Ok guys, what should we do? Try to talk our way out of a Hutt Court? Fight our way through the enemy lines? Challenge the Hutt to a ritual combat? Any other ideas?

Can Rast make a Knowledge (Warfare) check to see what the odds of us actually fighting our way out is?

He could give it a go. A Knowledge (Underworld) check could also be used to provide some insight into your legal chances.

He could give it a go. A Knowledge (Underworld) check could also be used to provide some insight into your legal chances.

And the Difficulty? Pretty please?

I'd say an Average Warfare check or Hard Underworld check.

Rion, under his breath, said, "As I already told you, Marcelus, you can't bluff your way out of this. They're Hutts. Even if you had the best bluff in all the galaxy, their arrogance wouldn't allow them to acknowledge it--they'll never let an inferior race get the better of them. Making them believe you can do that is the only way to frighten them. And you just dramatically lowered our chances of walking out of here alive by undercutting my claim that we were a battle-hardened, elite team.

"Vohr...ignite the lightsaber...now, please.

Rion continues to lock eyes with the Hutt and says, in Huttese:

"Most of your men are chattel, and pose little threat to us. The only real muscle you have on your side is yourself and your four Ganks. I've dealt with worse odds.

"And, unlike you, our Master does not rely upon chattel, nor does he 'lurk'...as you did.

"I gave you three choices. Either give me proof you represent the Cartel, and aren't some low-ranked cheap opportunist meddling in the affairs of his betters, get out of my way, or explain what you hope to gain here, without raising my ire and that of my Master with threats. Otherwise, you will deal with me, and my Master--a deal you will not survive.

"Five seconds, Hutt.

"5."

Rion continues, in a low voice, "If he doesn't back down, I'll hit him with this ion grenade--it'll leave him vulnerable when I shut down his fancy gear, so his men will shield him instead of advancing. Then we race back into the building. Vohr, cover us with your lightsaber as best you can."

"4."

I'd say an Average Warfare check or Hard Underworld check.

Knowledge (Warfare): 2eP+1eA+2eD 3 successes, 2 threat

Rast's fingers were held loose by his side as he contemplated the situation for all of a second...

Ashrym's eyes slide from the Hutt, across the ganks, across the others, and then back across his team. His hands don't move, wary of being the one individual who sets things off, but ready to grab hold and lay down some suppressive, or downright offensive, fire at a moment's notice. It is what he, and the rest of them trained for, reacting under fire and not panicking. The negotiations had sounded good, but did not end as they may have wished. Rion was trying his hand at forceful negotiation and in just a few seconds everything would be decided one way or another.

Rast thinks back to his tactical briefings on Hutt Space. There were rumours of such an organisation as this, but he hadn't been able to find substantive information on the subject. However it's suggested that they have plentiful resources, and that their forces are equipped with weapons designed for suppressing mass riots by indentured workers or for taking out those who have defied the will of their masters but need to be imprisoned. He also remembers that they bear the authority of the Nine Clans, the most powerful of all the Hutt families.

It was times like these when Rion was reminded of his family and their grand history of Jedi service, a history he would never be a part of, a legacy that would never be his. He wondered briefly if his father or sister were still alive--he'd heard nothing of either of them in over a year, given the chaos of the war.

Rion was no Jedi hero. But he did have one talent, taking things apart, and he did his utmost to put it to use in the Republic Special Forces. And while they weren't the Jedi Order, he knew that he served the Republic in his own way. And he also knew there would be grave consequences if the Hutts took them captive--the lie Marcelus had told of working for a Hutt would be quickly revealed, and they would undoubtedly pull the truth out of them about their real leaders. Even the hardiest of soldiers could resist a Hutt interrogation for only so long, considering the exotic and brutal methods the Cartels used to extract information. The Republic would be likely denied access to the resources of Hutt space even in the best case scenario, and at worst the Hutts might ally with the Sith.

If they had to die here to protect the Republic...well, that was their duty.

Still, Rion resolved that he would be last to retreat, to buy his team members time to get back into the building. It was probably a self-inflicted death sentence given the ordinance leveled at them, but...so be it.

And who knew? Maybe the Hutt would back down.

Maybe. There was no going back now.

Rion continued to bounce the grenade in his hand while leveling a steely gaze at the Hutt.

"3."

Marcelus takes a look at his squadmates, sighes and turns around once again, facing the Hutt:

"Such a pity! This was such a nice buisness opportunity for everyone involved and you simply decide to ignore it.

You must be aware that we can not surrender to you - our glourious masters orders were quite specific. His involvement must be kept hidden at all cost.

You may not be aware with whom you're dealing with. Our master is far more powerful than you could ever imagine - and so are his servants."

He signals Vohr with a quick hand-sign.

The lightsaber blade erupts fiercely, cutting through the omnious silence with a hungry hiss.

