Episode II

TIDINGS OF DARKNESS

Unrest spreads across the Galactic Empire.  Word travels from system to system that a Rebellion has formed and is beginning to fight back against oppressive Imperial tyranny.

In the Outer Rim, a new group of Rebels recruited by the noble Grevin Zorace have disrupted the operations of Golva the Hutt and destroyed an Imperial depot.  After multiple clashes with pirates and criminals, the group lost their own frigate, but hijacked a corporate transport that now serves as their base of operations.  They have named the capital ship the Safe Haven, and the Rebellion helped them modify the vessel to be able to carry their freighter, the Stardancer.

Leaving Zren behind, the others now journey in the Safe Haven to the distant planet Ryloth at the end of the Corellian Run, to pick up emergency supplies needed on Gamorr and for Dargin Ordo to pay off his ship…

Part 1: Paid Debts

Zebron, Sunrider, Ordo, Zorace, and Bishop fly the Stardancer to Ryloth and dock in the large subterranean city of Kala’uun.  They travel via lift up to a hidden opulent palace, where A’donari, a Twi’lek Zann Consortium lieutenant, accepts Ordo’s final payment for his freighter.  Soon after, the group intervenes when a deadly lylek breaks into the city and begins slaughtering citizens.  Together the heroes slay the powerful beast, Sunrider revealing his lightsaber in public for the first time.  They pick up emergency supplies from Sienar Fleet Systems, then rendezvous with the Safe Haven, where Loon joins them.  They speed the cargo to Gamorr, but the situation turns ugly when the Gamorreans realize the goods are spoiled.  Hostilities ensue, and the group is forced to dump their shipment and flee.  They return to Ryloth, accept some compensation from Sienar, and receive new freight bound for Nal Hutta.  They then make the long journey to the Hutt homeworld in the Safe Haven, quickly dispatching the pirate craft Flaming Sky upon arrival.  On the moon Nar Shaddaa, Zebron pays off the debt he owes to Anx criminal Kanorra and Ordo buys an Elom slave, Vig Tiorus, who pledges his support and offers to assist in fighting the Empire.

Part 2: Raiding Rebels

Following the rumor of Jedi ruins, the Rebels hide the Safe Haven and fly the Stardancer to Lazerian IV in the distant Expansion Region.  After some trouble with Imperial Customs in Lazerian City, they journey by speeder across the continent to the site of an ancient battle.  Among the remains of an old military outpost Zebron finds a broken lightsaber before an eccentric noble chases them away.  Returning to the Outer Rim, they arrange to meet Rebel contact Tiree at Mesa 291 on the planet Horvuust to recover possible ships and weaponry.  After raiding a corporate W-class barge and requisitioning their entire cargo (including two Y-wings), Zebron and Loon stay with the Safe Haven while Ordo, Bishop, Sunrider, Zorace, and CeeNine take the Stardancer to Horvuust.  They park the freighter inside the ancient lidium mine and explore the long-deserted facility, which is plagued by explosions and plasma fires in the lower levels.  They find no sign of Tiree, but soon meet his droid, R2-D0, who plays a holographic message from his master explaining that he is being tracked by ISB agents and attempting to lead them away from the site.  Soon after they hear Imperial stormtroopers closing on their location, so the team sets up an ambush.  The troops arrive and demand their surrender, but the heroes refuse.  Sunrider uses the Force to cause all of the Empire forces to attack one another, and the others swiftly eliminate those close by.  At the same time a flock of mynocks attacks the droids, but are rapidly chased away.  The group quickly escapes in their vessel, taking D0, an unconscious Imperial, and two dead stormtroopers with them.

Part 3: Mar Barezz

After learning that their captive is ISB agent Mar Barezz, Loon takes the man’s clothes and ID and the group puts him in a cargo container, deciding to drop him off on a remote, backwater world.  They make their way into the Lemmick system and the Safe Haven suddenly loses power.  Ordo scrambles to cold-start the engines, but just as he brings the systems back online another wave hits, causing another loss of power.  Zorace spies a hidden mine causing the ion pulses, and manages to damage it with blaster fire.  Zebron works on repairs as Ordo blasts a hole in the hangar doors with one of the Y-wings, exiting the vessel just as another pulse hits.  As they again recover both ships, the Skipray Blastboat Malefactor arrives, demanding that they stand down.  Sunrider refuses to recognize the Empire’s authority, but as a Lt. Tomo boards their craft, Mar Barezz suddenly appears, convincing the other Imperials that he commands an undercover ISB operation.  The placated Blastboat departs, and Loon reveals that he is actually Parax Void, a shape-shifting Clawdite who impersonated Barezz.  The party opts to turn their prisoner over to the Rebellion.  Ordo departs with Vig and C9 to take the Stardancer back to his family, and Sunrider senses a disturbance in the Force.  Later, meeting with the Rebels, the others discover that Barezz is gone just as Ordo deposits the swapped out container holding the ISB spy into a star.  The group trades one of their Y-wings to the Rebels for a Z-95 Headhunter and other equipment, and after some time they learn that Tiree has been recovered.  Ordo’s party returns and joins the Safe Haven as they fly to Barab I, where Bishop tries to buy more time to pay back his Barabel loan shark, Thraik.  His rival demands payment before they leave, so he and the others sell off many of his weapons, then return and settle his debt.

Part 4: Noble Sacrifice

The group travels to the Vohai Unirail, but quickly learns that it faces intense scrutiny and decides to find a fence on Malastare instead.  Once in system they are accosted by pirates in the modified freighter White Wing, but a stray shot accidentally destroys their adversary before they can attempt to commandeer it.  On Malastare they learn that Ssarroq has been following them and sell Mot’s treasure to Gran fence Nea Ra-Lan.  Zebron reveals that he is blind to Sunrider and shows him his damaged lightsaber, but the Jedi kindly declines to train him.  Ordo and Zebron heavily modify the Safe Haven, making it sturdier and enhancing her weapons.  After Rebel agent Brellin drops off the transport Nova Burst loaded with weaponry for their next mission, Ordo announces to the others that he has officially joined the organization; they also learn that Zorace has been given the rank of Lieutenant.  The heroes play sabacc together at the Zillo Beast and arrange a meeting with Esteek, a Gran interested in purchasing Imperial equipment from Bishop.  Later, at an empty speeder shop, they are instead ambushed by Imperial forces!  Dark Jedi Inquisitor Jerec, backed by his Chistori bodyguard Tagora and elite commando troopers, seems intent on turning the Jedi, but Zorace draws his attention away.  Sunrider pulls Bishop out of the fight, and Zorace activates a blast door, sacrificing himself to allow the others to get away!  Returning to the Jelvor system in the Safe Haven, they locate Sunrider’s starfighter, and the Jedi suddenly remembers something!  Not far away they locate a second ship containing his padawan Khaya Shan, as well as an artifact that hides things from the Force.