Rising Part 1: Betrayals

Adventure 47: Play Ball, or Not That You Would....
Characters Involved: Torill, Zolar
Overview: Time passes for the Crew as they recuperate after their ordeal in the former CSA. As it turns out, their rescuer is one Ruden S. Elore, the CEO of the entertainment giant ENT Inc, who apparently has a rivalry with Vigo Wumdi and rescued the Crew to cut off a potential avenue for the crimelord. The Crew is characteristically cool with this, and agree to work for him in return for help repairing the Rameseum II. In their first mission, Torill and Zolar are sent to connect ENT Inc with rights to broadcast a new, dangerous sport in the Outer Rim... swoop polo. After barely making it to Ord Anthalla in their rustbucket rental, the two manage to set up a meeting, in which Zolar jumps at the chance to enroll both him and a reluctant Torill in the event to impress the manager. A team is needed, however, and in a lucky streak the pair run into none other than Dex and his motely crew of smugglers, who have been swoopracing on their own. After a few rather comical weeks of training in which both Torill and Zolar learn how to swooprace for the first time, the competition is entered. Somehow, despite a death-defying maneuver by Zolar, an attack by Avvin and the general brutality, the good guys score at Torill's expense, and the contract is won.
Interesting Moments:
-During Torill's pleadings for sanity regarding Zolar's entry, Zolar puts his cigar out on Torill's forehead and makes the deal while Torill is writhing in agony.
-Zolar is attacked by a biker he ran into early in the match, who manages to halfway knock him off his bike. Zolar manages to catch his opponent's bike, straddling nothing but space, knock the biker off and take his bike. The giant floating scoreboard: "CASUALTY!!"
-Racing to the goal with Avvin sideswiping him, Torill swings his bike around, catches Avvin with the foil and scores... right before becoming the epicenter of a monumental swoop pileup.
Notes: This adventure was inspired by an SUV commercial featuring car polo, followed by the phrase "Note that you would, but you could."
-The type of polo played was "Phrenbi" polo, which involved four opposing teams after one ball on the same field, with no fouls. Other types mentioned were "Urban" and "Danger Zone" polo.

Adventure 80: Conference Carnage, or Who Wants to Be a Demolitions Expert
Characters Involved: All
Overview: Returning from a new contract deal, Torill and Zolar find Ruden gone and a mysterious note in his place: they are to take up a top-secret mission on Svivren, details to be revealed later. Arriving at their target, a third-rate hotel seemingly populate by an army of mistrustful and trigger-happy galactic slime, they recieve an encoded message: Ruden, at variance with "the board of directors," has an assasination he wants the Crew to perform, for a healthy sum. Though initially reluctant, the Crew earns DSPs all around as they agree to the mission. However, things quickly go from bad to worse as Torill, shadowing their target into a heavily-secured conference room via the airducts, hits a trap and attempts to flee... only to fall out directly into the middle of all the Black Sun Vigos, presided over by a mysterious, sexy female Falleen. Accusations and blaster bolts are quick to fly amongst the tense crimelords, and the conference breaks up into chaos as rival Vigo's cronies open up on each other turning the hotel into a giant battleground. Sprax, miffed but mostly unflapped, snags Torill by the ear and explains the situation to him as they make for the exit. Meanwhile, Tu'ebb has a rematch with Dunan Par'ell, Ramses blasts through walls, ceilings, and legions of baddies to escape, and Zolar (busy wiring all the cars in the basement to blow, for some reason) helps the crew escape... right before the entire building goes up like a package of C4, thanks to Zolar. The Crew blow past the Imperial forces blocking the hotel and evade an appearance by vengeful Captain Javai before splitting with Sprax.
Interesting Moments:
There were so many interesting moments that we've spawned a separate file.
Funny Stuff: As Ramses free-climbs down the tower, a police spotlight is trained on him, and a voice demands that he come down. A moment of silence ensues as Ramses turns and stares at the authorities. Quick, frightened apologies are offered by the police as they realize whom they've targeted, and the spotlight goes off.
Quotes:

