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Star Wars - Tales from the Outer Rim
- Thread starter Jodo Kast
- Start date
Thanks Rel. I'm anxiously awaiting your Star Wars story hour. Star Wars story hours seem to be growing in popularity here, which I think is terrific (nothing against all of the great D&D flavored story hours). I've also been pleased to see some "different" story hours, such as the ever popular "Drunk Southern Girls with Guns ..." series. Variety is the spice of life.Rel said:
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HEAD TRIP - PART IV
EXTERIOR: DEEP SPACE. Brilliant white stars light the inky darkness of space. The planet Malabar is visible, but from this perspective it is shrouded in shadow. The light of Malabar's sun, the star Valkaria, is barely visible as a halo behind the planet. On this side of the world it is night. Suddenly twin capital ships roar out of hyperspace headed toward Malabar. The ships are Correllian Engineering Corporation Corvettes, each over 150 meters in length with a crew of over 100. Each of the vessels bears the same insignia and large black lettering which reads "OUTER RIM OREWORKS." These are not simple cargo ships, however. These Corvette's have been modified, and each carries a bank of double turbolaser batteries. The sublight engines of the large vessels hum loudly as the ships enter high orbit around Malabar.
INTERIOR: THE BRIDGE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER. Men and women dressed in crisp miner's grey jumpsuits move about the bridge purposefully, performing their duties aboard the capital ship. A woman with silver-streaked black hair sits in the captain's chair, communicating with her superior over the ship's hypertransceiver.
"Yes sir, I understand completely. The droid's head is not to leave the planet intact. And those who possess it are to be dealt with appropriately."
Baydo pushed through tangled vines and came out onto the broad beach at last. In one hand he clutched the head of an L80 droid. The other was pressed against his chest, where his blast vest was badly blaster-burned. The blast vest had saved him, barely. He did not intend to give Jodo Kast a second chance to finish the job. He cursed the bounty hunter in his native Rodese. "Ploota deesh." His eyes keen even in the low light, the Rodian could make out the distinct disc-shaped outline of his ship the Rim Runner ahead. Seeing the ship made him think of his partner Tevy. Poor Tevy. He cursed Jodo Kast again.
A glint of silver light from the corner of his eye alerted Baydo to the presence of an interloper. Baydo drew his blaster in an instant and leveled it at this potential foe, just to lower the weapon a split-second later. "Just a droid," he muttered, dismissing the 3P0 protocol droid walking stiffly toward him from the distance, a datapad in hand.
Baydo continued toward his ship when he heard a high-pitched hum behind him. Turning back he saw a speeder bike, riding low under the weight of two riders and sending sand blasting out to either side as it passed. It was the two young humans from the cantina. The bike slowed and stopped a short distance away, and the shaggy blonde human jumped off onto the sand. He was carrying a blaster rifle. Baydo raised his own blaster. He didn't want to kill the humans. But then, he had never been one to let sentiment stand in the way of making a profit.
"I don't care what happens to the droid," yelled Jirair Gann. "I just want off this planet. And you're going to take me!"
Dev Novo stared at his friend in amazement, but he slowly began to grin. Jirair was finally standing up for himself. Besides, he didn't really care about the head anymore either. Sure, it had been a wild ride, but he had no desire to seek out a dead Hutt's treasure. He had a different kind of adventure ahead of him. He'd be behind the controls of a TIE fighter before long, shooting down pirates and bringing justice to rogue systems.
"Excuse me," called a metallic voice. Jirair, Dev and Baydo all looked at the droid's head in the Rodian's hand, but it was silent. "I say, excuse me!" The silver 3P0 called from a distance, still walking stiffly through the sand towards Baydo. Jirair and Dev hadn't noticed it previously in the dim light. "Organics," groaned the 3P0, shaking its head.
"Not now," hissed the Rodian, his blaster still trained on Jirair. "I'm in the middle of something here."
"Excuse me, fleshlings" continued the droid, "but my sensors indicate that you have the remains of an L80-RC on your person. Those remains belong to the droids of Uffel. Are you willing to return those remains?"
"I said I'm in the middle of something," said Baydo, not taking his eyes off of Jirair.
"Look, can we mellow out a little here?" Jirair didn't like the feel of having a blaster aimed at him, and he had seen the Rodian's handiwork back behind the Tailfin Cantina. "I just want a ride. I'll pay you, just like we agreed. 2,000 credits."
