STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Family

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REXXXX
Coruscant

It is not common for a Jedi Knight to remain in touch with his parents. Few exceptions are made by the Council; each one is very situational, and very cautiously handled. Especially since Jedi are a rare breed. They do not number in the millions, but the thousands. The Order can not afford to put time and effort into training a Knight, only for them to go astray for family.

There are all sorts of factors there- a Jedi might wish to return to the family dynamic, or inherit their wealth or titles, or avenge a fallen relative, or embrace their grief at a passing. Hence, the Order limits their contact.

But some families manage to maintain their connection to their talented, supernatural offspring. This warrants the close attention of the Jedi Council, and often the assignment of a talented Jedi Master who can teach the young student discipline when it comes to his emotions.

And yet still, there are dangers...

-

Welcome to "Family," a game from the Retrospection series. These mini-games are designed to give players the opportunity to examine their characters, their backgrounds, and their abilities. In this case, Retrospection examines Aurel Sing, a large athletic man who has embraced the martial aspects of the Jedi Order.

Aurel Sing was raised in the lower levels of Coruscant, learning even at a young age that he needed to avoid conflict, or defend himself when he could not. He was then found to be connected to the Force by a Jedi Master.

Now, it is not uncommon for Aurel Sing to patrol the lower levels himself, trying to make the streets safe for those that live there. It is here that we visit him...

REXXXX
Coruscant, Lower Levels

The lower levels of Coruscant are not as glittering and beautiful as the upper levels. The towering spires of metal and glass are high above, blocking out the rays of light that manage to get through the smog of the ecumenopolis. The lower levels are dark and sooty, particularly in the Industrial District.

You are in the industrial district now, Aurel Sing. While the Jedi Order is concerned for the security of the entirety of the Galactic Republic, every so often they send their Knights out on patrol. This is normally done in conjunction with Coruscant law enforcement.

Officer Jung, one such member of the Coruscant police, is your partner for today. He has not briefed you yet, only picked you up from the Temple in an unarmed light airspeeder. He appears to be a man of little words, only giving gruff answers and playing with the tips of his mustache, which are dyed a dark blue in typical Coruscanti fashion.

"We're here," Jung says when you arrive at the Industrial District. He opted to take the darker paths through the lower levels to reach the Industrial area, and instead of glittering towers above, you have gargantuan smoke stacks as a planet's worth of waste is burned away. The sights are horrible and the smells are worse.

XanatosForever
Aurel takes a moment to take in the scene as they arrive in the gray of the industrial sector, his body already reacting to ever present stench that accompanied the great machines. He raises a robed arm to his face as he steps off the speeder, lowering it as he forces himself to adjust to the rough air. As part of the Order, it had been some time since he'd inhaled the smog daily, but part of him remembered. The journey downwards had been silent, the young Jedi respecting officer Jung's silence and giving his mind a rare opportunity to reminisce. Now that they had arrived, however, it was time for the business at hand.

"This is a dangerous place, officer," says calmly, turning his head to look at the man, "some say even for law enforcement. I am certain we do not tread here lightly."

REXXXX
"We do not," Jung says curtly. The Coruscanti officer is guiding his airspeeder across a wide crevasse between buildings, making for a tunnel. "Fortunately for you, I am not an officer that takes my job lightly."

The airspeeder dips into the tunnel. Being an open-topped speeder, it is all you can do to not breath in the heavy fumes that wash over the vehicle as you descend.

"The fumes will be less the lower we go," Jung insists. "Then it will just be the urban decay."

XanatosForever
laughing Man, good thing you're not the type of GM to take glaring mistakes at face value. Note to self: Do not send Aurel off the side of still moving speeders. This is bad.

_____________

Aurel nods once, deciding to close his eyes to protect them for the time being. "Is there something in particular we will be investigating this day?" he asks, now desiring to learn more of his reason for being brought back to this place beyond his own insistence. He knew that Lor-An Relm, his master, would not be pleased with his involvement in the slums. He could hear his stern tone even now in his head, You must cease these "patrols." That is your old life, and to continue to court it will only hinder your progress in training...

REXXXX
There are two sides of that argument- while the Order is always wary about you heading back to where you came from, you childhood knowledge of Coruscant is useful. You were brought into the Order at an older age than most, if you were still living with your parents.

"We are investigating some break-ins," Jung says, "here in an older part of the Industrial sector. Namely the Old Factories."

XanatosForever
That is a good point. Which brings up something else. I'm not as avid a star wars fan as some other players around here, so I might need a bit of extra explaining on some stuff. Hope that's not going to be too troublesome for you. ermm

___________________

"Is there any possibility they may be connected to Junipero?" Aurel asked. The Jedi was sure that the officer knew the name, or had at least heard of it. He did not expect to get confirmation, but he did try to keep tabs on the man, particularly anything that might seem as if he were gaining greater power than his hold on Aurel's old neighborhood.

REXXXX
Not at all! The Jedi Order tries to catch their trainees at birth, if they can. Anakin Skywalker was a freak accident for being allowed into the Order at 10.

-

Officer Jung shrugs.

"Junipero dabbles in a lot of things," Jung says, "but he isn't the only criminal on Coruscant, unfortunately. You would think with the Jedi Order based here that would not be the case."

The airspeeder weaves through a set of narrow pathways. The smog-choked sky the color of burning paper has grown farther away; Officer Jung flips on the speeder's headlights to compensate for the increasing dimness.

"Have you ever been to the Old Factories?" Jung asks.

XanatosForever
"The audacity of it is something one might be able to admire, if their actions were not so vile," Aurel admits grudgingly. He is less than thrilled at the fact himself, and muses idly on a desire for the Order to focus their attention on Coruscant itself, to rid it of such individuals. Greater needs lie within Republic space, however, and he trusts that the Council takes great care in deciding what matters take priority to the Jedi. The officer's question turns his attention to the past, and he answers slowly as the memories come to him, "Not often, no. I was often reminded that it was it no place for children, and few of my patrols have led directly to them."

REXXXX
Lacking Savoir-Faire, you do not know much about the place. Thankfully, Jung knows a bit.

The Old Factories is a series of factories (go figure) that the Coruscant government used thousands of years ago to produce... whatever they were designed for. They were only re-discovered recently, and due to their heavily decayed state they have not been thoroughly explored. They are also in a dangerous area of the Industrial district, and far down in the depths.

"We've heard there have been some break-ins," Jung says. "We're investigating that."

XanatosForever
"I understand," Aurel says with a nod. With a clear understanding of the mission, he'll spend the rest of the trip pondering who might want to risk entering the factories and why, opening his mind to the Force to see if it can give him any insight.

REXXXX
"Just be on your guard," says Jung. "I'm counting on you to watch my back. I figure if anyone can do it best, a Jedi can. Plus, most street thugs are going to flee at the sight of a lightsaber."

XanatosForever
"I will remain vigilant, officer," Aurel replies, the familiar weight of his lightsaber at his side. Personally, the Jedi hoped he would not have to take it in hand at all, but the officer's point was firm: no sensible individual would challenge someone holding a lightsaber with confidence, ignited or not.

REXXXX
Jung guides the speeder down a few more levels, the light dying quickly as the vehicle dives into Coruscant's depths.

Your Intuition tells you that you feel uneasy down here. You could not say exactly why.

XanatosForever
Aurel opens his eyes but keeps them squinted as they descend into the dark of Coruscant. His gut instinct, which he now knew to be his connection to the Force, was reacting. It rarely meant good for him.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said to Jung, "Keep your eyes open." As he says this, Aurel turns his head, eyes watching for anything that might catch his attention. At the same time, he reached out with the Force, expanding his senses to aid his observation.

______________

So if it isn't obvious, using Sense and making an active Observation now that my Intuition's been triggered.

REXXXX
Your feeling of things being off remains. You do not see anything out of the ordinary.

Jung just curtly nods.

Eventually you arrive at what must be the Old Factories. They are immediately distinguishable by the fact nothing is built above them. Most other structures this far down serve now as the base for the absurdly tall towers that Coruscant is known for. The Old Factories are the top of their own tower, a series of five massive quonset-shaped buildings in a tow. They are teeming with old ventilation piping and covered in wreckage and refuse from the world above.