Marcelus addresses the Hutt once more: "I fear you are dealing with enemies quite too strong for you. I ask you one last time: Let us go freely or perish."

Out of the corner of his mouth, he murmurs to the prisoners: "Once the fighting starts, drop to the floor and hide. The Hutts won't differentiate between you and us."

Edit: What is our strategy? I think the best option would be to storm the sail barge quickly - then their grenade launchers and long range weapons will be almost useless. The Hutt should have difficulties maneuvering as well when we change positions quickly. I'd say that as long as we are outside, the safest place could be near the hutt --> then he can't use his grenade launcher well and his minions probably won't fire at us out of fear of hitting their master.

Unfortunately, Marcelus would never come up with any elaborate battle plan - he has no experience in tactics and strategy after all.

@ColonelCommissar: Would it be possible for Marcelus to fast-talk the Imperial prisoners into fighting alongside the squad. After all, they know that the Hutt Cartel probably won't look kindly on anyone maintaining an illegal and secret listening outpost on their moon. Marcelus's "master" on the other hand is apparently working on his own, so he would maybe let them go? Possible or Impossible?

Suddenly, your comm beads crackle. "Hawk calling Basilisk, Hawk calling Basilisk, pickup unavailable at this time. PZ is hot. Are you seeing this, over?" The Hutt's head shifts slightly, then he smiles. "Having trouble with your escape? You cannot flee the justice of the Hutts."

"2."

Rast raised his hands over his head. "Let's not get ourselves blown up, gentlebeings," he said. "Vohr?"

Tee-Nine beeps and shakes nervously, completely terrified at the prospect of being vaporized.

Vohr answers, gripping his activated lightsaber tightly: "Enough of the discussions I'd say. Hutt, hear me: I command a greater power than you can ever hope to fight."

With a wolfish grin, he adds "I am going to walk away freely from here - the only question remaining is whether I have to step over dead bodies first..."

Sweat drops down his fingers. His friends can barely hear his next words, frantically muttered under his breath: "I won't let this turn into a second Alderaan. I won't!"

Rast draws his bow and aims at one of the laser-sighting Weequays.

The skiffs are rotating around, surrounding you as you wait in the open. The Imperials are crouching down, except for one who suddenly breaks and runs back inside the building. A skiff next to the walkway blasts a shot down at her, which hits with a ring of blue light that sends her crumpling to the floor in the spasmodic jerk of muscles so distinctive of a stun shot.

"This is your last warning," says the Hutt. "Surrender now, and I promise the Nine Clans will look fairly upon you. Fight, and we will simply take you into custody, where your case shall be damaged by such shows of insolence. Justice shall be served fairly upon you, but it must be served."

Another voice is insistently chirping in your ears, your com beads buzzing with the words. "Hawk calling Basilisk, do you read? Hawk calling Basilisk, come in immediately."

Ashrym responds to the insistent chirping via his in-helmet comlink, not projecting the voice outside the helmet, "Hawk, this is Basilisk. Hutt Cartel has intercepted. Fire fight imminent."

"We can see that Basilisk, our pick-up shuttle is three hundred metres due north west of you, sixty metres up from where you are. They've been intercepted by two Hutt Council gunships. They're outgunned and won't be able to get in to pick you up. Command is advising that you surrender at this point; we can't afford to stir up the Hutts. The embassy's legal councillor is saying that if you surrender peacefully now then Galactic Law protects you from having genetic tests taken. If you just give them the false IDs we provided then they can't probe further and identify you as Republic citizens. We can get an advisor to you in less than two days. I appreciate it's a lot to ask, but we can't afford to lose our friendship with the Hutts. I'm sorry Basilisk, we'll be in touch."

"This is your last warning," says the Hutt. "Surrender now, and I promise..."

"1."

"We can see that Basilisk, our pick-up shuttle is three hundred metres due north west of you, sixty metres up from where you are. They've been intercepted by two Hutt Council gunships. They're outgunned and won't be able to get in to pick you up. Command is advising that you surrender at this point; we can't afford to stir up the Hutts. The embassy's legal councillor is saying that if you surrender peacefully now then Galactic Law protects you from having genetic tests taken. If you just give them the false IDs we provided then they can't probe further and identify you as Republic citizens. We can get an advisor to you in less than two days. I appreciate it's a lot to ask, but we can't afford to lose our friendship with the Hutts. I'm sorry Basilisk, we'll be in touch."

"0." Rion puts the grenade away.

"So you've got some mettle after all, Hutt," he says in Huttese, locking eyes with the Hutt. "Would have been an interesting fight...but I have orders to fulfill that come before my personal desires. This conflict will not advance them."

"Very well...I allow you to take me in. But tread lightly, Hutt...your actions are being watched. And since you claim to be an enforcer of the law, I expect you to follow the law faithfully. Deviations will be noted, and will have repercussions."