"IT-07 was right," said the 3P0 droid. "One simply cannot reason with organic sentients. Very well then." The droid hit a key on its datapad, and the L80 head in Baydo's hand began to whine as its ancient circuits came back online with a sound that grew higher-pitched and more urgent by the second. The Rodian stared at it in disbelief.
"That sounds like ... like a thermal detonator about to go off," stammered Baydo. The 3P0 droid had halted its approach and stood off in the distance watching, its arms crossed and shoulders thrown back haughtily. "Now what did you have to go and do that for?" Baydo pointed his blaster at the droid.
"Uh, guys? Guys?" Baydo and Jirair followed Dev Novo's pointing finger along the beach, past the 3P0 droid. The black-and-red armored bounty hunter from behind the Tailfin Cantina was coming their way with blaster drawn, and he looked like he meant business.
"Pudu! Jodo Kast!" Baydo spit the words. Smoke was now pouring out of the ears and throat of the L80 droid's head. "Pudu!"
Baydo drew his arm back and hurled the droid head as far as he could. It hit the beach in front of the 3P0 droid and rolled between its legs, stopping between the droid and Jodo Kast. Kast watched the head, not sure what to make of the situation. Baydo threw himself prone on the sand and covered his head and neck with his arms, and Jirair and Dev followed suit. Then the head exploded.
The sound was almost deafening as the blast rolled over Jirair. The explosion lit up the night, bathing the Rim Runner in its orange glow. Jirair heard a strange, high pitched noise in the air above that sounded like some sort of projectile. "Look out," he cried at the last second. He and Dev barely scrambled out of the way before the torso and head of the 3P0 droid landed precisely where they had been laying in the sand. There was no sign of the droid's arms or legs ... nor any sign of Jodo Kast.
"Well, are you just going to stand there all night or are you coming with me?" Baydo now had both blasters in hand. Kast would recover quickly.
Jirair's eyes widened. He was actually going to get off Malabar! Thoughts raced through his mind ... he had not said farewell to his family ... Biqua ... Bobbo. But there would be time for that later. He was not going to let this chance slip through his fingers. His face a portrait of grim determination, he shook Dev's hand.
"Good luck at the academy, friend."
"Good luck to you, Jirair," said Dev. "I've got a feeling you'll need it," he added, eyeing the Rim Runner skeptically.
"Tell my folks I'll be in touch. And tell Bobbo I quit!" As Dev mounted his speeder bike, Jirair stooped and heaved what was left of the 3P0 droid off the beach.
"What are you doing, kid?" yelled the Rodian.
"Salvage!" called Jirair. Then he was off as fast as his legs would carry him, straining under the weight of the droid. He waved back at Dev, who had powered up the speeder bike and was ready to bolt. He didn't want to wait around to see who else came out of the woodwork tonight.
Baydo pushed a button on a remote unit and the Rim Runner's loading ramp lowered to the sand. Baydo raced inside the transport and Jirair followed, droid in tow. He stole one last look back at Dev and waved to his friend. Then he dumped the droid on the floor of the transport as the ramp closed and followed after Baydo, who was already in the cockpit.
"Pudu!" Jirair could see why the Rodian was cursing. Through the cockpit window Jodo Kast was visible, firing his blaster at the ship. Baydo fired up the repulsorlift engines and the Rim Runner shook as it rose into the air, the resulting sand spray obscuring the bounty hunter below.
"Hang on, kid!" Baydo hit the sublight engines and the transport nimbly bolted for the sky. "Told you she's got it where it counts!" The ship flew out over the sea and up into a storm system that had been headed for Ganlo Island. The ship hurtled straight up, and as it left Malabar's atmosphere behind and entered space Jirair felt an adrenaline rush like never before. He made up his mind that instant that he was going to become a starship pilot, just as his grandfather had been.
"Pudu!" What now, Jirair wondered, looking over to the cursing Rodian. Baydo pointed to the sensor display. "Two capital ships. Look like Correllian Corvettes, maybe. What are they doing here?"
"Unidentified freighter, halt your progress. You are entering a temporarily restricted space lane. You are ordered to return to Malabar using the approach beamed to you immediately following this transmission."
"ORO. Damn them!" The Rodian's fingers flew across the ship's astrogation computer, seeking out a preprogrammed hyperdrive route. "Hold on to something, kid!" And with that, Baydo activated the hyperdrive.
And nothing happened. "PUDU!" Baydo screamed. Baydo tried the backup hyperdrive. Nothing. The big capital ships were closing rapidly. Jirair began to smile. Finally, he had a chance to do something useful.
