Session 39

Loren takes the lead in dealing with strange inheritors. Lorne allows the leader to hold his spear and they demonstrate some moves with it. In return the leader allows Lorne to inspect her shard glass knife. From the markings on the blade he can see that it is very old, the handle has been replaced, perhaps several times, the markings on the blade belong to many generations of a the Banchar family line.

After Lorne's diplomatic efforts things warm a little. Val detects great curiosity in the Marauder leader and after the others are introduced and a discussion about the killing of the Rancor, and what the Marauders normally do to those they find in this part of the jungle it is decided that the Maruders will take the crew and Picus back to the Commune where they offer to treat Picus with Fngur.

The Jungle people decide to take the Outsider's and Lorne back to their Cadre to decide what to do with them. Lorne vouches for the Crew of the Longhorn and Picus he will be held responsible for their actions.

The Crew, lead by the hunters/scouts walk single file through the jungle until they reach a river, by this time they have walked all night and the morning mist is starting to lift. Aalya realises the strange wide hats worn by the hunters contain sensor equipment that allows them to move around in the dark.

During the walk back Val talks enthusiastically to the field medic Dalmatz,  He tells them how his people have been denied their rightful home land, the planet Dinoah and how the Outsiders have forced them back, they now stay hidden to survive. Val suggest diplomacy as a solution, Dalmatz says that very occasionally the young of the tribe feel the same as him and they are allowed to leave, they are not heard from again. They also talk to Dalmatz about the dangers of the Jungle. This area seems to have many spore tree patches and Villow  Tail Moss-Palms which are known the Maruders and they offer some protection from discovery by Outsiders. The Rancor also kept the Outsiders out of the area. Val tries to explain to Dalmatz that outsiders are all different. Dalmatz doesn't agree. Lorne mentions RfitCo and the Empire and how they are evil and not all Outsiders are.

Following the river for a while the Crew arrive at an enormous cenote, they are lead down the wide switch back path of steps down to the buildings built of natural materials that clutch the cenote walls like limpets.

The returning hunters are greeted by friends, partners and children. The Crew estimate now more than a few hundred Inheritors live in the Commune. The outsiders are looked on with suspicion.  Lorne sees a tall thin cave at the on the far side of the turquoise lake at the bottom of the cenote. It is an Umbrance.

Bachar and the hunters remove their ghillie suits to reveal their tattooed faces to the Crew.

Sicart, the Cadre's most experienced healer comes, to the meeting place to administer the Fngur. It is different to what Jorus expects. An iridescent almost golden moss that Sicart prepares into a poultice with other mosses to put onto the wound. Jorus learns that the Fngur the Maruders have is different to that he has head of before. It is not the expected sticky sap like liquid and is more potent. After discussion it seems the sap like substance is what happens when the Fngur breaks down. Although he doesn't say anything Val and Jorus draw from Sicart's body language when question that the Fngur comes from the Umbrance some how.

Fngur only speeds the healing, Jorus learns how to properly prepare for the treatment, setting bones and repairing what can be repaired so that the faster healing leaves minimal scars and complications.

The Crew are given the freedom to explore the Commune but must be mindful of any transgressions, Lorne will be held responsible for them, as will the transgressors. 

Lorne asks to enter the Umbance but is told that it is not somewhere people outside the Cadre can go and as an Exhile it is not clear if he should be allowed. Banchar asks him to wait.

The Elders will gather to decide what will be done with the Crew. Whether they will be allowed to leave or not.

Session 38

Whilst Lorne, Aayla and Val tangle with the enormous Rancor bull, Jorus treats the gravely injured Picus Thell, giving equipping him with  make shift mobile transfuser and treating the bruising and swelling around his injuries. He asses that he needs better facilities to treat him but stabilises him.

Aayla and MN get the repulsor sled ready flipping it back the right way up. Whilst Lorne dances a dangerous dance with the giant jungle beast. 

Val takes shot with his overcharged blaster, blinding the creature, burning it's skin and wounding it deeply blasting into it's skull.

Lorne carfully transfers Picus to the sled.

The Rancor is engraged, it swings at Lorne who avoids the attack.

Val fires his blaster rappidly and wildly into the canopy above distracting the creature as it raises it's self to protect it's self from the smoulding falling leaves and brances.

Lorne is grasped by the creature lifted to it's mouth, but the grasp is loose and lorne is able to begin to wrigle free. He stabbes the Rancor it in the mouth with his shard glass spear. The creature lets him go but he hangs onto the spear, and using a tooth for purchase drives it deep into it's throat and into it's brain. The creature gives one final roar and falls back onto the jungle floro with a mighty crash. Lorne is left grasping his spear, triumphent stood upon the dead creature.

Aayla asks MN what is in the crates, one he is told is bait the other food and drink supplies. He concinces MN to unlock the crate and the Crew rest and eat and drink from the supplies crate. There is also a bottle of celebratory alchol that was perhaps intended to be drunk after a succesful hunt.

