Sector 943 - Known as the Works, this once-thriving manufacturing area for companies such as Serv-O-Droid, Inc.; Hunvicko; and Nebula Manufacturing is now a run-down sprawl where disenfranchised individuals go to remain “off the grid.” It is home to smugglers, death stick addicts, malfunctioning droids, gangsters, bounty hunters, and countless others. Duracrete slugs, stone mites, conduit worms, and worse vermin can be found throughout the area, and travelers are advised to steer clear of the decaying buildings.
Though much of the industry has moved offworld to cheaper, less restricted factories, many of the plants here still function under long-forgotten automated processes. The Empire uses a number of facilities in this area for the production of its TIE fighters, and those plants are kept under constant guard by Imperial stormtroopers. On the western fringe of Sector 943 lies the NovaCORE kelerium processing plant. The mineral is used
in a great number of manufacturing practices, and the plant has been operating for centuries. It is a massive complex stretching across a third of the sector.
The trio of Xander, Cohr and Roona are hot on the trail of the bounty hunter Kaa'to Leeachos, who had betrayed the Pyke Syndicate and to a lesser degree the Black Sun as well. Having hunted down the hunter, they have determined that he stays in the plant and since he has been seen less and less in public, they determine that he is likely there. Attempting to appear as an inspection team, they approach the landing pad to the NovaCORE factory on a landspeeder.
The barely lit landing pad on the southern corner of the complex is perpetually covered in waves of steam emanating from nearby exhaust ports. Small tracks of lights in the center are the only markers to assist in navigating through the hazards. A number of crates, boxes, and other neglected shipments sit on the outskirts of the landing pad, still waiting for attention from the factory workers.
The trio see two paths leading off of the pad: one to the NovaCORE offices and the other toward the kelerium storage tanks that feed the refinery. They enter the offices, trying to look official. The austere offices of NovaCORE are run by a skeleton crew. As the building is entered, an elevated walkway can be seen that overlooks the main floor filled with shambling worker droids that monitor various screens and equipment for the main factory. Large banks of security screens show most of the main refining plant and the processes taking place inside. Across the building from this vantage point, a small office sits above the activity, overseeing it all. Behind the large windows, three Mustafarians appear to run the operation.
The trio tries interacting with the droids but they do not engage and answer questions very exactingly with precious little actual useful information. Most of the NovaCORE droid workers are involved with their tasks and do not pay any attention to the new arrivals. One droid does notice them on its security screen, but seems unsure if they belong there or not. After a few minutes, it sends an alert to the overseers that there are others in the building.
One of the Mustafarians comes out of the office to investigate. He barks at the intruders in his language, demanding to know why they have entered a restricted area. Cohr manages to charm and deceive the manager into allowing them into the office to continue their "inspection".
The dominant structure of the complex, the kelerim processing plant is a massive facility sprawling across nearly half a kilometer of land. Repulsorlift sleds come and go from large hangar doors as crates of processed ore move out of the facility and empty crates return to be refilled. Inside, rivers of molten kelerium run through artificial canyons as gigantic crucibles dip down to extract the material for the next stage of processing. Catwalks crisscross the entire building, many filled with droids tirelessly checking gauges, readouts, and screens. Intense heat permeates the area, making it obvious why only droids are assigned to this grueling work.
Xander is unsuccessful in pulling any information that might imply involvement with Kaa'to and the Mustafarians do not know him or anything about it. At this point, more investigation is necessary.
Sector 943 - Endgame (Episode 29)
Moderator: GM Fang
Re: Sector 943 - Endgame (Episode 29)
A series of catwalks cover the facility, running above the kelerium. The catwalks allow the droids to move from one end of the plant to the other, checking machinery and taking readings. Various large platforms connect the walkways, each with terminals to monitor the temperature of the kelerium and other processing information. Below the catwalks, automated crucibles and grasping claws slide along rails, dipping into the molten mineral and moving forward to deposit it into cooling tanks.
