Falcon.  The whole background, however... including starry sky, moon, planet, and title... are all 100% my own.  Not bad for a total amateur, huh?


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## LostSoul (Jun 15, 2002)

Cool!  Reminds me of the cover of GG9.  (I loved that book.)


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## Pillars of Hercules (Jun 16, 2002)

*Detten*

I really humped the nerf to have enough free time to read this story hour, and Detten's intro was truly worth the, errr, nerf humping.


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## Jodo Kast (Jun 16, 2002)

Cthuluftaghn - Thanks so much for the cool artwork!  You did a really great job with PSP.  Hope Xander's feeling better.

LostSoul - GG9 - Fragments from the Rim ... you'll definitely see some stuff from that supplement incorporated into my game.

Pillars of Hercules - Glad you enjoyed Detten's intro (which will continue soon), thanks for, um, humping the nerf for our humble story hour.


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## madriel (Jun 17, 2002)

Cool pic, chulthuftaghn!


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 17, 2002)

*Thanks for the compliments*

My wife and I have a thread over in the Art Gallery, under Campaign Art by Malessa.  Comments are always welcome and appreciated.  Try to keep them in that forum, though... keep this thread focused on Jodo Kast's awesome story hour


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## Horacio (Jun 20, 2002)

Bumping a good story hour, before going on vacances


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## cthuluftaghn (Jun 20, 2002)

I still need to find a way to become part of this story hour!  Do we have a plan yet, Jodo?


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## Jodo Kast (Jul 13, 2002)

*CLAIM JUMPING - PART II* 

“Registration and ID confirmed Mr. Novlo.  Please dock your ship in bay 8.  Our navigational beacons will guide you in.”

“Confirmed.  I am locking onto your beacon on 1197.34. Switching controls to autonav for docking.”

“Confirmed Mr. Novlo, welcome to Imperial Post R-34.  Enjoy your stay.”

“Will do.  End communications.”

Detten Harcrov breathed a sigh of relief as he switched controls over to autonav.  This would be his first working test of his new identity.  Brodel had given Det his guarantee that the forged personal data had been registered with the Imperial network, but the scout could not be certain until now.  He had paid a healthy sum for the forgery, but had every reason to believe it was an investment that would pay off in a big way.

Detten’s assumed ID was that of one Varda Novlo, an independent scout with an unremarkable history of successful claims, and no criminal record of any consequence.  The name and history were, in fact, genuine.  A prospector by the name of Novlo had been plying his trade in this area for the past ten years.  By all accounts, he was a man of petty skills with a history of drinking and bad gambling debts.  It was the latter fact which led to his identity being available for hijacking.  Varda had been in debt to the notorious Quarren crimelord Choti the Squid for a considerable sum when he went missing.  Brodel, Choti’s Zabrak forger, made it clear that the real Varda had no further need of his ID or official history.  Detten didn’t have to ask for details.  Brodel was able to update Varda’s personal file with Detten’s image, DNA pattern, fingerprints, and retinal scan by posing as an Imperial official making a routing update to the image data.  

Detten stared out of the cockpit window of his scout ship.  He was a bit nervous, and impatient.  This was the moment he had been working towards for the past five years, ever since he ran across that planet, hiding on the fringes of a planetary nebula in an especially remote sector of the Outer Rim. 

The planet was the find of a lifetime, shielded from long range scans by a large cloud of charged dust and small asteroids.  Detten had actually been looking for commercial gases in the outer fringes of the nebula, and had noticed a clear corridor in the dust.  Following a hunch that this could have been a path swept clear by a massive object passing through the nebula, he maneuvered his ship into this corridor, and followed it.  The corridor took a curving path toward the middle of the nebula, following a tightening spiral course that brought to a young, hot star about half a parsec into the nebula.  The scout settled his ship into a broad orbit around the star and began a preliminary scan.  It didn’t take long to identify the massive interstellar pilgrim that cleared the path to the star.  

