A funny thing happened while running an errand. . . .
(image Episode3-01.jpg goes here)
(ID: In an urban setting, two people in helmets and vests hold rayguns while crouching behind a wall of sandbags. An annoyed Tyrannosaurus Rex with its mouth open in the "roar" position faces off against them. Buildings are indistinctly visible behind the dinosaur. In the sky, a giant moon or planet takes up the top quarter of the page. Superimposed over all, words appear in pulp magazine cover style:
"Astonishing Tales From Outer Space"
"Uncanny Worlds"
"Star Wars: Shards of Exploration". (Due to placement, it looks almost as though the dinosaur is roaring those words.) [/br]
"Episode 3.01-"
"A Gathering of Shadows")
All but one of the CRIMSON KNIGHTS has vanished. Their absence has become the first challenge for the new COUNCIL OF GUARDIANS. Could there be a new, sinister force behind the Imperial Knight order’s disappearance?
In their wake, it was discovered that Emperors Palpatine and Kane ordered the destruction of Jedi artifacts and Imperial Data before their loss to the ALLIANCE a galactic year ago. Believing there is a connection, MASTER YODA requests a favor from GRAND ADMIRAL ANGELO D'ARCY of the TAPANI IMPERIUM. Assistance to aid two Jedi knights, and the last Crimson Knight in searching for lost information and artifacts. Even to locate the missing Crimson Knights.
Traveling aboard the Alliance cruiser, FORWARD INTO DAWN, the group tasked with locating the knights and artifacts make their first successful recovery. A handful of artifacts have been found by archaeologist Zaine Antara. One of which is said to be of great importance to Master Yoda. Now, the FORWARD INTO DAWN is stopping over in the Lusk System to resupply, before making their way to the new Jedi Temple on Allandor.
Among the artifacts was a potted tree that was planted by
Yoda when he was a youngling; it resonates strongly in
the Force.
We wake up and we’ve been hit with at least one EM pulse. We’re low on oxygen and the gravity is gone. Oh and Zaine Antara is dead.
I don't even remember getting knocked unconscious! That was awfully sudden. What just happened?
I finish my headcount as best I can in the smoke and chaos.
Danar,
Davish,
So'Zen, all doing okay for now. There's a droid here that worked for Mr. Antara, a
N8-4C0, that is trying to follow its master's wishes even though Mr. A is gone.
Biggest immediate problems: again, low on oxy. No gravity, but I think the droid is working on that. We're being approached by Ghtroc 720s, and probably not in a solicitous way. I'm not sure if any of our defensive escort are still flying, maybe Danar can get comms working. And the middle spine of the Forward Into Dawn is fractured. It might not have air. I'm not sure if we can get to any other survivors in time, especially if we don't get moving.
Those people in the Ghtroc 720s are
Black Hat Pirates!
---
Okay. That's sorted, but somebody got away on a shuttle with the entire load of artifacts. Inside job? Has to be, but this is tough to sort without a passenger manifest and a crew manifest and a reason to think both are accurate and, I dunno, a forensics team. Which would mean
Order of Solicitors. Which is not going to be quick
or straightforward for me.
It looks like we need to go to the
Yag’dhul System, which is outside the
Tapani Sector on the
Rimma Trade Route past
Thyferra, to catch up with the shuttle that stole our artifacts. I'm going to file a few messages to get our intel out - and maybe get some useful info in about our prospects.
Dragomir’s information on the Yag’dhul System:
The natives are the Givin. They call their government The Tau Dominion and they really really love mathematics. They greet each other with math.
Dragomir says they are “reasonable people” once you get past the math, they don’t tolerate smugglers very much because they are not orderly.
They have a bit of a history with the Galaxy – did not side with the Republic, they were very popular with the Secessionists. They felt
Palpatine did not completely think out his plan and they should explain the flaws to him. So now they are trying to rebuild their everything, especially their shipyards.
Possibly this planet is a desert world?
The primary capital city is Yag Prime. They have a station in orbit called The Golden Mean.
Take rebreathers. The three moons have wrecked their atmosphere, making it very thin.
---
The Force is nudging So’zen toward
Ron’gel, the last gas giant in the system.
Comments