Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Dawn of Defiance
Main Page: Sword of the Empire
With Lady Alya's forged credentials in hand, the heroes craft cover identities that will permit them to enter the general workforce when they reach Prakith. With a major naval installation, burgeoning mining operations, and the Citadel Inquisitorius, there is plenty of work on Prakith for contract laborers- at least, for those with enough friends in high places to find their way there.
The heroes arrive at the edge of the five-planet Prak System without incident. A quick scan (DC 15 Use Computer check) reveals that their ship is the only one in the immediate area; traffic to and from Prakith is moderate, with a few construction ships heading in and mining vessels heading out. An automated message arrives from a Hyperspace buoy nearby; this is not the standard Message to Spacers (METOSP), but an abrupt speech dripping with Imperial authority:
"Attention! Attention! All work vessels immediately set course for Prakith orbit. Do not, repeat, do not deviate from a direct course to Prakith. Straying vessels will be intercepted and boarded by the Imperial Navy."
"From orbit, utilize your own judgment as to approach vector to Prak City Control, but be advised of no-fly-zone 100 kilometers in radius from the Magraddor mountain range. Confer with orbital buoy on arrival for specific details."
The heroes enter the quickest course to Prakith orbit (DC 15 Use Computer check). It takes three hours to get to Prakith orbit, and along the way only a single vessel, a Mining Guild freighter loaded with ore, passes the heroes, heading out to the Hyperspace lanes. Prakith might soon become a busy center for the Empire, but it is clearly still a work in progress.
Just before arriving in Prakith orbit, the heroes receive a weak distress call over subspace channels. It fades in and out but is strongest at the closest approach to the Inner Moon. Read the following aloud:
"Um... hello? Hello? Um, looking for some help here? Anyone?"
"This is Jekk Seejo of The Good Feeling, just out of Prakith. We're... well, we're stuck. On the Inner Moon... Can anyone hear me? Systems are failing- power, life support... and then some of the more important stuff. Anyone out there?"
"Blast. I think we're really in trouble this time..."
A simple (DC 15) Use Computer check enables the heroes to track the signal to the Inner Moon, where The Good Feeling, a small kit-bashed "yacht" of dubious quality, sits at the center of a small crater. The ship's gazetteer describes Prakith's Inner Moon as having no atmosphere and gravity that is low but just enough to keep The Good Feeling from escaping in its current condition.
But the buoy was specific: no course deviations. Heroes who decide to investigate without first contacting Prak City Control will receive a sharp radio warning, followed not long afterward by a detachment of TIE Fighters if the heroes fail to change course, putting a crimp in their mission very early. However, if the heroes mention Jekk Seejo's name to Prak City Control, permission is given:
"Seejo? Again? I don't believe that guy..."
"Wait- yes, I do believe it. You've got a real live one there," the controller says. "You've heard about disasters waiting to happen? Jekk Seejo is the one that already has. Well, you can tell him the Incom guys are done with him. Let him rot."
"Hold on a second- OK, I've just been informed he's got some Subpro engineers aboard that they'd actually like back. He's in luck, which is more than I can say for you. You are authorized to divert to Moon Prakith One to render aid. Over and out."
"Hey, Ervyn!" the voice says, fading. "Get this- Seejo wrecked another one..."
Thus, whether the heroes actually help Seejo or not, they are obliged to make contact with him before resuming their course.
Good Feelings and Bad[]
See also: Jekk Seejo
Little more than a jalopy pieced together from various bits of old ships, The Good Feeling requires only one pilot but operates best with an army of mechanics. Right now, it is occupied by Jekk Seejo and four of his associates, all engineers working at the Imperial Testing Grounds on the Outer Moon. Two are Incom subcontractors and two work for Subpro, but the important thing is that they're all engineers, not technicians. They know a good bit about designing Starships, but less about flying them- and, quite obviously, not near enough about fixing them.