"Nyeh, I'm out of here!" 
-Moff Neomen
"Holy Fucking SHIT!"
"Good one, Zolar."
"Wee!"
"Hmph. Not one for subtleness, are you Mr. Zolar?" 
-Torill, Tu'ebb, Ramses and Sprax witnessing the demolition of the hotel.
"Were there... people in there?"
"Yeah, but they all deserved it."
"Heyhey, that's cool. Want a beer?" 
-Zolar and Umino discussing the hotel's demise

The Backstory: The conference was Savan's idea, and the result of months of hard work to try and bring the Vigos together to submit to her rule. She finally brought them together, mostly on blackmail and threats. Tensions were high, however, and the sudden appearance of Torill brought the suspicious and trigger-happy Vigos back into conflict. A furious Savan memorized Torill's confused, frightened but surviving face as soon as he fell in...

In fact, Ruden was a lieutenant of Wumdi, who disagreed with the Etti's paranoid extermination of all possible foes. He heard of the Crew's narrow escape, and decided to manipulate them into doing Wumdi's work for him: killing Sprax and disrupting the conference. It's really too bad for him that Torill screwed up and discovered the plan; when Wumdi found out about Ruden working behind his back, he had him put to death for treachery.

Adventure 81: Counterstrike, or Ramses vs. Guraquay Round 2
Characters Involved: All
Overview: As the Crew returns to Rudi's planet to settle the score with their treacherous boss, they find the ranch abandoned. Shortly after, they recieve an encoded message from Sprax, who updates the rest of the group on the situation and orders them to search the ranch for clues as to Ruden's motives. Entering through the ventilation tubes, the group splits up, Torill and Tu'ebb heading for Rudi's office and Zolar exploring the rest of the house. However, the former attract the attention of the manor's security bot forces and barricade themselves in the room, desperately searching the computers before the door breaks. They manage to find their target and make it out, thanks to an unwitting distraction by Zolar. As it turns out, Ruden was a Black Sun lieutenant... of Wumdi.

Surprised by the news but unable to do anything, the Crew returns to Sriluur for the first time in months. However, as Ramses and Zolar return to reopen the Rameseum, they find a terrible sight... the Rameseum has once again been taken over by Guraquay and his zealots! Confronted by a charging army of psychotic Weequay bent on their destruction, the pair retreat to the edge of Temptation Canyon, where Guraquay (glowing with the power of Quay, aka the dark side) challenges Ramses to a duel to the death. Ramses, never one to skip an opportunity for someone's death, agrees, and a titanic battle ensues. For a time, it appears that Big G has the upper hand, with his darkside-powered Battle Aura seeming to overpower Ramses' defenses. But at the last moment (and accompanied by a dramatically appropriate quip from Ramses), Durandal opens up with the RII's turbolaser, sowing havoc among the massed zealots and (supposedly) vaporizing Guraquay....
Interesting Moments:
-Zolar, exploring the manor, turns a corner and runs headlong into a massive army of security droids trying to break into Rudi's office where Torill and Tu'ebb are holed up. They all notice him. Chaos ensues.
-The battle between Ramses and Guraquay could probably have easily fit into an episode of Dragonball Z. We just totally ignored reality for a time and made it a real "battle between the gods."
Quotes:
"Hm. It's got a bug."
"You've got a bug in your ship."
::noises of roach tearing apart VT2::
"Look, don't remind me."
-Torill and Zolar, discussing a faulty missive from Sprax
"You four are a severe pain in the ASS to whatever you come in contact with. That's why I want to use you."
-Vigo Sprax

Interim: While celebrating the "re-concecrating" of the Rameseum, a serious-looking man in dress military gear approaches Zolar and asks to confirm his identity. When it becomes apparent his name really IS Cecil Dubreas of Brentaal, the man drops to his knees and announces the death of Zolar's father... and, by his will, Zolar's ascension to his position. What position would that be? Why, Moff of the Brentaal sector..... (It's time to be afraid. Be very, very afraid.)

The breaking-up of the Svivren Conference forces some important changes within the splinters of Black Sun. The sudden realization (in the form of Torill) that there were enemies all around propelled the formerly-stubborn Vigos into two opposing alliances. One, led by Savan and consisting of Vigos Durga, Wumdi, Vekker, Neomen formed Black Nebula, while Vigos Sprax, Clezo, Leanna and Kree'tah joined a loose alliance called the Vigo Confederacy. The Vigo War, now mostly under control and concentrated against fewer targets, now focuses to Savan's attempts to gain the upper hand with her group of mostly-small but loyal Vigos and the power play between Sprax and Clezo, each of whom wishes to ascend to the head of the Confederacy. Lately, Sprax has gotten wind of a top-secret Savan plot. Though kept tightly under wraps, it may bode ill for the new and squabbling Confederacy...

