Episode 3.08: Kanter's War, Chapter 18

 

Star Wars

 

Shards of Exploration

 

Episode 3.08: Kanter’s War, Chapter 18

 
The heroes have traveled to the HARDRIDGE BULWARK ruins in the black rock desert between the Chor-Kizark Barrens and the Joth-To Wastes on Chalcedon. They intend to shut down a pirate base responsible for terrorizing the southeastern settlements on Chalcedon’s main continent.
 
Evading scores of well-armed pirates of the new Dread League, the heroes make their way into the depths of the base. One constructed out of the remains of an derelict starship that crashed to Chalcedon in the ancient past. Deep underground, the heroes find that the pirates have started construction on new AT-ST mechanized walkers with superlaser cannons.
 
They have also found the lost Tor Ceti beasts. Cybernetic attack beasts capable of mutating a victim with a potent venom, or burning them alive with acidic spit. Little do the heroes know, both the cybernetic beasts and the enhanced walkers are to become part of a powerful hive mind. One that, if activated, will crippled the fledgling Freedworlds Republic and doom it’s people to oblivion.

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 Tleilaxu 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.
    •  
    They have recently returned from a successful mission to broker an alliance between the Vorbaize Pirate clan and the Freedworlds Republic. A mission that sent them hurtling head-first against the secret operations of the Tilles pirate clan to sabotage the Republic’s weapons donated by the Freedworlds’ ally, the Bareesh Kajidic from Hutt Space.
     
    Once derailing Clan Tilles operation to sabotage weapons using enslaved moisture farmers, the heroes returned to Port Etmar wher they hoped to get some rest. Meanwhile, Sir Davish Tam and one of former member so Clan Tilles fly the freed moisture farmers back home.
     
    But another problem surfaced…
     
    Information reached Port Etmar that the far flung settlement of Chausid Station on the coast of the Piterra Wastes dust ocean has been overrun. The Killian Pirate Clan, long time allies to Clan Tilles, captured the town and the Freedworlds forces there. All due to the defender’s weapons having been sabotaged by Clan Tilles.
     
    To prevent the Freedworlds from having to stretch their thin resources to the breaking point, the heroes join forces with their long time allies, Razak’s Roughnecks, to free Chausid Station. Together, they flew to Chausid Station to sneak into the town and capture the pirate raid leader.
     
    Things weren’t as described once they arrived…
     
    The Killian pirate clan had not overrun Chausid Station but only part of it. An armed force of locals, with an allied pirate gang, held the other half of town. It was a deadly stalemate with the heroes in the middle.
     
    With some work, and quick alliances, the heroes smoked out the Killian Pirate Clan from the Station’s Council Chamber and the primary maintenance shop. In the process, they uncovered that the Killian Pirate Clan possibly had dealings with a mysterious person who gave them plans to altered Sith battle armor and Sith war machines.
     
    Despite that and more, the heroes managed to subdue the pirate raid leaders and free Chausid Station. They returned to Port Etmar for two weeks of rest and recuperation.
     
    But then, something unusual happened…
     
    A call from Commander Erenn Baize, sends the heroes into hidden chambers beneath the Stiydear Estate. There the heroes find previously lost and damaged Jedi holocrons and other artifacts in a hidden room with help from the Sisters of the Steel Rose, also known as the Sisters of Battle.
     
    They also ran directly into a corrupt sect of the B’omarr Order. A collection of monks trapped in a hive mind set up by Almon D’Joy!
     
    Fighting their way through the ancient underground ruins and warrens, the heroes manage to dismantle the evil Concord Mentats controlling the hive. This freed the trapped B’omarr monks. In the process, they uncovered, and secured another missing page of the evil Tenocron Codex. After which, the heroes returned to Port Etmar to recuperate.
     
    After ten days later, reports arrived from the southeastern coast of Chalcedon’s main continent. Combined pirate assault teams, now calling themselves the Dread League, left a line of destruction and blasted settlements in their wake. The only clue to what happened came from an unexpected spy inside the pirate’s forces…
     
    The missing Ivan Vorpatril.
     
    Acting quickly, the heroes gathered their supplies and a confiscated armored transport and raced to the pirate base, located in the deep desert at the Hardridge Bulwark ruin. Using stealth and disguise to their advantage, they slip inside. Quickly they begin to sabotage the pirate base, only to uncover the pirates also have the dangerous Tor Ceti creatures that have been missing for many weeks.
     
    But there are questions that still remain…
     
  • Where is Almon D’Joy?
  • The Jedi artifacts found in the catacombs were only a portion of the ones missing. Where are the rest?
  • How does the Tenocron Codex fit into Almon D’Joy’s plans? Why does he keep giving away pages of the evil book?
  • Where is the rest of Jedi Master Shal Artak’s journal that may contain the very thing the heroes need to stop Almon D’Joy, and his evil employer, once and for all.
  • Ivan Vorpatril, sent a message from the pirate base… where is Ivan?

