Having repaired the hyperdrive on the recently claimed Vagrant, a rough-looking YV-666 light freighter, the crew was off on their maiden voyage. The Sullustan pilot carefully lifted off from Landing Bay Aurek after giving the least amount of information possible to Spaceport Control. Vanessa Brynn, the Spaceport Overseer cut in on the channel at the last moment, but the Vagrant was already airborne. While unknown to the crew at this point, this would prove to be extremely fortuitous. The technician would be getting a stern talking to.
Pron launched them spaceward and the awkward freighter continued to ascend out of the atmosphere. Finally, the Vagrant shuddered as its hyperdrive finally engaged, the stars streaking into blinding lines outside the viewport. Proiah gripped the worn controls, his wide Sullustan eyes reflecting the blue-white tunnel of hyperspace. Beside him, Spanner let out a shaky breath, knuckles white where he clutched the co-pilot’s seat.
Getting the necessary parts for the repairs hadn't been easy and they were forced to rely on used parts scavenged by Jawas for the Ion Exciter. The ship groaned around them – a chorus of stressed metal and protesting systems. They were moving. That was victory enough after days sweating in Mos Espa's dust.
FL-AR3 whirred softly from its station behind them, its photoreceptors glowing a steady blue. "Destination Ryloth remains on course," the droid announced in its precise, modulated tone. "Estimated arrival in twelve standard hours. Mission parameters for Tara Nightshade remain encrypted pending planetary approach." The mention of Shara's task hung unspoken in the recycled air. That Twi'lek's secrets felt heavier than any cargo hold. Spanner leaned back, rubbing grit from his eyes. "Twelve hours. Wonder what Batoo was so jumpy about with that Kubaz?"
The trip passed quickly enough and the navigation system worked as expected. Before long, there is a flash of white light and the tone of the ship’s engines drops several octaves as it emerges from hyperspace. Below lies the dusty baked surface of Ryloth. As the crew begins to work out the best way to descend to the Nabat spaceport, the slim silhouette of a starfighter bursts from hyperspace barely a kilometer from the Vagrant's position.
Spanner thinks he's seen this craft before, as it regularly docked at Mos Shuuta. It is a G1-M4-C DUNELIZARD. The craft banks around and begins to slow, cruising toward you on an attack vector.
Proiah's hands flew over the controls, his voice tight. "Flare, shields up! Kilian, get weapons online!"
FL-AR3 reconfigured the shields, pushing some of the deflector energy to the rear. The Vagrant groaned as its deflectors flickered to life, bathing the ship in a faint blue glow. Outside, the Kubaz fighter slowed, its laser cannons flickering ominously. It fired but missed.
Kilian rushed to the controls for the dorsal mounted quad-laser cannon, while Pron did his best to begin evasive maneuvers in the hulking behemoth.
The fighter streaked past the Vagrant's starboard side, firing another volley that glanced off their shields. Proiah hauled the yoke hard portside, the YV-666 groaning in protest as its bulk lumbered away from the attack vector. Spanner's fingers danced over the comms array.
Kilian slammed into the gunner's seat, hands gripping the targeting yoke. The targeting reticule swam across his viewscreen, struggling to lock onto the agile Dunelizard as it banked sharply, preparing for another run. Kilian breathed out slowly and squeezed the trigger.
The quad-laser cannon roared. A blinding crimson bolt lanced through the void. It struck the starfighter's portside engine nacelle dead-on. A silent, violent blossom of orange fire erupted in the vacuum, shredding plating and spitting molten debris into space. The Dunelizard lurched violently, trailing smoke and sparks like a wounded insect. Its sleek form wobbled, control surfaces mangled.
Inside the Vagrant, Kilian whooped, the recoil vibrating through his seat. "Scratch one buzzard!" Proiah didn't celebrate. His wide Sullustan eyes tracked the damaged fighter as it veered sharply, abandoning its attack run. Instead of circling back, it nosedived desperately towards the swirling ochre expanse of Ryloth below. It was limping, bleeding atmosphere and trailing a thin plume of superheated gas as it plunged towards the thick cloud cover. Escape, not combat, was its only option now. "He's running for the soup," Proiah muttered, easing the Vagrant's yoke forward. "Heading planetside. Probably figures he can lose us in the canyons."
