Call of the Deadly Nightshade 1 - Band on the Run

*A new organization has begun its ascent into the shadows of the galaxy. As Katira announces her departure from the team in pursuit of personal goals the rest of the group receives a mysterious invitation from a group calling itself Nightshade. Arriving at the renovated Bar at Meteorite Towers, they are offered personalized rewards in exchange for the cryptic mission, but as they tentatively accept the offer, they are forced to rush from the bar with bounty hunters hot on their trail as they prepare to sneak aboard an outbound cargo vessel.*

## **Previously**

Returning to Coruscant after a successful mission to Illsauvin, the team commemorated the year with a Life Day celebration.

## **Recap**

### **Fond Farewells**

With the Life Day festivities coming to an end, Katira approaches the group as they are enjoying a rare moment free from peril, each individual holding their Life Day gift and gathering their belongings to depart. With her characteristic mixture of compliments and insults she thanks everyone for the memories made and adventures shared over the past two years, but states that she won’t be joining in for their next steps. Instead she intends to return to Dathomir in order to recover M-1’s ship to clear out any loose threads. With Wampa and Callen already agreeing to come along, and hoping to recruit Kirana Ti and Skids McDougal, she says her farewells for the time being with plans to catch up soon on Cloud City.

Fond farewells out of the way, the rest of the team is just about to head out into the Coruscant night when a somewhat confused server approaches Blaine Hansom with a delivery. He takes a moment to jab at the Baron Administrator’s name, losing his potential for any tip in the process, and turns over a small envelope before departing. Opening the envelope, Blaine finds a formal invitation to the group from a source that none are familiar with.

> "*You’re presence is requested at the Bar at Meteorite Towers for the purpose of a contract proposal. Please arrive fully prepared for an immediate departure following proposal and acceptance at the designated date and time.*"
> ― Nightshade
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Also falling from the envelope, Blaine finds a coat check slip that provides each individual with a personalized masquerade mask. Curious enough to take the bait, the team suits up and makes plans to meet at the Bar at Meteorite Towers.

### **Leeroy J. Kins**

Having been to the bar only once before during an attempted kidnapping of Droo and Katira by the Eriadu Authority, the group is stunned at the transformation that is revealed as the turbo lift doors open. Completely renovated and updated, the formerly stuffy and aristocratic atmosphere has been replaced by a thriving nightlife community. With lights flashing and rhythmic beat filling the air, the group looks out on an apparent celebration of both Life Day and the completed updates to the bar. The various drinking spaces and dance floor are filled with patrons, each wearing their own mask and reveling in the atmosphere.

The group heads down the entry stairs, leaving Sparky waiting at the bouncer’s request, and decide to grab a drink while they wait to see what will happen next. Bota offers salutations to a pair of Chadra-Fan in their language, scaring them away accidentally in the process, leading to Blaine trying to one-up his friend by ordering his drink from the Uggnaught bartender in Uggese.

Unimpressed and a bit annoyed, the bartender tells Blaine several places that he can shove his silver tongue as he slams a drink onto the bar. Obviously taken aback, Blaine leans into the conflict with a verbal riposte and tensions begin to flare as the rest of the group gathers. Rusty and Jawa Jimmy encourage Blaine as Droo watches from the nearby tables, a slight sense of recognition or deja vu coming over her when a pair of women in a nearby booth decide they would rather not see the outcome brush past her on their way out.

> "*Hey, what’s your name?*"
> ― Blaine
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> "*What, can’t you read my name tag? It’s Leeroy Kins. Leeroy J. Kins.*"
> ― Bartender
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The argument continues in earnest, with the bartender flouting his own ability to speak at least 15 languages and the 1,200cr he made in tips just the night before, then nonchalantly ignoring Blaine’s implied position as a Capitol Police Officer. Rusty orders his own drink, and finds Leeroy to be polite enough given the circumstances - obviously unhappy with Blaine’s presumption that ordering in Uggese would be worth consideration. In the end, it’s Jowkazza who manages to break through the tough exterior. Posing as a tax auditor, he inquires into those 1,200cr in tips that Mr. Kins proudly claimed to receive, flashing a forged document in the process and asking to see the manager.

Suddenly losing all of his swagger, the flustered bartender stammers out that the manager was in the upstairs area of the bar last he saw him. Blaine takes advantage of the distraction to sneak behind the bar and tie the Uggnaught’s shoestrings together. Leeroy mutters how he knew that taking the extra shift tonight wouldn’t be worth the trouble and starts to leave the bar and head for a back door, tripping and falling over in the process and being forced to crawl to the door in embarrassment.

