Kampe Campaign 6 - The Taming of the Skids

"The true measure of a man is never backing down, even if you’re wrong" - this terrible quote somehow applies as the team infiltrates an Eriadu Authority outpost

### Runtime

3:08:15

*After a mixed approach of getting some stormtroopers drunk and throwing others off a cliff, it looks like the approach the team scouted out will not be available when the base goes on full alert. In an attempt to hide, our heroes find themselves exploring caves filled with squid spiders and finding a hidden access to the base underground. Katira is both terrified and kind, Tek is confident and… not as kind. The party is split. Death troopers are stunned, killed, and intoxicated. Stormtroopers are shot by other stormtroopers. Yet somehow, none of the creepy squid spiders were harmed in the making of this mission.*

## **Previously**

*In the course of dealing with an attack from above during their travel through the slot canyons of Eriadu, Blaine managed to discover two things of value. First, from his position atop the canyon walls he was able to observe a nearby enemy outpost to allow the group to plan an effective approach. Second, one of the enemy scrappers had a full bottle of Tatooine Sunburn that may come in handy. Taking advantage of both these discoveries the group was able to eliminate two stormtrooper patrols without notice, and discover a back entrance to the outpost that should enable them to enter the compound unnoticed. With a means of approach provided will the mission against the Eriadu Authority really go off without any problems, or are our heroes walking into a trap?*

## **Recap**

### **Code 54**

Standing over the bodies of those troopers that Tek had spared from his force fury, a noise can be heard emitting from the helmet of one soldier. Blaine pulls off the helmet and wears it himself just in time to hear “Code 54. All personnel man your stations.” come in over the communicator. Unsure what the code might mean, Blaine asks the group if they have any idea. Tek and Droo both stare absentmindedly at Blaine and state that it is a call for all personnel to man their stations. Looking down toward the outpost, a third patrol squadron turns around and reports back to the entrance.

Katira climbs up from just behind the ridge still dripping blood from the trooper that she dropped into the canyon below. Pulling out her macrobinoculars, she scans the area and notes two Juggernaut troop transports heading toward the team at a rapid clip. As Tek gently pushes the team’s speeders down into the canyon, Katira notes that a little way below in there may be some cover.

The team carefully climbs down the canyon wall - Katira rolling an unconscious trooper ahead of her to clear her path, and Callen needing substantial assistance - and hides as best they can from the view of the transport.

> "*Alright, so these Juggernaut transports roll up to the troopers that are still unconscious on the ground and…*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*I thought you said roll **over** them. Bad ass!*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

> "*\*crunch\* These are **not** the stormtroopers you thought you knew!*"
> ― Callen
>
>

As communications pass over the Eriadu Authority channels that they have found the remaining stormtrooper bodies and an incursion may be underway, the team presses tight against the canyon wall. Looking over, Katira sees a luminous blue cord wrapping around the dead stormtrooper’s body and slowly drawing it into a cave in the canyon wall. Katira nudges the Zabrak standing next to her, and Tek reaches out in the force - concentrating first - and senses that some life form is attached to the cord deeper in the cave.

> "*So… I had a different idea*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Do you want to pick the mysterious cord’s pocket?*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*And then blackmail it into giving you more credits…*"
> ― Tek
>
>

As the team keeps out of view from the patrolling stormtroopers above, they follow the cord to the entrance of the cave to notice that it continues deep into the canyon wall and seems to be much cooler than the surrounding area. They begin to argue in hushed tones about whether they should enter the cave, but the argument is cut short when Callen - laying drunk on the ground - points out that the patrol above is starting to look down into the canyon. More communications come in stating that two more bodies have been found above, likely those of the scrappers that Blaine knocked out earlier. Fearing that they may soon be discovered, the team decides to head into the cavern in hopes of remaining unseen.

### **Into the Unknown**

Before rushing in, Katira pauses to scan the area. Flipping on her night vision, she looks into the cavern, but sees… nothing. The helmet of the stormtrooper that was drug into the cave lies ominously on the cave floor, a luminous blue cord laying limp alongside. With no sign of other life, the darkness inside seems to stretch on without end while simultaneously pressing in on all sides.