Aayla realises that MN has been holo-reording the whole thing as part of his hunting support protocols and Jorus decide to give picus what he hopped for, he hopes. And they pose him and the crew for a holo-pic victorius in front of the dead creature, they do their best to obscure Picus's serious injures from the holo and put his helmet on so it's not clear he is unconcious. He is held up by Aayla and Jorus with his Hunting Blaster as a convincing support.

As they make there way back towards the dark through the jungle Aayla here's strange noises she hasn't heard before and she stops to tell the others, she also feels like she is being watched.

As the crew consider making camp and fortifying there position the threat reveals it's self,  a dozen figuers dressed in gilly suits and carrying blaster emerge from camoflasged positons in the jungle some positioned in the branches of Moss Palms, others emerging from thick undergrowth, others lowering from ropes from the canopy above, all armed all aiming. The Crew is surrodned.

Their leader  weaing a gilli cloak covered with local fauna, leggin and wraps that perfectly blend into the jungle with a blaster rifle slung over their solder on a quick release strap, a breather kit on in their chest, a DL-44 blaster pistol in hand, and a faceless mask of over lapping plates like the chittin of some insect lowers them selves from the canopy above. A firm voice says

 "You bear the marks of an exile, but the markings are strange to me,  and I do not recognise your face, Who are you Exile and why do truck with these Colonials?" 

Session 37

The crew of the Longhorn decide to go with Jorus into the Jungle to rescue Picus. Val puts Tsubatchchark in his cage with food before he leaves the ship, the creature falls asleep in short order.

 The Crew venture deep into the Dinoahan jungle, at several points Lorne, Val or Aayla feel like they are being watched. As jungle warms moisture condenses on the moss-palm leaves above and drips down frequently driping on them or getting uncomfortably inside their clothes. The ground is uneven and covered in moss and the ground level foliage is thick slows progress, without any cutting tools they are reliant on MNs limited cutting tools.

 During their hike through the moss-jungle the crew is best by various trials. They nearly wander into a so called death pool. Spotting the spoor filled air and the bones of previous victims, they skirt around it. MN loses Picus's trail but with Jorus's help is able to pick it up again.

 After a gruelling morning of hiking the crew stop to rest and eat the supplies Jorus had the forethought to bring with him from the Longhorn. As they are resting, Aayla catches sight of something low and quick in the underbrush. It turns out to be the same pack of Dinoahan Spine Rapka's from last night that have been hunting them through the Moss-Jungle. The Rapkas trigger their ambush but the Crew and MN manage to fight them off. The Rapka's flee after three of there number are taken down. This time they won't be back.

During the fight Val's fancy cameo outfit is ripped to shreds (only to be repaired by Jorus's needlecraft skills later, and Lorne gets one of the creatures long quills stuck in his flesh, something Jorus also treats before they move on.

 The crew follow MN on and come across another Jungle Hazard, a patch of Villow Tail Moss-Palms, they make it across but Jorus and Aayla are nearly caught but the dangerous barbed vines.

 The Jungle begins to cool as the sun dips, mist starts to hug the jungle floor. MN becomes quitter and seemingly less sure as the crew press on .They follow MN to a dell where a great Moss-Palm has been broken and lies on the jungle floor. MN's repulsor sled lies upside down on one side of the Dell and two of Picus's crates lie scattered 15 and 10 meters further ahead. Aayla remarks that they have been thrown around "as if like something big has been through here". The Crew also notice patches of flattened foliage.  They see a knot in the moss-palm about half way along it's length, MN heads straight towards it. Lorne Sneaks after him, followed by a less stealthy Jorus, Aayla and Val hunker down.

 At the fallen moss palm, Lorne and Jorus can see it is partly hollow, Picus has crawled inside but he is badly wounded, both his legs are broken and he has passed out from blood loss. Jorus also notices the tell tales residue of a scent suppressant spray that would conceal him from wild animals.  Jorus realises that must have come from MN, he asks to be sprayed as well, MN sprays him with the last does, he doesn’t have any more left.

 From the mist on the other side of the Dell a giant albino Rancor emerges it's terrifying roars echoing through the moss-jungle.

Session 36

Lorne walks the perimeter of the camp and does not find any immediate threats but he does find some tracks from a sizable creature with four fingered talons, three facing forward, one back. Aayla takes a look at the ship, and finds green spots of moss on the landing struts of the Longhorn, worrying that this must be the fast growing moss they heard rumours about, she jury-riggs a flamethrower to clear it off in the morning. Lorne returns to the ship to find that Picus has set up a small heat lamp surrounded by logs for seating, MN is in the process of putting up a dome shaped tent and spraying the area of some sort of chemical moss spore cleansing agent (mildly corrosive). Lorne tells Picus about the tracks and he asks to be shown them, Lorne obliges, Picus identifies them as Spine Rapka tracks, he says they are tenacious pack hunters and that is not the one your see that kills you but the two others flanking you, that you don't see, that get you.

