STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Broken

Bwahaha.

Rianna's going to continue on. Anything out of the ordinary that she senses?

Negatory.

As you may recall, the room just beyond the booby-trapped door was Dame Astrune's "throne room," where she held audience with visitors, and where you spoke with her last. It is devoid of anything except for that intricately decorated throne and two hallways that branch off into the rest of Astrune's massive home.

"Now how about you come out from hiding?" Rianna calls out to Astrune while looking around.

"Come now, Rianna, where is your sense of adventure? Is it not more fun to chase the villain? Doesn't that make it more rewarding once you catch up to them?"

Rianna ignores Astrune's comment again, this time looking down at Vera-Kin.

"What do you think? I can't really sense anything, or where she may be..."

Vera-Kin does not answer Rianna right away, instead closing her eyes and reaching out with the Force to see if she can determine the correct pathway onward.

Vera-Kin shows her worth as a Master by sensing that she thinks maybe the right doorway is the correct one... maybe. Kind of.

Well, does Rianna sense anything at all? Because Vera-Kin probably has a much better sense of it 😛

Rianna did not do well on her roll, is the thing. But Vera-Kin can inform you of what she senses, that the rightside corridor seems to feel right.

Then Rianna thinks that they should check that direction first.

Vera-Kin agrees. Lightsaber lit, she advances down that right hallway, keeping her senses open for any more approaching naked henchmen.

You head through the right doorway into the hallway. You follow it a short ways before it opens up into a peristyle of columns. In the center of the courtyard is a garden of exotic plants, with a fountain featuring an alien creature pouring water from its hands and mouth into the fountain.

In the courtyard stands Tineas, flexing his hands. There is a slight crackle of energy across his knuckles as he does this. And he is not alone; there are ten more Guardians, all wearing gauntlets in the same style. You do not like the look of it.

You both sense that this is not all of them, as well.

And above it all, looking down, is Dame Astrune. Her outfit is uncustomarily plain and specific in purpose; a black, tight-fitting flight suit. She holds the helmet against her hip, and the flight goggles hold back her hair. Behind her is a rocket-shaped starfighter, perched vertically upon the roof of her domus.

"Well met, Jedi," Astrune says. "But I am afraid I've got to dash. Ord Coridari needs to cool off before I can take power here. In the mean time, I am sure Tineas would love to keep you entertained in my absence. Ol'val, my sweets!"

Does Astrune have Rianna's lightsaber on her? Rianna is going to need to be better armed than she is for us to get through this. If she does... Vera-Kin will use the Force to yank it off of her!

"We can't let her leave!" Vera-Kin shouts, gesturing at Astrune with her lightsaber. "Colby, open fire! Barker, Rianna, with me!"

Yeah, Rianna has her doubts about them succeeding at this, with how things stand at the moment. If she had her lightsaber, then she'd be much more confident...

Why yes, there most certainly IS a lightsaber hanging from the utility belt of Astrune's flight suit...

Preferring actions to words at this point, Vera-Kin does not dally with Astrune's snide remarks and instead reaches out with one hand. Astrune was not expecting it and Vera's pull on the lightsaber tugs her forward a bit, causing her to nearly take a spill down into the peristyle. Instead, the lightsaber snaps free and lands in Vera-Kin's hand, a tad too big for her hand as it is intended for someone more Rianna's size.

Rianna is quite pleased that they've retrieved the lightsaber (is it hers or Myraline's? I'm assuming Rianna's) and will happily take it from Vera-Kin, igniting it immediately.

"I'm sure you meant to return this before leaving, of course," she says to Astrune with just a bit of sarcasm.

Vera-Kin barely has the weapon in hand before Rianna snatches it back. But no matter; she will need it.

"Get to Astrune," Vera-Kin says to Rianna. "We'll keep her guardians off of you."

"Oh, gladly," Rianna replies, looking for the quickest path up to where Astrune is.

Rianna- you would have to move into the peristyle so that you are out from under the overhanging cloth shades, then jump up to where Astrune is. A simple task, if the Guardians were not in your way. If Vera-Kin and company can succeed in clearing some away from Rianna, she can jump up.

Here's what we're looking at, then. Remember, swapping comes at the start of the turn! There was a refresh card earlier that I forgot to apply, so consider everything refreshed schtick-wise.

I will also give Rianna an extra swap to represent last turn, when you saw and retrieved her lightsaber.

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ASTRUNIAN AMBUSH, Start of Turn 8

Peristyle- Balcony/Landing Pad

Astrune: 0

Peristyle- Courtyard

Tineas: 0

Guardians x5 (C7): 0

Guardians x5 (C7): 0

Peristyle- Entry

Vera-Kin (LS8): 3 (1P)/19 [OGu BL CL] [BGu]

Rianna (LS10): 1/29 [SS FT MA] [FGu OGu RI CL PS]

Barker (C9): 4 (in CC only)/13 [SF UB SS] [FB]

Colby (G11): 3 (in CC only)/14 [BGB CQG]

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Vera-Kin- you sense danger!

Rianna's going to swap in Forward Guard and Cleave for Feint and Martial Artist, and move up closer to where the guards are.

"The quicker we remove these guardians of hers, the quicker I can get to Astrune," she comments to Vera-Kin.