STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Chains

Chandrila, fifteen years ago

Two people sit across from one another at a smooth wooden table on the back porch of the simple, relaxing cottage. The cottage, located in the green Chandrilan countryside and away from the white spires from Hanna, formerly belonged to Senator Hennesy Renald. Now it has fallen to his wife, Jane, to maintain its upkeep.

Jane is one of the figures at the table. She is a strong, stoic woman; despite her pain, she maintains a clear and focused mind. Her company can sense it quite well. But he too can sense the hurt his earlier news has brought; the sense of loss and loneliness. Her eyes are bleary from crying, but they are dry now.

The other figure at the table is Master Mace Windu, who has discarded his Jedi cloak to enjoy the warm winds of Chandrila's countryside. Together, he and Jane watch the tall green grass sway calmly in the wind. But now it is disturbed; one particular patch of tall grass crunches and swaps violently, as it would if some predatory animal were stalking its pray across the plains. Instead, it is a young boy, though an unusual one. Despite looking very human, the boy has a pair of fleshy lekku extending from the back of his skull. He is running from another Jedi, a younger one in a simple tunic, and shouting playfully.

“He must never know what happened to his adoptive father if we are to induct him into the Order,” Mace Windu speaks, finally. “He is older than those that we traditionally allow into the Order, but I sense much potential in him. He will become a great Knight... but he will have an attachment to you, and to him. Such concepts are dangerous to a Jedi.”

“But it was his father,” Jane comments. Windu hears no strain in her voice, but he senses her hold back from crossing the line. The young boy has come to a halt on the shorter grass of the backyard, where Marcus sits with him. They play with blocks.

“I understand, Jane,” Windu says. “But it is for Vlad’s safety.” He pauses, looking out to where Vlad sits with Marcus, his Padawan. “Look.”

Jane looks, and is amazed by what she sees. One of the blocks has started to float into the air, while a curious Vlad looks on. The young Jedi smiles as he watches too.

“Don’t tell him about his father,” Jane says, finally. “Senator Hennesy Renald was not murdered in his suite on Coruscant... he died of a heart attack. He never did have perfect health, my poor Hennesy...”

Windu rises from his seat.

“You will need a moment alone with your son,” Windu says, then turns his eyes to the field. “Marcus, come inside.”

“Yes, Master,” Marcus says, picking up the young half-Twi’lek, half-human child and bringing him over to his mother, before following his Master inside. For a moment, Jane simply wraps her son in a fierce hug, the hug of a woman who has lost much and is going to lose more. Her eyes water, but they do not give way to tears.

“What’s wrong?” Vlad asks, too young to understand but old enough to feel... to sense.

“Vlad, I have wonderful news... you are going to become a Jedi Knight.”

--

Welcome to "Chains," an episode of the Retrospection games. As an episode of this series, "Chains" will be a very personal plotline, exploring events involving the players' characters. Going off of Ushgarak's Star Wars role-playing game, these mini-episodes occur in game-play's past. In this case, Wentar Reiua will be continuing to right the wrongs perpetrated by the corrupt Senator Garys Farl of Triskatan, while Vlad Shafran, another Jedi Knight, will be doing a little self-examination as he pursues his father’s killer...

Wentar Reiua has just spent an extended amount of time protecting Senator Farl, a staunch anti-slavery and civil rights activist who has instead proven to be a horrible man, responsible for his own people being enslaved and for accepting bribes from pirate clans to target or avoid certain topics in the Senate. With this revelation, Wentar feels the call of the Force- he has a duty to perform to these people that Wentar has hurt. Additionally... his old mentor, Altar Vynn, has been captured by pirates. Meanwhile, Vlad- who has shown new interest in the game and been retooled with a new bio- has recently discovered that his adoptive father did not pass away of natural causes, as he had been told... instead, Senator Renald of Chandrila was violently murdered for standing up for his beliefs. This does not sit right with Vlad, and he wants justice to be served, even if it means going against the Jedi code...

The time period is set in 32 BBY- just after the events of the Battle of Naboo and The Phantom Menace. Wentar Reiua, despite being an up-and-coming respectable Jedi, is having a difficult time coming to grips with the revelation of Farl’s corruption, and is starting to clean-up the mess he has caused. Vlad, a physically impressive specimen of a Jedi Knight, is reopening the file on Senator Renald’s death to pick up the cold trail, hoping he might provide new insight and find out what exactly happened...

--

At this point, I need to know which, if any, predictive power the players will be using before the game starts. Once the plotline is in motion, you can’t make use of these abilities. As a reminder, your available predictive powers that you may have taken are:

Dreams. Using this gives you a small chance that the Force will have given you vague but truthful insight into what is to come in the upcoming story, giving you a chance to better react and deal with these events.

Foresight. This is better than Dreams- it represents you actually spending time to navigate the future to deliberately try and get warning of upcoming events. It can give far more clear and comprehensive visions than Dreams.

