This session saw a group of villains stun an old lady, shoot innocent technicians in cold blood, and set a civilian power plant to overload, bathing a chunk of the city in deadly radiation. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to the PCs. Were this D&D, I'm guessing "Lawful Good" would not be their alignment. As the director, I felt a little like Palpatine luring Anakin to the Dark Side of the Force. What fun!
Other highlights included: the idea of a Gammorrean being greased up with oil in order to squeeze through a narrow vent; an Ewok shooting down starfighters with his sniper rifle (I do what the rules tell me . . .), and, because karma apparently operates even at the gaming table, the player who shot at the bound, unarmed technician rolled a natural 1, and the critical fumble table indicated he had blinded himself. I had fun improvising exactly how that happened.
Devotees of the The Wheel of Time will recognize yet another swipe in the leashed Force-wielders.
Korkoth and the never-seen-again Blinky were NPCs given over to a player since his character (Krevlax) was (chronologically) still at the prison break from last session.
SESSION # 41
The battle for Mongui has begun. From their hidden base in a scavenging yard, the new resistance has split into two teams – one found surprising success in saving noted crime lord Bel Sekand from the hangman’s noose, while the other plans to destroy the civilian power plant. However, Marshall General Pedron Rhiall has faced setbacks before and ultimately triumphed. Already, his thoughts turn to plans for a counter-attack…
Having retrieved their possessions from The Rakish Charm, Arresta and Stefan Cassadine reconvene with Array, Doxen and Korkoth back at the Scavenger Yard. They review their strategy one last time: The Cassadines will make their way to the rendezvous point above ground, while the others travel via the sewers. Once they arrive, Array, wearing the armour of a Purity First soldier will attempt to gain access to the facility in order to open the blast door. Once that is accomplished, Arresta will make her way inside to handle the computer, while Doxen, Stefan, Korkoth and Array will hold the line outside. Just before they depart, one of Corinne’s resistance fighters, who is also secretly a member of Arresta’s personal intelligence network, provides her with an update. Arresta shares the news that Purity First has unleashed two new experimental weapons programs in response to the actions of the new resistance (the attempt to free slaves on the city’s outskirts, multiple attempted landings by unknown ships and the attack on the mining facility outside the city).
Arresta and Stefan make their way across the surface of the city. Given the fear that she might be recognized, Arresta dons dark glasses and pins her hair up to obscure her appearance. This appears to pay off when a passersby momentarily appears to find her familiar, but then turns away. Moments later, they notice a fleeing Bothan slave running towards them, with Purity First guards shouting for the civilians to stop the escapee. Thinking quickly, Arresta pretends to faint into Stefan’s arms to avoid assisting in the capture. One of the guards runs past to take down the Bothan, but the other stops to make sure that Arresta is alright. Once she assures him that she is fine, he departs. The Cassadines continue to the power plant without further incident. Once there, they meet a demolitions and computer expert that Stefan had privately arranged to join them. Arresta continues to be frustrated that Stefan has not included her in his plans and the estranged couple waits for their friends in an uncomfortable silence.
When Doxen, Korkoth and Array set out to enter the sewers, they must first contend with a stubborn manhole cover, which refuses to budge until Doxen contrives a make-shift pry bar. Once the cover is removed, a new problem presents itself: Doxen and Array can easily fit through the narrow opening, but Korkoth’s larger size will make it difficult. He grunts and decides to grease himself up with oil he finds laying around the yard and is thus able to squeeze himself through. The map they were provided by Lt. Jaarza leads them to a small crack in the wall which is again challenging to the bulky Korkoth. With Array pulling from the front and Doxen pushing from behind he pops through like a cork from a bottle.
