Holonet News Vol. 46 No. 87

JEDI TEMPLE RECONSTRUCTION HAMPERED BY FUNDING SLOWDOWN

CORUSCANT — Despite public statements from senators, business leaders, and investors promising aid, attempts to repair and rebuild the Jedi Temple on Coruscant have slowed to a crawl because of lack of sponsors. The Temple was damaged recently in a surprise attack on Coruscant by Sith warships. 73 Jedi were reported dead at the Temple, with another 54 still unaccounted for; Jedi Master Vandar Tokare would not respond to rumors that many of those missing Jedi willingly joined the Sith. The attack on Coruscant also did significant damage to the Administrative District, slowing down efforts to coordinate repair efforts, as well as the north pole, severely hampering the planet's water supply and forcing most Coruscanti to rely on off-planet shipments. While most efforts to reach previous Jedi supporters have been met with silence, those who have spoken have indicated that the Jedis' failure to adequately predict and protect Coruscant from invasion has shaken their faith in the Republic's ability to win the war.

SENATOR'S DEATH PROMPTS COALITION TO SOLIDIFY REPUBLIC TIES

CORUSCANT — The recent shooting death of Geonosian senator Mazzag has caused a coalition of Outer Rim senators to reaffirm their loyalty to the Republic. The senators were believed to have ties to Sith terrorists that recently attacked Corulag, but held a press conference that not only stated they would fully cooperate with Republic investigators, but produced the locations of 27 Sith terror cells on Coruscant. Czerka extraction teams soon had members of 19 of the 27 cells in custody. "We will stand firm with the Supreme Chancellor against the Sith, who would resort to cowardly tactics to enforce their policies," said Muba Nilco, the senator from Cholganna.

HERGLIC CONSORTIUM SWEARS LOYALTY TO SITH EMPIRE

After weeks of negotiations, the region of the Colonies known as Herglic Space has agreed to become a vassal of the Sith Empire. Herglic leaders agreed to terms set by Revan, including enabling Sith warships to make use of their spaceports and allowing a Sith occupation force. Despite light protesting on Giju, the Herglic leadership appears to support the alliance, stating on a holofeed that it will broaden their trade routes and enable more sharing of technology with other Sith allies. When pressed about Sith officers having a more direct hand in the Herglic government, President Minn Kooda had no comment. No decision has yet been made by the Republic about the possibility of retrieving the 1,000 troops and two Jedi who had been stationed on Giju and have not been heard from in two weeks.

News in brief:

•Christophsis refuses Telos refugees

•Four Jedi killed in anti-Jedi riots on Ord Sabaok

•Dim-U leader arrested on embezzlement charges

•Czerka Corporation announces stock split

•Gamorr to host Lhosan swoop championship

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays, one and all! If you haven't checked your e-mail recently, everybody gets a free feat (any one for which you meet the prerequisites) to celebrate another year of play. (Don't worry, recurring characters like Aya Lim, Marina and "The Butcher" are not enjoying this holiday bonus. This is players only.)

Also, astute readers will note that our next game is posted on the rail — a large-group game, set for Sunday the 10th.

December 10 recap

•Ras Patul is assigned a Padawan.

•Marina says goodbye.

•Yvegeny takes on a job from the Genoharadan with the help of the ship's new pilot.

•Bao Koon and his apprentice, Haesh, get to know Ras.

Ras and Yvegeny find that they have various messages waiting for them on their comlinks. In the first one, Kelif tells the party he will stay on Naboo with his family. Ras receives a message telling her to meet with the Jedi Council of Reassignment. Yvegeny gets two more messages; one is from Marina, telling him that she's leaving the Raraza to pursue the planet Iego on her own, but she'll send for Yve when she finds it. She does say, however, that in her wheeling and dealing to find the planet, she made a bad deal, and now someone (she doesn't know who) knows that Yvegeny is really Kazbich. She does say, however, that she has hired a new pilot for the ship. The second message for Yvegeny has an unknown sender from the Genoharadan, saying it's time to get to work — they've got a job for him, and it's pro bono to pay them back for loaning out Shodu to capture Gaph.

