Clone Wars Campaign: Session Recap # 42

This was the penultimate session in the story arc which pitted the PCs against Purity First for control of Mongui. It started off with a bang (literally) when Bel Sekand tried to flee the planet; although the coast was clear, his surprising sentimentality delayed his escape just long enough for Purity First warships to get into position. The player running Bel had a choice as his freighter reached the edge of the atmosphere and saw a small capital ship directly ahead: try to race past it at top speed to get into position for a hyperspace jump immediately, or take a more oblique angle and be fired upon by small star fighters while staying out of the range of the capital ship. The player chose the first course of action and his movement took his ship directly adjacent to the capital ship. It all came down to a single attack roll; if the capital ship misses, Bel lives to fight another day. But if it hits . . .

On behalf of the capital ship’s turbolaser batteries, I rolled a natural 20 critical hit and Bel and his freighter were destroyed a few times over. Them’s the dice.

Planetside, this was a very soapy session for Arresta and Stefan. There was bickering, making up, more bickering, scheming, strange dreams, contact from a former lover, a memory wipe, and then then they went to blow some stuff up. (admittedly that last one isn’t particularly soapy, unless we’re talking Sonny and Claudia on GH).

The big assault on the Purity First communications tower was fun, but not as challenging as I had planned. Stupid ascension guns. They were the bane of all kinds of exciting things I intended to do throughout the campaign, because they removed all challenge of climbing (and made the Climb skill pretty useless). I had a bunch of cunning traps set up inside the tower and it was completely bypassed by the players who, at this point, were justifiably paranoid.

SESSION # 42

The battle for Mongui has taken a dark turn. After the nearly bloodless rescue of Bel Sekand, an attack on the city-state’s main power plant has resulted in a massive crater and a radioactive cloud. Now, as the inhabitants of Mongui react to these sudden changes, the rebels regroup in the sewers beneath the city. With civilian casualties mounting, just how far will they go for victory?

Corinne & Krevlax guide Bel Sekand through the sewers to the spaceport. Their destination is a scene of chaos as people attempt to flee the planet before a Purity First curfew is imposed. Corinne tells Bel that he’s a better man than he gives himself credit for, and that if the stars align they’ll meet again. Bel makes his goodbyes and reaches his ship, where Kelsa Tamarand is waiting with the engines warm. The pilot refuses to lift-off, however, because Stefan Cassadine’s veiled threats are foremost in his mind. Bel yanks the terrified pilot out of the seat and takes the controls of the Rakish Charm himself. The sensor operator reports that they have a clear shot to orbit and beyond Mongui’s gravity well if they leave immediately, but Bel has resolved to free the prisoners he met while on the “inside”. His piloting skills are a bit rusty, however, and the ship lifts off with a lurch and then scrapes along the closing hanger doors of the starport.

Out over the city, Bel sees for the first time the devastation wrought by the attack on the power plant. Undeterred, he quickly heads to the prison and blasts holes in the walls, through which several prisoners escape and come onboard. Once the cargo bay is full, Bel takes the ship into orbit. However, the delay allows elements of the Purity First fleet to cut him off: IRDs pepper the Rakish Charm with laser blasts while a small capital ship (an IPV-1 System Patrol Craft) launches concussion missiles and turbolaser volleys. Bel pours on speed and manages to avoid the worst of the barrage until he decides his only chance at escape is to fly right by the IPV-1 and escape into hyperspace.

As the Rakish Charm approaches, it receives transmissions from a cowled figure who appears to have metallic jaws. He calls Bel a thorn in his heel who is now scurrying off like a rat, and invites the Ansion crimelord to beg for his life. Bel dismisses the notion out of hand and continues his bold manuever, but just as it looks like he might escape, the Purity First frigate unleashes a full broadside. The Rakish Charm takes the turbolaser barrage at point blank range and suffers cataclysmic damage. As the ship begins to break apart and klaxons wail, Bel realizes the freighter and his escape are doomed. He uses all of his skill to steer the freighter directly into the bridge of the IPV-1. A tremendous explosion results and escape pods begin to rain down on Mongui.