Spanner’s hands flew across the comms panel. His brow furrowed in concentration. If that pilot got a distress signal out, every bounty hunter and syndicate thug in the Ryloth system would know their position before they even landed. He activated the Vagrant's comms scrambler, flooding nearby frequencies with a shrieking, chaotic static burst. "Jamming active," Spanner reported tersely, his voice tight. "Standard channels, encrypted bands... everything I can fry. Should buy us minutes, maybe ten, before someone triangulates the source." The silence that followed felt heavy, charged. Only the groan of the ship and the faint hum of the scrambler filled the cockpit.
Below them, the crippled Dunelizard was a dark smudge trailing smoke against Ryloth’s swirling ochre clouds. It was bleeding speed, wobbling dangerously as it fought gravity’s pull. Kilian tracked it through the targeting scope, his knuckles white on the yoke. The reticule danced erratically over the damaged engine nacelle. "Hold steady..." he breathed, his voice a low growl. He didn't wait for a perfect lock. Instinct took over. He squeezed the trigger hard. The quad-laser cannon roared again, unleashing a sustained, coruscating beam of crimson energy that tore through the vacuum like a vengeful lance.
It struck the starfighter amidships. There was no explosion—not immediately. Instead, the beam punched clean through the fuselage, shearing structural members and igniting volatile fuel lines. For a heartbeat, the Dunelizard seemed to hang suspended, a silhouette etched against the planet's cloud tops. Then, it bloomed. A silent, expanding sphere of white-hot plasma consumed the craft, vaporizing durasteel and scattering incandescent debris in a widening halo. The light washed over the Vagrant’s display viewport.
Inside the cockpit, Kilian’s triumphant grin froze. The flash reflected in Proiah’s wide, dark eyes, casting stark shadows across his Sullustan features. Silence pressed in, thick and sudden, broken only by the frantic chirping of proximity alarms as the Vagrant plowed through the expanding debris field. Tiny fragments pinged against the hull like metallic hail. "Scratch one," Kilian muttered, the words hollow now. His hands loosened on the gunner’s yoke.
Spanner stared at the dissipating fireball, his scanner forgotten. FL-AR3’s photoreceptors pulsed blue. "Analysis: Hostile intent ceased prior to engagement termination. Probability of distress signal transmission before destruction: 13%."
Long Arm of the Hutt (Episode 12)
Moderator: GM Fang
Re: Long Arm of the Hutt (Episode 12)
As with many Rylothan settlements, large portions of Nabat exist underground in order to protect its inhabitants from the harsh environment and wandering predatory lyleks. The upper levels of Nabat are exposed to the elements and they consist of several landing pads, slum
dwellings, and a cantina.
The crew of the Vagrant heads for Nabat city which is the target location that Shara had given them. They were provided a verbal code "for and by Twileks." Sharing that with the bartender at that cantina they found that it led them to some contacts that knew their target, B'ura B'an. Unfortunately he had recently been abducted by a band of Aqualish thugs and taken away.
The directions the crew received lead from the surface deep under the ground, to a district of the city where individual residences are dug into the cavern walls. The narrow corridors are packed with various beings going about their business. Hundreds of Twi’leks throng the walkways and passages, but they are not the only citizens of Nabat. Swaggering Aqualish shoulder their way past you while beeping droids scurry between shops and tunnel ways. Human traders hawk their wares from stalls set within niches to the side of the walls.
The crew entered a tunnel complex near where the Twileks had indicated. Doing their best to appear unassuming, the group spend some time lingering over various shopkeeps' wares. Moving on they find a tunnel. There they are stopped by a handful of Aqualish who stop their progress. Grunting in their harsh guttural language, the impending conflict may have been initiated sooner, had the crew known what the Aqualish were actually saying.
Even still it did not take long, as Kilian opened fire and the firefight began in earnest. The Aqualish received some reinforcements but it was not sufficient to twart the advance of the Vagrant crew. With FL-AR3 and Spanner doing only stun effects, the Aqualish still fell consistently, with Pron and Kilian using more lethal blaster fire.
