STAR WARS: Blowing Up the Jedi Council... HELP!

[Iron_Chef]

NEED ADVICE ON MY STAR WARS GAME:
The Jedi Consular and Jedi Guardian PCs in my game have been accused of trying to assassinate the entire Jedi Council (KOTOR era)! The Council was tricked into sending the PCs to a Sith planet to retrieve a Republic spy shot down there while trying to deliver some stolen Sith prototype battle droids... allegedly Force-Using Droids (which is why the Council was so interested in them in the first place).

If true (it was, in a manner of speaking but not really--the droids emanated the Force only because severed lobotomized Jedi heads were kept on life support hidden inside), the droids represented a grave threat to the Jedi Order and the Republic. However, the Jedi Council seemed more concerned about what would happen if the droids fell into the hands of the Republic, already mistrustful of the Jedi Order after Revan and Malak's betrayal causing the current war...

One of the Council, Trago, tried to trick the PCs into delivering the droids to him, rather than the Council as a whole. Trago believes the Order is in greater danger from the Republic than the Sith and is building a secret power base within the Order to seize power and ensure the preservation of the Order post-war from the Republic. He's not Sith, just misguided.

The Sith plot to kill the Council was initiated by the Consular PC's former master turned Sith, Darth Omara. However, she hates Trago, blames him for her leaving the Order, and knew the fat worm would try to steal the droids for himself (he likes droids better than people). She was hoping to kill Trago, not the entire Council. She is actually building a secret fleet (by converting existing Sith captains to her cause) to create her own power base and destroy Malak at an appropriate time. Naturally, Malak and the other Sith Lords thought the plan was to kill the entire Council as stated...

Well, the PCs refused to fall for Trago's trick or anyone else's (the Exchange wanted the droids, as did other Sith not in the know of the master plot). They delivered the droids to Dantooine and the entire Council. The Council was blown up shortly thereafter! Two masters are dead (Dorak and Tokare), two are in comas (Vandar and Lestin), and only Trago is left, wounded but alive. In a statement to the press, Trago all but named the PCs as the prime suspects in the case!

The PCs tried to raid the Jedi computers for evidence to clear themselves but came up empty. They are not sure if Trago staged the blast himself to seize power, or whether he just got lucky and is using the opportunity to seize power.

The Consular wants to surrender and send the Guardian and the other PC/NPCs off to gather evidence. The Consular installed a droid brain into the Jedi mainframe that will help him escape/gather evidence if necessary. However, there is some concern that Trago will have him murdered before trial, and if he goes to trial, will frame him up good and have him executed.

What would you do if you were the PCs? What would you do if you were the GM? I was smart enough to get this far, but am drawing a blank as to what to do next, especially with a big party split imminent (one in jail--the main talker!). ADVICE NEEDED. URGENT!

To read more about my campaign (all the background leading up to this point, including how you can run this campaign yourself), click here: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=479218

 

[pntbllr]

Well..One of my characters was a jedi guardian, but he fell to the lure of the Dark Side. Knowing him he would probably plot to capture Trago and have his unlobotimized head installed in a target droid. Then auction the battle droids to the highest bidder.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Haha, funny. Not very helpful, though, LOL.

My Jedi Guardian, too, is prone to the Dark Side but has not succumbed yet. He got his first Dark Side Point by daring to suggest that the Jedi and their (temporary) Sith allies split some rare lightsaber crystals they found in a cave together, despite the fact that the place was infested with flesh-eating aliens (hostile to both parties) and they needed to hurry up and place explosive charges around the alien eggs and get the heck off the planet before they were stranded by an ion storm that would've crippled their ship (only escape). Hey, that storm was still hours away, and I needs me my crystals!!! The GM said it was more for the greedy way I said it than the idea itself, LOL. Now how am I supposed to construct the baddest lightsaber ever (and pass my test to become a Jedi Knight) if I don't get rare crystals? :\

 

[Iron_Chef]

In response to my thread over at the Star Wars forum, I got this awesome piece of advice:

Rev R wrote:

It makes sense that the Consular would surrender, taking the blame for himself to throw off pursuit while the rest of the party investigates and finds evidence. I wouldn't leave the Consular completely alone though opting instead to leave another character with him in case the guy tries to assassinate him(a bodyguard of sorts).

From the GM perspective, if the party wanted to do this I would allow it and just swap back and forth between scenes. Gives it a very cinematic feel. I would make the trail itself last longer than the mission to gather evidence. For example if it would take ten days for the party to gather the evidence, the trail would take almost the same amount of time. That way the rest of the group returns with the information just at the last moment. meanwhile I'd toss in a botched attempt on the consular's life, some interrogation, and possibly the tried and true "mastermind gets overconfident and reveals his plan" to the doomed Jedi.

A few other things I'd include for the consular's scenes.
1. The consular would be under house arrest rather than confined to a cell. He would be "unarmed" and have a constant escort(a master and his apprentice possibly) but not allowed to access certain areas of the temple and definately could not leave.

2. A visit from a mentor/supporter. "I know that you did not do it." or even, "It's a pity that one with such potential..."

The consular's scenes would be shorter, but useful to buikld up the tension. I would definately run both scenes with the rest of the party present.

It shouldn't be too hard given the detail of the story you've presented.

So, we have at least one botched attempts on his life (poisoned food, steam room turned up to deadly), that can be termed "accidents."

An independently appointed Jedi Investigator interrogates/investigates. As the PC Consular's former master quit the Order to join the Sith, this character could prove to be a new master for the PC, especially after his current padawan gets shanked trying to protect the PC, LOL.