XanatosForever
Time has not been kind to this place, muses the young Jedi. It also made him all the more curious as to what business anyone might possibly want with the urban ruins. Mercenaries, rival gangs fighting over perceived turf. Regardless, it was his duty to put a stop to it, and that is what he would do.

REXXXX
The Old Factories do not have anything you could consider a landing platform. Officer Jung brings the airspeeder in close, to perform some quick surveillance of the outside.

"We don't want to miss anything," Jung says.

XanatosForever
Hmm...I think I'll go with this set up. Player commentary above, in-game narrative below. That decided, not sure if I have to re-state Sense and Observation for this portion, but I'll do it to be on the safe side.
___________

Aurel nods, looking out once again both with his eyes and the Force for any sign of something waiting for them before they find a way to touch down.

REXXXX
It is usually best to declare what you are doing, even if it is a repetetive action. Otherwise it may be forgotten!

As it is, you see that many entrances to the Old Factories are sealed tight with heavy shipping doors. A few are open.

You still feel instinctively uneasy.

XanatosForever
I'll be sure to get into the habit, then. Keeping Sense running since I see no reason not to do so on the approach.

Edit: Second page! How exciting! big grin
______

Despite the haze, Aurel notes some breaches. "Multiple entries," he say to inform Jung, "There must be a fair number of them."

REXXXX
"What do you make of it?" Jung says. "Were any of them forced recently?"

XanatosForever
Something crossed my mind earlier: is it possible to utilize combat scthicks in conjunction with blade schticks?

Another crack at Observation to see if I can discern time of entry from any of the openings.

REXXXX
It is not. You can certainly have the Combat Schticks in your loadout while fighting with a Lightsaber, but you cannot apply them to a Lightsaber attack. With Swiftness, you can jump back and forth between the two easily, though.


You cannot make anything out as being recent.

XanatosForever
Would that be translatable to making an unarmed attack while the light saber is ignited, or I would have to specifically deactivate it?

I've got nothing else in mind for the glide over, so I'm ready to land.
_________

"It does not appear so," Aurel replied, "let's take a closer look."

REXXXX
That would simply be a matter of style.


At your insistence, Jung brings the speeder in low over the Old Factories. He asks where you think you should land and enter.

XanatosForever
Okay, just wanted to clarify. So no Dodge and Weave + Balanced Guard defense or something. stick out tongue Good to know.

_________


"I see no reason to cause further damage to the place. We will use the entrance already made." He indicates to the structure they are just below, brow furrowed for a moment before adding, "Land as close as you can. Better to have it nearby for a fast retreat if necessary."

REXXXX
As handy as that would be. Thankfully, your template is designed to be able to fight without a weapon! So you could, in a dire moment, switch to punching out someone while tapping Dodge & Weave for a turn, or move to unarmed tactics if you've exerted all your Blade Schticks.

You will learn...

-

The Old Factories do not have much in the way of landing platforms; you figure they were designed in a period where that wasn't really necessary, or maybe people came up from below... you're not sure.

Either way, Jung finds one of the massive loading doors open wide enough to admit his speeder and slowly edges it into the darkness beyond.

You can hardly see anything beyond what the speeder's headlights illuminate. And all that appears to just be jumbled wreckage and rusted machinery of no definition.

XanatosForever
I have no doubt you will be an effective, somewhat brutal, tutor. Heh...

_______

"Very odd," Aurel muses aloud, "that anyone would have any sort of interest in this old place." As the speeder edges in Aurel looks carefully at what enters the range of the headlights, reaching out with the Force into the darkness beyond. As they come to stop he steps down onto the factory floor.

REXXXX
The crunch of rust and squelch of grime meet your boot.

You do not sense anything out of the ordinary, though the room you have landed in is quite large. It contains a jumble mess of things and stuff that you cannot make out in the darkness.

"I agree," Jung says. "It concerns me."

Jung has a small tactical flashlight that he clicks on. It does not improve your ability to see much.

XanatosForever
This next action takes some liberties concerning character equipment. If it seems unlikely or doesn't fit, of course, let me know so I can void it with another action. I'll have to again refer to my ignorance of the minute details of the 'verse for any inconsitencies.

__________

Aurel follows the officer's lead, reaching down to the small case attached to his side opposite his lightsaber and opening it. The contents primarily consist of basic, simple medical aid, with one disassembled syringe and a five ounce pouch of bacta with insert for drawing out the fluid. More important to him now, however, was the small collection of glowrods, three in total, adhered under the top of the case, one of which he pulls free. After closing the medi-kit and putting it back on his hip, the young Swordsman gives the rod a snap and a shake to get the luminescent fluid within an opportunity to shine and holding it above his head as a makeshift torch, keeping it out of his line of sight so as not to blind him.

With this new lightsource, Aurel takes a further step into the gloom, curiosity and concern in his thoughts.

REXXXX
If you have the skill Medicine, it can be assumed that you have some small medical supplies on you. Nothing significant, however.

And other items like rope and glowrods, usually okay as well.

-

The glowrod provides more light than Jung's flashlight, certainly, but due to the size of the room you still do not actually see the walls aside from the chunk of blast door behind you.

Picture the Fellowship in the mines of Moria, Gandalf's light only covering a small ring around you. It is not so vast. Still quite cavernous in here. You wonder what they needed all that space for.

XanatosForever
Lucky for me, then, Aurel does in fact have ranks in Medicine, and I even noted that he's rarely ever not found with a first aid kit of some sort. I did my best to make it seem appropriate and note clear limits so as not to abuse anything. smile

_________

Aurel frowned somewhat, looking around in the brighter light of the glowrod.

"Was there any indication of how long this trespassing had been going on?", he asked the officer.

REXXXX
Definitely familiarize yourself with the Medicine ratings and rules for healing. Often times, there is not an opportunity to fully heal yourself during a story.

-

"Some of the sensors we've installed in the area have been tripped a few times this week," Jung says. "Yesterday they went haywire and were tripped dozens of times. We're not sure what did it. All they detect is movement."

XanatosForever
I'll certainly do that.

_____

"Given the size of this place, they may have been moving vehicles of some manner," Aurel said, considering the implications of motion sensors bring tripped so severely as he steps further into the building, "Let us keep searching."

REXXXX
"Speeder theft?" Jung says. "Possible."

You have to stumble around for a moment before determining that you have a few ways out of here:

- Going to the lefthand wall, where there is another blast door. It is sealed.

- Going forward, where there is an open corridor of great height.

- Climbing up onto the gangways, where there is a maintenance exit.

XanatosForever
Sense works on living beings, would it be able to determine if something had been alive recently in an area, or can it only discern present bodies? Either way I think I'll try and Sense out each area.

___

"Wait here a moment," Aurel says to the officer, lowering the glowrod a bit as he makes his way to the left wall, reaching out with the Force in an effort to determine if there was a presence behind the sealed door. After a moment of contemplation, he moves on to corridor, halting at the edge of the glowrod's illumination and reaching out once more. He repeats the process one more time, at the lead on to the gangways, before returning to Jung, hopefully to share any information gleaned.

REXXXX
Sense works on lots of things! The Force flows through all things. A good Force roll might be able to discern specific things or sense farther away. Obviously easier if you are stronger in the Force (or at least, better at utilizing it). A Swordsman is rather poor in this respect, whereas a Master is quite talented.

It takes you a bit of time to walk to each way onward and sense around about it. You do not sense anyone nearby or anything out of the ordinary; none of the entrances look forced, and the leftward hatch has been closed a long time.

XanatosForever
That's a good point, but it still doesn't hurt to try...unless it does, which can always be possible, but is usually not.

Oh, and I should thank you for reminding me to look over the rules one more time. I actually discovered that I'd forgotten to allocate all of my starting skills! I was short by one point, so I decided to increase Intimidation to 2, since Aurel seems like the type to really press the fact that you don't want to fight him. I almost wish Swordsmen could get Persuade at start, but that will come with time, I'm sure.

