1: Return to Townowi

[Starbeard]

This is a story of the Star Wars, as related by Davduc Chaan, last padawan of the Whills…



Until the tragic HOLY REBELLION, the JEDI BENDU OF ASHLA were the most feared warriors in the universe. For a hundred thousand years, generations of JEDI were the personal bodyguards of the emperor and the chief architects of the invincible IMPERIAL SPACE FORCE that expanded the REPUBLIC GALACTICA from the celestial equator to the farthest reaches of the GREAT RIFT.
Now the OLD REPUBLIC is dead, and it is a period of civil wars in the galaxy. Ruthless trader barons, driven by greed and the lust for power, have replaced enlightenment with oppression and the FIRST GALACTIC EMPIRE. The legendary JEDI are all but extinct, hunted down as enemies of the NEW EMPIRE by a ferocious and sinister rival warrior sect, THE KNIGHTS OF SITH. Beyond the Empire's reach, many worlds have fallen into lawless barbarism.

Recently, agents of the GALACTIC TRADERS GUILD have received word that large caches of rare AURA SPICE have been secretly reported on TOWNOWI, a small Imperial subject world near the backwaters of the OUTLANDS. Hoping to capitalize on the rumor, the CHROME COMPANIES of the GUILD have sent a small band of brave star warriors to investigate….



Deep Space.

The infinite possibilities of the universe slowly fade to the background as the planet Ophuchi drifts into view. The planet’s profile is striking, its northern hemisphere covered in vast, low grasslands that gently sink into shallow, syrupy blue southern ocean.



A glimmering Trade Guild ship rockets toward the planet, penetrating its dense atmosphere through a swirl of viscid mist and cloud.

In the space port city of Trebbunt, other Trade Guild starships roar in and out of windswept landing bays, scattered across endless fields of orange wildgrass as tall as a moomek. All around are majestic spired domes and bulbous towers of shimmering silver: this is the world of the Chrome Companies. The ship lands on an empty platform and crews of Guild workers and labor robots pour across the worn concrete, hooking it to steaming tubings and hauling crates from its storage compartments. A large, sallow-eyed man in gold cloth and furs descends the gangway in purposeful strides, neglecting to greet the orderlies nervously awaiting him. This is Aay Zavos, a respected guildsman and representative of the Chrome Companies to many of the worlds both within and outside of the Empire. They climb into a hovering car and fly off to the city.

[Starbeard]

(Welcome to the game!)

OPHUCHI, in the port of Trebbunt



Over your comms links you have received a formal request to evening refreshments at one of the many ambassadorial towers in Trebbunt. This is a formality, one you know will end with an offer of exchange for services rendered. With the possible exception of the Dai and Jedi, none of you are high enough in politics or business to be invited to these events without ulterior motive.

You arrive one at a time, bemused to find yourselves in the company of your old comrades aboard the Townowian Cruiser King Syndicate. Talk of old times ensues as you mingle with the handful of other guests: a short, floppy ambassador whose overly fastidious manner seems reflective of his species; several Traders in the customary furs and gold of the Guild; a cadre of flashy military officers, who seem to be part of the negotiations with the alien ambassador; and a small display of local nobles.



Time ticks on, and your growing suspicions over your invitation to this particular gathering are confirmed as Aay Zavos himself makes a calculated late entrance. One of the higher representatives of the Chrome Companies, you have each dealt with Zavos briefly at least once or twice before, and from those experiences you all understand that this offer will not be easy or safe, and possibly even questionably legal. But these matters will wait until after the evening winds down.

For most of the evening Aay Zavos does little more than acknowledge your presence as worthy guests, focusing instead on whatever snafu or grand opportunity has brought the fussy alien ambassador.



Finally, after that seems settled enough for the military brass and Trade captains to handle the rest of the discussion, Aay begins to unobtrusively socialize his bulky form around the room, until within a few minutes the five of you are gathered together in a quiet, darkened corner of the room.



