Adventure Conversion: Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone - Part 2 (of 2)

Here is the continuation/completion of my conversion of "Spacehunter"

Episode III: The Journey

SYNOPSIS:
The characters (likely with a 'native' guide), must brave the dangers of the wasteland and make their way into the Zone. Along the way, they encounter a rival would-be rescuer as well as dangerous mutant guardians.

CUTAWAY:
Zoner airships fly over a blasted landscape to land inside a bunker-fortress-complex built into a cliffside. The survivors from the escape pod are ushered out of the vehicles and inside. There, they are studied by a deformed man in a ratty military uniform who comments on their beauty and 'purity'. Leeringly, he remarks that the Overdog will be quite pleased with them, quite pleased indeed.

ADVENTURE:
The heroes set out into the wastes (most likely on the ground- and most likely with their native guide Nikki). The terrain is mostly rugged canyon country- a veritable maze, but one that Nikki (true to her word) seems to know. There are several dangers along the trail- in the form of rock slides and sudden wind-storms.

Due to the length of the journey (and dangers of the trail), the heroes are forced to camp for the night. They are ambushed that night by a rival group of would-be rescuers (of roughly the same size as the character's group). This group of spacers had responded to the distress call as well, only to be shot down while in space. They managed to escape, but their ship was destroyed. These spacers (led by a man named Hudson), aren't a completely rotten lot. They don't necessarily wish to KILL the heroes, just take them out of the hunt, steal their ship, strand them here and take the reward for themselves. Thus, they'll attempt to 'get the drop' on the characters and get them to surrender. Failing that, they will attack with weapons on stun. Hudson's band will resort to lethal force only in response to the same. Let the situation play out as it will.

If a fight breaks out, and the heroes win, any survivors among Hudson's group will attempt to negotiate for their lives. They'll first offer to help with the recovery of escape pod survivors in exchange for a ride off the planet. Failing that, they'll ask that the players leave them and at least send someone else back to pick them up. Failing THAT, they plead that the characters leave them with enough gear to defend themselves.

If the heroes surrender or are defeated, Hudson will graciously allow them to keep some of their weapons and gear (though none of their vehicles) and will promise to send help back for them once he's rescued the escape pod survivors. Depending on how the heroes handle the situation, Hudson may even offer to team up with the group for the final entrance into the zone. Heck, he may even promise to cut them in for a reward. A lot depends upon how the players react to all of this- especially since they hold a BIG card in the form of having the only known means to get off the planet. They also hold a card in the form of having Nikki as their guide.

If the players leave Hudson's group behind (or simply drives them off), they might still show up later...

If the groups decide to team up, play Hudson's people for a bit of comic relief and/or rivalry. They're money-grubbers and not particularly brave, but they are competent enough where they might be of use in the upcoming situations. They can also be used as 'fodder' for the monsters/dangers in the upcoming scenes.

The next day, the heroes (possibly with new 'partners') set off again, directed through another maze of canyons by their guide. Unless they take particularly extensive precautions (like abandoning their vehicles), the heroes approach will likely be sighted by Zoner airspeeders. This can lead to a firefight in the canyons, with airspeeders sweeping in and party vehicles racing over the canyon floors, avoiding and returning fire. This shouldn't be TOO big of an attack, as the Zoners are just patrolling.

Eventually, the heroes are forced to abandon their vehicles (assuming they have any) and head into a cave that Nikki assures them leads into the Zone. Unfortunately, the caves are inhabited by hideous, bloated mutant humanoids who suddenly emerge from pod-like growths in the walls. This would be a good spot for some dramatic deaths of some of Hudson's group (assuming they tagged along). The characters can either fight these hordes or run. Note that Nikki hadn't encountered these things in her previous trip


Either way (assuming they survive!), the heroes eventually reach the cave exit. From here, the party gets a look at the Zoner fortress, and see that it is actually the remains of a planetary military base, complete with anti orbital defenses as well as anti-fighter and other defensive weapons and shields. There are even a few airspeeder patrols roaming around the cliffs/canyons.

At this point, Nikki points out that she's never actually been INSIDE the base...

CONTINGENCIES
As with previous sections, a lot of this episode assumes that the players are using ground transportation. It is possible that particularly stubborn characters may try to fly their way into the Zone. As mentioned before, this should be akin to suicide due to the amount of firepower the zoners have at their disposal. Even if the characters take the 'low altitude' approach, they will have to wind their way through canyons to keep 'under the guns'- and will burn up even more power. And again, once they reach the final canyon barrier, they must decide whether to try and risk flying in or land and proceed through the cave passage. GMs may also wish to throw a wave (or two) of Zoner airspeeders at the heroes ship- which will be particularly vulnerable in the limited space of the canyons.

Ship-borne parties will avoid encountering Hudson's party altogether, though there is nothing to say that when the players land, their ship won't be found (and possibly captured) by the rival group of spacers.

It is also possible that the characters may have refused the assistance of Nikki. In this case, the characters are going to have to try and find their own way. Unless they are extremely lucky, it is doubtful they will find the secret 'cave entrance' into the Zone. This means they'll either have to try an aerial approach (suicide), drive/fly to and then try to climb over the cliffs surrounding the zone (dangerous) or try to storm one of the fortified guardposts blocking the ground entrances into the zone (also dangerous- and with the added possibility of raising the alarm in the main fortress). Characters who refuse Nikki's help and then get 'stuck' somehow might be given a second chance- the GM can rule that Nikki took it upon herself to follow the group (using another scav vehicle), and will show up once again with an offer of help.


Episode IV: The Overdog's Lair

SYNOPSIS:
The heroes finally reach the villains lair. They must figure out a way to get inside and then rescue their 'bounty' from the clutches of the evil cyborg known as the "Overdog". Of course, these kinds of plans are always fraught with peril, and things rarely go as expected...

CUTAWAY:
The survivors from the escape pod, now dressed in 'suitable' slave attire, are ushered into a huge, machine-filled room. A large form descends from above, apparently supported on metallic 'tentacles'. This is revealed to be a hideous mutant-cyborg, covered with metallic armor and sporting four metal tentacles 'growing' from his back. He introduces himself menacingly as the "Overdog", explaining that it has been years since he enjoyed the company of ones as lovely as this- and that over the coming weeks, he will enjoy getting to know his new guests. Alas, he must first preside over the 'games' tonight. He goes on to say that he hopes the girls will enjoy the show- it will be one to remember.

ADVENTURE:
The cave lets out at the base of the Overdog's fortress. Though Nikki has never been inside before, she had noticed that there was a possible way in- through an exhaust duct. Unfortunately, said duct is located high up in the cliff face. It would require a dangerous climb to reach and would also require some means of getting past the grate that blocks it. A quick survey of the area shows that the Fortress itself has guards patrolling its upper 'battlements'- and within the large airspeeder hangars built into the cliff-face. There is a ground level entrance, but its gate is thick and heavily guarded. There is, however, a fair amount of traffic passing through the gate. It appears that various groups of Zoners from around the valley are making their way into the Fortress. Seems as though there is some 'gathering' going on. The occasional airspeeder cruises overhead as well, some leaving on patrol, others returning. Every now and then, one of them will do a circuit of the fortress, shining their spotlights on its cliff walls to check for any infiltrators.

