Cato Neimoidia (AWH)

*Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Dawn of Defiance*

*Main Page: A Wretched Hive*

In *A Wretched Hive*, the heroes must travel to the world of Cato Neimoidia, a planet ravaged by the Clone Wars and one of the many colony worlds of the Neimoidian people. Since their last adventure, the heroes have spent some down time aboard the Nebulon-B Frigate *Resurgence*, which is apparently owned by Bail Organa. The ship spends all of its time in deep space, between worlds and away from major Hyperspace routes, and it currently serves as a mobile safe house for former Imperial Admiral Gilder Varth.

Varth was recently rescued from an Imperial prison facility (either by the heroes, if they played in *The Traitor's Gambit*, or by other agents of Bail Organa if they didn't) and brought to The *Resurgence* to be debriefed. Captain Adrian Verana is the commanding officer of The *Resurgence*, and he has overseen Varth's safety and debriefing over the last few weeks. The whole time, Captain Verana has made it clear that no one should mention Bail Organa's name because the Senator cannot risk being known to be involved in case the Empire happens upon The *Resurgence*. Even Gilder Varth does not know for certain that it was Organa who had him rescued (unless the heroes told him, of course).

In the time between the end of *The Traitor's Gambit* and the beginning of *A Wretched Hive*, you should feel free to include encounters with Captain Verana, Gilder Varth, and Captain Okeefe (the owner and operator of the *Baudo*-Class Star Yacht, The *Banshee*). The heroes should get to know these three characters a bit better because all of them will have roles of varying importance throughout the campaign.

When *A Wretched Hive* opens, the heroes should be fully healed and have had a chance to obtain needed supplies and resources. The *Resurgence* is a well-stocked ship and can provide the group with most mundane items.

## The Briefing

The adventure begins when the heroes are summoned to the briefing room aboard The *Resurgence*. When they arrive, they find that Gilder Varth awaits them, now dressed in the uniform of an Alderaanian ship officer. At his side is a small yellow-and-silver Astromech Droid that whistles softly as it interfaces with a computer system. Once the heroes arrive, read the following text aloud:

***The briefing room aboard The* Resurgence *is clean and white, with several benches wrapping smoothly around a holographic projector seated on a raised dais in the center of the room. The projector springs to life, and the blue-tinted hologram of a Hutt appears to hover a few inches away from the projector's three curved prongs. With a brusque clearing of his throat, former Imperial officer Gilder Varth begins to speak, wasting little time on pleasantries.***

***"Before the Empire decided my conscience was a liability," he says, "I was involved peripherally in a top-secret plan known as the Sarlacc Project. While the details of the project are unknown to me, I was involved in the transfer of large sums of credits and resources to the project. Whatever the project entails, it is taking up a lot of the Empire's time and effort. Moreover, I believe that this Sarlacc Project is destroying the lives of thousands of sentient beings; casualty reports crossed my desk on a regular basis."***

***"Unfortunately, I don't know much more than that. However, during my brief brushes with the project, I discovered that the Imperial Navy was hiding the program's existence from the Senate by transferring resources through secondary sources. Resources were routed through the Corporate Sector, through fake contractors, and through the criminal underworld to keep a trail from leading back to the project."***

***"One such secondary source was a Hutt Crime Lord named Darga. Like all Hutts, Darga is a slimy gangster whose love of credits is exceeded only by his love of power. Part of my job involved transferring resources to Darga, and in turn arranging for Imperial agents to take control of other resources from the Hutt's organization. These were not simply transfers of credits. The items being traded were not specified, but physical resources were definitely being exchanged. Though it's not much, this is the only lead we have."***

***"Captain Verana has charged me with helping to uncover more about the Sarlacc Project, and he has authorized me to use you as my agents. We need you to travel to the planet of Cato Neimoidia and find Darga the Hutt. See if you can learn what he is trading in and how it relates to the Sarlacc Project."***

Varth keeps the briefing short and sweet. He has an air about him that immediately recalls his military past; though he is not unfriendly, he spares no time for idle chatter. It should be clear to the heroes that Varth has not adjusted to life outside of the Imperial Navy; he still acts with the same rigidity that is characteristic of all Imperial officers. He seems uncomfortable in his Alderaanian uniform, but his professionalism won't allow him to voice any complaints. The man is all business, and though he seems genuine in his assertions, he remains largely unreadable.