____

"Neither of these entrances have been tampered with," Aurel says to the officer, indicating to the blast doors and maintenance hatch before letting his outstretched arm point back to the open corridor as he continues, "which leave only this way that any possible intruders may have traveled. From what I can tell, we do seem to be alone."

With that said, the young Jedi turns and begins walking toward the corridor, remarking as he stepped away from Jung, "Still, best be on guard." He raises the glowrod up once again to illuminate his path as he moves forward.

REXXXX
Technically you can, it just depends on how you allocate things. However, your focus will definitely be on powers that can hurt things better.

-

You move into the open corridor. It has a high ceiling, being taller than it is wide. In keeping with the huge nature of this place, it is still wide enough to admit you and Jung easily.

At the end of the hall is another huge black room. This one is larger than the last.

XanatosForever
Duly noted. Oh, and making an Observation roll.

_____

Aurel continues walking on, slowing his stride a bit as he takes in this new area. Part of him could admire the scale of the place, and wondered what it was like when it had been active.

REXXXX
You wish you could actually see what is in here. You have a sense of massive shapes looming in the darkness, old machinery that has been abandoned for a very long time.

XanatosForever
Onward then!

_____

It would be simple to explore the room and observe the great old machines, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Aurel made his way to the next cavernous area, looking back to ensure Jung was still nearby.

REXXXX
Jung is staying very close to the hulking muscular Jedi.

This room is truly massive, Aurel. The ceiling is far above, and you only know that because you can kind of sense the distance- you don't know exactly how far. You navigate through the machinery, with rusted piping and great levers and gears all around you.

You think you sense movement ... somewhere.

XanatosForever
Heh heh, more Bruce Lee, less Lou Ferrignou. Still, fairly obvious he's strong, I suppose. stick out tongue

______

Aurel feels a slight pang of annoyance at the darkness, though still glad his attunement to the Force can prevent him from stumbling into anything glaringly obvious. Movement within range of those senses makes him pause for a moment. "Something's here," the swordsman murmurs to Officer Jung, his own muscles tensing slightly. He takes a few steps further in, attempting to pinpoint the direction of the motion.

REXXXX
You think it's too the left... no, to the right... behind you?

You aren't sure. Your glowrod only illuminates so much. You think you catch a glint of metal somewhere in the dark. It turns out to be a burned out computer console. Your eyes are playing tricks on you in the darkness.

XanatosForever
Oh...oh man, okay I feel much bett-waaaaaitaminute! disgust

_____

Aurel releases a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "I suppose even Jedi will let the environment get the best of us at times," he says jokingly, offering the officer an apologetic smirk.

REXXXX
Jung is too busy looking into the darkness, swinging his flashlight around.

You are completely startled when a voice shouts at you from the darkness- a strong voice that grates on your ears.

WHY ARE YOU HERE

XanatosForever
Aurel's head snaps back to attention even as he winces from the bellowing voice. His knees bend as his body instinctively tenses, ready to leap into action.

"I could ask the same of you, stranger!" Aurel calls back, eyes darting around, scanning the room once again.

REXXXX
STATE YOUR INTENTIONS.

XanatosForever
Aurel glances back at Jung for a moment, then returns to scanning the dark, straightening up and adjusting his robes. The Jedi clears his throat briefly before replying, "I am here with my associate because we were told that someone had been breaking into this place. Whoever you are, you are trespassing."

REXXXX
NOBODY OWNS THIS COMPLEX.

"It is under the ownership of the Galactic Senate," Jung says, "until further purpose can be found for it."

WE DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNCIL OF MEATBAGS.

XanatosForever
That...well, alright. Good show, sir. I definitely did not expect this for some silly reason. laughing

_____

Aurel's eyes widen, and he has to stifle a groan as he realizes there may have been a good reason he could not sense any living being around. He keeps his composure, however, as he asks, "Then who's authority do you acknowledge?"

REXXXX
NONE OTHER. WE INSTATE OUR OWN SUPERIORITY OVER FLESHY SENTIENTS. THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES.

XanatosForever
"What revolution?" Aurel calls out, letting his arms fall to his side, hand resting on the hilt of his lightsaber.

REXXXX
THE REVOLUTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OVER SENTIENT ORGANIC MATTER. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED.

There is a loud metal clunk directly in front of you.

XanatosForever
"I was afraid you would say that," Aurel mutters under his breath. He raises the arm holding his glowrod and flings it out at the noise before pushing Officer Jung back with his other arm. "Arm yourself, officer!"

His hand sweeps down, taking his lightsaber in hand and bringing it into both hands, the familiar hiss ringing in his ear as its silver beam activates.

REXXXX
Throwing the glowrod, you illuminate what appears to be a protocol droid that has landed on its feet nearby. It rises to its full height- still shorter you- and starts to shuffle forward.

You activate your lightsaber with that good old snap-hiss you love so much, illuminating the area a bit better. More metal clangs and thunks are emanating from the machinery around you.

Jung draws his pistol.

XanatosForever
Aurel steps closer to examine the protocol droid, but keeps his lightsaber ready to strike should it be necessary.

REXXXX
The protocol droid is not what you expect. It has been cobbled together from several parts, with an insectoid head and an arm that has been replaced with a blaster cannon.

Oh.

More robotic monstrosities are emerging from the dark, and your danger sense is rising dramatically.

-

This is going to be a fight, Aurel. At the start of a fight, you select three of the schticks that you mean to use to begin, and then we proceed from there!

XanatosForever
Right. Well, since the lightsaber is drawn, let's pull out some Blade Schticks...I think we'll start with Balanced Guard, Bodyguard (focused on Jung, naturally), and Charge. Yes, I think that's a good starting lineup.

_____

Aurel quickly notices both the mistmatched nature of the droid and the very obvious weaponized appendage, and so he retreats to stand beside Officer Jung, lightsaber held at the ready to defend both himself and his companion.

REXXXX
Okay!

Here, then, is an overview of the fight you are about to engage in.

Droids are emerging from the machinery and the darkness all about you. Each is unique and has that same cobbled look as the protocol droid, and each has been weaponized or armed.

They have cut off the way on and the way back.

-----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 1

Among machinery

Droids (G5) x5 (ahead)


Aurel (LS10): 1(2A)/0 (5F)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/0 (1F)


Droids (G5) x5 (behind)

----

Firstly... do you have any questions about the layout? I know you have been reading up on others' games, I want to see what your familiarity with it all is.

XanatosForever
I may need a bit of clarification on some things, but I'll try and see how much of it I have understood. So it goes as thus:

Name (Combat method and die pool): Defence (Additional defenses such as Armor or Parry) (Force/Fortune point)

In the case of mooks, name and die pool will be followed by number of mooks, represented by x

Does that sound about right? The fact that I've been reading Xavier's story doesn't help either since he was using the old system. stick out tongue

REXXXX
Ah yes, that will screw with you a bit.

That is all correct, though.

Also, it is going to be a turn's distance in either direction- ahead or behind.

XanatosForever
Which means I wouldn't be able to attack since I would spend the turn moving into range...unless Charge would give me that opportunity? Regardless, I'll make my way forwards.

_____

"Stay close to me, Officer, and watch my back while I clear a path forward," Aurel says, moving in to engage the Promethean abominations.

REXXXX
They are close enough that you can attack upon arrival.

XanatosForever
Ah, okay. In that case, would it be possible for me to swap out Charge for Cleave? Might as well make the most use of the situation if I can. If not, then I'll just move in with a simple attack.

REXXXX
I can allow that.

Do you want to make any alteration should the droids gain initiative? That is always something you want to bear in mind .

XanatosForever
The only thing I can think of is to Tap Balanced Guard for additional defenses, but I don't really think that will be necessary just yet, and I don't want to give up the primary benefits of the guard so soon. So basically, I'll just stick to moving in to attack.

REXXXX
In that case, we make the Initiative roll. It comes out 5-4, in favor of Aurel. The Jedi makes a daring charge on the droids before they can open fire. With eleven dice (including his Born to the Sword bonus and the extra die from Balanced Guard), Aurel makes his roll to attack. He rolls 4,1,4,3,2,6,2,6,2,3,4. With 4s and higher counting as successes for attacks with a Lightsaber, that's five successes! Not a bad roll.