As they defeated the Aqualish, the group moved forward and Pron kept watch on the rear. Finally only one of the brutish thugs remained and it broke and ran. Following, they came upon an Aqualish encampment. This time more of a standoff resulted. And even with more of the aliens appearing from behind, the Vagrant crew were able to threaten their way out of further combat and even secure B'ura B'an's release.
The captive appears old and frail, with pale blue skin and a single long, thin lekku coiling from the right side of his head. Where the left lekku would be is an ugly cauterized stump. Seeing that he has been rescued he raises his head in thanks, but his expression becomes one of curiosity when he sees who you are.
When asked why he was targeted by the Aqualish, B'ura B'an tells his tale. “Well, I’ll try to keep my long story short. For some time now the rulers of Ryloth have been, in my opinion, remiss about who they allow in on the planet’s Ryll mining industry, which you must understand is only barely legitimate in these days of Imperial dominance. For some time, bands of Aqualish thugs terrorized mining communities, forcing Twi’leks to work for scant reward and extorting all sorts of favors and resources from mines that might otherwise have prospered. I banded together with some associates in order to protect New Meen, our most profitable mine, from the thugs. For a while we held them off."
"Then they simply disappeared. We were relieved at first, but soon learned that they had been killed in the process of some underworld takeover. Shortly after that, bands of outsiders began to purchase land near the mines. They claimed they were developing it, though we could tell they were there merely to spy on us and make life difficult. A short while later, during a journey to Nabat city, I was attacked by a band of rogues, including a Trandoshan who maimed and branded me before leaving me with these Aqualish.”
"When Aqualish thugs arrived on Ryloth and tried to muscle in on the planet’s ryll mining operations, a group of Twi’leks organized a series of mines
said to be run “for and by Twi’leks.” Some critics said that the organization wasn’t much better than the thugs it replaced, and that it sold uncut ryll illegally on the black market. However many Twi’leks saw the organization as a sign of hope, undermining the efforts of those who sought to exploit Ryloth without thought for its inhabitants. I was among the most vocal of those in support of mines owned and run by Twi’leks."
B’ura B’an leads the crew away from the busier thoroughfares and knocks on a large metal door. Twi’lekan code words are exchanged and after
a moment you are shown into a spacious room filled with relaxing blue light and comfortable chairs. B’ura B’an turns to you and whispers,
“This room is occupied by a cell of the organization dedicated to protecting the interests of common Twi’leks on Ryloth. We will be safe here.”
B'ura asks about the group and their activities. Kilian mentions that they do work for Teemo the Hutt. FL-AR3 adds their connection to the broker, Tara Nightshade. They show the chip Shara gave to FL-AR3 and find out that this had nothing with Tara Nightshade.
FL-AR3 brings out the data cylinder that Shara had given him in Mos Espa, presumably to get some information from this individual. The old Twilek doesn't know what the crew is looking for. He does not have information for Tara Nightshade and actually never heard the name before. However, when the cylinder is activated and B'ura B'an speaks, a holographic image of the beautiful Twilek, Shara, appears.
"I am sorry for this level of deception but Tara Nightshade actually has nothing to do with this situation. I just knew that FL-AR3 would be eager to do a task at her behest. Fortunately for me none of you challenged the premise. I implore you to assist myself and the beleaguered operations there on Ryloth. There is more happening than I can positively confirm, and some of it involves your patron Hutt, Teemo. As I find out more information, I will pass it along, but in the meantime, please help the people of New Meen. I will owe you an immense favor."
B'ura B'an's eyes go wide with recognition as he sees his great-grandaughter's visage, even if only as a hologram. B'ura thanks you once more for saving him and for your interference here in the ongoing conflict.
“I have been giving a lot of thought to the Hutts recently. To my knowledge, they have had little interest in ryll production before. They will distribute it, of course, but until now they haven’t been linked to any of the operations to actually mine it. I wonder if, seeing as the Trandoshan
who captured me worked for this Hutt you mention, that is set to change. I would greatly appreciate it if you could drop me off at a safe spot in Nabat. I have friends there who would be willing to offer us a safe place.”