On the other side, they find a fast moving river of noxious waste that they must cross to continue on their way. Doxen uses Array’s ascension gun to swing himself over to the other side, carrying a rope. The plan is for Korkoth to climb across the rope, but he is not agile enough to land on the other side and tumbles into the “river”. The current is powerful and he is instantly swept away from his companions. With Korkoth getting further away every second, Array bravely leaps into the river himself, and attempts to throw the Gammorean a rope. Unfortunately, Korkoth ends up pulled into a room where the water is collecting in a deep pool – and where strange ripples in the water indicate that he is not alone. Managing to avoid the tentacles that seek to grab hold of him, he finally pulls himself from the river – alive, but cut off from his companions. Korkoth contacts Doxen, but they are unable to communicate so he reaches out to Arresta. She tells him to find an exit, but to stay put so as not to reveal his location. She informs her husband that they will be a man down during the attack on the reactor.
Meanwhile, Array pulls himself from the river and joins Doxen on the other side. When they emerge from the sewer, they encounter “Blinky” the saboteur that Stefan had hired to assist them in the attack. Array, who is garbed as a member of Purity First, arranges for Blinky to carry his guns but finds his encounter with the newcomer frustrating, as the saboteur has a relaxed attitude which angers the serious clone. Doxen seeks out a place of concealment to set up a sniping position. Realizing that he would be best-placed inside an apartment, he enters stealthily and carefully stuns the lone occupant – an elderly woman who he ties up to keep out of the way. Just as Stefan prepares to give the word to commence the operation, reinforcements arrive for Purity First – in the person of a human guard, wearing a metallic bracelet attached to three cable-like leashes – each one leading to an alien who kneels at his feet, awaiting his commands. The team quickly decides that the “leash-holder” should be the target of their attack.
Array stumbles across the busy road, insisting to the regular gate guard that he was attacked by “Xenons” in the sewers. His story is swallowed whole by the guard, who escorts him inside. As the door opens, Stefan gives the word, and taking his wife by the hand, he dashes across the road. Doxen readies his weapons to fire once the attack begins and Blinky slowly makes his own way across. Stefan feints that he is there to deliver a code cylinder, which, when the leash-holder reaches for it, is revealed to be a poison-coated dagger. Despite being concerned at the odds her husband is facing, Arresta draws her slug-thrower pistols and dashes inside, where she startles the two guards who are waiting with Array. She begins to fire on the guards, while Array tries to steal a weapon. When that fails, Arresta tosses a pistol to Array and makes her way over to the computers to begin the hack.
With Array still inside and out of position, Doxen and Stefan are facing down the Purity First leash holder and his three Xenon prisoners – one of whom is revealed as a force user. Luckily, the two assassins are up for the challenge, concentrating their attack on the one holding the leash. When he falls, two of the Xenons die with him, leaving only a stunned Wookie. Blinky makes his way over and assists Stefan in removing the leash from the dead guard and unhooking the two dead aliens. Stefan puts the leash on his own wrist and waits impatiently for the team inside to finish their assignments.
Arresta and the newly entered Blinky work to improve access to the computer in order to send the reactor into overload. Despite her most grisly threats and a well-placed shot from her pistol, Arresta is unable to intimidate the technicians into helping them – they remain more frightened of Purity First. While the Princess returns to the computer, Array takes over and is far less forgiving – he kills them both. His vicious action has an unexpected consequence – a blowback of blood temporarily blinds him. Somewhat shocked, Arresta sends the remaining technician outside, warning him to say nothing to anyone. Despite her attempt to let him go, Stefan finishes off this last witness. Doxen, who has been monitoring the skies, spots incoming reinforcements and begins to fire upon the aircraft, causing damage even at that great distance.
Eventually, the computer is set to blow and, with Arresta guiding him, Array and the Princess make their way outside. Blinky hangs back, continuing to sabotage the computer area and the blast door. Outside, just as they emerge and rejoin Stefan, several IRDs arrive on scene and immediately commence fire. Although the lithe Princess is able to avoid injury, her husband and Array are not so lucky – nor is the wookie that Stefan has attached himself too. The wookie seems to take even greater injury and eventually succumbs, forcing Stefan to struggle to remove the leash in order to make his escape. While Doxen lays down cover fire and takes out the two IRDS, the others escape to the sewers.
Blinky finally emerges from the power plant and begins to make his escape above ground. Just as he begins to move away, there a sudden silence as the computer overload commences. Moments later, the sky erupts with a cloud of radiation as the civilian power plant is destroyed in a shocking reign of fire.
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