Kampe Campaign 8 - The Death of an Astromech

Without the Jedi around, things go sideways in a hurry.

*Without the force to guide them, our heroes manage to take a huge leap forward in their mission goals. The Eriadu Authority plans are found to be much larger than anticipated, nearly as large as the giant creature that eats live troopers whole. Smoke grenades are set off, blasters are fired, Katira gets in another dose of her murder medicine, but Sparky upstages her by cutting a death trooper in half! In a science lab brawl our heroes are victorious, but at the cost of everyone’s favorite homicidal droid.*

## **Previously**

*Having successfully infiltrated the Eriadu Authority outpost, our heroes enacted a variety of cons to establish a foothold inside the base. As Callen scored some Correlian Whiskey, Katira looted the armory and a few crates for tranquilizer darts, slave tracking devices, and a cybernetic blaster-arm. The rest of the team accessed a laboratory, where one of the giant squid-spiders was being forcibly held and having its web fluid harvested. Succeeding in convincing the watch team that they were there to take over, they proceeded to access the laboratory computer terminals. Unfortunately, the lone remaining scientist in the room did more to hamper the team than a dozen death troopers. Falling unconscious after a stun round from Tek, he slumped across a nearby terminal and alarms began to sound as the process for creature transport was initiated.*

## **Recap**

### **Solid Intel**

Tek says something about an override for the operations panel somewhere in the armory and heads back the way the group entered. A somewhat bored Callen and Katira strike up a conversation while they look around as to what they might like to do with their free time and 100,000cr after the mission is over (Callen mentions an interest in finding his brother, and Katira is solely focused on hunting down and killing M-1 for torturing her). Cautiously approaching the giant squid spider chained up in the back of the room, Katira notes that it appears that the creature is being held on a platform. With no sign of an access in the ceiling the best guess is that the creature was lifted into the room from below - and may be returning there soon unless something happens.

While the pair continue to converse, the excited beeping of an R2 astromech can be heard rolling into the room, followed by the high pitched voice of Jawa Jimmy.

> "*I see the trail of blood and bodies in a room back there… I assume that Sparky drug some of his victims through?*"
> ― Jawa Jimmy
>
>

Bringing their bright eyed friend up to speed, Callen recommends that Jimmy try to access the control terminals. After a few seconds Jimmy is in and rolling. Though he is unable to prevent the release of the giant monster in the back of the room, he does access a slew of Eriadu Authority records of note:

* Coordinates for shipments of the harvested material off Kampe
	+ one appears to be for the NRADS
	+ one between Corellia and Denon
	+ one between Nar Kreeta and Boz Pity
	+ some coordinates in the Core Worlds, but nothing of note
* The material being collected from the creature appears to be an alternative type of fuel
	+ Suspect that the material is being harvested to allow the Eriadu Authority fleet to mask their movements - without more data it is impossible to note where or when they have travelled, or can travel
* There is a measure of how much “fuel” the creature has remaining, and indications that this is not the first creature that has been harvested

With all this information in hand, the plan of the Authority seems to be growing more and more devious. The group was already aware of the use of Clawdites to impersonate vital persons in the New Republic with the aim of funneling credits, but with a waypoint in Hutt Space, it appears that there may also be a connection with the Galactic underworld in play in their scheme for power in the “civil war” that is taking place in the vacuum left behind after the departure of Thrawn.

Whatever the plans of the Eriadu Authority, it appears that the initial phase of the plans are complete since they have ceased providing even a token consideration for their Ugnaught workforce on Kampe.

After a moment of stunned silence at the scope and scale of the plans they have uncovered, the team turns their attention to the giant squid creature being harvested in the back of the room. They contemplate how they might be able to lead the creature out of the base safely when Skids McDougal mentions that they should try to snap some of the fuel before they leave so that they have some evidence and research material. In her standard fashion, Katira knocks the Charlie Team representative off his post and watches him walk back in the direction of the armory, dejected.

> "*Skids, no one asked you for your thoughts. We were getting there.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*I thought of it first though.*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*Why don’t you head back to the armory before you get yourself shot again up here.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

With intel gathered, Jimmy heads over to the control console for the creature. He discovers that a joint release operation is required, and Blaine steps in the help. As Jimmy initiates the lowering of the platform, Blaine controls the chains on the creature, allowing for slack as the platform recedes. As best as can be ascertained, there is a lure point in the caverns below that has been used repeatedly to capture the creatures.

