On departure from Gandle Ott, the FarStar jumps to Piers, a remote outlying mining system, currently devoid of ships. Two domed colonies are buried deep within the planet, which has an unbreathable atmosphere.
The FarStar is hailed by ``Base 1'', which is very standoffish, and claims that Sarne's fleet hasn't been through the system. They take a pot-shot at Deshwa (from a hidden turbolaser battery) when he makes a close approach in his X-Wing; the system is marked down as ``potentially hostile''.
A nearby asteroid belt is found to contain the mangled wreckage of a light freighter. A few markings are discernable on the hull, but it's too far into the belt to be recovered. No power sources or life signs are scanned.
The FarStar jumps to a few light-minutes out from Shintell, then launches 4 X-Wings (and moves Defenders onto the vacated hard-points). The main planet (of three) is large, with thick cloud cover. Former Imp depot 42901 is not visible from orbit, but a message warns that the planet has been ``blockaded by ion mines''.
The Base Commander, Col Huggett, explains that Sarne partially stripped the base before seeding the spaceways with approx 500 ion mines. (Huggett is thus very happy to talk terms with the New Republic).
The mines are extremely difficult to spot, and are not activated by small, inanimate objects or even a ``jetpack/transistor radio'' combination. Deshwa proves the hard way that the mines will attack a Defender. He, then Dashar, begin to play `chicken' with the mines getting close enough to be attacked, then spiralling away while the FarStar attempts to pinpoint and destroy the mine.
Even once they've fired, the mines are still hard to spot (and hit); Krudar and Nyung Nyong destroy the first two mines, but the third neutralises Deshwa's Defender. Dashar calls in the position of this mine, and destroys the fourth herself; there is now sufficient cleared space for Brophar to mag-grapple Deshwa's Defender from his shuttle, and tow it back to the FarStar. (The Defender will need a complete rewire Brophar is not a happy man).
Mines 5 and 6 are both destroyed quickly, but acquiring the 7th is slow; Dashar is hit by it just before Krudar and Nyung Nyong blast it. Dashar's Defender is now in a spirally orbit, heading into areas which have not been cleared. Deshwa borrows his second Defender of the day, and identifies Mine 8 in the vicinity of Dashar; the FarStar destroys the mine, allowing Brophar to grapple the Defender and take it home. (Deshwa lands his Defender, then goes into hiding from the irate Brophar).
A sufficiently large lane has now been cleared for the shuttle to be able to reach the planet's surface. The Gandle Ott AwayTeam is despatched; once below the mine belt, the shuttle is intercepted and escorted in by an aging Delta shuttle, flanked (in good formation) by a pair of TIE/lns. (Only 3 of the TIE racks are occupied, and 2 are being worked upon. 4 shuttles are already on the ground; one is being repaired).
The AwayTeam is greeted by Col Heggett (tired; lined face), Major Danth (younger; poker faced) and 10 (unarmed) Imperial Army troopers. All are well turned out. (Jessa explains that although Sarne has taken the best men and equipment available, he and Heggett are no friends).
Heggett receives the (by now standard) sit.rep on recent military and political events. The AwayTeam is taken from its remote landing strip into the main base, where they hear about the base. Heggett and Danth have been here for 2 years, making it safer. The ground force is now stranded; all of the hyperspace shuttles have been sabotaged, and the spaceways seeded with mines.
(Heggett knows that Sarne's fleet(s) contain a cruisers and ISDs, but won't be drawn on exact numbers. He does reveal that Sarne took approx 20 AT-STs from the base).
In exchange for transporting a small delegation (Danth and 4 others) offworld, Heggett is prepared to make a guess as to Sarne's next port of call. This is ``Tanquilla Beach'', a shadow port, and the destination for the Imp delegation; there, they will be able to obtain the spares they need to repair their shuttles. (Heggett also provides the hyperspace routes).
The Captain agrees Brophar gives the Imperial quartermaster sergeant a list of spares needed for the FarStar (including rewiring the two ionised Defenders), and helps them to compile a list of items needed to repair their own shuttles.
A Lt Palm approaches Greebo, hoping to cut a deal. He claims that Sarne erased all of the base's records prior to his departure, but that he (Palm) had made a backup. In exchange for being smuggled offworld (to desert, to see his family), Palm will provide the starmaps. Greebo accepts, and takes the data card; Palm attempts to stow away while loading spares, but is recalled to the base and left behind. The other 5 Imperials are shuttled aboard the FarStar; while they are not quite confined to barracks, their movements are limited.
(Other system data from Heggett: Ivatch might be a mining world; Pembric II might be a pirate port).
As the FarStar attempts to leave orbit, a Corellian freighter jumps into the system. 4 X-Wings scramble as the freighter opens fire with quad laser batteries and 2 proton torpedoes. They miss, as does return fire from the FarStar and Wingripper. Its ``hit and run'' attempt finished, the freighter escapes to hyperspace. The FarStar recovers the X-Wings and plots a course for Tanquilla Beach.