 Picus and Lorne return to Picus's camp site. When Lorne asks him if he's going to sleep in the ship he says that "He values being out under the sky and taking in the night air and getting used to the sounds and feel of the jungle. He plans to have one last drink under the night sky before heading out to claim his prize in the morning. He invites the crew to join him, in the end only Jorus and Val (aka Luka) take him up on the offer. Over glasses of some fermented excretion of a sea slug imported across the Galaxy from Mon Cala they talk. Val is concerned that Picus will want to talk further about Chibivaa, and perhaps he does, but Val deftly guides the conversation away from that and Picus spends much of the time talking about hunting, he tells tales of his greatest exploits, he is especially proud of his successful hunt against a Nydak, currently gilded and mounted on the Trophy wall of greatest prizes at the Hunters Consociation, he talks about hunting a Tuga a large cat like Dinoahan jungle predator and says that this trophy from his current hunt will be his greatest success yet out shining other members of the society. The drink loosens Jorus's tongue a little and he talks about hunting storm troopers on Yzar. Although he says it doesn't sound as much fun, Picus confesses that if he felt he had another path in life he wound have most certainly ended up an adventurous starship captain, Jorus and Val aren't so sure. The three toast to Picus's upcoming success in the hunt and then decide to go to bed. Before they do a very tired Tsubatchcark falls asleep on the log Val is sitting on and Val manages to pick up the little fluffy creature and put it in his lap. He feels the beating heart of the small vulnerable creature that like him has been separated from it's parents and must make it's own way in the world.

 Aayla takes first watch, Jorus and Val retire and Val leaves the cargo ramp down as requested by Picus.

Aaylas's watch passes without incident and she is relived by Val. During his watch Val spots four groups of person sized, or larger, life signs making their way towards the ship from the four different directions, in front behind and two the left and right of the ship. They are just outside the range of the ships sensor alarm rigged by Jorus. Val uses the internal tannoy to wake the rest of the crew but Aayla is fast asleep and doesn't wake despite the commotion. Jorus goes to the cargo hold to check on Picus, he can see MN powered down out by the tent , he venters out to the end of the cargo ramp and throws a rock an MN to get his attention. MN powers up and makes startled beeps. Jorus silently conveys to the droid that some sort of threat is closing in. Picus wakes up and opens the tent flap, dressed in jungle camo pyjamas and a lounge robe (also cameo print) he is just about to ask what is going on when two Dinoahan Spine Rapka's flank the tent from both sides. Picus flees to the cargo bay as fast as his slipperd feet will carry him, Lorne who has come to check on Jorus enters the cargo bay with spear and shield in hand, one of the Rapkas chases Picus in to the cargo bay as Jorus smashes the button to close the bay ramp, trapping the Rapka in the bay, but trapping it in with Lorne. Lorne and the Rapka battle, Lorne gets a sold strike with his shard glass spear, the creature makes trilling noises as it attacks trying to get its powerful neck and sharp jaws around the shields whilst clawing with it's small front talons. And one of it's two powerful legs.

 In the Cockpit Val sees something move in the thick underbrush of the jungle floor, he powers up the forward lasers. Aayla finally woken by the sounds of the struggle in the Cargo bay wakes up and rushes to the cockpit.

In the Cargo hold Lorne deflects a blow from the Rapka with his shard glass shield and uses the serrated edge to slam it against the rear cargo bay door. With practiced marshal skill he drives the serrated edge of the shield into the creatures throat killing it. It slides down the cargo bay door bleeding on the metal floor.

In the cockpit Aayla and Lorne see the sensor signals retreat into the thick jungle. Picus asks for MN to be let in and then decides, that actually, yes, perhaps it would be best to sleep in the cabin on the ship. The crew return to watch or to sleep. Jorus gets the last watch. Just before dawn he is joined in the cockpit by Picus who gives him the first half of their payment.  During the predawn light Jorus sees Picus with vibrochete in hand head into the jungle accomponed by MN pulling a small repulsor sled with a couple of equipment crates strapped to it. Now all that remains is to wait for Picus's return.

 During the following day Jorus sits outside in the jungle and enjoys the ambience in comfortable fold out chair.

Lorne and Aayla clear the fast growing Parasitic Moss from the Longhorn. Aayla comes to the realisation that it grows on metalic surfaces and needs treating every four hours or so before it becomes too embedded.

 Val spends the day building rapport with Tsubatchcark and find it likes wires and thin twists of metal that it can use for nest building. He manages to get it to accept food from him as well.

 As dusk falls Picus has not returned. Lorne suggests leaving and forgoing half the pay. The others suggest they should at least wait until morning, and that is what the crew decides to do. They take the same watch pattern as the night before.

 In the early morning several hours before dawn Jorus's watch is interrupted by the alarm he rigged. Checking the sensors he sees a single signal making it's way at a clip towards the ship. He notices the signal is metal.