> "*Hey guys… so I’m in favor of a last ditch shoot ‘em up with those transports up above. Just tossing it out there.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Do you have a fear of the unknown, Katira?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Oh, but Tek it’s not unknown. It’s a monster that eats people!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Well why don’t **you** use your space wizardry to lead the way for us!*"
> ― Katira
>
>

As the group enters into the darkness, Katira looks around and notices that the drag marks from the stormtrooper continue just beyond where the helmet lays hauntingly on the ground and then they simply disappear. As Katira wonders what happened to the dead trooper, Tek finds what appear to be two eggs lying in the far corner of the room. The Jedi both sense that there is a life form somewhere in the room, and draw their lightsabers for more illumination just as it dawns on Katira to stop looking down and instead look up. Stifling a shout, Katira steps back slowly and indicates toward the ceiling where a squid-like creature is hanging from the ceiling and slowly devouring the corpse. Droo tells the group that the creature does not appear to bear any ill will toward the group and they decide to leave it be when they note a small amount of illumination from further into the cavern.

Progressing deeper into the cave, a split in the pathway occurs. An adventurous Droo decides to take the more difficult path, making the complex climb to a ledge that then opens to what appears to be a manmade stairway. At the top she sees a crack in the cave wall that appears to be the source of light.

> "*I may have to cut through this wall with my handy dandy lightsaber.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Oh. I totally forgot you have a lightsaber. Haven’t heard you talk about it in a while.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Yeh, I didn’t want to brag but… it’s pretty cool.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

As Droo looks into the wall and discovers that it is a sealed access to the Eriadu Authority complex, Katira ignites her rocket boots. In an embarrassing attempt, Katira launches herself straight into the cave wall, then grinds her way up to finally land on the platform next to Droo. With her armor thoroughly covered in scratches and debris, she lands next to Droo to find that there is no space for the rest of the team. Droo carves out an access to the outpost as Katira drops down a syntherope line to aid in the climb for the rest of the team following behind.

> "*While I’m carving an entrance I want to write Droo rules.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Droo or Drool?*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*I accidentally write Drool rules. Damn it.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

As Droo finishes her first work of lightsaber art and the edges of the access cool, Katira peeks in. From all appearances, Droo discovered a previously closed entrance into the lower levels of the outpost. Glancing surreptitiously to the left, the passageway turns to the right a bit further on. As she turns to the right, Katira quickly ducks her head back in and informs the group that there is at least one death trooper guard just inside.

Hoping to capitalize on wearing stormtrooper armor again, Blaine climbs up the line and into the hallway - pausing briefly to recover his heavy blaster after dropping it on the climb. Walking to the black clad soldier, he starts in on a line of questioning about the code 54 that went out, but stops when he realizes that the trooper is asleep. Drawing his blaster, Blaine stuns the death trooper into a deep sleep then splashes some Tatooine Sunburn on the trooper to make him appear drunk.

With the entrance secured, the rest of the team is motioned up. Callen - still **very** drunk - takes hold of the rope and is obviously going to struggle with the climb. Before he can attempt on his own, Katira tells Skids to help his teammate. With the boost, Callen manages the climb, and is followed by Taz Solana, who refuses any help from her Charlie Team compatriot. Taz is complimented on just how easy she made the climb look by Katira, and she responds by asking what all that talk of girl power was earleir. Katira fumbles a bit, stating that she was trying to encourage Droo since the ledge only had enough room for two, then states that they should head into the outpost.

> "*Only room for two, huh?*"
> ― Taz Solana
>
>

> "*Well I mean, there’s literally only room for two on this ledge. It’s really cramped right now. Should we go in?*"
> ― Katira
>
>

Everyone heads into the passageway and Katira calls back to Skids, telling him to stay with Tek and provide whatever support needed.

### **The Taming of Skids**

As the rest of the group piles into the hallway that Droo discovered, Tek opts for exploring the creepy squid-spider caves a bit longer to see what more can be found. Skids expresses concern and doubt at the chosen path, but is immediately overruled by the commanding presence of the Zabrak Jedi.

> "*Why are we going this way again? It seemed like the other path was safer.*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*Listen, Skids… it’s either this or I force push you into that darkness.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Oh my gosh!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*The force works in mysterious ways.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

Tek continues moving forward in the cave with Skids in tow. Before long, the green light of Tek’s blade reveals another large squid-spider hanging from the ceiling with an egg the size of a soccer ball sitting on the ground beneath it.

> "*I really really want to go. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be separated from the rest of the team.*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*Then why did you come with me?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Because you forced me to!*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*No. You did this. Don’t try to convince me otherwise.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I just want to get out of here.*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*Do you even know the way back anymore? I’m the only one with a light.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

A terrified Skids, uncertain of the choices that have brought him to this point, agrees to follow Tek further along.

