STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Hunted

Headquarters, Ela Nobog

The office is dim, the only light dripping in crimson rays from slit-blinded windows, contrasting against the harsh blue glow of holographic screens. A pair of hands whisk across the desk, interacting with the screens via metal-tipped fingers.

The two figures seated in this office are obscured by the darkness, indistinguishable but by the shape of their bodies. The man behind the desk is lanky (to put it mildly) and incessantly moving, his hands flailing from one screen to another has he checks stock updates and other financial jargon. The man seated opposite is rigid as a gargoyle, completely unmoving.

“Everything is in decline, sir. Everything. Since we routed all resources to our legal fronts, we’ve been losing profit left and right!” The Assistant’s voice is squeaky and nervous.

“It is for the best. The Corporation will hold firm and rise again.” By contrast, the Chairman’s voice is eerily calm, if not sinister.

“Shipments are being dropped, operations are at a stand-still, warehouses are inactive...”

“Hush.”

At a word, the Assistant is as silent as a corpse.

“The Corporation has many connections,” the Chairman says. “I am not concerned with credits. As long as our legal fronts are brought to the foreground, we will survive.”

“It will take some time...”

“Of course it will. But that is not the point, is it?”

There is a pause. The crimson streams of sunset fade to dusk’s deeper hues of purple and blue. The Assistant begins shutting off the screens, but the Chairman halts him on the last screen.

“There is...one thing...that should be dealt with. Immediately.”

“Yes?”

The Chairman leans forward, his already crooked grin being further distorted by the sharp crackling light of the holographic display. The twinkling gray eyes pierce everything in their path.

“The Shipment. It is still aboard The Last Laugh.”

The Assistant nearly falls out of his chair. “I thought...but...Ragnor can’t possibly understand what they are!”

“Ragnor is only an obstacle. Do you realize what will happen if the EMPIRE discovers it?”

“I daren’t think, sir.”

The Chairman’s grin impossibly becomes more demented and crooked.

“Kyle Ragnor must die...and my ship must come home.”

--

Welcome to “The Hunter & The Hunted,” an episode of the new Retrospection games! As an episode of this series, “The Hunter & The Hunted” will be a very personal plotline, exploring events involving the players‘ characters. Going off of Ushgarak’s ever-popular Star Wars role-playing game, these mini-episodes occur in game-play's past. In this case, it will specifically explore why bounty hunter Rylis Tavel is so intent on bringing in Kyle Ragnor and Eerin Chim for their bounties.

For the Rebel side of this game, let us set the scene and review a bit of our character history. Kyle Ragnor, as everyone knows, is a smuggler. A very good one at that. He‘s got quite a few runs under his belt for various organizations and patrons. Eerin Chim, his partner in crime, is a giant bug. Despite being from a not-so-good race, he’s quite the idealist and really doesn’t like doing the wrong thing. Both are destined, in a few years time, to join the Rebellion and fight the good fight on the vicious jungle world of Lanzar. Rylis Tavel coincidentally follows them there and the old rivalry is struck up at blaster point once again.

But what old rivalry? Where did it all start?

The time period is set in 10 BBY- that is, ten years before the Battle of Yavin and the events of A New Hope, and five years before Ushgarak’s “Lanzar.” Kyle is making a living in the Outer Rim as a smuggler for the Hutts, co-captaining The Last Laugh with his guardian insect...

Being that the characters are not a members of the Rebellion yet, please keep in mind that you are delving deep into the underworld of the Star Wars galaxy. It’s not a nice place and you’re not going to get many chances to look bright and shiny with your morals and your democracy and your eventually-defeating-the-Empire.

This is an opposed game; I advise that you two don’t read the Imperial thread.

And remember, have fun!

The Last Laugh, Landing Platform, Naadal

Well, you made it. That orbital defense system they warned you about was severely outdated. You've seen better, Kyle. Hell, Eerin, you've made better.

Naadal is not a nice place. It is a small world in a system on the edge of Republic space. Rumor has it that a civil war has been tearing up the world for centuries now. No one knows the actual length of the war, nor the body count.

Currently, the main focus of the war is an island known as the Ross Territory. The South and North governments sling their forces at it, hoping to knock each other out, but to no avail. This specific conflict has been going for twenty years.

However, you two have brought something to the North government that might be of great use in taking the territory...or making it permanently uninhabitable. Traleth the Hutt's shipment of weaponry is intended for the Northern dictator, Brejeem.

You've landed on an island in the vicinity of the Ross Territory. Brejeem and his bodyguard are ready to greet you and get their goods.

Eerin will emerge from The Last Laugh, electro-halberd at the ready. He wants to be intimidating.

"[Should be fun]..." he mutters to Kyle as they approach the dictator.

And is this bodyguard as in one mean person or bodyguard as in a group?

A group of twelve, Eerin, all with assault carbines and clad in navy blue uniforms and blast jackets. Intimidation check says that the goons are scared shitless of you, but not Dictator Brejeem.