"And so we come to it," he says at last, "our reason for coming together tonight. It must be a nice reunion for each of you, no? Yes? Well that's precisely why I've asked you here! You see, it is like this: ever since the Empire subdued the Townowi System, we have had no open contact there. Very strange, very strange indeed." The pale man pours out extra glasses vintage as he babbles on, his demeanor in stark contrast from his interactions with the ambassador. "The Guilds are quite strong within the Empire, quite strong. We must dance to their tune, you know; but they do need us. That's why it's so strange that our business ties in Townowi were so sharply cut off, and all new offers rejected. 'No need of your kind here, thank you. Move along,' they say. Very strange, you know. Especially over such a parochial little planet! Oh apologies, I mean no offense."

The rambling goes on for some time in this way. Presently, the crux of the issue comes forth. "Anyway, it's all rather suspicious, which is why quite naturally I've had all ears on that little planet of yours for quite some time now. And my agents have finally gathered up some news I think you may find interesting: aura spice! Yes, we've some strong evidence that aura spice is passing through Townowi, possibly even being mined there. If true, there is no wonder the Empire does not want the Trade Guild nosing around."

Aura spice is one of the great rare commodities of the galaxy: at once it is a decadent luxury, a mental amplifier, and a crucial component in the science of star travel and energy technology. Whole religions have sprung up around its mystical and mysterious position. So far as you know, aura spice was never mined on Townowi.

Aay Zavos leans forward and plays his cards fully. "I need to send someone to Townowi to find out what is going on. You all have the advantage of familiarity: two of you hail from the world, and a third has served with its people." Here he nods to Soont, Gore and Mole. "I suggest the Jedi here will be a valuable asset on any mission, having recently fought in the Kessilian Wars," he adds with a glance to Seren.

"You will have to use stealth. I have arranged a Trade ship to arrive at the system to trade goods, which wasn't easy, you know. You will pose as crew members, smuggle yourselves onto the world—you'll have travel papers forged to make this easier, it's difficult getting past Imperial patrols without them—and uncover whatever confirmation you can of an aura spice trade. You will be… suitably… rewarded, of course. Have we got a deal?" Aay Zavos covertly slides four heavy, gilt credit slabs across the table toward you, each worth a thousand credits (gp).

(You may freely introduce your characters, and ask any questions IC or OOC regarding any part of this sequence of events)

[gurusql]

Soont

"If indeed this information holds true, it becomes imperative for the Dai Ashla to delve deeper into the matter in order to safeguard the welfare of the flock. This entails conducting a thorough investigation, gathering credible evidence, and uncovering if the Empire is causing a threat to the locals. Count me in."

[Rex]

Gore

"I am in, need some work anyways. I know of no spice mining happening in the Townowi System. It seems that would be difficult to hide. Does your intelligence give us any places to start looking?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Mole Daver nods at the wise comments already broached.

The odd looking yellow skinned woman (with a pair of long tendrils protruding from the back of her skull) from Nephren-Ka raises her eyes towards representative Zavos after his "parochial little planet" comment, but decides to let it slide this time.

"Tell us master Zavos......have you accounted for those of us who don't exactly......look the part?"

"Will we have a contact person to meet with on the planet? Or is the investigation considered our own once we land?"

[Dicey]

Ceren, jedi padawan

“Aye Aay, the spice most flow,” said Ceren, taking one of the gilt credit slabs from Aay Zavos.

“It is good to see you all again,” the jedi said, nodding to his past companions Soont, Gore and Mole.

“If we confirm your suspicions that spice is being mined or passed through Townowi, is there other action to be taken besides intelligence gathering?” Ceren asked Aay Zavos.




Figured I’d use a picture too!

King Syndicate Flash on board?

[Starbeard]

Mole Daver
"Tell us master Zavos......have you accounted for those of us who don't exactly......look the part?"

"Will we have a contact person to meet with on the planet? Or is the investigation considered our own once we land?"

Ceren, jedi padawan
“If we confirm your suspicions that spice is being mined or passed through Townowi, is there other action to be taken besides intelligence gathering?” Ceren asked Aay Zavos.