The crew takes the frail Twilek to the place he indicates and they meet two of the movement of which B'ura B'an is a part. One of the Twilek is named Nabat, like the city they are in.
“We are a hastily formed and poorly prepared movement, with nothing much binding us other than our opposition to the harassment and exploitation of our people. Are there those among us who seek personal gain from the circumstances? I am afraid that it is probably so. I cannot speak for all of those who march under our banner, but I nevertheless believe the cause to be a righteous one.”
“We are deeply indebted to you for the rescue of our friend. While we have little we can offer you, B’ura B’an suggested that perhaps you
would like to partake in a little business venture once we get our mining operations under control once more. He leads me to believe that
you have some troubles with the same Hutt boss we suspect of being behind much of our present woes, is this so?”
The group suggests that they could offer a reward to the crew if they help to regain control of their mining operations. Negotiations begin and the crew asks for some of the mine resources as payment in addition to transporting a load of it into Hutt space. They then head back to the ship for the evening to recover and discuss their options.
Spanner seems to recall that the Dunelizard that attacked them upon emerging from hyperspace looked similar to one he had seen parked outside Teemo's palace. Discussing what might have happened for Teemo to send a hostile fighter after them, Kilian decides to contact the palace. Oddly a different protocol droid answers the comms to the one they had been used to speaking with. Kilian leaves an oddly worded message, trying to assuage the feelings Teemo must be feeling and try to convince the Hutt that they were still solidly working for him. Some of the way that it wa worded however, worried the other crew.
Trying to find more information which the droid was unable or unwilling to provide, the crew reached out to one of Teemo's main enforcers in Mos Shuuta, the man known as Garin Veris. Garin had been the one who "saved" them from possible Imperial retaliation by bringing them to work for Teemo. In retrospect it may not have seemed like a fair tradeoff baed on current circumstances. Veris was also well-known as a skilled and deadly marksman.
To their surprise, Veris informed the Vagrant crew that Teemo was not only upset with them but had put a sizable bounty on their heads. They were not sure what might have caused this. Veris explained that Teemo was quite upset that they had turned coat and were working for his enemy, the hated Tara Nightshade. This was followed up by a warning that the Trandoshan, T'Rex might be coming for them next. First was the Kubaz spy named Tweek. They couldn't be sure if it was Tweek who attacked them in Ryloth outer orbit or if the spy was tracking them here on Ryloth.
The conversation continued and it was learned that Teemo was working on some new activities. In recent times Teemo has looked beyond Tatooine for investment opportunities. In particular, he has hopes that the nearby world of Ryloth may prove profitable. Teemo’s agents on Ryloth have noted the size and makeup of several exploitable businesses and communities on the planet and has begun steps to overtake several already.
These mobs are typical of the sort of operations a Hutt likes to manage discreetly; they utilize a mixture of hostile corporate takeovers and violent campaigns of harassment. The mobs are usually fronted by a small number of respectable and civilized businessmen, usually humans or Twi’leks, who can call on a crew of violent Gamorrean and Aqualish thugs when needed.
Veris insinuated that some "things" were taking place in Mos Shuuta and that changes of some sort might be happening. He mentioned that they should continue to check in with any information they may have or learn about while there on Ryloth. A final comment had Veris ask if they find any information on an individual named Makara, they should contact him immediately. Asking where to find her, he said she was last known to be in the city of Kopecz. The crew had no further questions and so they were left with several mysteries.
dwellings, and a cantina.
The crew of the Vagrant heads for Nabat city which is the target location that Shara had given them. They were provided a verbal code "for and by Twileks." Sharing that with the bartender at that cantina they found that it led them to some contacts that knew their target, B'ura B'an. Unfortunately he had recently been abducted by a band of Aqualish thugs and taken away.
The directions the crew received lead from the surface deep under the ground, to a district of the city where individual residences are dug into the cavern walls. The narrow corridors are packed with various beings going about their business. Hundreds of Twi’leks throng the walkways and passages, but they are not the only citizens of Nabat. Swaggering Aqualish shoulder their way past you while beeping droids scurry between shops and tunnel ways. Human traders hawk their wares from stalls set within niches to the side of the walls.
