Episode 3.09 - Escape Velocity, Chapter 4
Star Wars
Shards of Exploration
Episode 3.09: Escape Velocity, Chapter 4
Half a system away from the shattered moon of Spacer’s Tears, Jedi Knight So’zen Al Saba leaves Chalcedon for the jungle moon of Yavin IV. He hopes to track down an ancient lightsaber that once belonged to Jedi Master Shal Artak. A lightsaber that is a possible key to the lost journal of the Jedi master.
But there is more than just an ancient relic on the jungle moon. Months before, a mysterious order known as the Thousand Stars traveled here as well, looking for one of their own. They never returned, or at least word never reached Chalcedon.
Also, a darkness has stirred in the dark heart of the jungle. At the fortress of Gel Dolran, the resting place of a Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun, something wicked stirs. An evil presence that now stalks beneath the jungle canopy. One looking for a suitable host, that if found, will spread its corruption off Yavin IV to darken the rest of the galaxy…
Components
Goals
The war in the Chalcedon system has come to a bloody, ragged end. But even though the war ended, the battles continue. Brush fires from scattered pirates and insurgents harass the young Republic.
Freedworlds forces, battered and bloody, are unbowed. They work overtime to stamp out these problems with an eye to avoid the mistakes of the past. Chancellor Kanter is well aware of the path that was taken between the Old Republic and the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. She has no urge to repeat those mistakes.
Now, the actual work to build a stable and just government has started. Already the first challenge has appeared: the Hutt Meldari Council.
Black Sun retreated into the shadows, leaving the Hutts no choice but to concede Chalcedon to the Freedworlds. With no other options, the Hutts entered a negotiation with the Freedworlds Republic for concessions over captured prisoners of war, resources, business deals, and more.
One issue stands in the way of the others, and may be the Hutt’s main grievance: the kidnapping of Jem Vandos. Vandos is the only humanoid to be legally considered a ‘Hutt’ and a voting member of the Meldari Council. To the Hutts, Vandos is legally one of their own. So this kidnapping is a dire offense.
The Hutt Kajidics, or clans, blame the Freedworlds for the kidnapping. Chancellor Kanter denies it.
As the negotiations are at a stalemate, Chancellor Kanter has dispatched dozens of teams to scour the system for Jem Vandos. Returning the man to the Hutts would break the stalemate.
An Artful Dodge
The trip to Tunring Station uncovered illegal spicing mining but not Jem Vandos. Instead, the Jem Vandos the Explorers found was an actor. A decoy hired to mislead any hunters searching for the real Gamesman.
It was a deadly trap but one the Explorers survived. After the dust settled, they learned that Jem had been transported across the galaxy at Sargon Xan Daran’s orders. Where? They didn’t have exact coordinates. Instead, they had four probable locations. One of those locations was the distant jungle moon of Yavin 4.
The Jungle Moon
Yavin 4 contains more mystery than perhaps the Gamesman. Several times before, the mysterious jungle moon has been mentioned in the Explorer’s presence. Both were Force visions with one indicating that Yavin 4 was an important path to take. Another showed a lightsaber resting in a fortress of great darkness. This world was also the destination of the militant order of the Thousand Stars, who never returned.
As the Explorers follow the various leads and search the corners of the galaxy, So’zen chooses the path to Yavin 4. Either by ship, through the ancient Infinity Gate, or other means, he travels there to recover the ancient lightsaber and discover what clues there are to the Gamesman’s trail…
Relations
Protagonists
Allies
Competitors
Adversaries
Plot type
Chapter
Parent Plot
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