After the briefing, the heroes might have some questions about their mission. The following section provides answers to common questions:

**Why should we do this for you?** "In exchange for your assistance, Captain Verana has authorized me to pay each of you a modest sum. Additionally, this may be a chance to discover what the Empire is planning with the Sarlacc Project- which could have big repercussions, if I am right."

**What else do you know about the Sarlacc Project?** "Not much more than I've told you. My only involvement came in managing resources, and most of those transactions were encoded."

**How are we supposed to find Darga the Hutt?** "Unfortunately, Darga's exact whereabouts are unknown. However, he has been seen in the Cato Neimoidian city of Zarra. Chances are that someone in the city knows where he is."

**How do we discover the extent of Darga's involvement in the Sarlacc Project?** "Darga is not one to give up his secrets easily, but he has been known to take associates into his trust. If you can get inside his palace, he might reveal what is going on- or you might be able to find out by snooping around."

**What can you tell us about Zarra?** "Zarra was heavily damaged during the Clone Wars, and half of the city is still in ruins. The few residents that have chosen to remain inhabit a cluster of settlements on one end of the city."

**How are we supposed to get to Cato Neimoidia?** "Captain Verana has chartered passage for you aboard The *Banshee*, the transport vessel captained by Sirona Okeefe. After helping you rescue me from my prison on Felucia, Captain Okeefe quickly found herself on retainer."

## Arrival

The trip to Cato Neimoidia is uneventful, and when the heroes arrive, they find a planet that is far from its former glory in the days before the Clone Wars. A world in The Colonies, Cato Neimoidia should be far more populated than it is. When The *Banshee* drops out of Hyperspace, any heroes in the cockpit can see that there is very little traffic traveling to and from the world. As The *Banshee* descends toward the planet, the ship flies through layers of clouds and zooms over cities that are built on massive bridges between rock arches. However, the bridge cities are all but abandoned, seemingly left to rot after the Clone Wars.

The heroes land on Cato Neimoidia with no difficulty and no visible Imperial presence. The *Banshee* docks at a spaceport in the city of Zarra, and though propaganda posters line the spaceport walls, there is no sign of Stormtroopers or other Imperial officials. Regardless, Captain Okeefe cautions the heroes against acting foolishly. The Empire still controls the planet, and though its current presence is not strong, the situation could change quickly.

Zarra itself is dilapidated to the point of being hazardous. As the heroes walk the streets, they see little in the way of authority or commerce. Several large buildings that appear to have been lavish palaces of Neimoidian merchants lie half toppled and mostly destroyed. Rubble litters the streets, and landspeeders must veer sharply to avoid chunks of permacrete lying haphazardly in the road. Though a number of beings, mostly shabby-looking Neimoidians, roam the streets, it is clear that Zarra has been nearly abandoned since the Clone Wars.

### Sample Citizens

*See also: Neimoidian Citizen*

During this part of the adventure, the heroes might come into contact with members of the local populace. Below are several Cato Neimoidian citizens to use as quick reference when the heroes begin moving about the city of Zarra. Each uses the typical Neimoidian Citizen statistics block. Feel free to invent your own NPCs or introduce other characters here as well.

* **Krett, Cantina Owner:** Male Neimoidian, owns the Federation's Folly, a cantina in Zarra. A veteran of the Clone Wars, Krett once commanded a *Lucrehulk*-Class Battleship but was exiled to Cato Neimoidia and is still bitter.
* **Nillia, Spaceport Administrator:** Female Neimoidian, keeps tabs on all the ships coming and going from Zarra. She is bored with her job and longs to leave, and she seems wistful, as if seeking something more.
* **Vigro, Speeder Repairman:** Male Neimoidian, operates Vigro's Repulsorlifts, a landspeeder repair shop. He is suspicious of outsiders and believes that even honest customers are out to swindle him.
* **Salitt, Beggar:** Male Neimoidian who begs on the streets of Zarra. He claims that he was once the Viceroy of the Trade Federation (he wasn't) and seems distinctly deluded and paranoid.
* **Shass, Trader:** Female Neimoidian, owner of Zarran Imports and Exports. A shrewd businesswoman, she had aspirations of rising through the ranks of the Trade Federation until the Blockade of Naboo, when she refused to go any further in a corrupt organization.
* **Desson, Laborer:** Male Neimoidian who works to rebuild Zarra. Desson seems like a man whose aspirations have been trod on for too long, such that now he is merely going through the motions.
* **Borlo, Imperial Informant:** Male Neimoidian who earns his keep by feeding information to the Empire about any unusual happenings. He seems friendly and outgoing, but his eyes glisten with the promise of Imperial credits.