Heroes who dock with The Good Feeling learn this and more. Only Jekk Seejo, a chirpy, upbeat Duros, has much spaceflight experience, although the heroes realize pretty quickly that whatever is wrong with the ship is over his bald green head- particularly since he's left his Tool Kit on Prakith. It takes a DC 25 Mechanics check to get the ship running again in short order.
If the heroes glance around while they are working on the ship or afterward, they spy one of the engineers working at a console. The console displays a ship design with which the heroes are utterly unfamiliar; it resembles a forced marriage of a large Z-95 Headhunter and an ARC-170 Starfighter. If the heroes ask Seejo about the ship, he begins chattering about a Deep Scout design that Subpro and Incom are jointly developing on the Outer Moon of Prakith- until one of the other engineers reminds the chatty Duros that secret does actually mean secret. "You're hanging by a thread as it is, Seej." Blushing- in his case, picking up a slightly bluer hue of green- Jekk coughs and chuckles.
Receiving a message from his employers, Jekk makes his apologies and escorts the heroes to the airlock with their ship. "If you're ever in Prak City, look me up," he says. "I do a lot of thinking at the Mother Lode Cantina. Maybe we can talk Hyperspace theory sometime- and, um, you can tell me again how you got that thingie back there to do what you got it to do."
Ad-Hoc XP Award[]
Heroes who successfully assist the engineers in fixing the ship receive Experience Points equal to defeating a CL 14 encounter. If the heroes also befriend Jekk Seejo and are able to count him as a friend, they receive experience equal to defeating another CL 14 encounter.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished[]
Jekk Seejo's ship decouples from the heroes' vessel, and after an awkward moment when it seems the ships will collide, The Good Feeling clears the surface and putters out on its way back to the Outer Moon. As the heroes prepare for their own ascent, they have a chance of noticing that they have taken on stowaways: Mynocks- Mynock Swarms, to be exact.
If disturbed, all the Mynock Swarms attack the heroes. (Remember, some can attack from above the characters' heads.) If the Mynocks' numbers fall to two swarms or fewer, they retreat.
The mynocks have already chewed through several power couplings, moving the ship -1 step on the Condition Track. If the Mynock Swarms are noticed while the heroes are still on the dark side of the Inner Moon (DC 23 Perception check due to the darkness, which grants the swarms Concealment), they can be dealt with there.
If the Mynock Swarms are discovered and dealt with on the Inner Moon, the heroes must make a DC 15 Perception check to find the most immediate damage, then a DC 21 Mechanics (Repair Object) check to lift off safely.
If the heroes fail to notice the Mynock Swarms, the creatures have two more chances to damage the ship while in transit, and the heroes have two more chances to notice that damage before entering the atmosphere. While in Prakith orbit, any heroes actively involved in piloting the ship or working as Engineers can make a DC 21 Use Computer check to notice fluctuations in engine power. Move the ship -2 steps on the Condition Track to reflect the damage. At this point, there are two locations with damage, each of which requires a DC 22 Mechanics check to fix.
Finally, if the heroes have not discovered the Mynock Swarms by the time they are ready to enter Prakith's atmosphere, they get one last chance. Pilots and Engineers notice extreme power fluctuations with a DC 17 Use Computer check, and anyone in an area of the ship adjacent to the hull might notice the scurrying of the Mynocks on the hull as the ship enters the atmosphere. Even if noticed, the Mynock Swarms have done enough damage by now to move the ship -3 steps on the Condition Track.
If at any point the heroes notice or suspect damage and decide to abort landing, they can remain in orbit, making three DC 25 Mechanics (Repair Object) checks to repair the ship before landing. Otherwise, the Pilot takes a -5 penalty to the Pilot check due to the ship's position on the Condition Track while landing. If the Pilot check fails, the ship becomes disabled as it hits the atmosphere, leading to an uncontrolled or crash landing.
Prak City[]
Read the following aloud as the heroes enter Prakith's atmosphere and approach Prak City:
If the Empire were looking for a more forbidding world to exploit, it could hardly have selected a better one than Prakith. A planet of tortured ridges, jagged canyons, and sandy gullies, Prakith could give Utapau and Tatooine a run for their money in the contest for the galaxy's most desperately bleak world.