The planet stood out because of its odd orbit.  The star had accumulated a few small planets, still in the early to middle stages of development.  These planets followed the same plane of orbit as the star’s vast collection of asteroids, which had largely begun to form discrete rings typical of pre-planetary development.  Detten’s traveler was a reddish gray planet, approximately 14,000 km at the equator.  The planet was orbiting the star in a highly eccentric orbit at a plane about 60 degrees off the plane of the planets native to the star.  _So_, Detten had thought, _a rogue planet? Don’t see many of these… I’ll have to fly in for a closer look._ 

The loud clang of his landing gear hitting the floor of the bay shook Detten out of his recollections.  Well, here he was, in the closest claims office to his prospective fortune.  The scout rose from his chair and walked toward the hatch, straightening his clothes as he went.  _Here we go. The big moment_. He stopped at the door and placed his hand over the hatch release.  He took a deep breath, exhaled, and hit the release.

Detten willed away all traces of apprehension as he stepped down into the bay.  A gray-suited Imperial bureaucrat approached to ask for his ID.  Detten smiled and offered a friendly greeting as he handed his ID card over.  The bureaucrat gave his greeting, a noncommittal yet polite response as he scanned Detten’s ID.  The Imperial glanced at the information his scanner read off the card, nodded to himself, then asked Detten to place his hand of the scanner for confirmation.  Detten acquiesced, trying to appear somewhat bored as he complied.  The bureaucrat’s scanner chirped its approval, and he grunted in response.  “Everything checks out Mr. Novlo.  What’s your business here today?”

“I need to register with the claims office.  Maybe grab a drink and some food as long as I’m here.  Any good places to eat?”

“Sure.  Try Gemma’s, just off the main quad.  Food’s good, a bit pricey, but you don’t have to guess what species you’re eating.”

Detten laughed.  “I know what you mean.  Sometimes these Rim dives aren’t too terribly particular about what hits the grill.  Thanks for the tip.”

“Uh-huh.  Claims office is two levels up and to the right.”

“Thanks.”

Detten turned and walked toward the hanger exit.  So far the ID was holding, one more check at the claims desk and he should be home free.  The scouts pulse quickened again.  _If I can pull this off, I will be set.  A few years setting up the operation and the rest is kicking back and getting wookie wild.  I’m going to  the throw a party that’s going to have a casualty list._

Detten pulled out his data card for the claim.  He had fudged the survey results a bit to hide the true value of the claim.  If he submitted the accurate figures, the Empire would have taken immediate interest, considering their seemingly endless demands for shipbuilding metals.  All Detten really wanted was an official Imperial sanction for his claim to keep the unscrupulous (well, the other unscrupulous) prospectors from claiming it themselves.  Detten figured he could do enough trade above board to carry an official record that could satisfy the Imperial record keepers, and still have plenty to offer on the black market to shipbuilders whose supplies were restricted by Imperial order.

The forged ID was necessitated by his contract with ORO, which stated that he could not work claims independently within a certain area claimed by ORO.  The contract required any mineral deposits found within the stated area were to be offered for sale to ORO, who would offer a percentage of the estimated value of the ore.  Unfortunately, Detten’s claim was marginally within ORO’s defined space.  Detten could sell the claim to ORO, but he knew that he would never receive the full percentage stated under the terms of the contract.  The Outer Rim Oreworks was infamous for its legal tactics and accounting practices that effectively left the scout with a handful of warm pudu.

Under a forged identity, and hiding the true value of the claim, Detten reasoned that he could pass under ORO’s notice.  The Oreworks often overlooked smaller independent claims on the fringes of their territory, so there was no reason his should attract undue attention.

Finding the claims office was not difficult.  As the corporal stated, there were plenty signs pointing the way.  Detten put on his most charming face as he turned the last corner, and strode toward the Claims desk.

As was typical of Imperial facilities, the office was clean and well lit.  The claims officer sat behind a circular, gray stone desk.  She lifted her head from her monitor as she heard Detten approach.  Detten was pleasantly surprised to see that she was an attractive human female.  He flashed his best roguish smile at her a he approached the desk.  The claims officer smiled back a genuine, open smile that caught Detten by surprise.  _An imperial civil servant with a personality?  I didn’t think the rulebook allowed that._

“Hi.  Varda Novlo.  I’m here to register a claim.”

“Angine Cesk, have a seat Mr. Novlo.  You have your survey data?”

“Right here.”  Detten handed her the data card, looking into her eyes as he did so.  She looked back, with a direct and penetrating gaze.  Det’s smile faltered.  He felt suddenly self-conscious and …_did I just blush_?  Angine’s smile broadened a little, and she cocked her head coyly to the side.  “Ah.  Why don’t you have a seat Mr. Novlo while a take a closer look at your data.”