Upon arriving at the Council of Reassignment, Ras is assigned a Padawan — Drallon, a Quarren teenager who was the apprentice of Master Muz before his untimely death in the Sith attack on the Jedi Temple. Drallon has been badly shaken by his master's death, and while he is a promising lightsaber student, he has refused to use one since Muz's death. As Ras is not only a gifted lightsaber student but also an expert negotiator, it is believed that she will be able to help complete Drallon's training. As such, Drallon will accompany her to Chommell Prime.

Ras also meets a Jedi Knight who will be joining her: a Kel Dor Jedi Investigator named Bao Koon. An expert seer and a formidable Force user, Bao specializes in tracking down and neutralizing darksiders, and he wears civilian clothing to blend in, rather than his Jedi robes. He is joined by his apprentice, a sarcastic Yarkora named Haesh who is following in Bao's footsteps. The Council recommends that Ras Patul, Bao Koon, and their respective apprentices get to know each other before they join the Republic fleet at Chommell Prime.

Yvegeny meets up with a protocol droid in the lower levels of the city, who tells him his assignment — assassinate Geonosian senator Mazzag, who's been trying to form a political coalition and has given his associates gift droids that have been secretly recording information for him, which could drastically tip the balance of power in the Galactic Senate. The droid then wipes its own memory and wanders off. Yvegeny has Crask Luk follow Mazzag around the city to get a sense of the guy's schedule.

At the same time, Ras and Bao decide to renew their search for Wertsnik, but aside from a few scant clues about him being in the Works district, they don't have any good leads. Yvegeny asks Ras to help him take down Mazzag, but Ras refuses — he's a senator, and he's clean; all she's got to go on is Yvegeny's say-so. However, Crask produces some clues — Mazzag stays in the high-class areas near the Senate, but he does frequent a restaurant that specializes in insectoid cuisine.

Yvegeny looks for a good way to poison Mazzag's food, and contacts Oro, but insults him by calling Lyta his "master." However, he does pass the comlink onto Lyta, who doesn't know any insect-specific food poisons. Lyta does give him the complex chemical names for a common "bug bomb" used by exterminators. Yvegeny takes this information to a nearby pharmacist, but the pharmacist becomes concerned when he says he's going to use this to kill a Geonosian. Yvegeny claims there's a building infested by Geonosians "who've gone insane because of the Force," but the pharmacist raises a security force field and advises Yvegeny to leave.

Using Ras' name, Yvegeny then goes to the Jedi Temple, where he meets up with a Bith Jedi Healer in the infirmary. Yvegeny claims he needs medicine for a Geonosian friend and gives him the names of the chemicals Lyta described, but the Bith recognizes this as poison and, confused, provides Yvegeny with actual Geonosian medicine. Having exhausted his options, Yvegeny contacts an exterminator and picks up a few bug bombs.

With the trail for Wertsnik having gone cold, Ras then tells Bao about Aya Lim, the conflicted Jedi apprentice who they encountered on Nar Shaddaa and Myzil V. Using the description, Bao is able to detect Aya Lim in the Force — within 100 kilometers of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, in fact. Bao starts tracking Aya Lim into a middle-class district not far from the Temple.

Yvegeny looks for allies to help him take down Mazzag, and goes to the lower levels to talk to Prello the Hutt. Yvegeny tries to convince him to lend him some muscle, but Prello is reluctant to get involved in an attack on a senator and is paranoid about the trail going back to him if things go south, so he refuses. He does spread the rumor, though, that Calo Nord is on Coruscant and after a bounty.

