What Lies Beneath 2 - Web of Deceit

Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I have to wade through all of this just to shoot a gun.

### Runtime

4:21:26

*The group discovers that Emperor Evezan has been lying about more than his official title as they discover they have taken the bait and fallen right into the web of a deceit. Cybernetic humanoids and arachnoids fill the mysterious hangar bay of a long forgotten ship as Jawa Jimmy is having flashbacks of being mortally wounded, Rusty is taken down yet another peg, and Tek is down, only to discover that it’s merely a flesh wound. Will Evezan manage to build a something better upon the ruins of his swamp empire, or will his newest plans only come tumbling down atop the rubble?*

## **Previously**

*Having been tasked with discovering the source of a new virus before it can be released upon the civilian population of Coruscant, our heroes make their way into the sewers of the capitol planet of the New Republic. After befriending several of the inhabitants of a small underground group, the team battled through a cadre of cyborg slaves to find themselves face to face with the mysterious sewer Emperor, the wanted man known as Dr. Evezan. Closing in on their goal, the team now negotiates with the despot for further direction into the dark underworld.*

## **Recap**

### **This Is The Way**

Jawa Jimmy and Droo catch up with the rest of the team as they are mid-conversation with Emperor Evezan.

> "*There’s a couple things I can do down here. We have a generator that protects us, but I think I know where you’re trying to go. I could take you there… but ideally I probably shouldn’t have said that and I could have just pointed you in the right direction.*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

Though the faux emperor obviously hopes to move the group along without further incident, leaving him behind to do whatever he would like, the team decides that they will be bringing him along as a guide.

With the rest of the group is in aggressive negotiations with Evezan, Katira has a look into the room that the emperor emerged from. Discovering the generator for the electrical field that prevented any droids from entering the area, Katira calls Rusty over. Handing over her combat gloves to the ill-equipped demolitions expert, she has Rusty plant an explosive on the generator to be triggered later.

> "*I name all my timer mines. This one’s Angela.*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

As the pair emerge from the room they see Evezan a little ways ahead, leading the group toward whatever he assumes is their goal as he hums an irreverent song. The team follows a short distance behind, with Kudek and Ochelle Mibama in tow. After a short walk, they follow a bend in the tunnels and find themselves staring at what appears to be a sophisticated metal door. Standing in stark contrast with the decaying stone that dominates the rest of the sewer, the door is reminiscent of a starship airlock and very obviously out of place.

Evezan gives a miserable attempt at a lie when asked what is inside, claiming that he has never been there. Growing irritated with his competition for emperor, Tek yields to his baser desires and pushes Evezan into the room with the force as soon as the door is opened, causing the doctor to let out a small fart.

> "*Who wants to follow this flatulent emperor doctor?*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*Well when you put it like that.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Who wouldn’t?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Into the plague zone?!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Whoa. Must have been those chili dogs I ate for lunch.*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

### **False Pretenses**

Letting Evezan lead the way, the team passes through the door and into a passageway littered with scrap and half empty containers. Droo reaches out in the force but senses no life nearby, and Jimmy approaches a terminal sitting near the end of the hall as Tek and Bota look into the containers to discover them half filled with scraps of metal.

As Evezan continues to play ignorant, an impatient Katira threatens harm if he doesn’t cut the games, and Jowkazza grabs the man forcefully by the wrist. Dropping her life sense, Droo takes advantage of the situation to search Evezan’s thoughts, and the sudden image of a large arachnid humanoid with obvious cybernetic implants appears in her mind. With some clue to move forward with, Droo approaches Evezan calmly. Holding his face gently between her hands Droo tells Evezan to tell her about the spider. The lighthearted mask falls from Evezan’s face and he goes pale as he looks into Droo’s pitch black eyes.

> "*Lassie… you’re not who I thought you were. You… you know the spider?*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

As Jowkazza holds the doctor tightly in place, Droo continues her tactic of emotional whiplash. Speaking in a soothing, almost loving tone, she encourages Evezan to tell the truth as he struggles to speak through his apparent terror. In response Evezan rambles about how Droo must know some spider-humanoid called Balancesheet, then attempts to flee, claiming he must tell General Ledger.

The steel grip of Jowkazza holds Evezan firmly in place, and in his struggles the doctor drops his comlink a short distance away. Droo stretches out her hand and the comlink flies directly into her hand, nearly making Evezan collapse in fear at display.

> "*Please… please… just let me keep my arms!*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

Believing that the group knows Balancesheet and General Ledger, Evezan offers his tracker in exchange for release, allowing the group to approach the pair unhindered. When Droo presses for more information, Evezan breaks down and completely alters the outlook of the mission.