Brejeem has a curled black mustache and neatly combed black hair. His uniform too is navy blue, but he does not wear the blast jacket and instead is covered in military medals.

"Greetings, smugglers!" he says as you approach. "I hear you have something for me!"

Kyle rolls his eyes at actually being called a smuggler by his contact. He speaks out the side of his mouth to Eerin in a low voice. "Yeah, fun, right... Flaming idiot." (referring to Brejeem)

"Keep your voice down, idiot!" Kyle hisses at the man. "Yes we got the stuff, now let's see the payment."

Brejeem looks put off at being called an idiot, but brushes the comment aside.

"Of course," he says, looking to two of his guards, towards the back.

They come forward with an enormous crate and set it at your feet. They crack it open to reveal several dozen chromium bars. Damn, these must be worth at least a million credits...

"Traleth will be satisfied, I'm sure," Brejeem says.

"Well if anything could satisfy a Hutt, that would have to be close." Kyle responds, gesturing at the crate.
"Eerin, entertain our guestes while I go open the hold." Before heading back up the ramp, he addresses the crowd. "The way this work folks: I'll open the hold, you carry the payment in and then your stuff out. Eerin and I supervise."

"Fine by me," Brejeem says before you dash back into the ship.

The cargo hold on the Laugh is immense, Kyle. You quite like it. The Nobog Corporation expanded it for you when they customized the ship. Currently the hold is stuffed to bursting with crates.

Eerin, it must be noted...you feel uneasy with your cargo. It consists of hundreds of primitive mortar launchers, typically used to launch explosive charges. But Traleth supplied far more devastating stuff, by far! Radioactive warheads? Dioxis cannisters? If the Northern army uses this stuff on the Ross Territory, it'll be uninhabitable for decades to come due to the radiation. Not to mention that death by dioxis gas is excruciatingly painful.

Kyle, you could care less. A job is a job. You're opening the cargo hold now; the belly of the ship opens slowly.

As the hold opens, Kyle stands off to one side with his hand near his blaster. He had heard no noise, but you don't live long in this line of work without being cautious.

Eerin says nothing to Brejeem or his minions, knowing that he won't be understood. He leans on his halberd, watching them for any sudden or unexpected movements.

"[Want me to haul the payment inside]?" Eerin asks Kyle, after a moment.

"Nope, just keep an eye on the crowd." Kyle responds.

Once The Last Laugh is fully opened to your buyers, Brejeem nods to his men. They start taking the crates of explosives and gas canisters first, then the launchers. It takes awhile, but they get it done relatively quickly despite the heavy load.

Brejeem nods to you. "Many thanks for..."

He is cut off in mid-sentence as a blaster bolt strikes the man beside him upside the head, frying his brain.

"Sniper!" shouts another man. "From the south!"

However, the next sniper shot comes from the east and bursts next to your head, Eerin, against the ship's hull.

Kyle snaps his blaster out of its holster even as he hits the button to close the hold doors. He yells at his partner, "Eerin! Get back in the ship!" He races out of the hold, through the ship towards the cockpit, but stops at the top of the ramp to make sure Eerin made it on. Even in the sudden emergency Kyle can't help but think one smug thought This is why I have the payment loaded first.

Eerin starts to head back to the ship, but runs back for the payment.

Can't leave without this... Eerin thinks.

That will be a Strength check, Eerin. Lugging that crate normally requires at minimum two or three people. Up for it?

Sure, why not.

You roll a 9.

Rather than impressively lugging the crate of chromium into the ship, you strain at it and manage to budge it slightly.

At this rate, it will take a bit. It is a distance of 18 frames, with the heavy load, to the Laugh's entrance ramp.

Every action, two things will happen. You can make Strength checks to move; the Outcome will be added to your frames moved. Also, a sniper or snipers will fire on you.

That okay with you? Just keep in mind that you can ditch the crate, but then you have to explain why you just gave away a bunch of overpriced weaponry without receiving payment.

Sure, start me off.

If I can dodge at least one incoming attack, I will.

Remember that even if you do not move, snipers will fire for their action. An action is three frames.

-

GET TO THE SHIP!

Landing Platform

Eerin: 0/3

???

Snipers x4: 0/3

Frames Moved: 0

-

Since you had no outcome from your Strength check, we can assume you move three frames. You then dodge the first incoming sniper attack, putting you on frame 7.

The snipers open fire from all different directions. Three rubbish shots, but the first one (which you dodged) was an 18. With his skill of 9 and your dodge of 16, that is quite an achievement for him.

But, with your Strength deducted and 3 points of armor factored in...you only take four damage.

-

GET TO THE SHIP!

Landing Platform

Eerin: 13/4/7

???

Snipers x5: 0/6

Frames Moved: 3

-

The snipers are going to fire again. Another has joined them.

Kyle, your main concern right now is that Brejeem's men have scampered off after their rapidly retreating dictator. They've left all the cargo out in the open, full of radioactive explosives, in plain view of the snipers.

You might want to leave rather soon...

Hmm...

Skip the dodge this time and make my Strength check.