[Star Wars] Guardians of Peace, episode 14: "Chasing Shadows"

Hidden groups and dark forces are at work to undermine the centers of peace and order in the galaxy. They use extortion, blackmail, and bribery to destabilize and discredit the galactic governments. They work through criminals, pirates, and dark cults to achieve their evil ends.

Jedi Knight Taanar Ryl has thwarted an assassination attempt on a New Republic Senator, and captured the person behind the plot, Breena Alfassa. After questioning her and leaving her in custody on Taris, the Jedi and her companions learn that Breena Alfassa was killed by a mysterious figure.

Next they confer with allies in the New Republic and the Empire on a plan to unmask their hidden foes….

Back aboard the Stellar Flare, Taanar Ryl met in conversation via commlink with both Jedi Master Kanan Jarrus and Imperial Sector Ranger Magda Insco to tell them what her team had learned and what had happened on Taris. The planet that kidnapped Imperial Knight Vimma Montari had mentioned to Nema Secura, Valdax 3, was located in the Outer Rim and was unknown to either the Antarian Rangers or the Imperial Scouts. Sector Ranger Insco explained that the Star Destroyer Autocrat, which had been seen by the Stellar Flare, had been reported destroyed. The other two ships were unidentified.

After Taanar signed off, Den Secura suggested that perhaps the team should talk to their old friend and informant Dexter Vex to see if he'd ever heard of Valdax 3. Meanwhile Ayja analyzed the video the Stellar Flare had taken of the three Star Destroyers, observing that they were apparently doing some mining on an unknown planet and ore carriers were transporting something both to the destroyers and to the pirate vessel.

Some time passed as the team prepared for their next mission in pursuit of Vimma Montari. Ex-pirate Ferb Skywalker completed Ranger training and was assigned to the Fortune of Greepo as pilot. The team then planned to join with Ranger 17 and visit the unknown planet where the mining was taking place to find out what Shadow Wing and their mysterious allies were up to. In preparation for this journey the Secura brothers stocked the Fortune of Greepo with grenades and thermal detonators. Ayja also armed herself with a new weapon.

Taanar's team was joined by five other Rangers in addition to Ranger 17 as they set off for the unnamed planet. As they approached their destination they noted with concern that there were no ships in the vicinity and no signals coming from the planet. It was a Class M planet, habitable for oxygen-breathers. As they flew over the mine site they observed a shocking sight: the entire site had been destroyed by orbital bombardment over an area of 50 kilometers. The blast zone was still smoldering, causing local weather disruption. Visibility was poor due to the ashy rainfall.

Nema suddenly warned her comrades that she could feel someone in pain and fear near the blast zone. Despite the poor visibility, Ferb landed the ship perfectly. Once they exited the ship Ayja detected a lifeform. The party fanned our to search with Nema in the lead, following her Force sense. The terrain beyond the blasted area was jungle. The group made their way toward a sandbar in the river, where they spotted a crude lean-to hut. Nearby lay the carcass of a dead bipedal creature, resembling a tauntaun. Nema called out to the hut, attempting to sound non-threatening. Ayja followed by repeating the greeting in several languages in case the occupant didn't speak Basic, "We're here to help." Den worried that the being would be hostile after the bombardment and warned his cousin to stay back.

A bloodied humanoid emerged from the hut, limping on an injured leg. He shouted at the new arrivals, "Get away! You're here to kill me!" He had a simple spear in his hand, but Den gently disarmed him and Ayja approached to examine his wound. It had become infected. The other Rangers quickly assembled a stretcher to carry the injured man back to the Fortune. Realizing that the newcomers didn't mean to harm him, the man answered their questions. His name was Danton, and he had come there with a group of colonists who had declined to join either the New Empire or the New Republic. Their community had been attacked by pirates who enslaved all the colonists and forced them to work in the mines by holding their children hostage. They had named their planet New Sanmar. Danton was in very poor condition, and after he gave the Jedi group this information, he died despite all Ayja's efforts to save him.