> "*There’s **no** disease! This whole thing was to get you here.*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

> "*What? Haven’t we seen sick people?*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*You’ve seen people that were suffering, sure. We bribed someone in the New Republic and we **knew** Cal Omas would send you here. You have a **huge** bounty on your heads. We were hoping to get you in here.*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

Evezan begs to be let go, but Droo refuses to allow his continued experimentation. Now thoroughly frustrated, Katira tells Evezan she’s tired of his games and has Rusty blow the detonator.

> "*I’m clicking it, but this things not working… oh, here we go!*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

Jawa Jimmy accesses the terminal located at the end of the hallway, slicing in with no problem. Gaining access, he immediately realizes that the team is not just in some underground laboratory, but is in actuality inside an Arquitens-class Light Cruiser buried under the Coruscant cityscape. Reports show that no weapons appear to be listed on the ship, but several speeders are inventoried in one of the many hangar bays. In addition, a scan for life within the ship seems to indicate that it is completely overrun by organisms, with an accurate estimate of the size and number of individual life forms being beyond the ships ability to calculate. As Jimmy informs the group of this, Katira and Tek notice several cybernetic insects scurrying about overhead. The group briefly discusses a method of eliminating opposition by activating the fire suppression system aboard the ship, but dismiss the idea when they realize the structural integrity of the vessel is severely compromised and will not retain the suppressing agent. Deciding to move forward, Bota tells Jimmy to open the doors leading further into the ship. Once inside, Bota scans through the area to find scrap metal littering the floor, seemingly being brought into the ship for use elsewhere.

As Bota, Tek, and Jimmy begin to enter the hangar bay through the doorways, Jowkazza demands that Evezan hand him the tracking device. A short game of cat and mouse ensues, with Evezan holding the tracker just out of Jowkazza’s reach and asking to be let free. He moves the tracker ever so slightly closer to the Wookiee as Jowkazza’s grip loosens, further offering the free use of his cyborgs if he is released.

### **Hangar Bay Hangup**

With Jowkazza debating the best way to deal with the fallen emperor, a bored Katira deftly snatches the tracker from Evezan’s hand and has already pocketed the item before the doctor sees his empty hand. Shouting that Balancesheet is going to kill him now, he commands his two cyborgs to attack, but before the creatures can make a move, Katira draws a pair of daggers and puts an end to their miserable existence.

> "*Hey, what’s the big deal? You’re makin’ me look bad in front of my lady friend!*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

> "*I… I really thought when you blew that generator up it would be more of a… a thing… you know? I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you look bad in front of your, uh… sewer girlfriend.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

Rusty, disappointed that he didn’t have a chance to show off for Ochelle Mibama, pulls back and punches Evezan directly on the inner thigh. As Tek concentrates in preparation for using the force to push… something, Jowkazza moves toward the hangar bay with Evezan kicking and screaming within his grasp.

Inside the hangar bay and unable to shake the feeling that he isn’t alone, Bota turns to Jowkazza and tosses him a pair of binders to restrain the good doctor. Quietly moving forward, Bota takes cover behind a nearby container and looks around. He spots several more cyborgs standing guard as small, cybernetically enhanced spiders scurry back and forth from a bin holding more scraps of metal.

Bota looks on as the spiders continue to move about with no sign of having noticed the intruders when the cyborgs suddenly stumble out into the open, heading toward the team. Jawa Jimmy begins to panic immediately. Having only recently recovered from a near death experience, he throws caution to the wind and draws his ion cannon, shooting the closest cyborg in the leg and causing it to fall to the ground and bark out in pain.

Katira and Rusty hurry in after Jimmy’s attack, holding off the two closest cyborgs for a moment as Tek steps out and throws a wave of force energy toward the cybernetic spiders. As Jowkazza binds Evezan, the creatures fly out of sight of the group and the sound of metal clanging across the ground is slowly replaced by the sound of tiny metal legs clattering toward the team. Droo reacts quickly, altering the momentum of a flying spider and calling for Bota to shoot. Bota responds by seamlessly firing off three shots, blowing the legs off the small spider and killing the two cyborgs wounded by Rusty and Katira.

Thinking that the coast is clear, Rusty and Tek are caught off guard as a wave of humanoid and arachnid cyborgs rush in from all angles. Rusty is stunned by a blow to the face, and Tek is knocked to the ground wounded as he laughs at Rusty.

> "*Take that, Jedi boy!*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

Katira manages to stun the cyborg that attacked Rusty, but the mass of creatures floods over the container that most of the group is using for cover. Bota is stunned, and Jowkazza screams out in a rage as a spider claws at his face. Droo ignores the creatures for a moment as she attempts to administer first aid to Rusty, but the chaos surrounding the two prevents her from being able to properly administer the medpack.