Stepping into the facility on the catwalks, the team begins to experience the oppressive heat. They push through holding onto the idea that their quarry is close, but Cohr and Roona feel the effects sap their strength.
A large central tower is manned by a dozen droids that oversee the processes throughout the plant. The tower sits four stories above the floor of the plant and can be reached by way of an elevator on the ground floor. This appears to be the next target and the trio head to the control tower. There the droids keep them from interfering with any of the plant’s operation despite attempts to continue the inspection con.
Failing that the protagonists continue searching the building. Eventually something interesting is found. Like other rubble scattered about, these piles are comprised of old droids and droid parts, unprocessed ore, and by-products. The stacked debris here is arranged to make a tight path to a large blast door, partially obscured by the rubble. The door leads to an unused, forgotten section of the factory, that appears not to have been opened in decades. The blast door appears completely sealed with no means to open it. However, behind a pile of rubble is a hidden door!
Anxious to take advantage of their new find, Xander leads the way in before Roona can stop him to check for traps and sure enough the door is boobytrapped! A series of charges go off, knocking all three prone and leaving them scuffed and shaken.
Regaining their composure, the team enters the darkened mineral processing area where old conveyer belts, centrifuges, and compactors lie forgotten under a thick layer of dust. Smashed crates; an ancient, inoperable speeder; and other forgotten remnants litter the floor. Leading out from he cavernous area are a few ladders for climbing massive exhaust pipes on one side, and a staircase to an abandoned office on the other. A dim light glows from the room at the top of the stairs. No one has entered the lower space for many years, and there is nothing of value to be found within besides archaic machinery, which is, surprisingly, still operational.
Making their way around some of the machinery to try and sneak up on the stairway to the upper room, suddenly shots ring out, hitting Xander who dashes behind a conveyor for cover. Roona reacts quickly, using her ascension pistol to access the attacker's position through the broken window. Cohr and Xander lose sight of the Rodian scout, but the hear the exchange of blaster fire and then there is a small explosion.
Another window is shattered and it seems as though Kaa'to is attempting to make his escape. Cohr and Xander move back into the main factory area and duck under the catwalks, trying to shield themselves from the bounty hunter's fire. He is hovering over them with a jetpack! Cohr gets off a shot that compromises Kaa'to, leaving him feeling the effects of that critical shot. While that gunfight goes on, suddenly there are a series of huge explosions back inside the mineral processing area. Both Cohr and Xander seem worried for their companion, as Kaa'to jets away again out of sight.
As they work their way around and back up the catwalk, the pair hears a terrible throat-wrenching scream and they come upon Kaa'to and Roona collapsed in a pile. Fearing the worst, they approach and quickly discover that the bounty hunter has taken the worst of the conflict with the Rodian. His whimpers drawn attention to the vibroknife that cut across his face and is sticking out of one eye.
Cohr demands Kaa'to's surrender but the green Nikto is unwilling to be caught. With a snarl and a wild blaster shot in the direction of his attackers, the bounty hunter activates his jetpack once more. Unfortunately the jetpack is somewhat faulty and it misfires, sending him careening into a beam and exploding! The Nikto plummets to the ground and is no longer moving. Checking on Roona, they see she is still alive and coming to. Her aggressive attack by using her ascension pistol to grapple Kaa'to directly and using the momentum to assist in her hand to hand attack made certain he would not escape.
Now it was just a matter of securing the severely wounded and unconscious quarry and taking him in for their reward. Roona also explained that she had used some thermal detonators to destroy the bounty hunter's ship. It would have been nice to capture and sell the ship but she couldn't take the chance with the speed of his jetpack that he might use it to escape. They were too close to let that happen. The fight was dangerous and deadly, but the team succeeded in their mission. Next step was meeting the Pykes.
-----------------------------------------------
The following ship upgrades were installed by T'mennit's favor that was called in:
High Output Ion Turbine
Physical Countermeasures
Encrypted Computer
Unspent XPS:
Roona - 0
Xander - 30
Cohr - 25
Group spoils 8686 credits
Stepping into the facility on the catwalks, the team begins to experience the oppressive heat. They push through holding onto the idea that their quarry is close, but Cohr and Roona feel the effects sap their strength.