Dreams can come free, in which case you roll a single d6 die to see the outcome, the power triggering if you roll a 5 or 6. Alternatively, if you spend a Force point, you get a free Dream. With Foresight (which costs a Force point), if you get a result of 3, 4, or 5, you receive a Minor Revelation that provides clues, whereas a 6 gets you a Major Revelation, which gives you foreknowledge of an upcoming event.

The power Insight ensures that you receive at least a minor vision with Foresight, while it increases your odds of getting one with Dreams. If the plot is extremely personal to the character, they will receive a bonus to their Premonition roll.

VLAD SHAFRAN

Chandrila, present

It has been a very long time since you have been home, Vlad. When you were younger, Master Windu allowed you to visit Chandrila, but as your training went on such visits were limited more often to prevent distractions from your training. But now that you have passed the Trials and been knighted, you are a fully fledged Jedi Knight and free to visit as you please in your free time.

Your time is your own at the moment, but this visit is hardly one of leisure.

Recently, as part of your knighting, you were told the truth about your father, the man who took you and liberated you from slavery. You were too young to really remember your bondage, really, but you remember Senator Hennesy Renald. He was a stern man, but a good one. He did not tolerate corrupt dealings within the Senate... and for this he was killed, as Master Windu finally informed you.

"His murderer was never discovered," Windu admitted. "You are of status and age enough to know the truth about what became of Senator Renald. Do about it what you will... but be mindful of all I have taught you."

Now, you have come to Chandrila, to start your investigation. You actually have no idea where to start, though. You are hoping that visiting your mother will give you some inspiration.

She comes now- Jane Renald, an experienced Chandrilan diplomat.

"Vlad!" she greets, surprised. "I did not know you were coming to visit your poor old mother! What brings you here? How are you, dear? How goes your training?"

-

WENTAR REIUA

Triskatan

Bacta is a scientific miracle, Wentar. After a few days of rest in the Triskatani Hospital, your wounds- bruises and blaster burns alike- have been more or less mended. Some are still giving you trouble, of course. You can be thankful that the pistol Senator Farl used to shoot you in the back was a small, sneaky job. Not powerful enough to do seriously spinal damage, it seems. That blaster shot through your leg, though, is still aching something terrible.

But now that you are up and about, there is work to be done. First off, you return to the mess that is Tower of Farl, the towering city within itself and the final testament to Senator Farl’s corruption and greed. As the Assassin had said to do, you checked and double-checked Farl’s financial records while you were laid up... and man, Farl was absolutely rolling in bribe money. Matching up what he should have been earning as a Senator with what he possessed reveals millions of credits that just sort of showed up in his accounts. Bastard.

The security team tasked by Chief Drufter with guarding the Tower have all been placed under investigation for corruption and conspiracy- it is apparent that Chief Drufter was in on Farl’s secrets, and there is some evidence of the Senator bribing him in turn.

However, there is one good piece of news, one that can help you get started on fixing Farl’s fouls and getting on the path to finding out what has become of your old mentor, Altar Vynn- one of the assassins has lived! He was wounded in the firefight with security, before the assassins reached the ballroom; his light armor saved him. Now he is being held for interrogation... and the Grand Vizier requests that you do the honors. The assassin is being held in your hospital.

Vlad shall be using Dreams.

Vlad smiles lightly as he sees Jane coming up.

"It is good to see you, mother," says Vlad as he embraces her warmly.

"Too many things have happened in the past few days..." muttered Vlad as his smile faded.

"My training... Well, I have completed and I have been knighted."

He always thought of the moment he would tell his mother that he had finally become a Jedi Knight. Yet in those thoughts, it was always a moment of great joy and happiness. But his current task was first priority, and deep inside he knew he would never be able to live peacefully with himself if he didn't get to the bottom of this.

Vlad slowly observed Jane. He pondered if he should tell her what he was up to... Would this reopen her wounds? Perhaps she has finally come to peace about the murder of her husband, and mentioning it now will only bring her back to pain.

No predictive power here. "The future is what you make of it!"

-

Wentar sat on his hostital bed, turning his lightsaber over and over in his hand. He looked down at it, something always seemed to be missing. He could never place what it was, but there was something extra his lightsaber needed for it to truly feel 'right'.

The events of the last week seemed to drag him down, feeling his last mission had been a complete and utter failure. Both to the Order and himself. Farl's revealed deception and being forced to keep it a secret casting Wentar's views on the Republic in doubt. His indecision over whether to hand Farl over or protect him and how close he came to leaving him to the assassins has been making him rethink whether he had the stability to remain a Jedi. Finally, his mentor, Altar Vynn, missing, all because he couldn't and, possibly, at the time wouldn't see Farl for what he truly was. Worry and depression seemed to be the only things on his mind. Only one good thing seemed to come from this.

Emso, the Senators servant, was free. Wentar was surprised to learn of the Zabrak's slave status, though it seemed to make sense, even if it did leave some distaste in his mouth. Still, with Farl dead, Emso was a free man, it was a small consolation buried amongst Wentar's doubts, but it gave him hope. If Emso can recover something good from this, so can he. Things will become right soon enough.