At this point, the heroes must decide how to get into the base. The methods of entry could include:

1) Taking Nikki's path. This would require some climbing skill rolls and perhaps some stealth checks along the way as guards from the battlements above patrol and look down. The grate itself is actually quite rusted, and could be wedged out the the way (with some strength). It could also be cut through by tools or lightsabers with relative ease. Once inside, the heroes have to make their way through some disgustingly slimy vent shafts that haven't seen real maintenance in years. There would be dangers along the way- perhaps a huge, stealthy snake-like beast that tries to pick off any stragglers in the party and drag them into a pipe. Perhaps there is a sudden incline on a particularly slippery shaft that threatens to drop players into one of the few still functioning vent fans. Once the heroes are finally out of the vents, the adventure can continue in the main fortress.

2) Trying to ambush a Zoner patrol, using their clothing/armor as a disguise to get past the guards at the main gate. The guards aren't particularly observant- as long as the players look like Zoners and don't draw too much attention to themselves. One of the guards might try to engage the party in conversation, perhaps requiring some type of con or other fast-talking to get past. They may even ask for a 'password'- which, of course, there isn't. The Zoners seem to be talking amongst themselves about the 'games' that night- evidently some kind of big event the Overdog puts on to keep them entertained. Once the heroes are finally past the gates, the adventure can continue in the main fortress.


3) Climbing up to one of the airspeeder hangars located in the cliff-walls of the fortress- or up to the 'battlements' on top. This would be a dangerous climb in and of itself, with the added problem of having to make several stealth checks along the way as guards check occasionally down the cliff face. Once the party reaches its destination, they will have to overcome the guards- which could result in an alarm being tripped. Thankfully, the comm-system in the base is in disrepair, meaning that a response might take a while. This could give the heroes time to disappear into the main fortress itself and continue their search.

4) Anything else the players might hatch. This could include a frontal assault on the base, either from the ground or the air. Such an assault would face heavy opposition- and any party foolish enough to do this should be held accountable for their actions. Heroes are heroes, yes, but even heroes should have the judgment to know when they are overmatched in a 'stand up' fight.

For her part, Nikki will be apprehensive about entering the fortress- having heard stories of the depredations that go on within. It is up to the heroes to decide whether to take her along or leave her to wait. Either decisions could have consequences later.

Once the party is into the main fortress itself, they have quite a few options. Likely, they'll just want to find their targets and escape with them. Ambitious parties may well want to destroy the base by sabotaging its generators. They might also wish to try and steal airspeeders to aide their escape. At this point, the GM is on his own as far as 'contingencies' go. This can be a very free-form part of the mission. There are, however, a few events and locations within the Fortress that can affect how things play out. These include:

1) The games. In a huge, central chamber of the fortress, a deadly maze has been set up, filled with death traps- spikes, flamethrowers, spinning blades, pits, etc. Through this gauntlet, prisoners of the Overdog are forced to run- with the promise of freedom given if they make it all the way through. They are 'urged along' through the maze by a huge, buzz-saw wielding droid that follows behind them at an slow but inexorable pace. This is dubbed "the Persuader".

Most of the Zoners are here, watching from the multiple gallery levels overlooking the 'game pit'. The Overdog is here as well, hanging like a spider from an array of machinery in his 'private box'. Though it is difficult to notice, his box is actually protected by a shield generator that can absorb most weapon-fire directed at him. Near the cyborg-tyrant, in a hanging cage (displayed for his own pleasure and the delight of his servants) are the escape pod survivors, looking terrified, but otherwise whole.

The games will already be in progress as the heroes arrive, with a hapless 'Scav' meeting a grisly fate within the maze. The next victim depends on several things. If the characters left Nikki behind, then the GM can rule that she was subsequently captured by the Zoners and taken here to run the gauntlet. Likewise, if the characters left Hudson or any of his people behind, they could now show up here as captives. Depending on the heroes, they might feel compelled to rescue these victims. If neither Nikki nor any of Hudson's people are at risk, substitute another sympathetic scav. Of course, anyone trying to rescue a person from the maze will likely have to confront "the Persuader". Nikki will prove to be quite adept during these scene, navigating the maze rather well, despite her fear. Even so, the Persuader remains a danger. The whole thing should serve as a dramatic background for whatever the characters are planning- perhaps urging them to hurry as Nikki (or whoever else is stuck in the maze) just BARELY overcomes its dangers.

Any attack during the 'games' will cause mass confusion amongst the zoners- especially if the attacks seem to be coming from 'some of their own'. This will likely touch off violence between the various 'sub-tribes' of the Zoners, who will then turn on each other- essentially creating chaos. Likewise any remaining prisoners (scavs or hudson's men) will use this as a chance to turn against their attackers.

The Overdog will respond to any direct attack by trying to snatch a 'hostage' and then flee via machinery ducts back to his sanctum. His first choice of a hostage would be Nikki- whom he can swoop down to snatch up from the Maze. His second choice would be any one of his new 'slave girls'.

2) The generator room. Reaching this is going to be difficult. It is located in the bowels of the fortress and stands at the end of a featureless hall, behind a massive blast-security door, guarded by a pair of Zoner robots (similar to the "Persuader" in the game chamber above). Even after the guards are subdued, getting through the door is problematic. It can resist most weapon damage and the security locks are very difficult to bypass. All this security is not without reason, though- as the Generator room is actually the lair of the Overdog himself. It is possible that the heroes may reach this room via another passage- following the Overdog through the machinery conduit from the game chamber above. There is only ONE security door blocking their way in this case- this one is less durable and has only a moderate security lock. Apart from the generator machinery, there are 'comforts' here for the the Overdog and his 'guests'- including several plush couches and a bed. Any characters hoping to find the Overdog's fabled 'treasure' will likely be disappointed. The technology here is the true treasure on an otherwise devastated world. He would have access to some modern medicine (medpacs and the like) as well as the cyborg parts necessary to keep him going. There may also be some rare wines and the like, but they wouldn't be a particularly lucrative treasure.

3) Airspeeder hangars. There are a dozen or so airspeeders in here at any given time, half of them the smaller patrol types and half the larger passenger types. There are also several guards present (about a half-dozen) and a like number of Zoner mechanics. As with others in the base, they are likely a bit distracted and lamenting the fact that they can't be at the games.

4) Battlements. Various walkways, towers and watchposts line the top of the cliff-top fortress. These are manned by reasonably alert guards, perhaps a dozen spread in groups of two throughout the area. Each group has access to an intercom at their main patrol station- and are thus able to alert the base 'command center' if there is a problem. Also located on the roof are the various sensor dishes and the defensive batteries of the fortress itself- these include Turbolasers, Anti-fighter battiers, a massive shield generator tower and a scattering of long range anti-vehicle and anti-personnel cannons covering the ground approaches to the fortress.

5) Command center. This is a bunker housed just below the 'battlements'- within the rock of the fortress and accessible only through a single, guarded choke-point manned by a half-dozen Zoners. It is typically manned by the Overdog's trusted lieutenant- a deformed former military officer. He is assisted by another half-dozen other Zoners responsible for directing the fire of the base's defensive batteries. Destroying this room means that the weapons would have to be manned directly in order to fire (at reduced accuracy).

