Age of Rebellion: Perlemian Haul

*The Rebel Alliance has long maintained reports of a mysterious Imperial convoy that travels the length of the Perlemian Trade Route. Known colloquially as the Perlemian Haul by spacers and Rebels alike, it is rumored to carry sensitive - and sinister - cargo to far-flung Imperial facilities and strongholds. Its existence has never been confirmed... until now.*

## Agents

### Cargo Team

* Alro Hi'kot
* R0C-K4 "Rocky"
* Gristle
* Devron
* Erdogan Cael
* Nenna

### Bridge Team

* Derra Asbra
* Seela Vida
* Shorbecca
* Reo
* Lee

## Mission Report (Cargo Team)

*Summary by Ben*

The agents, along with some new recruits from the Alliance’s forces, are called into a briefing with Renci Tosh and the Broker. It seems that the Perlemian Haul, a mysterious Imperial convoy, has limited security due to the Empire’s hesitance to draw attention to their activities on the hyperlane. This presents an opportunity for the Alliance to raid the freighters for their obscure cargo, as long as they can find a way to locate their stopping points. One such point, Martle Station, has already been located, and two rebel agents onboard are prepared to help the crew get aboard one of the Imperial ships. The agents are Plionij Korrado and Dewson Novar.

Multiple ships from the convoy will be docking at the station, and the agents are tasked with getting aboard one with unlisted cargo - the highest value ship on the line. All of the other freighters are transporting more mundane goods, but there are rumors that the target in question is hauling something potentially dangerous; perhaps even a biological agent.

The crew splits up into two different teams to infiltrate the station. Gristle, R0C, Nenna, Erdo, Alro and Devron head in together, posing as a film crew, and begin investigating vectors from which to approach the convoy itself. Gristle catches wind of an information broker named Pask who seems to have a hand in everything on the station. The agents head that way to gather some intel before the convoy itself arrives. They find his shop easily and enter together to have a look around and make small talk. Pask comes off as very cunning and even recognizes Nenna from her career, and even identifies them as agents of the Broker. R0C mentions the Haul, and Pask goes quiet. A gift of credits loosens his scaly lips, though, and the infochant tells them they are looking for Freighter M226. It’s the only one he hasn’t been able to identify the cargo of. He has received reports of medical advancements in several nearby colonies, as well as multiple individuals stricken with some sort of muscular dystrophy, and disappearance of those individuals has always coincided with the travel of the Haul. He also offers some information on the crew, including Lieutenant Commander Jilan Noor, the ship’s captain.

R0C asks about ways onto the ship itself. Pask points toward applying as a work crew to move cargo to and from the docked freighter. He also shows them to a pair of Imperial Naval Trooper uniforms that he happens to have gotten his claws on. Gristle hands over some credits in exchange for the uniforms and hands them over to Devron and Erdo. From there, the team heads down to the cargo levels and signs up as a work crew and are promptly hired on to help with the upcoming load from the Imperial convoy due to arrive soon. They’re brought down into one of the loading bay and can see agents from the other team across the chamber beginning to prepare their own work. R0C is packed into a cargo cell along with the crew’s extra gear. Loading their cargo goes smoothly, and although they draw a little suspicion, an inspection of R0C’s crate doesn’t raise any alarms. As they cross into M226 itself, though, a group of stormtroopers takes notice and begin to advance, but an Imperial agent from the station’s side begins to open fire. Looking over the team notices one of the undercover agents, Dewson, covering for them and causing a distraction to let them onboard. With the firefight breaking out, the doors between the station and ship close, leaving them on M226.

In the added confusion, they veer off from the cargo bay, collecting their things and finding tunnel access to start making their way to the modular cargo cells along the ship’s spine. As they proceed, they begin to notice eyes watching them from the darkness, as well as signs of something else scurrying around. The tunnels are in various states of disrepair, and some of the agents have some minor scrapes and bumps along the way - R0C even falls through the floor in one section as they’re approaching a junction. Ahead, a group of hunched humanoid rat-like creatures turn and hiss before advancing in a swarm. Alro uses a length of busted cable on the wall to shock two of the ranats, prompting one part of the swarm to break off and pursue her. They claw after her, but to no avail, and Erdo rushes into cover her, knocking some heads. R0C tries to climb up from the hole he’d fallen into, but only manages to make the hole bigger, collapsing part of the floor around the ranat chief and some of the swarming warriors, knocking them down into the hole with him. Devron takes aim, flinging a shot into the chief to slow him down. Gristle calls out to Alro to make sure there aren’t any cameras in the tunnels before powering on his lightsaber and leaping into the pit with R0C to occupy the chief’s accompanying guards, slicing one down in the process and wounding another.

R0C lays a heavy hit on the chief, striking some fear into the larger ranat, causing it to scurry up out of the hole and begin retreating down the maintenance shaft. Gristle finishes off the group in the pit and climbs up just as the chief moves out of sight. The three remaining ranats surrender, asking for mercy. Showing mercy, the team begins to question them in exchange for their lives. They seem to fear another Xexto of some description, but otherwise don’t know too much. Nenna sends them off, showing them a picture of the other team and instructing them to help if they see them.

Proceeding through the tunnels, the team ends up near the door leading into the cargo cell they’re to be investigating. Erdo reaches out with the Force and detects life signs within, but no patrols nearby. The team approaches and Alro begins working on the door’s panel, slicing in with relative ease. The door opens, revealing a room full of polis massan technicians working on various inactive cyborgs of many different species, including a few whiphids and a rancor. Erdo leaps in with the Force and clocks one of the technicians by the rancor, knocking them dizzy while R0C charges at another, utterly obliterating the poor creature. The other technicians begin frantically bringing their other creations online, panicking as they’re mowed down by the agents.

Devron guns one down and scares another toward the back of the room while Gristle moves forward to begin pummeling one of the activating whiphids. Nenna follows suit, firing at the other whiphid. The rancor finally awakens, swinging out a massive arm at Erdo to land a heavy blow. Gristle keeps laying into the whiphid, which begins convulsing as electric shocks keep it conscious. R0C moves to help Erdo with the rancor, leaving the other whiphid open and allowing it to fire off a burst at Nenna, incapacitating her but overheating. All of a sudden, there’s a heavy jolt as the ship falls out of hyperspace, knocking some of the agents and cyborgs to the floor. Alro spots a nearby loading crane with an electromagnet attached to it and rushes over to access it. She begins positioning the magnet over the rancor while Erdo run to cover Nenna. The rancor chases after Erdo, swinging a clawed fist onto the two in a crushing attack. When the magnet activates, it’s strong enough to pull the rancor, one of the whiphids and two of the smaller cyborgs up to the ceiling, taking them out of the fight. Gristle finishes off the other whiphid after suffering a hit himself and Devron has a quick exchange of fire with an aqualish cyborg, but comes out victorious.

The other team had succeeded in diverting the ship to the Alliance rendezvous point, and Shorbecca soon flies in to help clean up the last of the activated cyborgs while the technicians are rounded up and captured. Gristle goes to tend to his wounded teammates, and the two teams await their Alliance escort to relieve them.