Blind Man's Bluff (SF)

*Main Page: Starfall*

The adventure begins with the Rebel heroes held prisoner in *Subjugator’s* detention center. Explosions echo throughout the Star Destroyer, and then the lights go out. The area is cloaked in total darkness and, using this to their advantage, the Rebels find themselves able to defeat the Imperial guards and their Interrogator Droid.

Under cover of darkness, the heroes must now find the man they were assigned to protect, Walex Blissex. They must move quickly, as power may be restored at any moment and the threat of discovery seems imminent.

Hand out copies of the Adventure Script, and assign each player a part. The parts are labelled “1st Rebel,” “2nd Rebel,” and so forth. If you have six players, each player reads one part. If you have fewer players, assign additional parts as necessary. Begin with the “Read Aloud” section, then pick up the action with the adventure script as “1st Rebel” begins to read.

### The Detention Block

The detention block aboard *Subjugator* and other *Victory*-Class Star Destroyers is actually made up of many interconnected cell blocks. The detention block shown on the full map (here), and the local map below, represents one individual block of 88 cells. This block, in turn, connects to other cells that stretch out along this deck and span a number of decks above and below.

Turbolifts are located throughout, connected to each block by a short hallway. Six blocks attach to each turbolift bank, creating block clusters of 528 cells.

*Subjugator* carries only Walex Blissex and the Rebel heroes in its detention block. Energy in this area has been lost due to a direct hit on the section power coupler. Six Detention Guards remain in the vicinity, four of which meet the heroes in “A Shot in the Dark.” The other two stay at their post in the control room until the Rebels reach them. While the heroes were jammed into one cell, Blissex has been placed by himself in a cell on Row Two. When the heroes reach him, he’s being administered to by a deadly Interrogator Droid.

### Read-Aloud

***A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...***

***A group of Rebel agents has been assigned to accompany the great engineer Walex Blissex, designer of the* Victory*-Class Star Destroyer, to Kwenn space station. Blissex, now a respected member of the Alliance, received a message from his son-in-law, Imperial Governor Denn Wessex, claiming that the engineer’s daughter is near death. Even though it appeared to be a trap, Blissex could not pass up this last chance to reconcile with his daughter.***

***Whether Lira Wessex, who designed the* Imperial*-Class Star Destroyer based upon her father’s previous work, is truly dying or not seems inconsequential. Upon reaching Kwenn, Walex and his Rebel escorts were captured and placed in the custody of Captain Kolaff, commander of the VSD* Subjugator*.***

***Now, trapped within the detention block of the powerful ship, the Rebels have little hope of escape. They can only wait for the eventual return of their captors and the terrible Interrogator Droid that is sure to accompany them...***

## Blackout!

As soon as the players finish the Adventure Script, read the following passage out loud:

***A deafening explosion rocks the giant ship, knocking you and your friends to the cell floor. More explosions follow, violently shaking the ship back and forth. Somewhere close by you hear the terrible sound of metal scraping metal, the tearing of plastisteel walls, and the hissing of escaping atmosphere. The floor of the cell lurches wildly and a battle-alert klaxon rings out. Then the lights cut off and you are plunged into total darkness.***

The heroes must make skill checks to get around in the dark. DC 15 Perception checks or DC 10 Use the Force checks allow heroes to find their way to the cell door (heroes with Low-Light Vision or Darkvision automatically succeed). With the power down, the magnetic seal has been broken. A DC 29 Strength check pushes the door open, but limited space means that only one hero can Aid Another on the task.

As an added incentive if the heroes decide to sit around in the dark, explain how the air gets thinner as time passes. Without power, the air circulation system in the detention block isn’t working. With so many Rebels in such a small cell, it won’t take long for the air to go bad. Also, periodic explosions from somewhere far away occasionally rock the cell block, hastening the urgency of the situation.

Once they open the door, the heroes find themselves in the dark central corridor of the detention block. They have no weapons and no source of light. See the map below that shows which cell held the Rebels and which cell holds Walex Blissex. The Rebels have a moment to get their bearings, then ask for DC 27 Perception checks (heroes with Low-Light Vision or Darkvision only must achieve a DC of 22). If anyone makes it, read the following passage out loud. If no one makes the roll, go on to “A Shot in the Dark” below, wherein the Rebels are caught by Surprise by the Detention Guards.

***There is a change in the darkness. Off to your left you see a glow that steadily gets brighter. You hear the clang of boots echoing upon the metal floor, the whisper of sharp conversation. Someone approaches from a turn in the corridor, their light cutting a path through the thick blackness.***

Detention Guards approach from the control room using Cell Row One. Whether the heroes are aware of them or not, proceed to “A Shot in the Dark.”