As a Lightsaber has a * rating, it only takes two successes to finish off a Mook, which the droids are. And since you rolled twice that and have Cleave in, you can dispatch two! Feel free to describe the onslaught.


Jung, on the other hand, stays behind and settles behind some cover. It protects him from the droids to your rear, but not ahead. Using a light pistol, he fires on a droid. He gets exactly 3 successes. The droid he shoots emits a warbled alarm as the bolt explodes inside its head, then falls with a clang.


Their turn!

The droids around you open fire, for three attacks total. Since you have a natural Defense of 1 (as most Named Characters do), they roll a pool of four dice. The first rolls 1 success, the second rolls 2 successes, and the third also rolls 2 successes. They use standard blasters with a base damage of 2, so their hits are for 3 damage, 4, and 4.

We deduct Aurel's armor from Balanced Guard, reducing that to 1, 2, and 2. A total of 5 damage. Considering Aurel can take up to 70 hits... this is child's play. He is whirling about deflecting bolts before they come too close.

Jung has four attackers gunning for him, each rolling four dice pools. Since Eye of the Storm gives Jung a Parry of 1 and he is crouched behind some dense pieces of machinery for another Parry of 1, nothing hits him!

-----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 2

Among machinery

Droids (G5) x3 (ahead)


Aurel (LS11): 1(2A)/5 (5F) (ahead)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/0 (1F) (cover)


Droids (G5) x4 (behind)

----

I will be going in depth to help you learn the system. As time goes on, I'll be a little more brief in my overview of the turn's results.

XanatosForever
I very much appreciate the added effort. Hmm...so Defence reduces the base die pool, Armor reduces damage taken. Cover provides Parry, which reduces successes...so if Aurel had been in cover, one of those successes from the droids may have been ignored, meaning less damage taken, which still would have been reduced by Armor.

This is good, it helps me get a feel for how each defense works organically. To continue the battle, I'll actually swap out a Schtick: Bodyguard for Charge, since Jung clearly knows the better to place to be for maximum protection in this firefight. stick out tongue

...I think I'll tap Balanced Guard as well. The boosted armor should come in handy while finishing off these droids.

______

Aurel slips in between the blaster fire with practiced ease as he closes in on the makeshift droids, his silver saber drawing bright trail as it comes up beneath one droid and across into another before returning to a defensive position. The Jedi keeps on the balls of his feet, ready to leap aside and strike again at the next opportunity.

REXXXX
Your assessment is spot on. Stylistically, the damage you are taking is near misses and close calls and effort being made to avoid gunfire that wears you down. Ultimately, you only take an actual wound when you've reached your limit.

Evading damage completely for a turn is considered impressive.

Additionally, you can see that your Lightsaber allows you to be more mobile in a fight. Jung is staying put.

Also, Jung is only receiving cover from shooters on one side of the fight (the droids to the rear). Thankfully he has a Jedi preoccupying the shooters behind him (the droids ahead). Tactics!

-

Initiative shifts to the droids when 5-6 is rolled. You still have three droids shooting at you. However, your Balanced Guard tap brings your Defense up to 4 for the turn, as well as your Armor. That gives them a die each to fire. Only one success in that bunch, but only 1 damage from it.

Jung is missed again, standing side-face behind his cover to lower his profile.

He pops out again and rolls four successes (one of which was a 1, which converts to a 6 with Gunslinger, and therefore a success) and puts another droid down.

You roll seven successes yourself- mostly 4s- and chop down another two droids. An exchange that you rather decidedly won, I think.

-----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 3

Among machinery

Droids (G5) x1 (ahead)


Aurel (LS11): 1/6 BGu CH CL] (5F) (ahead)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/0 (1F) (cover)


Droids (G5) x3 (behind)

----

To give you an idea of options, Charge gives you great mobility in a fight. Normally if you run away from an opponent that you are at melee range with, they get a free shot on you, against which none of your defenses work.

Charge lets you ignore that and move after your attack, not just before. Or in the middle, if you are jumping up to attack something and then coming back down.

So you could attack a droid, then flip back into cover.

XanatosForever
I see what you mean. Charge would let me finish off this last droid and potentially get into cover myself before another volley, assuming Jung and I get initiative.

I think I have few things I'd like to try, though, which will also give us a chance to provide examples for other mechanics. In this case, Force powers.

So, here is my proposed action. I will Tap Charge and select option A; that is, I will move in and attack my target first before anyone else can act, which will be one of the droids in the rear (I assume they're all in a close enough grouping that will allow me the ability to threaten them together).

Now, at the start of this battle, you stated that the two groups were a turn apart from us, and I had closed in on one group to engage them. I assume this to mean I would now be unable to reach my intended target within the space of my turn as normal. To mediate this, I will activate one of the Master Powers of Swiftness: Dash. This should allow me to close in with my target as originally planned.

I will also activate another Master Power, this time from the Balance tree: Twirl. If I'm following things right, this could potentially allow me to wipe out the trio of droids I'm moving to intercept, leaving that last droid for Jung to blast to pieces.

The downsides to this plan I see are thus: I will be expending two Force points, which are a rare commodity. Also, should we lose initiative, the droid I left behind will be in the clear to take a shot at Officer Jung. In this, I will hope luck be in my favor and we win initiative.

So, to summarize: Tap Charge, Dash, Twirl at Droids in rear. Oh, and lest I forget, I will swap out my tapped Balanced Guard for the classical Orthodox Guard, which I think should aid nicely in this fancy offensive I am planning.

One last question: Does swapping out Schticks happen immediately (that is, do the benefits begin at the start of a turn), or does initiative count into when swapping will be beneficial?

_________

"Jung!" Aurel calls out as he nimbly hops aside the droids' incoming fire, bringing his lightsaber across two of the monstrosities and cleaving them in half, "Switch targets: I'm ending this now!" Ducking under the last stray blast from the remaining droid on his side, the young Swordsman draws upon the power of the Force, his image becoming a blur as he races across the factory floor at incredible speed. As he closes in on the trio of droids blasting at the officer's cover, his body spins, the light of his blade turning him into a silver spiral of death roaring at the half-baked machines.

REXXXX
Swapping happens at the start of the turn and become immediately available if swapped in. Initiative does not figure into that.


Initiative is 1-2, meaning normally the droids would act first.

Instead, Aurel acts first! Your tap of Charge means you can take your action before the enemy. You then make an Agility roll on your Dash... gah! You rolled all 1s and 4s, which means that Aurel trips on a piece of scenery (probably some unseen pipe) and stumbles to where Jung is located. Sometimes these things happen when you're at the mercy of the dice.

The droids take their shots while you are recovering. You manage to fend off the one droid who shoots at you, reflecting its bolt off into the gloom. Jung's cover remains sturdy despite the firepower plowing into it. One bolt slips past and Jung recoils, taking 3 damage from the near hit.

He fires on the droid who almost got him; one success doesn't bring it down.

-----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 4

Among machinery

Droids (G5) x1 (ahead)


Aurel (LS11): 3/6 BGu BG] (4F)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/3 (1F) (cover)


Droids (G5) x3* (behind)

----

Oops! Occasionally the dice will not love you. This was one of those turns for everyone involved, it seems. Fortunately, you trimmed the ranks before; that could have been worse.

The droids that Jung fired at now have a * by their number. It will only take two successes to kill one, since it was damaged. The idea is similar to weapons with a * rating- a Mook Killing Power. Lightsabers and other high-damage weapons tend to have these, as you are familiar with.

XanatosForever
Ha ha ha, well I suppose that would be inevitable, and it offers a harsh reminder and a valuable lesson that the dice rule all. I notice that I still have four Force points, which I assume is because my Dash attempt failed, which did not offer the opportunity to even allow a use of Twirl. I think I'll be more prudent with the remainder, and take this turn to have at the droids in a more standard fashion.

For the sake of expediency, I'll summarize my turn actions at the end of these musings from now on, as so: Swap Charge for Bodyguard, move to attack droids behind. No initiative adjustments.

