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The Ceronia Incident

Part 2

         As the players jump to hyperspace away from the area where the planet Ceronia used to be, the weapon has a secondary and unexpected effect, distorting Hyperspace with gravity bubbles throughout the system. Although normally collision with a gravity field would also mean collision with the mass shadow of the object and complete annihilation for the ship, these gravity fields do not correspond to any physical object. They are also appearing and disappearing in mere moments, meaning that the hyperdrives cut-off doesn't have enough time to switch them back to normality before the field is gone again. This leads to an overload of their hyperdrive as they jump out of the system, throwing them into one of the many other pockets of Otherspace that exist. One of these encountered before by Rebel agents was the one containing the universe of the Charon, but this is not that one.

         "Setting the co-ordinates out of the Ceronia System you make the transition to Hyperspace. The stars outside the main viewport stretch and blur as you accelerate, but as the whirling blue of hyperspace settles into view, the ships controls start to crackle. Blue energy races across the controls, and they momentarily show that the hyperdrive is overloading before they all go blank. The swirl of hyperspace twists, and lightning flashes outside before there is a blast of light which leaves the ships blinking to clear the stars from their eyes."

         "As they become aware of their surroundings again, they see the controls slowly powering up once again, and notice that something is seriously wrong. Outside the viewport space isn't the right colour at all, a sickly green light pours into the cabin, and screwing up their eyes they become aware that they are in the middle of a giant debris field."

         Vessels from across the galaxy have ended up here, the empty shell of an YT-1300 can be seen nearby, plus thousands of other burnt out and empty wrecks. But the major object in view is massive, and seems to be made from the wrecks of the ships joined together. An Acclimator class transport can be seen jutting out at one point, and nearby another part looks Mon Calamari in design, solar panels from Tie's attest to some Imperial vessel's presence within the mass, but mainly the designs are ancient and unrecognisable.

         Checking over their own vessel its mainly in good condition, sensors are out, but easily repairable. However the hyperdrive motivator (plus any backup) is burnt out, the overload has destroyed these vital components, for the drive to ever work again they must be replaced.

         The object ahead of them rotates slowly, and the docking area of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser embedded into the mass is clearly visible as it continues turning. The Debris field requires two Space Transports, moderate rolls to negotiate (failed rolls cause 3D hits to the ship), and the Lambda shuttle responds well to its controls settling down to the deck amidst the wreckage of many other space transports.

         The lights flicker intermittently overhead, and shadows can be seen moving in the corners of the room.

         These shadows are actually the remains of the Mon Cal crew, only 12 remain, most have died of old age. They'll be wary of the players, especially humans, and especially those wielding Lightsabers, and if befriended they can reveal a whole host of useful information.

         They arrived here many decades ago, however, if the details are checked, their vessel only disappeared some weeks ago according to the players timeline, so time appears to run differently here. They thought the players were Imperials when they saw the shuttle, but were more worried about lightsabers, since this entire construct is ruled over by a Jedi. When they arrived, their hyperdrive was disabled, but the starfighters they carried had numerous spare parts, if they could be converted. But before this work could be completed, they docked with the construct to find out what it was. Upon docking they were attacked, trying to leave, they found themselves held fast in many tractor beams, and a Jedi marched aboard, demanding their engineers and hyperdrives. They refused, but he butchered his was through their troops, and with his troops he took all that he wanted. He ranted at them about betrayal, and his skin was flaking and crumbling, they'd heard legends of Dark Jedi and Sith Lords, and as far as they can tell, he matches those. They're sure that he's either evil or insane, maybe both.

         Over the decades their ship has been cannibalised and incorporated into the construct, and the crew have lost their lives to the other inhabitants of the construct and old age.

         The construct although ruled by the Jedi is not a coherent whole, with various parts left to animals, others still controlled like this one by their vessels original occupants, or their ancestors. The core of the construct is the Jedi's however, where he has his people working away on a way of "saving" everyone by returning the entire structure to the normal universe, which seems to be some kind of giant hyperdrive.

         The only way for the players to get away from here is to retrieve a Hyperdrive Motivator from the constructs core, whether they arrange to take the Mon Cal away with them or not they'll eventually venture out of the hangar.