6) Dungeons. Again, located deep within the fortress, these dank cells and passages would be empty and unguarded- with the prisoners having been taken up to the 'games' above for execution. One of the cells has apparently been recently cleaned up- and was evidently used to house the survivors of the escape pod crash.

7) Other areas. There are barracks, mess halls, an armory and storage bays within the fortress. The details of these are left to the GM, though the armory should contain little more than the crude barely maintained weapons the Zoners use. Most of these would be lightly populated during the player's entrance into the fortress- with everyone attending the games.

Eventually, the heroes are likely to have a show-down with the Overdog. The tyrant will flee to his sanctum at the first opportunity. Once there, he will attempt to hide amongst the machinery itself, his own mostly-metal body 'blending in' with the various pipes and ducts. He will also use any hostages taken as bait to lure the heroes into an ambush- dangling them over some danger like a pit of spikes or perhaps a sparking power electrode or some other nastiness. Anyone who goes to rescue them is liable to trigger a trap or be attacked by the Overdog himself, who may be hiding nearby.

Though quite physically durable, the Overdog knows that a stand-up fight against a group of well-armed attackers is likely not to go in his favor, so try to play him as intelligent and have him retreat to hiding when hard pressed. His metal tentacles allow him great mobility. He's able to climb walls, dangle from the ceiling, etc. He will use this to his advantage.

Once the Overdog is defeated, it is up to the characters to make their escape. Since the final showdown is likely to take place within the generator room, they could easily set the fortress to explode- or it could happen by accident during the fight. A spiteful and mortally wounded Overdog may even trigger a 'self destruct' when he thinks all is lost.

There is likely to be a good amount of chaos in the fortress following the Overdog's death- especially of the generator starts to overload and parts of the base begin to explode. This would be a perfect time to escape- and heroes shouldn't have too much trouble- as the Zoners will be more concerned with saving themselves than stopping anyone else.


CONTINGENCIES:

It is possible that the characters may be captured by the Zoners at some point during the adventure. They may even try to gain entrance into the Fortress by allowing themselves to be taken. In either case, they would be searched, disarmed and taken directly to the 'game chamber' to await their chance to run the gauntlet. Their escape could take many forms- they could try and get through the gauntlet and earn their freedom (the Overdog won't grant it, however), or more likely, they could try to escape or overpower their guards. This would be difficult- but could be aided by NPCs. If Nikki or any of Hudson's men weren't with the group when they were captured, this would be a good time for them to swoop in with a diversion.

Some groups may adopt a 'wait and see' attitude about the games- allowing whoever is in the maze to either die or get through it on their own. They may then try to stealthily rescue the pod survivors at a later time. This plan has its own problems, though, as the girls are kept in a cage in full view of the entire arena. And when the games are over, the Overdog will take them back to his sanctum- thus providing him with SEVERAL hostages if the heroes seek him there. If left to her own devices, Nikki WILL make it through the maze, but she will subsequently be taken by the Overdog to join him in his chambers. Also, after the games, the other Zoners will return to their duties, and might very well begin to question any strangers within their midst...

Some heroes may try to formulate a plan to kill the Overdog while he watches the games- perhaps by sniping him from a distance. Due to the crowded nature of the area, this would be difficult to do- with the crowds of Zoners, odds are that the shot would be spoiled by jostling or someone might notice a hero lining up the shot. There is also the (previously mentioned) fact that the Overdog's private box has its own hidden shield generator- that should thwart most attacks. And as mentioned above, the Overdog will attempt to flee from any direct attack outside of his sanctum, preferring to lure heroes into a fight on his own terms.

Due to the open-nature of this last episode, there are quite a few different contingencies- too many to account for them all. GMs will have to be flexible to handle whatever plans the characters might come up with.


Episode V: Epilogue

SYNOPSIS:
Everyone escapes from the Overdog's Fortress and retreats to safe ground. Preparations are made to leave- though there may be a few wrinkles

ADVENTURE:
Depending how the battle within the Fortress went, the characters could have a very easy or a difficult escape. If the Fortress was destroyed, then the Zoners will be scattered and fleeing- offering no fight to anyone. If the Fortress is somehow left intact, then there may be some semi-organizes zoner pursuit- either on foot or by vehicle.

Eventually, though, the heroes will make it back to their ship- hopefully with all of the pod survivors intact. It is possible at this point that if the characters left their ship in a vulnerable position that some of Hudson's people (assuming they didn't accompany the heroes and weren't encountered elsewhere) might have captured it. If so, there may be a bit of a stand-off with Hudson's folks trying to negotiate the most favorable (for them) deal possible.

The GM may also rule (again depending on how well hidden/defended) the ship was, that some Zoners or even some weird mutated beast may have found and boarded it- and may wait in ambush for the heroes return.

The pod survivors will be quite grateful and friendly to their rescuers, but are rather useless in any fight the characters might run into. Any particularly gallant rescuer might become the object of affection from one (or more?) of the girls.

There is also the matter of Nikki. Assuming the characters took her up on her deal, she will be expecting both a cut of the reward and a ride off planet. It is up to the characters whether or not they'll honor this bargain. There is also the question of what to do with Nikki once she is off world. She could join the party as an NPC 'sidekick' or simply be left to her own devices on some starport somewhere (though that's a rather harsh action). A 'nice' end to this might be that Nikki is taken in by the family of one of the pod survivors- and given the life of comfort and safety Nikki thinks she wants. Of course, someone as adventurous as that is bound to turn up somewhere else at some future time...

Once the women are safely returned 'home' (in this case to the nearest civilized star system), their manager will pay the reward and the players are free to do as they will. The manager may wish to 'hire' the characters for a while to do a publicity tour based on the daring rescue- its up to the heroes to determine what to do next...

Adventure Conversion: Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone

OVERVIEW:
In this adventure, a group of heroes attempts to rescue the survivors of destroyed starship, stranded on a remote world that had been quarantined decades ago. They must brave the dangers of the world and its post-apocalyptic society and eventually rescue the survivors from the lair of a local cyborg warlord.

Independent/Smuggler type characters could become involved simply for the reward. Rebel/New Republic type characters could just happen to be in the area and respond to the call. Plus, there’s nothing to say that rebels don’t need a little reward money either.

BACKGROUND:
Decades ago, before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the planet Terros IX was in the grips of a vicious civil war. Efforts by Republic peace-keepers failed and open conflict raged across the planet. Massive bombing raids destroyed much of the civilization, and what was left fell to a particularly vicious bio-engineered plague. This latter event prompted the Republic to Quarantine the world until a proper relief effort could be launched. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Clone Wars resulted in Terros IX being pushed to the ‘back burner’ and eventually just forgotten.

The survivors of Terros’ civil war were reduced to scavengers, picking at the skeleton of their technological civilization. One group, however, gained control of the sole surviving planetary defense fortress. Unfortunately, it was located in a highly contaminated ‘Forbidden Zone’. Many of these scavengers perished, still others were deformed and mutated by the radiation and disease. These became known as ‘Zoners’ by the other ‘Scav’ tribes. Using the superior technology they found at the base (mostly in the form of functional airspeeders and blaster weaponry), the ‘Zoners’ strike at the other tribes with near impunity, killing for amusement and taking what they want.

