The Cantina Fight, Junk Shop, Spaceport Control
Chapter I | Episode I | 5/20/2016
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
EPISODE I
It has a period of unrest and opportunity in the galaxy.
The Galactic Empire struggles to maintain control in
the midst of civil war. Meanwhile, scoundrels and
smugglers, explorers and expatriates, and fringers of
all types scramble for a living on the edges of
galactic civilization. It is a hard life, but these
renegades have more freedom and opportunity than
any citizen of the Core Worlds.
On the desert world of TATOOINE, a few such
renegades have run afoul of a local crime boss,
TEEMO THE HUTT. Trapped in the tiny spaceport of
Mos Shuuta, the renegades have no choice but to
steal a starship and flee Teemo’s forces.
Fortunately, a suitable starship has recently
docked at the landing bay: a freighter called the
KRAYT FANG, captained by a Trandoshan slaver
named Trex. As they flee through the suns-baked
streets, the renegades duck into the local cantina
to hide from their pursuers…
Cantina
We join a rough looking group of misfits mid-sprint as they’re escaping TEEMO the Hutt’s palace — kicking up dust as they down a bone-dry and crowded Mos Shuuta street. The three individuals are tailed by an angry mob of Gamorrean thugs, having recently exited Teemo the Hutt’s palace. The three individuals look at each other, understanding that while they may not know each other, they need to stick together to get out of this mess.
The group ducks into a small cantina just outside of the palace in hopes of evading their pursuers. They have just moments to do something before the gamorreans break through the entrance.
The dimly lit cantina is full of low life dealers, and addicts. On the other side of the cantina a lone twi’lek dancer performs on the small stage. The Zeltron, an aspiring starship captain named TWIL decides his best option is to convince the dancer to hide him and the group backstage. He approaches her, and tries his best to charm her. The Chiss and human follow closely behind for lack of a better plan. Although Twil’s sweet talking doesn’t go as smoothly as he hopes, it’s enough to convince the Twi’lek to let the group backstage, just as the thugs enter the front door.
The grunting and squealing Gamorreans begin looking over the cantina, but don’t see the successfully hidden group. The group, knowing they’ll continually be chased down in this small port, decide it’s best to get the jump on the unsuspecting pig-like creatures while they have an attack of opportunity.
The three jump out from behind the door, blasters fully lit up. Both Twil and the smuggler, and Zanroy the bounty hunter jump over cantina tables, slinging blaster bolts towards their pursuers, injuring them. One of the creatures becomes enraged, and flies towards the dimly lit area, swinging his large cudgel wildy. He lands a lucky blow on one of the three.
The fight continues as the unimpressed patrons look on. This is a normal day in the Mos Shuuta cantina — the bartender ready to remove any remaining survivors after the fight.
The Bounty Hunter, a human with many durasteel implants takes out one of the pigs, while Captain Twil greatly injures another. Rath, the Chiss smuggler takes another measured shot, missing one of the two remaining gamorreans, but instead melting a critical hardpoint holding a ceiling joist. The joist snaps, angling down directly into one of the gamorreans’ head.
Terrified by the gruesome scene of his companion being impaled by the joist, the last gamorrean turns to run, almost making it out the door. Slowed by a large group of patrons at the entrance, the gamorrean comes to a halt, allowing Rath to line up one last shot, nailing the Gamorrean just before he can escape. He drops dead near the entrance.
The group has dealt with the threat.
The unimpressed bartender begins speaking to the group. He mentions the existence of a ship that just landed in Landing Bay Aurek, the KRAYT FANG. Owned and operated by a certain Captain Trex, a slaver trandoshan, the bartender says he can recognize when a group needs to get out of town, and this is the perfect vessel for a group that needs to get out of the port, and off of Tatooine. He continues to explain that the ship is grounded due to a broken HMRI (Hypermatter Reactor Ignitor) and it would need to be replaced before it can take off. He concludes by not so politely inviting the group to leave the cantina, and points them towards the junk shop where they can find an HMRI for purchase.