From the air, you see the rugged Magraddor Range far to the west and, nestled within, the towering obsidian spire of the Citadel Inquisitorius. But you can't reach it yet; a sentry wing of TIE Fighters directs your ship far to the east, and Prak City.
Seated atop a plateau offering the largest unbroken patch of land on the planet, Prak City appears to be equal portions frontier town and military base- and the military base is winning. Large Imperial vessels sit docked at the city's large eastern spaceport, towering over smaller supply and prospecting vessels that use the same pads. Their appearance and jobs might differ, but they all have the same purpose: bending this planet to the Emperor's dark will.
If you wish, give players a photocopy of the surface map detailing the locations of Prak City and the Citadel, since their descent will have given them that much information. But do not share the underground map (see "Down the Drains") nor intimate that such a map even exists.
Exiting the spacecraft, the heroes realize that while the swift repairs they performed on their ship held on the way down, someone really ought to take a couple of days and go over it with a detailed inspection. The Station Master, a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, reinforces this view by requiring the heroes to have their ship examined by a Port Licensed Contractor before they can depart again. He's been on the station only a few weeks, and he doesn't want his safety record spoiled. If only that annoying Duros would find another planet to infest!
Contractors can be found in the Work Zone sector, the Station Master says, which is where a miserable lot like the heroes belong. It doesn't take long for the heroes to realize that there is a serious culture clash between the burgeoning military population of the city and the workforce that's building its launchpads and retaining walls and- further out in the canyons- digging up Prakith's ores. Prak City might one day be limited exclusively to the military; this could be the heroes' last chance to visit the world with even the limited freedoms they now have.
Encounters with Imperial Army and Navy personnel on the way to the Work Sector yield little useful information, with DC 20 Gather Information checks providing answers to the following:
- What's the story with that big black spire in the mountains? "Something for the Emperor. Special detail, to keep an eye on you sorry lot. So you'd better behave!"
- What's all the construction for? "Isn't it obvious? You're standing in what'll be one of the greatest military facilities ever built. Can't say much for the scenery, but it makes up for that in security."
- What do you think about Jekk Seejo? "Green idiot. We've got to work with these military contractors, but we've about had it with some of the hired help they bring in. Can't they do any better?"
- What were Seejo and his companions testing? "My patience. And now you're doing it."
Harassing military personnel (or critical failure on a check) will draw the attention of the authorities; use the encounter below. But chances are better in the Work Zone...
Prak City Security Force[]
This event can be triggered any time the heroes do something that the Imperial authorities cannot help but notice, and it can occur more than once. A generic Work Zone street area is provided. Place the heroes near the center of the map, just outside the cover of the construction zone. The Imperial speeder can arrive from any direction the GM chooses.
Read-Aloud Text[]
When the Imperials enter the combat area, read or paraphrase the following:
Sirens! There's nothing subtle about the arrival of the authorities in Prak City. An Imperial hovercraft swoops down the street, offloading armed guards into the plaza. Passersby disappear into the doorways nearest them; they know too well what's coming next.
Encounter Setup[]
Tactics[]
Lately, the aggressive Prak City guards have become more accustomed to giving pursuit than engaging in combat. The Military Guard Squad expect the heroes to enter the cover of the construction site, and the guards take advantage of Cover themselves. They coordinate their attacks and try to Flank their opponents if they become engaged in melee. Once combat begins, these fighters try to Stun their opponents unless lethal force is used against them. If that happens, the guards counterattack with lethal force as well.
The Military Guard Commander immediately demands the heroes' surrender. If the characters refuse or try to flee, the Commander orders an attack on the strongest-appearing party members (such as Jedi, Soldiers, or large aliens), using Born Leader, Assault Tactics, and Deployment Tactics. The Commander makes every effort to remain in sight of the rest of his response team, while remaining out of melee combat range. If the squad is in danger of becoming separated or if the leader is in danger of being incapacitated, the Commander shares his Talents with the guards.
