Well, Sullust is pretty much a dud when it comes to finding vibro-axes. It's not like its a question of credits, it's that there are literally none around! Since we're off to Roche to meet Duntar and Vipee we decide to bide our time. We do buy one blaster rifle though (900 credits)
Turns out the crates the captain left behind were CAVw PX-10 units! Four of them! They're not much use to us at the moment, so we decide to sell them when we offload the cargo ship. Maybe Duntar and Vipee might be interested? Should be worth 50,000 credits each, but not quite legal around here.
Roche System
Damn cost of fuel! Cost us 2,000 credits in fuel to get here!
At the Roche system, we are directed to the asteroid belt, more specifically to an asteroid that is a small station (or is that a station that looks like an asteroid?) We dock and meet with Duntar Tran and Vipee.
Duntar was a smuggler who is now a trader. They built this "base" themselves. They have had entanglements with the empire. They also have a reputation for being shrewd and cunning, but having a legitimate business means they are pretty reputable - or else they wouldn't be in business any more!
They wine and dine us before getting down to business. The opening bid is 200k credits, but Provence wasn't able to hide the considerable dents, and the blaster-induced interior redecoration, and the final price is 190k, and that INCLUDES the four CAVs. Ah well, ya can't have everything!
The good thing is that he kinda likes us, and Rawr and I are impressed with him too since he manages to find us some vibro-axes for good prices! Not only that, he is able to get them modded with mono-molecular edges and added quality, sweet! That cost us 1,500 for the axes, and another 4,600 for the mods. While we were shopping, the rest of the crew upgraded our ship with a high-output ion turbine (7,500 credits) and since we had the cash in hand, we paid off the debt Dragool had on the ship (90,000 credits). Oh, and they upped the weapons system with a quad-cannon (20,000 credits).
I also found out that the bounty on my head has gone up by 1,000 credits! Oh, and the other guys also got the same treatment, but that's not so important. Seems someone is accusing us of
damaging an imperial ship of some kind... Don't know anything about that.
Taxi Service
Well, after the upgrades are completed and the shopping done, we check with Duntar to see if he has any jobs for us.
He has a friend, Dana, who needs a lift back from the Kwenn space station, near Tatooine. She's a human female, brown hair, who has some info that Duntar needs. We are to meet her at Junction 8, and we are given a challenge phrase. He'll pay us 1000 credits each (and thrown in VIP membership) if we can return her as quickly as possible.
Kwenn is a refuelling station, with an extensive dry-dock. It is imperial friendly, so we don't think it is wise for us to just fly in with our ship. Dragool brushes up on his skills, and forges us a new ID and R4 helps Provance adjust the IFF for the ship.
Kwenn
The trip there is pretty uneventful, but there is an Imperial Star Destroyer docked, and tie-fighters patrolling the area. We dock on the far side of the station, like every other ship with something to hide. Costs 150 credits for our docking fees!
We got there early, but by the time we get to the meeting spot, looks like we're too late. Girl is on the ground, Imperial officer and two thugs above her, and someone in Mandalorean battle armour is just leaving. The imperial officer takes an immediate dislike to our presence, and goes for his radio, but Rawr acts quick and kills him with a crit. I slice the next guy and crit him, and just as I'm feeling proud of myself, I am jolted back to reality as I reel back from a critical hit from a disruptor, and I can see my blood gushing out from a grievous wound at my neck. I am somewhat pleased by the distance my blood arcs out, but by the time I realize I should be focusing on the fight, it appears it is over and Provance is trying to stop my bleeding. Dang I feel like $hit, but life goes on.
Well, not for Dana. She is brought back go our ship (along with the Imperial's ID cylinder), where we decrypt her datapad:
Data Entry #146
I Believe this to be my final data entry. I'm entering this coded information in case the bounty hunters catch me. But let me start at the beginning. After three months undercover aboard Relentless, I earned an assignment as assistant to Captain Parlan, the Star Destroyer commander.
Our last patrol through Dalchon system netted us three pirate vessels, but Relentless sustained heavy damage to its hyper-drive engines. Of course, we captured a number of pirates. I was with Parlan when he interrogated one of the prisoners. What we heard still moves me.
Commander Adar Tallon, hero of the Old Republic, is alive. And he's hiding on Tatooine.
Already scores of bounty hunters have answered Parlan's call. They are to capture Tallon alive and hold him until Relentless finnishes repairs and arrives on Tatooine. Tallon's worth to the Alliance, even if only as a rallying point, is immeasurable. We must reach him first.
If you are reading this, then the job to find Adar Tallon is yours. This mission supersedes all others. You are his only hope.
Well, you can guess where we are off to next! I spend the time in a Bacta tank that we pick up for 20,000. Money well spent, I say.
Tatooine
Customs at Mos Eisley starts getting too thorough, and Dragool again makes the wrong sort of impression with the inspector, but 1,000 credits later, things are back on track.
I'll let the bribes tell the next part of the tale:
- 200 credits to the bartender
- 100 credits to the city registrar entrance
- 500 credits to liberate the required information
Tallon's History: Tape #37484T
Commander Adar Tallon, a brilliant tactician and naval commander, served both the Old Republic and the emerging New Order during his long career. His space-fighting strategies and manoeuvres are legendary, and became the basis for modern starfighter and fleet combat tactics. His fame reached heroic proportions during the Clone Wars.
Shortly after Emperor Palpatine took charge to lead the ailing Old Republic with the vision of his New Order, Tallon's impressive career came to an abrupt halt. Tallon entered the Dalchon system to investigate a disproportionate amount of pirate activity. While tourin the area, Battalion - Tallon's patrol craft - received a priority distress call. A medium-sized freight was under attack by a heavily-armed pirate pinace. Heedless of the danger and the greater firepower, Battalion dove straight for the pirate ship. This bought the freighter the time it needed to acheive hyperspace - but at a terrible cost.
Batalion was obliterated. No trace was ever found of Tallon or his crew.
Looks like three plots of land were purchased at about the right time, when Tallon would have arrived on planet, some 15 years ago. An old Tuscan fort, Lank's Farm (moisture it would seem), and a tract of land bought by Sedi Fisk (supposedly has a manor on it now). It is said "The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly," which leads us to seek for Arno as our guide.
To find Arno, we are directed to find Labria, a female Deveronian information broker. On our way, we stumble upon a mugging, and Rawr threatens to bust some heads and Dragool intimidates them off.
Seems someone named Slag Flaks wants to see us. She is an Ithorian who "knows many things", and knows the information we are seeking. We are to meet her at the space-port hotel, and Slag will take us to Labria.
+5 XP
Party funds:
- - 900 (blaster rifle)
- - 2,000 (fuel)
- +190,000 (sales)
- - 1,500 (axes)
- - 4,600 (axe mods)
- - 7,500 (high-output ion turbine)
- - 90,000 (ship loan payout)
- - 20,000 (quad cannon)
- - 150 (docking)
- - 20,000 (bacta tank)
- - 1,000 (bribes)
- - 800 (more bribes and fees)
Total: + 41,550 credits
As an aside, G'unresh, you can do a bit of retroactive shopping, but keep the total reasonable! We don't want to give Trandoshans a bad reputation.
