Getting Started
Other than the hyperspace coordinates, they didn't even know the name of the planet they were on. All they knew was that someone with Rebel sympathies had a quantity of medical supplies he wished to sell. The merchant's name was Bondo, and he'd agreed to meet them in a cantina near the spaceport.
They'd taken up a table near the back corner to wait. Tek Fortwun stood while the others sat. The former Old Republic Clone Trooper kept his hands on his blaster rifle and his eyes on the door. His cloak concealed his brightly re-painted armor. While offering superior protection, along with other advantages, the distictive style of the helmet tended to attract unwanted attention.
Cole Zandryn, a mechanic from Corusant with a strange droid fixation, relaxed with a drink in his hand. He's enjoyed visiting many strange planets since joining the Rebellion, but didn't wish to stay on this frozen world any longer than he had to.
The Lady Impella, renegade daughter of two Imperial senators, was closing the deal. Bondo, while willing to aid the Rebellion by selling goods, also sought to make a profit. Impella was trying to talk him down to what they could actually afford, but the trader was refusing to surrender any credits.
Kade Mireth-Orat, one of only a handful survivors from a Zabraxian colony, sat hunched over her drink, silently kicking herself for leaving her blaster on the Screaming Mynock. In double-checking all the ship systems and making sure everything was locked down, she had strapped on her gun belt but forgot her pistol. Hopefully, this would be over uneventfully and soon.
She kicked herself again for speaking too soon. A squad of five Stormtroopers entered the cantina. One stayed by the door and the rest, lead by their officer, approached the bar. The audio pickups in Tek's helmet allowed him to hear the brief conversation.
The panicked bartender was forcefully denying any knowledge of the person the troopers were looking for, but his not-so-subtle body language pointed them toward the group's table. Ignoring the party, the trooper officer addressed Bondo. "You're coming with me for questioning."
The frantic trader turned to the companions. "You've got to help me! They'll kill me!" Ever practical, Impella continued to bargan. "We get a discount on our supplies?" Before Bondo could reply, Tek interjected. "No, we get them for free. Correct?" Bondo sighed, resigned. "Yes! Just help me!"
The trooper officer raised his blaster. "That's it! You're all coming with me!"
Without saying a word, Tek stepped forward, leveled his rifle at the officer's chest, and fired. For a brief moment, a startled Bondo could see the other side of the room through the wreckage of the troopers chest. Taking his cue from the soldier, Cole opened fire at the trooper at the door. Wishing to avoid injury, Impella and Kade dove under the table, Kade grabbing the pistol off Tek's hip in the process.
The surviving stormtroopers exhibited the accuracy that made them famous, and proceeded to shoot holes in the walls. In a few short seconds, the troopers had been dropped, with only a pair of blast marks on Tek's armor to show their efforts.
After paying the bartender a handful of credits for hush money, they withdrew back to their ship. Bondo made a decent case for taking him with them, so they accepted him with his cargo. Luck was on their side as they left; not a single alarm was raised, no ships hindered their departure from the system.
*The party is still missing one character, who's player was absent from the gaming session. The encounter in the bar was mainly done as a refresher for me on running a game. And it taught me the important lession that stormtroopers in the game are as inept as they are in the movies. Our Clone Trooper scored a critical hit on the officer, dealing 22 points of damage. Stormtroopers do not have vitality points, and their armor only absorbs 5. This poor schmuck was reduced to -2 wound points in a single shot.