We can have several conversion attempts made post-botched assassinations:

1) Trago could offer to see that all charges against him are dropped if he places the blame on the Guardian (who fled) and Lt. Talnar of the Republic (who disappeared). This kills two birds with one stone, binding the Consular to him, and shifting blame onto the Republic, which gathers sympathy for his anti-Republic crusade. He offers to make the Consular his new apprentice as his old one, Vron Marr, abandoned him (he's currently with the Guardian). "Think of the opportunity! I am the Council. You would be my right hand, and a Master yourself in time. I can make you a Jedi Knight virtually overnight! Together, we can save the Order from its enemies and preserve the Jedi for generations to come."

2) Darth Omara, his former master turned Sith traitor, can send an offer through her spies on Dantooine: "Now you see the corruption and folly of the Jedi! I know you are innocent, yet they are too blind to see. The fools! Trago will kill you. You must join with me; I forgive you your past transgressions; you were but a puppet to the Council then. Now, you are strong enough to see through their lies. Join with me and I can complete your training! I have resources now I never had in the Order. I always recognized your potential, without me, you would have nothing, be nothing. Through me, ultimate power can be yours. In exchange for your allegiance, I offer you the opportunity to gain your revenge against Trago! Together, we can strike him down! Together, we can end this destructive conflict and restore order to the galaxy! Your destiny is at my side as it has always been..."

Meanwhile, the ex-Sith Security Service agent, "Captain" Rennick (whom the Consular captured, then freed and handsomely rewarded to make up for destroying his starship) offers to aid the rest of the party in obtaining evidence against Trago to help clear their names. Also, to obtain evidence about the nature of the Force-Droid prototypes. No guarantees of success, but he believes the information can be found in the Sith Security Service Central Computer... on Korriban! So they just need to infiltrate one of the most closely guarded installations in Sith space. Rennick demands a high price for his assistance, successful or not, which I assume (oops) the party will agree to, not having any other ideas.
Now, I'm not sure whether Rennick is really an ex-SSS operative (for his failure to recapture the Force Droids) or whether the PCs merely THINK he will be killed if he returns to the SSS and therefore is now suddenly "neutral." If the former, then taking down Trago might be just the ticket he needs to get back into his organization's good graces. If the latter, then the SSS still benefits from his actions (he appears to be a rogue agent to the Jedi, making his operations outside Sith space easier and putting him on good terms with Jedi, LOL). He might even be able to infiltrate Republic Intelligence as a double agent for the Sith. There are a lot of possibilities with this NPC I never saw before (because I thought he was just a minor one-shot villain destined to be killed, but the players seem to want it otherwise, LOL).

Another option is to have Vron Marr, Trago's former apprentice, offer to help them destroy Trago out of revenge/fear. He knows if Trago does not die, he's as good as dead, so it's in his best interest to help. Although he will still demand a high price for his aid...

 

[Iron_Chef]

I really love to constantly throw temptation at the Jedi PCs and watch their reactions. I can't believe how deftly the Consular seems to dodge the Dark Side seduction traps I set for him. They would have snared me or the non-Jedi PC (a greedy Duros soldier), LOL.

There needs to be a beacon in the darkness (I run dark, gritty campaigns punctuated by the occassional cinematic light in the darkness to keep things fun and restore PCs faith in their struggle, very Conan-like as opposed to Cthulhu, LOL). The Jedi Investigator NPC assigned to the case is the likely beacon, as the Consular wants to take on this PrC and the Jedi Shadow PrC from KOTOR. But I think this should not be obvious from the start of their relationship, which should be antagonistic... As the investigation continues, the Jedi Investigator gradually comes to believe in the PC's innocence, endangering himself and the PC as Trago tries to stymie the investigation by any means necessary. This binds the two together, and they become friendly, eventually master and padawan when the Investigator's pupil is slain by Trago's agents.

It is a wild campaign, and our first SW (or sci-fi, for that matter) campaign since the 80s. Me (who plays the Guardian) and my co-GM (who plays the Consular) trade off GMing every other story arc. We're all vastly enjoying the change of pace from D&D, both rules and setting-wise.

 

[pntbllr]

Why not throw all these options at your PCs and see what they decide to do? I would make the choices very hard for them and make them choose the lesser of the evils as they see it. Also since you've worked hard to make Trago a "bad" guy have the PCs discover something to make him seem like a better person (maybe a charitable streak or something) in the PC's eyes.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Why not throw all these options at your PCs and see what they decide to do? I would make the choices very hard for them and make them choose the lesser of the evils as they see it. Also since you've worked hard to make Trago a "bad" guy have the PCs discover something to make him seem like a better person (maybe a charitable streak or something) in the PC's eyes.

Good idea. I think if he was presented with evidence that it was not the Council that Darth Omara was trying to liquidate, but HIM personally, he might become more tractable. However, it would take something major to redeem him from his present course (the asassination plot would be more of a distraction/concern for him)...

 

[pntbllr]

Maybe have the asassination plot actually be the idea of an over-zealous (or maybe sith tainted) underling.

 

[pntbllr]

Or maybe have the Pcs discover a plot within the republic senate to place the council under direct supervision or some such, thus proving Trago was right.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Or maybe have the Pcs discover a plot within the republic senate to place the council under direct supervision or some such, thus proving Trago was right.

OOOOOO, I like this idea. LOL, Trago is defeated, only to be proven right in the end! LOL.