“Ahh, yes, sure ... I mean, um, thanks.”  Detten took the proffered chair, a little peeved that he had allowed himself to be flustered by the officer.  His eyes involuntarily wandered back to hers.  She caught his gaze and returned it, flashing another winsome smile.  Detten panicked a little, breaking eye contact to stare briefly at the floor, the ceiling, his hands.  He made a little nervous laugh and forced himself to look at her face again.  

Angine watched his nervous squirming with amusement.  He didn’t look the type for this kind of schoolboy shyness.  She laughed a little as he found the nerve to look back up at her.  “Nervous, Mr. Novlo?”  

“Oh.  No.  I mean, uh ...”  Detten broke down and chuckled at himself.  “I’m sorry.  I wasn’t expecting the Imperial Claims Officer to be quite so pretty.”  He gave her a crooked smile.  “Been in space a while, I guess I just forgot how to act around something other than a droid.”

“You’re forgiven, Mr. Novlo.  Most of your colleagues just stare at my chest.”  Detten’s eyes dropped to her bosom as if on command.  “But you seem a bit more…”
Det regained his composure and brought his eyes back up to her face again.  “Polite,” she finished with a mockingly cross stare.

“Mostly,” replied Detten.  “But being a bit of a cad is kind of a professional hazard.”

“So I’ve noticed.  Lets take a look at your data.”  Detten noticed that she maintained an amused half smile as she scanned his data.  _Interesting.  Maybe I can stake two claims today._

“Looks good, Mr. Novlo, you’ve been very thorough in your report.  Looks like you’ll do well for yourself.”

“Yeah, thanks.  I should be a fairly wealthy man soon.”  Detten cocked an eyebrow at the officer.

Angine seemed not to notice.  Det observed that she was trying to put on her business face.  “I get to meet a lot of soon-to-be-wealthy men at this job.”

“None this good looking and charming, I trust?”

Angine’s professional mask cracked into a fleeting smile.  “Occasionally.  You’ve set your claim beacon?”

“Yes.  I put it into orbit nine days ago.  Its identifier code is in the data.”

“Good.  I’m entering your coordinates into the database to make sure there are no outstanding claims.   I’ll also need to confirm your ID, so if I can have your card.”

“Sure.”  Detten started to hand over the card, feeling another surge of trepidation wash over him.  _Relax.  Brodel's one of the best  If he says it’ll hold up, it’ll hold up._  Angine favored him with another smile as she took the card from his hand.  Detten smiled back.  He decided he liked the claims officer.  “I hope you don’t mind if I ask, but did you have plans for dinner?”

Angine seemed pleased he had asked.  “Nothing special… I was just going to head over to Gemma’s for a quick bite.”

“I was planning to eat there myself.”

“Well, you could join me if you like.  I wouldn’t mind the company.”

“Yes, I would like that.  I haven’t had much good conversation lately … well, any conversation, really.”

“Then it’s a date.”  Angine squinted her eyes at him playfully.  Detten didn’t notice the dopey grin spreading across his face.  Angine noticed it in passing as she returned her eyes to the monitor screen.

Detten saw the smile fade from her face as she looked at the date her monitor displayed to her.  Detten felt his stomach start to sink.  “I’m sorry Mr. Novlo, it looks like someone else registered this claim three days ago.”

“No!  That’s not possible.  I planted my beacon and came straight here.  There were no other beacons in the area.  No one could have planted one and beat me here by three days.”

“I’m sorry.  That claim has been registered to a Cenben Delverdaan.  You can contest it.  We can check your beacon within the day.”

“Yes, of course I’m going to contest it!”  Detten’s stomach began rolling over on itself.  He felt the blood pounding in his ears.  _Dammit!  How could somebody have found out about the planet?  You don’t just stumble across it._ Then a nasty thought began to occur to the scout.  _I could have been traced.  That Bantha stuffer Emik could have put a trace on my ship…but I scanned it, thoroughly…yet how else could someone have located the planet?_

“Please relax Mr. Novlo.  Claims get jumped all the time.  We can usually sort it out, but this can take a little time.  We’ll start the procedure to contest the claim immediately.”  She looked into the scout’s eyes with perfect sympathy.  “Hey, we’ll get things started and have dinner, just like we planned.  Just relax.”

