Scouting for a New Base

*After leaving behind both Dantooine and Yavin IV, the Rebel Alliance needs to establish new bases throughout the galaxy. Commander Wedge Antilles briefs several groups of Rebel Operatives with locations of potential new bases. Blaine and Bota head to a planet named Ecycled, however they run into a mercenary group of Barabels and their pet monster. Eventually, they shoot down their foes' ship and report back that that Ecycled is not isolated enough to be used as a new base for the rebels.*

## **Recap**

### **The Briefing**

On the small asteroid base that the rebels have been using as a temporary shelter, Commander Wedge Antilles briefs several groups and sends them off toward different parts of the Galaxy. Blaine Hansom and Bota Zi were given the assignment of investigating Ecycled.
It was explained that scout droids had reported the planet was breathable, with moderate gravity, and it wasn't inhabited. In terms of climate, it was dry, rocky, with chalk-crusted chasms and dried out, dusty river beds.

With that knowledge in hand, the two set off towards the planet onboard Blaine's ship to get a full report back to Rebel Intelligence.

### **The Journey**

On the way there, Blaine Hansom, Bota Zi, and *The Jinxed Starhawk*, drop out of hyperspace due to a gravity mass appearing in their hyperlane - and they soon see it's a *Victory*-class Star Destroyer. Scrambling its TIE Fighter squadron, the two immediately get to work: Blaine flying his ship and Bota manning the quad laser cannons.

The two shoot down three enemy TIEs, but are completely overpowered - until Wedge Antilles and his wing-mate Shep Mroe suddenly arrive in X-Wings. With their support, the group is able to move away from the Star Destroyer, and they take out a few more TIEs. Unfortunately, Shep gets hit and sacrifices his life for the group to escape.

Jumping back into hyperspace, the YT-1300 and the X-Wing continue their trip to the remote planet.

### **The Encampment**

Landing on Ecycled, Wedge takes a breather to remember his slain wingman and stretch after the long voyage, while Blaine and Bota decide to scout ahead. Making camp, the duo then leave the landing area and Wedge and walk to the north, where their sensors are picking up some noise.

Ecycled is mountainous, craggy, and chalky. It has large gray stalagmites as tall as a person, and a harsh dust storms made of the white-gray chalk found everywhere on the planet. Hiding among the stalagmites, the two are able to spot a base on the other side of a large chasm - it looked to be a group of red, scaly aliens with a Ghtroc freighter. As the two spy on the camp, they are attacked by an 18-foot tall creature resembling something like a rancor.

Not wanting to fight another monstrous beast after their earlier encounter on Dathomir, they flee back to the landing site, with Bota using his jetpack to fly away and get some shots off on the creature. Unfortunately, it alarms the pirate camp who had been using the creature as a watchdog of sorts.

Getting back to their ships, Blaine and Bota in the *Jinxed Starhawk* and Wedge Antilles in his X-Wing, fly through the chasm towards the base, only to see the Ghtroc freighter taking off.

Firing a few shots out of the canyon, they give chase, however the Barabel pirates are able to escape.

### **The Conclusion**

With the Imperial presence on the hyperlane to the planet and the apparent pirate presence on the planet, the group decides to not recommend Ecycled as a new potential base for the Rebel Alliance.
## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Blaine Hansom
* Bota Zi

#### **NPCs**

* Wedge Antilles
* Shep Mroe
* Barabel mercenaries

## **Special Edition** **Notes**

* I added Shep Mroe as Wedge would've had a wingman and he didn't have one in my notes after we landed
* I based the Barabel characters after the *Pirates of Prexiar* module found in *Star Wars Second Edition: Revised and Expanded*
* This continues an early mission theme of Blaine and Bota helping scout new worlds to use as bases for the Rebel Alliance