STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Council of Taneshla

Any controls to open the door, or is lightsaber-assisted entry the best option here?

And hey, we can always make use of that cover if needed...

Your followers are ahead of you there. Kalvit and Graf take cover behind a barricade nearest the door. There are controls but they are freshly blasted.

"Looks like you'll need to cut it open," the Contact says. "If you don't mind."

"Stand back," Rianna says, before driving her lightsaber into the door and beginning to cut a hole out of it.

You have to force your lightsaber deep into the door to cut your hole. But like any other door you've sabered in your career, it falls inward and leaves a man- (or woman-) sized hole for you to go through.

The chamber beyond is totally dark but you sense people inside.

Rianna shudders at the completely dark room beyond; she does not like the dark.

About how many people does she sense? Same as before?

Yes. Now that you are closer, you can specify that there is only a handful of people in the cavern beyond.

"I've got flares," Kalvit says. "Want 'em?"

"Not many people in there," Rianna says quietly. "And yes, I'll take one, thanks."

Kalvit hands you one and produces a flare gun.

"Whenever you're ready," Kalvit says.

"Shoot a couple of flares in there so we can see," Rianna instructs, taking the one that he gives her in her left hand. She's then going to deactivate her lightsaber and enter the chamber, sensing around for cover she can take before igniting her own flare.

Kalvit does as instructed, popping off a few flares. The cavern beyond is lit brightly by the red-orange flare, giving it a hellish glow. It is a naturally formed cavern, but it is littered with cases of supplies and weapons.

In the center is a throne carved from a stalagmite, upon which is draped a slender woman in a vibrant red cloak. She glares at you from beneath heavy black bangs, her red lips tightly pursed. Around her are ten men, all with guns. They look scared.

"Come in, then," the Crimson Queen snarls.

Rianna will gesture for everyone else to enter behind her.

"Hiding in the dark, I see?" Rianna says sarcastically.

"I considered it an advantage," she says. "I don't need my eyes to see."

Her henchmen all have night vision goggles around their necks. She does not.

"Interesting," Rianna says, wondering if she's Force-sensitive or something like that. "However, I don't think it will help you much, with so few of your forces remaining."

"There is a relevant phrase for this," the Crimson Queen says. The way she is traipsed over the throne of stone makes her appear bored despite her glare. "'I've saved the best for last.' I'm sure you've heard it?"

Indeed, these pirates look harder than the thugs you handled upstairs.

"And I'm sure I've faced tougher," Rianna responds.

The Crimson Queen slowly rises from her throne. She removes her cloak and drapes it casually on the throne. Something about that cloak bothers you...

"I won't wish you luck, then," she says. "You don't believe in it anyway."

Her minions raise their guns and she reveals a slight pistol.

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OPERATION OVERTHROW, Start of Turn 8

Cavern Center

Crimson Queen (G11): 1(1PR)/0

Captain B (G8): 3CC(1PR 2A)/0 [ES CG]

Captain C (G12): 1(1A)/0 [MK GS]

Captain D (G6): 1(1A)/0 [BB GS]

Captain E (C10): 2(2A)/0 [PA DW]

Captain F (G8): 1(1A)/0 [EE]

Captain G (C12): 1(1A)/0 [AS SF]

Captain H (G8): 1(1A)/0 [10B CG]

Captain I (C10): 1(1A)/0 [MA]

Captain J (G8): 1(3A)/0

Captain K (HW8): 1(1A)/0 [KB]

Cavern Entrance

Rianna (LS12): 3/15 [OGu CL PS] [FGu RI] (6F)

Contact (G8): 1(1PR)/0 [BB GS ES] (?)

Kalvit (G12): 1(2A 1PR)/9 [10B EE ES] [CC CG] (1F)

Graf (G12): 1/17 [MK EE] [CF] (2F)

Zazez (G8): 2(1PR)/0 [WS ES] (2F)

Battle Droid (G8): 1(1A)/16 [CC]

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Hmmm, weird...

Rianna is going to make for Captain K, deciding that the Heavy Weapons guy should go down first, slashing at his midriff with her lightsaber.

Swap Cleave for Riposte (I'm horrible at remembering - would Cleave work for these guys? If so, keep it in)

Initiative is yours! And it is a Refresh turn at long last.

You race forward to engage Captain K as he lifts his radiation emitter to blast you. Before he can pull the trigger, you carve a deep line through his front for 14 damage (six successes plus two conversions via Orthodox and Perfect). He staggers back and primes his weapon, but the Contact also decides that a heavy weapon doesn't need to be fired in here. Three successes for 7 damage is enough to bring him down.