After this sobering event, Ren suggested that perhaps Ferb should move the Fortune up on the bluff above where it would be less exposed in case the pirates returned. He spotted some prints going toward the hills and the group wondered if there might be other survivors. Then Den detected someone apparently watching them. The brothers split up and slipped into the forest to seek the spy. As they neared the watcher, Den created a diversion to allow his brother to get closer. But the watcher surprised him by waving. A figure in dark armor approached, removing a helmet to reveal that it was Sector Ranger Magda Insco! Ren crept up behind her unseen and greeted her, "Sector Ranger, it's good to see you again." He was gratified that this startled her. Then two companions joined her. One person they recognized as Imperial Knight Teemo Fallon, who they had met when Vimma Montari was abducted. The other was also an Imperial Knight, an older man named Alomar Ring.

Suddenly the two groups heard a distant explosion. An Imperial Scout appeared and provided details of the location where the explosion had occurred. The two groups joined and decided to hike there. The explosion had occurred in a cliffside across the blast zone from the sand bar where they had found Danton. When they neared they saw a Gungan, and a ship, which Ayja identified as an old YT-1760 light trader. The ship had been parked in a cave, but boulders had fallen and blocked it in. The explosion had presumably been the Gungan's attempt to free it.

Taanar approached and called out to the Gungan, asking if he would be willing to accept their aid in exchange for information. The Imperial Scouts and the other Rangers had all hidden themselves to avoid giving away their numbers in case the Gungan was hostile or had companions. The Gungan responded by introducing himself as Woo Rummers. He told Taanar that he had been hiding there before the colonists arrived, ever since the Clone War, but Ayja murmured to Taanar that it couldn't be true because his ship wasn't that old. Taanar decided to call Woo Rummers out on his lie. In response, Alomar Ring ignited his lightsaber and demanded to know what Woo knew about Vimma Montari.

Woo Rummers argued that he was only there to notify the pirates if anyone came to the planet and didn't know anything about Imperial Knights or kidnapped children. His answers to questions about whether the pirates would be returning were evasive. Den cautiously confiscated his inactive commlink. Then Alomar reported that their Scouts warned of two approaching shuttlecraft. Within moments the two shuttles arrived at the site where Rummers' ship was trapped, each disgorging ten people. The Ranger and Knight groups all took cover in the forest before the shuttles landed. Magda Insco remained with Woo Rummers, who she had put in binders.

As the pirates emerged from their shuttles, Den began to fire on them. Teemo Fallon shouted, "Light 'em up!" and a grenade launcher fired from the Imperial Scout group. Ren fired on the pirates and two figures fell from the ramp of one shuttle.

Taanar moved closer to the two shuttles, drawing her lightsaber. Two blaster bolts were reflected from her saber back at the pirates and one of the shooters fell. Despite the binders, Woo Rummers made a run for it. Ren shouted, "Surrender! Throw down your weapons!" but the pirates didn't comply. Taanar stunned one pirate and decided to draw her own blaster rather than get into hand-to-hand range with the pirates. Alomar lifted a huge boulder and used it to pin down the fleeing Woo Rummers.

As Den stunned another pirate and Taanar moved closer to Ren, the Imperial Scouts moved in to wipe out all of the pirates with their heavy weapons. In a few moments the fight was over. Taanar and Nema noticed that despite being crushed by a boulder, Woo was still moving. Taanar removed the rock. Alomar angrily choked the Gungan, but Taanar demanded, "How can he speak when you're choking him?" and Alomar relented. Taanar then questioned Woo again. He admitted that the pirates were waiting in the nearby asteroid belt, intending to capture the Jedi when they arrived. But they weren't pirates, they were mercenaries hired by the Stellite Monks. Taanar persuaded Woo to signal the mercenaries, and the combined Ranger and Scout groups decided to take one of the shuttles out to meet the mercenaries in the asteroid belt.

As the mercenary shuttle headed out toward the asteroids, Taanar searched her feelings and couldn't refrain from muttering, "I have a bad feeling about this."*

*The GM had given each player a quote on a slip of paper at the beginning of the game. When it was time to use the quote he prompted the player. My quote was "I have a bad feeling about this", which he prompted me to say just before the end of the session.