The leader of the ‘Zoners’ was actually a military scientist. Driven insane by the losses in the war (which he was partly responsible for), he took on the persona of the “Overdog”, a brutal warlord. Over the years, illness and deformity has forced him to ‘augment’ his body with technological components. He became a monstrous cyborg, which served only to further his terrifying reputation among his own people and all the other tribes of the wasted planet. And so things have gone right up until the present day…

…the present day, in a completely unrelated incident, a trio of up-and-coming female pop-star singers was enjoying a leisurely trip to their next concern onboard a corporate yacht. A hyperspace collision of some sort sends their ship careening out of its hyperlane and, by sheer chance, into the Terros system. As the ship begins the break up, the trio are hurried onto an escape pod. They manage to eject as their ship is destroyed…and face an uncertain future on the planet’s surface.

The Yacht’s distress signal is picked up by the comm-net. Immediately, the manager of the trio puts out a reward for the safe rescue of the group- hoping that 100,000 credits is enough to prompt someone to brave the dangers of a quarantined world…

MAJOR NPCs:

The Overdog: A former scientist, now quite mad. The Overdog sees Terros as his own realm now, his personal ‘hell’ to rule. Though he does have a functional off-world comm-transmitter, he refuses to use it, preferring the power his isolation has given him. The Overdog has kept himself alive by gradually replacing failing pieces of his body with home-made cybernetic components. Currently, his body is mostly metal, with only a few ‘original’ pieces left (such as part of his face). He has augmented his strength and added a four new limbs in the form of metallic tentacles ‘growing’ out of his back. These he can use to move around on- and even climb walls and the like. They are also equipped with vicious claws. The Overdog took control of, and continues to lead, a group of ruthless mutant raiders known as the Zoners. They operate out of a fortress (actually an old planetary defense base) in the “Forbidden Zone” of Terros IX. Having picked up the descent of the escape pod on their base’s still functional sensors, the Overdog desires to capture its occupants who are, in his twisted viewpoint, intruders on ‘his’ world. Upon learning of the beauty of the survivors, the tyrant lusts after their beauty and ‘purity’.

The Zoners: These are a motley collection of mutant tribesmen led by the overdog. They dress in ragged clothing mixed with pieces of makeshift armor and usually with turban-like head-wrappings to protect them from the sun. They are armed with various vicious looking home-made knives, axes and clubs, but also carry blaster weaponry taken from their base. The latter is functional, but only barely due to years of abuse. Zoners make use of armed airspeeders to raid other scavenger tribes, using smaller ones to patrol and attack and larger ones to land raiding parties and recover goods and prisoners. Prisoners taken are typically forced to run a deadly maze-like ‘gauntlet’ for the entertainment of the Zoners- none have survived thus far.

The Scavs: There are many different tribes throughout the wastes of Terros, eking out a living through hunting, gathering and scavenging whatever they can (hence their name). They dress similarly to Zoners as far as head-wraps and ragged clothing goes, but take more care in their cleanliness. Overall, Scavs are a peaceful lot- willing to defend themselves, but unlikely to instigate attacks. One of the tribes closest to the ‘Zone’ resides on a huge repulsorlift platform they had salvaged- turning it into a mobile village. They are the first to stumble upon the trio of survivors and actually take them in to provide shelter- perhaps with the hope of making off-world contact or even receiving the help promised to them so long ago by the Republic. Most scavs have access to only primitive weapons- a few have blasters, but most must rely upon crude projectile weapons, including crossbows and the like. Most scav tribes have also salvaged other vehicles, these are typically crude ground vehicles (wheeled), but a few have managed to find (and keep) speeders of various sorts.

Nikki: A spunky young Scav girl (in her mid-teens). She is a scout and gatherer for her people, but often ranges far beyond where the should. This has given her intimate knowledge of the routes leading into the Forbidden Zone. Being an adventurer at heart, she desires to eventually get off Terros and see the galaxy. She is something of a mercenary as well- wanting and expecting ‘payment’ for her services as a scout (even if she does have an overall good-hearted demeanor).

The Trio: Nova, Reena and Meagan. Three up-and-coming pop star singers who are caught in a situation well out of their control. They are reasonably capable individuals, but are NOT combatants and have never encountered any of the dangers they suddenly face on Terros. Thus, after their crash landing, they must rely on others to help them out of their predicament. All three are quite attractive- which unfortunately draws the unwanted attention of the Overdog.

LOCATIONS:

The Wastelands: Much of the surface of Terros has teen reduced to a blasted, desert wasteland. The terrain consists mostly of areas of steep, twisted canyons and broad expanses of rocky flatland. Dotting the landscape are the ruins of cities and other installations, now mostly collapsed or covered by years of wind-blown dirt. Vegetation is sparse and stunted, but exists enough to support a small population of various animals- some of which are dangerous and even mutated.

The Forbidden Zone: This is a huge box canyon situated in the midst of a maze of rocky canyons. It is entirely surrounded by sheer ridges of stone, forming an ‘outer wall’ that shelters a blasted valley. Various Zoner tribes live within the caves lining the inside of the canyon and there are two main ‘gates’ through the outer ‘wall’- both of which are heavily guarded. One spur of the cliffs extends out from the wall and into the center of the canyon. On this is perched the old planetary defense installation where the Overdog has made his lair.



Episode I: Distress Signal

SYNOPSIS:
In this episode, the characters follow up on the reward offer for the recovery of survivors of a hyperspace accident. Unfortunately, the passengers have been stranded on an isolated world that had been all but destroyed by civil war, decades ago. Upon arrival at the planet, the heroes must run a gauntlet of fire from still-active planetary defense batteries in order to make it to the surface.

CUTAWAY:
A scene of a luxury Yacht cruising through hyperspace. Suddenly, it suffers some form of hyperspace collision, sending it spinning out of the hyperlane, trailing smoke and debris. As the ship breaks up, its captain looks for a safe place to land- or abandon ship. They get a fix on a nearby planet, but can't immediately identify it. The passengers, a trio of lovely young women, are taken to one of the escape pods and eject, just as the ship breaks up completely and explodes. The pod arc away from the destruction towards the vaguely menacing planet below.
The pod lands and the women emerge dazedly, surveying a wasted landscape. Off in the distance, one of them spies a dust cloud- some kind of vehicle? They hope it is a rescuer...

ADVENTURE:
The heroes are (for whatever reason) out in a remote area of space when they pick up an alert on emergency frequencies. A space yacht has suffered a hyperdrive accident, throwing it light years off course and into a remote system where its passengers are forced to abandon ship for the nearby planet of Terros IX. A reward of 100,000 credits is being offered by a private citizen for the return of the Yacht's VIP passengers. The characters just happen to be in the area and could get there before any other would-be rescuers.

Some research shows that the planet Terros IX was quarantined several decades ago, during the old republic, following a planetary civil war and subsequent apocalypse brought on by a series of bio-weapon induced plagues. Though a relief mission was planned, the outbreak of the Clone Wars and collapse of the Old Republic insured that it was never carried out. Thus, nobody is quite sure what to expect on Terros IX- though any medical experts might theorize that any bioweapons would most likely have 'run their course' by now. Probably...

It is assumed that from here the party will travel to Terros IX to attempt the rescue. Once in orbit, their sensors will reveal a wasteland below- largely desert, with scattered ruins the only remaining sign of the civilization that used to be here. There are signs of life, however, and even a few power signatures- possibly generators. It will be a relatively simple matter to pick up the distress beacon on an escape pod and follow it down. This is where things get interesting.