         Walking through the remains of the Mon Cal ship they can see its been scavenged for everything, few lights remain in operation, metal and cabling have been removed and structural struts have been cut through and removed, leaving the vessel incapable of ever leaving. Entire areas are missing, and the hull has gaping holes revealing the interior of the structure itself. As they look through one such hole at the dark interior of another vessel, they hear growling, and three dog-like creatures bound through the hole, foam dripping from their muzzles.

Dog Beasts
         Str: 5D                 Dex: 4D                 Per: 5D
                 Bite: 7D                 Dodge: 6D

         Bite Damage: Str+1D

         These creatures should be easily defeated, but serve as a warning of the interior of the station.

         Exiting the Mon Cal vessel itself, they see that it is attached to a vessel which appears to be mainly organic, but a warm decaying smell wafts through this area. This vessel is in turn attached to a space transport of ancient design, although no-one is in either of these two ships, the players do stumble across a Clone Trooper, his skeletal body held together by his armour.

         Exiting this transport, the players enter a large cavern, an atmosphere filled space within the construct itself, pieces of ships just into the cavern, and the walls, floor and ceiling are a patchwork of designs and technologies. Light only enters this area from the open hatches and ports of the vessels around it, so it takes the players a few moments to adjust to the light level, and the first that they realise that they are not alone is when a spear is hurled at them.

         A group of Whiphids, the ancestors of a starship crew have made this their home, they have regressed into savages, making full use of their hunter talents, and although they speak basic, it is a guttural, primitive version of it which they won't be concerned with speaking to that night's dinner.

Whiphids (1 more than the number of players)
         Str: 5D+2                 Dex: 3D                 Per: 2D
                 Brawling: 7D+2                 Dodge: 6D                 Tracking: 5D
                         Parry: 6D
                         Melee: 6D
         Mech: 1D                 Tech: 1D                 Know: 2D

         Spear; Str+1D (max 5D)

         Once the Whiphids are disposed of, or driven away (they do fear lightsabers, but only if intimidated as well), the rest of this area is thankfully clear, and the players can continue down into the construct, making good time, but can hear occasional blaster shots echoing along the cavern.

         These they eventually discover come from an individual pinned down behind a lump of machinery; the Squib is cradling a rapidly depleting blaster rifle in her arms, as a group of humans take pot shots at her. Seeing the players, the human's fire at them as well, opening fire with blaster rifles.

Human Thugs (2 to 3 times as many as players)
         Str: 3D                 Dex: 2D                 Per: 3D
                         Blaster: 5D
                         Dodge: 5D
         Mech: 3D                 Tech: 3D                 Know: 2D
         Blaster Rifle; 5D

         Rescuing the Squib, gains her thanks, however unless the players push this gratitude quickly, her natural behaviour will resume, and if they want information they'll have to bargain for it (although an offer of space on their ship may work).

         She is called Veras Cortainas and she arrived a couple of years ago, and made a deal with the Jedi who approached her ship, she'd help him out with the Hyperdrive he was building, if he let her keep her ship. However a few weeks ago he broke the deal, and has had her ship broken down, she has been stealing the bits back, but got caught.

         She can provide them with a secret way into the core of the construct, avoiding the thugs who work for the Jedi. If they continue along the main cavern they will reach the main airlock to the core, but 50 thugs live in an area around that airlock. However she can guide them in through the recycling plant which is nearby, this can lead them straight into the Jedi's chambers which adjoin the room where he is building his hyperdrive.

         If they don't agree, or they don't rescue the Squib, then they'll have to find a way through the Jedi's thugs, whether it's a direct fight, or they trick their way through. Otherwise the Squib leads them off past the remains of the Thugs, forcing open an airlock door, and into a derelict vessel. The darkness in this ship is totally penetrating, but assuming the players have no lightsource, the Squid reaches into a pocket and removes a glow stick, illuminating their way.

         Moving through the derelict they soon reach a hangar bay, whose opening is blocked by the hull of another vessel. Pointing upwards, the Squib points out the refuse port on the hull of the other vessel, nimbly scrambles up the loose panels of the ships hull and disappears out of sight after gesturing for the players to follow. Moderate climbing rolls are required for everyone to achieve this fairly easy climb.