“Sure,” Detten replied.  _Relax?  Not likely.  I don’t like the way this is going.  I don’t really want the Empire to take a very close look at the matter,  but I don’t have a whole lot of choices.  Maybe I just need to drop this and try again._

Detten didn’t notice when Angine scanned his ID.  He did, however, notice her sudden change in expression.  _She looks nervous, almost scared.  What gives?_  Angine’s eyes had widened slightly.  She was trying to conceal her anxiety, but her body language communicated her tension quite clearly.  Her eyes darted almost imperceptibly between her monitor and the scout’s face.  

“Is something wrong?” Detten asked, already fearing the answer.

“No, nothing.”  She smiled, but the gesture was forced.  Detten noticed her hand was underneath the desk, pushing…

Detten knew things had gone wrong.  _Incredibly wrong.  The ID failed.  But it worked twice before.  This isn’t good._ 

Detten stood up casually.  He hitched his pants a little bit.  “While you’re working on that, I’m going to go see a man about a tauntaun.  Be right back.”

Angine kept her hand underneath the desk.  “Just a minute, Mr. Har…Novlo.  I need your approval on…”

Detten didn’t let her finish.  It was time to go.  He turned and put his long legs into full stride as he ran through the door.  _Bay’s not that far, maybe I can get to the ship before they seal it off.  They don’t have great security here.  Maybe I can make a clean break..._

No sooner had he finished this thought than he heard the clatter of armor-clad feet behind him.  He glanced over his shoulder to see four stormtroopers bearing down, about 30 meters down the corridor and bringing their weapons to bear.  He also noticed a heavy light fixture hanging from the ceiling 10 meters in front of them.

Midstride, the agile scout drew his blaster and turned around.  He pulled the trigger three times, severing the light’s supports and bringing it down in a shower of sparks in front of the pursuing troopers, causing them to stop short.  

Detten spun back around, ducked his head, and ran for all he was worth.  The last thing he saw as he turned the corner was white armor and the black stock of a blaster rifle.  Then only a bright flash in his head, and pain, and then darkness.


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## Hatchling Dragon (Jul 13, 2002)

Yet another Star Wars Thread, and it's at least as good as *Dr Midnight*'s.  Oh well, another Story Hour to add to my Subscription list.

All this work and we're _still_ only in the build-up phase.  I keep wondering if it'll just get better once the PC's are on thier first 'real' mission, or.... I just can't bring myself to think of any "or's"!

Hatchling Dragon


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## madriel (Jul 14, 2002)

How many more PCs are left to be introduced?


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## Jodo Kast (Jul 14, 2002)

Hatchling - Thanks for the kind words!

Madriel - There will be two more PCs, but I'm not going to do long-winded introductions for them.  [Edit: Okay, there will be introductions ... but I'll try to keep them relatively brief].


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## madriel (Jul 14, 2002)

Thanks for the info, Jodo.  Can't wait for the rest of the sessions.


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## Hatchling Dragon (Jul 15, 2002)

Jodo Kast said:
			
		

> *Madriel - There will be two more PCs, but I'm not going to do long introductions for them.*




Noooooo.....   Say it ain't so!  C'mon now, that's the core of what makes your Story Hour unique, the character build-up.  Don't wanna make any player feel left-out now would yah?  And naturaly it's more fuel for the fire, the fire of our burning desire to read more great Story Hour prose.

[Edit: God I'm such a suck-up when I'm tired... ]

Hatchling Dragon


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## Jodo Kast (Jul 15, 2002)

Have no fear, Hatchling, the remaining PCs will be properly introduced!  Their introductions will lead directly into our first full party game session.  I'm hoping to get the final installment of Detten's intro worked out with his player sometime this week.


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## Hatchling Dragon (Jul 24, 2002)

Jodo Kast said:
			
		

> *Have no fear, Hatchling, the remaining PCs will be properly introduced!  Their introductions will lead directly into our first full party game session.  I'm hoping to get the final installment of Detten's intro worked out with his player sometime this week. *




Ok, could someone _please_ explain the rate-of-flow for time in the dimention of *Story Hour Writers* vs the flow-rate for time here in 'our' reality?  I keep seeing posts to the effect of 'update this week', yet they're all-too-often late.

If it's not a matter of time-flow differentials then it's probably just that artists are an 'odd' lot.   