### A Visit From the Vipers

As the heroes arrive on Cato Neimoidia, they are hassled by a local swoop gang. The Vipers, a rough gang of thugs who terrorize Zarra on a daily basis, always look for fresh prey when an outlander starship arrives. The swoop gang's leader is a violent Human woman named Kessra. She is the only female member of the gang, but she bears the scars of several past battles. From the Vipers' demeanor, it is clear that they follow her unquestioningly. However, they don't realize that Kessra sometimes takes small jobs from Darga the Hutt. She uses her gang to achieve the crime lord's goals in Zarra.

As the heroes depart the spaceport where The *Banshee* is docked, The Vipers ride in quickly and surround the party. Kessra taunts the heroes from the back of her swoop bike, claiming that they've failed to pay for a landing permit from The Vipers. If they wish to pass unharmed, they'll have to dole out 1,000 credits each. The heroes can pay the outlandish extortion fee, and if they do, Kessra pegs them as easy targets and leads The Vipers away- for now. But the whole time that the heroes stay in Zarra, gang members continue to shake them down for more money. They might even try attacking The *Banshee* if the heroes don't eventually put up a fight, and Captain Okeefe is not pleased about having to drive off a gang of bikers.

If the heroes refuse to pay the exorbitant amount that The Vipers demand, the swoop gang launches an attack.

When the encounter begins, the heroes have been surrounded by members of The Vipers in the middle of a street in Zarra. The heroes should be in the center of a circle of Vipers on Swoop Bikes, with Kessra slightly inside this larger circle so that she can confront the heroes. No characters (including the heroes) should be placed on any of the open holes in the city street.

#### **Read-Aloud Text**

Before the encounter begins, the heroes should have a chance to talk their way out of the conflict with The Vipers. However, if the two sides come to blows, read the following boxed text aloud:

***A low wind causes deep bass sounds to waft up from the gaps in the city's streets, which open into short shafts before continuing on into the open air beneath the bridge city. The sounds of repulsorlifts fill the street as five swoop bikes circle around you, then turn as though to attack. The swoop bikers' leader, a tough-looking woman with spiky black hair, urges the thugs on as they rev their bikes' engines.***

#### **Encounter Setup**

* 5 Viper Swoop Gang Members
* 5 Viper Swoop Bikes
* Kessra

##### **Tactics**

The Viper Swoop Gang Members are decent pilots and will always use their swoops to their advantage. Though they carry Blaster Pistols, the Viper Swoop Gang Members prefer to use their Vibroblades, particularly in conjunction with their **Skirmisher** Talent, which increases their attack bonus well over what they would gain with their pistols. Additionally, the Viper Swoop Gang Members make extensive use of the Running Attack Feat while piloting their swoop bikes. They move far enough to make a melee attack and gain a bonus on attack rolls with the **Skirmisher** Talent, then move out of range of any heroes who might try to make a melee attack against them in return.

Unlike her companions, Kessra prefers to stay away from the heat of battle. Though she is also quite handy with her swoop bike (and gains the benefits of the **Skirmisher** Talent when attacking from the craft), she favors her custom Heavy Blaster Pistol so that she can take shots at her enemies without getting too close to the thick of things. While the Viper Swoop Gang Members run interference between her position and the heroes, Kessra tries to assist her companions by taking shots at enemies who are also the focus of melee attacks by her followers.

##### **Features of the Area**

This fight takes place on a damaged street in the Cato Neimoidian bridge city of Zarra. The area features several spots of rough terrain, but more importantly, there are numerous gaps in the street (resulting from battles of the Clone Wars) that simply open up into the air beneath the city. Any creature that passes through a gap square must make a DC 10 Acrobatics or Jump check to avoid falling through the gap and plunging thousands of feet to the planet's surface. Flying creatures and repulsorlift-operated vehicles (such as the Viper Swoop Bikes) ignore this terrain.