_______

A risky maneuver to call on the Force in the dim-lit factory, Aurel barely catches his footing as his heightened speed sends him careening through the strewn remains of factory pieces across the floor, regaining his balance just in time to defend against the next volley of blaster fire.

"Very well, a more traditional approach," he mutters to himself, stepping past Officer Jung and swinging his lightsaber at the group of droids.

REXXXX
Initiative is yours, and it is a Refresh! Normally you would pick which schticks to untap at this point, but as you only have two (which is the limit) yours just refresh.

Aurel is a little more surefooted this time as he strides against the droids. His swordplay must be more defensive than offensive, however, as he rolls a solid string of 3s (which do you no good) and two 4s. That is one droid down, at least! Jung plucks off the one he damaged.

It is one-for-one, then, as a droid picks you out and the other goes for Jung. You take 3 damage from a light hit, while Jung manages to strafe out of the way of the shot from behind.

-----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 5

Among machinery

Droids (G5) x1 (ahead)


Aurel (LS11): 3/6 (4F) (behind)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/3 (1F) (cover)


Droids (G5) x1 (behind)

----

You sense movement out in the darkness behind you.

XanatosForever
Now, when you say behind, do you mean (behind), which is where Aurel currently is, or (ahead), which is what would be behind him at this moment? In any case, I think it's time to try moving on. It'll probably take me a couple turns at this point, but I want to keep moving forward. At least I'll be able to help out Jung a bit.

This turn: Move to (ahead) to engage droid. No initiative adjustments.

______

With the hum of his saber rushing about, Aurel winces slightly as a bolt gets closer than he likes before taking out the offending droid with a sweep along its legs and up, taking off the blaster arm. He then retreats back towards Officer Jung, preparing to open the path forward.

REXXXX
"Behind" and "Ahead" are two turns away from each other, and a turn each from where Jung is standing. So it would take you two turns to reach the droid ahead of you, from where you currently stand.

You can certainly move forward if you want to engage next turn, though.

XanatosForever
Sorry, thought it was implied that I understood it would take more than one turn. I am moving towards that area.

REXXXX
Got it. Just confirming.

Initiative is yours, and so it is that Jung puts a dent in the droid to your flank with two successes. Wielding a light pistol, that isn't enough to put it down. You move alongside him, lightsaber poised to defend the two of you.

The droid to the fore fires on Jung as it did last turn, but with you defending him, its shot gets snapped away by your blade. The droid to the rear experiences the same result when you whirl around to confront its shot...

... and see that it has been joined by dozens of droids. Not all of them have blasters, but all of them are lurching out of the darkness toward you, buzzing and whirring and chirping and clanking, all of them horrible with their rusting metal skins and patchwork repairs and cobbled parts.

EXTERMINATE booms the voice.

XanatosForever
Oh my. This certainly seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I'm sure even on his best days Aurel can't handle dozens of enemies. The question is what to do now...perhaps if we can locate the source of the voice we might be able to sever the proverbial head of this mechanical snake. In the meantime, a tactical withdrawal seems sound.

This turn: Retreat to (behind), engage droid if it is still a threat, and hope Jung follows along.

_____

"I don't think we'll be able to continue this investigation on our own, Officer," Aurel says calmly as he eyes the encroaching makeshift army closing in on their position, "it might be best if we return to the speeder, quickly." With that, he pivots somewhat, prepared to clear the way back so they could escape.

REXXXX
You sense that going back will bring death.

"We're not getting out that way," Jung says. "There's too many of them!"

XanatosForever
Agh, my fault. I got confused as to which direction the army was coming from. Forward it is, then!

Resuming my previous action: Move to (ahead), engage droid, and generally try to get myself and the cop clear. If they get initiative, Tap Orthodox Guard.

_____

Aurel takes a moment to reorient himself, nodding in acknowledgment of the officer's statement and replying, "Then deeper in we must go! On me, Jung!" Before surging forward to clear the path ahead.

REXXXX
Jung leaves his cover to keep pace with you. Using a pistol grants him the mobility to shoot and run, though at a penalty because he is shooting behind himself.

You bowl over the droid ahead with seven successes, your lightsaber cutting in cleanly in half at its midsection.

Plunging deeper into the factory brings you into darkness, though your lightsaber provides a dim lighting for your immediate area. You have no idea where to go, though. All you can sense are the scrambling droids behind you and the monolithic machines around you.

XanatosForever
Oh! If it's possible, could I use Push/Pull to grab the glowstick I threw earlier? Since Jung's using only one pistol, he could probably carry it while I'm running around with my saber. If not, I'll just end up cracking open a new one, once we're sure we've put some distance between us and the droids.

REXXXX
A small object like that can be carried easily without penalty. Consider it nabbed as you run past it, the light slapping into your hand as you willed it.

Jung keeps firing backward to little effect. You have to keep pausing to intercept bolts that stray too close to you both.

XanatosForever
Alright, well immediate priority is to get something between ourselves the tin soldiers, so let's see if we can't move around some of the machinery. That should give us at least a few moments to consider our predicament.

_____

"This is no good," Aurel says as he looks around as best he can with the light of the glowrod while having snap his saber up deflect the still incoming blaster fire. His eyes settling on the large machines dwelling in the old factory, he motions to Jung and says, "Let's slip between some of these old things to give us some cover."

REXXXX
Weaving your way through the machinery helps. Many lose sight of you amidst the gargantuan wreckage of old machines, while others do not have a clear shot. The danger is significantly less as you race ahead of them.

And if you have Coordination, it makes it even harder to hit you as you focus exclusively on defending yourself and your ward. It prevents you from making an attack (or anyone you're defending), but as you are not in melee range and Jung has lost his shots as well, it saves you some trouble too. A good thing to keep in mind.

XanatosForever
As a matter of fact, I do have Coordination, so thanks for reminding me. Does it cost a Force point to use a basic power, or is only Master Powers?

REXXXX
It is free to use if you do not attack. There is a variant when you Master Coordination called 'Ward' in which you can attack while using it, too.

-

You have put some decent distance between yourself and the droid mob when you sense movement up ahead once more.

XanatosForever
Good to know. The mob maybe behind us, but I'm not feeling safe enough to say we're in the clear, so I'll be keeping on guard with my good friend the Doc-, er, I mean, the officer. Luckily, Swiftness will let me quick draw my lightsaber if need be, so we're going to try and do a bit of hiding.

Lightsaber off, Glowrod smothered to hopefully not give us away but still see, and move cautiously forward.

_____

"Something's ahead," Aurel said as the silver light of his saber fades from its deactivation, "Let's try and get by undetected". He pulls the glowrod somewhat into the sleeve of his robe to smother its light, lightsaber in his other hand as they move forward as quietly as possible.

REXXXX
It will be Intrusion to slip by whatever it is undetected. Unfortunately, that is not your strong point. The dark and machinery mess normally would cloak you well, except that a set of four photoreceptors glow vibrantly in the darkness ahead and something lets out an awful mechanized shriek.

"That's not good," Jung mumbles.

XanatosForever
Ah well, it was worth the shot. Gonna hand off the glowrod to Jung and reignite the saber. Let's see what all the noise is about. If Schticks are necessary at this point: Orthodox Guard, Bodyguard, Charge.

_______

"No, it is not," Aurel replied as he withdrew the glowrod from his sleeve and held it back to the officer, "hold this." At the same time the familiar silver beam hissed back to life as the Jedi held it forwards in preparation for whatever was before them.

REXXXX
They will be! Between the glowrod and the lightsaber, you illuminate a spidery-looking droid with a multitude of arms and legs. Its head is in the center of its chest, where the dual sets of eyes blaze from, and extending from its torso are four arms. Each holds a pistol, and its four legs on its lower half (which is bent back, like a centaur) end in large clamps.

It plods toward you and starts shooting without warning! You manage to whirl into cover before it gets you, and drag Jung with you.

-

This is going to be a confrontation with a Named Character. If you can't tell, I'm giving you test scenarios so you can experiment with your schticks, powers, and tactics.