As he thought about Emso he stoped turning his lightsaber, looking at an empty panel on the lower half. A small, but deep scratch tarnishing the smooth surface, he'd never noticed it before. Probably caused during the events that went on at the top of Farl's tower. He gripped his lightsaber firmly, before rising. Yes, everything will soon begin to feel right again.

With that he swiftly left the room, he had an assassin to 'talk' to and Wentar had no intention of leaving until he found out everything he needed to know.

Mother Renald hugs you tightly.

"Vlad Shafran!" she exclaims. "I always knew you were destined for great things, my child. I am so proud of you! I am the mother of a Jedi Knight. Imagine that!"

It has been a long time since Senator Renald's death; Jane has long come to terms with it, you feel, though you did not know exactly what sorrowful matters she was dealing with truly.

Dreams noted for Vlad.

-

You often wonder how other Jedi Knights do it, Wentar. This was by far the worst mission you were ever assigned. The Council has actually issued you an apology for subjecting you to such awfulness.

Additionally, Ki-Adi-Mundi informed you that the Council has given you vacation time, starting... now.

The assassin is still laid up- they have not given him particularly great treatments for his blaster wounds, though they are less severe than your own. He has been cuffed to his bed (both hands) and his armor removed and confiscated by the government. He is a grizzled looking man, with short cropped hair and five o'clock shadow.

"Ah, look who it is," the assassin says. "The Jedi. Come to take me in, no doubt. Poor ol' me."

Vlad nodded his head, smiling a bit at his mother's reaction.

"Yet that is not the only reason I am here. Mother, Master Windu told me the truth about Renald... I picked up his case and I came here in order to look for some sort of clues or perhaps a lead. Whoever commited that atrocious murder, I am going to find them and make sure that they are brought to justice."

Wentar doesn't say anything at first, he places his lightsaber on the bedside table and pulls up a chair.

"Not in my job description today," Wentar says, sitting down. "No, your going to answer some questions for me.

"I already know you were working for the Kylugo Srum, you were hired to kill Senator Farl for spreading misinformation and setting the Sentient Rights Commission on your employers. I'm curious. How involved were you with the Kylugo Srum's activities?"

"Oh... so you were told. I was wondering if the Order would ever let you know your father's fate."

Jane purses her lips. You sense a glimmer of her grief, but she has incredible control over her emotions.

"You have come to me," she says, "to see if there is anything I know that can help you."

-

"It was just a job," he snarls, realizing you are here to interrogate. "I'm not Srum dirt. I just take their money."

"You would have been told a few things about who you were working for," Wentar calmly replies. "What do you know about the Kylugo Srum?"

"Yes." replied Vlad blatantly. "You must have suspected something or
someone."

Jane sighs.

"Unfortunately, my suspicions are that it was not someone that I or even your father knew. I can tell you about what your father was doing at the time. Maybe it will shed some light..."

-

"Slavers and pirates," the assassin says. "Pretty territorial, don't like people messing with them. Especially not Jedi."

Vlad nods his head. "I think that might give me at least some sort of lead to
begin with."

"They were who Farl was selling the Triskatani slaves to, yes? Do you know how he had them taken and transported off planet?"

Are Wentar's senses useful here to tell if the assassin is being deceitful or not?

"Why the hell would I know anything like that?" the assassin asks. "I was just hired to shoot him. If you want info like that, go find the Srum. I'm sure they'd be happy to help."

-

"Your father was a morally upright man, Vlad. When others doubted his choice to adopt you, since you were only half-Twi'lek and a slave, he stood by his decision as it was the morally right thing to do to give you a chance at a normal life. He sought the moral high ground at any cost. On Chandrila, that is not an issue; we consider ourselves moral elitists. Call us pretentious, but it has kept our planet clean and our people happy.

"After we adopted you, your father took a greater interest in fighting slavery in the Galaxy. Do you know of the Sentient Rights Committee?"

"How would I go about finding the Srum?" Wentar asks.

"Figure that out yourself," he says.

Vlad listened closely, absorbing the infomation. "I am aware of what it is, but I only have limited knowledge about it. What does he have to do with it?"

Sorry, that's Commission*, not Committee. It deals exclusively with anti-slavery efforts within the Senate.

"Your father became an active member before his untimely death," Jane tells you. "He even became nominated for Chairman at one point, but there was an old favorite, Senator Farl of Triskatan, that beat him out... which he deemed odd. Farl was a hardliner who was rumored to abuse the position, so it was strange that your father did not take the seat. He decided to look into it... and found that Senator Farl had used bribery to maintain his position, along with a convenient success against a pirate clan he had been working against."

She pauses.

"Before I go on, I must tell you that this information is something I have never shared, for fear of sharing your father's fate. But I must fear no longer, for Senator Farl has been killed himself."

Vlad tapped his finger on his lightsabre as Jane spoke, nodding soberly.

"This might be a good lead... When was Senator Farl killed?"

"I'm sure we can find some kind of deal," Wentar suggests, feeling that without the Assassins help he wont have a chance of tracking the Srum. "You tell me how I would find the Srum and perhaps I can do something for you."