He sees MN-FR1 outside in the lights of the Longhorn. He goes to the boarding ramp to let the droid aboard. Lowing the ramp and heading out to meet MN Jorus is confronted immediately with frantic panicked beeping. Jorus is soon joined by the rest of the crew. The droid franticly pulls at the leg of Aayla's flight suit with a manipulator arm as if it wants to be followed. Aayla is able to work out what the droid is beeping about: "What's that MN-FR1, your master was brutally mauled by a giant beast?". Jorus immediately goes to get his medpack and gear to head into the Jungle.  

Session 35

Whilst Picus Thel goes off to meet with his contact the crew hit the streets of Nessceen Qassabah and decide to blow off some steam, perhaps with the realities of the their last job praying on their minds, or at least in Vals case being reminded of unpleasant memories of his flight from Chbavaa. The crew decide to take advantage of the Qassabah's vibrant tapcaf culture and get drink, smoke bubbling hookas and take in some live jizz. Val tries to drown his sorrows and then hits on the idea of getting a ships mascot from one of the many animal traders to cheer himself up. The crew, a little worse for ware begin a bar crawl with the aim of finding a suitable new addition to the longhorn crew.

 During the bender Jorus picks up several rumours from locals in the tapcafs and bars:

• Spirits inhabit the deepest jungle, trappers, hunters and miners have seen them. The jungle come alive. Leave offerings of food or drink at your campsite to appease them.

• The lumber workers constantly fight with a fast growing moss that covers equipment and can damage it in short order. They use fire, corrosive chemical sprays or electrical shock systems to keep it at bay.

• The jungle is full of dangers, predators, dangerous plants,

• Watch out for death pools, areas of the jungle where you can feel your own mortality on your back like a weight if it is too much to carry and you collapse into a deep sleep. One of Dinoah's many predators will be along to eat you in short order. Watch out for pools of bones of sleeping creatures to avoid them.

• The source of Fngur is unknown, it's found only in small pool on the jungle floor. Rumours persist of a Fngur tree, an apparently mobile moss-palm that moves through the jungle, its leaves and berries rich with the healing oitment. Anyone who discovered it and harvest it would be rich beyond their wildest dreams.

 The crew eventually come to  'K's Dukkan, who has some genuinely unusual creatures including a strange curious black eyed bird that Val takes a liking too. The 'porg' is just what Val wants and they decide to pull together the credits to buy it. Coming out of the shop they run into Picus Thel who know the Gilland Exotic animal trader Kel, the owner of the shop. They also see an angry looking Ewok chained to the front of the shop. It barks and growls at them when the get close. Lorne is incensed. Picus introduces the crew to the Gilland and they negotiate for the porg. Lorne also tries to buy the Ewok but there is a difference of opinion amongst the crew about freeing the clearly angry and troubled creature. He vows to return and free it later.

 The Crew and Picus return to the Longhorn and Picus gives him a set of co-ordinates and the Longhorn flies to a destination deep in the jungles of Dinoah. There is no signs of civilisation nearby including any logging camps the jungle here seems thick and untouched.

 Aayla manages to find a gap in the canopy where a giant moss-palm has fallen and carefully puts the Longhorn on the ground whilst Jorus uses the tractor beam to clear space for the landing.

 To watch out for trouble in the jungle, the sensors on the longhorn have been set by Jorus to, in theory at least, pick up on something large coming near the ship. He's repurposed the ships antitheft systems. Outside lights are also angled and switched on so the someone in the cockpit can get a good view of the visible jungle. They don't set any physical perimeter. The sun begins to dip.

 Picus says he plans to start his hunt at first light the following day.

Session 34

At The Handoff, on Typhon station, Lorne meets with Ganio Gunrun about his star chart, meanwhile Aayla finds the crew a paying job.They are to take Picus Thel, of the Chibavaa city Thels, to Dinoah. First they must take him to meet a contact at Nessceen Qassabah, then on to an undisclosed location in the Jungle where Picus will go hunting. The Longhorn needs to wait for his return, and he will come back with a Trophy. With his trophy acquired (which he assures them will be dead and will fit in the cargo hold) he wants to be taken to Buallaba. Picus suggests that they could take him all the way back to Chibavaa but he wagers that an independent ship won't want to get so close to the seat of RiftCo power.

 Val negotiates that Picus will need to pay them half the money when he leaves the ship to head into the Jungle to go hunting. The other half to be paid on arrival at Buallaba. Picus agrees. 

 Jorus knows a bit about Dinoah, The Jungle Moon is covered in Moss-Jungle. Agents of RiftCo exploit it's natural resources; Rich hunters venture into it's Jungle to hunt exotic animals, Timber and Logging operations scar the jungle  and rare plant and animals are exploited for drug compounds including the rare and extremely expensive Fngur a cure all. Gathered from the jungle floor this slightly mysterious orange sap like substance promotes rapid cell growth and tissue regeneration and it can be prepared into hyposprays, generally it is hard to get hold off and the limited bound for the 1% on Chibavaa. 