Rising Part 2: Moff Zolar

Adventure 82: A Frosty Welcome, or Wolf in Black Sheep's Clothing
Characters Involved: All
Overview: With Zolar ascending to Moffdom and Torill busy, the former cohesion of the Crew seems in trouble. Zolar gets the red carpet treatment as he arrives at his capitol, Brentaal. After being briefed on the state of Brentaal and the system of advisors his father had set up to rule the other planets in the sector (so that he could concentrate on his home planet), Zolar quickly takes command, trying to sooth relations with his two younger brothers and younger sister Janya, who all resent his ascension over their less shady reputations. He has to deal with negative opinion about his past (which he keeps closely under guard), his actions (appointing Umino as minister of agriculture and "hijacking" the shipyards to construct his new vision of the Rameseum II), and Ramses (who just freaks people out). To make matters worse, the Rebels are planning an attack on the Core worlds, with Brentaal as a "gateway" world...and Imperial Vizier Sate Pestage (the current ruler of the faltering Empire) has vowed that Brentaal will not fall! Zolar even manages to piss off Ysanne Isard, the deadly director of the ISB. However, he does enjoy support among the masses, who like his black-sheep attitude. While Zolar is up to his eyeballs hobnobbing with the Imperial elite, Torill and Tu'ebb have learned (through Sprax) that Savan has some mysterious master plan to overthrow the Vigo Confederacy. They are dispatched to find and, if possible, destroy it. They go deep undercover using MI2 style face masks and search the criminal underworld for several months.
Interesting Moments:
-Ramses, as Zolar's bodygaurd, makes himself obnoxious by recording people whispering behind Zolar's back and replaying them at loud volume to the general vicinity.

Adventure 83: Reunion, or Chaos Ensues
Characters Involved: All
Overview: A few months pass as Moff Zolar deals incessantly with the beurocrats, nobility, military, and various others from his palace on Brentaal. He attempts to organize a military, but the incompetent Admiral Isoto (who Sate Pestage appointed, on Ysanne Isard's advice) lords it over, looking down on Zolar and underestimating the Rebel threat. He also keeps a close watch on the construction of his custom rendition of the Rameseum II - the plans of which he majorly overhauls several times, causing much consternation among the building crew. However, things are not all peachy, as one night Zolar is attacked by an assassin while in his bed. Though the assassin is dispatched rather messily by Ramses, the wounded Zolar rightly suspects treachery, and banishes his two younger brothers from the realm, though he spares his teenage sister, Janya.

Meanwhile, Torill and Tu'ebb surface from undercover and follow a lead to an infochant. .After an ambush by Black Nebula goons, they find information that leads them to a house of ill repute, where they grab a datapad that supposedly was stolen from Savan and that could have clues to the nature of Savan's mysterious Plan. However, their success is cut short when they are ambushed by the one, the only Hobbes, who grabs the datapad and flees. Torill and Tu'ebb give chase in their rusty repulsor-van, and the wild pursuit soon attracts the attention of the cops. When Torill forces Hobbes's vehicle to crash, the three of them are arrested. However, Zolar, hearing of the event, pulls some strings and gets the guys off easy, with the goods. Torill and Tu'ebb follow the datapad's information to (guess where) Brentaal, where they have to find a man who has connections to Savan....
Interesting Moments:
-When Zolar is attacked by the assassin, he holds still, hoping the assassin thinks that he killed him. It doesn't work, and the assassin stabs him several more times before fleeing and being shot by Ramses while escaping from a window.
-Torill's chase of Hobbes is complicated by the cops, Hobbes firing his high-power anti-tank rifle back at the van, and the general suburban / commercial area.