Yvegeny decides to go back to the landing pad to meet up with the new pilot, who turns out to be archive droid A9G-E5. A9G (who Yvegeny calls "Aig") explains that he comes with very good references — he was an archive droid for the University of Alderaan who was also programmed to be able to pilot ships and chart astrogation courses for university-owned ships. He's since become an independent droid and gone into business on his own as a pilot — and a good one, too, as he knows several advanced flying maneuvers — although he still has a huge store of general knowledge about the galaxy in his system. A9G is unwilling to risk himself killing a senator, but Yvegeny convinces him to be his driver by saying that Senator Mazzag was responsible for the death of his former crewmate, Kelif Binks-Fett. Yvegeny has disguised himself in the turban of Calo Nord to throw off anybody who spots him, but A9G is paranoid and wants to preserve his dignity, so he wears a turban himself.

Bao Koon trails Aya Lim to a flophouse not too far from the Jedi Temple, then follows that trail to a nearby starport. He and Haesh call in Ras and Drallon to rendezvous. They arrive at a starport where civilian freighters are going across the galaxy. Aya Lim is seen from far away boarding one, though she does look back, seemingly sensing she is being followed. Ras checks that ship's registry — it's going to the Outer Rim, but one of its stops is Chommell Prime. Ras senses they will meet again soon, and a crowded civilian spaceport isn't the place for a confrontation. On the way back to the Temple, Drallon and Ras talk — Drallon is reluctant to use a lightsaber now that he has seen them used to kill his friends and former Master, and he is terrified of the notion that he may one day have to take a life himself. Ras reassures him that a Jedi does not take lives needlessly and that a lightsaber is a tool of defense, not aggression.

A9G drives a rented speeder convertible while Yvegeny sits in the backseat, ready to shoot Mazzag. A9G pulls alongside the speeder to see that Mazzag is guarded by two Colicoid infiltrator droids. One jumps across the gap and engages Yvegeny with his vibroblade arms. Yvegeny shoots it a few times, and A9G flips the speeder on its edge, knocking the droid to its destruction while Yvegeny barely hangs on. Yvegeny shoots the remaining droid and Mazzag, sufficiently wounding him that a lobbed bug bomb finishes him off. Mazzag's droid driver panics and takes him to his Senate office while A9G drives away to avoid any pursuers.

At the starport, Ras sees breaking news footage of Senator Mazzag's speeder coming under attack and groans.

Galactic Gazetteer: Chommell Prime

The planet Chommell Prime was one of the first planets colonized during early expansion into the Mid Rim. Hyperspace explorers catalogued the planet about seven hundred years ago, and Chommell Prime — so named because it was the largest planet in the sector — was discovered to be a gas giant with large quantities of naturally produced irolunn gas, a substance that substantially improves the fuel efficiency of capital starships. As no company had sponsored the scouts who discovered it, Chommell Prime became the subject of a bidding war between various mega-entities. The planet soon entered galactic prominence when its deed was purchased by the wealthy Medon family of Utapau.

No history of Chommell Prime is complete without a history of the Medons. This Pau'an family dates back to the early days of the Republic — no less than three Medons signed the Galactic Constitution. They made their fortune in planet exploration and prospecting, selling the natural resources of one world to buy another. As such, they have been very influential in the Republic because they have helped fund various hyperspace expeditions that found very profitable planets. The Great Manifest Period, in which the Expansion Region was established 15,000 years ago, was funded in large part by Medon money.

However, it is important to note that the Medons are fiercely independent. While they are patriotic to the Republic, their first loyalty is to their family. Most Medons who pursue business do so within their own corporations — they do not deign to work for others. The Medons are kind to their friends and ruthless to their enemies, and many competitors have been bankrupted by the Medons' superior business acumen. The Medons are aided by a group of Gen'Dai servitors, who have served them for centuries.

Upon purchasing Chommell Prime, the Medons took advantage of the natural irodunn gas and constructed a large starship repair hub, called the Expanse. Ninety kilometers long and two kilometers wide, this facility is one of the largest drydocks in the galaxy, capable of servicing over a hundred capital starships at once. Inside, the Medons have constructed a variety of tourist attractions and accommodations for visitors getting their ships refueled. However, the Medons are very strict about their investment — no weapons are allowed on the Expanse, and violent agitators have been known to be simply hurled off the station by security droids, to plummet to their death.