### **The Spark Fades**

Everyone looks on at the slow process of lowering and releasing the giant animal when suddenly alarms begin to blare throughout the room. The blast doors heading further into the facility can be heard opening, and 6 death troopers rush into the room with blasters at the ready. Behind the team, the entry is also being breached as two more troopers enter to close off their escape.

> "*Alright magnets! Let’s go to work*"
> ― Blaine snapping his blaster to his hand
>
>

The room erupts into chaos in no time at all. Though the death troopers have the high ground, the combination of several smoke grenades dropped by Katira and some amazing shooting by Blaine manages to bring some balance to the conflict. A terrified Jawa Jimmy runs toward the back of the room only to narrowly dodge the flanking death troopers before watching the giant squid spider wrap a tentacle around the black clad enemy and drag him into the cavern below. Callen - still drunk - hits several troopers for no effect. Sparky masterfully accesses a scomplink, closing a blast door *on* a trooper and cutting him in half to sate his bloodlust.

Unfortunately, the death troopers are undaunted by the quick response of the crew. Blaster fire rings out through the smoke filled space, and though Blaine and Katira are able to dodge, the other shots hit their marks. The chains holding the squid in place are broken, and an Ugnaught can be heard squealing in the smoke, followed by the amplified screams of an astromech. As the creature moves noiselessly away into the caverns below, a fire erupts from Sparky as the droid first begins to roll away, then slowly comes to a silent halt.

> "*Oh no! We lost all of Sparky’s knowledge!*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*We might be able to recover it.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*You’ll have to take him to a good droid repair shop.*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*So definitely **not** Slicers Synonymous.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

Callen rushes to Sparky, grabbing a nearby extinguisher to put out the flames. In his haste he manages to put out the fire around the droid, but fails to actually extinguish Sparky. Though the effort wasn’t completely successful, it did save Callen’s life. Three tightly blaster bolts hit right where Callen had been hiding earlier, destroying the control station for the harvester.

The battle continues in earnest, but the troopers fail to score any further devastating blows. Blaine, Callen, and Jimmy all manage to score hits and kills on troopers as Katira sows confusing and death with smoke grenades and her knives. In the end, every trooper lays dead on the ground, one Ugnaught is unconscious and the other is dead, but all eyes turn to the quiet, still burning wreck of Sparky.

### **Salvage**

As silence finally descends on the room, the empty hole where a monster once dwelt seems to echo the hole in the astromech that once committed such monstrous acts.

Jawa Jimmy begins shouting in Jawa so rapid that even Blaine has a hard time making out what he might be saying. Callen sadly pours out a shot of Correlian Whiskey in honor of the droid he just met. Katira is oddly emotional at the loss of a droid that understood her better than most of her teammates.

Blaine somehow manages to calm the group, and directs their efforts toward salvaging everything they can from the droid. Working together, everyone manages to prevent any further damage to the droid and keep him from danger of complete failure.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Blaine Hansom
* Callen Mutig
* Jawa Jimmy
	+ Sparky
* Katira Eve

### **NPCs**

* Skids McDougal
* Taz Solana

### **Mentioned**

* Thrawn
* Sander Delvardus
* M-1

## **Inventory**

* +Sparky’s astromech control dome & memory core (Blaine)

## **Notes**

* Sparky rolled 13 on 1D6 but was still hit, then promptly rolled a 1 on 1D6 to be brought to the edge of destruction - the saving grace was the 16 on 5D6 rolled by the trooper

## **Quotations**

> "*Alright, I'm the GM now. Let's do this.*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*This is about to get erotic...*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*I want to find my brother.*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*You have a **brother**?!*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Yeh… Pooty.*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*Alright, you access the terminal. What do you want to know?*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*What the hell is that squid thing?!*"
> ― Jawa Jimmy
>
>

> "*What’s the dodge for an Ugnaught?*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*3D6*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*…what’s the strength for an Ugnaught?*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*How much strength could an Ugnaught naught if and Ugnaught could naught strength? I think it’s 2D6 or 3D6.*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*rolls 3D6*"
>
>
>

> "*Alright, benefit of the doubt. We’ll say he’s been working out. Aaaaand he’s on the verge of death.*"
> ― Luke
>
>

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