The crew entered a tunnel complex near where the Twileks had indicated. Doing their best to appear unassuming, the group spend some time lingering over various shopkeeps' wares. Moving on they find a tunnel. There they are stopped by a handful of Aqualish who stop their progress. Grunting in their harsh guttural language, the impending conflict may have been initiated sooner, had the crew known what the Aqualish were actually saying.
Even still it did not take long, as Kilian opened fire and the firefight began in earnest. The Aqualish received some reinforcements but it was not sufficient to twart the advance of the Vagrant crew. With FL-AR3 and Spanner doing only stun effects, the Aqualish still fell consistently, with Pron and Kilian using more lethal blaster fire.
As they defeated the Aqualish, the group moved forward and Pron kept watch on the rear. Finally only one of the brutish thugs remained and it broke and ran. Following, they came upon an Aqualish encampment. This time more of a standoff resulted. And even with more of the aliens appearing from behind, the Vagrant crew were able to threaten their way out of further combat and even secure B'ura B'an's release.
The captive appears old and frail, with pale blue skin and a single long, thin lekku coiling from the right side of his head. Where the left lekku would be is an ugly cauterized stump. Seeing that he has been rescued he raises his head in thanks, but his expression becomes one of curiosity when he sees who you are.
When asked why he was targeted by the Aqualish, B'ura B'an tells his tale. “Well, I’ll try to keep my long story short. For some time now the rulers of Ryloth have been, in my opinion, remiss about who they allow in on the planet’s Ryll mining industry, which you must understand is only barely legitimate in these days of Imperial dominance. For some time, bands of Aqualish thugs terrorized mining communities, forcing Twi’leks to work for scant reward and extorting all sorts of favors and resources from mines that might otherwise have prospered. I banded together with some associates in order to protect New Meen, our most profitable mine, from the thugs. For a while we held them off."
"Then they simply disappeared. We were relieved at first, but soon learned that they had been killed in the process of some underworld takeover. Shortly after that, bands of outsiders began to purchase land near the mines. They claimed they were developing it, though we could tell they were there merely to spy on us and make life difficult. A short while later, during a journey to Nabat city, I was attacked by a band of rogues, including a Trandoshan who maimed and branded me before leaving me with these Aqualish.”
"When Aqualish thugs arrived on Ryloth and tried to muscle in on the planet’s ryll mining operations, a group of Twi’leks organized a series of mines
said to be run “for and by Twi’leks.” Some critics said that the organization wasn’t much better than the thugs it replaced, and that it sold uncut ryll illegally on the black market. However many Twi’leks saw the organization as a sign of hope, undermining the efforts of those who sought to exploit Ryloth without thought for its inhabitants. I was among the most vocal of those in support of mines owned and run by Twi’leks."
B’ura B’an leads the crew away from the busier thoroughfares and knocks on a large metal door. Twi’lekan code words are exchanged and after
a moment you are shown into a spacious room filled with relaxing blue light and comfortable chairs. B’ura B’an turns to you and whispers,
“This room is occupied by a cell of the organization dedicated to protecting the interests of common Twi’leks on Ryloth. We will be safe here.”
B'ura asks about the group and their activities. Kilian mentions that they do work for Teemo the Hutt. FL-AR3 adds their connection to the broker, Tara Nightshade. They show the chip Shara gave to FL-AR3 and find out that this had nothing with Tara Nightshade.
FL-AR3 brings out the data cylinder that Shara had given him in Mos Espa, presumably to get some information from this individual. The old Twilek doesn't know what the crew is looking for. He does not have information for Tara Nightshade and actually never heard the name before. However, when the cylinder is activated and B'ura B'an speaks, a holographic image of the beautiful Twilek, Shara, appears.
"I am sorry for this level of deception but Tara Nightshade actually has nothing to do with this situation. I just knew that FL-AR3 would be eager to do a task at her behest. Fortunately for me none of you challenged the premise. I implore you to assist myself and the beleaguered operations there on Ryloth. There is more happening than I can positively confirm, and some of it involves your patron Hutt, Teemo. As I find out more information, I will pass it along, but in the meantime, please help the people of New Meen. I will owe you an immense favor."