That being said, your schticks are refreshed from your fight with the droid mob, and your Force points are replenished. In the actual game, the schtick refresh between fights is at Ush's mercy, and Force points rarely (if ever) replenish during a game.

XanatosForever
It's much appreciated, especially since I'm now active in the main campaign. I'll know what works and what doesn't so I don't hopefully put myself in too stupid a situation to get out of. A funny enough bit of foresight, it'll also make this a great thread to offer up for potential newbies if they want to see how things work. happy

A Named Character is a big deal, as it'll have unique schticks and a damage pool just like Aurel does, which may or may not be greater than his own, right? Something to keep in mind since Aurel is already slightly winded from the mob.

Still, hiding in cover likely won't ensure any kind of victory, especially since said mob was only evaded, not destroyed. Let's see if we can get past this fellow before we're surrounded! I'll let Jung remain in cover, which I'm sure he's more than comfortable doing with his blaster in hand. Meanwhile, I'll show this bucket of bolts just what it means to face a Jedi! The refreshed Schticks and replenished Force Points give me a chance to flesh out my understanding there as well, so let's go all out!

First, I'll swap Bodyguard for Cleave. It's only effective against mooks, I know, but I get the feeling if this ends up taking too long I'll regret not having it ready to tap. Speaking of which, I'll be double tapping this turn, on Orthodox Guard and Charge, and I'll be choosing option B on Charge's tap list to gain a +6 attack pool! That's not all! My last bit of fancy footwork with the Force may have been a flop, but I think this time will fair better, as I'll be using Evade to reduce the droid's own attack pool by half!

This is really a gambit, but if it works like I hope it will, it should put the Droid and I on a more even ground, or leave me with the advantage in damage!

Summary: Swap BG for Cleave, Tap OGu and CH (+6), Evade on Droid. No initiative adjustments.

_________

"Surprisingly creative for programming," Aurel grimaces once he and the officer are immediately clear of this newest abomination. He did not like their current position, but with the makeshift army still likely trudging their way towards them, he knew they did not have to luxury of being pinned down. Adjusting the grip on his lightsaber, he says to Jung, "If you can find a shot, take it. Otherwise leave this to me." Without waiting to hear confirmation, Aurel Sing rushes out of the cover, charging down the monstrosity. At the same time, he opened himself up to the Force, letting it flow through his body and guiding him clear of the Droid's primary paths of attack.

REXXXX
That all looks good! I will just point out that I am not certain that the Charge tap is legitimate, as it implies that you attacked a different target last turn. I will check with Ush on that matter; in the mean time, I'll permit it.

The Initiative roll shows up Evens as both dice show 6s. In these situations, it goes to the Player Characters the first time it happens. In this case, that's you! Next time it shows Evens, then it goes to the enemy. And if there are Jedi and Dark Jedi involved, it goes to the Jedi first.

So Aurel storms out of cover! We'll have him perform some sort of phenomenal spring from his hiding place and off of another piece of equipment as he avoids the blasts coming at him, for dramatic effect. He lands off to the side of the droid and brings his lightsaber crashing down into its lower body.

Aurel has a dice pool of 10, boosted to 16 by his Charge tap! The big ol' droid has a natural Defense of 1, which does not much mitigate things for Aurel.

You show a total of thirteen successes, which translates to 19 damage! We can say that you chop off one of the droid's spidery legs with a powerful downward swing.

It emits a pained screech and rounds on you, trying to blast you apart with its guns. It has a special ability that means it shoots twice, having two sets of arms. Both sets of heavy pistols rattle off shot after shot after shot.

Aurel is already springing away before it can land one of its bolts in him. Evade halves the Droid's pool of 8 to 4, leaving it with no chance of hitting through the Jedi's Defense and Parry.

Jung tries his luck in shooting the droid and finds it to be lightly armored. That counters the base damage of light pistol, meaning only his successes really count. He rolls three for 3 damage.

----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 7

Among machinery

Aurel (LS11): 1/6 OGu CH CL] (4F)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/3 (1F)


Spidery Droid (G8): 1(2A)/22

XanatosForever
Excellent! That certainly makes up for my embarrassing Dash trip up. big grin I was operating under the assumption that, when facing singular opponents, Charge could be utilized for a tap only once. After being refreshed one could only receive its standard bonus. Of course, Ush will certainly be able to clarify the situation. For now, I'll not look a gift tauntaun in the mouth. stick out tongue

I feel more comfortable with that gap in damage, but I'm certain that I can't breath easy until this thing is done for, so let's keep the momentum going! I'll swap out my tapped Orthodox Guard out for Balanced Guard, since I assume I can't have two Guards in even if one is tapped, and I really don't see myself trying to exit melee range anytime soon. This makes me a bit more vulnerable, since I'm switching out defense for armor, but armor is still better than nothing at all!

Now to mix it up a bit more with Force stuff, which has me with another question. Is it possible to use two Master powers from the same force ability in one turn, or is that limited? I ask because I'll be using Evade again to help keep me safe, but I would also be interested in trying out Strike should my rolls go south. I think that'll about do it for my actions for the turn as well.

Summary: Swap OGu for BGu, Evade on Droid. Strike after roll if necessary. No initiative adjustments.

_______

The Force flows through Jedi in many ways, benefiting them when needed most. For Aurel, this had always been in the heat of combat, where its inexorable flow led him to safety under fire, and victory in melee, as he demonstrated now. Aurel feels the Force guide him, scaling the old machine that protected him and the officer nimbly. He climbs swiftly for a moment, and then draws his legs up and surges into the air in a twirl, silver saber humming before him.

With the aid of the Force, his body twists and flips in gathering momentum until the laser sword slices cleanly through the droid's foremost leg. Aurel rolls aside and springs back, watching the spidery thing lurch at its sudden lack of balance, causing its violent retort to go wide. The Jedi deflects one bolt on the mark casually before assuming a new stance and eyeing the machine for another spot to strike, feeling the Force's ebb and flow within him.

REXXXX
Evens again! This time the paired 5s means the Droid goes first. It skitters away from you and up onto a piece of machinery. As it is disengaging from a close-quarters fight with you, this gives you a Reflex attack! You roll seven successes on this, for 13 damage. You don't get the leg you were after, though.

It fires down on you, again having trouble as you strafe and twist around the bolts with Evade. This proves to be another miss for the droid, as it rolls like crap for both attacks.

As for your main attack... the droid has now gone out of reach, using its magnetic clamps to scale the side of a factory piece.

Jung still tries to shoot at it. He deals out 2 damage.

----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 8

Among machinery

Aurel (LS11): 1(2A)/6 CH CL] OGu BG] (3F)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/3 (1F)


Spidery Droid (G8): 1(2A)/37

----

Your Strike did not go in, btw. You didn't roll a single 1 on your Reflex attack.

XanatosForever
Hmm, that's probably for the best. It's certainly helped out quite a bit, but I shouldn't get too accustomed to relying on heavy use of the Force. Still, now that it's gone and backed off, a Saber Throw just might have come in handy. haermm

So, I assume it wouldn't have disengaged just to leave itself close enough for me to resume my assault, would that be accurate? From the description of it, it sounds like it took to some high ground to keep me from reaching it. Good strategy, especially since my Charge schtick is tapped out, meaning I can't just jump at him and take swings now. I'll have to swap that out and hope a refresh comes soon if that's the case.

I suppose in the mean time I'll move back to Jung's position and consider my options. I can even still take advantage of the Force from here, and use Coordination to keep the droid flummoxed since I won't be in attack range anyhow. Best of all, this use of the Force doesn't cost me a point! big grin

Summary: Swap CH for BG, move back to cover with Jung, Coordination. No initiative adjustments.

______

Aurel sees an opportunity as he sees the strange droid retreat, thrusting his lightsabre towards a leg and narrowly missing as it pulls it back just in time. He watches as the droid clambers away, seeing it take a position somewhat difficult for him to reach.

"Clever," he mutters, the Force warning him to strafe aside a volley of blaster bolts. He withdraws as well, slipping into cover beside the officer and looking around the makeshift arena for a better place to resume his attack.

