Episode III

THE MIGHT OF THE EMPIRE

After many adventures in the Outer Rim, a band of heroes has allied with the Rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire.  On Malastare, Grevin Zorace sacrificed himself to allow his friends to escape from Inquisitor Jerec, a powerful Dark Jedi.

Returning to the Jelvor system, the party recovers Thorim Sunrider’s starfighter as well as his suddenly remembered padawan, Khaya Shan, and her own ship.

Now the group flies to Shaymore in the Expansion Region to aid the native Sessehshellah.  In addition to supplying them with weapons, the adventurers plan to help them resist the Imperials, who have begun numerous mining operations, exploiting the natural wonder of the planet to fuel their never-ending war machine…

Part 1: Rings of Bright Water

Upon landing the Safe Haven on Shaymore, the group joins the indigenous Sessehshellah as they recklessly attack an Imperial patrol that strays into their marshes.  They easily eliminate many stormtroopers, but a hoverscout is able to flee.  The party helps the Sesseh’ return with their dead and brings back a captive stormtrooper, but soon realize they have no way of dealing with a prisoner and turn the Imperial over to the natives.  Word arrives that a nearby Sesseh’ village was wiped out by the Empire in a punitive raid.  The Rebels provide laser pistols to the primitive residents and exhort them to more subtle and indirect tactics.  After a week of training them, they set up an ambush.  The combined forces dispatch a pack of amphibious waggorus, then take down another Imperial patrol, this time slaying all of the troops and commandeering their hoverscout.  They help the Sesseh’ move to avoid a reprisal, relocating the camouflaged Safe Haven with the hoverscout aboard.  Word arrives of a small Imperial scouting party (secretly watched by a nearby Juggernaut), but the team stays focused and avoids the bait.  Bishop stays with the ship as the others, aided by Sesseh’ Keva, Aku, and Naba, infiltrate a power plant through the water cooling circulation system.  As other natives create a distraction, they sabotage the facility, steal a communications scrambler, and Void adopts the identity of a Lieutenant Javis.  Intercepted transmissions reveal that Imperial hydrocarbon reserves are dwindling and that storage tanks at the main refinery represent a significant portion of the Empire’s reserve.  Again working with their Sesseh’ allies, the heroes approach the compound disguised as Javis and stormtroopers escorting Rebel captives.  Once inside the fence they attack, while simultaneously natives plant demolition charges at drainage valves for the tanks.  Imperials cut them off, but a swarm of Sesseh’ reinforcements emerges from the water and overwhelms the enemy!  The Safe Haven swoops in and picks up the adventurers just as the refinery explodes!

Part 2: Opportunity Thaws

As it leaves orbit, the Safe Haven finds itself pursued and fired upon by the Skillful Hunter.  As they make the calculations for lightspeed, the Imperial Star Destroyer Immortal emerges from behind the planet and attempts to close on them as well.  The adventurers make a micro-jump, but the Immortal follows them until they escape via a second jump.  The group meets up with agent Brellin, plans future missions, and turns over the scrambler.  Zebron also joins the Rebellion.  As they fly to Roon, Ordo heavily modifies the Nova Burst.  Upon arrival, Zebron makes the difficult entry into the system.  Leaving Void with the ship, they make their way to the port city of Nime, where Mor’ik swoop gang thugs demand a toll for crossing their turf.  A fight breaks out and the gang members are soundly defeated; only one escapes, and the adventurers commandeer the rest of the swoops.  They meet Representative Tule, who hires them to venture into the dangerous Bantha Graveyard to recover a remote for the lightstations in orbit.  Joined by Void, they ride kalaks into the secluded area, overcoming attacks by a wraid and a pack of nighthunters.  They recover some starship weapons and the remote, and return the artifact to Tule.

Part 3: New Allies

Void returns to the ship and the others venture into a drinking and gambling establishment in Nime called the Far Sun to meet potential new Rebel recruits.  As the Jedi welcome Duros Ossis Joora and Sullustan Lyton Eib, three angry Roonstone hunters enter, searching for Muun slicer El’har Nalat.  While Bishop takes out one and Sunrider and Ordo confuse the other two, Shan spirits the fugitive away.  El’har explains that his companions were slain and those tracking him meant to kill him as well.  Everyone meets up back at the Safe Haven, where Nalat, Joora, and Eib agree to join them.  Ordo navigates them out of the Cloak of the Sith, and they journey to the Falkan Expanse in Toovar sector, to investigate rumors of a pirate ship called the Rainmaker.  Shortly after arrival, they are ambushed by seven pirate vessels led by Xishel’s corvette, among them the Distant Rainbow.  Aided by the Jedi in their starfighters and Ordo in the Nova Burst, the Safe Haven destroys or disables the enemy craft, and only one is able to escape.  The adventurers destroy the corvette, but first allow Xishel and his crew to flee via escape pods.  They then confiscate the two Y-TIE fighters and learn more about the massive Rainmaker from the pilots, deciding not to pursue it at this time.

Part 4: The Race

The group travels to Bandomeer, where Bishop, Shan, Sunrider, and Ordo visit the market in Bandor and release their captives.  After being joined by Void and venturing into the icy southern wastes of the planet via speeders, they are attacked by a huge icetromper.  After Sunrider calms the beast, Bishop assails it, forcing the Jedi to reluctantly put it down.  They enter the upper level of the Sub-70 ice mines, where Ug-tak, backed by nine fellow Whiphids, attempts to start a fight with Bishop.  Again Sunrider uses the Force to calm the alien and prevents a skirmish.  The party then valiantly descends into the dangerous mines, rescuing six surviving Yuzzem miners that had been lost for weeks.  Back in Bandor as they overhaul the Safe Haven’s hyperdrive, the group learns of an upcoming contest; Sunrider and Shan sense the Force emanating from a large crystal in the trophy for the event.  When they decide to enter the competition, Zebron disguises their hoverscout while Bishop helps the others purchase a Sienar Ultra-Light Assault Vehicle.  As they bribe an official to allow their hovercraft in, they befriend mercenary Gordann.  Seven vehicles compete in the Smashup Speeders contest; Ordo pilots the ULAV with Shan as a gunner while Zebron drives the hoverscout, Bishop, Sunrider, and Gordann manning weapons.  The other smaller landspeeders are wiped out quickly by the two bigger craft: the hoverscout and an Ubrikkian Speeder Tank driven by Yarkora expert racer Keel-Vovach.  Bishop fires a concussion missile inside the opposing vehicle, though, which allows the ULAV to easily win the race.  The mortally wounded Keel-Vovach is rescued by his injured gunner, Klatooinian Darg Hendyker.  The victors are cheered by the crowd as they receive 50,000 credits and the trophy; later, many also collect gambling winnings.