 The crew of the Longhorn meet with Picus at their docking bay only to find that he has much more equipment than just the transport cases he had stacked up in the bar. He orders his droid MN to load the gear giving instructions constantly along they way, without loading any himself. Lorne fed up with the delay begins loads the crates himself, despite Picus's objections about the sensitive equipment and supplies in the cargo crates. Eventually they get underway. Val stays in his cover identity of Luca.

 On route to Dinoah Picus gets settled in, he fusses around and generally make a nuisance of himself in a polite, toffy, upper-class, I am your paying customer, sort of way. During the journey he:

• Spends time drinking and smoking Tabac with Jorus and Val.

• Plays Jorus at Dejarik but losses. He asks Jorus if Luca (Val's cover identity) has ever been to Chibavaa.

• Runs the refresher out of hot water.

• Triggers an altercation between a mouse droid and MN which Aayla has to step in an break up.

• Conducts target practice in the hold. Lorne and Val stop Picus shooting at target holos of various creatures in the cargo bay, he's calibrating the scopes of his hunting rifles.

• Convinces Lorne to spar with him, using two of Picus's electro staffs. Lorne soundly beats him giving him a lesson on Inheritor history as he does so. Picus pays him for the painful lesson. Lorne has credits to his name for the first time, RiftCo credits, but credits.

 During the final approach to Dinoah Picus breaks out yet another bottle of spirits and a deck of Sabac cards, Jorus, Picus and Val (still disguised as Luca) play, During the game Picus suggests Jorus could get a job on Chibavaa and even suggests he look him up. Jorus suggests he might when he's ready to retire but there are two many people who need help out on the Frontier. As the game progresses Picus beging to talk about recent events on Chibavaa, he talks about a home invasion on the Vander-Dak'win family. "A terrible thing, terrible thing… what happened to those Vander Dak'wins. Felistia (Val's Mother dead),  Emeilion (Val's father)in a coma. Awful, awful business." Jorus hears a version of the events that drove Val into the rift for the first time. "It's not clear what happened to young Val, Valderon Vander-Dak'win, he might of died, he might be on the run, there where rumours he had become addicted to drugs, got indebted to the street gang that invaded the penthouse mansion and ended up causing his parents murder and attempted murder." The drink and tabac and the bad memories weaken Val's resolve and his disquise slips a fraction just for a moment, Picus might have noticed. Afterward Picus returns to his quarters to freshen up for landing. Val is unsettled by the bad memories. Jorus is the first member of the crew to hear about what happened to Val and why he teamed up with Aayla.

 On final approach, Picus goes to the cockpit and asks to send a holo. Aayla agrees and Picus sits down and sends a recorded holo. Aayla doesn't see what's sent.

 As the longhorn arrives at Dinoah, Val convinces Picus that the docking fees are part of his charter cost and Picus covers them.  The Longhorn is safely set down on a landing pad at Nessceen Qassabah.

Session 33

The defenders stand true in the face of the Imperial advance. Starships clash above the Opal in a deadly dogfight. Nurod Zengoshi is saved by Aaylas's close support in the Longhorn at the last moment. Kel Markens proves to be a dangerous foe but the freighter crews stand against him. The freighters make an attack run on the Gozanti Cruiser destroying it. Nurod survives another brutal pass by Kel Marken's TIE Interceptor, by the skin of his teeth. The Longhorn blows apart one of the Charnel squadron TIE interceptors.

The Interceptors are out classed and without support. They make one final pass, Kel and his wingmen destroy Nurod Zengoshi's D-Wing with blast of green laser fire. Aayla breaks radio silence making her self known to Kel who recognises her as the one remaining suvivor of Hellraiser squadron. Kel and his two surviving wingmen fall back. The day is won. The crews are heroes to the Urgnaught miners.

 Epilogue Rolls:

Val: Returns with the Udalam Eye-wa and Captain Marneg to Taan. Udalam tearfully reunited with her mother and the Longhorn crew get some down time and rest. The crew of the Longhorn agree to tell the Captain Marneg how to reach Alukalaria

Aayla: Whilst the Longhorn is down at Tann Aayla clears her head by finishing the modifications on the longhorn installing hidden smuggling compartments. 

Lorne: TBC.

Jorus: Works with Aayla on the modifications on the Longhorn.

 Significant Milestone awarded.

Session 32

The Longhorn returns to the Opal. Over the next few days they prepare for the return of the Empire, Aayla uses the M27 mining droid and explosive charges to lay a trap that can be detonated as the TIEs and shuttle approach the Opal. Lorne, Val, Aayla and Jorus all do there bit to get the Ugnauts ready to defend the Opal. Lorne runs tough Maruder style training drills, Aayla helps them prepare jury rigged defences using mining equipment and tractor beams. Jorus prepares a medical bay, a repurposed medical droid and gets medical info on the Ugnauts to better treat them should they be injured in the fit, and to get them back into the fight as soon as possible.

 The Lavish Rouncey arrives and the three crews get to know each other.