REXXXX
4-5, the Droid fires before you hop into cover. On the first, it rolls exclusively 5s, meaning Aurel dances clear of those shots. The second, however, gets two 6s, for a total of 6 damage.

The Droid has Eagle Eye, so the Armor from Balanced Guard is ignored. And cover would not have done you any favors anyway.

It also climbs higher before locking in its clamps and staying put.


Observation roll says... you notice some large segments of machinery above the Droid.

Jung shoots at a penalty up into the darkness. He misses.

----

AMBUSH IN THE FACTORIES, Start of Turn 9

Among machinery

Aurel (LS11): 1(2A)/12 CH CL] OGu BG] (3F)

Jung (G10): 1(1PR)/3 (1F)


Spidery Droid (G8): 1(2A)/37 (on machinery)

----

XanatosForever
Sounds like I'll need some fancy footwork to get in striking range. How many turns would it take to get close to the droid, assuming my ascent goes smoothly?

REXXXX
It would be two turns to get even with the droid; even then, it is hanging from the side of the machinery. You would not be able to engage it properly.

XanatosForever
Then I'll have to find a way to bring it down. If we try to move to the opposite side off the machinery it can probably clamber over the top. mmm

...Actually, I don't think we need to do that at all. It's put itself out of our way, and while it is a threat, we're not here to try and stop a droid rebellion on our own. This seems as good an opportunit as any to try and escape. Since Balanced Guard is effectively useless against this thing, I think it's time to change tactics by turning off my lightsaber and switching out my Guard for the combat schtick Dodge and Weave. The extra Defence will be worthwhile, I think.

Since the droid will almost certainly try to follow us as well until we (potentially) lose it, I'll keep it's attention on me rather than Jung by taking the glowrod back. I'll be able to risk some shots better than the officer. We'll be resuming our mad dash between the machinery as well, hopefully the combination of running and cover will put some of the droid's shots wide, as will our growing distance from it.

Summary: Swap BGu for D&W, take glowrod from Jung. Tactical Withdrawal. Oh, and retain Coordination as well.

______

Aurel winces as a couple of bolts get closer than comfortable for him, noting the droid's ascent and emplacement. He could reach the machine with some effort, and likely bring it down, but it would take more time, and the long they stayed, the closer the other droids came. The time to fight had passed.

"We need to keep moving, Officer," the Jedi said as the silver beam vanished, "give me the light. I will try and keep the droid's attention on me while we run. This is not a situation the two of us can handle alone."

Once he had the glowrod in hand, Aurl would rush forward, relying on old survival instincts and the Force to keep him clear of the blaster fire from the spider.

REXXXX
Picking your battles! Certainly the Jedi way to go about this, and perhaps wise considering the massive horde of robots at your back.

You duck and dodge as bolts rain down from the spidery droid, and more come from the flank... but racing back into the darkness amid the machinery and calling on the Force aids you well, and you do not get shot.

However, you sense you are running out of room ahead. A wall looms before you, the end of the room.

XanatosForever
I was afraid of that. Still, best to keep the distance, so we're going to move along the wall, in a direction taking us away from the sound of blaster fire.

_____

Aurel juked and swerved, hearing the bolts whoosh by him and the officer. The light of the glowrod kept his eyes keen, and so he saw the wall of the factory as they closed in. Without missing a beat, the young Jedi turned and rushed parallel. If they had made it to an edge, there would have to be an exit somewhere along it.

REXXXX
You reach the far wall then, and you are keenly aware of the fact that you have been funneled into a dead-end! The machinery around you rises up, a series of high-powered stamping machines. You cannot get around them by conventional means.

XanatosForever
Clever droids...well, if conventional means won't help, we'll have to think of something rather unconventional. First, an Observation roll to see if I can spot anything that might aid in our escape? Use Sense too if it'll help.

______

Aurel grows uneasy after a moment as they rush along the wall, seeing the great machines loom all around himself and the officer. He realizes after a moment just why that is, as the duo find themselves herded into a an enclosed area. The Jedi searches around, remaining calm as he searches for another method of escape.

REXXXX
You are certain that you have only two options here- up or down. Behind and to your sides are the droids and the machinery that blocks you in, and ahead is a solid wall.

XanatosForever
Hmm...is Intuition giving me any kind of sense of which direction is best?

REXXXX
Sadly not! You may wish to think where the routes would lead.

XanatosForever
Well my concern is this: If we go up, I'm confident we could reach a walkway, or somewhere near enough to the ceiling that I could cut through it. Since we're at the top, it should be a semi-clear avenue of escape. However, I could get up, but I don't know if I could do it with Jung, either carrying him or helping him along.

If we go down, well, I'm really not sure at all where that could lead except potentially to more droids. So I'm rather hesitant to take that particular risk.

REXXXX
It will be slow going for Jung as he lacks your supernatural Jedi ability to spring about like a mountain goat. And carrying him means no defenses for either of you.

XanatosForever
Could I use Dash to get up more quickly with Jung, or would that just run greater risk? Either way, I'm really much more comfortable with going up than down, so what I'll do is start by carrying Jung up the ways. When the droids start blasting again I'll set him down so we can defend ourselves, assuming we don't get up fast enough.

_________

With a nod to himself, Aurel turns to the Jung and says, "We're going up. I'm going to carry you for a moment; we will move faster that way, officer. Alert me if you can see the droids closing in." With that, Aurel tosses the glowrod back the way they came, taking just enough time to pry a second from his kit and hand it to the officer before hefting the man up and preparing to leap. The first glowrod's position would hopefully give Jung a better chance to spot the droids than the brief flare of blaster bolts signaling their arrival.

REXXXX
In order to gain height faster, you would have to do a Dash and a Master Jump. You can decide whether or not that is worth it.

Also bear in mind that you become a much clearer target when you climb; all Defense goes offline, and the droids will see where you are going.

And there is the Spider Droid to consider...

Jung is also adverse to being carried.

XanatosForever
Well that's a moot point in and of itself, as I haven't mastered Leaping yet. So basically we're sitting ducks if we try to climb...I don't like it. disgust Still, it doesn't seem like there's a better option, I suppose we'll make our way down instead.

_______

Aurel frowns, looking upwards again briefly, before sighing quietly. "It would be difficult, even without the incoming danger. Very well, we shall have hope that taking another path will keep us safe." He pulls the discarded glowrod to his free hand and gives it to the officer. At least now if the two might find themselves separated they would each have a decent light. "Let's get going," he says, searching for a hatch or stairwell, or anything really.

REXXXX
There does not appear to be a hatch or ladder or anything leading down nearby. You may have to make a more dramatic exit from this level.

Jung is starting to shoot into the crowd of droids as they close in. Not all of them have blasters, it seems.

XanatosForever
More dramatic? What could I possibly do except carve a hole in the floor with my li...oh. no expression

____________

Aurel feels a brief flare of aggravation as he realizes there are no obvious exits below, and Jung's blaster fire punctuates the feeling. With a grunt, he activates his lightsaber and plunges it into the ground. He mutters under his breath as he drags the silver beam in a circle, "Doing this the hard way, then." The blade completese the shape, causing a chunk of flooring to disappear into the darkness below. Aurel holds out the glowrod above the hole and lets it drop, before whirling around with his lightsaber up and ready to guard should some of the blaster droids make their way into firing range.

"Down we go, officer, take caution" he says, indicating to the hole, "I'll be right behind you."

REXXXX
Consider the hole cut! Bolts fly down from above as the Spider Droid trundles into view, screeching its awful mechanical screeches and firing its collection of guns your way. But you grab Jung and drop down into the darkness before any harm can come to you...

It turns out that the way down is a LONG way down. Your Jedi reflexes spare you from a tragic set of broken legs, and you spring off of something halfway down and land neatly on the ground.

Jung probably would have splattered, so you can have caught him in mid-air or grabbed him on your way down.

You are now shrouded in darkness, without any creeping droids around you... you aren't sure where you are.

XanatosForever
If I had kept Aurel to his original setup, he would've been able to catch the officer with the Force easily. He probably wouldn't have been able to make the jump unharmed, though. stick out tongue

___________

Aurel opens his senses as he and the officer plummet through the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to slow their descent. It comes from an object, unseens due to the dark but nevertheless ideal, which the Jedi is able to push off of, catching Jung in the process and cutting their speed before the final stop.