## A Shot in the Dark

As the detention block guards turn the corner, read:

***At the far end of the corridor you see four uniformed men outlined in the glare of a Glow Rod. Thick smoke billows around them, suggesting great damage in the cell block beyond. Without warning, a blaster bolt illuminates the hallway as it zaps past you.***

If the Rebels failed to make their Perception checks earlier, the Detention Guards spot them first and begin firing immediately, initiating a Surprise Round. If the heroes succeeded on their checks and are hiding, the shot is simply being used as a flare to light the area beyond the range of the Glow Rod as the guards are not yet aware that they are free.

The Rebels’ best chance of surviving this encounter is to remain hidden and jump the guards when they get close enough. Of course, this option works best if the heroes have not been spotted. If they have been seen or otherwise made their presence known, the Rebels must dodge the blaster fire and either charge directly into the guards or run the other way. Because the ship is on battle alert, all weapons are set to do normal damage.

If the Rebels run in the opposite direction from the approaching guards, they can make DC 21 Stealth checks to get out of sight in a doorway or around the corner. From these hiding places, they can Grab any passing guards. heroes Charging the guards are assumed to be zigzagging in and out of the Glow Rod’s light beam and suffer no additional penalties.

When the Rebels close with the guards, the Detention Guards deploy their Batons, engaging in a fierce melee.

After the battle, the heroes have either dispatched the guards and acquired their equipment or they have been defeated and returned to their cell. As this is the opening scene in the adventure, give your players every opportunity to succeed. But never make them think they have it easy. Wounds, close calls, and desperate battles are the heart of dramatic adventures. If the heroes win out, they recover four Batons and Blaster Pistols (each with 4-24 shots left in their Power Packs; roll 4d6 secretly to determine how much ammo, and keep track of when it runs out), four uniforms (no armor), a Glow Rod, and a Medpac.

## Demon in the Dark

With the four guards defeated, the heroes must now escape the cell block and find Walex Blissex. They get a clue to help their search. Read:

***As you gather what equipment you can and discuss plans, your conversation is abruptly cut-off by a heart-rending scream. The painfilled voice echoes hauntingly through the dark cell block, then dies out.***

DC 15 Perception checks reveal to the heroes that the cry came from the direction of Cell Row Two. In fact, it came from Walex Blissex, who is in the cell marked on the map. The screams lead the Rebels to the open cell. Unfortunately, Blissex is not alone. When the Rebels approach the cell, read:

***The light from the glow rod shows an open cell, its dark interior exposed to the empty hall. Inside, slumped across the bench on the far wall, is Walex Blissex. In the dim illumination he appears unconscious and ragged. Nothing else in the area moves.***

Hiding in a dark corner of the cell is an IT-3 Interrogator Droid. Sometimes referred to as a torture or pain Droid by the detention personnel that use them, these Droids are feared for their ability to get information out of unwilling prisoners. It followed its orders to interrogate Blissex, even though the recent battle prevented the interrogation officer from being present. It decided to duck out of sight when it detected people heading this way.

***As you enter the cell to examine Blissex, you hear the unmistakable hum of a repulsorlift generator. It sounds extremely loud in the small cell. Behind you, a small spherical Droid rises from a dark corner. Shining black and globe shaped, the Droid possesses multiple appendages each tipped with delicate instruments. It moves toward you, menacingly extending a needle-tipped arm.***

The Droid attempts to do what it does best- interrogate prisoners. However, since the Rebels aren’t behaving like normal prisoners, it tries to stun them or otherwise render them “More Cooperative.” It can be bluffed into believing the Rebels are Detention Guards, provided at least one hero is wearing a guard uniform and he or she makes a DC 20 Deception check. Otherwise the heroes must fight the Droid, which has a definite advantage in the dark, confined space.

## Walex and the Last Guards

Walex Blissex suffers from stun damage inflicted by the IT-3 Interrogator Droid (he begins play -2 steps down the Condition Track). He slowly returns to good health, but not until the specified moment in Episode II. Till then, he needs help getting around and will be able to provide little information. He does say the following before the Rebels decide to move on.

***Blissex groans as you bend to help him up. In a weak voice he mutters, “Asked technical questions... about Star Destroyers... makes no sense... ship must have been attacked... our chance to escape...” The effort obviously weakens the old man, and he lapses into a semi-conscious state.***

As the heroes make their way toward the detention block control room, more blaster shots ring out. The remaining two Detention Guards have stationed themselves behind the control consoles, using them for Cover. They fight to the death. These Detention Guards each have a Baton and Blaster Pistol, with 3d6 worth of shots left. The room itself is filled with a thick, bellowing smoke that issues out of a crack in the floor.