Th Backstory: Sprax now believes he finally has a lead in Savan's mysterious plot, but the other Vigos aren't too happy about it. Hobbes was sent by Durga to prevent the info from falling into Sprax's hands, but he was too late. On another note, Isard advised appointing Adm. Isoto because she wants Brentaal to fall, something that should result in the deposition of Pestage and her eventual gaining of the reins of power.

Adventure 84: Calm Before The Storm, or Intrigue A La Carte
Characters Involved: All
Overview: While Zolar hobnobs at a particularly important party, he learns several important facts: The imminent Rebel attack on Brentaal has been delayed by Baron Suntir Fel and his elite 181st fighter squadron, who attacked a Rebel staging point. Second, Sprax is on Brentaal, using his contacts with the Brentaalian Trade Houses to keep an eye on Zolar and to implement a new plan to corner the bacta market. Third, as he learns when he is invited to a back room, a group called the Council of Moffs resents Pestage's control, and want to create a scandal to overthrow him....and they want Zolar, as a newcomer, to help dig up some dirt. To help him with this endeavor, they assign him none other than Imperial Special Agent Avvin Darrst. It turns out that Avvin was an undercover operative doing solo, unmanaged infiltrations of criminal organizations. Zolar, being Zolar, figures that Avvin can't be THAT bad and agrees to work with him. Baaaaaddd idea...

Meanwhile, Torill and Tu'ebb arrive at Zolar's palace, and receive a briefing from Sprax as to who to investigate about Savan's plot, and also organize a reunion with Zolar. Zolar, showing up early, finds Avvin in his office, and the curiously calm Avvin gives his plan to raid an abandoned Imperial garrison on Hurd's Moon for its databanks, which hopefully hold the needed data. Torill disrupts the meeting, but conflict is averted when Avvin leaves and Umino walks in with the kegs for the reunion. The crew enjoys a moment of relative peace as they quaff beer old-school style, and Torill agrees to get boarding at Zolar's palace.

The two soon split up for their respective duties; Torill and Tu'ebb begin tailing their informant, before finally confronting him and getting a hint that Savan will be heading to Hurd's Moon - before a car bomb kills him and almost gets Torill and Tu'ebb. Nowhere to go now but Hurd's Moon... Zolar also is preparing, .both for his mission and for his background ideas. He knows that Brentaal will fall when the Rebels invade, and because he has Rebel sympathies is planning to defect when this happens. He sends Ramses off to the Rebels with his plans, and after Ramses helps a Rebel fighter squadron in need he delivers the goods.
Interesting Moments:
-Zolar enters his office and find his holochess game running, with a suspicous checkmate on it. Avvin is standing in the shadows...
-Avvin explains that while he was an independent operative, he used his independence to live the life of the criminal, and cause havoc; all his superiors demanded was that he show up once in a while with some results. It's obvious that Avvin has some psychological problems....
-When Torill and Tu'ebb enter their room, the comlink is already buzzing. They find it as a secure line to none other than Sprax...he's that good at tracking their movements.
-To corner the informant, Torill and Tu'ebb watch his movements for a week, then control a stoplight along his daily route. When he's stopped, they both walk to his car from opposite sides, shove their way in, and drive away, with him hostage.

The Backstory: In truth, the Council of Moffs is trying to overthrow Sate Pestage and are using Zolar as the fall man. Avvin has orders to betray and kill him as soon as the mission is complete. As for Torill and Tu'ebb, what could Savan's plan be? Hmm... think the two things could be connected?

Adventure 85: Betrayals and Revelations, or Battle Royale with Cheese
Characters Involved: Torill, Tu'ebb, Zolar
Overview: As Torill closes in on Savan, Zolar has to get along with one of the Crew's worst enemies...or be skewered by the Council of Moffs. Their paths converge on Hurd's Moon, a dreary, Hudson-Valley-esque moon that is perpetually covered in enshrouding mists and fogs. They both arrive at the same time, but try to keep their distance (due to the enmity with Avvin). However, Torill and Zolar manage to meet in a bar of the small town they land near, and learn of a mercenary group that appears to be camping about a mile outside the town - where the abandoned garrison is. However, when the two groups reach it, they find the mercenaries not inhabiting the garrison, but rather laying siege to it. While Torill and Tu'ebb watch from the forest perimeter, Zolar and Avvin have their own plans and sneak around back, where the garrison slopes off to a hill, and infiltrate it from a sewer grate.

