STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Slayer

Nar Shaddaa

The interior of the garage was the darkest of blacks until someone started forcing the garage door open. It rattled uselessly for a moment, the deadbolt still in place. There was a flash and a buzz as someone blasted the lock away. The garage door slid open. Pale moonlight sliced into the dark, just a sliver at first, then more. When the garage door was finally open, two figures were outlined in the pale midnight moonglow.

"Are you sure this is the place?" asked the first man. "Doesn't look like he's been in here." The man lowered the dark hood of his cloak, revealing a pale but handsome face with dark, brooding eyes. He redid the strap that kept his tommy blaster tight against his back, but kept it loose. He wanted to remain inconspicuous should he need to fight at any moment. The weapon he knew better would not do. Blaster wounds were all too common on the Smuggler's Moon and could be attributed to any one for any reason. Wounds inflicted by lightsaber were very distinctive, and also what he looked for now.

The second man sighed, wearing a distinctive article of clothing known as a pelisse over his military uniform, a true warrior of his people. His fair hair was braided down the sides, and his beard was neat, trim, and well-measured.

"Yes, I am quite sure," the man said, his words curt and full of subtle power. "You should know that, Quam. Search your feelings."

"Yeah, yeah, Master Kuylen, I know," Quam mumbled, snapping a glowrod from his belt. He held the glowrod up so that the garage was completely illuminated by it. Before them, a body had been laid to the ground. However, it was in many pieces.

"What do you see?" Kuylen asked, knowingly.

Quam sighed as he knelt down over the body. He knew what he would find would prove him wrong. "Definitely took out the contract on Lawr," Quam stated, prodding the dead Gran's head. "And definitely used a lightsaber. The cuts are still cauterized... and not too sloppy."

"Strong, broad swipes," Kuylen described. "What does that mean for our man?"

"He has experience with a lightsaber," Quam admitted. "And likely the instinct to use it without butchering himself and everything around him. Nowhere near my level, of course..."

"Focus, Quam," Kuylen chided. "Be efficient!"

"Sorry, Master," Quam said, looking up at the most lethal man he had ever met. "This guy... Welptet. He's not your average killer. We're tracking a Darkie."

"Indeed," Kuylen said, offering a smile. "One with potential, I feel. Come. We have seen all that we needed."

As Quam left the garage, Kuylen cast one glance down at the corpse. Not too sloppy, Quam had said. But still sloppy. He would have much to teach this boy.

With a flick of his rest, the garage door slammed shut behind him and plunged the room into darkness once more.

-

Welcome to a Retrospection game specifically designed for Rex, who has graciously hosted this series of miniature games. Somewhat recently, he mentioned that we were free to write games for his character, whom we all know and love as Galder Starkiller, the big dumb oaf.

We pick up a few years before Galder's big stint doing security work on Avalar for Kuylen, when he was just a budding young lad gaining experience in the underworld of mercenary work, in about 35 BBY, putting Galder at a young age of 18 or about that area, three years before The Phantom Menace and the events that Kuylen puts in motion.

As Galder has the capability, I am enforcing a mandatory use of Dreams- in precedent set by your games, anyone with a predictive power gets their 'plot specific' bonus. The same will go for Starkiller.

Let's see how we can torment him...

Nar Shaddaa

It has been a few days since you took out the contract on Lawr. You decided to take a low profile one this time around, for the purpose of scorching flesh with a lightsaber rather than toying around with blasters or knives. Guns and melee you know all too well by this point, as Pazol taught you that staying inconspicuous in a Galaxy that hates you requires you to kill by other means. But you lust for greater knowledge! Pazol had the potential to become a great swordsmen... but not the training. Being self-taught can only take you so far. You advanced faster than he ever did, but now you have hit a wall.

For this game, until otherwise stated, Galder's Lightsaber rating is at -3 dice. He has not yet received superior training from another source and only knows what limited teachings he received from his father.

But so far, you have not received your payment for Lawr's death. You find this odd. It was a cheap contract for only a thousand credits. Low key, as stated before. Lawr hadn't paid back the local mafioso, Gan Tuso, for some service in the past. You did what was required of you... so why haven't they paid you?

You have decided to go investigate. How do you want to prepare?

Mafioso? Galder probably trusts this Gan Tuso about as much as he trusts Rand later in life. Not wanting to be horribly overt, he is going to strap a heavy pistol to his belt and a short, sharp combat knife. He decides to leave his father's lightsaber behind (on his ship, I guess (Raging Reek?!)) but conceals Pazol's red bladed weapon inside his jacket.

Young Galder is clean shaven with a pair of stubby mutton chops, his hair tousled.

Before heading over to meet with Gan Tuso, what does Galder know about him and the company he keeps?

Galder is living out of his ship, so that is where his father's lightsaber will stay. And yes, it is the Raging Reek.

Gan Tuso is a small-time criminal with connections, Galder. He never leaves his nightclub, sending thugs to do his dirty work and putting out contracts for more serious stuff. It is unusual that he misses a payment on these contracts- despite his scummy nature, he's not without business sense. Not paying his contract-takers is a sure fire way for people to stop taking up his contracts, not to mention raise the ire of said contractees. Like yourself.

He likes to feel safe in his cozy thuggish life. Plenty of flunkies in the nightclub to watch the mafioso's back. He's made plenty of enemies in this line of business.