In the interest of business, the Expanse has been declared neutral territory by the Medon family, allowing any ship to dock there as long as they can pay (and as long as they can avoid any violent incidents). A small underworld has thrived in the lower levels of the Expanse, however, using the vast shipyard to smuggle contraband from ship to ship. Mercenaries who are looking for work can usually find a quick job from the ships passing through. The Medons have also allowed corporations such as Czerka and Lhossa to extract their own irodunn gas — at an enormous tribute, of course. Corporate espionage runs thick, as many entities would love to end the Medons' monopoly of irodunn gas.

Besides the Expanse, there are also several floating Medon estates drifting among the clouds, but these are heavily guarded and intruders are not welcome. (A nearby desert planet in the same system, Chommell Minor, also houses a Pau'an colony, but it is more for middle-class Pau'ans and is nowhere near as fancy.) A few smaller drydocks have been set up by the Medons across the planet, though these are not as popular as the more accommodating Expanse. Several small corporate-approved irodunn gas collectors float through the atmosphere, and a few cruise ships make short stops at Chommell Prime to enjoy the spectacular view. There are rumors that the Medons have secret drydocks hidden away in the lower reaches of the atmosphere for their more private customers, but given that they can easily move across the planet, no one knows for certain where they are.

Most curiously, a flotilla of stolen and battered Czerka ships has been recently spotted drifting through the atmosphere on the far side of the planet. Attempts to contact the ships have been met only with grunts and growls, and it's believed the ships fled a Czerka colony before suffering hyperdrive damage. The Medons have been trying to find and destroy the flotilla, as refugees on their doorstep is bad for business.

Troubling for the Republic is that despite Chommell Prime's loyalty during the Mandalorian Wars, the Medons are maintaining their neutrality during the Sith invasion, and many worry the Medons are positioning themselves to be valuable to the Sith in the event that Darth Revan destroys the Republic. Sith ships have been seen docked at Chommell Prime, but given that violence is not tolerated on the Expanse, the Republic has been stymied at trying to apprehend them.

Character updates

As the party prepares to rejoin the greater galaxy after the long stay on Naboo, some of the players are making some changes to their characters:

•Milky is retiring Kelif, who will be staying on Naboo with his family. He will be now playing a Kel Dor Jedi Investigator, going for something of a "noir detective" feel.

•Jim will be retiring Lyta and Oro in favor of a more soldier-type character, species presently unknown.

As far as I know, Ras Patul, Gobmush and Kazbich/Yvegeny will remain constant.

November 17 recap

•Kelif Binks-Fett has a strained reunion with his father, and considers staying on Naboo with his family.

•On Coruscant, Ras Patul fulfills her mission to track down and arrest Gaph.

•Yvegeny calls in a favor from the Genoharadan.

On Naboo, during the celebrations after defeating the Mandalorians, Kelif catches up with Gobar. Gobar is glad to see Kelif, but Kelif is much more reserved — he's still touchy about having been exiled from Otoh Bokan years ago. Goban assures Kelif that it was for his own good — the political situation there was unstable and Kelif could've been killed. Kelif offers to duel Gobar, secretly planning to kill him, but Gobar catches on and tries to assuage Kelif's hostile intentions.

Kelif says he wants to use Gobar as a contact between him and the Gungans, while Gobar wants to follow along in the Capanata and see the galaxy. Gobar tells him that his mother and siblings are no longer at Otoh Bokan — they're in a small village nearby, away from the violence. Together, they go there and Kelif is reunited with his family, who is very proud of him and his success as a warrior. They ask him to stay on Naboo and help protect their village, which Kelif is left to consider.

Left with some time for rest and relaxation by the Republic military before they rejoin the fleet at Chommell Prime, Ras and Yvegeny ponder where in the galaxy they can go. Remembering his unfinished business with Gaph, the Ryn crime lord with the Sith artifact grafted to his spine, Ras convinces Yvegeny to go to Coruscant. Marina takes them there in the Capanata, and they're greeted by Crask Luk, the Duros air taxi driver.