         The port hasn't been used for years, so is more hygienic than the players imagine, and they scramble through, emerging in a trash compacting chamber, piled high with junk since it is long inactive. The Squid points out to them a ladder and hatch high in the ceiling, she says, "His quarters are up there, I loosened the bolts so it should pop open easily enough, but I'm not going up there again, I'll wait here for you." And with a charming little smile she makes herself comfortable on a broken acceleration couch.

         The Ladder makes the climb easy enough, and they emerge into a small bedroom chamber, obvious converted from some kind of workshop, it is not decorated with the artwork of a dozen cultures, silk hangings of clashing colours hang from the walls. A Sith holocron sits on a table in a place of honour, obviously well used and treasured; a thick diary also lies nearby.

         The Diary reveals that the Jedi is called Tra Hessan, he was escorting the Sith Holocron back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for containment or destruction, when the Hyperdrive on his vessel malfunctioned and he ended up here. However he didn't arrive in the debris field where the construct had already been formed, he arrived a distance away, and spend years alone with only the Holocron twisting away at him. And by the time he arrived here he had already been conducted into the Sith arts, and become quite insane. Still believing that he is a warrior for justice, he now believes that he must rescue everyone here by returning the entire construct to the normal universe. However he also believes that the normal universe must be purged, as it was the corruption and evil of the universe itself which drove him here.

         The one exit leads directly into a large chamber, its walls and roof have been removed to make a larger chamber, the majority of which is consumed by a nightmare of engineering, parts of machinery are attached in odd ways and dozens of technologies have been melded into one huge engine. As the door hisses open, a figure dressed in ancient Jedi Armour spins round, his cracked dry brown skin cracking open in areas. He looks at the group that has just entered, and spit runs down his chin as he speaks a single sentence, "Dark Jedi, they're here to destroy us, kill them."

         His lightsaber crackles into life, and monstrosities lurch into life against the players, twisted by Dark Side Sorcery the scientists he has captured are now both more and less than they once were.

Tra Hessan (Dark Jedi)
         Str: 4D                 Dex: 5D                 Per: 4D
                                 Lightsaber: 7D
         Mech: 3D                 Tech: 4D                         Know: 4D
         Control: 7D                 Sense: 7D                 Alter: 7D

Dark Side Points: 16
Force Points: 6
Character Points: 8
Equipment
         Lightsaber; 5D

Amcron (Dark Side Mutated Mon Calamari)
         Str: 5D                 Dex: 4D                 Per: 2D
                 Brawling: 8D                 Brawling Parry: 6D
         Mech: 3D                 Tech: 3D                 Know: 1D

         Claws; Str+2D

Xell Timbar (Dark Side Mutated Human)
         Str: 3D                 Dex: 7D                 Per: 6D
                 Brawling: 9D                 Brawling Parry: 10D
                                 Dodge: 10D
         Mech: 1D                 Tech: 5D                 Know: 2D

         Fangs; Str+1D

Human Thugs (1 for each player +2)
         Str: 3D                 Dex: 2D                 Per: 3D
                                 Blaster: 5D
                                 Dodge: 5D
         Mech: 3D                 Tech: 3D                 Know: 2D

         Blaster Rifle; 5D

         Once the fight is over, the players must secure the door to stop any more thugs entering the room, so they can retrieve a hyperspace motivator in peace. Once they have it, they can return by the route they arrived by, repairing the Imperial Shuttle, and rescuing the Mon Cals and the Squib if they are so inclined, and return to normal space where only a few minutes have passed.

         Clearing the construct, they manoeuvre through the debris field around it before activating the newly repair hyperdrive. The blue of Hyperspace surrounds them once more, pleasantly calming after the sick green of Otherspace. The ship shudders, and the hyperdrive whines noisily, before they emerge into normal space once more. They are clear of the Ceronia system, but have made only a short distance.

         The threat to Mon Calamari still exists, and they must quickly get on their way before that world follows Ceronia, so they replot their course and jump to hyperspace once more. This time the transition is smoother, and the journey passes uneventfully.

         To be continued (again) !

         Character point awards depend on whether they have been heroic, and rescue the Mon Calamari and Squib. 5 Points if they haven't, 10 points if they have, somewhere in between for no-heroic actions. Force points are returned for normal reasons; the final battle with Tra Hessan is counted as dramatically appropriate.

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