If the heroes make a DC 20 Perception check (or Take 20 on the check) in the control room, they find a storage box filled with Ration Packs, two Medpacs, two Comlinks (Short-Range), 50 meters of Syntherope, and a Glow Rod.

## Out of the Cells and into the Fire

Beyond the control room doors lies a short hallway that leads to a turbolift tube. Since there is no power in this section of the Star Destroyer, the Rebels must open the lift doors manually. This requires a DC 34 Strength check, with only two heroes able to Aid Another to help pry open the doors. but opening the doors could be the least of their problems. Read:

***With great effort you slide the doors to the turbolift open. But your Glow Rod’s beam does not fall upon a lift car. Instead it reveals the gaping emptiness of the giant turbo shaft. The darkness seem to stretch infinitely up and down, and you feel as though you are standing on the threshold of an unending pit. Without a lift car, the only way out is to climb or fly... or fall!***

The Rebels must decide which way they want to go at this point. They can climb through the shaft using the ladders on each side of the shaft wall, or they can use the Syntherope if they found it in the control room. Climbing up leads to the command section of the ship, down to the engineering section. Blissex, if asked, suggests proceeding down. In his semi-conscious state he tries to explain that down is safer and probably more accessible than the upper tower of the Star Destroyer.

Whichever way they decide to go, build the scene with the appropriate bits presented here. Climbing the shaft ladders is a DC 14 Climb check, while using the Syntherope raises it to DC 24. The hero helping Blissex increases his or her difficulty by one level (increasing DC 14 to DC 19, or DC 24 to DC 27). During the climb, a particularly jarring explosion rocks the shaft. When this happens, everyone on the ladders must make a DC 14 Strength check to hold on (DC 19 with the Syntherope). Anyone who fails the rolls begins to fall down the shaft. Falling heroes can catch a protruding ladder rung with a DC 14 Dexterity check followed by a DC 19 Strength check. Those that fail this fall to their deaths.

Once the Rebels have climbed for a dramatically appropriate amount of time (complete with various suspenseful bits), they reach a working section of the shaft. The players shouldn’t be told this outright. Instead, they should be told descriptive elements that hint at the changing situation. Lights further along dimly illuminate the shaft. Wind and a distinct whooshing sound can be heard up ahead. Probably the most telling difference occurs when the heroes enter the working shaft and experience the floating sensation of emerging into a repulsor field. They can now propel themselves through the shaft much the same way a Landspeeder floats on a cushion of repulsor energy. But being in a working shaft means they must watch out for lift cars. Evading the approaching one requires a DC 19 Dexterity or Acrobatics check. Alternatively, a DC 14 Swim check may be attempted for those who want to attempt to “Swim” through the field.

With this final obstacle overcome, they reach a set of doors that can be opened using a convenient control panel. Read:

***The door swooshes open, revealing an empty, lighted corridor. It stretches to your right and left, and no dangers seem present. Somewhere in the shaft another explosion sounds, but that is behind you as you let the doors shut.***

## Cut-Away to Bridge

Read aloud:

**INTERIOR: *SUBJUGATOR* BRIDGE.**

***Standing before the massive viewports of the command bridge, a high-ranking Imperial officer looks out upon the damage his ship has sustained. His eyes slide slowly across the deep gashes and the twisted superstructure, resting momentarily upon a black scar that slices the forward hull. An explosion rips through the wounded ship from somewhere deep inside, throwing the bridge crew from side to side. But the officer stands firm before the viewport, oblivious to the discomforts of his men.***

***“It doesn’t look very promising, does it Captain Kolaff,” asks the woman who now stands beside him. She wears the regal garb of an Imperial official, retaining an air of authority even though the outfit is stained and torn.***

***“Promising, my lady?” replies Kolaff. “We are about to win a great victory against our enemies.”***

***The official laughs, but there is no humor in her voice. “Victory? Captain, that pirate fleet caught you off guard and devastated your vessel. I do not see running away as a victory.”***

***A dangerous gleam sparkles in Kolaff's piercing eyes. “Not running, my lady, tactically retreating. They have damaged us beyond repair, that is true. But I have a surprise being readied for those pirates. They will find the price of dealing with* Subjugator *to be more expensive than they can afford.”***

***The official smiles evilly. “With my help, of course, Captain.”***

***“Of course, my lady.”***

***Fade to...***

**INTERIOR: *SUBJUGATOR* CORRIDOR AND A SMALL GROUP OF REBELS.**