> "*Why are we going this way? What’s the point?*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*I saw a light. There might be a treasure unfound, and we can split it two ways Skids. Me and you. Plus I have a lightsaber. What could go wrong? I’m a Jedi. Trust me.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*You just told me you were gonna push me into that spider a second ago!*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*That was a joke. Get over it.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

### **Several Methods of Handling Death Troopers**

Back in the hallway, the team looks down in both directions before deciding where to go further. Still wearing stormtrooper armor, Blaine takes the lead and runs right into a death trooper. He initially attempts to con the death trooper into heading outside, but fumbles when he finds that they are much deeper into the outpost than he initially assumed. When questioned, Blaine starts talking about channel 44 as Katira begins sneaking in from behind. The death trooper insists that they head to the area that Blaine was discussing and tells Blaine to take the lead. As Blaine states that the death trooper should lead the way, he finds a blaster held to his back as the trooper states he’s going to call everything in.

Katira immediately turns the corner and attacks the death trooper from behind with her blades. The first blade finds purchase below the helmet, mortally wounding the black clad soldier. He slumps to the floor, bleeding out before any message can be transmitted.

Hoping to remove the dead body from any possible notice, Katira drags him back toward the hole in the wall the group entered through. Taz takes the dead troopers armor, and the body is left in the cave for the scavenging creatures to dispose of. The unconscious trooper is also stripped of his armor - Callen changes into death trooper armor - and his body is tossed into the cave as well.

> "*Did you grab the utility belt and stuff when you took his gear?*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*Yeah, if it was black I grabbed it.*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*What?!*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

Wearing his new armor, Callen pulls a key card to open the doors up ahead. The doors slide open readily, and an armory with two more death troopers is revealed. Callen attempts to con the troopers to change over to channel 44 and assist with the two prisoners (Katira and Droo) that they are moving.

As they exit the armory, questions are immediately raised as to why Katira is so well armed if she is being transported. Thinking quick, Callen points out that obviously that’s why they have come to the armory. Hoping to assist in the con, Katira starts to run her mouth.

> "*You filthy Imps! Who do you think you are arresting us for scavenging on this planet! There are thousands of credits worth of scrap here. **Thousands!***"
> ― Katira
>
>

Callen manages to quiet Katira by raising a hand as if to slap her, and she sells the story. Convinced that Callen & co. have things well in hand, the guards are now confused why they were approached for assistance at all, which leads to - you guessed it - more drunken Imperialists. As Callen offers the guards some of the contraband that they discovered on their “prisoners”, the guards offer a token resistance before being sold on the idea by stormtrooper Blaine Hansom.

Blaine runs through a drawn out story about how they have been running an underground alcohol production ring in response to not having any goods coming in from the core worlds any longer. Taz and Katira both assist in the con, Solana by faking a swig from the bottle and Katira by claiming that Blaine is taking credit for the hard work of *her* team. Blaine succeeds in convincing the guards to drink - 46 on 10D6 Con - and Tatooine Sunburn does its work.

> "*If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.*"
> ― Death Trooper
>
>

> "*I have that tattooed on my butt!*"
> ― Stormtrooper Hansom
>
>

The first to take a drink, Blaine attempts some slight of hand to avoid actually drinking what at this point may be alcohol, or may simply be poison. Unfortunately - rolling a 12 on 6D6 - he does more drinking than he actually intended and is quickly *very* drunk. Callen fares somewhat better. Already drunk, he convinces the death troopers that he needs to stay reasonably sober to guard the prisoners. They shrug, and each take a drink, then pass out within a few minutes.

### **Completely Clearing the Cave**

Still moving further along in the cave, Tek detects a familiar scent and hears the slow trickle as Skids wets himself yet again.

> "*Skids, this isn’t about dark, scary caves. This is about our friendship. We’re gonna get though this.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*How is this about friendship at all? You forced me to do everything against my will!*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*If there is a cave, it must be explored.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Remind me never to be your friend.*"
> ― Skids
>
>

> "*Skids, my favorite thing about you is your lack of willpower. Now let’s go.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

Looking around by the light of his lightsaber, Tek finds a much larger egg, this time directly under a large squid-spider. Avoiding the creature, he leads Skids deeper into the caverns where they stumble upon what appears to be a manhole cover on the ground. Tek takes a moment to concentrate, then manages to deactivate the security system before using his lightsaber to remove all physical locks. Opening the cover, Tek tells the team that he is looking into a room with two stormtroopers guarding a door.

> "*See Skids… what did I tell you?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*What* did *you tell him? Follow you or die?!*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

Signaling for Skids to take a shot at the guard on the right, Tek prepares to shoot both guards. He scores a hit on the first guard, then takes aim and pulls the trigger again but nothing happens. Unfamiliar with the T-6 Thunderer Heavy Blaster he received from the New Republic, Tek forgot that it could only be used for a single shot. As the first guard collapses to the ground, Skids scores a hit on the second… for no effect.