Any ship getting close to the planet (either by flying high and scanning or by going in after the escape beacon) will come under sudden attack by powerful and accurate fire from below- and indeed from orbit. Evidently part of the planetary defense system is still active. The heroes will have to evade this fire to get to the surface- otherwise, they might be forced to land due to damage. Worst case scenario, they might actually crash land. GM Note: This threat of fire is essentially a tool to keep the player's ship grounded- or at least operating at low altitude. It is hoped that players will use ground-transport to continue their search. If not, refer to the 'contingencies' section below.

CONTINGENCIES:
Since much of the action in this adventure takes place on the ground, it would be more of a challenge if the players were 'forced' to rely on ground transport instead of using their ship to fly from place to place. This would also prevent them from solving all their problems by simply bombarding them from the sky. The main deterrent to this are the planetary defense batteries- still active and controlled by the main 'villains' of the piece in a fortress located in the 'zone' (an area of toxic wasteland). The earliest stages of the heroes exploration on the surface might allow them to fly at low-altitude without coming under fire (since they would be beyond the horizon from the 'zone'). But as they near their ultimate goal, the ship would face direct fire from those same batteries (which should prove more than a match for a single armed transport). There is also the matter of fuel conservation to consider. Flying/hovering within the atmosphere of the planet burns a lot of fuel. Thus, if players DO insist on flying everywhere, they will find their fuel reserves running low. This should be pointed out to the players so their characters can make educated decisions on how to proceed. If the players do decide to use their ship in the early stages of the adventure, it shouldn't affect too much- and there could be threats to help counter this so the heroes can't simply 'cakewalk' through the threats.

Particularly brash (or bullheaded) characters may wish to attack this planetary defense base head on. Every effort should be made by the GM to discourage this through description of the 'base' itself- heavily shielded and armored, with long range (anti-orbital) and short range batteries. If characters persist, however, the GM should let the (heavily slanted) battle play out as it will. Barring some miracle on the character's part, their ship will likely be damaged or destroyed.


Episode II: Meeting the Locals

SYNOPSIS:
In this espisode, the heroes begin their search for the crash survivors and stumble upon a battle between resident factions of the planet- the evil 'Zoners' and the beleaguered 'Scavs'. The timely intervention of the characters saves the Scavs, but is (likely) too late to keep the Zoners from abducting the crash survivors. Thus the heroes must prepare for a dangerous journey into the wasteland known as the 'Zone'.

ADVENTURE:
The heroes will likely want to start their search at the escape pod's crash site. They might even be able to land nearby- or even survey the site from low altitude. Either way, they will discover that the pod is empty- though if they are performing close fly-bys, they might obscure some of the evidence with the wash of their engines kicking up sand and debris. Closer inspection will show numerous footprints and some tracks in the dirt- evidently left by some kind of primitive ground vehicles. These tracks can be followed off into the wastes- a task that is accomplished much easier from the ground than the air due to the relative size of those tracks. The characters have a couple options at this point, following the tracks or starting a search pattern from the air (keeping at low altitude, beneath the arc of the planetary guns). Anyone using sensors (either in the air or on the ground) has a chance to notice the approach of several 'bogeys'- evidently airborne and moving fast- though not in the direction of the heroes, per se. If these are followed, continue with the scene below.

Eventually, the tracks (or the search) will reveal a huge, ramshackle repulsorlift platform, evidently serving as some kind of mobile 'village'. It moves via a series of large, makeshift sails. It is also, apparently, under attack. Weapon batteries on the platform fire at circling airspeeders- which include both gunships and smaller attack craft. All these vehicles are beat up, but seem quite functional- and deadly. On the barge itself, hand-to-hand fighting is going on between boarders dropped by the airspeeders and the denizens of the 'village'. The attackers are dressed in piecemeal armor and seem to be mutated humans (with a few other alien species mixed in). The villagers are likewise- but not mutated- and they also seem to be outgunned.

It is hoped that the heroes (being heroes) will join in on this fight- against the obviously aggressive attackers. If players are having a hard time determining who the 'bad guy' is here, make sure to describe the brutal actions of the attackers, cutting down women and children, etc.. The heroes will likely be the deciding factor in this battle, driving off the attackers- though the 'villagers' will have taken many casualties. Any particularly observant characters might notice some prisoners being taken by the bad guys as they flee- namely the three women from the escape pod! Evidently the 'villagers' had rescued them, only to be attacked by the bad guys, who now fly off with them.

After the battle, the villagers will tentatively contact the heroes, thanking them for their assistance. The Village elder (gravely wounded) will tell them a bit about their world. These people are one of several groups of survivors who call themselves 'Scavs'- they survive off the leftover tech found in the various ruins and are generally peaceful. The people who just attacked are known as 'Zoners'- they are a gang of mutants and other outcasts who control the last functional planetary defense bunker- located in a devastated area known as the 'Zone'. They are ruled by a being known as the 'Overdog'- a brutal cyborg.

The elder will also inform the characters that the passengers of the crashed escape pod were taken in by his own people- but unfortunately were just stolen by the Zoners in this attack (the characters may have seen this for themselves, see above). Battered as they are, the Scavs have little to offer the heroes, except for directions to the Zone itself- which is surely where the girls were taken. They strongly recommend against following, however, as the Zone is a huge canyon, surrounded on all sides by massive cliffs and heavily defended from the air and the ground. At this point, a young Scav girl (Nikki) points out that she knows a secret way in. She refuses to help, however, unless the characters agree to 1) take her with them on the mission, 2) take her with them when they leave the planet, and 3) give her an equal share of the reward.

The characters have several choices at this point, they can abandon the search (boo), try to get into the Zone by themselves, or take Nikki up on her offer as a guide. The latter is probably the most expedient- and remember, time is of the essence, as others may come in response to the reward. Indeed, at some point thereafter (perhaps if the characters accept the Scav's invitation to spend the night), they will notice what appears to be a starship arcing through the sky, only to be shot down by the Zoners planetary defenses. Evidently someone else HAD responded to the call. Characters wishing to find the crash site should be notified that it clearly lies within the danger zone of the Zoner's planetary guns- so...it's probably not a good idea to go looking from the air.

CONTINGENCIES:
In order to keep the adventure moving, all efforts should be made to ensure that the women from the escape pod are NOT saved by the heroes at this point. In the heat of the battle, their presence may not even be noticed by the heroes. Even if it is, the heroes may not be able to get to them in time. To be fair, however, the possibility of rescue should not be arbitrarily eliminated. Particularly clever, lucky or fast actions might work, but they should be difficult. One tactic to counter 'early rescue' could be that the women are being taken onto different Zoner airspeeders. Even if the characters are able to rescue one or two, the third might STILL be taken away to the zone, thus keeping the 'motivation' for the subsequent adventure intact. If all three women are somehow rescued, there could still be motivation for the heroes to take on the zone: they might be moved by the plight of the scavs and want to help them overthrow this pillaging tyrant. Also, they might want to take out the planetary defense batteries to avoid being shot down as they leave (though clever characters could avoid this by flying low until they are out of the battery's fire arc). As a last-ditch effort for GREEDY characters, a GM might have one of the scavs talk about rumors of the Zoners guarding a 'great treasure' left over from before the war. If the characters manage to rescue all the girls at this point, and want to just cut and run? Well, that's their prerogative- and oh well.