 The day of the Empire's expected attack comes, the three freighters take to space and set and ambush, powering down their systems and maintain radio silence, hugging asteroids to  get the drop on the Empire. The Duster and the Longhorn form one wing with Tasha Jorrier, Nurod Zengoshi and the Lavish Rouncey as the second wing, forming a pincer movement to strike the enemy ships when they enter the kill box. The crews waits nervously, ships floating hidden in the asteroid field, flanking the concealed explosives.

 Sure enough the Empire return, a Zeta class shuttle with crimson edged wings escorted by four TIE Vigilantes vector towards the Opal. They fly into the trap and Aayla eagerly trips it.

 There is a massive detonation, six asteroids blasted apart, three TIEs destroyed, one by his wingman crashing into him sending his fellow pilot spinning into an asteroid and to his death. The Longhorn blasts the Zeta shuttle and the one remaining TIE pumps power to it's engines and breaks to escape, Jorus snags it with the Longhorns tractor beam, a few laser blasts later and it's scrap, it's hexagonal wing panels spinning off into the night.  

 The ambush is quick and brutal and it's unlikely the Imperial Pilots even got off a distress call.

 A huge cloud of dust caused by the detonated asteroids hangs over the opal, imperial wreckage and asteroid chunks floating within.

 Inspired by Val the crew of the Longhorn set down on the Opal with the two other freighter crews and the  celebrate braking out brandy from the on board bar, many hours of celebration follow, there are Ugnaut drinking games, cards and music and Kolduuck once again takes to the dance floor.

 During the celebrations Lorne returns to the ship to get some supplies and sees a red light flashing in the cockpit. Examining closer he sees five ships on the sensors heading for the Opal. He gets the word out via the Longhorns External address system.

 The three freighters prep to lift off. The Longhorn sends Tasha Jorrier through the dust cloud to identify the incoming ships. She reports back that she sees a blood red marked Gozanti cruiser, four TIE inceptors, one of which is painted completely blood red. Tasha is spotted before she can withdraw and a bust of laser fire is heard over the commlink, then a horrible screen. Nurod broadcasts messages trying to raise her, there is no response. 

 The three freighters rise up from the Opal to meet the incoming Imperial forces. The Gozanti and the TIE Interceptors emerge from the asteroid dust. Over the comms Ayala hears a terrifyingly  familiar "This is Commander Kel Markens of the True Empire, Identify yourself or be destroyed!"

Session 31

Lorne and Jorus dispose of the body of Oberon Faleen dumping the cargo crate out of one of the way stations  airlocks. 

 Lorne and Aayla bond over Caff and hyper drive repairs. Aayla tells Lorne that she has lost friends she has tried running which is how she ended up in the Rift, and now her nightmare is here too, Lorne asks what she wants to do about it and says he will be there what ever she decides.

 Jorus leaves the PTSD suffering Twi'lek alone judging it too soon to interfere.

Jorus prepares for the meeting with the Mining Amalgam by researching their contracts and methods.

Val, Jorus and Zorobos Met with Incumbent Bleys Slemur at the Mining Amalgam Exchange, Val takes the lead, playing the part of  rich playboy doo-gooder to a tea. Backed by Jorus playing the part of a para legal the two negotiate for an M27 Mining droids and enough seismic charges to fracture open six asteroids. They plan to put these two mining the approach to the opal.

 Val and Jorus are accosted by a the Shistavanian Kraaa Zet. He blocks in them both in an alley but Val is the trusting type and goes along with it. Explaining that he wasn't paid for the job Val compensating from his own pocket, paying what Kraaa asks for but what Jorus is certain is far too many credits. Kraaa can't believe his luck. He says to Val to look him up next time he wants work done.

 Having returned to Silbar Malogaans with Aayla Val takes on the appearance of Oberon Faleen and contacts his imperial handler. Val informs Kel Markens that the Duster will leave on schedule to make the two week pickup. 

 "We have received a report that their was another freighter at the Opal?". Val denies all knowledge. "Disappointing Agent Onyx. I expected you to know more. Find out about this other freighter. Do not fail me." Kel Marken's abruptly signs off.

Session 30

Recognising the voice of the Slaughterer of Hell Raiser squadron, Kel Markens, Aayla loses it, stumbling away from the subspace transceiver and  sitting down, almost collapsing onto the low marble table, she knocks of a decorative ornament which shatters when it rolls off the table onto the floor. Lorne is concerned and shocked, they are both distracted and do not hear Sibar Malogaan come up the stairs and to the threshold of the lounge with a blaster pistol raised "Who are you?" he asks in a scarred voice.

 Lorne snatches the pistol from the aged Bothan and waving the blaster signals for Sibar to move into the room. Aayla recovered from her fugue slams Sibar against the cushioned wall and begins to crush his throat, she hisses at him to explain, Lorne pulls her off and Sibar slides down the wall into a crumpled heap clutching at his brusied throat. Aayla paces over to the subspace transceiver a stabs at button to play back the incriminating message. Sibar seems surprised, Aayla demands an explanation.  The pair question Sibar. Aayla looks at the holotransmission records in more detail, finding most messages are sent in the early or mid evening. He finds some that are to Sibar's friends, family and business associate but finds others sent every 3 or 4 weeks sometime after local midnight that are to the True Empire. The pair press Sibar on this daming evidence, and a worried look of fear and realisation spreads across his face. He names Oberon Faeleen as the culprit, according to Sibar his friend comes around to discuss business and they both drink wine and spirits and Faeleen often passes out, Oberon must be sending the messages.