### **F\*\*\*ing Magnets… How Do They Work?**

Just a room away, the rest of the team hears blaster fire shortly after Tek’s call. Droo, Katira, and Taz begin to hide the unconscious death troopers in the armory while Blaine and Callen move toward the noise. There is immediately a flaw exposed in this plan - the two party members that are staggering drunk are the very same two that walk straight to the stormtroopers under fire.

A confident Blaine walks right in, and shouts that Commander Dalverius has ordered all troopers to change comms to channel 44 because the outpost is under attack.

> "*What the hell are you yelling at me for? I know we’re under attack. They’re in the ceiling shooting at me!*"
> ― Stormtrooper
>
>

> "*Well… we’re too late! I guess let’s shoot each other.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*No… not me, he’s up there in the ceiling, look!*"
> ― Stormtrooper
>
>

> "*Oh, I think this is magnetic… magnet… magnetically sealed. So if I shoot you it will bounce up to him.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Get a grip, man!*"
> ― Stormtrooper
>
>

Sowing confusion, Blaine fires at the stormtrooper and mortally wounds him. The group then handles the remaining guard with ease.

Katira hangs back in the armory with Taz standing guard, and the rest of the team gathers in front of the double doors that the stormtroopers had been guarding. An excited look and a nod is shared between Tek and Droo as they each ignite their lightsabers and plunge them into the doors. A drunken Blaine and Callen look on approvingly, Skids tumbles to the ground from the access port above, and Katira simply asks why they are rushing ahead after leaving two - very much alive and due to wake up soon - death troopers in an armory.

> "*I want to kill these two passed out death troopers.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Katira, no. The Droo pacifying hormone is in the air.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Hormone?*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Sorry guys… I’m not secreting hormones. I mean… I guess we all kind of are.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

## **Featured Characters**

### **Our Heroes**

* Blaine Hansom
* Callen Mutig
* Droo Vos
* Katira Eve
* Tek Krodak

### **NPCs**

* Skids McDougal
* Taz Solana

## **Inventory**

* +Death Trooper Armor (Callen)
* +Death Trooper Armor (Taz Solana)

## **Notes**

* Highest average roll: Callen with 27 on 4D6
* Blaine’s drunk effect was set to last 30 minutes

## **Quotations**

> "*Quick recap (of the last mission)?*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*Uh… people got drunk. And pushed off a cliff.*"
> ― Ilya
>
>

> "*Magnets… how do they work?*"
> ― Blaine as he snaps his blaster to his hand
>
>

> "*Guys… this might be a good time to let you know… I mean, we have these four beautiful stormtroopers here…*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "***Sicko** Katira!*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*Can I kill this stormtrooper?*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*That’s what you want to do at a time like this?!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Let’s not kill people.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*They’re stormtroopers, Tek. They aren’t real people.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*I’ll go first, as long as you give me the dignity of concentrating around every corner.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I go tell Skids to bring up the rearguard, and keep Taz close to me.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*How long did it take you to come up with that one?*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*I’m gonna command everybody to head toward the light. Let me see if I’m successful.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I don’t think that’s how this works, Tek.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*I **command** you to do it!*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I want you to know I’m not doing this **because** you told me to.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Did you know these stormtrooper suits recycle your own urine?*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Do they?*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*No. I was just joking.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Man… I pissed myself for no reason. Again.*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*Alright, you look to your left and see nothing. Then you look to your right and…*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*You find Mr. Gold Pants.*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*Nooooooo!*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*Skids… what would I doo doo without you?*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*Just to let you know, Skids. If you walk away from me, I’m force pushing you into that things web.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*They will write songs about what we do today.*"
> ― Tek Krodak to Skids
>
>

> "*If we don’t find a buried treasure, I’m going to bury **you** Skids.*"
> ― Tek
>
>

> "*I still don’t know about that force stuff you and Tek spend all your time talking about, but that lightsaber thing was **really** cool.*"
> ― Katira
>
>

> "*I don’t trust Katira when she’s like this!*"
> ― Droo
>
>

> "*I’m gonna go talk to that death trooper.*"
> ― Blaine
>
>

> "*Don’t talk. Just use my body.*"
> ― Callen
>
>

> "*I gotta go get the drinking rules. I put them away somewhere.*"
> ― Luke
>
>

> "*You put them away? We use them every mission now!*"
> ― Jordan
>
>

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