Meanwhile, the Cassadines, Doxen, and Array flee through the sewers and manage to avoid a Purity First patrol (which, unknown to them, is actually searching for Bel Sekand). Above them, the city has gone into lockdown. Doxen is distracted by the strong sense that he is feeling the pain of someone else and ends up leading them in circles. Arresta remains quite cold towards her husband and he begins to become frustrated with her. Array receives a communication, with rendezvous coordinates, from what could only be a fellow Clone Commando. Eventually, the group makes it back to the salvage yard. Doxen scouts ahead and finds Corinne and her people celebrating the successful rescue of Bel. After a time, Array suggests that it is safe to move ahead, but Stefan prefers to wait. Arresta agrees with Array and Stefan grabs her arm and tells her to stop behaving this way. Array pulls a gun and Arresta quickly tells him that while she appreciates the support, she is fine. Stefan accuses her of having yet another “admirer”.

Corinne and Arresta update each other on their various missions. Corinne questions Arresta regarding the destruction at the power plant, reminding her that she plans to be the ruler of a planet, not a graveyard. Arresta admits to her sister that she had not expected the explosion; she had misconstrued the plan and believed they were overloading the computer – not the reactor. Corinne eyes her brother-in-law over her sister’s shoulder and cautions Arresta to be careful about what she has gotten herself into.

Suddenly, Arresta is overwhelmed with a feeling of tremendous pain, which she understands to be Tarn, reaching out to her again. She senses that he is overcome with a sensation of crushing defeat and mental agony transmitted to her through the power of the Force. Arresta cries out and collapses to her knees and Stefan rushes to her side, calling for a medic. She is unable to speak to her husband; she has focused all of her mental energy on using the tremulous connection to send Tarn her love and to exhort him to hold on. She attempts to obtain some sense of his location, but a new, unknown force suddenly interferes, breaking the connection between them. Exhausted, mentally over-whelmed and feeling helpless to do anything for Tarn, Arresta panics and beings to hyperventilate, ultimately requiring sedation. Doxen suggests to a concerned Stefan that, since Doxen too, suffered something similar, that perhaps this is new weapon developed by Purity First. Stefan is sceptical, especially when blood tests are negative for radiation poisoning or other toxins. Still, disturbed by his wife’s collapse, he sets out on a private mission, promising to return later. He asks Doxen to watch over her.

Meanwhile, Array takes advantage of the distraction to retrieve the stolen IRD and to contact the saboteur Blinky, setting up a meeting to retrieve his weapons. As he flies across the city, he notices a number of small ships landing at the spaceport but cannot get close enough to identify them. After flying closer, he identifies them as escape pods, but also attracts the attention of Purity First patrols. Unable to provide the daily password, they give chase and he barely evades them. He meets with Blinky and advises the saboteur to lay low. Blinky, nervous at being in the open with the stolen IRD, declares it to be a “bad vibe” and runs off.

Array now heads off to a secret rendezvous but is unable to avoid the attention of the IRDs. He is forced to ditch the IRD and make his way on foot to the now abandoned market gardens. There he meets with Kom’rk (Null-6) a member of G.A.R. Clone Intelligence. Kom’rk has been working with Kal Skirata and Walon Vau to track mysterious transfers from the Republic Treasury and G.A.R. Appropriations budgets. Kom’rk says he’s tracked several million credits sent to a man named Pedron Rhiall on Mongui. He also tells Array that it appears as though someone is funding a second Army of the Republic and things appear to be coming to a head. A plan is being developed to help those clones who wish to escape get to a safe place. Array is advised to let his brothers know when he is ready to get out.