#### **Conclusion**

Though the Viper Swoop Gang Members are arrogant enough to fight to the bitter end, Kessra is a bit more conservative. If the heroes reduce her to less than half her Hit Points, or if they eliminate all of her Viper Swoop Gang Members, Kessra flees at top speed on her Swoop Bike. If it looks as though she might be captured or killed, Kessra surrenders peacefully, albeit grudgingly. If the heroes interrogate her, she reveals that she is on the payroll of Darga the Hutt. However, she doesn't know anything useful about him or his dealings, and she doesn't have the influence necessary to get the heroes into his palace. If turned over to the authorities, Kessra is free within hours- she calls in a favor from Darga to get out of prison- and retreats into hiding to lick her wounds.

Regardless, if Kessra survives the encounter, she appears in Darga's palace in Part 2: Darga's Palace. If she dies here, you should plan to replace her in the later encounter.

#### **Ad-Hoc XP Award**

If the heroes cave in and pay off The Vipers, they receive no XP for this encounter. They receive normal XP for other methods of dealing with the swoop gang, including diplomacy, deception, or combat.

## Locating Darga's Palace

With nothing more to go on than a city and the name of a Hutt, the heroes don't have many leads to follow. Asking questions about a Hutt Crime Lord can be a dangerous business in Zarra, and most citizens rebuff the heroes if they try. However, after a few attempts to find Darga, the heroes should come to realize that the Hutt lives in the city and is, in fact, well known, even if no one will reveal his exact location.

But there is one way for the heroes to learn where Darga resides. One of his flunkies, a young Devaronian thief and errand boy named Warrick "Womp Rat" Raden, spends a great deal of time in the city. If the heroes can locate Raden, he can lead them directly to the Hutt's secret palace. Below are some suggestions on how to handle the search for Raden.

**Gather Information:** Heroes who are Trained in the Gather Information skill have an advantage in trying to find the Hutt. Though they cannot locate Darga with the skill, they can find Raden, who takes pains to keep his movements low key (if not secret). A hero can use the Locate Individual application of the Gather Information skill to find him; the DC is 25 and the information costs 500 credits in bribes. Success indicates that the heroes are told where to find Raden- a nearby ruined warehouse.

**False Pretenses:** The heroes might try to gain the attention of the Hutt and his associates through deception. This might include pretending to be a rival gang eager to start trouble or posing as fellow criminals looking to work with (or for) the Hutt. However, most citizens of Cato Neimoidia want nothing to do with the underworld, so if the heroes identify themselves as criminals of any kind, the residents shun them or refuse to do business with them.

If the heroes spread rumors in an attempt to draw the Hutt's interest, it takes two days before they see results. Provided that they didn't spread rumors likely to provoke the crime lord (such as "We're here to kill that slimy Hutt and take over this planet for our own!"), they receive an anonymous message telling them to meet Warrick Raden at the ruined warehouse at midnight. The message actually comes from one of Darga's informants in Zarra, not from Raden himself, so the errand boy knows nothing of the heroes' impending arrival.

**Bribery:** No matter how much the citizens fear dealing with the criminal underworld, the right amount of credits can always open doors If the heroes visit traders, cantinas, spaceports, and even security offices searching for information on Darga, the right bribes can get them the information they need.

* A bribe of 100 credits or less reveals no information regarding Darga, only that "Some Hutt" has been terrorizing the people of Zarra.
* A bribe of 101 to 500 credits earns the heroes the name of the Hutt's associate, Warrick Raden, and grants a +10 circumstance bonus on a Gather Information check (see above) to locate the errand boy.
* A bribe of more than 500 credits earns the heroes not only Warrick Raden's name but also the location of the abandoned warehouse where he can be found.

**Threats and Violence:** Though more in line with the Empire's tactics, the heroes can use threats and violence to get information about Darga. Most of the population of Zarra is already cowed by the Hutt's thugs and associates. Combined with occasional Imperial intervention, which never goes well even for law-abiding citizens, the locals have very little fight left in them.

Using the Persuasion skill to Intimidate citizens of Zarra only goes so far. A successfully intimidated citizen can say only that a Devaronian named Warrick Raden works for Darga and sometimes comes around to collect extortion money or deliver messages on the Hutt's behalf. This information grants the same +10 bonus on Gather Information checks that bribery does.

If the heroes use violence to find Darga, such as abusing local business owners or picking a fight in a cantina, they eventually get a message from one of the Hutt's hidden agents who believes that the heroes are auditioning to join the organization. This message is identical to the one described under "False Pretenses," above.

