USH'S GAME EPISODE III- 'ARTIFACT'. Dark Side area

Chion force-jumps into the doorway with a loud THUD!

You're all clear, kid...

Galder closes the door and powers up the engines. He continues firing his blaster cannons down at the police forces as the ship raises into the air, then stops at makes the ship dart away and out of range.

(cue cool shot of orbital escape scene)

You have little idea where to go, but you always have an emergency course plotted just in case. You speed into hyperspace long before you can be tracked. These local authorities are VERY lazy- almost as if the Repuiblic is falling apart!

takuan takes the seat next to Gald's.
He's wondering where this ship is leading them also, but he's gratefull for escaping that madness down there. Dissapointment can be read on his face, that astrolabe didn't get in their hands afterall.

Instructions are coming through onto your nav computer, for a rendezvous with Kuylen- at a remote asteroid inside Republican space.

why inside the republic thinks Takuan. Bu he conforts himslef as he knows master Kuylen has a reason for being there. He paciently waits for the arrival

(Well, a long way to leave it right now without good reason!)

Kuylen comunicates with you in advance of the rendezvous. His holographic form flicks up on the comm unit.

"What is the progress of your mission?" he asks. "You have the Astrolabe?"

Dissapointed, takuan answers.
"unfortunatley, no...we barely escaped, no excuses"

Even over the comm, you can feel the wave of anger.

"Galder?" he says. "What have you to say?"

Galder begins to sweat. He hates reporting failure to Kuylen, especially when he thinks of ancient Sith Lords who killed their followers if they failed in something.

"We did get our hands on an Astrolabe, but not a real one. Ascar and his damned security guard made a mock-up so that they wouldn't have to give up the real one after the podrace ended. Plus, the Malastarian police force has pretty much over powered everything, and a Jedi Master has unfortunately severed my...arm..." Galder says, catching Kuylen's angry glare. I'm toast... thinks Galder.

Kuylen seems to remain calm for now.

"And Ascar?"

"he escaped..." says takuan " maybe the jedi delt with him"

"Somehow I doubt it," says Kuylen. "The Jedi are no match for him. Set down on the asteroid, I will meet you on board."

Takuan suddenly raises his head in complete surprise ta Kuylen's remark. no match? he thinks what's so special about him?
Saying nothing, he waits for the ship's landing.

It is two days later. Kuylen has heard your entire story.

His rage at the time was mostly directed at Chion. He paces up and down in front of you three, in his full military uniform, ranting as he goes. His pilot sits quietly in the background

"There is NO excuse for this failure!" he yells, unfazed by Chion's size. "And I told you to get the Astrolabe, NOT start a war! Now half the Republic will be on our tails."

"If you has not left us when you did..." says Chion, darkly. Kuylen stops in mid-pace. Chion has never, EVER, spoken back to Kuylen before.

"What do you mean by that, Chion." Chion does not answer for quite some time.

"Nothing," he says. "I'll put it right."

"Remembet this, Chion. You only fail me ONCE, And that goes for ALL of you." He addressed you all.

"A FAKE. A damn FAKE! A ploy a CHILD could have seen through! You let PERSIS deceive you! And I had such hopes for you, Takuan...

"And as for Sannan..."

"Who?" asks his pilot. Kuylen looks annoyed.

"As for ASCAR," he continues, "I WARNED you about him. He is cunning. And clever. And can make our lives INTENSLY difficult. I warn you now. Ascar has power beyond you. Beyond me. Beyond the Masters that pursue us. At least as great as the Council. Not only have you made him our enemy, yo have gotten us NOTHING in return!

"Obviously you cannot be relied upon to handle him. I will take care of Ascar myself. And then if I have heard that any of you three have failed me again, I will take care of the failures after that. I hope that is clear."

It is. You spend the next two days in fear of Kuylen killing you on some whim. But instead, he plans. Your one piece of relief is that you have leads. The Jedi are hunting for Persis and Ascar. Kuylen has a good idea where each will go to ground.

"There are some problems on Belseraphon as well," says Kuylen (referring to the home of the Miramar.) "Edna has disappeared on some personal quest of hers at a particularly bad time. Saar needs more help; you will replace her, Takuan."

(Rather Takuan than you, you think to yourself, Galder. Saar is the most condescending git you have ever met. Worse, he's pretty good with a sabre as well, AND he is intelligent. You can think of little more hateful. You wondered where he had been- you last saw him on your hidden base, he never even came to Jaglon Beta. Obviously he has set up your alliance with the Miramar)

"As for you two," he says, to Chion and Galder. "FIND Persis. KILL Persis. Get the Astrolabe. Simple enough for you?

"I will go to Nar Shadda to find Ascar. With luck he will give me the location of the Mausoleum, for which I may spare him.

"How is yoir arm, Galder?"

It's not bad at all, actually. Kuylen had a med droid fit uou out with a replacement, Rex. Just to be delicious, Kuylen got it from the same Hutt contractors who did Balek's arm. It's not the bulky swiss-army knife job he has, but far more sleek. This one has a compartment to conceal your left-hand lightsabre (spring-loaded to put it to yor hand in an emergency), a concealed blade for quieter killings, and a blaster built into the wrist.

Kuylen reaches out with a remote control and presses a button. Your arm goes limp, now a dead weight on your body. Kuylen is forward with a flash and his sabre blade is held up against your throat.

"I am glad it works," he says. "Because if you ever lose a duel with a Jedi again, then even if you escape, I will kill you."

He turns your arm back on.

"We leave tomorrow."

Life on the Dark Side is never easy. Any more failure will doom you all. But the rewards for success are high. You'll turn it around. The Force WILL be with you.