Note that characters utilizing their ship in this episode will find that it becomes a rather large target for the Zoner attack airspeeders. It is quite possible that it could suffer damage or even get shot down during the battle. This is yet another way the GM can 'hint' that using a ship might not be the most prudent thing in this case.

If the players do not have any ground transportation (or if they need more), you can have the scavs provide them with some- in the form of beat-up ground vehicles or maybe even a rare, makeshift landspeeder or skiff they were able to fix. As far as the 'look' of the vehicles go, think "Mad Max" meets Star Wars.

To be continued...in 3D!

Adventure Conversions

I have often posted about my love of taking existing ideas and modifying them for use in the Star Wars setting. I have even posted a couple examples of this. Well, I'm starting a new 'series' of posts where I intend to make a full-fledged adventure outline out of some of my favorite non-star wars things. The first of these is going to be a conversion of the 1983 Sci-Fi film: "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone! in 3D".

Yes, I realize this was a cheesy movie. I love cheesy movies. The worst I can find. But it is one of those cheesy movies that had a big impact on me as a 13-year-old (when I first saw it on HBO). It is also one of the most easily translatable movies on my 'list'- thus its the one I'm going to do first. I'll be releasing my conversion in parts over the next couple three days. I hope you enjoy it. It is a fun exercise for me, so far, and I think its in a condition where a GM could flesh it out and use it in their own campaigns if they wanted.

In the future, I intend to convert such classics as:

Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared Syn
The Mummy
Big Trouble in Little China
The Ice Pirates
Forbidden Planet
The Black Hole
Goliath Awaits
and
Flash Gordon

Stay tuned!

Energy in Star Wars

One of the reasons I like Star Wars so much is the fact it does NOT go into detail about a lot of the 'tech' in its universe. How do ships fly? How do shields work? How? They just do. That's how. From a gaming perspective, this is even more refreshing, since you don't really need to keep track of a lot of 'techy' aspects- as a player or a game master. Even so, I like to have a few general guidelines in place so I know how things 'seem to function' in a game, even if I don't know (or care about) the science behind them.

For instance, I know that blasters seem to require an energy source (a power pack) and a small amount of 'blaster gas' to function. The gas is assumed to last a long time between refillings and can easily be worked into the 'routine maintenance' that is assumed by me in my games. The power-packs are used up more more quickly (depending on the output of the blaster in question) and are generally looked at as the 'ammo' for the weapon- i.e. they are what determines the number of 'rounds' a blaster can fire. Do I need to know exactly how any of this works? No. But its nice to have the superficial details like characters swapping out energy-packs in the midst of battle.

I feel the same way about power sources in the SW universe. I don't really care about the science behind them, I just want the 'gist' of how they work. And yet, there is very little canon information on this subject. More to the point, there seem to be conflicting stories. In some of the 'technical companions' many vehicles run on 'fuel slugs', while in others, reactors are 'solar ionization'. Still others are 'hyperparticle' reactors. Likewise, in some books they show some vehicles (such as AT-STs) as being 'too small' to have onboard reactors, and thus have a power-cell/battery instead.

This seems quite odd to me, considering there are some vague representations of generators in the movies themselves that seem to show that 'generators' can actually be quite small. For example, there is the power-generator that the Snowtroopers carry to power their E-Web blaster in Empire Strikes back. In the same movie, there is that tiny little generator that Luke plugs Artoo-Deeto into after he's crashed on Dagobah. And then there are power-droids, seen throughout the original trilogy- who were described to be 'walking power generators'.

As usual, I tend to err in favor of what we see in the movies over what is presented in the EU or in the (often conflicting) technical readouts of various vehicles. So it is that in my OWN Star Wars galaxy, Power Generators are relatively small in size compared to their power output. This means that in my universe most vehicles are equipped with power generators- even vehicles as small as speeder bikes. This means that with the proper fuel, these vehicles generate their own power- they do not run off a 'battery' (though they would have the ability to store some of the power they generate as a backup).

Though I do not want to get too deeply into the science behind them, I consider Star Wars technology to be based upon fusion technology- a much safer form of nuclear energy than the fission we're used to. The fuel for these reactors would likely be a liquid deuterium (or whatever other star wars equivalents might be invented). I say liquid because it strikes a nice balance of storage space (taking up less space than gaseous fuel) and usability (able to be 'pumped' into fuel tanks instead of having to be 'inserted' as solid fuel slugs or anything of the sort). The use of a fuel like deuterium is also supported in some of the RPG sources as well- specifically those listing 'fuel scoops' and converters. This would allow ships so equipped to dip into naturally occurring supplies of deuterium (in gas giants or even ocean water) to use as low-grade fuel in emergency situations. Since deuterium is a relatively common element, this would mean that power is pretty abundant in the SW universe- and considering the amount of tech we see in the movies, this seems to be the case. Also, in the movies, we never hear about 'fuel shortages' or the like. From a purely 'cinematic' viewpoint, I also like the idea of 'fuel' being a combustible material (deuterium is) and being transported in 'tankers'. To me, that just feels 'right'.

So that's how I handle energy in my own Star Wars universe, vague on the scientific details, but cinematically functional.

p.s. At first glance, it might seem that this system would actually eliminate the necessity for power droids. But having read into just what they were (supposedly) used for, it actually doesn't. In makeshift bases and settlements without a centralized power-grid, power-droids are used to recharge various bits of isolated tech to keep them functioning. In locations where there WAS centralized power, these droids could have a supply of deuterium onboard and could thus 'top off' the fuel tanks of various reactors they service.

Marvel Comics Star War: A long time ago... Volume 3 - Part 4

And finally- the last few issues included in this collection. All in all, I enjoyed the heck out of this book and the various stories within, even if some of them (as you'll see below) have their problems...


Serphidian Eyes

This is a single-issue story arc- and one that seems oddly out of place since it does not follow the continuity of the previous issue. In fact, it actually 'gets in the way' of the conclusion of the "Shira Brie" arc (which actually happens in the next issue). This story seems as though it could have taken place at any point in the Star Wars timeline, being a rather 'generic' and self contained adventure.

The basic premise of Serphidian Eyes is that the Rebellion needs a listening post established on the remote world of Serphidi. Unfortunately, the ruler of the native population of that world (the Serps) is a tyrant and likely opposed to Rebel contact. Thus Luke and two other pilots (Berl and Cinda) are sent to "change a few minds".

Upon arriving over Serphidi, the rebels find themselves under attack by Imperial TIE fighters. They fend off the attack, but Cinda's craft is damaged and the trio are forced to land. On the ground they are attacked by armored Serps riding lizard-mounts and wielding lances that fire energy. Berl is killed and Cinda captured. Luke just barely manages to escape. While trying to figure out a way to rescue his friend, Luke comes across an older Serp and gains his trust (by rescuing him from a native monster).

The elder Serp (Elglih), tells Luke of the plight of his world, which had banned technology long ago to keep the peace. Unfortunately, the Tyrant S'shah revived some of this technology in the form of the power lance and established himself as tyrant of the otherwise medieval world. The only way to unseat him from the throne is to defeat him at the royal tournament. And so Elglih volunteers to train Luke to fight in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Luke's wingman Cinda finds herself a captive of the tyrant S'shah. He finds her an amusing distraction- nice to look at in her 'slave garb'. But he also enjoys terrifying her by stating that he intends to eat her following his victory in the upcoming tournament.