The Swift Assault 5 Hovercraft approaches the heroes' position quickly. The side doors open just before the hovercraft reaches its destination, allowing the carried troopers to jump out and advance on their enemies quickly. The doors close as soon as the troopers have been dropped off. The hoverscout then tries to block one avenue of escape while targeting heroes with its weapons. The members of the ship's crew can grant each other and their teammates on the ground a +2 bonus to attacks by laying down cover fire (attack vs Reflex Defense 10) or by providing current sensor information (DC 10 Use Computer check) through their helmet comlinks.
Features of the Area[]
The construction zone to the southeast is considered cover, with several large columns already erected as supports for some future building. Through the construction area off the map to the south, the heroes can reach one of the Drains.
Conclusion[]
If the fight goes poorly for the Security Force, additional troops are called in. Reinforcements consisting of another Swift Assault 5 Hovercraft, a Military Guard Squad, and one Military Guard Commander arrive 5 turns after the call is issued. The initial Security Force takes Cover and tries to keep the heroes pinned down until help arrives.
If the heroes flee on foot, the guards gives chase. If the heroes elude the guards or flee in an air vehicle, three FSD-6D Surveillance Droids are sent out to search for them. Heroes can elude pursuit permanently by sliding down one of the Drains, if one is nearby.
Captured heroes are questioned and sent to the prison level of the Citadel Inquisitorius to await rescue by their teammates.
Commandeering the hovercraft won't do much good, since it cannot broach the walls of Prak City to get down into the craggy valley.
Fear the Inquisitor[]
The presence of Inquisitors in Prak City and the Citadel, constantly scanning for Force-users, puts Force-using characters at a severe handicap if they wish to avoid detection. If a hero successfully uses a Force Power within 100 kilometers of Prak City or Citadel Inquisitorius (basically, most anywhere on the overview map), a monitoring Inquisitor gets an opposing Use the Force check (1d20+19) against the hero's Use the Force check result. If successful, the Inquisitor detects the Force-using hero and sends investigators to track him or her down. In Prak City and environs, this activates the "Curious Inquisitor" encounter (below); in the Citadel, it activates the "Citadel Security Team" encounter (Part 3: Into the Citadel).
There are two exceptions on the map, both relating to underground activities. Inquisitors might sense Force-users in the Stereb cave networks, but they won't respond in a timely fashion because the Empire does not know the caverns exist. And as "Stairway to Hell" indicates (Part 2: Underworld), the Gray Fear Moss that has accumulated near the Citadel (actually, in the cave ceiling above the Underground Sea nearby) mutes Inquisitor detection until the final 3 kilometers of the ascent.
The Mother Lode[]
In contrast to the gleaming towers now going up for the military, the Work Zone of Prak City is quite a bit seamier. Ironically, this part of Prak City predates the Empire; the plateau made for a good location for mining prospectors to place their encampments. The miners are still there, but so are all the construction firms the Empire has brought in. The firms are actively taking down parts of the old city to put up a new one in its place- a city which, many of the residents in the Work Zone realize, they will not be welcome in. Their increasingly ghettoized community is an active part of its own destruction.
Destruction of brain cells is the major leisure-time activity here, and inquiries will direct the heroes to a shrine devoted to the act: the Mother Lode Cantina. Managed by a female Bothan who gets left alone because she knows where all the skeletons are buried on Prakith, the Cantina is host to a wider range of individuals than would ever be allowed to congregate anywhere else on Prakith. There are construction workers and miners here, Human and alien both, with the latter complaining of increasing harassment by COMPNOR.
The cantina's real mother lode is information. Depending on who the heroes talk to, they can learn quite a lot.