However, a poorly timed communication alerts the mercenaries to Torill and Tu'ebb's precense, and in the ensuing forest chase and battle Torill is cornered and attempts to hold a hostage...one who ends up being none other than Savan herself! He is taken captive and offered a position in her group, but he refuses vehemently, acting unusally lucid, cocky and wiseass for the ol' nerfherder. Meanwhile, Tu'ebb lurks on the outside, and Zolar and Avvin have their own problems; the sewers of the garrison are defended by a poorly functioning (but still dangerous) Droideka! After Zolar dispatches the threat with a quick reprogramming, Avvin cuts the hard line for the power, shutting down the mysterious owner's droid security sytems.

They move upstairs, and find an outlaw tech's base, with a mysterious patient on a chair. After hooking up their datapad and getting the dirt on Pestage, Avvin pulls a gun on Zolar...the Council planned to betray and kill him after all! Fortunately, Zolar is saved by Tu'ebb, who had scaled the roof and come down from the upper floors. Just at that moment, Savan invades the tech's personal fortress, and holds Torill, Tu'ebb, and Zolar hostage, while revealing the object of her secret plan; to find the human replica droid Guri, who was presumed dead after Xizor's palace was destroyed! Guri was trying to get her memory wiped, and had come to the (living!) outlaw tech Simonelle to have the operation performed; and unfortunately, Avvin's cut of the power stopped the process mid-way! Refusing one last offer to join Black Nebula, Torill tries to destroy Guri, but is stopped by none other than Zolar! Savan activates the (brainwashed) HRD and orders her to kill the Rameseum Crew. Despite their valiant efforts, Guri kicks their collective asses...until Han Solo, Leia, and Lando Calrissian show up and drive them off! Apparently, Savan had botched an attempt to kill them, and they were searching for her as well. The Crew escapes back to Zolar's palace, with Zolar understandably miffed...until he receives a blackmail letter, notifying him that Ysanne Isard and Imperial Intelligence would get their hands on a copy of his defection letter to the Rebels if he squealed. Zolar takes the hint, and things return to relative normal.
Interesting Moments:
-The woods of Hurd's Moon were much like the Hudson River Valley/New England kind of woods.
-Zolar manages to hack into the Droideka's signal using his comlink and then program it to attack mice, while holding his breath underwater. That's skill.
-Avvin was cool, calm, and collected for this adventure...but displays his cold madness just enough to make ya worry.
-Torill, in his mad dash to avoid the mercenaries, ended up running head-long into Savan. He ends up on his back, with a blaster to her head, kicking his legs frenetically to try to convince the mercenaries to go away. They don't.
-Tu'ebb and Zolar hole themselves up in the doctor's operating room with Guri, and blast the mercenaries until they run out of ammo and surrender.
-Torill attempted a dramatic moment in which he cuts Savan's plan off by blasting the waking Guri in the face, but it was thrown aside by Zolar, who didn't want such a valuable asset to be destroyed. As a result, Savan ended up controlling Guri.
-In the fight with Guri, Zolar cut the lights in the room, though it did little good against Guri's infrared sensors. She ended up breaking his collarbone and knocking him unconcious, and almost throttled Torill before Han intervened.
Notes: This adventure is very loosely based on the comic Shadows of the Empire: Evolution. It was created with only a basic knowledge of the story, and so many details are incorrect or changed (for example, Savan is not head of Black Nebula, nor did she escape with Guri. Also, Hurd's Moon is portrayed as an arid Mos Eisley clone in the comic). However, as SoTE:E sucked, we think ours is much better.

The Backstory: Savan planned to use the secret data that Xizor stored in Guri's brain to blackmail the various Vigos into accepting her as the head of a new, resurrected Black Nebula. Though her plans were half-foiled, she still has Guri under her beck and call, and will now be a much more powerful force in the Vigo War. Of course, Guri is being compelled to serve Savan; she wanted to wipe her memory and become a normal person, but is now once again enslaved by Black Sun. Meanwhile, Zolar's survival has annoyed the Council, but they do manage to shut him up with the threat of revelation of his plan to defect. With the data against him, the Council begins to move against Pestage...

