A distress call reaches the crew of the Far Star, from the planet Kolatill (Kathol Sector). The Planetary Council has imprisoned their former Imperial Governor; apparently in retaliation, TIE Bombers have attacked the capital, Domaz, which is currently in flames. Medical assistance is requested.
Despite the lack of a shakedown cruise, the Far Star (as the nearest New Republic capital ship) is dispatched. (Medical frigates and other auxillaries are en route, but will not arrive for at least 4 more days). The expected journey time of 92 hours is extended slightly, when a wiring burnout drops the ship out of hyperspace short of Kolatill. After a short astrogation recalculation, the Far Star arrives.
(In between monitoring systems and making repairs, the Engineering teams uncover a little more about the ship. It is very old; the most elderly parts are 6 decades old, from the Chandrellian Diplomatic Vessel Freedom's Messenger. They discover a distinguished and well-documented history, before the palatial appartments were refitted for military use. Its long military service ended with it being used to break a blockade; while the breakthrough was achieved, the ship was a virtual wreck, and was abandonned for at least 15 years.
[Engineering teams start looking for metal fatigue in the main structural members]
The wreck was eventually recovered by the Empire, and spent 20 years in reserve service, under the name The Renegade. Recently, Moff Sarne has performed serious alterations, which were not fully completed when it was captured by the New Republic. The proposed TIE racks had not yet been installed in the add-on hanger deck which has been hastily converted to hold 5 X-Wings and 4 Defenders (short range fighters), with an additional 3 X-Wings carried on the external docking tubes. Overall, the ship is very old (in parts), over-engined and over-gunned, with far too little space left for crew accommodation and supplies.
On return to RealSpace, the Far Star is bombarded by distress calls. 6 TIE/lns intercept and request the ship's id; Gorjaye, Deshwa, Noel and Dasha scramble their X-Wings. However, the TIEs are associated with the new planetary authorities; communications with the Council are opened. Brophar's shuttle and the Aegis dropship are sent down to the surface, for medivac and to open face-to-face communications.
The surface has suffered severe damage from conventional weapons dropped by the TIE Bombers (delivered by an Imperial Escort Carrier). A park on the city outskirts is being used as an emergency aid/rescue station. Only Domaz was hit, as a lesson. On the surface, the shuttle crew meet:
(The shuttle and dropship crew, led by the Rodian Security Chief, secure the landing zone. The Number One is left on the capital ship; X-Wings remain in low orbit).
The Aegis dropship is used as a taxi from ground to orbit. Aid convoys begin to arrive from the other major cities on Kollatil, and require escorts; there are also large predators on the city limits. The former Imperial soldiers are pressed into service as escorts, but are dissipated among the volunteer teams (and watched carefully).
A large metal object is spotted in an asteroid field on the edge of scan range. Brophar's shuttle and a pair of X-Wings (all of which have their own hyperdrives) are sent to investigate. They find the wreck of an old freighter, which has taken significant damage from starfighter scale weapons. There are no lifesigns, although some systems are still operational.
Brophar matches motion with the tumbling wreck, and takes it into tow. It was attacked 6 days ago; the human crew are all dead, but some computers are still active. The shuttle crew plunder the nav 'puter for starmaps and other astrogation data. (It later transpires that the attackers were TIE fighters).
Meanwhile, at the planet, the captain is flying by (Kolatill) shuttle to the planet's surface, escorted by 6 X-Wings. An Imperial Escort Carrier, the Kathol Protector, drops out of hyperspace close to the planet, near the shuttle. The Far Star's main guns are still out of range. The Carrier releases 4 squadrons of TIE/lns (12 each), and 2 further of TIE Bombers the latter head for the planet's surface. The shuttle tries unsuccessfully to seek protection from the New Republic ship, before being tractor-beamed by the Imperial Carrier. The Far Star's 4 Defenders are recalled, in case an emergency hyperspace jump is required. (The Aegis dropship, which also lacks a hyperdrive, is ordered to ``stay low'').
Gorjaye and Deshwa, each with two wingmen, attempt to disrupt the TIE/ln squadrons, before concentrating on the TIE Bombers unusual emissions are detected from the latter's bomb-bays. Aided by the Force, all but three of the Bombers are destroyed; the others are only lightly damaged. Noel (the Captain's brother) first loses his deflectors, then has his X-Wing disabled by a hit to the astromech droid.
The Captain formally transfers control to the waiting Number One, who orders Deshwa and his remaining wingman to make an emergency jump to hyperspace. The Far Star finally gets into range of the Carrier, and strips away one shield. Trusting to the Force, Gorjaye and her wingmen unload all of their photon torpedoes into the stern of the Carrier, taking down the final shield.
Brophar's shuttle plots an emergency jump for her X-Wing escorts, allowing them to arrive in time to see the Carrier take a series of hits from the Far Star. It recalls its TIE/lns, in preparation for a jump. A full salvo from the Far Star cripples the Carrier, which begins to break up; the (new) Captain calls upon the TIE pilots to protect the shuttle, but those still loyal to the Empire destroy it, killing the former Captain. These Imperial pilots are promptly shot down by some of their former collegues and the Gorjaye's flight of X-Wings.
Two of the remaining TIE Bombers have been destroyed by the planetary defence TIE/lns. The third, although damaged, begins its bombing run. Noel, having no weapon other than his crippled X-Wing, crashes it into the Bomber the payload, identified as enough deadly gas to kill an entire city, is prevented from being deployed.
The Far Star stops to pick up survivors. 30 TIE/lns remain of the original 4 squadrons (48 ); these are designated as New Republic TIE fighters, assigned to the protection of Kolatill. The 6 Imperial pilots who attempted to protect the Kolatill shuttle are taken recruited onto the Far Star.
The tidy-up operation continues until the first of the New Republic medical vessels arrives, at which point the Far Star hands over to them. From Imperial prisoners/defectors, they discover that Moff Sarne has taken half of the Sector Fleet and headed deeper into the Outback; the Carrier was sent back to make two punishment attacks on Kolatill, separated by 4 days.
The Far Star takes on spares and stores, including repulsorlift spares (a major Kolatill export), and an X-Wing to replace Noel's. The crew of the Far Star mourn the former Captain and his brother, Noel.
(X) Aaris
\
\ /
\ 2 days (X) Torize
\ /
\ / 1 d4 h
\ /
(X)--------------------(X)--------------------(X)-------
Gandle Ott Charis Kolatill
(X) (X)
Mairne Corjain
(X)
Oon Tien
| Captain former No 1 | 5 CP | |
| Gorjaye WingRipper X-Wing Pilot | 4 CP | 1 Force Point |
| Deshwa X-Wing Pilot | 4 CP | |
| Gorjaye's and Deshwa's Wingmen | 3 CP | |
| FarStar Gunners who shot at the carrier | 3 CP | |
| Brophar, escorting X-Wing Pilots | 2 CP | |
| All others | 1 CP |