However, violence does not sit well with the citizens of Zarra, and eventually one becomes scared enough to alert Imperial authorities to the heroes' activities. An Imperial patrol consisting of six Stormtroopers and an Imperial Junior Officer arrives on a transport skiff and attempts to take the heroes into custody. The Imperials call for reinforcements if the heroes resist arrest, and soon Zarra might be crawling with a large percentage of the Imperial forces on Cato Neimoidia, attracting attention the heroes do not want.

### Finding Raden

When the heroes finally locate Warrick Raden, they quickly discover that he does not want to be found or to talk about Darga. The Devaronian is willing to fight his way free and is not afraid to fire a few blaster bolts to put the heroes off his scent.

The heroes have traced Warrick Raden to a hideout in an abandoned warehouse in the city of Zarra. Warrick and his cronies are holed up in the warehouse, and the heroes can approach from either end of the street. Two Excavation Droids, secretly under Raden's control, appear to be sifting mindlessly through the rubble in the street. These Droids serve as lookouts, and one of Warrick's companions watches what is happening on the street through the eyes of the Droids. Therefore, if the heroes approach from the street, their quarry will not be surprised.

#### **Read-Aloud Text**

As the heroes approach the ruined warehouse, allow them Perception checks (opposed by the Excavation Droids' Stealth checks (+10)) to determine whether or not they notice the Droids taking an unusual interest in them. When Warrick or his goons spot the heroes on the street, or if the heroes move up and see Warrick and the thugs inside the warehouse, read the following boxed text aloud:

***Most of the buildings on this street look half destroyed or collapsed, and none of the damage is recent. Dominating one side of the street is a crumbling warehouse, which has the half-buried wreckage of a landspeeder jutting from its front. The walls of the warehouse have large chunks taken out of them, exposing the building's interior to the street.***

#### **Encounter Setup**

* 2 XK-V8 Excavation Droids
* 6 Hired Muscle
* Warrick Raden

##### **Tactics**

Raden wants nothing to do with the heroes and is more concerned with saving his own hide than anything else. When the encounter begins, he immediately makes a Stealth check to hide, then picks out the most dangerous-looking hero and uses his Natural Curiosity on that hero to gain the insight bonus on attack rolls. Warrick allows his Hired Muscle to engage the heroes directly, while he remains hidden to gain his bonus **Sneak Attack** damage against the heroes. When possible, Raden makes a Stealth check as a Move Action to remain hidden after taking a shot at one of the heroes.

The Hired Muscle aren't very smart, so their favorite tactic is simply to find a place to hunker down and take shots at the heroes from behind Cover. They know that the XK-V8 Excavation Droids are under Warrick's control, so they do their best to distract the heroes to give the Droids a chance to sneak up on the intruders.

The XK-V8 Excavation Droids might seem like no threat when combat begins because they are simply chipping away at the rubble on the street. Once Raden gives them the command, however, they literally leap into action. Each Droid tries to use its Leaping Strike as quickly as possible, and though the Droids aren't very strong, they provide a distraction that can give Raden a chance to get off a few more **Sneak Attacks**.

##### **Features of the Area**

The area around the ruined warehouse is littered with debris, which counts as difficult terrain. Additionally, the buildings in this area are crumbling and unstable, and chunks of the walls and ceiling often fall when damaged. If a ranged attack against a target standing adjacent to a wall misses that target by 5 or less, a chunk of the wall is dislodged. The debris makes an attack roll (1d20+3) against the target's Reflex Defense, and if it hits the target, it deals 1d6 points of damage.

#### **Conclusion**

Though Raden is willing to fight initially, his will quickly erodes if the heroes gain the upper hand. The heroes should realize that they need the Devaronian alive, but in case they try to use lethal force, he surrenders if reduced to fewer than 10 Hit Points. If this occurs, Darga's Hired Muscle attempt to flee.

Raden is reluctant to help the heroes. He begins the encounter Hostile to them, but if he is captured, his Attitude shifts to merely Unfriendly. If his Attitude can be shifted to Friendly, or if he is successfully intimidated, he agrees to take the heroes to Darga's secret palace.

### Embracing Your Destiny: Discovery

Heroes with the Discovery Destiny take a major step toward that Destiny when they successfully take part in locating Warrick Raden and convincing him to lead them to Darga's sanctuary. When they set off to reach Darga's palace, grant those heroes the 24-hour Destiny bonus.

*Continued in Part 2: Darga's Palace*