Alright, so Galder isn't going to want to tread on his toes too much, if he's got connections. Galder will head over nonetheless to his nightclub, packing his gear and expecting to return to his ship with the money.

Off you go.

The nightclub's atmosphere is less the pop-ish music and dazzling laser displays and everyone dancing sort and more the brooding alcoholic scene, the exterior a run-down old marketplace and the interior is smokey and crowded with a rogue's gallery of patrons bickering and conversing quietly between puffs of cigarettes, in the brick archways or in booths or at the bar near the stage, where a synth-jazz routine is performing.

Galder, being the suave young bastard that he is, will most likely hit the bar before he pays good old Gan Tuso a visit. He makes no effort to hide his blaster pistol or his knife as he strides up to the bar and orders a Flaming Wookiee. He looks around to get a feel for his environment, thinking to spot any gunmen or bouncers that Mr. Tuso might have strewn randomly in the crowd, just in case it comes to fighting.

Where's Gan at?

Observation check for spotting Gan's thugs, Galder.

Gan is sitting in his usual place, a booth in a darker corner of the nightclub. It is where he conducts his business, out in the open.

Galder will make that Observation check to find out what he's up against.

You roll one success. It doesn't help that most of the people in this place are wearing sidearms or melee weapons in plain sight, so you can't establish who's who based on what they're carrying. You do think you see a few tough guys awkwardly shuffling around where Gan is sitting, trying to blend... but you feel that's not all of them.

Galder isn't concerned. Lightsaber is the only thing you're nerfing, yeah? Galder's pretty confident in a fight and has been ever since his father first taught him how to hold a lightsaber.

Galder will down his drink and slap the glass back on the bar before drifting over to where Gan Tuso holds his court.

"Tuso, buddy!" Galder calls out as he wanders over, settling his hands on his side, one hand near his knife and the other near his blaster. "Mind if we have a chat?"

"Welptet!" Gan Tuso says. His seems surprised. "I wasn't expecting you here. I'm a bit busy." He gestures to a Togruta sitting across from him. "Can we talk later? You know I like appointments for 'talking business.'"

He mimes quotation marks when he says 'talking business.'

(Nice use of Galder's old last name...)

"I would kinda rather talk now, if you don't mind," Galder says. He lets a smile creep into the corners of his mouth, one that is probably less than authentic. "I think you know why. Shouldn't be so surprised, really."

"Look kid, I'm busy here," Gan Tuso says. He drops his amiable demeanor for a moment. "Wait til we're done and we'll chat, 'kay? That or I can send you out on your ass, buddy. Is that what you want?"

"Don't 'kid' me," Galder snarls. Despite being only seventeen, Galder already has the look of the killer that he really is, though not quite as intense as he will become. "I'm not afraid of your thugs. Want to let me have a word or want to watch me throw your thugs around?"

Galder will try for Intimidation on Gan Tuso.

Gan Tuso clucks his tongue disapprovingly.

"You forget your place," Gan Tuso says. He looks behind you and motions at you a wag of his bearded chin, and you feel a pair of strong hands clap down on your shoulders...

As if Galder is going to stand for that. He will twist away from the grasping hands and whip out his knife, letting the metal blade flash like cold lightning even in the dimness of the nightclub.

"I mean what I said," Galder says, assessing whoever grabbed him. "You're not going to like where this knife is going to go."

Gan Tuso's thugs do not seem to take your threats too kindly. Some draw blasters in response to your threats, while others crack their knuckles and pull out melee weapons of their own. One in particular activates an electro-mace as he steps between Gan Tuso's booth and you, grinning as the head of the weapon crackles excitedly.

-----

NIGHTCLUB TANGO, Start of Turn 1

Booths

Galder (C7): 1/0 [?] (5F)

Boss Bouncer (C8): 0 [PA]

Barehanded Bouncers x3 (C5): 0

Blaster Bouncers x2 (G5): 0

Brawler Bouncers x2 (C5): 0

----

Quite a few more than you thought there were, Galder.

Let's start off blasting... Gunslinger, Carnival of Carnage, and Dodge & Weave, if you please.

Galder first considers grabbing Tuso and using him as a hostage, but then the mace-wielding bouncer steps in his way. He decides instead to thin the odds against him. With remarkable speed, Galder slips his knife back into its sheath with one hand and draws his iron with the other. With a tremendous crash, he lets off a pair of shots into the bouncers that have drawn guns, deeming them to be a bit more problematic from the get-go.

Galder takes initiative and gets off to a roaring start as he quickdraws his pistol and fires from the hip. He rolls three successes apiece, but only needed two to down his targets. Lasers catch them in the chest and they drop.

They go after you. Despite your fine opening shots, nobody is discouraged and you must smack away thrown fists and knife jabs. The boss bouncer playfully jabs you in the back with his mace with one success, stacking 6 damage on top of the 18 points you took from the mooks.

-----

NIGHTCLUB TANGO, Start of Turn 2

Booths

Galder (G7): 1/24 [GS CC DW] [IM DU SF FB PA] (5F)

Boss Bouncer (C8): 0 [PA]

Barehanded Bouncers x3 (C5): 0

Brawler Bouncers x2 (C5): 0

----

Not an optimal situation for blasters, but play on.