Back at the scavenger yard, Arresta regains consciousness and discovers Stefan is absent. She takes the opportunity to speak to Doxen privately. He suggests to her his theory that this is a Purity First weapon, but she disagrees, believing it to be much more personal – at least for her. She suggests that they contact A’tel at the earliest opportunity to see if he has experienced anything odd – perhaps this has something to do with the anomaly. She advises Doxen that she may depart at some point (in fact, her intelligence network gathered her information regarding a freighter willing to take passengers off planet.) She tells him that, since she knows he wants to learn from Stefan, that she will understand if he needs to stay out of it. He tells her that he thinks that Tarn is not worth all the trouble he continues to cause, but although he disapproves, it doesn’t mean he would let her go off into danger alone.

[A.G. 1011]

As dawn breaks on Mongui, Stefan Cassadine has not yet returned, and Arresta is growing concerned. Her intelligence contact, who is among Corinne’s men, draws her attention to strange happenings outside while updating her that Purity First has announced that the Grand Inquisitor himself is journeying to the planet in response to the acts of rebellion. Their first move appears to be purging the outskirts of the city, burning buildings and chanelling the inhabitants into the city proper via Purity First checkpoints. A curfew has been established, keeping all indoors except for a few hours per day and all ships have been grounded. Public broadcasts blame the problems on acts of terrorism by Stefan Cassadine, his wife Arresta and her sister Corinne….

Realizing that the resistance is at risk of being spotted in the scavenger yard, the ringleaders take refuge in the sewer and later move to a safehouse within the city. As they journey, they realize Purity First has begun to weld manhole covers shut and install gates to block tunnels. Stefan comlinks that he is safe but trapped by the curfew. Arresta takes advantage of the time away from her husband to write him a letter which she plans to leave for him in the event that she needs to depart suddenly. The datapad is encrypted for her use only.

Stefan returns that evening and the team begins the next strategy session. Corinne and Lt. Jaarza take control of the propaganda campaign, which is designed to lay the blame for the blackout on Purity First and stir up resentment towards the organization. Arresta is to lead the team that will destroy the communications tower (to keep Purity Force from countering propaganda or calling in reinforcements), while Stefan leads a “distraction” at the starport. Unknown to some members, such as Krevlax, Stefan actually plans to destroy Mongui’s imported food and water supply (which is stored aboard several large tanker ships) by having The Knife’s Edge “surrender” so that Siege Commander Korg can come down the gangplank with guns blazing. During the meeting, Arresta continues to question Stefan’s authority. He pulls her aside and asks what it will take for her to forgive him. He offers regret for the things that “may have happened”, which Arresta refuses to accept as a valid apology. She again questions his love for her which he vehemently protests, claiming that was never in question. He also requests that she stop undermining his leadership. She admits she should be supporting him in public and agrees to allow him back into her bed so that they can present a united front to the team.

Arresta, Doxen, Array and Krevlax develop tactics for the attack on the communications facility. Arresta and Doxen will get to the roof, using ascension guns and then Doxen will plant the thermal detonator that Arresta obtained on Nar Shadda at the base of the tower in order to topple it. Array and Krevlax will provide a distraction at the front of the building.

[A.G. 1012]

While waiting for frustration over the power loss to percolate among the masses, Doxen, Arresta and Array search the sewers for the still-missing Korkoth but are unable to locate him.

[A.G. 1013]

The next evening, the teams prepare to depart. Arresta unintentionally sparks a fury in her husband when she kisses him good-bye. Her whispered “Because we used to love each other” is taken by Stefan to mean that she no longer cares for him. She claims that she does love him, but tells him that he is smothering her. She needs to be free to make her own decisions and to figure out where she wants to be. She claims that she still does not believe that he loves her for who she is. Stefan, clearly frustrated that she refuses to accept the truth of his feelings or his stated plans for their future, angrily tells her that she is making their marriage a trial.