    • 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)
  • Tapani Imperium agent, Danar Vorpadaran (in one of his many cover identities)
  • Crimson Knight Sir Davish Tam

    • Allies

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


    •  
  • 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.
  • Jula Brisina. Palatine of the Sisters of Battle mission to bodyguard and escort the Galactic Star Empire’s royal consort, Yeager Lexis while on Chalcedon. Taking two of her Battle-Sisters, they are investigating the potential of a B’omarr monk infestation under the Styidear estate.
  • 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?
    •  
  • Arthal Kale. Former Jedi hunter for the Galactic Empire's Inquistorium during the Galactic Civil War. Now a bounty hunter willing to work with the heroes against the rising pirate threat.
    •  
  • Heth G'vanek. Master practitioner of the ancient arts of Zama-shiwo. For reasons unknown he was willing to work with the heroes and travel with them at least to Port Etmar. Perhaps farther.
    •  
  • Zam Ello. Former member of Clan Tilles. Now working as a retainer for Sir Davish Tam and Jedi Knight Vanya Ysadora
    •  
  • Kunla, the Wookiee. Former pit fighter named 'Iron Kunla' now retired and running an inn at Chausid Station.
    •  
  • Void Wolves Pirate Clan. A rival of Clan Killian and allies to the citizens of Chausid Station. They act as the station's defenders and peacekeepers, working with the locals.
    •  

    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.
    •  
  • Elvera Hayley. Member of the Tilles Pirate clan and rumored former member of the nefarious Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Humiliated by the heroes, she is looking for payback.
    •  
  • 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.
    •  
  • Killian pirate clan, a local pirate clan on Chalcedon and close allies with Clan Tilles.
    •  
  • 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!


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

    The Databank

     
    Star Wars: Shards Discussion Boards

    Night Sparrow Databank

    Sat, Sep 7th 2024 10:34
    Databank on board the Night Sparrow, used for the team's database of information
    Mission: Pirate Base in the Hardridge Bulwark ruins, deep desert, Chalcedon
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sat, Oct 1st 2022 06:59
    Last Update Sun, Oct 23rd 2022 03:01
    MISSION: SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR PORT NEVERMORE REFUGEES, DEEP DESERT, CHALCEDON
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Wed, Nov 9th 2022 01:16
    Last Update Sat, Dec 31st 2022 10:26
    MISSION: EMERGENCY RAID ON A PIRATE CASINO
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sat, Jan 28th 2023 01:15
    Last Update Sun, Feb 26th 2023 06:42
    MISSION: SPACER'S TEARS
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Thu, Mar 9th 2023 12:57
    Last Update Sat, Aug 12th 2023 09:50
    Mission: Yavin IV
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Thu, Mar 16th 2023 06:32
    MISSION: Raid on the Pirate Outpost in the Xemki Highlands on the planet Chalcedon
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sun, May 14th 2023 11:50
    MISSION: SEARCH AND RESCUE OF CRIMSON KNIGHT SQUAD FROM UNKNOWN WORLD
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Mon, May 29th 2023 11:56
    Last Update Sat, Nov 4th 2023 08:43
    Mission: Hijacked in Unknown system by Katana Fleet
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sat, Jan 27th 2024 03:21
    Mid-Melona Check In! with attached file
    Started by VN Ysadora, Wed, Mar 13th 2024 10:48
    Last Update Wed, Mar 13th 2024 10:50
    MISSION: TRANSPORT COMMISSAR CELESTIME TO THE NEAREST GRANT ARCHIVE ORGANIZATION LIBRARY
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sat, Mar 23rd 2024 05:13
    Last Update Sat, Jul 13th 2024 11:23
    MISSION: ESCORT THE CHIMERA TO MONORICK, THE RETURN TO CHALCEDON WHICH SEEMS TO BE ON HIGH ALERT.
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Fri, Aug 16th 2024 11:58
    Last Update Fri, Aug 16th 2024 11:59
    Captain's Log: Mystery of Lady Zaye
    Started by Kummer Wolfe, Sat, Sep 7th 2024 10:34
    Last Update Sun, Oct 20th 2024 03:09
    Buy Jarissa a coffee!
    Star Wars: Shards is a work of pure, unabashed fiction. In fact, it considers itself rather heroic, noble, and quite proud of itself.   The opinions expressed on the in-world pages or within quotation boxes are those of the characters and should not be confused with either of the authors, since the characters and authors tend to disagree a lot. But … This is the Way.   Names of characters, places, events, organizations and locations are all creations of the authors' imaginations for this fictitious setting, except where credit is given to the sources of inspiration. Any resemblance to persons living, dead, or reanimated is coincidental.   Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. Tapani Sector created by West End Games for Lucasfilm, and used in homage only.
    No infringement is intended or implied.   Unless otherwise stated on page or within Metadata tab,
    all other artwork and content are Copyright © Kummer Wolfe ( aka CB Ash ) and Jarissa Venters, 1998-2024,
    All Rights Reserved.
    Article template
    Plot
    World
    Star Wars: Shards
    Category
    Kanter's War in Exploration
    Author
    Kummer Wolfe
    Publication Date
    1 Oct, 2022
    Creation Date
    1 Oct, 2022
    Last Update Date
    17 Oct, 2022
    Visibility
    Public
    Views
    350
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    Work In Progress
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