Edited to clarify my position (hopefully. Or I made it more complex)

You can take a maneuver for Zelt to take an action and a maneuver. But that isn't necessary right now. You've already ordered Zelt to follow you & protect Maya, so he'll obey to the best of his ability.

Here's what we'll do. For this specific instance, we'll upgrade the difficulty of any attacks against Maya. If a Despair gets rolled, her attackers get nailed by Zelt. You are also free to spend your Destiny Points and further upgrade attacks against her, increasing your chances

I can't argue with that. Good plan

Since I assume Jonas can still use a Maneuver this round, is he within range of Xan to free him with that maneuver?

Since I assume Jonas can still use a Maneuver this round, is he within range of Xan to free him with that maneuver?

Sure! You'll just need to take two maneuvers, voluntarily suffering two strain for the second (since you can't trade your action): 1 maneuver to engage, 1 to use your lightsaber and burn through the netting. No check required.

Now that I'm free, it's one maneuver to stand up and another to draw and ignite my lightsaber, correct?

Now that I'm free, it's one maneuver to stand up and another to draw and ignite my lightsaber, correct?

Correct, please see the IC thread for...your choice.

You do have a few options, but if you want to attack with your lightsaber, the only one currently in range is that downed flesh raider. If you really wanted to make a lightsaber check, you can do so against a Simple (-) Difficulty. The check will automatically kill the flesh raider, and Advantage and Triumph from the check can be spent as normal to benefit yourself or your allies.

There is room for one more PC to act before Xan does (if he indeed wants to take his turn now). Just in case you guys were waiting.

The initiative order is currently:

PC (Seifer)
NPC (Ugly Raider)
NPC (Flesh Raider Group 1)
PC (Kovin)
PC (Jonas)
PC <- you are here
PC
NPC
PC
NPC

So the raider that Maya had binded is the one dying on the ground? We suddenly switched nomeclature for the various raiders and I lost track on who was whom. Sorry for the interruption.

Yes...sorry, was trying to be descriptive There's the Fat Flesh Raider, and there's the Ugly Flesh Raider. Ugly was with the first group, and was the one with the net & spear.

Fatty was with the rear group, and is the one currently trying to decapitate Seifer.

I had another idea for a background story, so I started work on it.

Background Story 2 ( 1 of 4)

The cockpit was silent, but the atmosphere within was tense as the small freighter threaded its way through the asteroid field. Orielle, her hands steady at the controls, had told the rest of them that the orbits were stable and it was unlikely their journey would end in a fiery collision. But that wasn`t what had caused the tension—the other three occupants trusted her piloting skills, which she had demonstrated under pressure on any number of occasions.

No, Xan reflected, it was the journey`s imminent end that had them on edge, as they were going to go negotiate with pirates. To be more precise, Xan would do the negotiating, and the others would make sure he lived long enough to do it.

In theory, anyway. These were no ordinary pirates, else the Resistance wouldn`t have bothered with them. Revan had no more managed to stamp out the scourge of piracy than had the Republic which preceded his rule, and in that sense at least the galaxy hadn`t changed. But the fact that said pirates were a scourge upon the Sith as well hardly made them allies of the Resistance, as their ideology left a lot to be desired amongst adherents of democracy, fair representation and the Jedi Code.

But these pirates had something to offer, something the Resistance badly needed. And so, once more Xan was sent to negotiate, this time with an infamous pirate captain who had the death mark bestowed upon him by the Sith. This was not simply due to the fact that he had successfully disrupted shipping in the region and in the process had turned several Imperial patrol vessels into so much scrap, or even because he freely sold weapons and other contraband to fellow malcontents and had outfoxed and slain several Sith agents sent to stop him.

Well, those all played a role, certainly, but the biggest reason was that he had used to be one of them, but had gone rogue. As such, Xan was not merely going to go bargain with a pirate, but a former Sith disciple as well, an ex-Jedi Revanchist who had served with Revan since the Mandalorian Wars.