### **Proposal**

While the rest of the group shares a laugh at Leeroy J. Kins’ expense, Bota decides to take a look around the bar in hopes of discovering who they are here to meet with. He passes the dance floor and is offering a genuine “Happy Life Day” greeting to another patron when suddenly a light on the side of the masks worn by the group turns green and an internal speaker jumps to life.

> "*Congratulations on your selection as potential contractors for Nightshade.*"
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> "*We have put considerable efforts to arrange only the best teams for this particular mission in hopes of making a bold announcement of our arrival onto the galactic scene.*"
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> "*This means that while, I assure you, you are the most qualified group for the mission, you may find yourselves crossing paths with other contracted parties as you compete for payment.*"
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As the audio fades, each of the heroes has a hologram projected to them displaying the offered payment for completing the contract:

* Blaine: his long missing Ghtroc 720 Freighter, with a receipt of recovery
* Bota: a new Z-6 jetpack with a repeating video of the unit being shot by blaster fire with no discernible effect
* Droo: a contract for the design and beginning of construction toward “Droorassic Park - Exotic and Endangered Species Protection and Preservation Safari” with a 50,000cr down payment included
* Jawa Jimmy: agreement in terms to cease all hostile activities and intent toward the “Dragon Thief” in exchange for **REDACTED**
* Jowkazza: agreement in terms for a donation of medical goods to the hospital Jimmy was treated at in exchange for a 20,000cr contract for financial audit of the facility, and a contract for a one time appearance on *Shags Anatomy* with additional appearances subject to performance
* Rusty: 70,000cr

The projections fade from view, followed by additional details (written in notes), and the each member of the group has a moment to internalize the personalized reward. Bota takes a tour of the bar in search of anyone who may have been given a similar proposal, but it soon becomes evident that if there are any other groups being provided a similar offer they aren’t in the same location.

A few minutes pass as the group talks amongst themselves before a new message is projected. Each member is given the opportunity to accept or reject the contract, and as they do a projected number tracks the amount of accepted offers.

Once everyone has responded, a new message is received. The group is given instructions to depart immediately for Port of Corusca, bay 7, where they will need to smuggle themselves aboard a departing cargo vessel for delivery to a more discrete briefing location. Adding to the difficulty, they are then notified that a bounty hunter outfit has been dispatched to apprehend the group under false pretenses and if they are caught the time required to clear their names will surely mean that they miss their flight.

### **Breakout**

As the message terminates, a commotion can be heard from the far end of the lower levels of the bar as four rough customers enter from the rear service entrance. Almost simultaneously the turbolifts that the team arrived from announce their arrival, opening to reveal another cadre of obvious hunters that begin to spread out while keeping an eye on the lifts.

Thinking fast, Blaine flashes his stolen police badge at the nearby bouncer and orders him to shut down the main turbolifts. Completely fooled by the con, the bouncer nods in nervous agreement before rushing to the control room himself. At the same time, a nearby Zabrak approaches the group and tells them to stay where they are, then loses his composure and certainty when Blaine manages to convince *him* that Coruscant Police don’t take kindly to being placed in binders. The thug moves hurriedly to meet up with the team that just arrived from the rear entrance, giving the team downstairs some time to plan.

Upstairs, Bota and Rusty are looking around for a means of escape when a nearby Gungan recognizes Bota and approaches to tell them to come with him. Not interested in any small talk, Bota tells the novice hunter that he should hand over his comlink and back off before he gets hurt. Though the hunter agrees not to pursue Bota further, he decides to take a risk and keys on his comlink to announce their location before handing it over. As Rusty restrains the novice hunter from behind, the pair take cover briefly behind the bar to look for an escape, discovering two grates that appear to be for the garbage and for goods delivery.

Downstairs, the team sees the group of bounty hunters that arrived via turbolift hurry toward the direction of Bota and Rusty, and Jimmy overhears the Zabrak worriedly informing the other group that something is wrong. With the turbolifts shut down, the team moves to the door that their bartender escaped through. Jowkazza pounds on the door and roars out what can only be assumed by the terrified Uggnaught are threats on his life, and a nearby intercom sparks to life. Leeroy apologizes profusely and begs for them to leave him alone, explaining that he is just leaving through the service turbolift behind the security door. Jimmy hurries over to unlock the door, deciding not to swap in his *security* knowledge cartridge in order to save time. He easily accomplishes the task (28 on 5D6), and the door slides open to reveal Leeroy J. Kins shaking in terror, a warm spot showing on his pants through Jimmy’s thermal vision.