Interim: Torill soon learns from Sprax that while Savan has Guri, most of Guri's knowledge of Black Sun had been wiped. Therefore, Savan could not use the secrets in Guri's brain to blackmail the other Vigos. Therefore, since Torill is on Brentaal, Sprax assigns him a position to coordinate the a bacta price control so that Sprax could skim profits off of the sale of overcharged bacta. Things are pretty calm, as Torill deals with this Kisquar-like position and Zolar supervises construction of the Rameseum M4 in orbit and attempts to coordinate defense forces, though the incompetent Admiral Isoto does not let him.

Adventure 87: Flight from Brentaal, or Oops, They Did It Again
Characters Involved: All
Overview: The Crew's break time is interrupted one night by a Rebel strike force entering the palace, with none other than Saalia Hans at the head! She manages to explain that they are there to extract Zolar as per his defection wishes, when all hell breaks loose as a Rebel fleet enters the system. Zolar tries to make his escape as quiet as possible by means of a reassuring public announcement, but it is suddenly announced by Jayna Dubreas that he is a traitor. Now trapped in his own palace, Zolar and the crew have no choice but to blast their way out.

While Torill, Tu'ebb, and Saalia fight their way to the hangar bay, Zolar and Ramses retrieve important data and then take out the palace's starfighter defenses. After a close escpape, Zolar flies into the battle in space, and finds that the M4 (his escape vehicle) is only half built...and worse, under attack by the 181st, the elite fighter squadron that has both Baron Suntir Fel and Avvin Darrst in it! The quick intervention of Rogue Squadron is all that saves Zolar. Though the M4 is horrendously damaged, it manages to escape from space dock and limp away...Zolar then has to face depressurized decks, unfinished floors filled with burning engine fluid, and broken elevators to try to get the M4 back under control.

Meanwhile, Torill is ordered by Sprax to erase sensitive information that links him to inflating the price of bacta sold to the Rebels (Torill's job, remember?). Despite the watchful eye of Saalia, Torill manages to save his bacon and even rescue Umino from an Imperial round-up. They meet Zolar in the VT2, and though the M4 takes more damage while fleeing through the system's asteroid belt, they manage to hook Durandal up to the hyperdrive motivator and escape to hyperspace, with barely 15% of the ship in working order. They decide to flee to the Starforge Nebula, and try to locate Starforge Station for repairs...
Interesting Moments:
-Zolar's sister, after the coup, attempts to take control of the moffdom, but the Rebel victory drives her off.
-As Zolar and Ramses made their way across a bridge to a turbolaser tower, a downed X-Wing smashes into the castle just below them. The explosion knocks out the bridge, resulting in a frantic scrabble (and eventual hanging on to dear life).
-To destroy the four turbolaser turrets, Zolar hacks the comm signals and convinces the two turrets to attack another (conning them to belive there are Rebels in it), then moves his to blow up one and sets it on auto to blow up the other while he flees. The two shoot each other at the same time, and Zolar and Ramses have to escape the huge explosion by swinging away dramatically, several dozen stories above ground.
-Torill, while trying to free the ships, attacks the control room. He finds it loaded with troopers, and would have been shot had not Zolar's explosion caused the lights to shut off. He runs wildly in the confusion and hits all the switches, trying to open the bay doors...until the lights come back on, with him on the other end of the room.
-The M4 escapes from its spacedock by barreling full speed ahead, snapping its supports. It blasted off with TIE Defenders making strafing runs, causing explosions all down it's hull. Very cinematic.
-Torill, while in the Brentaal Trade House offices, has to distract Saalia by saying that he's downloading hidden files for Zolar. He uses a "hey-look-over-there" routine to make her not notice the deletion.
-Torill and Saalia showed some professional kinship in this adventure. It might bloom into something more...
-While on the Dauphern, Zolar ignores a warning when he opens the door to the M4, and instead manually bypasses it. It ends up that it was depressurized outside, and he is forced to reassemble the door control before he is blown out.
-Zolar also finds himself in an open area where the floors hadn't been put in yet. A huge inferno raged in here, from a fluid leak on the top floor that was spraying a flame jet down on everything. Zolar quickly swung through the blaze, narrowly missing the deadly drops of flame. One of the very cool moments of our campaign.