“We should see it soon,” Orielle announced. “I`m picking up a number of ships ahead, so we`ll be passing the point of no return soon. If you want to back out, now`s the time to tell me.”

“Xan won`t back out,” Vodo said, seemingly unconcerned and flippant as always. “He`s not that bright, really.”

“I`d say something in my defense, but simple logic and honesty stop me,” Xan said dryly.

Bhaela placed her hand on his shoulder. “You`ve got your orders,” the blue-skinned Twi`lek said softly, “and I know you`ll carry them out. You`ve never failed us when we needed you before.” Bhaela radiated an earnestness that gave her words a great deal of gravity, and Xan smiled appreciatively at his fellow Jedi.

“Mostly because he lacks the cognitive skills to grasp how stupid and suicidal his orders are,” Vodo helpfully added.

Bhaela fixed the Nautolan with a steely glare. The Guardian had never appreciated the soldier`s levity before, which never seemed to affect Vodo in the slightest.

“Your constant belief in me is the rock I stand on always,” Xan told him wryly, hoping to head off another clash between them. The Nautolan flashed him his trademark grin and bowed from the waist with a flourish.

“Well, too late now,” Orielle said as the ship finished making its way around a particularly large asteroid and finally entered visual range of the pirate base. The Mirialan pilot—and the third Jedi on this mission—steered their vessel towards the ramshackle base that covered a good deal of the large rock suspended in space ahead of them. Xan counted at least a half dozen heavily-armed pirate vessels in orbit around the base, testament to the success of this band.

Xan was about to hail them when the communications station squawked to life with an incoming message. “ Pride of Alderaan ,” a harsh voice grated, “keep to your current course and land in the west docking bay. Any deviation will result in your immediate destruction.” This statement was punctuated with the cannons of several pirate vessels visibly tracking the ship.

“Friendly,” Vodo quipped.

“Pirates,” Bhaela said with scorn. Xan was reminded of the days before the Sith victory, when Bhaela`s master had been the Jedi liaison to the Sector Rangers, using his skills to help them capture the worst of criminals, including pirates. Bhaela had attended him as a Padawan in the days before the Purge; it must grate on her to end up one of the criminals, forced to hide in the shadows thanks to the Sith regime.

“Acknowledged,” Xan said into the comm before it abruptly clicked off. He leaned back into his seat, focusing on clearing his mind and preparing his arguments. He needed to be prepared, as it was a special occasion, after all.

It was the first time he was going to go talk with a Sith instead of trying to kill one.

Former Sith , he reminded himself. Desperate times called for unusual allies, and the Resistance was struggling. It would never blossom into a full-blown revolution if it couldn`t acquire the materials, recruits and intel it needed to grow.

It was the latter they were after here. The pirate captain, Sethel, undoubtedly knew all sorts of things that could benefit the Resistance. If the Sith suspected there was an active resistance movement in the sector seeking him out for a conversation, they`d have redoubled their efforts to silence him permanently—anonymity was the movement`s greatest strength now.

But then again, seeing as two Sith had just turned up dead on Chandrilla, who knew how long that would last. Xan hoped fervently that the Sith Knight had never indicated that he was part of anything larger than a small band of fugitive Jedi in any reports he had sent to his superiors; if he had, they may never get the chance to develop into a genuine threat.

Orielle landed the ship with a deft touch, setting down within a large natural cavern that opened out onto the asteroid`s surface. Xan saw several smaller craft within the docking bay, and a larger than expected crew servicing and swarming around the vessels, which gave him pause. He wondered what Sethel was gearing up for with all these ships—whatever it was, it would certainly make him a thorn in the side of the Sith.

