Episode Four

The party asks Gage many questions. They learn that Queen Amidala’s body went missing, and then a few days later an Imperial occupation began. Kass is curious to learn more, and Gage says she knows a palace handmaiden, Thalia, who might know more. If the party can confirm her safety and help her if needed, Gage agrees to fix their ship for free. She also provides a datapad map of the city that J2W1 downloads. The party returns to Theed that night to find that security has increased following the explosions they set off during their last visit. Conrad struggles to trick the stormtroopers at the gate, but manages to get himself escorted into the city. He persuades the stormtroopers to let him stop for a drink at the Meesa Market, and manages to convince them that the bounty hunter Kessler Sett is the one who killed the stormtroopers in the alley. Conrad starts a fight in the bar, knocks out the Gungan bartender, successfully frames Kessler, and manages to escape into the crowd!

Meanwhile, when the stormtroopers call for backup, the front gate is left with a single guard. Naix rushes the solitary stormtrooper and slashes at him with his darksaber, before impaling him under the jaw with his gauntlet spike. The party enters the newly opened front gate and the Mandalorians head towards the palace via the sewers. Kass and J2W1 rush to help Conrad, only to find him sneaking away from the cantina through a crowd of panicked nobles and stormtroopers. The trio also enters the sewers and rejoins the Mandalorians at a heavy grate blocking entrance to the palace. Kass is able to use his lightsaber to open the grate and the party makes their way up to the palace garage.

The Mandalorians paint their armor copper to try to attract less attention, while Kass and Conrad don mechanic coveralls. The head mechanic walks in on the party but Kass is able to successfully use the force to suggest that they are his relief and he should go home for the week. Conrad, Kass, and J2W1 are able to find their way to the courtyard and find Thalia with another handmaiden. At the mention of Gage, Thalia dismisses the other handmaiden and tells the party what she knows: a strange black ship took Queen Amidala’s body during an isolated attack one night, and in response Queen Charrel accepted Imperial support and protection. Thalia thinks the Queen is being manipulated by Admiral Zandro Vapasi, because they’ve been unable to leave the palace, but doesn’t know what to do. She agrees that now might be her best chance to escape before things get worse. In their mechanic uniforms and accompanied by a handmaiden, Kass, Conrad, and J2W1 are easily able to pass by the palace stormtroopers. In the garage they dress Thalia as a mechanic and rejoin the Mandalorians in the sewer. The party makes it back to the city with Thalia and escapes over the city walls, arriving back at Gage’s farm by sunrise. Gage is elated to see Thalia and agrees to fix the Nightjar for free. Conrad offers to take Gage and Thalia off world, stating that they might stop on nearby D’Qar. Gage mentions that although it’s farther away, she has heard rumors of a Rebel base on Eadu.  Conrad privately tells Gage about the missing shipments of battle droids which could aid the Rebels. Gage and Conrad agree that she will aid them as much as she can so long as Thalia’s safety is assured.