 Aayla & Lorne call Val and Jorus over a commlink. Aayla relays a description of Oberon to Val and he confirms it as the same person they met earlier in the day. They are currently looking for leads in a night  club with twilek dancers and flashing disco lights. The spy Oberon and who seems to have crashed and burned chatting up a Twi'lek. They decide to capture him and take him to Malogaan's apartment so the two can be questioned together. As Oberon makes his way through a darkened area of the bar Val districts Oberon pretending to be interested in his offers from earlier. Having mixed the correct chemical concoction Jorus sneaks up on Oberon and injects him with a cocktail of drugs that makes him seem very drunk. The pair carry their new drunk friend out of the club and take him to Malogaans.

 The drunk Oberon is deposited on a cushioned cream sofa and his arms restrained by Aayla. Jorus searches him and removes a knotched vibro knife and a hold out blaster and puts it on the marble table in the middle of the apartment.

  Sibar tries to engage Jorus and Val, explaining he had nothing to do with this. Val questions him about his relationship with Oberon trying to find out if Oberon infiltrated his life. Sibar says he came into his shop, the two became firm friends and they have been meeting up and discussing business deals ever since.

 Val manages to Calm Sibar and allows him to get a drink from another hidden compartment that contains a drinks cabinet. Jorus is more concerned and intercedes, checking the cabinet for hidden weapons, there are dozens of liquids, decanters, wine, he considers the risk low and lets a shaky Sibar poor a glass of Sulustan Brandy and sit on one of his cushioned seats near the marble table.   

 Aayla secretly installs a relay that will cause the sub space transceiver to rebroadcast any messages the terminal receives (including all of Sibar Malogaan's inbound personal and business calls to the Holotransmitter on the Longhorn. 

 Jorus sets about sobering Oberon up for questioning and puts together a stimulant dosage to sharpen him up, the then compliments this with a cocktail of drugs that make Oberon very suggestable and talkative. 

 The crew question Oberon, they tell him that they are not New Republic or RiftCo but do gooders, The those are the worst says a smirking Oberon. Aayla does not think Oberon is an ISB agent or specially trained imperial intelligence operative, he is likely a sympathetic local recruited by the Empire. Oberon unable to resist the drugs spills the beans. The crew learn that Oberon really doesn’t like non-human scum and has been motivated to support the Empire for money and to put the non-human scum back in their place. He finds great glee in using Sibar's transmitter knowing the Bothan reputation for spying and setting the non-human up should the transmission be discovered, He says that he sends a transmission every 3 or 4 weeks. He has recently been keeping a specific eye on the Duster as the True Empire is particularly interested in Ardanium but he is not sure why they want it. Like the crew he suspected they want it for some kind of project.    

 Sibar is shocked by the revelations about a man he considered his friend, disguised by the betrayal, his attitude to non-humans and the suffering of his people experienced under the empire, he is moved to act and lunges for the hold-out blaster on the table. He is not quick enough to grab it and it is snatched away. He says that if they are not brave enough give him the blaster so he can end Oberon and end the harm he has done.

Lorne takes the afront to his bravery directly and slits Oberon's throat with his shardglass spear spilling blood onto the cream cushioned seating.

 Sibar, tells them to take the body downstairs and place it in a cargo crate he has.

Sibar summons a cleaning droid which sets about cleaning up the mess.

Lorne cuts off Oberon's head to fit the body into the cargo container. The container is sealed.

Val points out that they will need to open it up again to get Oberon's clothes.

 Val tells Sibar they will be back to use the transmitter at first he will not accept this but after some convincing he says that if they enter the shop he will leave so they can do what they must, after that he does not want to see them ever again.

 The crew with cargo box in hand leave Sibar Malogaans Mineral Trading and head out into the low lit night-cycle corridors of Tephra Way Station.

Session 29

With the crew together for breakfast in the Longhorn Lorne asks Val about the wanted posters around the station. Although Val doesn't share his story it's clear the rest of the crew all have their own troubled pasts. Lorne encourages Val to share more, he his perhaps a little disappointed when Val fails to confirm that he has been on murderous rampage through RiftCo. Later Val also has to calm the concerns of Marneg Shenur the Selkath captain of the Duster and his crew. 

 Aayla constructs a signal tracker and uses it to locate the signature she found in the central station sensors. It leads her to Malogaan Mineral Trading, the signal seems to be coming from the accommodation above the trading post.