Aay Zavos smiles philanthropically and nods. "Of course, dear lady, of course! I daresay you should all find yourselves as inconspicuous as you choose to be. Before the annexation, Townowi was a port of call on the trade routes toward the Outlands, and some of that traffic still passes through even under watchful Imperial eyes: as they say, 'Trade Must'. However, since the Empire seems determined to keep the Galactic Trade Guild out of the picture, I daresay the spacing types you will find in the system will be both colorful and… not always reputable. The Imperial overlords may turn a blind eye to the ones they favor, and terrorize ones they dislike; I trust you will be cautious."



For the first time all evening, Aay Zavos drops his typical smug ambassadorial demeanor and assumes a dire, conspiratorial expression. His sallow eyes stare wide at no one in particular. "Our only lead is that shipments supposedly of aura spice have left the system from either of its two major starports: the capitol city of Mol Quarry, and Port Hober, from rural locations undisclosed. Your local contact will be Namran Path, a merchant in Port Hober. I would suggest you start there. Find as much evidence as you can, and thwart them if you can. Your bonuses will be doubled if you can sabotage their operation." From experience, you cannot quite tell if this is a man who truly hates the Empire, or is simply and spitefully unwilling to lose to anyone.

"Operate as you will, and when you are satisfied, you may give word to Namran and we will have a ship to retrieve you as soon as possible. Oh, and one last thing: you will need to find your own transport around the planet. Subjugated colonies are notorious for making travel difficult, and you aren't likely to get any unauthorized vehicles out of the starports. Here's another 8,000 credits for whatever expenses you have, as an advance. I trust you will find your payments and bonuses satisfactory." The encrypted datapads you look over show that, aside from the 4,000 up front, the group is due to receive an additional 20,000 for completing the mission (deducting the 8,000 advance), and up to another 20,000 in bonuses for going beyond the call of duty.

The Trader baron suddenly reverts back to his former self, as though the conversation had never happened. "A ship will be ready as soon as you are. Now! I see the Lassithian shell fish are being served. You really must try them, you know. Quite the delicacy. Quick, to the tables before those blasted generals eat it all."

Figured I’d use a picture too!

King Syndicate Flash on board?

Absolutely!

[Rex]

Gore

Gore gets up with Aay and moves towards the food with a grin. "A place to start anyways." Louder for everyone to hear, "The food smells excellent ambassador."

[OGRE MAGE]

Mole Daver moves towards the food with the others, concerned about how easy it seems for this Zavos to change his tone as he does.

She spends the next little while attempting to eavesdrop on any conversations that might produce important information as she picks through her Lassithian shellfish.

Any rolls needed for this?

[Starbeard]

Any rolls needed for this?

No need. Mole Daver listens attentively, keeping the corner of her eye on Aay Zavos. His reputation is not evil, but he is clearly a master politician and businessman, a chameleon working toward his own ends. The Chrome Companies have old blood, from the aristocracies of the Republic, and so far they are the only faction powerful enough to challenge the Empire's excesses and get away with it. The fact alone that the Empire hasn't dared to occupy Ophuchi, and that Jedi warriors are quietly harbored here, speaks to the affiliations of Zavos and his colleagues.

Judging from the rest of the room, you get a sense of urgency, perhaps even worry—a growing realization among the Guild that this cannot last forever, and eventually even the Chrome Companies will have to buckle before the Empire. The guests of honor that Zavos and the brass are so keen to court are a fairly primitive species, gliding bat creatures from a resource-rich system locked in civil war, with the other side sponsored by an enterprising Imperial Governor. The Chrome Company admirals seem concerned that any extra Imperial outposts in that sector would dissolve whatever influence the Guild still has there.

[Dicey]

Ceren did not eat too much Lassithian shell fish, as shell fish gave him gas. The jedi padawan circulated among the dinner crowd.

Are we assumed to know what aura spice looks like and how it is processed (i.e. the equipment needed), to identity hidden factories or mines. If not, can we get briefed on such?