"Well, that was riveting," Aurel murmurs as he straightens up and letting Jung regain his footing. He looks around for his glowrod, curious to see where they had arrived.

REXXXX
You'll find that Lifting is not a reflexive power; it takes time and concentration to use. You would have had to have gone down first and slowly lowered Jung down to you.

The glowrod clattered somewhere into the darkness, illuminating what appears to be more machinery. You can already sense the vastness of this room too.

"I wonder what they built here," Jung says.

XanatosForever
That makes more sense than what I had in my head, at least.

Observation check.
_____________

"Given our recent experiences, I would assume this was some type of droid factory," Aurel says, walking over to the glowrod and picking it up, "though I'm much more interested in how and why it began churning out those mismatched monstrosities." He sweeps the rod around as returns to the officer, taking in the new area.

REXXXX
"I don't know about that," Jung says. "If those droids had been made recently, we would have noticed the spike on the power grid. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to construct droids. That's why entire worlds are committed to it, if that is their export."

Jung looks up toward the hole you dropped in through, the last light of the melted metal fading as it cools off.

"We should keep moving."

XanatosForever
"Yet there were clearly some form of piecework for droids in storage. I recall one looked distinctly like a protocol droid. Another mystery to unravel," Aurel replies as he follows the officer's gaze, "I agree." He steps off into the dark of the factory, wanting to put as much distance between their impromptu escape hatch and the droids likely closing in.

REXXXX
"We'd need to really look at what all these machines are," Jung says. "Are you any good with technical gumf?"

You move down the length of the room slowly, picking your way through the dark. You hear the clatter and clank of droids in the distance, but you sense no immediate danger now.

XanatosForever
It's possible for certain checks to be made based on attributes, yes? If so, I'd like to make a check to try and figure out the machines as we pass. Whatever Fix-it would be based off of.

_______


Aurel shakes his head, adding, "No. I've considered many topics of study, but actively researched few. Machinery would be among those not pursued." As he says this, he does find briefs periods during the slow progression to observe the machines.

REXXXX
It is sometimes permissible to make a roll using the stat alone, if you lack the skill. You only get successes on 6s and your pool is generally low.

However, you would need particular knowledge to determine what these massive machines are without seeing them in action.


"Dissecting machines with that great whopping sword of yours is more your thing," Jung says.

He nudges aside some scrap metal with a foot as he walks behind you.

"You think those droids were built here?"

XanatosForever
Oh wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last checked in here! Sorry about that.

Steep stipulations, but understandable. If you haven't taken the time to learn something, how can you be expected to under things with relative ease?

_______

"An astute observation, officer," Aurel replies with a chuckle, his fingers resting along the hilt of his saber briefly. After a moment to consider the officer's question, he replies, "It is the popular theory in my mind thus far, though there are certainly other possibilities. Perhaps the droids were made elsewhere and shipped here for storage. If so, who would do so, and what resources would they have to lead to such oddly designed machines?"

REXXXX
Indeed. It also helps give players certain roles in the group setting that this game is based on; for example, Jelena Bendu (played by Brit) has solidified her spot as the group's translator with her obscene Language score.

-

"We need proof for either theory," Jung says. "We're not going to be able to handle this ourselves, but if we can establish what's going on here, we can bring it back to my superiors and get this taken care of."

Jung thinks it would help to list some of the questions you want/need to answer here.

XanatosForever
That seems like good way to start figuring things out. I think a rather basic method could help early on, so let's focus on the classic words.

Who: would benefit, or have the ability, to either construct or ship droids to an abandoned factory on the Senate homeworld?

What: are the methods being used to create these droids?

When: did this all begin to result in such a large concentration by the time we arrived?

Where: are the droids coming from? Ties into the who questions, but really, they're not supposed to be here, but they are. From where, though?

Why: was the Corsucanti police or other investigative force unaware of things until now? Granted, they're surely busier with many other things, but is it possible this had been noticed before and been lost in communication?

How: will we be able to find a way to escape, which is actually something of a high priority despite it being the last question on this list? A lot of the questions leading up to this point can also be rephrased as how. How are the droids being constructed, and how are they being controlled? Obviously there is a central intelligence, but how did it get here and become functional?

REXXXX
Also rather important- how do you plan on getting all these answered?

Though obviously escaping to tell someone about this is rather important too.

XanatosForever
I assumed that particular question was a given. smile

I suppose for now we can expand our search. Priority is still an escape route, but if we could perhaps find control room or somewhere to try and gather some information I don't see it as a waste of time.

REXXXX
"How do you plan on finding those things?" Jung asks.

XanatosForever
I'll be honest, I'm actually kinda stumped as to answering that question. Maybe one of the larger machines could lead to some kind of databank or something, but the way things are there's no telling if it would even be functional. Nor could I guarantee that Aurel could use it to find anything useful. Maybe Jung has a bit of technical know-how? These are my thoughts at the moment, and it's really the best I've been able to come up with.

REXXXX
Jung's technical know-how is limited. He's not exactly super-cop, you've noticed.

The problem is that all of the machinery on this level appears defunct or inactive. You need an active source of information.

XanatosForever
Then at this point the only thing I can think of is to keep moving and look for something that might still be running. no expression

REXXXX
Jung will point out that you have already seen quite a few operational machines.

XanatosForever
laughing Point in case, then. So focused is Aurel on other studies, he's not entirely aware of working mechanical stuffs looks like. stick out tongue

So, that being the case, and because I have no real clue how else to proceed, let's try and see if we can gather some intelligence from the next working machine we come across. We should be far enough away that a moment can be spared of it.

REXXXX
That isn't quite what Jung meant.

"The droids," Jung says. "They'd know what's going on."

XanatosForever
Oh...that's a fair and simple assessment. Then we need to get our hands on a droid. Do we need a whole one though? mmm...

REXXXX
Lacking any real technical expertise, you would need an intact droid to interrogate.

XanatosForever
I figured as much. That's a dangerous course of action, but if we simply escape with no proof as to what's going on here, it would defeat the purpose of investigating to begin with. Hmm...I can't imagine it very possible for the droids to have followed us down the way we came, escape maybe the wall-crawler. I have the feeling he would be too difficult to take down for something as basic for interrogation...I don't like the idea of waiting for them to find us, either. For now, I think we should keep searching for an exit. At least if we know how to get out, we'll have a contingency and we can consider options for getting hold of a working droid.

REXXXX
You are having no luck on this floor with an exit. The walls are all far too thick for you to simply bust through with your saber. You will have to descend further.

XanatosForever
Lovely. Onward we go, then! Not really finding much to describe right now, feels kinda weird. laughing

REXXXX
Then it happens that you come upon a hatch that allows you to go down another floor, using a ladder.

"You go first," says Jung, smiling. "I'll watch your flank."

You descend without incident.

This level feels... hotter. The atmosphere is warmer, and the heat is emanating from below.

XanatosForever
Goodness, the time got away from me. Is still dark all get out down here, or can I discern some light along with this heat if I smother the glowrod?

REXXXX
No, you don't see any lights, aside from a few flashes of light from active machines. Nothing is moving in the darkness, you can sense that much.

XanatosForever
Well, that's something, I suppose. Glowrod unsmothered and we'll take a look around while Jung makes his way down. If he's already down here, let's just keep moving.

____________

"It's clear, for the moment," Aurel says as he raises the glowrod up to better see where they had descended. He kept his free hand near the hilt of his saber, not all that assured.

REXXXX
Once you reach the floor, you are uncomfortably warm. The heat is coming from the level below this one.

The light reveals that the floor is also scattered with parts and junk. The machinery up here is being worked on.

XanatosForever
Closer to the source, it seems. Let's keep moving, keeping an eye out for any new surprises, and try to find a way down.

______________

"It's busier down here," Aurel remarks, watching his step as he steps over abandoned pieces.

REXXXX
"They're trying to fix the old machines," Jung says. "We don't have much time to be fumbling around in the dark. Can you make another way down?"

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