> "*Help me, magical wizard girl. Ow… It’s not workin’*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

Seeing Rusty writhing in pain, Droo realizes that she may want to remove the spider that is attacking Rusty before attempting to heal him. She draws her lightsaber and shoves it straight through the creature, bisecting it, then turns to get a better look at Rusty’s wounds. Nearby, Jowkazza roars out and he grabs the nearest two spiders and smashes them into an grisly mess, and Bota fires three more shots at the last two spiders and a cyborg to remove the problem.

The room finally comes to a tense quiet after Jimmy fires a blast from his ion cannon to finish the last remaining spider.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Bota Zi
* Droo Vos
* Jawa Jimmy
* Jowkazza
* Katira Eve
* Roostan Steele
* Tek Krodak

### **Mentioned**

* Kudek de Raybom
* Ochelle Mibama
* Balancesheet
* General Ledger
* Sparky

## **Inventory**

* -3cp to kill some cyber-spiders (Bota)
* -anti personnel mine (Rusty)
* -MerrSonn Elec Gloves (Katira)
* +MerrSonn Elec Gloves (Rusty)
* +Evezan’s comlink (Droo)
* +Evezan’s transponder (Katira)

## **Notes**

* Katira used her recording rod to keep a record of the groups conversations with Evezan
* Initially incapacitated, Tek recalled several minutes later that he was wearing armor and discovered that his wound was not nearly as bad as initially thought.
* Discussion on Jowkazza’s Wookiee Rage: as a medic, Jowkazza is more likely to enter a Wookiee rage when his friends begin to fall around him. Rolling 1D6, evens throw him into a rage, but he maintains his composure when an odd is rolled.

## **Quotations**

> "*Just let Emperor Evezan go. Or I can take you to the disease. You all like diseases. I can tell.*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*Tell that to Kanji Club.*"
> ― Ilya
>
>

> "*They’re an after school tutoring group for Japanese. They watch Sailor Moon.*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*Why does no one down here get the disease, if we’re so close to its source?*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*That’s me secret.*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*It’s me lucky charms!*"
> ― Ilya
>
>

> "*There’s only one emperor here, and that’s me. **The** emperor.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Are you f\*\*\*ing kidding me, mate?*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*No, you **can** take us there and you will.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Alright, but I’ll bring a whole bunch of my cyborgs with me.*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*Alright, but I won’t like it!*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I’m gonna do it begrudgingly.*"
> ― Bota Zi
>
>

> "*I’ll whine the whole way there.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*What do you want to know?*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*Why are you making cyborgs?*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Why does the sun shine? Why does the Scotsman hate the Englishman? Why is the sky green and, uh… why is my pee blue? I don’t know.*"
> ― Emperor Evezan
>
>

> "*Hey buddy… I hope your hand isn’t hurt after all that punching metal. It didn’t look very fun. You know, I got these.*"
> ― Katira giving Rusty combat gloves
>
>

> "*Sorry they’re pink.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Alright, pretty first lady.*"
> ― Rusty to Ochelle Mibama
>
>

> "*Get ready for the Gettysburg Undress.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Let’s talk about the state of **our** union.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*You could make me a lot of money if I just take you back now, or you could tell me what you’re hiding.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Look… I can’t show you what’s in front of me because I can’t get this map to load.*"
> ― Evezan
>
>

> "*Thanks for being vulnerable with us, wow.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*I’m stalling, okay. For the game master.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Just as a point of clarification since you missed the mission brief: this virus affects non-humans significantly worse than it affects humans and near humans.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "***Oh, thanks for the heads up, guys!***"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*You’re **welcome**. I don’t know why you’re giving me such a hard time. You weren’t here! I had to fight these robots, and Tek let that Wookiee get beat up, and now you’re yelling at me too!*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*You look out, and that ray shield is now gone, but there’s no explosion or anything special.*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*I remember these things being a lot bigger…*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

> "*Wouldn’t it just make sense to just take him out of here and escape?*"
> ― Jawa Jimmy
>
>

> "*Yeah, but you would avoid the boss battle.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Where’s your sense of adventure?*"
> ― Jowkazza
>
>

> "*Katira can always be counted on to bend the arc of the mission toward violence.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I have to wade through all of this just to shoot a gun.*"
> ― Bota Zi
>
>

> "*The tagline of our missions.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Tek, you’re hit by this cyborg right in the gut. You fall into Bota’s arms and just whisper “Rub my tummy.”*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*Cool… should I try healing Rusty again?*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*It hurts… when you heal me…*"
> ― Rusty
>
>

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