Luke continues his training as Cinda endures her captivity and even attempts to escape (though to no avail). And then comes the day of the tournament. The battle is hard fought, but Luke manages to win. Thus S'shah is defeated and Elglih takes the throne at Luke's request- vowing friendship and aid to the Rebel Alliance.

As I said before, this whole adventure seems a bit out of place in the timeline of the comics up to this point. Even so, it is a generally solid adventure, if a bit hokily written and presented. The medieval trappings of the Serphidian society don't look alien at all, rather, they look like stereotypical 'knight in shining armor' stuff, except for the fact that everyone (and their horses) are big lizards (it's always big lizards). But that doesn't spoil my overall enjoyment, even if I do have to wonder: what exactly was Leia's intention when she sent three pilots to this world. Did she honestly expect three pilots to be able to overthrow a tyrant? Maybe she just hoped for some kind of diplomatic solution, but... well, it's all a bit obscure.


Golrath Never Forgets

This is a single issue story-arc, but one that brings in and ties together plot threads from previous issues- namely the whole "Shira Brie" saga. The adventure begins with Luke returning from his adventures of two issues ago. He stands trial for both the killing of Shira Brie and his 'desertion' after the fact. He is cleared of all charges, however, due to the evidence he was able to gather on Shira and her status as an Imperial agent.

But before anyone can celebrate another problem rears its head. A Rebel tech had taken a stone from the Alliance's previous (if temporary) base on the planet Golrath as a keepsake. This stone begins to exhibit odd properties: namely, it seems to have somehow 'stored' and can project visual images of what was around it. Rebel scientists determine that this particular mineral acts as a kind of natural video-recorder. Unfortunately for the rebels, this means that the stone walls of their previous base actually recorded all their activities on Golrath. Leia quickly scrambles an attack force to return to their previous base and destroy it before the Empire discovers their previous base and its 'recordings'.

Unbeknownst to the Rebels, the Empire has already found the base. The investigation of it has been turned over to Lieutenant Giel (the same officer who had been demoted by Vader in previous issues). Giel feels that the assignment is a punitive one, but is determined to do his best job anyway. He is thrilled when some of his men discover the odd properties of the stone. Giel sees this as a way to begin his climb back to his position as admiral.

The rebel strike force hits the system and is immediately embroiled in a battle with Giel's forces in space. As the starfighters duke it out in orbit, Leia is dropped (via a Jetpack) onto the base itself to set its reactor to self destruct. Giel notices this and sets a trap- personally cornering Leia in the Generator room. There he cuts her off and then HE sets the reactor to blow. Giel offers Leia and ultimatum, surrender or he kills both of them. He reasons that his loss to the Empire will not be crippling, but her loss to the Rebellion could hurt it greatly. Leia, realizing that Giel is NOT bluffing, surrenders- or rather, appears to. Just when things seem lost, however, Leia remotely triggers her jetpack (strapped to a supply cart). This distracts the Imperial- and in fact runs him right over- allowing Leia to escape the reactor room.

Giel gives chase, but its too late. Outside, Leia is extracted via a daring low-level Y-Wing flyby (piloted by Lando and covered by Luke in his X-Wing). Giel takes a pot shot at Luke as he flies by, but seems to do only minimal damage. The former admiral then calmly evacuates with his men, though to an uncertain fate, as he has to now report another failure to Vader. Behind him, the previous rebel base explodes

In space, the Rebels engage their hyperdrives and escape the still-pursuing Imperials. They all escape. Well. Almost all. It seems that the shot that hit Luke's fighter actually DID do some damage. He's stuck facing an armada of TIE fighters. To be continued (in the next issue, of course).

This story frustrates me. On the one hand, I love the whole 'mission' aspect of it. From the waves of Rebel fighters to the covert drop of Leia to sabotage the base. I love Giel as a villain, for once again he shows both intelligence and true dedication to his cause. His intimidation of Leia is an AWESOME example of that. Yes, I love this adventure...except for the fact that the premise beneath it is entirely stupid. Really? Rocks that record what's going on around them...and play it back? The Rebels were at that base for some time- weeks (if not months) and you mean to tell me that nobody noticed this about the rocks THEN? Again, it seems to be a Macguffin devised solely to set up a situation. This is all the more frustrating because some other, more believable Macguffin could have been used. Hell, it could have been something as simple as: The Empire is setting up a new base on , we have a chance to destroy it before it is fully operational. There. You have a solid reason for a quick strike without any magical movie rocks. I would also have added more saboteurs than just Leia to the 'ground team'. Seriously, I mean they send in just ONE person? And one of their top commanders, to boot? That seems just a little reckless. Why not have a squad of guys accompanying Leia. It wouldn't have changed much at all. Bleh. Yes, so- this could have been one of the most awesome Star Wars adventures yet, but...no. Instead it is just 'what could have been'.


Water Bandits

This story picks up after the previous issue. The hyperdrive on Luke Skywalker's X-Wing had been damaged. He manages to hide out on a backwater desert planet to evade the pursuing imperial TIE Fighters. When his provisions are spoiled by local insects, he is forced to visit a local settlement. There he discovers that not all is well on this planet. A friendly female water farmer by the name of Darial explains that mysterious bandits have been stealing all their water harvests and stores, using some mysterious weapon that knocks out any defenders. Luke agrees to help and that night stands guard at Darial's farm. Unfortunately, he succumbs to a strange drowsiness, just like everyone else- but not before sensing something odd- voices saying that they "do what they must" and "mean you no harm".

When Luke wakes, the other dazed farm hands tell him that Darial has gone missing, along with all the water- they fear she's been taken by the bandits. Luke determinedly sets out into the mountains after her. He finds the bandits' base, but is captured and taken before their leader, Gideon Longspar. The villain, of course, lays out his plan now- gesturing to a globe that holds some strange cloud of tiny organisms. Seems these organisms are an empathic colony (referring to itself telepathically as Tirrith). Gideon captured part of the colony and holds it hostage- threatening to harm or kill it if the rest does not do his bidding. Tirrith complies because any harm to PART of the colony will bring great pain to the rest. The water thefts are made possible by the organism creating an odorless chemical that renders humanoids unconscious. After this, the bandits move in and take what they want.

Luke and Darial are then thrown into a cell. They manage to escape, however, with a distraction caused by Tirrith as well as some use of force powers by Luke (who uses telekinesis to open the bolt on their cell). Once freed, Luke manages to free the 'hostage' organisms, but the bandits respond and are about to overrun Luke and Darial. Tirrith urges Darial to destroy the water storage tanks in the Bandit's base- to use the flood to defeat them. Darial is hesitant, because her people NEED that water to survive...but in the end, she does so. The bandits are washed away, but at what cost?

Luke and Darial return to her farm, but the woman is uncertain about her future. At this point, Tirrith returns and through manipulation of the planet's atmosphere causes it to rain.

