Arrival at Iol Station (DitD)

*Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Unknown Regions*

*Main Page: Danger in the Dark*

As the heroes approach Iol Station, which is owned and operated by Tangan Industries, communications frequencies are oddly silent, and sensor scans detect no lifeforms. This strikes the heroes as odd, especially if they are leaving the system and they previously stopped at the station on their way in- at that time, it was bustling with activity.

The automated Tractor Beam activates as they approach one of the docking ports, and it assists them in connecting with the station. The ship docks with no problems, and the heroes disembark after a couple of minutes. The area of the station near the docking port seems to be in good condition but is eerily quiet. The only sounds in the corridor are the low hum of the lights and the heroes' footsteps. Curious adventurers might be inclined to look around the station to try to learn what happened to everyone.

When the hero tasked with repairing the ship assesses the damage, he or she finds that some key systems have been damaged. It will take about four hours to complete repairs, and although the heroes probably have some parts on hand, they do not have everything they need. Thus, they must explore the station in search of the right parts before they can begin repairs.

### Cargo Bays

The station has four major cargo bays, all of which contain a fair amount of cargo that has been either dropped off as supplies or confiscated from incoming ships as contraband.

Most of the containers in the bays hold items commonly found throughout the galaxy that cost less than 1,000 credits each. A few containers in each bay are sealed shut and can be opened only by entering the proper access code on the built-in keypad. Slicing into a keypad to get the code requires a successful DC 25 Use Computer check. Breaking into a keypad and hot-wiring the container requires a successful DC 25 Mechanics check. If the heroes open a sealed container, they find items that are more restricted, such as weapons, armor, and expensive equipment.

As the heroes search through Cargo Bay 2, anyone succeeding on a DC 10 Perception check notices a pungent odor in the air. Success on a follow-up DC 20 Perception check leads them to a damaged container at the far end of the bay that was originally obscured by a tall row of stacked crates. The 2-meter-tall metal container is damaged, as if something had burst through the hatch from the inside. Within the container is the bloody corpse of a Near-Human wearing a Tangan Industries security uniform. Multiple long, deep gashes run across his head and chest. His Blaster Pistol, still in his holster, has not been fired.

### Crew and Passenger Quarters

With over 100 rooms to accommodate the station's crew and visitors, searching through each one can take a long time. For each room that the heroes check, they must make a DC 15 Perception check to find anything of value (determined by the GM). All quarters are unoccupied, although several rooms look like someone or something has torn them apart.

### Command Center

Located at the top of the station, the command center is easy to reach, but entering through its only egress might be a different story. The center is secured by a magnetically sealed door and can be opened only by entering the correct access code on the numeric keypad embedded into the wall next to the door. Bypassing the security measures requires a DC 25 Mechanics check to hot-wire the keypad or a DC 30 Use Computer check to slice into it and retrieve the code.

Once inside the command center, the heroes can access the security camera system to watch virtually any part of the station. If they previously looted the cargo bays or the crew and passenger quarters, they can access the security files and erase the footage of their deeds with a DC 30 Use Computer check.

Anyone searching through the camera footage might find a recording of an event that transpired about seven hours before the heroes arrived. With a DC 15 Use Computer check or a DC 20 Perception check, the heroes locate the recording of an attack in Engineering in which two members of the crew are whisked out of sight near the edge of the camera's view. Their cries alert others, who engage an intruder that remains offscreen. Near the end of the recording, a creature appears for a brief second before throwing a dead body that hits and disables the camera. No other camera angles are available. A DC 15 Use Computer check allows the heroes to freeze on the image of the creature, but they cannot zoom in on it. The fuzzy details show only that the entity is a humanoid of Medium size with a long tail. (The creature is a Vindinax.)

The heroes can also access the captain's log and review the last few entries. According to the log, members of the crew started disappearing about two days ago. A few visitors reported seeing something moving in the shadows in the lower areas of the station, but nothing could be confirmed. The last entry, recorded six hours before the heroes arrived, shows the captain acting extremely nervous as he reports that several crew members were attacked in Engineering by a strange creature that could not be stopped by the station's security force. The captain closes the log by stating that he has ordered all hands to abandon the station, board shuttles, and depart for Iol as quickly as possible.

### Engineering

The turbolift running through the station's central axis opens directly into Engineering near the bottom of the facility. Upon entering the area, the heroes witness a ghastly scene. The bodies of several dead and mutilated crewmen are strewn about. Blood stains the walls and machinery, and several panels have been damaged. If the heroes investigate the panels and succeed on a DC 15 Mechanics check, they determine that the damage was caused by strong impacts, and the panels will not function again without extensive repairs.

Any hero who makes a DC 20 Perception check detects movement in the shadows near the far corner of Engineering, about 6 squares away. A hero who approaches that corner or draws a weapon must avoid a piece of broken machinery that is hurled from the darkness. The characters then hear the sounds of scurrying along the wall, and shining a light into the corner reveals the creature from the security footage perched on a large pipe. It is visible for only a second, then it quickly raises its arm to shield its eyes, hurls a piece of broken machinery at the hero shining the light, and flees through an open duct about a meter away on the wall.

### Infirmary

The infirmary appears to have been abandoned in haste, with little equipment left behind. Three of the four gurneys are missing, along with all of the medical scanners and computers. However, most of the medical supplies, such as bandages and minor medications, are still present and can provide the equivalent of 1d4 Medpacs if the heroes make a successful DC 20 Treat Injury check. In the back corner is a fully functioning Bacta Tank, but the tank is empty, and the infirmary has no bacta. lf the heroes search the cargo bays for bacta and make a successful DC 30 Perception check, they find enough to fill the tank.

### Docking Bays

Searching through the docking bays reveals that no other ships are currently at the station. Even the shuttles that serve as transportation to and from Iol are missing. Nothing else of value is found here.

### Repair Bay

The station's repair bay is located near the docking bays and is the center for all manner of repairs, including those for Starships and Droids. When the heroes arrive, the space is cluttered with tools and parts from at least a dozen computers and Droids. It looks as if many repairs were abandoned midway through. A Droid of unknown design is sprawled on the workbench on the opposite side of the room; a number of its compartments are open, and wires and circuitry dangle from its shell.

Directly across from the repair bay entrance is the doorway to the parts storage room. If the heroes search the storage room and make a successful DC 15 Perception check, they find the parts they need to repair their ship.

## Random Encounters

While the heroes explore the station, they run the risk of being attacked by the Vindinax. Whenever a single hero becomes separated from the group for a period of time, that character makes a DC 20 Perception check. Success means that the hero hears something nearby that is slowly approaching his or her location. If the hero does not flee within 1d4 rounds, the creature appears and attacks. If at least one more hero arrives before combat begins, or if the Vindinax loses at least half its Hit Points, it retreats and goes Into hiding once more.

*Continued in Facing the Unknown*