A large central tower is manned by a dozen droids that oversee the processes throughout the plant. The tower sits four stories above the floor of the plant and can be reached by way of an elevator on the ground floor. This appears to be the next target and the trio head to the control tower. There the droids keep them from interfering with any of the plant’s operation despite attempts to continue the inspection con.
Failing that the protagonists continue searching the building. Eventually something interesting is found. Like other rubble scattered about, these piles are comprised of old droids and droid parts, unprocessed ore, and by-products. The stacked debris here is arranged to make a tight path to a large blast door, partially obscured by the rubble. The door leads to an unused, forgotten section of the factory, that appears not to have been opened in decades. The blast door appears completely sealed with no means to open it. However, behind a pile of rubble is a hidden door!
Anxious to take advantage of their new find, Xander leads the way in before Roona can stop him to check for traps and sure enough the door is boobytrapped! A series of charges go off, knocking all three prone and leaving them scuffed and shaken.
Regaining their composure, the team enters the darkened mineral processing area where old conveyer belts, centrifuges, and compactors lie forgotten under a thick layer of dust. Smashed crates; an ancient, inoperable speeder; and other forgotten remnants litter the floor. Leading out from he cavernous area are a few ladders for climbing massive exhaust pipes on one side, and a staircase to an abandoned office on the other. A dim light glows from the room at the top of the stairs. No one has entered the lower space for many years, and there is nothing of value to be found within besides archaic machinery, which is, surprisingly, still operational.
Making their way around some of the machinery to try and sneak up on the stairway to the upper room, suddenly shots ring out, hitting Xander who dashes behind a conveyor for cover. Roona reacts quickly, using her ascension pistol to access the attacker's position through the broken window. Cohr and Xander lose sight of the Rodian scout, but the hear the exchange of blaster fire and then there is a small explosion.
Another window is shattered and it seems as though Kaa'to is attempting to make his escape. Cohr and Xander move back into the main factory area and duck under the catwalks, trying to shield themselves from the bounty hunter's fire. He is hovering over them with a jetpack! Cohr gets off a shot that compromises Kaa'to, leaving him feeling the effects of that critical shot. While that gunfight goes on, suddenly there are a series of huge explosions back inside the mineral processing area. Both Cohr and Xander seem worried for their companion, as Kaa'to jets away again out of sight.
As they work their way around and back up the catwalk, the pair hears a terrible throat-wrenching scream and they come upon Kaa'to and Roona collapsed in a pile. Fearing the worst, they approach and quickly discover that the bounty hunter has taken the worst of the conflict with the Rodian. His whimpers drawn attention to the vibroknife that cut across his face and is sticking out of one eye.
Cohr demands Kaa'to's surrender but the green Nikto is unwilling to be caught. With a snarl and a wild blaster shot in the direction of his attackers, the bounty hunter activates his jetpack once more. Unfortunately the jetpack is somewhat faulty and it misfires, sending him careening into a beam and exploding! The Nikto plummets to the ground and is no longer moving. Checking on Roona, they see she is still alive and coming to. Her aggressive attack by using her ascension pistol to grapple Kaa'to directly and using the momentum to assist in her hand to hand attack made certain he would not escape.
Now it was just a matter of securing the severely wounded and unconscious quarry and taking him in for their reward. Roona also explained that she had used some thermal detonators to destroy the bounty hunter's ship. It would have been nice to capture and sell the ship but she couldn't take the chance with the speed of his jetpack that he might use it to escape. They were too close to let that happen. The fight was dangerous and deadly, but the team succeeded in their mission. Next step was meeting the Pykes.
-----------------------------------------------
The following ship upgrades were installed by T'mennit's favor that was called in:
High Output Ion Turbine
Physical Countermeasures
Encrypted Computer
Unspent XPS:
Roona - 0
Xander - 30
Cohr - 25
Group spoils 8686 credits