Since their creation, the two suns of the Tatoo system have mercilessly scorched the life from their three satellites. The two gas giants, Ohann and Adriana, have never been able to sustain life. On Tatooine, the third planet, life clings to the rocky mass with all the strength of a drowning man clutching a life preserver.
On Tatooine few things grow if left to their own accord. Time and again, brave farmers (some say foolish) have attempted to bring life to this barren place. All have failed. The sandstorms and the native Tusken Raiders put a quick end to such efforts. One story of life winning against Tatooine's harsh environment persists, however.
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Flush with credits from the mission for Renci Tosh, the team enjoyed themselves for the next day before preparing for their next upcoming job. Xander's financier, the Muun Tebora, had provided a contact and the needed materials to contact the smuggler Hagt Baht. They would be meeting outside Anchorhead and transferring cargo from Baht's ship to a warehouse for Tebora.
Some of the crew made some purchases in Mos Espa and Roona had herself an extra run-in with some of Teemo the Hutt's thugs, led by the Rodian scoundrel Zek. The next day, Kel Daro and Xander Churr took a shuttle from Mos Espa to Anchorhead. Their ride was extremely comfortable and well-appointed as once more Roona used the deception that they worked directly for Bargos the Hutt to dupe the ticket seller to providing better accommodations for a reduced price. Zavi, Roona and Ymira would drive themselves there in the rented speeder truck, with the two speeder bikes secured in the cargo bay. Ymira was feeling ill from whatever meal she had the night before.
Kel and Xander arrived in Anchorhead in the early evening and had some time before their allies would arrive. Their trip would take them until the early hours of the next morning. They took meals and settled in while trying to blend in as best they could. Clearly however, the small community marked them as outsiders and everyone spoke in hushed tones around them.
- Anchorhead
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Imperial forces recently used transparent reasoning for the arrest-some call it the kidnapping - of Momaw Nadon, a Tatooine folk legend. Momaw is rumored to hold the location of a secret grove of bafforr trees and other exotic plant life. He eventually hopes to introduce the species to the arid wastelands near Anchorhead. Members of the local Imperial garrison recently stumbled upon Nadon's grove. Not sure of what they'd found, they radioed their commander, Ingah Muloha. Taking matters into her own hands, Muloha contacted a local Imperial sympathizer, a gamorrean gangster named Glulgorg Sandeater, and set off in pursuit of Nadon. She had some of her subordinates create false criminal charges against Nadon to justify his apprehension.
The locals could offer 500 credits for Momaw's safe return. Plus a pair of speeder bikes to take off after Glulgorg's massive sail barge. That and the specialness of what Momaw had created finally convinced the team to take on the rescue. They were quickly directed to Junix's Joint, the other cantina in Anchorhead. There they met a bubbly Zeltron information broker named Ladira, with known anti-Imperial sympathies.
- Ladira the Zeltron
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Relaying the information to Zavi and the women, they quickly off-loaded the speeder bikes. Ymira would continue on toward Tosche Station with the speeder truck, while Roona and Zavi went off to chase down the sand barge. Zavi had seen a sail barge pass by them about thirty minutes prior and there likely weren't many sail barges just floating around the area. They were huge, 90 feet long and 30 feet high, encompassing three levels normally. It generally took a small fortune to operate one of them.
Zavi and Roona quickly closed the distance with the sail barge and kept themselves at a distance where they could keep Glulgorg's barge in sight, but not get too close, while they waited for Xander and Kel to arrive themselves. Unfortunately, fate would not allow this to be so simple. For speeding in on a direct line at the Rodian and Squib were two Scout Troopers. The two turned and headed toward their oncoming comrades, but the Imperials on their 74-Z speeder bikes were far too fast and far too dangerous, packing light repeating blasters.
The two Imperials had just started interrogating Zavi and Roona, when Xander and Kel swooped in. Roona had delayed them first by rummaging through her backpack, while using her lack of Basic language to repeatedly ask nonsense questions in Rodian. This irritated the Scout Troopers, but was part of her plan. When she dropped her backpack and the trooper bent over to pick it up and roughly start to rummage through it, she winked at Zavi. With a speed honed by practice and a set trigger mod, she pulled her LiquidSilver L7 and blasted the offending imperial in the side of the head. At this range, his helmet couldn't possibly protect him and it shattered on impact. The lifeless trooper fell to the swirling sand.
Kel blasted the other Scout Trooper and quickly removed his armor. This unfortunate encounter was going to help facilitate their encounter with the sail barge. Kel donned the armor, using a poncho to cover the blaster scoring on the white armor. Meanwhile, Xander, as the only other human-sized being here, put on the other troopers armor. Xander and Zavi worked together to disassemble what the could from the damaged helmet and connected the comms through his datapad. Ymira was contacted to come out and watch the rented speeder bikes which were upgraded for the faster and armed 74-Z's to which they now had access. The living Scout Trooper was bound and interrogated and in his dazed state managed to confirm some information for the team.
However another player was beginning to enter the scene. That of the planet itself. Noticing the wind starting to intensify, far to the west was an ominous sight. Around them, the rock and sand swirls, and the twin suns beat down mercilessly, earning the Jundland Wastes their deadly reputation. On the horizon, far to the west, the sky has become a dark black maelstrom.
Quickly the sail barge was located again. While Kel tried to get the sail barge to stop and convince them to turn over Momaw to them directly, Zavi and Roona moved in around the other side of the decking and closed in. Little did Kel know that the Imperial Lieutenant was actually on board, but the conversation did create some confusion on the deck below.
- Sail Barge of the Gangster Glulgorg
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Things were now quiet on the top deck and the group proceeded down to the main deck below.
[TO BE CONTINUED IN SESSION 6...]
Unused XP-
Kel 10 (◆◆critical wound)
Xander 10
Zavi 0
Roona 0
Ymira 10
Group spoils
3451 credits (-120 for transport and info)
Gear: quick sale value in ()
2x Blaster Rifle (450 ea)
1x Holdout Blaster (100 ea)
7x Laser Pistol (200 ea)
1x Heavy Blaster Pistol (300 ea)
1x Stun grenades (45 ea)
Tool Kit (175)
Glow Rod (5)
Brass knuckles (10)