Junk Shop
The group slowly walks out of the cantina trying to recoup after the whirlwind battle they just survived. Getting acquainted with each other for the first time, Captain Twil affectionately refers to Zanroy as “tall and skinny” and Rath as “bluie”. Although not happy with the names, the two shrug off the words of this ridiculous sweet-talker. The ragtag group discuss that they all have one thing in common — they’re enemies of Teemo the Hutt. For one reason or another, they Hutt believes they all owe him, and it is never wise to be found in the bad side of a Hutt.
Knowing that Teemo owns everything (and everyone) in Mos Shuuta, the group decides that their best chance is to get out of town, and their odds increase if they work together. They decide to head towards the junk shop just around the corner from the cantina.
The group enters the curtain-covered front door of a small junk store owned by an old human male named Vorn Tel-Ovis. Vorn is a grumpy old man with a nasty disposition towards his helper R5 droid. Though he may be old, he isn’t dull-witted. You don’t deal with the scum of the outer-rim for many decades without learning a thing or two about doing business with them.
The over-anxious Zeltron, Twil, tries to sweet talk the old shop owner into selling the group his only remaining HMRI, only to find out that it’s already been promised to the owner of the docked ship, Trex of the KRAYT FANG. Noticing the Chiss trying to hatch some kind of plan, Twil slaps down credits on the table, continuing his attempt to sweet talk the shop keeper, only able to bring his price down to a whopping 600 credits!
Zanroy the bounty hunter hangs back, guarding the door while the Chiss sneaks off into the back junk yard of the shop. Being particularly perceptive he spots the HRMI under a pile of scrap, and is helped by the crestfallen astromech rolling around the yard with nothing better to do. The Chiss notices that the poor droid’s lack of agency must be due to the restraining bolt affixed to its head.
With Vorn busy, but only temporarily distracted Rath needs to act fast. He asks the droid if he wants his restraining bolt removed. With most excitement than the droid has felt in years, he lights up, rocks back and forth with a symphony of ‘beeps’ and ‘boops’. The Chiss tells the little R5 unit to calm down and he has a plan that will benefit both of them.
After prying the bolt off with a loud *pop*, the droid screeches with excitement, and leaps into action. Rath had told the droid to create any distraction possible — and the droid excels at doing exactly that. Screaming and wailing, R5 runs full speed into the shelving behind Vorn, knocking down all sorts of trinkets, catching Vorn completely off guard.
Zanroy acts fast and pulls his blaster to stun Vorn. Thanks to his quick draw and accurate shot, he’s able to stun the shop keeper — all of his muscles tensing immediately, and causing him to drop to the floor. Twil looks back at a dazed, but ecstatic droid, seeing a potential crewmate and invites the droid to join the group. The droid is almost unable to fathom the idea of freedom, but jumps at the idea, making a quick escape out of the front of the shop with the human and Zeltron — the latter leaving the 100 credits as a ‘thank you’ for the droid and HMRI.
During this commotion, Rath is able to jump the junkyard fence, and wraps around to the front of the shop to meet back up with his group — delighted, yet surprised to see the droid leaving the shop with the other two.
Spaceport Control
The group once agains gets back together turning the corner just outside of the junk shop, and blending in with the afternoon shopping crowds in the market.
Captain Twil mentions that even though they’ve obtained the HRMI, he knows from experience that all ships entering Mos Shuuta are held down by large docking clamps to prevent unauthorized arrivals and departures. Since they are not the owners of the KRAYT FANG the group will need to figure out a way to get them removed independent of… approved channels. The only way to do this is via the spaceport control building.
The group decides to explore Mos Shuuta to see what’s going on at each of the ports two main hangers before they decide to enter the Spaceport Control.
Zanroy takes a look at Hanger Besh. He sees a strangely modern and out of place ship that lands with its landing ramp extended. He can’t see too many details past the robotic guards at the entrance other than it looks like humans wearing some kind of white outfit.
Meanwhile, Rath checks out Landing bay Aurek, with similarly sparse results. He notices a lot of activity, and again, a handful of robotic guards keeping watch at the front. He is unable to get any closer with the spaceport guards.
