Episode 3.08, Kanter's War, Chapter 5

Star Wars

Shards of Exploration

Episode 3.08: Kanter’s War, Chapter 5

It is a race against time where death could be the winner. Although the first pirate convoy of victims has been rescued, another convoy remains at large with its cargo of kidnapped moisture farmers.

Evading detection, the second convoy raced south for the pirate’s hidden base deep in the Needle Forest canyon of Chalcedon. The heroes are in close pursuit, their ships descending into the thick mists of the canyon with runnings lights burning into the ghostly fog.

Ship sensors pierce the murky depths, uncovering the iridescent glimmer of a base shield covering the entrance to a cavern in the deepest part of the canyon. The heroes scour the Needle Forest in search of a means into the hidden pirate base before a sinister fate claims the lives of the missing captives…

Components

Goals

The attacks against the Freedworlds have subsided into a full system war. Black Sun and their allies launch surgical strikes against the rag-tag forces of the Freedworlds Republic. In return, the ingenuity of the Republic has kept the conflict at a dangerous stalemate.

On Chalcedon, the heroes regroup to get their bearing. Looming over them are the ghosts of problem’s past:

The assassination of most of the Crimson Knight Order.

Theft and disappearance of what few Jedi Order artifacts remain in the galaxy.

The kidnapping of Ivan Vorpatril, the secret consort of Imperial Princess, High Lady of Melantha Province, Katianna Vortapani.

The kidnapping of the famous Jem Vandos, known as “The Gamesman”, to gain access to his wealth and fleet of ships.

Almon D’Joy’s obsession with something to do with Chalcedon. An obsession that reeks of the Dark Side and suggests it may result in something dire. An outcome that could harm countless lives.

The possible contamination of Chalcedon of Tau Ceti worm creatures, thanks to the Tleiaxu Mentat, Almon D’Joy

Warlords and pirate clans on Chalcedon have taken the sudden outbreak of fighting to pursue their own interests. These run counter to Black Sun and the Freedworlds, hurting the latter more than the former.

But now, more pressing troubles have emerged…

Sent by Chancellor Kanter, the heroes did broker the agreement between the Vorbaize Pirate Clan and the Freedworlds Republic. But an attack by the rival Tilles pirate clan prevented the heroes from delivering the good news to Chancellor Kanter.

Now, disturbing information has come to light. The Tilles pirates, working with corrupt elements of the Chalcedon Trade Guild, prey upon the far flung settlements on Chalcedon’s rocky surface for either captives or supplies. These captives are then used in death match gladiatorial pit fights.

So far, the Tilles pirate clan shows no sign of stopping their behavior.

Meanwhile, the heroes uncover evidence that there is not one, but two more mysterious obelisks. An Obelisk of Light and an Obelisk of Shadow. The latter possibly being a hidden repository of Dark Side knowledge lost since the beginning of the Jedi Order.

Compounding is the kidnapping of local moisture farmers. Far more than Tilles clan has ever bothered with before, and far too many for mere pit fighting. The heroes have stopped one convoy but a second escaped to a hidden base at the bottom of the Needle Canyon. Undeterred, the heroes give chase.

Can the heroes find a way past the base shields and into the hidden pirate base before anything happens to the kidnap victims?

What of the kidnapped farmers? Why capture so many? For what purpose?

Can the heroes stop the rampage of the Tilles pirate clan before it breaks the fragile Republic at its core?

What of the mysterious Obelisks? Is one or both the ultimate target of Almon D’Joy?

And is Almon D’Joy working with the Tilles pirate clan?

Relations

Protagonists

Jedi Knight VN Ysadora

Jedi Knight So'Zen Al Saba

Alliance of Worlds Captain Aerena Kolene

Tapani Imperium agent, Danar Vorpadaran (in one of his many cover identities)

Crimson Knight Sir Davish Tam

Sabine Tri'elle, exiled leader of the Shalent Aw'akeen.

Allies

Kal Holst ( field technician and slicer ), former Bloodsmith Raider. His anger and rage over his past lead him to the Bloodsmith Raiders. However, Jedi Knight VN Ysadora showed him there was another way. Now with silicon antibodies from Sabine Tri'elle freeing him from Almon D'Joy's influence, the young man has made his choice: to work with the heroes and the Aw'akeen exiled leader to stop the Slave Lords and the Eborrean threat.

Chancellor Nalerine Kanter. A female Human outlaw mechanic who kept herself to a cautiously confined life as a starship repair facilitator until she met the passengers of the Kylo's Star.

Sent from the Tapani Imperium: Beskar Aran

Doc. A male Clone Trooper of the now infamous 257th Clone Detachment that survived over 30 years in stasis. Doc loves it when any complicated system works at peak efficiency, whether that is heavy power armor or a person's biology or a government system. He is easy to pigeonhole as "the soldier who deals with medical stuff" but believe that he studies, analyzes, and judges the crosscurrents of power dynamics in the social situation around him. What will he do with his conclusions? That's on a need-to-know basis, and frankly, Doc is the only one who gets to see that particular list!