Construction Workers might reveal the following, in ascending order of Gather Information difficulty:
| DC | RESULT | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Environmental practices here are not particularly sound. The Empire is literally drilling holes in the giant mesa and dumping its construction debris and trash into them. | |
| 20 | Most of the workers who built the Citadel Inquisitorius have been cycled off Prakith by their employers- on purpose, most suspect. | |
| 25 | The Citadel has entry points at its base and a small landing platform at its top, used by Inquisitors going to and returning from Prak City. | |
| 30 | Part of why the Citadel went up so fast is that they found a clearing in the mountains that was perfectly flat and sound enough for a foundation. Who cleared it, they don't know. |
Miners might reveal the following, in ascending order of Gather Information difficulty:
| DC | RESULT | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | There are four major mining operations in the vicinity of Prak City. The Asonel system is the largest, with multiple mining operations; it is to the north and northwest. To the west and southwest are more modest operations: the Geddis, Herkeath, and Rilkean mines. | |
| 20 | Gems are the most lucrative resource miners get from Prakith's crust; in some places, they're plentiful enough to be picked from the cave wall by hand. Of course, someone still must do the work. | |
| 25 | Cave-ins have plagued a lot of mines, making employees for these operations hard to come by. It shouldn't be too hard for itinerant laborers such as the heroes to sign on with a mining operation. Curiously, at least one, the Geddis operation, is looking for hired muscle as well as miners. | |
| 30 | To the knowledge of the miners here, none of the cavern systems entered by the major mining operations interconnect, and none comes anywhere near the Magraddor Range (where the Citadel is). |
Aliens might reveal the following, in ascending order of Gather Information difficulty:
| DC | RESULT | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | COMPNOR agents are stepping up the pressure on construction and mining firms to get rid of their non-Human employees. | |
| 20 | COMPNOR agents in Prak City itself have recently begun hassling aliens physically, with the Empire turning a blind eye. | |
| 25 | It's rumored that COMPNOR agents are literally getting away with murder- a lot of "undesirables" have been disappearing altogether. | |
| 30 | There might be a native non-Human population on Prakith. Unusual characters have been seen from time to time, but they dash away as quickly as they're spotted. |
Whoever the heroes talk to, they should hear that the best source of information might be the guy who's been on Prakith the longest, Old Man Geddis. A former miner (and the founder of the Geddis mine), Geddis is drinking his life away in the back room. He knows a lot, but heroes are warned that his liver and mind are in equally poor shape these days.
Old Man Geddis[]
They call him the Old Man, and one look at him shows why: Myrum Geddis looks like he's spent much of his 70 years either lifting rocks or drilling into them. He probably looked this way at 30. But swilling his drink at a table in the back, Old Man Geddis gives no impression of having been in a mine- or having engaged in any kind of work- in the past year. His days are spent nattering about the phantom creatures he's seen in the catacombs, and drowning his sorrows. And he has a few: as the heroes can learn by offering Geddis a drink or two, the mine that bears his name is no longer his:
- Is the Geddis mine a rich claim? "You betcha it is- though it's tougher'n anythin' to get the gems outta there. You gotta be real careful not to hit 'em with the laser-borer too much or you'll ruin the lot. It's fine work- y'need organics for that."
- Why couldn't you make a go of the claim? "I coulda! But I couldn't afford to hire all the hands I needed t'really get at the good gem veins. And then them Impies come along, givin' favors t'the Thaarke Corporation. Blast 'em all!"
- What's wrong with the Thaarke Corporation? "They're scum! Claim-jumpers- and that's not all. Criminals, the lot of them. And they use slaves when they can find 'em!"
- What makes you think there were creatures living underground? "I seen 'em! At th' end of a tunnel- I could barely make 'em out, but they was movin'. Looked for all my years like hairless Wookiees, if y'ask me."
- Are they looking for more miners out there? "Ye'd help them, even after drinkin' with me? Pfah! But they've taken every lowlife that don't know how t'tell a gem from a dirtball. I guess they'd take ya."
At the conclusion of the discussion, Old Man Geddis sinks into a drunken stupor. Further inquiries about The Thaarke Corporation can be made within the cantina. Most people believe that the firm is a better and more productive steward than Geddis was; at least, plenty of gems are coming out now. Thaarke is hiring miners and security-types for the Geddis mine, and if the heroes are interested, they can visit the recruiting post in the morning. "Just don't say that Old Man Geddis sent you!"