B'ura B'an's eyes go wide with recognition as he sees his great-grandaughter's visage, even if only as a hologram. B'ura thanks you once more for saving him and for your interference here in the ongoing conflict.
“I have been giving a lot of thought to the Hutts recently. To my knowledge, they have had little interest in ryll production before. They will distribute it, of course, but until now they haven’t been linked to any of the operations to actually mine it. I wonder if, seeing as the Trandoshan
who captured me worked for this Hutt you mention, that is set to change. I would greatly appreciate it if you could drop me off at a safe spot in Nabat. I have friends there who would be willing to offer us a safe place.”
The crew takes the frail Twilek to the place he indicates and they meet two of the movement of which B'ura B'an is a part. One of the Twilek is named Nabat, like the city they are in.
“We are a hastily formed and poorly prepared movement, with nothing much binding us other than our opposition to the harassment and exploitation of our people. Are there those among us who seek personal gain from the circumstances? I am afraid that it is probably so. I cannot speak for all of those who march under our banner, but I nevertheless believe the cause to be a righteous one.”
“We are deeply indebted to you for the rescue of our friend. While we have little we can offer you, B’ura B’an suggested that perhaps you
would like to partake in a little business venture once we get our mining operations under control once more. He leads me to believe that
you have some troubles with the same Hutt boss we suspect of being behind much of our present woes, is this so?”
The group suggests that they could offer a reward to the crew if they help to regain control of their mining operations. Negotiations begin and the crew asks for some of the mine resources as payment in addition to transporting a load of it into Hutt space. They then head back to the ship for the evening to recover and discuss their options.
Spanner seems to recall that the Dunelizard that attacked them upon emerging from hyperspace looked similar to one he had seen parked outside Teemo's palace. Discussing what might have happened for Teemo to send a hostile fighter after them, Kilian decides to contact the palace. Oddly a different protocol droid answers the comms to the one they had been used to speaking with. Kilian leaves an oddly worded message, trying to assuage the feelings Teemo must be feeling and try to convince the Hutt that they were still solidly working for him. Some of the way that it wa worded however, worried the other crew.
Trying to find more information which the droid was unable or unwilling to provide, the crew reached out to one of Teemo's main enforcers in Mos Shuuta, the man known as Garin Veris. Garin had been the one who "saved" them from possible Imperial retaliation by bringing them to work for Teemo. In retrospect it may not have seemed like a fair tradeoff baed on current circumstances. Veris was also well-known as a skilled and deadly marksman.
To their surprise, Veris informed the Vagrant crew that Teemo was not only upset with them but had put a sizable bounty on their heads. They were not sure what might have caused this. Veris explained that Teemo was quite upset that they had turned coat and were working for his enemy, the hated Tara Nightshade. This was followed up by a warning that the Trandoshan, T'Rex might be coming for them next. First was the Kubaz spy named Tweek. They couldn't be sure if it was Tweek who attacked them in Ryloth outer orbit or if the spy was tracking them here on Ryloth.
The conversation continued and it was learned that Teemo was working on some new activities. In recent times Teemo has looked beyond Tatooine for investment opportunities. In particular, he has hopes that the nearby world of Ryloth may prove profitable. Teemo’s agents on Ryloth have noted the size and makeup of several exploitable businesses and communities on the planet and has begun steps to overtake several already.
These mobs are typical of the sort of operations a Hutt likes to manage discreetly; they utilize a mixture of hostile corporate takeovers and violent campaigns of harassment. The mobs are usually fronted by a small number of respectable and civilized businessmen, usually humans or Twi’leks, who can call on a crew of violent Gamorrean and Aqualish thugs when needed.
Veris insinuated that some "things" were taking place in Mos Shuuta and that changes of some sort might be happening. He mentioned that they should continue to check in with any information they may have or learn about while there on Ryloth. A final comment had Veris ask if they find any information on an individual named Makara, they should contact him immediately. Asking where to find her, he said she was last known to be in the city of Kopecz. The crew had no further questions and so they were left with several mysteries.