Goss. A male Clone Trooper of the now infamous 257th Clone Detachment that survived over 30 years in stasis. Goss would feel better about this planet if he were in heavy armor. He wants to poke around at one of those "Variwalkers" from the inside as soon as Salbur and Kal Holst confirm that the things will neither fold nor spindle a near-human in the pilot seat.

Hicks. A male Clone Trooper of the now infamous 257th Clone Detachment that survived over 30 years in stasis. Hicks tried to take a vacation, but fell into his lifelong habit of recognizing danger to civilians and then taking firm action in regard to it.

Jenkins. A male Clone Trooper of the now infamous 257th Clone Detachment that survived over 30 years in stasis. Jenkins is the highest-regarded expert among the Beskar Aran at communications, encryption or decryption, and tactical organization. He was the leading officer of the original squad sent to Chalcedon with orders to find out what had gone wrong in this distant region -- orders he received and obeyed before his Commander-in-Chief had any reports that the Beskar Aran might be needed. Since Jenkins still prefers to operate away from the spotlight, he was glad to have Bureau of Ships and Services representatives arrive in-system along with Captain Rico and Corporal Goss.

Rico. A male Clone Trooper of the now infamous 257th Clone Detachment that survived over 30 years in stasis. Rico likes to get his information directly from a trained observer when he can. He is polite to everyone around him, even when administering a dressing-down. The sheer indisputable fact of his presence on Chalcedon means that managing the chaos on Chalcedon was assigned to the Beskar Aran by Emperor Gregor Vortapani in a personal, private, closely held conversation.

Sir Saphor Kronn. A male Knight Errant of the Crimson Knights order. Perhaps he survived the recent wave of assassinations because he was cargo in a Nightsister slave ship?

Talow Kit'Sedda. A male elderly Aildae who is likely to be the last surviving member of his reclusive Force Order. He spent a long time in hiding, living as a hermit in a subterranean region of the dark planet Nar Shaddaa. Within the past two weeks, he has seen stars and sunlight in greater quantities than even most surface-dwellers of Nar Shaddaa experience in a year.

Kerplocken's Brigade. A feudal militaristic society of Chalcedonian residents, mostly noghri, who saw in Space Pirate Vance Kerplocken the messianic cause that elevated them from "mostly desert raiders" to a noble force.

The Ragnar Syndicate. A pirate clan with a regional headquarters in Port Nevermore. Thus far they have mostly gotten along with the Explorers, trading assistance back and forth on various problems.

Captain Jerrod Quantas. A male Human originally from the Tapani Sector. Captain of the Razorback. He was originally hired to steal any information the Explorers had already gathered. He wound up allied with them, even escorting the Kylo's Star from Thyferra to a safe landing at Port Nevermore on Chalcedon.

Quanor Al Fayed. A male senior pilot and pirate. He is the second in command at Port Nevermore.

Felnir Jax. A resident of Port Nevermore with more energy at his disposal than any three of his seniors. He is one of the youngest full-fledged bounty hunters in Ragnar Syndicate.

Erenn Baize. Leader of the Baize pirate clan and self-appointed defender of the northern expanse of Chalcedon's Strosis Continent. Despite an initial bad impression, the pirate willing to take up the alliance with the Freedworlds Republic to root out the rampant corruption in the region.

Derma the Hutt. He thought he would contract the passengers of the Kylo's Star to transport him, his household, and his beloved orchids away from his sister Rogga the Hutt's ever-constricting prison. Suddenly he is a critical leader in Chancellor Kanter's government of the Freedworlds Republic -- how did that sneak up on him?

Neutrals/Bystanders

Mistress Belshanna. A female Rancor, elderly, grandmotherly, and a Bendu priestess.

Dr. Bengala. A male Devaronian staff member at Port Nevermore Hospital. If he can profit from events around the Explorers, he probably will.

Gelvin. Chief of staff at The WAVE Pirate Radio in Port Nevermore. If he can create exciting news broadcasts out of events around the Explorers, he certainly will!

Salbur. A male Noxarin in the Eborrean starfighter forces. Freshly cleared of a puppetmaster parasite, incredibly confused about the Galaxy around him and the course of events that led him up to a meeting with the Kylo's Star. Has his people's entire history been a ruse? Are these strange short-faced aliens to be trusted, and to what extent?

The Mand’alor Asajj Ventress. A female Dathomirian warrior who earned her place in Mando'a culture. She became a spouse and mother. Enemies of the previous Mand'alor killed him in a critical battle near the end of the Tapani Civil war. Lady Ventress hunted the authors of that attack down and dispensed with them personally. She thus won ultimate authority in her adopted warrior society as the current Mand'alor. In her position of strength she can occasionally afford to be kind -- but in all considerations, she will put the needs of her people first.