[Starbeard]

Good question, and frankly I'm not sure. Let's make it up now. It's clearly based on melange, and clearly morphed into Khyber crystals and eventually mystical lightsabers, so let's say…

Aura spice is a heavy mineral that glows white, or blue if ground correctly into a powder. When incorrectly ground it glows red, and is dangerous to ingest. The raw form of the mineral is usually found in particolored veins, where most of the vein is useless but small geodes embedded in the vein contain the vital mineral. The tools required involve a table-sized, precision laser milling device specially designed to create spice powder. Mills powered by rare kaiburr crystals create the most potent spice imaginable.

[gurusql]

Soont

Soont will enjoy the food and will ask, "Do we have an image of this table-sized, precision laser milling device - just to memorize not take with us.?"

[Starbeard]

Soont

Soont will enjoy the food and will ask, "Do we have an image of this table-sized, precision laser milling device - just to memorize not take with us.?"

"Oh of course, of course," replies Zavos. "I will send you on a tour through our own spice workshops here in Trebbunt, if you think it will help you fulfill your duties. Just inform my aide robot over there, and it will arrange all the details." He waves his arm nonchalantly over to an aloof looking C-3 class android waiting patiently in the corner, its chrome body plates glimmering with the faintest trace of teal pigmentation.



"Greetings," pipes diplomatic robot. Its gyrostabilizers whir soothingly. "I am See-Three Dee-Three, Human-Cyborg Relations. Master Zevos suggests a tour of the city's spice processing facilities? Right this way. I'm somewhat of an expert on aura spice, among other things. My memory banks store detailed chemical information for over seven hundred known naturally occurring variations in the mineral. I think you will find the processing plant here in Trebbunt quite captivating." The aloof android leads you through the labyrinthine web of glass halls connecting Trebbunt's glittering towers and domes, down several elevators capsules, and into the facility.



The piercing scent of the processed aura spice is immediately felt, almost enough to feel like needle pricks in the nose. Small handheld capsules of glowing mineral powder line one wall. Taking the offer to handle a sample, you find the capsule far heavier than expected. "The mineral is incredibly dense. Even after evaporating most of its mass, a standard capsule still weighs ten pounds."

Several work areas are scattered around the room, with 'droids and a few people slowly at work in oversized protective helmets. Two of them are huge, comically classical contraptions with conveyer belts weaving through pipes and gizmos up to the ceiling. Others are smaller; a couple of them as small as a workbench or two. "As you can see, enough raw spice comes through this system to warrant Kessilian-scale processors," See-Three Dee-Three remarks proudly, then adds with a hint of diffidence, "though, the size is not so much for quantity, but quality. Traditional workstations cannot adequately handle some of the mutations and defects that are found in raw spice throughout the galaxy. Though 87.8% of the time, they have no issues."

You then spend some time speaking with the trained smelters and evaporators, walking through demonstrations of the basic principles in taking the raw ore and distilling it into a purified powder of aura spice. A single nugget could take as long as three days to prepare safely.

You now have all the knowledge needed to recognize spice in all of its stages, the tools required, the probabilities of risk and danger, and a basic understanding of how to process it in ideal circumstances with fair chances of success.

Is there anything else you would like to do on Ophuchi before you head out to your destination?

[Rex]

Gore

All set.

[gurusql]

Soont

Soont will thank both the host and robot for the tour. I am ready to go.

[Dicey]

Ceren the jedi watched with interest the production techniques in this manufacturing metropolis of spice.

In a private moment sometime during the socializing, Ceren discretely asked Aay Zavos if he could sample the aura spice. “I suspect it could open my mind to a deeper understanding of the Force, and better prepare me for the mission.”

[OGRE MAGE]

Mole Daver is also fascinated by the many different techniques and procedures the spice must go through before it flows.

“I am curious what effect this spice would have on someone such as myself.”

[Dicey]

…
In a private moment sometime during the socializing, Ceren discretely asked …

Perhaps I was too subtle, but the question was in a private moment when no one would hear. It didn’t appear others would have asked otherwise.

[OGRE MAGE]

I have edited my post, hopefully to your satisfaction.