 Val and Lorne enter the trading post and Val posing as a property dealer confirms there is living space above the store. The store owner is a old Bothan,  the store looks fairly exclusive and the counter he is behind is protected by a mesh grill. Goods it seems are passed through a hatch/dumbwaiter like device to the side of the counter. There is also a door which is somewhat concealed by the shops design. Unable to reach the Bothan the pair make their excuses and leave. The Bothan seems none to happy to see a Maruder in his shop anyway. 

 Val and Jorus hit the bars, looking for possible pilots to help them in the coming days. They finds some promising leads. In preparation for the defence of the Opal, over the next 3 days on the station they will hire two pilots, ex-local rebels who have a grudge against the empire and fly escort fighters for mineral transports.  

 Lorne spends the day watching the shop front. During his stake out he notes several locals giving him disgusted looks. Used to this kind of treatment he suspects a group of locals are watching him and mean him harm, he counts at least six distinct members of the group.

 In the bars and drinking holes Val and Jorus are approached by Oberon Faeleen, he approaches with a broad smile and a drink for each of them. He positions him self as well connected middle man and starts asking how he can help their business, pegging Val for an investor. Val turns the conversational tables on Oberon and gives him little information, he learns that although Oberon claims to know all the real movers and shakers he's light on names and details, and he also picks up on his dislike of non-humans when two Ithorian's sit down near their table. Oberon leaves empty handed. Val picks up on brewing anti Marauder sentiment and comlinks Lorne to warn him. He's aware.

 When the night cycle comes and the central concourse is more concerned with entertainment and less with trading Lorne and Aayla, break into the living space using Val's loaned grapple Lorne and Lorne's skills to enter through and upstairs window.

 Inside they find an apartment fitted out in luxury style, cushioned surfaces, floor level lighting, a low marble table, gemstones and rare minerals in presentation cases. They determine that past the corridor of six doors (three on either side, likely sleeping quarters (one might be a lift) is a set of stairs down to food preparation area and maybe other rooms on the ground floor. From the sounds, The Bothan must be down stairs and from the noise is likely preparing food.   

 Searching the lounge area they find a panel behind which is a private subspace transceiver, the high end equipment is built into the concealed unit. Aayla is able to access the a recording of a transmission that would have taken place when the duster was last on the station. There is no security on the transceiver. Coalescing from blue static a holo of an Imperial Pilot appears, his armour is painted red. The figure in the holo says "Operative Onxy….. That is good news….. , excellent, good work Onyx." then the recording ends.

Session 28

The Longhorn and the Duster arrive at Tephra Waystation. Val's resources pay for docking bay closer to the concourse well served by repair droids. Aayla spends time working on the longhorn and with the droids help the ship is soon looking nearly as good as new, at least form outside, it's hull cleanly patched and it's gleaming frame finished with fetching fresh coat of paint. You could almost believe she was new.

 Meeting up in a bar called the Drunk Cornelian, a functional metal tabled place with little atmosphere and cheap booze the two crews an Foreman Zorabos discuss the possible ways to help protect the mine. These include:  Arm and/or Train the Ugnauts, Prepare defences on the  Opal, Plan for the Tactics of True Empire, Hire Some Muscle,  Hire Flyboys, Convince the  Mining Amalgam To Send Aid.

 Val suggests he should go with the Zorabos to lend his charm to the request for aid. Val and Aayla seems to favour an attack on the shuttle rather than a ground defence. An idea to detonate asteroids using mining supplies and create a minned corridor of approach is raised by Aayla.

 Aayla connects the LH-0 into the stations central computer and LH-0 is able to sift through holonet broadcast data, unable to read the contents she finds no regular transmissions that look suspicious enough to be the expected spy. The spy likely has their own subspace transceiver or could even be using a ships. Signs or a possible suspicious energy reading that could be the tell tale signs of a private broadcast rig somewhere near the central concourse are identified in station monitoring logs however.

 Jorus sets about finding out where to start. His investigation provides several possible Those working in docking crew/station control would have information on the coming and going of vessels, those working on the Mining Amalgam exchange are likely to know about anyone who trades goods there as well. Security around the docking bays is pretty lax and corridors away for the centre of the station are sparsely populated and poorly lit. Someone stealthy could make their way round to key docking bays. Someone working in maintenance would stand a good chance of being overlooked. The spy would need a way to get messages off the station. A comms device hooked into True Empire frequencies seems most likely. There are plenty of shady bolt holes to do business in. Someone plying the bars or even working as a bartender would be in a position to keep an ear to the ground.

 Other options raised include talking to their Shistivanien contact again or as suggest by Lorne just hitting the bars and beating people up until the turn up the spy.

 One thing the crew do notice when walking around the central concourse is new holoposters that say

 Wanted

for questioning in connection with murder

Valdaron Vander-Dak'win <<holo of a familiar clawdite>>

Reward

$20,000

for information leading to capture

Contact the united shattered rift merchants company

Val makes sure to go undercover but the crew of the Duster are shore to see them as well and Val will need to come up with convincing story he doesn't want to trust them with the truth.

 After the days events there are 13 Days left until the True Empire is due to return to the Opal.