When darkness falls, the strike team sets out for the communications tower. With Doxen sticking to the shadows and scouting ahead on the mostly deserted streets, the team has little difficulty evading Purity First patrols. The four-story communications building appears to have only one guard in front of it. Doxen manages to hotwire an unattended speeder, which Array promptly crashes into the front door as full speed. Krevlax follows close behind and attacks the guard, but his first punch is so powerful his fist breaks through the duraplast wall and becomes stuck for a few seconds. Array readies a grenade for the moment Krevlax is free.

Meanwhile, having heard the crash at the front of the building, Arresta and Doxen attempt to make it onto the roof. Although only one guard is present (an elite Purity First Inquisitor), he didn’t fall for the distraction and cuts the cord to Doxen’s ascension gun, dropping the sniper to the ground hard. Arresta, following close behind, manages to scramble up and engage the Inquisitor in combat so that Doxen is able to climb up as well. Purity First is quickly knocked back on its heels by their success—although a trap had been planned inside the building, the xenophobic group’s forces are now torn between fighting on the rooftop and maintaining their defensive positions inside. Still, as the trio of antagonists trade shots, the Inquisitor receives back-up in the form of a full phalanx of troops which emerge from a rooftop access hatch.

Down below, Krevlax spots a tank in the distance and, his blood pumping with fury at the memory of his mistreatment by Purity First, charges straight towards it. The tank opens fire, but Krevlax shows astounding speed and reflexes. He leaps on top of the tank and, muscles straining, rips off the crew hatch. Within moments, both crewmen are being crushed in Krevlax’s powerful arms. When their limp bodies fall to the ground, the Anx claims the tank as a trophy.

Back near the building, Array continues to trade blows with the front door guard. The two seem evenly matched, and each loses their primary weapon during the struggle. However, Array is prepared with a back-up vibroblade and slays the guard with a brutal slash to the throat.

High above them, Doxen carefully sets the thermal detonator while Arresta trades fire with the phalanx and Inquisitor to keep them at bay. Afraid to give Purity First any chance to stop him, Doxen ignites the thermal detonator almost immediately and the tower is rocked by an explosion. It begins to lean but several support struts remain standing. Concentrating fire as Doxen directs, Arresta users her blasters to finish the job and, just as the tower crashes down, she and Doxen manage to make their escape. The vaunted soldiers of Purity First, once reputed to be invincible, have again been soundly out-witted and out-fought by a small group of determined rebels.

Thousands of parsecs and some days away, meanwhile, Daal awakens on the otherwise deserted lifeboat of the Sun Runner II. He feels terrible, can’t remember how he got there, and his medical condition appears to have worsened. The viewport shows the distinctive streaks of hyperspace and a check of the ship’s nav-computer eventually reveals that it has been making a series of jumps along a course unknown to him. As his memories slowly begin to return, he remembers being on a strange world with darkened skies, with lightning arcing across the sky and geysers of rock thrown into the air, where strange cloaked figures hovered above the ground. He recalls a voice saying “This one shall be returned—his coming here was involuntary, and he has not long to live in any event.”. He recalls Tarn and Jocasta fighting back to back and the voice saying “These we will keep – they may prove amusing”. When the lifeboat drops out of hyperspace near Geonosis, Daal manages to override the pre-programmed jump sequence and decides to lay in a course for Etti IV in the Corporate Sector.

Aboard the Republic Acclamator Majestic, A’tel Por’Ten has been placed in a terrible dilemma. Reports of war crimes have reached the ears of the G.A.R. and someone high up in the Supreme Chancellor’s office wants the malefactors brought to justice. Unfortunately, the accused are the Cassadines, Array, and Doxen. A’tel is ordered by Admiral Wav to lure his former companions to a place where they can be arrested. A’tel tries to get assurances that they will be treated fairly and receive a trial, but the Admiral admits that these are strange times and that due process seems to be going by the wayside. A’tel reluctantly accedes and sends a message to Arresta, asking her and the others to meet him on Coruscant.

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