Clone Wars Campaign: Recap # 16

This was the second session in the big Coruscant trial story arc. It was an interesting experiment for me as a director, as I didn't have a fixed adventure or encounters set up because I wanted to give the players as much freedom as possible to gather evidence for their case and role-play their characters in "civilian" life. I tried to give Coruscant its due as the capital of known civilization, since the previous story arcs had been mostly set on fringe worlds. I think it worked fairly well, though the session could probably have used a little more action (a problem I would remedy in the next one). There was a lot of secret stuff going on between players, so as usual I've redacted anything pertaining to the two characters who are still in the campaign (Marpa & Arresta).

This session is also the first for the character Natany, who was the replacement character for the anomaly-trapped 8P-MD-4. Natany was of the species called the Ryn, who seem from their description in the book to be space-gypsies with an odd species trait: an incredibly pungent smell. Natany & Zero quickly took to each other, in part because they were both scoundrels and probably in part because their players were good friends.

Update (June 11, 2012):  I've now added in the material that was kept secret between the players.  Here, we see Arresta putting her plan to romance Tarn for information into motion, and Marpa begin his elaborate plotting to escape from the watchful eyes of the Judicials and war crimes charges hanging over his head.


Episode 2.4, "Capital Offenses", Session 2

Forced to remain on Coruscant while their trial for war crimes draws nearer, members of the group enjoy a brief respite from the rigors of space travel. Tarn continues his training at the Jedi Temple, coming home each night bruised and bloodied. Arresta has become an instant celebrity and spends her days in Coruscant's upscale shopping districts, while Marpa is rarely seen without his jumpsuit covered in oil and grease. Zero, a new addition to their ranks, has rarely been in contact as he presumably tracks down leads and gathers evidence. Speculation runs rampant in the holosphere: can the accused work together to mount an effective defence, or do their futures lie in a Republic penal colony?
[103 AG]

Three standard weeks have passed since the funeral escapade. Arresta has become something of a tabloid star, Marpa busies himself tinkering with droids, Tarn continues his training at the Jedi Temple, and Zero hits the pavement to gather evidence for the upcoming trial. Zero's time has been well-spent, as he learns that the prosecutor is rumored to have a secret "star witness" stowed away. Tarn's lessons with Jedi Knight Horellius Creen have proven unusual. Days spent organizing dusty old scrolls is touted as a lesson in patience and the value of learning about one's enemies, while weeks of brutal hand-to-hand combat training with Clone troopers is stated to be "preparation for what comes next."

Some days, while ostensibly "shopping" or "hitting the nightclubs", Arresta goes undercover to gather information and call in favors.  She learns the location of Greesh Leedo, a way to reprogram the adjudicator droid, a potential way to blackmail the prosecutor, and background information on Tarn, Marpa, and holojournalist Erelea Cadal.  She also begins slipping Tarn an aphrodisiac, sets up an "assassination attempt", and arranges for threatening letters to be sent to herself.

On the evening of 103 AG, Tarn comes back to the apartment he shares with Arresta, bruised and bloodied from training, as has become the pattern in recent weeks. Arresta reluctantly shares with him several threatening letters accusing her of being a Separatist and murderer. Later that night, a sleeping Arresta is attacked by a reprogrammed housekeeping droid. She trades blaster fire with the droid as Tarn cuts through two doors with his lightsaber and then strikes it down from behind. Marpa is called in to examine the remnants of the droid and decides to take it back with him for analysis. Tarn conducts a thorough search of Arresta's drawers and then spends the night sleeping in her closet.

[104 AG]

The next morning, everyone travels to the Judicial Center to meet with Doolb Snoil to discuss progress on the case. Snoil introduces Natany Ossikine, a Ryn friend of Zero's hired to assist with the investigation. Little is accomplished before Arresta asks to end the meeting early because she isn't feeling well.
After the meeting, Arresta, Tarn, and Marpa meet at Marpa's workship to discuss their frustration with the pace of the investigation and their distrust of the investigators hired by Snoil.
Arresta later brings Marpa her protocol droid for analysis, and tells Marpa about the possibility of reprogramming the adjudicator droid or bribing the prosecutor. The two decide to wait for now.

Marpa analyzes the assassin droid and discovers it's a model manufactured by a company called Publictechnic on the planet Sennat, distributed and maintained locally only by an operation named "Grigg's Droid Warehouse & Repair Service".  The protocol droid shows nothing unusual.

Tarn secretly meets with Laruse Hyak, the Black Sun agent who had contacted him earlier. Tarn learns that Bel Sekand still expects him to carry out his end of the deal and incapacitate Greesh Leedo. Tarn is told he'll be informed the next time Black Sun gets a fix on the assassin's location. Later, at the Jedi Temple, Tarn verifies that Doolb Snoil really is a lawyer hired by the Order.
Natany and Zero see Prosecutor Rap-Seri wait for several cabs to pass before getting into a six-seat red-topped model. Natany spends the evening in military bars trying to gather information on any connection between the Republic and the Both sector, but has little success. Zero meets with Senator Orm Mandell and gathers a few clues.

[105 AG]

Everyone attends another meeting with Doolb Snoil. A list of possible enemies is discussed, the two investigators are assigned leads to follow, and Snoil agrees to contact a list of potential witnesses. After the meeting, Marpa attends a hearing before the adjudicator droid for permission to buy certain armed droids under heavy limitations, while Tarn and Arresta have lunch with Senator Orm Mandell and are invited to a masquerade ball to be held at the Coruscant Opera House. Tarn subsequently contacts Jedi Knight Sarigar to ask for his help in investigating the refugee ship Mercy's Errand, but is brusquely turned aside. Meanwhile, Natany stealthily follows Prosecutor Rap-Seri and learns the location of his apartment, while Zero leaves a message for Intergalactic News anchor Zax Barton.

Marpa uses some underworld connections and meets with a Kaminoan named Je' Taru at the Outlander nightclub about the cost of plastic surgery and removing his subdermal tracker.  Je' Taru quotes a price of 20,000 credits (including fingerprint and retinal mod, but not DNA ID treatment), but is willing to do it just for expenses if Marpa is willing to make a delivery for him.  They agree to speak more at another time.

[106 AG]

During a conference call, Doolb Snoil reports on the defence witness list: Padawan Lee, Ignatius D'avilos, and Clone Commandos Deuce, Trips, and Quaddie are all confirmed to appear; Saala of Bothawui is unconfirmed, while Ycram Notwal and I-5YQ cannot be found. He goes on to remind them that witnesses cannot be asked questions that would violate Republic security by revealing confidential details of military operations.

Later that night, Natany and Zero trick an elderly woman into allowing them access to the floor of the building where Prosecutor Rap-Seri's apartment lies. Zero shoots out a security camera in the hallway and Natany tries to pick Rap-Seri's door lock but is forced to give up in frustration. Surprised by a security guard in the elevator, Zero quickly draws his blaster and stuns the guard into unconsciousness. The two then make their escape and flee into the night.

[107 AG]

Marpa makes a deal with Zero and Natany: in exchange for two thousand credits, the two investigators will buy a blaster pistol and an ion pistol (forbidden to Marpa) and then secretly leave them in Marpa's workshop.  The plan is carried through without a hitch.

Marpa secures mainframe time at Coruscant University's Comp-Sci Laboratory and begins to analyze the massacre holovid for authenticity. Zero and Natany book passage aboard a tramp freighter and take off for Bothawui. Arresta buys an expensive gown in preparation for the ball, but Tarn emphasizes to her that "Jedi Don't Dance."

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