"Of course. Huttese law is as just as its enforcers are mighty. Your treatment will be fair, as will be that of your captives," his loudhailer clicks audibly,then he speaks again in the harsh Hutt language. Two skiffs descend from the crowd, lighter-armed than the others. Their crews - muscle-bound Klatooinians for the most part - step down and bind your wrists, taking the Imperials away to a second, separate skiff. You are taken aboard, stripped of your weapons - which are placed in a large strongbox, the icon of the blindfolded Hutt engraved upon it - and surrounded by the guards as the skiff lifts off. All you have left are your com beads as the skiff glides away across the cityscape from the building where you started. "I'm sorry," says the voice. "Help will come for you. We won't abandon you."

EPISODE 2 - HUTT JUSTICE

The four walls of your cell have become quite familiar to you in the last forty-eight hours, as languishing in there you've had little better to do than stare at them. You've been locked in a communal cell for the five of you: three pairs of bunks are against one wall, with a metal table and stools bolted to the floor in the centre of the room and a camera in each corner. You've had meals shunted through the hatch in the durasteel door twice a day since you've been here; they were filling enough, even if they did possess the same metallic taste of waste and decay that everything does on this wretched Hutt world. Sealed away you've barely seen a single guard between you since they shut the door, but you can nonetheless tell that they're watching and listening, even through the cameras - hence the lack of communication between you.

You haven't seen either Dag or Vohr in twenty-four hours, ever since the cell's door clanged open and four guards - two Klatooinians and two Weequay - barged in, wrestled them to their feet and hauled them out of the cell. After that the door hasn't opened in a full day - until just now.

The door clangs open, and you jump from where you've been sitting as a group of guards from a whole range of species, Aqualish, Weequay, Klatoonians, Rodians and a Houk, come barging in. They take hold of you, one to each arm - save T9, who is picked up bodily by the Houk and a particularly large Klatooinian and carried out - and you are collectively dragged from your cell and frog-marched down the hall. You pass a lot of other durasteel doors set into the wall, in what's obviously a very secure prison; indeed from what you saw as you were dragged out it looks alarmingly like the doors were made directly from starship plating.

Your short journey down the hall on which your cell was housed, down some stairs and out of the cell block ends with you turning down a single corridor, at the end of which is a door warded by two Gamorrean guards, who look like steroids make up the main food group of their diet, washed down with a cocktail of growth and aggression hormones. Despite this though, they step aside from the door, raising their vibro-axes as you pass and are unceremoniously dragged into the room, where having placed you the guards turn and leave. If this whole experience wasn't confusing enough though, it is the contents of the room that confuse you more. There is a table, with five chairs on one side and on the other two: one of which contains a Jedi, who leans across the table, places down a holo-emitter and leans back with the look of someone who's seen it already and wants to get the experience over with. Once again though, the emitter flashes up with the image of General Var Suthra.

"Greeting gentlemen. I'm afraid this is another pre-recorded message, so you won't be able to ask questions, but I'm sure my advocate can help with that. I appreciate that this is a very bad time, but rest assured the Republic has not forgotten you. I'm afraid however that it's taken some work to get you even this far, with much more to get you back. I'm afraid your colleague Mister Dibrimi was a casualty in that, and the Republic's working to locate him so we can extradite him, but a Huttese time oubliette is a difficult thing to remove someone from. However the Order was able to trade him for Master Yondu, though it's doubtful he'll be seeing field service for a long time now. I think there was some mention of him going to the Library? Anyway that's not important.

"What is important is what's happening to you. Tomorrow you'll have to stand trial for what happened at the listening post. I'm sorry it had to come to this, but we had no idea the Hutts had anything like this - which says something about our intelligence services. We've done some poking, and found out that there really is a private army enforcing the laws of the Hutt Council, and they apparently have the full investiture of the Galactic Judiciary as a legal body. That means we can't extract you, and you'll be facing the law against a Hutt Judge and Jury. Your charges are one count of disobeying a Hutt Master - we had to fabricate one of those - twenty-three counts of unlicensed killing, one count of unlicensed invasion and one count of resisting arrest. Normally we'd be able to get you off the hook, but we've been having to work through proxies so as not to break your cover so our power is limited. We only got Vohr back because the Jedi claimed he was a dangerous rogue who only they could properly punish.

"That's why I've sent Jeren. Master Vallin is a Jedi, and a member of their Consular order. He's also done some legal advocating work, and so can help you to defend yourselves against the Empire's accusations. They'll try to trick you into revealing yourselves as Republic agents; you have to prevent that. So long as you don't get imprisoned we get the data back and everything will be fine. If you have any further questions I'm sure Master Vallin can help answer them. May the Force be with you gentlemen."