Seejo Again[]
Emerging from the cantina after dark, the heroes head up the alley and spy something rolling their way- a metal barrel, bounding down the lane. The can crashes against the side of a building, and a familiar yelp emanates from within the barrel. The lid pops off to reveal none other than Jekk Seejo, dizzy and bruised. Regaining his bearings, Seejo recognizes the heroes. He's pleased to see them, but fearful of the half-dozen figures coming down the hill. They're COMPNOR agents, devoted to purging non-Human influences from the Empire. "You drunks stand aside," the first one yells. "This isn't your affair!"
Seejo, panicking, seems to think that it is. "Don't let them have me!" When The Good Feeling returned to port, he lost his job, his ship, and, ultimately, any protection he had against COMPNOR. They no longer want him on Prakith, and he fears that they won't bother deporting him. The agents were rolling him somewhere when the barrel got away. "They're going to throw me down the Drains," he says. "Help me!"
The COMPNOR agents eye the heroes suspiciously, especially if there are any non-Humans within the group. "Get in our way, will you? Well, you can share what's coming to the skinbag here!"
Saving Seejo[]
When the encounter begins, Jekk Seejo has just tumbled down the stone stairs from the top of the map and crashed against the hovel to the south. The COMPNOR Supporters descend the stairs.
Read-Aloud Text[]
When the encounter begins, read the following text aloud:
The COMPNOR thugs- two, four- no, six!- aren't happy at all to have outsiders meddling with their fun. "If you like Greenie here," snarls one, "maybe you can have what he's having!" This situation has just boiled over.
Encounter Setup[]
Tactics[]
For his part, Jekk Seejo does not fight, instead cowering behind the heroes and scrambling off the map to the south as soon as he is able.
The COMPNOR Supporters aren't long on subtlety, since they're not accustomed to resistance. They go on the attack using Improved Charge and Powerful Charge. Non-Human targets and Jekk Seejo are targeted first. The supporters use Acrobatic Strike to outflank opponents. Since they don't initially intend to kill (beyond thinking that they can dump Jekk down the Drains), they attack first with Stun Batons and move up to blasters set on Stun (and, finally, kill) as needed.
Once the fight breaks out, one of the COMPNOR Supporters calls for help. Six rounds later, four Imperial Sovereign Protectors arrive on the scene. The Sovereign Protectors move quickly into melee, trying to pin any heroes against solid surfaces so they can attack twice with their Double Vibroblades.
Features of the Area[]
The wall to the right of the stone staircase is the side of a building. Add minor obstacles as desired.
Conclusion[]
Down here in the alley after dark, there's a good chance that a brawl will go unnoticed; the Empire rather expects COMPNOR Supporters to start a lot of the fights themselves. Bystanders disappear into the nearby buildings quickly. COMPNOR Supporters who are reduced to one-quarter of their Hit Points or who move -3 steps on the Condition Track try to flee up the stairs on foot, running down a side alley or into the cantina as a last resort. They do not flee to the south, where one of the Drains is, fearing that might give an attacker ideas.
Once the heroes deal with the Imperial Sovereign Protectors, they will need to make haste in their departure. Though the government of Prakith expects trouble from the COMPNOR Supporters, they will not take the deaths of four Sovereign Protectors lightly. However, the Empire's response will likely be slow, since the local government expects the Sovereign Protectors to be able to handle themselves and therefore will not have reinforcements nearby.
Development[]
If the heroes defeat the agents, they have only a short time to get rid of the evidence before reinforcements arrive. (Lingering brings on the "Prak City Security Force" encounter; above.) Seejo, nearly in a panic, directs the heroes to a stinking pit near the construction site. This is one of the Drains, tubes drilled from the Prak City plateau into a recess deep underground; the Empire has been using them to dump garbage (and the odd individual who has outlived their usefulness). This is a fine place to dispose of any bodies, and the heroes will become aware of the Drains as a possible exit from Prak City. This particular tube delivers any bodies (or heroes who chance it) to Location 1 in the "Devourer in the Dark" encounter; turn first to Part 2: Underworld for details.