"What are you smiling about, boy!?" But Jirair was already gone, racing to the hyperdrive service access with a hydrospanner in hand. He quickly threw open the service panel and began searching for the problem. "Whatever you're doing back there, better make it quick, those Corvettes are closing fast!"
Jirair believed he had found the problem. He could not repair it in time to escape the closing ships. He was not even sure he could properly fix it given all the time in the galaxy. But he just might be able to jury rig the backup hyperdrive and get them out of this tight spot.
EXTERIOR: SPACE. The twin ORO capital ships are closing on the beat-up YT-1300 transport. Suddenly the starfield around the freighter blurs as the vessel makes the leap to hyperspace.
INTERIOR: BRIDE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER. The black-and-silver haired captain of the capital ship slams her hand down on the arm of her chair.
"Dammit. So much for my bonus this year."
INTERIOR: COCKPIT OF THE RIM RUNNER. Stars streak past as the Rim Runner hurtles through hyperspace. The Rodian captain, a grin on his long, tapered snout, slaps the young man on the back. The young man's smile widens ... until somewhere from the rear of the vessel a harsh grinding sound is heard, and the transport lurches out of hyperspace.
"I thought you fixed it ..."
Thus concludes Head Trip. Head Trip was loosely inspired by Jeff Grub's short adventure of the same name, available for free download at http://www.wizards.com/starwars. Note that I've relocated the droid moon Uffel from the Cularin system. I don't plan on using the Cularin system, which is the home of the Living Star Wars Campaign, but I did like the idea of a moon ruled by droids, its atmospheric gases too poisonous for most organic beings. I first encountered the corporation Outer Rim Oreworks in Bartyn's Landing, a great setting from Star Wars Gamer magazine.
EXTERIOR: DEEP SPACE. Brilliant white stars light the inky darkness of space. The planet Malabar is visible, but from this perspective it is shrouded in shadow. The light of Malabar's sun, the star Valkaria, is barely visible as a halo behind the planet. On this side of the world it is night. Suddenly twin capital ships roar out of hyperspace headed toward Malabar. The ships are Correllian Engineering Corporation Corvettes, each over 150 meters in length with a crew of over 100. Each of the vessels bears the same insignia and large black lettering which reads "OUTER RIM OREWORKS." These are not simple cargo ships, however. These Corvette's have been modified, and each carries a bank of double turbolaser batteries. The sublight engines of the large vessels hum loudly as the ships enter high orbit around Malabar.
INTERIOR: THE BRIDGE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER. Men and women dressed in crisp miner's grey jumpsuits move about the bridge purposefully, performing their duties aboard the capital ship. A woman with silver-streaked black hair sits in the captain's chair, communicating with her superior over the ship's hypertransceiver.
"Yes sir, I understand completely. The droid's head is not to leave the planet intact. And those who possess it are to be dealt with appropriately."
Baydo pushed through tangled vines and came out onto the broad beach at last. In one hand he clutched the head of an L80 droid. The other was pressed against his chest, where his blast vest was badly blaster-burned. The blast vest had saved him, barely. He did not intend to give Jodo Kast a second chance to finish the job. He cursed the bounty hunter in his native Rodese. "Ploota deesh." His eyes keen even in the low light, the Rodian could make out the distinct disc-shaped outline of his ship the Rim Runner ahead. Seeing the ship made him think of his partner Tevy. Poor Tevy. He cursed Jodo Kast again.
A glint of silver light from the corner of his eye alerted Baydo to the presence of an interloper. Baydo drew his blaster in an instant and leveled it at this potential foe, just to lower the weapon a split-second later. "Just a droid," he muttered, dismissing the 3P0 protocol droid walking stiffly toward him from the distance, a datapad in hand.
Baydo continued toward his ship when he heard a high-pitched hum behind him. Turning back he saw a speeder bike, riding low under the weight of two riders and sending sand blasting out to either side as it passed. It was the two young humans from the cantina. The bike slowed and stopped a short distance away, and the shaggy blonde human jumped off onto the sand. He was carrying a blaster rifle. Baydo raised his own blaster. He didn't want to kill the humans. But then, he had never been one to let sentiment stand in the way of making a profit.
"I don't care what happens to the droid," yelled Jirair Gann. "I just want off this planet. And you're going to take me!"