Kalvit goes straight for the Queen with a heavy spray of lasers. She disappears in a series of bright explosions... but Kalvit is displeased to find that she is engulfed in a protective energy shield. Nothing gets through.

Graf supplies covering fire to keep you and the Contact covered.

Zazez takes cover but his droid is malfunctioning; it does not. They both open fire on Captain C.

Their turn...

The Crimson Queen watches as she turns her men loose on you. B (standard assault blaster) and D (paired disruptor pistols) go for Kalvit. Total miss and a hit for 4. C (long-barreled pistol) goes for Zazez for 5 damage. F (piercing rifle) goes for the droid for 5 damage too, melting part of its armor with a high-powered shot. J (hunting rifle) shoots at Graf and surprisingly gets four successes on her for 6 damage.

Rianna is confronted by E (vibro-sword) and G (unarmed but frenzied). The sword cuts close for 7 damage and then she takes a blow to the side for 5 damage. Riposte triggers against neither. You are now locked in with them, though...

The Contact gets attacked by H (repeater) and I (unarmed and graceful). He taps Eye of the Storm to avoid the rapid fire, then takes a kick to the hand for 3 damage but manages to keep a hold on his pistol.

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OPERATION OVERTHROW, Start of Turn 9

Cavern Center

Rianna (LS12): 3/27 [OGu RI PS] [FGu CL] (6F)

Contact (G8): 1/3 [BB GS ES] (?)

Crimson Queen (G11): 1(1PR)/0 (shielded)

Captain B (G8): 3CC(1PR 2A)/0 [ES CG] (Kalvit)

Captain C (G12): 1(1A)/7 [MK GS] (Zazez)

Captain D (G6): 1(1A)/0 [BB GS] (Kalvit)

Captain E (C10): 2(2A)/0 [PA DW] (Rianna)

Captain F (G8): 1(1A)/0 [EE] (Droid)

Captain G (C12): 1(1A)/0 [AS SF] (Rianna)

Captain H (G8): 1(1A)/0 [10B CG] (Contact)

Captain I (C10): 1(1A)/0 [MA] (Contact)

Captain J (G8): 1(3A)/0 (Graf)

Cavern Entrance

Kalvit (G12): 1(2A 1PR)/13 [10B EE ES] [CC CG] (1F) (in cover)

Graf (G12): 1/23 [MK EE CF] (2F) (in cover)

Zazez (G8): 2(1PR)/5 [WS ES] (2F) (in cover)

Battle Droid (G8): 1(1A)/21 [CC]

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Rianna will go after E, using Combat Push and then following up with a quick lightsaber strike.

Initiative 6-4, all yours. As the Captain with the broadsword goes for you again, you throw out a hand and send him bowling backwards with three successes. You follow up by jumping on him with your lightsaber. Ten successes is a wonderful 15 damage, but just shy of an outright kill. He gets up just as the Contact shoots the sword out of his hand and the brain out of his head. Kalvit blows apart twin-pistol Captain with a tapped 10,000 Bolts, then refreshes with a Fortune point. Graf does similarly by tapping Marksman and Eagle Eye together for 17 damage on her target, spending both Fortune points to refresh. Zazez putters away at his target with back up from his droid.

No Riposte for Rianna, sadly; your brawler may be frenzied but he's not inept. 5 damage to you as he ducks around you and hits you in the kidney repeatedly. Your allies take damage but your Contact is the most unhappy; he nearly gets raked with that repeater for 13 damage, then takes a karate chop to the back of the leg, bringing him down on one knee.

Zazez's last droid explodes as the piercing rifle hits its power supply. Zazez strafes shots as he scuttles from cover to cover. Graf is missed entirely.

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OPERATION OVERTHROW, Start of Turn 10

Cavern Center

Rianna (LS12): 3/32 [OGu RI PS] [FGu CL] (5F)

Contact (G8): 1/19 [BB GS] [ES] (?)

Kalvit (G12): 1(2A 1PR)/15 [10B EE ES] [CC CG] (0F)

Crimson Queen (G11): 1(1PR)/0 (shielded)

Captain B (G8): 3CC(1PR 2A)/0 [ES CG] (Kalvit)

Captain C (G12): 1(1A)/13 [MK GS] (Zazez)

Captain F (G8): 1(1A)/0 [EE] (Droid)

Captain G (C12): 1(1A)/0 [AS SF] (Rianna)

Captain H (G8): 3CC(1A)/0 [10B CG] (Contact)

Captain I (C10): 1(1A)/0 [MA] (Contact)

Captain J (G8): 1(3A)/17 (Graf)

Cavern Entrance

Graf (G12): 1/23 [MK EE CF] (0F) (in cover)

Zazez (G8): 2(1PR)/9 [WS ES] (2F) (in cover)

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