With bounty hunters closing in upstairs, Bota decides to see if the windows can be shattered to provide an escape while Rusty shoves the subdued Gungan down the smaller of the two available chutes. With a single shot, the window develops a crack that rapidly propagates before it explodes in a cacophonous blast, and a sudden rush of air drowns out all other noise in the bar. Sparing a look back at Rusty preparing to dive into the trash chute behind the Gungan, Bota leaps out the window just before the security shutters close the escape behind him.

As Rusty dives head first into the trash chute, damaging one of his power gloves in the process, darkness envelops him. For some time the Aqualish is knocked about as the chute proceeds down until he is finally dropped - on top of the now unconscious Gungan - into a massive compactor in the buildings lower levels.

Inside the bar, Blaine, Droo, Jimmy, and Jowkazza all hurry into what appears to be the staff break room. Jimmy quickly shuts and locks the door behind the group before Jowkazza smashes the control panel to pieces, and Blaine gives a look of disgust to Leeroy before stunning him unconscious. The group makes their way into the small turbolift in shifts, leaving the poor Uggnaught to wake up later with his hands soaked inside his pants.

Outside, Bota Zi quickly realizes that he has a long way to fall after jumping from the upper level of a Coruscant skyscraper. He adjusts himself and scans the area, discovering a nearby bridge structure that looks to serve as an airspeeder loading and unloading space. Keeping close to the building he jumped from to avoid airspeed traffic on the way down, he lands safely on the structure and radios to the rest of the team that he thinks he’ll have a means of transportation to the docks soon.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Blaine Hansom
* Bota Zi
* Droo Vos
* Jawa Jimmy
	+ Sparky
* Jowkazza
* Roostan Steele

### **Mentioned**

* Katira Eve
* Wampa
* Callen Mutig
* Skids McDougal
* Kirana Ti
* M-1

## **Inventory**

* -50,000cr for astrogation maps (Blaine)
* +100cr slot machine winnings (Rusty)
* +??? (Droo)
* +masquerade communicator masks (group)

## **Notes**

* Blaine used his Life Day gift right away, purchasing hyperspace travel maps to Rendili for 50,000cr after the discount to cut his delivery travel time down to 48 hours
* Jimmy managed to slice into the mask, breaking his own speaker in the process. When connection was established and the transmission began, he was able to trace the signal’s point of origin as coming from inside the tower, moving away from the group. This meant that the transmission was presumably coming from the turbolift
* Notes on the offered contract:
	+ Contract is made anonymously - no other contracted groups are provided, and no individual has signed for the contractor, it is simply marked “*Nightshade*”
	+ Due to the high likelihood that any party identified in conjunction with the mission will have a bounty placed on their person, payment will be suspended until such a time that it can be assured that *Nightshade* will not be compromised
	+ *Nightshade* agrees to provide the basic equipment for assisting in disguise
	+ General mission description: retrieval of sensitive goods and delivery to assigned location
* **-2cp** to tie Leeroy J Kins shoelaces together (Blaine)
* **-1cp** to search for safe landing (Bota)
* **-2cp** to search for and find safe landing (Bota)

## **Quotations**

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> "*Jawa Jimmy, have this man killed.*"
> ― Blaine, after being insulted by the server
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> "*Actually, Blaine spends most of this time with his kid.*"
> ― David
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> "*Ah, well, let's not spend more time talking, we've got an invitation somewhere.*"
> ― Bota
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> "*I'll whistle at them and throw them a nut.*"
> ― Bota approaching a group of Chadra-fans at the bar
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> "*Many Ugnaughts died in the making of this mission*"
> ― David
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> "*Come here, I want to talk to you about Life Day. You know how we celebrate Life Day on Mandalore? We pee on each other.*"
> ― Bota, to the Gungan on the upper floor
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> "*I don't know, Rusty, I'm out the window.*"
> ― Bota
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> "*But I don't have a jetpack.*"
> ― Rusty
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> "*Yeah*"
> ― Bota
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> "*I thought I could suck it in.*"
> ― Rusty, after getting stuck in the trash chute
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