Most of the Resistance leaders saw no point in trying to recruit the pirates to the cause, and thus had only sent Xan to negotiate for intel, but upon seeing how well armed and prepared this band was, he began to think seriously about going off-script. If the Resistance had those ships…

“Time to go and make new friends,” Vodo said, standing up and stretching languidly as Orielle finished shutting the ship`s systems down. Xan, still deep in thought, unstrapped himself distractedly, earning him an arched eyebrow from Bhaela.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I`m thinking there are opportunities here they didn`t tell us about on Alderaan,” he replied as he made his way to the docking ramp.

She sighed. “Just follow your orders, Xan,” she said. “I know we need to grow, but I`d rather not welcome this crew into the fold.”

“You mean we should hold out for the other bands of virtuous, heavily-armed idealists who`ll jump at the chance to fight the Sith for little or no reward?” Xan countered.

Bhaela bristled slightly. “I know how difficult things are,” she said. “But these are pirates!”

“What would the Sith call us?” Vodo said, striding up behind them.

“Worse,” Bhaela admitted, “but they`re wrong.”

Orielle, ignoring the exchange, strode past them and hit the switch which lowered the docking ramp. She turned expectantly to Xan and gestured for him to lead the way. As he moved to do just that, her eyes met his, and he was, as usual, struck by the serenity in her features, as he was by the intriguing pattern of tattoos patterned across her light green skin. “You know what to do,” she said encouragingly.

I sure hope so, he thought as he descended to meet their hosts.

Background Story (2 of 4)

All in all, things were going reasonably well, Xan reckoned. In spite of the fact Bhaela had broken the jaw of one of the pirates who insisted on patting her down for weapons too thoroughly, they managed to secure an audience with the pirate captain. Sethel, a hard-looking shaven-headed human, had laughed out loud when Xan told him he represented a Resistance against the Sith intent on restoring the Republic, but it wasn't the first time he had gotten that response. And while he didn`t have credits or weapons to offer, the pirates did need consumables, as asteroids weren`t ideally suited to growing foodstuffs that pirates would be satisfied eating. It just so happened that the Resistance had been quite successful in finding allies on a number of agricultural worlds, and currently had a surplus available. It didn`t have the appeal of bargaining for cold, hard credits, but even pirates need to eat.

Sethel learned back on the heavy, high-backed chair where he held court. Gathered around them were his motley crew, hard-bitten men and women of an assortment of species who`d taken on the Sith Navy, other pirate bands and all other challengers to their dominance of the region`s pirate activity. There was even a young, snake-like Hutt in the crowd, a heavy rifle slung across his back.

Bhaela did not approve. She tried to keep her revulsion in check, but her disapproval was evident in her features. Still, since she had put on of their members in the medical bay, no one saw fit to press the issue. Orielle stood easily off to the side, her back against a support column, somehow able to find her equilibrium in any kind of environment as usual. And Vodo was somewhere off towards the back of the room, engaged in a drinking contest with a group of hulking alien pirates of half a dozen different species; unsurprisingly, he fit right in with the group of ruffians. Xan wondered, not for the first time, how it was he never managed to get kicked out of the elite Republic regiment he had belonged to before the purge.

“I am more than prepared to provide you with the foodstuffs you need, should you be able to provide us with the assistance we require,” Xan said smoothly.

“And now we get to the heart of the matter,” Sethel said. “What do you want in return? You expect us to sign up for your glorious crusade?”

“Hey, I`ve always wanted to save the galaxy,” the Falleen pirate at Sethel`s side said, a statement met by much sniggering and snorts of amusement.

“That`s right—right outstandin` folk we are!” the human woman next to him said. This was followed by numerous similar sarcastic comments punctuated by sharp laughter, to which the Hutt added his own, a great, basso boom. Sethel grinned at Xan wolfishly.

Xan was unperturbed. This wasn`t the first time he had experienced this, either. Bhaela archly shot him an “ I-told-you-so ” look.

“I do not require your allegiance,” he said in calm and measured tones, “and I`m not here to recruit. My sources tell me you used to command a military garrison in this sector.”

“What of it?” Sethel responded, suspicion clouding his features.

