STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Respite

"Me neither," Navir says, annoyed.

Xeth may heal 20 damage, putting him at 33 damage.

Vera-Kin is now at 40 damage, after healing 10 damage.

-

In the Left Debris field, the situation stands at Evens, and a 3 is rolled as the soldiers fight fiercely against the battle droids marching toward them. Unfortunately, the vulture droids dominate the skies, and this shifts the results to a 2 - victory to the Attackers. Two hits dealt out to the Defenders.

On the Speedway, where the situation is 3:2, the high-speed battle continues, with Kell's men and Tarne's droids circling each other, evading debris, and getting shots in when they can. Kell's men show comfort on the field and score a 5, inflicting damage against the enemy. Victory to the Defenders.

Tarne's men hold off on assaulting the Ruins... but the Flame Droids march into place, as expected. They are completely unopposed.

----

BATTLE FOR RESPITE STRATEGIC SITUATION- Start of Turn 3 (Kell to Move)

Left Debris Field

Kell's Reserves:
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
(60)

Kell's Front Lines:
Foot Soldiers: 30/1
Foot Soldiers: 30/1
Foot Soldiers: 30/1
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
(120)

Tarne's Front Lines:
Super Battle Droids: 30/1
Super Battle Droids: 30/0
Rocket Droids: 40/0
Rocket Droids: 40/0
(140)

Tarne's Reserves:
STAPs: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
(110)

Speedway

Kell's Reserves:
Speederbikes: 20/0
Speederbikes: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
(70) +10

Kell's Front Lines:
Speederbikes: 20/1
Speederbikes: 20/0
Speederbikes: 20/1
Speederbikes: 20/0
(80) +20

Tarne's Front Lines:
STAPs: 20/0
STAPs: 20/1
STAPs: 20/0
Rocket Droids: 40/0
(100) +15

Tarne's Reserves:
STAPs: 20/0
STAPs: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
(100)

Ruins

Kell's Reserves:
Speederbikes: 20/0
Speederbikes: 20/0
Speederbikes: 20/0
Mortar Crew: 15/0
(75)

Kell's Front Lines:
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Foot Soldiers: 30/0
Speederbikes: 20/0
(110) +15

Tarne's Front Lines:
Rocket Droids: 40/0
Super Battle Droids: 30/0
Super Battle Droids: 30/0
Super Battle Droids: 30/0
(130)

Tarne's Reserves:
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
(80)

Right Debris Field

Kell's Reserves:
(0)

Kell's Front Lines:
Flame Droids: 20/0
Flame Droids: 20/0
Flame Droids: 20/0
Flame Droids: 20/0
(80)

Tarne's Front Lines:
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
Foot Soldiers: 20/0
(80)

Tarne's Reserves:
(0)

---

Kell looks to the Jedi for advice. The Ruins are surrounded; it sits at a 3:2 ratio only thanks to the defenses the Ruins provide, but they will not last the whole battle.

I'm not seeing hits against the enemy on the Speedway there, Jordan.

"We hold our ground," Xeth says. "The question is, where do you want us? The vulture droids appear to be hammering on the left debris field, but they're mobile and could go anywhere Tarne wishes. We could sway the tide on the Speedway... get us on speeders and we'll change things up... or we can repel the droids marching on the Ruins."

Xeth wants to know what Kell thinks, since he commands this legion of scruffy tech-rats and bikers.

Kell will counter that he is trusting the wisdom of the Jedi in coordinating this battle. You will need to weigh the importance of each possible combat situation.

Vera-Kin is still down for the count, correct?

Yes. Once she gets under 40 damage (her limit), she can move about again, although quite slowly.

Keep on resting, then!

Xeth wants to enter the fray on the Speedway, provided that Kell can provide him with a speederbike of his own.

Ahem!

Kell cannot spare any of his speederbikes.

Then we'll commandeer some STAPs again. Xeth wants in on that fight whether he has a ride or not. He tells Kell he'll deploy there and fight more effectively alongside his troops this time around.

To the speedway it is!

Is Xeth going alone or does he want to bring any of his allies?

Kell, of course, will stay in the command center.

Vera and Barker are still resting up, so Xeth will tap Tilulla and Navir to come with him.

At long last... into the fray!

The speedway would have been something truly impressive, before the war. It is a long plasteel highway that winds through the apocalyptic wasteland, shattered and broken in some places, debris scattered across it, but more or less intact.

It turns out that the greatest problem is not the STAPs. It's the rocket droids, showering the open road with explosives at the expense of all pilots. Kell asks you to sort that problem out.

While Kell's bikers battle it out in a lethal game of "chicken," your party of three sneak through the debris until you reach enemy lines. The rocket droids fire down from a rise formed by cracked part of the speedway.

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BATTLE FOR RESPITE (Second Skirmish), Start of Turn 1

Debris Field

Xeth (LS9): 1(2A)/33 [BGu CH PS] (4F)

Tilulla (LS15): 2/0 [FwGu RI BL] [BGu] (5F)

Navir (G11): 1(1PR 1A)/0 [CC EE ES] [CF] (2F)

Rocket Droid A (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid B (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid C (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid D (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid E (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid F (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid G (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid H (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid I (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid J (HW5): 0

----

Destroy 2/3rds of the droids in ten rounds and you win the skirmish.

