Simple Tricks VI

Simple Tricks and Nonsense
Episode VI
August 13, 2016

Standoff On Leritor

The Painted S'kytri has made it's way to Leritor, an out of the way planet in the Mid Rim. The mission is to deliver vital agricultural/ industrial parts and pick up a cargo load of grain and other foodstuffs harvested on the farm planet. Nothing dangerous or exciting at all.

The peaceful planet Leritor

When the Crew arrives at the pre-determined meeting point, the transaction goes smoothly. The settlers are happy to see off-worlders and ready to receive their parts. News of the greater galaxy is exchanged for a few drinks in the lounge area of the giant combine/reaper/mobile residence of the settlers. While the cargo is being transferred, Xetsu is approached by some of the locals with advice on how to do some advanced repairs on some of the reaper's more sophisticated systems. Happy to be of service, the Twi'lek goes off to help.

Suddenly, the long-range communicators start pinging with a distress call from another combine/reaper, the Gevion. They have been surrounded by the native species of the planet, the crab-like Sauvax. After a quick negotiation regarding payment for assistance, the Crew (minus Xetsu, who is still busy on his new project) blasts off to the Gevion's coordinates.

The Gevion is surrounded by Sauvax

A Sauvax native

Upon arrival, they see that the enormous vehicle has been surrounded by close to a thousand of the red crustacean beings. The S'kytri lands on the top of the Gevion and the Crew is greeted by it's residents and the situation is explained. They are not sure why the Sauvax have surrounded the Gevion and they swear that they have not breached the Settlement Pact with the natives regarding the 100km buffer zone between the harvestable inland areas and the coastline where the Sauvax reside. The leader of the settlers is also concerned that the Sauvax might be responsible for the disappearance of the Nellist, another combine/reaper that was know to harvest in the area.

The Crew agrees to go down and parlay with the Sauvax, which is the only possible way to communicate, as the earlier attempts by the settlers to call down from the lower observation deck were only met with some thrown rocks and demands that they come down to the surface.

The seemingly primitive Sauvax are friendly enough and immediately accuse the Crew of violating the Settlement Pact and destroying a Sauvax village to the north. After some trading of objects and intense negotiations, the Sauvax and the Crew come to an agreement. The Sauvax will let the Gevion go if the Crew will look into the recent attack and figure out who did it. The Crew borrows a speeder truck from the Gevion so they can travel to the coastal Sauvax village and be as minimally disruptive to the Settlement Pact as they can.

On the way to the village, the Crew comes upon the remains of the Nellist. It has been badly damaged and looks as if it had recently caught fire. There are many Sauvax spears and other trinkets around, but the damage on the huge vehicle was more than likely caused by blasters. Further investigation reveals a nearby area that looks as if it was the landing area of one or two small flying transports. Numerous footprints lead to the area.

The Crew arrives at the seaside village and finds it completely destroyed. Some small bits of technology and numerous blaster scorch marks indicate that this was performed by a group with a good deal of firepower. They see a lone surviving Sauvax but the being hurries off before anyone can get close enough to speak to it.

The Sauvax village is destroyed

On the way back to the Gevion, the Crew observes what looks like two small flying craft doing a strafing run along a distant river at the base of the northern mountains before flying back north into the mountains. Approaching stealthily to get a better idea of what is going on, the Crew discovers a small campsite that looks to have been the home of 3-4 primitive campers. Nearby, where the strafing run was see, the bodies of several Humans are found completely scorched by vehicle blasters. Another nearby encampment is found that shows a more advanced set up and landing area for several aircraft.

The Crew follows a narrow trail up into the mountains and finds what appears to be some sort of secured area around an excavation site. It appears that both Human and Sauvax are being forced to dig something big and metal out of the ground inside a high fenced area. Numerous armed guards   patrol the area. Several small spacefighters and a larger transport sit near the edge of the encampment.

the slave camp and excavation

The Crew quickly formulates a plan to take out the generator, take control of the starfighters and release the prisoners. Lofchiir moves in and destroys the generator while Varko, Rook and Dex clime the steep hillside that leads up to the spacecraft. Alita uses her stealth to move into position to begin sniping at the guards once things start blowing up.

The plan starts off brilliantly, the generator blows, triggering emergency lighting. The guards are all running around in utter confusion. Dex makes it into one of the starfighters, though Varko takes a serious wound and goes down. Rook gets pinned down next to another craft. Alita begins running through the camp, trying to take out the guards in the raised guard towers while Lofchiir begins lobbing grenades at the transport ship in an attempt to disable it.

As Dex begins laying down suppression fire with his starfighter, the transport takes off. He fires on the transport but its shields absorb the damage. Then a female voice crackles over the comm, in a calm voice telling Dex to set his ship down and power off.

Strangely, he obeys this command and lands the ship in the middle of the camp.

Session Notes

Only 1 player out tonight, feels good getting (most of) the group back together!

Characters Present:

Dexen Halcyon, the cocky pilot from Ord Mantell played by +Daniel Ernst
Jetha "Rook" Rue'kri, the greedy Corellian smuggler played by +Carol Coburn
Varko Prumen, the selfless Mol Calamari scoundrel played by +Ben Lipe
Lofchirr, the charismatic, ex-pirate Wookie played by Don K
Xetsu'ae, the grizzled veteran Twi'lek former slave turned mechanic played by +Jodi H
Alita, the eagle eyed Socorran scout played by +JeCorey Holder

and +Jason Woollard as the GM