If the heroes deliver Seejo from the fate he feared, he invites them to his sad excuse for a dwelling. As Seejo explains, The Good Feeling returned to Prakith's second moon infested with Mynocks (the same swarm that attacked the heroes), resulting in his firing and the loss of his ship. His former employers sent him on the next shuttle to Prakith, but that was no favor. The Duros explains that the Empire has made it impossible for him to make a living, and now he's at his wit's end. If he can't find employment quickly, he'll be at the mercy of the COMPNOR thugs anywhere he goes on Prak City.
The topic of Mynocks broached, Seejo asks about the condition of the heroes' ship. He begs for the tedious assignment of inspecting their vessel in port over the next few days. "Trust me! I'll have a Tool Kit this time! I'll deliver your ship to you, wherever you are!" Seejo seems trustworthy enough, and the heroes know that the security system on their ship is such that he wouldn't be able to activate the Hyperdrive.
If hired, Seejo grows chipper again and gives the heroes his Comlink ID number before darting off toward the spaceport. (The Duros thus provides a possible means of escape later for heroes in the Citadel. If the heroes refuse his help now, they will have other options for escape from the Citadel, but they will lose the chance at a Destiny reward later.)
Entering the Underworld[]
Although the Drains are one means of entry into the Underworld, they are not the only method, and you can change the order of a few encounters to give the heroes another option.
If they choose to investigate opportunities at the Geddis mine, they speak to the recruiter. If the heroes seem like reasonable applicants, the recruiter hires them and sends them with the next shipment of workers to the mine- after first making them sign a contract not to reveal any methods they see in use there. (The Thaarke Corporation is using enslaved Stereb in the mine and does not want its competitors to know that the creatures exist, so as not to lose their competitive edge.)
Skip to "The Exclave" (Part 2: Underworld) and read the variant material relating to heroes entering the area from above.
A Shadowy Figure[]
See also: Herdr'tui
As another day begins and ends on Prakith, the heroes find their continued presence in Prak City is meeting with diminishing returns. The military areas are unwelcoming, with Inquisitors here and there keeping a watch on this important Imperial asset. Only the miners seem to have any regular access to the area between Prak City and the Magraddor Range. There are meager opportunities to defy the Empire in the Work Zone; the heroes might succeed at a sabotage attempt on a construction site once, but the area will be saturated with Inquisitors thereafter. And reports among the workers say that as more and more of Prak City is up and running, Inquisitor sweeps of the Work Zone are on the increase.
The heroes always have the feeling that they're being followed, which is confirmed one night in the Work Zone after a successful DC 15 Perception check. A shadowy figure darts from cover to cover in the alleys of the Work Zone, keeping an eye on the party. But the instant the heroes spot their follower, they realize it's not an Inquisitor, but something else.
Spotted, a tall shadow falls back toward a construction area, diving for a crawlspace underneath a parked crane. The figure is as tall as a Wookiee and moves with about as much grace. But for all his height and evident strength, this ruddy-skinned being cowers in terror as you approach- at least, until he gets a better look at you.
"You- you!" he says in broken Basic, his sad eyes darting around to see who else is in the area. "You helped the green man. You will help Stereb- you help me!"
Down the Drains[]
Before the heroes' conversation can continue, a spotlight shines into the construction site from a ship hovering above. "Halt!" comes the call. "You there! Halt on command of The Inquisitorius!" The Inquisitors are on a routine sweep of the Work Zone for anything out of the ordinary- just to terrorize the locals and remind them the Empire is in charge- and they've also been hearing reports of a strange alien lurking around.