The Armorer, Anatoli Cuylin. A male Mando'a probable human who lives by the stricter version of the cultural armor code. While he traveled aboard the Kylo's Star he was absolutely an Ally of his fellow passengers, even while he was careful to study them for strengths and weaknesses. He may have picked up on the similarity of family names in regard to warrior pilot Aerena Kolene. He certainly developed a friendship with Hicks. Now that Jedi Knight So'Zen Al Saba has completed the formal introduction to The Mand’alor, The Armorer's priorities will align with his own culture's current needs.

Zaye Grakkus Kerplocken. A female noghri whose husband died in defense of Vance Kerplocken. By her people's custom, that sacrifice immediately made her bond-wife of Vance Kerplocken himself, as her children become his heirs and dependents. Lady Zaye is calm; reserved; formal; and deadly, She could be a great ally of Lord Danar Vorpaderan, if such an individual ever trusted her enough to create a true friendship. But why is she a relatively impoverished Chalcedonian at the mercy of the bondwife custom when her adopted father is the great Grakkus the Hutt of the Ponua Kajidic?

Competitors

Caressa Drakon. A female Human (probably!) disciple of a Dark Side philosophy. She is in favor of using cybernetic implants to control megafauna. She has a special rage regarding elderly Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. She is not particularly insightful!

The Corellian Intelligence Agency. They seek information that is connected to Tapani High Vor House Vormecetti and to the genetically mutable creatures from Tor Ceti.

Ferrin the Collector and his employee Illiana Turosin seek artifacts from the Church of the Force. Ferrin described "Immortal Emperor Sargon" as a direct enemy of both Ferrin the Collector and the Explorers. Contrary to Ferrin's words, however, his actions hint that he may not see the enemies of Sargon as the allies of the Collector.

The Spartan Imperium has its own ideas on what is moral, what is true, and what is urgent. Some of those ideas may be compatible with the Alliance of Worlds' plans. Others may not be!

Adversaries

Bloodsmith Raiders. One of the most fanatical pirate organizations in the galaxy that are obsessed with wiping out the coming threat of an Eborrean from Wild Space. They will use any means, any method necessary to accomplish this goal. No matter how high, or lethal, the cost.

Almon D'Joy, rogue Mentat and Dark Side practitioner. A brilliant, mad, genius who sought to overthrow the Tapani Imperium for his own gains. Now he has new, mysterious plans in motion that could cost billions of lives, all for his own personal gain.

Piotr Sparaval, a male human who works with Almon D'Joy for his own plans. The smuggler-pirate maintains his own batch of cybernetically linked clones, effectively making him both near-immortal and an 'army of one'. He bears a grudge against the heroes that they have yet to understand.

Crimson Nova. A pirate clan that operates on a rule of "Might Makes Right". They profit from smuggling, looting, slavery, gambling, and bounty hunting. Some of them specialize as "Jedi Hunters". Until recently, they had a fine guildhouse in Port Nevermore with close proximity to a small fighting pit and planetary tunnel connections to Undercity.

Aurra Sing led the three pirate team to steal the Kylo's Star from a parking apron on Nar Shaddaa, search and disable the ship, and recover their missing credits -- stolen from the Crimson Nova's own bank in Port Nevermore a month ago.

Madalitso Cardea, a male human working for the Crimson Nova bounty hunter guild. The heroes raided the Crimson Nova and ruined their contracts with the Slave Lords. The guild now wants their blood as repayment. Madalitso looks to take on that bounty.

Nassha Tomesta, bounty hunter working for Almon D'Joy. What is her stake in all this? Is it only credits?

Tilles pirate clan, a local pirate clan on Chalcedon that may have connections that run deep, such as with Black Sun, Grakkus the Hutt, or worse.

Hutt "Slave Lords", a syndicate of Hutt Kajidics that are the main foundation of slavery in many parts of the galaxy ... who are in league with an Eborrean invasion force!

Backdrops

Locations

In a smuggler base located within the depths of the Needle Forest.

Date

Interlibrary Calendar Standard:

1008:05:29 RR

Tapani Calendar:

Datunda, 29 Nelona, 12731

(Early evening)

Plot type

Chapter

Parent Plot

Episode 3.08: Kanter’s War

Related Characters

• Aerena Kolene
• Danar Vorpadaran
• Davish Tam
• KitKat the Mentat
• So'Zen Al Saba
• VN Ysadora

Related Organizations

• Black Sun
• Bloodsmith Raiders
• Freedworlds Republic
• Meldari Council

Related Locations

• Chalcedon
• Needle Forest

Locations

The mysterious, thick and deep super-saturated mists of the Needle Forest in the southeastern region of the Strosis Continent on the planet, Chalcedon.

Planet of Chalcedon

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The world of Chalcedon, third planet of the system by the same name found in the Tashtor Sector.