Hatchling Dragon


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## madriel (Jul 24, 2002)

Hatchling Dragon said:
			
		

> *If it's not a matter of time-flow differentials then it's probably just that artists are an 'odd' lot.
> 
> Hatchling Dragon *




Shhh!  Artists can be a touchy lot too.  Do not poke the bear, you'll only make him mad.


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## Horacio (Jul 24, 2002)

Hey, I want more!

I have been out a full month and you have only post one update


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## Hatchling Dragon (Jul 28, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Hey, I want more!
> 
> I have been out a full month and you have only post one update
> *




Yah, what he said 

Hatchling Dragon


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## Horacio (Jul 28, 2002)

Now almost one and half months...


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## Jodo Kast (Jul 28, 2002)

Sorry guys, be patient.  Very hectic times at home and work for me, plus most of my game energy is devoted to playing in DMCthulu's Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil game (I'm the cleric Gann Tolar), and running a D&D game (my wife wanted to play in a game, but does not want to play Star Wars).  While it has been put on the backburner, Tales from the Outer Rim has not been abandoned.  I'll talk with Detten's player and see if we can't get the conclusion to his Story Hour up soon.

BTW, at my wife's request I'm running a D&D game, as I mentioned above.  The players are the same three as in Tales from the Outer Rim, with the addition of my wife and DMCthulu.  Because I don't have a lot of preparation time I've decided to run them through the Adventure Path modules, doing what I can to spice it up Jodo Kast style!  Would any of the fans of this Story Hour be interested in seeing a Story Hour chronicling that game?  It would actually be much quicker on updates.  My only concern is that there are sooooo many Adventure Path Story Hour's out there already that readers might not want one more.  But if I can count on folks like Horacio, Hatchling and Madriel to tune in and give it a chance, then I figure it will be worth posting it.


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## Horacio (Jul 29, 2002)

Post it!
You can count on Horacio


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## Hatchling Dragon (Aug 1, 2002)

Post it and they will view... 

Try the Title:  *Jodo Kast does the Adventure Path!* Story Hour.  Those of us that already know of your ability to put lots of 'meaty goodness' into your story hours (ie: Lots 'o Quotes 'n such) will pass this along to others that clamour for such things in the many other Story Hours we frequent.   Well, ok, Horacio will just plain post links in _*every*_ story hour out there, but that's cuz he _reads_ every story there is.  I'm not quite that ambitious 

Hatchling Dragon


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## madriel (Aug 1, 2002)

Hatchling Dragon said:
			
		

> *Post it and they will view...
> 
> Well, ok, Horacio will just plain post links in every story hour out there, but that's cuz he reads every story there is.  I'm not quite that ambitious
> 
> Hatchling Dragon *




Hatchling, even Horacio's not that ambitious.  Didn't you know he's just a 20th lvl wizard who casts Time Stop in order to keep up with all the SHs? 

Jodo, I'll be happy to read anything you choose to post.


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## Horacio (Aug 1, 2002)

madriel said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hatchling, even Horacio's not that ambitious.  Didn't you know he's just a 20th lvl wizard who casts Time Stop in order to keep up with all the SHs? *




Good idea! Right now I only cast Haste to read it twice as fast, but Time Stop sounds way better!

_Horacio runs to find a good grimoire..._


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## Jodo Kast (Aug 1, 2002)

That was a hilarious exchange between Horacio, Hatchling Dragon and Madriel!  Look for the first action-packed installment of "Jodo Kast's Adventure Path Story Hour" this weekend!


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## Horacio (Aug 2, 2002)

Thanks for the "hilarious exchange" thing. It's a pleasure to entertain you 

I will look at your new story hour! Please, post here a link to the new story.

BTW, I've just begun my own Story Hour, using the new superheroes supplement from Natural 20, Four Color to Fantasy:
Golden Apple Rescue Squad 
If you have time, visit it, and drop a comment...


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## madriel (Aug 6, 2002)

Turnabout's fair play.  You've entertained us so amusing you is only fair.

Cue Hatchling.


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## Hatchling Dragon (Sep 15, 2002)

Oh sure, I nap for a measly month and just _look_ at all the cobwebs that have collected!  Harumph!

*starts fanning wings to clear out the thread*

Now, if only the Author would continue his fine work...

Hatchling Dragon


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## Hatchling Dragon (Nov 24, 2002)

What's the deal, 2 months and _still_ no update?  Ye Gods, if you keep this up you'll be on par with P-kitty and certain others that like to make thier readers beg!

Hatchling Dragon


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