Curious Inquisitor[]
This encounter can be triggered at any point by the heroes' actions; the Inquisitor arrives in response to activity that suggests the presence of a Force-user. If this encounter is not triggered earlier in the adventure, the Inquisitor arrives during a random sweep after the heroes meet Herdr'tui.
Place the heroes near the cover area at the center of the map; this represents the hiding place where they find the Stereb. The Inquisitor's shuttle lands in the slightly raised landing area to the northeast.
Read-Aloud Text[]
Soon after the heroes trigger an Inquisitor's response, the shuttle flies in.
That's something you don't want to see- an Imperial shuttle coming in over the rooftops of the Work Zone, headed your way. You spy the symbol of the Inquisitorius on the nose of the vessel. It's safe to say that they're not just slumming today.
Encounter Setup[]
Tactics[]
Inquisitor Jorad is tasked to bring any unknown Force-users to the Citadel where they can be questioned and possibly turned into new weapons for The Inquisitorius. To this end, he tries to capture Force-users alive, using any form of trickery or subterfuge at his disposal. Favorite tactics include Stealth or Feinting (using his skills alone or in conjunction with Mind Trick) to deny opponents their Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense, then using Dastardly Strike against them; and using Force Slam to knock opponents Prone before he approaches and attacks them in melee.
Unless the odds are against him, Jorad might wade directly into melee using Acrobatic Strike and Elusive Target while wielding his Lightsaber and Blaster Pistol against his target. Before combat, he ignites his Lightsaber and spends 1 round to Empower Weapon. He is not averse to capturing weaker, non-Force-sensitive heroes to use as hostages.
The Military Guard Squad coordinate their attacks and try to Flank their opponents if they become engaged in melee. Once combat begins, these fighters try to Stun their opponents unless lethal force is used against them. If that happens, the guards counterattack with lethal force as well. Additionally, they follow the lead of Inquisitor Jorad and attempt to protect him at all costs.
The Theta-Class Shuttle approaches the heroes' position quickly, dropping in from above. The passenger door swings open just before the shuttle reaches the ground, allowing the guards and Inquisitor Jorad to step quickly into the clearing. Once they have been dropped off, the door closes, and the shuttle rises again, prepared to move to cut off the escaping heroes.
Features of the Area[]
You can place obstacles on the map or use another map as desired, but be sure to include two important elements: enough room for the shuttle to land, and an alleyway to the south that leads to the Drains (off the map).
Conclusion[]
If the heroes defeat the Inquisitor, they find a Code Cylinder on him that assists in the entry to Citadel Inquisitorius. Dispatching Jorad, his team, or the shuttle brings a response in the form of another "Prak City Security Force" encounter (above), so heroes should quickly move to escape the area.
Herdr'tui, running to the south at the opening of this encounter, encourages the heroes to enter the Drains with him. The Theta-Class Shuttle can be commandeered, although since it has a tracking device onboard, it will not get far before TIE Fighters arrive to ground it.
Development[]
Whether the heroes stand their ground or not, Herdr'tui immediately runs in terror into the construction site, waving for the heroes to follow him. After the encounter (whether the heroes defeat the Inquisitors or run away), they see Herdr'tui call to them one last time from up ahead before seemingly disappearing. On closer inspection, the heroes see that this is one of the Drains, bore-holes drilled at a sharp (80-degree) angle far down through the rock. Herdr'tui's distant holler emanates from far below, indicating that he's slid down quickly and seemingly safely. If the heroes follow him, the tube goes to Location 2 in the "Devourer in the Dark" encounter (See Part 2: Underworld).
In the unlikely event that the heroes do not pursue Herdr'tui, the cavalry arrive for the Empire in the form of a "Prak City Security Force" encounter (above). Afterward, another one of the Drains beckons, going to Location 3 in the "Devourer in the Dark" encounter. Tussling with COMPNOR agents is one thing, but no one can kill Inquisitors and run for long in the Work Zone. (As a possible variant, Response Team members angered at the deaths of their fellows might toss one or more characters into the Drains as a form of execution- an effective method that has been used before.)
Continued in Part 2: Underworld