Living on the Edge Ep 3 & 4 “Hitting them Where it Hurts”

When we left our heroes they had just defeated a ship full of slavers using some rather…unconventional…tactics.  As I am a slacker, i failed to write up the events of the next session, and then proceeded to lose my page of notes so this summary will include the last two gaming sessions with a few missing details.

After killing the crew of the slaver ship, our heroes freed the captured slaves. There they met Yinke Vanis, a Rodian captured from the world of Ooo-Termiuk, and Thon Athzarin, a Togruta pilot with the Rebel Alliance, whom our heroes had just shot down. Deciding honesty was the best policy, Captain Verci explained the whole situation to our down Rebel pilot, admitting her culpability in destroying one of Thon’s wingmates.

Needless to say, Thon was less than pleased but Verci’s charm and Ria’s enthusiasm for the Rebel cause convinced her it had been a legitimate misunderstanding. Their daring rescue, which had resulted in severe injuries to all of Verci’s crew, helped sell that story.  She agreed to help Verci get the other liberated slaves to their home on Ooo-Termiuk and then they would all go their separate ways.

Enthusiastic, naive and idealistic Ria rubbed off on Thon enough that before she departed, she offered to take the young Alderaanian refuge with her to join the Rebellion. Ria tried to make a case for her whole crew, but failed to convince Thon they were as dedicated to fighting the Empire. In the end she felt the weight of her obligation press down on her as she reluctantly decided to remain with her captain.

While attending a party that Yinke prepared to honor our heroes, they made contact with a local merchant who had cargo he needed delivered off world.  Desperate for work,  Verci accepted the job. Unfortunately, the shipment consisted of crates of a local bug delicacy, which thanks to a helpful Despair, escaped from one of the containers mid flight.

Thinking quickly, the crew lowered the ship’s temperature to below freezing and managed to collect all, they hope, of the bugs and reseal the container. Once at their destination, they began looking for more work, this time coming across an unsavory Trandoshan named X’lor. He offered them far more money for a more illicit delivery; a supply of vibro axes destined for Piroket.

Surprisingly, this delivery went off without a hitch and they took the weapons to Captain Wins Tindnea, of the Red Skull warship Alderaan’s Sorrow. Hearing the name, Ria immediately began inquiring about the captain’s connection to her lost homeworld. As another refugee, Wins had decided he wished to strike back at the Empire and had hooked up with the Red Skull organization.

Seeing Ria’s enthusiasm, Wins offered the crew a test job working for the Red Skulls. He assured them they were not part of the Rebel Alliance and were mutually opposed to the Hutts and Empire. Working for the Red Skulls would allow them the chance to profit while striking back at those corrupt organizations.

He gave them coordinates and a schedule for the arrival of an Imperial cargo shipment that would be changing course in the Khubeaie system. When Captain Verci originally seemed reluctant, he dangled the offer of 25% of the ships cargo before her. Deciding these milk runs of cargo delivery would never make them the money they all needed, the crew agreed.

Racing for the intercept, the crew arrived just moments before the Imperial shipment. A Gallofree GR-75 Medium Transport, ITS Gas Guzzler, dropped out of hyperspace shortly after them and deployed an escort of two TIE fighters. Ignoring the ship’s hail, the Pink Lady moved in and engaged.

The laid up Sam’mael recovered from his debilitating illness shortly before and was now right where he could do the most good; manning the ship’s powerful Quad-laser cannon. He unleashed a devastating barrage with the gun, blasting away the two TIE’s in a single blast.

Unfortunately, the others had no combat experience to draw upon. Sam’s wife, ship engineer Emiko, froze at her controls for a moment, missing  a chance to blast the transport ship immediately. Gung-ho Ria, always eager to fight the Empire, finally realized she was about to do attack the people who had the power to destroy entire planets.  Fear welled up within her, causing her hands to shake and making her job of piloting significantly more difficult.

The transport launched another pair of TIE fighters, which Sam again blasted away before they could get a shot. The delay allowed the transport ship to slip away into a nearby ring system. Ria fired up the Pink Lady‘s engines to full and followed them in. Despite her nerves, she deftly handled the bulky ship and stayed on target; giving Sam and Emiko perfect shots.