Back on the outside of spaceport control, Twil asks his new R5 companion if he can determine anything about spaceport control. While he slices into a port on the side of a nearby building, he can’t tell much about the locked down building, but he is able to find a side entrance.
Armed with his new information, Twil prepares for his next move by buying some womp-rat-kabab and Kowakian-monkey-lizard-on-a-stick. He gets an excellent deal after flirting with the local street-bar owner, and stows them in the R5 unit. Telling R5 that they’re headed to the spaceport, he accidentally gets the attention of the security droids, and backs off. He decides to await the return of his newfound companions.
The group eventually reunites in front of the spaceport control building, and Twil shares his new information about the side entrance with the group and they decide to try their luck instead of hitting the building head on.
Calling on a hesitant R5 to help slice the computer, the droid reminds the group he’s merely a junkyard droid and hasn’t had a lot of experience slicing computers in recent years. With the encouragement of Twil, he tries, and with familiar programming and long-forgotten protocols, is able to successfully open the side door.
Once inside, they find themselves inside of what looks like a backdoor entrance connected to a janitorial closet. Once inside, the group peers into a large chamber with a large holo-computer at the center. There they see what looks to be the main administrator whom they can overhear as she grants landing access to an incoming imperial shuttle. She identifies herself as Overseer Brynn.
At this point, the Zeltron decides to go off the rails. Whether by logical choice or (more likely) by an overabundance of pride, the Zeltron confronts the overseer, posing as a food deliverer.
The Overseer, completely caught off guard by a strange Zeltron in her command center, immediately prepares to call security, at which point, the Zeltron breaks into song and dance pointing at R5 and calling for music.
This act of brilliance (or insanity?) completely floors his Chiss and human companions who have stayed back out of view. As the performance escalates, the command center workers begin to get up and clap and dance to the music. Anything to get them up out of their seats.
Now is the time to act! RATH sneaks up to the nearest terminal, out of sight of the completely flustered Overseer. As the Zeltron’s dance escalates with the removal of his pants, the Chiss stealthily slices into the terminal to release the clamps on the KRAYT FANG. While ultimately successful, he accidently breaks through a barrier which sets off an alarm, overheard by the Overseer.
A spur of the moment decision leaves Twil with his pants down, literally.
As the overseer is now enraged, she charges the dancing Zeltron, who in one svelte and coordinated maneuver, sweeps the Overseer off her feet, flips her in a 180 degree arc into an elegant dip, as he gives her the most agonizing kiss of her life. In complete awe, and to the sound of a small and confused applause, the team takes their exit.
As the group leaves the building, the Overseer is able to overcome her complete shock just quick enough to issue a kill order on the group, causing the security droids to jump into action. The chase is on!
Racing out the side entrance, the team breaks up in an effort to lose the droid chasers. For the second time today, all three are on the run again! Staying behind to watch over R5, CAPTAIN TWIL is unable to hide successfully like Zanroy and Rath who take side streets to hide themselves.
With the droids gaining on the Zeltron and droid, they enter the open market square, with the port’s water tower at the center. In a last ditch effort to slow the droids, the captain attempts a ridiculous maneuver. As he and little R5 pass the water tower, and in a single and elegant motion, he tumbles forward, pulls his holdout blaster from his belt, and precisely squeezes off a shot at a rusted leg of the tower.
As the blaster bolt connects with the weakened leg of the tower, the durasteel girder disintegrates, causing the tower to lurch downwards. The incredible stress bearing down on the other rusted legs causes them to buckle, leading to the tower crashing down towards the pursuing droids. As the droids enter the shadow of the falling tower, they freeze and are pancaked in a cacophony of twisting metal and stagnant water. Dust from the dry ground floats upwards as the market suddenly becomes quiet.
The 3 renegades can hardly believe what they see, as the locals gather in shock to observe their fallen water tower. As reality sets back in, a group of the imperials elite — a squadron of white storm troopers round the corner into the market…