Dev Novo stared at his friend in amazement, but he slowly began to grin. Jirair was finally standing up for himself. Besides, he didn't really care about the head anymore either. Sure, it had been a wild ride, but he had no desire to seek out a dead Hutt's treasure. He had a different kind of adventure ahead of him. He'd be behind the controls of a TIE fighter before long, shooting down pirates and bringing justice to rogue systems.
"Excuse me," called a metallic voice. Jirair, Dev and Baydo all looked at the droid's head in the Rodian's hand, but it was silent. "I say, excuse me!" The silver 3P0 called from a distance, still walking stiffly through the sand towards Baydo. Jirair and Dev hadn't noticed it previously in the dim light. "Organics," groaned the 3P0, shaking its head.
"Not now," hissed the Rodian, his blaster still trained on Jirair. "I'm in the middle of something here."
"Excuse me, fleshlings" continued the droid, "but my sensors indicate that you have the remains of an L80-RC on your person. Those remains belong to the droids of Uffel. Are you willing to return those remains?"
"I said I'm in the middle of something," said Baydo, not taking his eyes off of Jirair.
"Look, can we mellow out a little here?" Jirair didn't like the feel of having a blaster aimed at him, and he had seen the Rodian's handiwork back behind the Tailfin Cantina. "I just want a ride. I'll pay you, just like we agreed. 2,000 credits."
"IT-07 was right," said the 3P0 droid. "One simply cannot reason with organic sentients. Very well then." The droid hit a key on its datapad, and the L80 head in Baydo's hand began to whine as its ancient circuits came back online with a sound that grew higher-pitched and more urgent by the second. The Rodian stared at it in disbelief.
"That sounds like ... like a thermal detonator about to go off," stammered Baydo. The 3P0 droid had halted its approach and stood off in the distance watching, its arms crossed and shoulders thrown back haughtily. "Now what did you have to go and do that for?" Baydo pointed his blaster at the droid.
"Uh, guys? Guys?" Baydo and Jirair followed Dev Novo's pointing finger along the beach, past the 3P0 droid. The black-and-red armored bounty hunter from behind the Tailfin Cantina was coming their way with blaster drawn, and he looked like he meant business.
"Pudu! Jodo Kast!" Baydo spit the words. Smoke was now pouring out of the ears and throat of the L80 droid's head. "Pudu!"
Baydo drew his arm back and hurled the droid head as far as he could. It hit the beach in front of the 3P0 droid and rolled between its legs, stopping between the droid and Jodo Kast. Kast watched the head, not sure what to make of the situation. Baydo threw himself prone on the sand and covered his head and neck with his arms, and Jirair and Dev followed suit. Then the head exploded.
The sound was almost deafening as the blast rolled over Jirair. The explosion lit up the night, bathing the Rim Runner in its orange glow. Jirair heard a strange, high pitched noise in the air above that sounded like some sort of projectile. "Look out," he cried at the last second. He and Dev barely scrambled out of the way before the torso and head of the 3P0 droid landed precisely where they had been laying in the sand. There was no sign of the droid's arms or legs ... nor any sign of Jodo Kast.
"Well, are you just going to stand there all night or are you coming with me?" Baydo now had both blasters in hand. Kast would recover quickly.
Jirair's eyes widened. He was actually going to get off Malabar! Thoughts raced through his mind ... he had not said farewell to his family ... Biqua ... Bobbo. But there would be time for that later. He was not going to let this chance slip through his fingers. His face a portrait of grim determination, he shook Dev's hand.
"Good luck at the academy, friend."
"Good luck to you, Jirair," said Dev. "I've got a feeling you'll need it," he added, eyeing the Rim Runner skeptically.
"Tell my folks I'll be in touch. And tell Bobbo I quit!" As Dev mounted his speeder bike, Jirair stooped and heaved what was left of the 3P0 droid off the beach.
"What are you doing, kid?" yelled the Rodian.
"Salvage!" called Jirair. Then he was off as fast as his legs would carry him, straining under the weight of the droid. He waved back at Dev, who had powered up the speeder bike and was ready to bolt. He didn't want to wait around to see who else came out of the woodwork tonight.
Baydo pushed a button on a remote unit and the Rim Runner's loading ramp lowered to the sand. Baydo raced inside the transport and Jirair followed, droid in tow. He stole one last look back at Dev and waved to his friend. Then he dumped the droid on the floor of the transport as the ramp closed and followed after Baydo, who was already in the cockpit.