Now disabled, the Gas Guzzler began drifting uncontrollably in the dense rings. Most debris was simple chunks of ice that the ship’s armor absorbed but ahead a large asteroid chunk loomed. Continuing to show his fire arms prowess, Sam  hit the rock, knocking it off course and out of the ship’s way.

Still nervous, Ria took the ship in trying to dock with the uncontrolled freighter. He nerves proved to much and she scraped against the asteroid Sam had just knocked aside, causing critical system damage. After another attempt she recovered and docked with the freighter in enough time to push both ships into a stable orbit, instead of into an uncontrolled descent into the gas giant.

With the ships now docked, the crew raced to the cargo bay and the airlock. Unfortunately, the crew of the freighter had been preparing. A squad of Imperial Stormtroopers boarded them first and a firefight ensued.

The first barrage of fire severed the strap on Sam’s massive rifle causing him to drop it. As he ducked down, Ria came around the corner and pegged the first Stormtrooper, her first Imperial kill. Sadly, she had forgotten to check the charge on her blaster before and this proved to be the end of the guns power pack.

Emiko and Sam, now having recovered his gun, blasted away at the remaining three Stormtroopers. They each took some minor injuries in the exchange but not before taking out the rest of the squad. Sam felt no sympathy for dropping soldiers he might have once fought beside, they were now the enemy.

With the Stormtroopers neutralized, the freighters civilian crew took up the fight. Captain Verci attempted to convince them that her fight was with the Empire, not them. This caused the crew to hesitate but her call on them to mutiny against their fellow civilian captain, resulted in him firing on her. With either expert markmanship or poor aim, he managed to shoot the gun right off her hip but do no harm to her. But the Imperial officer behind him had better luck, dropping the poor captain.

Leaping into action, Sam and Emiko pushed past the confused crewers and cornered the Imperial officer, subduing him. With all official Imperial military personnel dead or captured, Captain Jared Muro agreed to sit down and talk terms with Captain Verci. Her natural charms persuaded him to give up the cargo without more of a fight. In exchange, she would take the officer, Lieutenant Nial Wran, off his hands and let him and his crew go.

Amazed at the huge bounty they had just acquired, the crew of the Pink Lady headed to their rendezvous with Captain Wins Tindnea. Their cargo hold was full and they now had two new passengers; the Imperial officer and an astromech droid, 1D-J0. Immediately bonding with the little droid, Ria affectionately named him Dee-Jay.

Arriving at the Red Skull loot hub in the Tarnoonga system, the crew began debating what to take as their share of the cargo. Ria insisted on keeping Dee-Jay and they also acquired the parts for a light dual ion cannon, several crates of blaster rifles and a few other odds and ends.

Captain Tindnea was disappointed at the loss of the freighter but impressed that they acquired so much with so few losses. He offered them continued work with the Red Skulls, either as free privateers or directed missions. Before they crew could decide, a group of bounty hunters came calling. Tindnea had allowed them onboard the station under a promise of no hostilities. They had business with Emiko.

The bounty hunters told her they were here for the bounty on her head. Given Captain Tindea’s hospitality, they would leave her in peace if she just handed over the data she had stolen from Sienar Systems. Surprised at Emiko’s former line of work, Ria wanted to know more and what data.

Not inclined to take threats against his wife well, Sam told the bounty hunters to bugger off, in slightly more forceful terms. Captain Tindnea reminded everyone there would be no violence aboard his station; but what happened after all parties left was their own business. Not wanting bounty hunters hanging over their heads, the crew agreed to immediately launch.

Opting not to try and run for it, Captain Verci ordered them to engage the bounty hunters Firespray as soon as they cleared the asteroid station. Angry at them threatening his wife, Sam again unloaded the powerful quad laser cannons and proceeded to disable the ship. Moving in, the crew boarded the craft and took out the bounty hunters, acquiring a slightly used Firespray for their troubles.

Turning around, Captain Verci offered the damaged craft to Tindnea and the Red Skulls. She succeeded in negotiating a good price but pushed Tindnea to hard (double despair!). He told her flat out he would no longer negotiate with her, as her species pheromones give her an unfair advantage. Any sales in the future would be a take it or leave it deal.

Our heroes have successfully engaged an Imperial freighter and joined up with a band of pirates/privateers out to fight the Empire. What will they do with their captured Imperial officer, Lieutenant Wran? Why, among all the guns and ordinance, was the Empire shipping a lone astromech droid? Can the crew survive another engagement without getting cocky?