Ras and Yvegeny go to the lower levels, where they meet up with Prello the Hutt, who they had earlier met while on Coruscant, and who agreed to help them find Gaph for a nice fee. Yvegeny realizes they might need some help bringing Gaph down and makes a call to his handlers in the Genoharadan. They'll send somebody to help, though Yvegeny will need to pay him, and he'll owe the Genoharadan a favor; Yvegeny agrees to this arrangement. Soon, a Rodian mercenary, Shodu, arrives to help, and upon being briefed on their objective, agrees to help capture Gaph (Yvegeny tells Ras that he's just a mercenary they hired). Prello the Hutt tells them that Gaph has left his former hideout and has relocated — to where, he doesn't know.

Ras goes to the Jedi Temple, where she meets with the Jedi (Asa Ulara is presently away on a mission, but some of the survivors from the Sith attack are there to greet her) and uses the Force to try to locate Gaph. Because of his Sith artifact, he can't be detected through the Force, but Ras knows to look for some of his henchmen. Looking into the future to see where they'll be tomorrow, Ras sees a henchman being eaten by albino cannibals outside an abandoned Industrial Automaton warehouse. After a computer search by Yvegeny to locate the warehouse (and confirm the existence of said albino cannibals, called cthons), Ras calls Coruscant Security to get some help capturing Gaph and his men, but is unable to convince them to lend any aid, as nobody is willing to go that deep into the lower levels. Still, they are able to at least requisition a speeder truck so they can at least get down there with Shodu.

Inside the warehouse are about 40 Ryn warriors wielding blaster rifles, standing in groups around their hastily built shelters, while Gaph is (presumably) in a crude hut in the back of the warehouse. Shodu kicks the door open and lays down the autofire, as Yvegeny draws his slugthrower submachine gun and Ras wields two lightsabers to quickly cut through their enemies. To save a few lives, Ras uses the Force to make some of the Ryn run away in fear — some run out of the warehouse, making Ras' vision of the henchman being eaten by the cthons a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Eventually, once most of the Ryn are dead or gone, Gaph and his guards emerge from his hut. Gaph is surprised to see Ras again, but draws his power hammer and gets to swinging. As Ras engages him in melee, Shodu proceeds to snipe from across the room and Yvegeny's precise aim keeps Gaph off his feet. After battering Gaph for a bit, Ras successfully convinces Gaph to surrender rather than fight to the death. Gaph promises that he will rat out Lyta as an accomplice, but Ras and Yvegeny are not deterred. Yvegeny and Ras split the cost on paying Shodu, who performed admirably, and once they get Gaph to a holding cell, Shodu parts ways with the group.

Awesome gear

Here are the individual pieces of powerful gear that each player got:

Ras: A small translator droid*; the writings of ancient lightsaber master Vo'ren Faalo, granting access to the Force regimens Sparring Practice and Vo'ren's First Cadence (see Jedi Academy Training Manual)

Lyta: The robe of a Jal Shey master; grants access to two Force powers (Force shield and prescience, both in Legacy Era) and two Force regimens (Quiet the Mind and Eyes of the Force, both in Jedi Academy)

Kelif: A Baragwin interchangeable weapon system, able to transform between blaster rifle, sniper rifle, and grenade launcher (see Galaxy at War), with superior accuracy enhancement and pulse charger; provides +1 attack, +3 damage, and deals 1 extra die of damage on a crit

Yvegeny: A Verpine heavy blaster pistol with a pulse charger, double trigger and superior damage enhancement; provides -1 attack (+1 when aiming), +8 damage, can switch between normal and ion damage as a swift action; requires Intelligence 13 to wield

Gobmush: The legendary arg'garok of Gamorrean warrior Rogrukh, with superior accuracy and damage enhancements, cortosis weave, and neutronium reinforcement; provides +2 attack, +5 damage, crits on 19-20, and gives a +2 bonus to Persuasion checks to intimidate

*Replaced from original offering of a Barab Ingot lightsaber crystal.