Lt Palm's data card contains starmaps and hyperspace routes for systems beyond the area covered by the Gandle Ott maps. It appears that a SIGNIFICANT fleet is in the Sector; the rubric shows garrison worlds, fleet docks, naval bases etc. Two sites are ominously labelled:
D.STAR EMPEROR'S REVENGE SITE 1
D.STAR EMPEROR'S REVENGE SITE 2
On reattaining RealSpace, it appears that the hyperdrive coil has blown; it will be impossible to jump again until this is fixed. Brophar's opinion is that the FarStar will need full space-dock facilities.
A nearby asteroid hails the FarStar, warning that it is tracking the ship with its main batteries. It orders the FarStar to reduce its velocity to zero, and requests id and intent. On receiving the usual story, the asteroid base offers a parking orbit for Cr 1000/day (which the FarStar accepts).
The Captain and officers are invited to dine with The Cardinal, who appears to be in charge of the base. They shuttle across (docking costs a further Cr 100/day). The customs check is thorough; nothing bigger than blaster carbines may be carried. The Imperial delegation departs.
Captain Kaya is stopped by a flower seller, who gives her a Starburst Flower (expensive), with the words ``I had family on Celeria 3''; Kaya accepts it, though not without a degree of embarrassment. (Later Brophar checks with the Wookie, another of Page's Commandoes. He explains that Celeria was Kaya's homeworld; during the Imperial Occupation, Kaya formed a Resistance cell, and led an attack on the Imperial Governor. For this she became a local celebrity, top of the Imperial ``Most Wanted'' list, and was eventually recruited by the Rebellion. The Wookie guesses that the flower seller's family was connected in some way).
The Captain and officers dine with the Cardinal, a tremendously old man confined to a hover chair. (He is guarded by a tall, sharp-featured, muscular woman). The Cardinal quizzes the group on recent developments (and hears the usual line).
Meanwhile Brophar investigates available docking facilities, while keeping Loffryn ignorant of the commerce on level 12 (``The Meat Market''). The only place with the necessary technology is Sprang's Shipyard, the largest repair bay (and with a waiting list to match). Sprang has an excellent reputation, and is rumoured to have a pipeline to some of the top Imperial R&D labs.
Extensive weapons technology is on sale in the port (up to and including turbolasers). Sufficient X-Wing parts are available that the base is suspected to possess one (or more) of the craft.
A search for general information (esp about Sarne and the Corellian freighter) points the team to the flower seller, ConJob (who is considered a good `finder', but expensive. He is rumoured to have been a law enforcement officer or academic, prior to being run out of Celeria by the Empire). The description of the freighter is clearly recognised, but no-one will talk about the owner (`a local pirate').
Captain Kaya visits ConJob, and learns that Sarne did indeed pass through Tanquilla Beach; a pair of ISDs came within sensor range of the station.
After two days, Sprang `finds' a place in his queue for the FarStar. The hyperdrive repair is horrible, but Sprang is excellent (and his 19 year old neice Fia is nearly comparable in skill to Brophar). For the next week, Sprang and Fia work on the repairs, while Brophar performs all of the maintenance which was never undertaken prior to the departure from Kal Shebbol. After a week, Sprang has finished the installation and begins to restore power, while Fia concentrates on connections and tuning.
While investigating the markets, Jessa discovers an operational lightsaber. She cannot raise the asking price, but does pay for a short `try out' with it.
Shortly before repairs are completed, Jessa has a bad premonition while on the Bridge of the FarStar. Sensors pick up a ship entering the system an old Imperial Carrack class cruiser, on an attack run (and the FarStar's maneouvre drive is offline). Both the FarStar and the base raise their shields.
The FarStar weathers the first turbolaser barrage and returns fire. The base then extends its own shield to cover the ship, and approx 20 concealed turbolaser batteries appear on the surface. The Carrack is blanketted in fire. There follow several exchanges (including a volley of proton torpedoes from Dasha); the Carrack is clearly getting the worst of it. At short range the cruiser is hit by ion fire, which brings down the final shield it is quickly destroyed.
A week later, repairs are complete, and the FarStar finally receives the long-overdue shakedown cruise; Fia joins the crew for the cruise. The hyperdrive appears to have been at least semi-sabotaged, probably in transit.
[The FarStar now has a x1 Hyperdrive Multiplier]
The weakest engineering link is now the computer system, which is non-standard and very hybrid. Fia recommends that the crew should get Drake on Pembric II to investigate the system fully; all is definitely not well with it.
| Brophar | 6 CP |
| Gorak (aka Greebo) | 4 CP |
| Dasha, Deshwa | 4 CP |
| Jessa | 3 CP (+1 for lightsaber) |
| Twi'lek finder + companions | 3 CP |
| Darryn Thyte | 3 CP |
| Gunners | 3 CP (Krodar, Cuneform, Nyung Nyong) |
| Farah, Scorryn | 2 CP |
| Defel scout | 2 CP |
| All other crew not mentioned | 1 CP |