"Pudu!" Jirair could see why the Rodian was cursing. Through the cockpit window Jodo Kast was visible, firing his blaster at the ship. Baydo fired up the repulsorlift engines and the Rim Runner shook as it rose into the air, the resulting sand spray obscuring the bounty hunter below.
"Hang on, kid!" Baydo hit the sublight engines and the transport nimbly bolted for the sky. "Told you she's got it where it counts!" The ship flew out over the sea and up into a storm system that had been headed for Ganlo Island. The ship hurtled straight up, and as it left Malabar's atmosphere behind and entered space Jirair felt an adrenaline rush like never before. He made up his mind that instant that he was going to become a starship pilot, just as his grandfather had been.
"Pudu!" What now, Jirair wondered, looking over to the cursing Rodian. Baydo pointed to the sensor display. "Two capital ships. Look like Correllian Corvettes, maybe. What are they doing here?"
"Unidentified freighter, halt your progress. You are entering a temporarily restricted space lane. You are ordered to return to Malabar using the approach beamed to you immediately following this transmission."
"ORO. Damn them!" The Rodian's fingers flew across the ship's astrogation computer, seeking out a preprogrammed hyperdrive route. "Hold on to something, kid!" And with that, Baydo activated the hyperdrive.
And nothing happened. "PUDU!" Baydo screamed. Baydo tried the backup hyperdrive. Nothing. The big capital ships were closing rapidly. Jirair began to smile. Finally, he had a chance to do something useful.
"What are you smiling about, boy!?" But Jirair was already gone, racing to the hyperdrive service access with a hydrospanner in hand. He quickly threw open the service panel and began searching for the problem. "Whatever you're doing back there, better make it quick, those Corvettes are closing fast!"
Jirair believed he had found the problem. He could not repair it in time to escape the closing ships. He was not even sure he could properly fix it given all the time in the galaxy. But he just might be able to jury rig the backup hyperdrive and get them out of this tight spot.
EXTERIOR: SPACE. The twin ORO capital ships are closing on the beat-up YT-1300 transport. Suddenly the starfield around the freighter blurs as the vessel makes the leap to hyperspace.
INTERIOR: BRIDE OF THE ORO CRYSTAL CRUISER. The black-and-silver haired captain of the capital ship slams her hand down on the arm of her chair.
"Dammit. So much for my bonus this year."
INTERIOR: COCKPIT OF THE RIM RUNNER. Stars streak past as the Rim Runner hurtles through hyperspace. The Rodian captain, a grin on his long, tapered snout, slaps the young man on the back. The young man's smile widens ... until somewhere from the rear of the vessel a harsh grinding sound is heard, and the transport lurches out of hyperspace.
"I thought you fixed it ..."
Thus concludes Head Trip. Head Trip was loosely inspired by Jeff Grub's short adventure of the same name, available for free download at http://www.wizards.com/starwars. Note that I've relocated the droid moon Uffel from the Cularin system. I don't plan on using the Cularin system, which is the home of the Living Star Wars Campaign, but I did like the idea of a moon ruled by droids, its atmospheric gases too poisonous for most organic beings. I first encountered the corporation Outer Rim Oreworks in Bartyn's Landing, a great setting from Star Wars Gamer magazine.
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cthuluftaghn
First Post
Very nicely written! Keep it coming.... it'll give me more ideas for my character.
madriel said:
Thanks Madriel. It's a big galaxy, and there is certainly more to it than Empire and Rebellion. From crime lords, corporate conglomerates and bounty hunters to pirates, alien monsters and the Dark Side, the Star Wars game offers an abundance of challenges for players. That's not to say they'll always be able to avoid Imperial entanglements. More posts coming soon ...
Horacio said:
Thanks Horacio. Let's see ... at least 4, probably 5, maybe 7. How's that for an answer? I know 4 for sure, and probably 5 (I'm pretty sure cthuluftaghn's son is going to play, right cthulu?). If my wife and cthulutftaghn's wife jump in that will make 7, but so far the ladies have been less-than-interested in a Star Wars game. They like playing D&D but have not gone beyond that yet.
Um, actually, only one so far. The only PC you've met is Jirair Gann. You'll soon meet others, including the likes of Detten Harcrov and Jaros Gann, but I'm not going to give anything away about them yet. I like having a lot of fleshed out NPCs in the game. Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll see the likes of Jodo Kast, Dev Novo, Baydo and other NPCs from "Head Trip" again in the near future.Horacio said:
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