“You commanded the garrison, and you were a Sith.” The laughter and general mirth died away at Xan`s utterance of the word. “That means you know where the Crucible of Obedience is.”

The room was dead silent now. Everyone in the room had heard of the infamous Sith prison, where the Revan kept those who were too valuable to kill. That was hardly a mercy though; the techniques the Inquisitors used to separate the incarcerated from their secrets rarely left them sane afterwards. Worse still was the fate that awaited a Jedi who fell into their clutches; they were broken in mind, body and spirit completely so they could be re-forged into tools of the dark side, pawns of Revan.

Sethel stared at him for a moment in disbelief, then shook his head slowly. “You`re crazy, Jedi,” he said. “Even if there were any Jedi left there to save, they`re lost to you now.”

“You underestimate the strength of the Jedi,” Bhaela told him icily.

“I underestimate nothing ,” he hissed back. “I was one of you once, before I answered Revan`s call, fool that I was. And I tell you this, Twi`lek—you wouldn`t last a week there. None of us would….and during my time as a Sith, I saw and did things that none of you fugitive Jedi beggars would ever have the stomach for,” he added venomously.

“I think you`ll find that things have changed somewhat,” Xan told him evenly. “And I`m not finished.”

“Oh?” Sethel snorted.

“The Crucible is too well-defended for me to simply walk in, not unless I had a strike force to back me up—and the Resistance isn`t willing at this time to let the Sith know our strength. So I`m going to need you to hit the prison, a hit-and-fade attack to give me cover to get in…and, of course, out again.”

“There are far easier ways for us to commit suicide,” the Hutt rumbled. The series of mutterings which followed showed he was not alone in his thinking. Bhaela regarded them with disgust while Orielle simply glanced at Xan, her expression unreadable. Xan wondered what she was thinking; the unflappable Jedi wanderer was not one to show distress or emotion, but her sister was likely in that hellhole, assuming the Inquisition hadn`t broken or killed her already.

Sethel rubbed his chin with his hand. “Maybe,” he said. “Maybe not.”

This was promising, Xan reflected. He hadn`t refused outright, at least, and seemed to be considering the matter. His response to Xan`s mention of the prison had been interesting, too; in spite of his former allegiance, he was not as enmeshed in the dark side as the Zabrak had feared he might be. He squared his shoulders, steadied himself in the Force to order his thoughts, and prepared to close the deal.

He was only able to open his mouth, however, before the entire room shook, rocked by an impact all present could clearly feel. Alarms wailed and the room erupted into shouts of alarm, upon which Vodo suddenly reappeared at Xan`s side.

“What the hell,” Xan muttered angrily at the interruption as Bhaela and Orielle flanked him, lightsabers at the ready, the former rapidly taking in the room for threats. The pirates clamored around them, brandishing weapons and shouting questions to one another, and more than a few were regarding the Jedi suspiciously. Xan felt a distinct sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Lousy timing,” Vodo remarked sagely as he checked his heavy blaster`s charge meter.

“Shut up!” Sethel bellowed as he drew his comlink and switched it on. “Boss, the Sith are here!” a panicked voice on the other side said. “Eight capital ships and more fighters than I can count! We`re holding off the warships, but several troop carriers have already gotten through!”

The sinking feeling in Xan`s stomach grew all the more pronounced. The Sith? Here? Now?

Surely this was not a coincidence.

Sethel was on his feet immediately. “Prepare to evacuate,” he said, his voice cutting effortlessly through the chaos, demonstrating the leadership skills that had made him master of this band. “Graius, Bonadan,” he said, singling out a stocky Rodian and a heavily-armed Weequay, “your teams are with me to repel boarders to give the others time to get away. And as for you,” he said, stabbing his fingers towards the Jedi, “you want help, you`d better make sure my crew walks away from this.”

“We`ll help you to defend your people,” Orielle replied smoothly before Bhaela could object.

“We are?” Vodo said incredulously. Xan silenced him with a sharp gesture.