Xeth will start off with Carnival of Carnage, Eye of the Storm, and Close Quarters Gunman in, tapping all three to avoid incoming fire but dishing out a flurry of sonic bursts from his Geonosian blaster. He attacks A, B, C, and D with his shots.

Vera-Kin would wish Xeth that the Force be with him before he heads out into combat, but she thinks it'll get a little repetitive if she does it every time. She just reminds him to be aware of his surroundings.

She meditates quietly, focusing on healing quickly.

(I need to get the Inner Calm mastery...)

Initiative to you!

You spring into action, squeezing the trigger on your sonic blaster repeatedly and charging into close quarters. Your CQG tap gets you bonuses against Droid A; they're not grouped together. You land hits on all four, though your best hit goes in against Droid A. Without Eagle Eye, they all subtract 1 point of damage.

Navir shoots as he moves into cover behind a burned out landspeeder. He picks up your slack on Droids A and B. One of his lasers strikes home on Droid A and its head explodes in a flash of sparks.

Ti stays out of the crossfire and closes in on Droid E. She rolls just short on a kill, carving into the droid's armor.

Your initial attack certainly stops the droids from raining rockets down on the speeders zipping across the speedway. They split their fire unevenly; Droid E can't shoot at Ti in close quarters, so he shoots at you, as the next closest threat.

You act rather non-plussed about the first rocket slung your way, which you sidestep with an EOTS tap. You tumble into a roll from your sidestep, avoiding the next two. The last catches you, for 7 damage.

A pair of rockets home in on Ti. She takes damage trying to flip away from the blast, narrowly avoiding one but getting thrown by the other. However, since she was real close to Droid E, the battle droid gets finished off by the blast.

Three rockets soar after Navir, but two fall short and detonate on the pavement. One hits the hull of the speeder and burns him lightly.

----

BATTLE FOR RESPITE (Second Skirmish), Start of Turn 2

Debris Field

Xeth (G8): 1/40 [CC CG ES] (4F)
Sonic blaster

Tilulla (LS15): 1(1A)/8 [FwGu RI BL] [BGu] (5F)

Navir (G11): 1(1PR 1A)/3 [CC EE ES] [CF] (2F) (cover)

Rocket Droid B (HW5): 11

Rocket Droid C (HW5): 6

Rocket Droid D (HW5): 3

Rocket Droid F (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid G (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid H (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid I (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid J (HW5): 0

----

One down!

Xeth rolls away from the exploding rockets and rises with lightsaber in hand, dropping the sonic blaster. The yellow blade has only just sprung from the hilt before Xeth leaps after Droid C.

Swap CC for BGu.

Initiative to the droids!

Three rockets apiece on the Jedi, two on the mercenary.

This time, Xeth performs an impressive flip to avoid the volley coming his way entirely. He lands on Droid C and runs it through neatly, dismantling it as he pulls away.

Tilulla fairs less well avoiding the rocket fire. She runs from the first two, taking a light hit on the second, then pivots and catches the third rocket on the tip of her saber to prevent a direct hit. This obviously detonates the rocket and it throws her backward. She recovers quickly, though, and makes a go at Droid F. She launches into a spin then lands and jabs it in the hip, causing it recoil, then strides forward and pulls her blade upward, hip-to-shoulder, flaying the droid open. Her Flurry finishes it off in a single maneuver.

Navir rolls less well this turn, but well enough to drop Droid B. In exchange, rockets obliterate his cover and he must move out into the open.

----

BATTLE FOR RESPITE (Second Skirmish), Start of Turn 3

Debris Field

Xeth (LS10): 1(2A)/40 [BGu CG ES] [CC PS CH] (4F)

Tilulla (LS15): 1(1A)/16 [FwGu RI BL] [BGu] (3F)

Navir (G11): 1(1PR 1A)/8 [CC EE ES] [CF] (2F) (cover)

Rocket Droid D (HW5): 7

Rocket Droid G (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid H (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid I (HW5): 0

Rocket Droid J (HW5): 0

----

CG out for PS.

Xeth launches an attack on Droid G, moving to intercept the robot before it can launch rockets against him, swinging his lightsaber to cut off its weapon arm.

2-1!

Xeth leaps into action as intended. No conversions from Perfect Strike but an extra die doesn't hurt. Seven successes is 13 damage. You don't lop off the weapon arm as planned but your aggressive drive carves a crack into its armor. Navir takes advantage and blows Droid G apart with seven successes of his own. He then continues marking up Droid D.

Ti performs a particularly vicious slash that turns Droid H into metal confetti, tapping Forward Guard and rolling seventeen successes to one-shot the rocket-launching hulk before it can aim at her.

And that... rather effectively removed two-thirds of the rocket droids from the squad raining rockets down on the speedway, giving Kell's bikers freer reign in their fight against the STAPs. We can call that scenario to a close and you get back to the friendly side of the speedway, sneaking past a flurry of fast-moving metal and cannonades.