“We`ll do what we can,” the Zabrak told the former Sith, drawing his own lightsaber.

“Then let`s go,” Sethel barked, pointing with his chin towards the landing bays. As the heavily harmed group of pirates and their Jedi allies ran in that direction, he was on his comlink again, rapidly processing reports about the composition and positions of the Sith boarding parties. Xan admired his ability to keep a cool head under such pressure, making him wonder what made him turn on his former Sith allies as he had done to the Jedi Council long ago. The man was a puzzle.

Reaching an intersection, Sethel called for an abrupt halt. “Graius, you and your team go that way, and you two,” he added, pointing at Vodo and Bhaela, “go with them.” Bhaela glanced briefly at Xan, who replied with a curt nod. She frowned darkly, shooting him one final dark glance before chasing off after the others into who-knew-what. Xan hoped this wasn`t as big a mistake as she was convinced it was.

“The rest of you, with me!” the pirate captain commanded, breaking off into a run through the rocky tunnels once more. Orielle and Xan rushed after them, and while the Mirialan seemed calm and controlled as she always did, Xan was not so collected. He felt an all-too-familiar sense of unease, a shadow he felt in the Force hovering above them forebodingly, making both his hearts race. If Orielle felt it too, she gave no sign.

It was then that a second blast rocked the station, knocking the defenders to the ground, save Orielle, who whipped out a hand to catch Xan before he fell flat on his face. He was about the mutter his thanks in reply when he heard Sethel`s comlink buzz to life again. “Sith boarding parties are in the east docking bay! We need reinforcements, now!”

“You heard `em!” Sethel said, his own lightsaber appearing in his hand as he regained his feet. “Let`s show these bastards what happens when they try to board our station!”

(I intend to read the above posts when I get a chance. I enjoy good character stuff)

In case it wasn't clear, Maya dropped the raider. I think I'm starting to find her character a little. She should make things very interesting.

So we are down to a single minion and the fat one right? I'll be taking my sense difficulty upgrade if attacked by fatty (and I'm in defensive stance) I'll be aiming to improved parry if enough threat or a despair pops up.

Just working on an IC post, but have fallen asleep at the keyboard twice already :-D sorry, spent all day painting the house and I am beat.

There's 1 minion left in the rear group thanks to Firan, and the Fat Raider is still up and kicking. Also, Jonas and Xan are near the four raiders from the forward group. So there's those guys, too. The ugly flesh raider is unconscious.

It's an NPC turn now, correct?

Yep, but I think we're on a small break since awayputurwpn is asleep (darn timezones). Things shall progress in due time

Indeed, sorry I couldn't get the turn posted last night. At work now, will post this afternoon (2-5 hours).

Thanks for your patience!

What, exactly, do we know about Tython? Did we hear of it for the first time when we were given this mission?

What, exactly, do we know about Tython? Did we hear of it for the first time when we were given this mission?

You know that Tython was the home of ancient Jedi, but they abandoned it thousands of years ago.

If you'd like to make a check to see what you know, it's an Average ( ) Knowledge (Lore) check. You can make the check here and let me know whether you'd prefer it to be public knowledge (I'll post the results here) or private knowledge (I'll PM you and you may disseminate the information as you see fit).

Lore Check : 2eA+2eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

Guess it doesn't matter, as I don't know anything else.

I'll account for the Advantage once everyone else has had a chance to roll (24 hours).

Meanwhile, feel free to advance things in the IC thread. Loving the direction this is going.

I'd like to see what Maya knew about Tython or found out since she arrived.

Knowledge (Lore) : 2eA+1eP+2eD 1 success, 1 advantage

You can PM me, if you don't mind.

Can I get in on that PM? (I'm assuming Maya would share any knowledge with Kovin)

It would really depend on the information honestly. She'll certainly explain any basic information, and hesitantly explain the Jedi and the Force. But if the information she knows is related to parts of Maya's backstory, then she would probably keep that to herself.