Overall, I really liked this story. For the most part, it seemed pretty plausible (in a space fantasy kind of way). Tirrith was a unique kind of alien entity and didn't seem TOO outside the realm of believability. About the only thing I didn't like about the story was the fact that the water farmers never thought to use breath masks when there were a LOT of clues that the Bandits could have been using some kind of chemical knockout gas to commit their crimes.


Shadeshine

This story is told within the Star Wars “King Size Annual!”. While on the run from the Empire on the planet Ventooine, Luke and Lando stumble across a statue of Han Solo. A local priest informs them that Han is revered on this world as their savior. A rather convenient audio-recording in the statue then begins to narrate the tale, in Han Solo’s own words.

Years ago, Han and Chewbacca had visited Ventooine in search of some rare spice. This being Han Solo, things rapidly got complicated. Finding himself on the run from some hostile locals, Han inadvertently saves the life of a beautiful woman named Chrysalla. The latter turns out to be the consort of the local Tyrant (known as the “Satab”) and insists that Han accompany her back to the palace to be rewarded properly. Meanwhile, we see that a local priest that Han had helped out earlier is actually part of a plot to overthrow the Satab.

At the Satab’s palace, Han is treated to a banquet- but also gets to see first hand the corruption of the tyrant. The Satab ‘entertains’ his dinner guests by executing a revolutionary with a strange power that seems to just drain him of life. During the dinner, Han is also forced to give up his blaster. This leaves him an unarmed and slightly unwilling ‘houseguest’. Once night falls, however, Han determines to continue with his original mission- to get his hands on the rare spice he came here for (and which he had seen the Satab using earlier). While sneaking through the darkened halls of the palace, however, he is discovered. Thankfully, it is by a friendly Chrysalla, who invites Han to join her in her room. Ahem.

Unfortunately for both of them, the Satab seems to be aware of this tryst, able to perceive the two of them through some strange clairvoyant ability. The next day, the tyrant invites Solo out for a tour of the realm, taking him to see a mine. Here, the Satab’s lackeys release a monster to attack Solo. With some quick thinking, Han manages to kill the beast. At this, the Satab comments quietly to his underlings that he may have must found the perfect candidate to be the NEXT Satab. This development, overheard by a spy, is reported to the local priests conspiring against the tyrant.

That evening, Han is invited to the throne room of the Satab, who has a ‘gift’ for the smuggler- the “Shadeshine”- a strange gemstone amulet that seems to be the source of his power. Han (being Han) is ready to accept this, seeing it as a bit of good luck. Before he can, however, the proceedings are interrupted by the capture of the rebellious priests, who had come to the palace in disguise. Even so, Han is about to accept the “Shadeshine” when Chrysalla suddenly acts- using Han’s blaster to create a distraction, she pulls the smuggler away from the Satab and the two flee. Han is confused by all of this, but as he puts it: “Sure wish I knew what was goin’ on. But until I do, I’m sidin’ with the pretty one.”

Whilst fleeing through the bowels of the palace, Chrysalla explains the TRUE nature of the Shadeshine. It does indeed grant many powers, but it comes with a price. Within a year of coming in contact with the stone, a victim’s senses are enhance to the point where the slightest sensation is overwhelming. All of the previous Satabs have fallen to this and placed themselves in suspended animation in a vault beneath the palace. The current Satab had intended to retreat here as well. The plan, you see, is to Select a suitably ‘ruthless’ and capable person to be the next Satab in the hopes that THIS person will be able to find a ‘cure’ for the Shadeshine, if only out of self-interest (but in the hopes that he will then cure those who came before). Han is shown proof of this when Chrysalla opens the vault containing all the Satabs that came before.

It is at this point that the current Satab finds the two of them and a battle erupts. Using the mystical powers of the Shadeshine, the Satab rapidly begins to gain the upper hand over Solo. Chrysalla then steps in, managing to wrest the stone away from the tyrant. Suddenly able to use those same powers, she manages to resist the Satab’s attack. This clash of powers is evidently the last straw, as the Tyrant literally burns up from the power of the stone. Unfortunately, this means that Chrysalla will eventually share the Satab’s fate. Even so, the Tyrant has been overthrown. Han gets his spice, but the ‘victory’ is dulled by the fact that Chrysalla must retire to the hibernation vault. Thus, the story ends.

Back in the ‘present’, Luke and Lando are aided by the priest when Stormtroopers come looking. The holy man directs the troopers into a mysterious vault where they fall victim to the suspended animation machinery within. Looking on from the Doorway, Luke and Lando see Chrysalla there, thus confirming this amazing story.

Overall, I liked the story. It was a solid adventure tale that felt very ‘pulp hero’ to me, complete with decadent tyrants and scantily clad female consorts. The writing was a bit ‘expositive’, but not bad- and Han Solo did have a few good lines. In fact, I thought they did a reasonably good job of keeping him ‘in character’- or at least in character for his younger self- obsessed with wealth and luxury and perhaps not as wise as his older self. But again there are some problems I have with the ‘root’ of the story- the “Shadeshine” itself. I don’t have a problem really with the ‘powers’ the stone granted. In fact, they felt a lot to me like ‘dark side’ Force abilities. No, the problem I had was with the reasoning behind the Satab’s actions. If each Satab was ruthless and ‘morally flexible’, what makes any of the guys who went on before think that if one of their successors DOES find a ‘cure’ for the gem that they would ever use it to revive all the previous rulers. I mean, if you’re a Tyrant do you really want to suddenly wake up hundreds of OTHER Tyrants who will probably want the throne back? Uhhh. No. To me, it would have made more sense if the Satab was simply looking for a ‘host’- a body and a mind compatible with his own in order to prolong his own life by transferring his consciousness- or even by ‘draining’ the host. But maybe that’s just me…


The Darker

As with the previous few issues, this is another relatively self-contained, single-issue story. It is different from most of the rest in this collection because it focuses almost entirely upon all the ‘sidekick’ characters of the Saga, namely C-3PO, Chewbacca and R2-D2. In fact, of all of them, I’d say that Threepio was probably the main hero of the story.

While working on the Rebel base on Arbra, Artoo hears a call for help coming from one of the unexplored cave passages. Following this, the droid Disappears- causing one of the locals (a bunny-like ‘hoojib’) to go seeking help. 3PO and Chewbacca (along with a small group of Hoojibs) respond to the call and soon find a cave sealed off by a strange Force Field. Within, they find a creepy, ruined city- and also a partially dismantled Artoo. Before they can rescue him, however, they discover the true resident of the area- a strange, floating entity calling itself “The Darker”.

“The Darker” explains its origins- claiming that the race that USED to live on this planet were ultra advanced, technologically. They had even found a way to eliminate their ‘baser emotions’. They weren’t able to destroy this evil half of themselves, though, but rather built a prison for it- this very cave. The Darker, then, is the remains of this evil energy, trapped here long after the original race that created it had departed. Furthermore, the Darker intends to escape by using the Droids to weaken its force field prison. It then intends to inflict its will upon others.

Needless to say, the heroes don’t take this well. Chewbacca attacks- only to find his hatred amplified by the Darker- and redirected towards Threepio. The droid flees, managing to elude the enthralled Wookiee. The droid searches through the records of the lost city to try and find some way of defeating The Darker. He manages to do just that- all the while evading Chewbacca. Threepio even manages to get Artoo running again- just in time to be Cornered by Chewbacca. Before the Wookiee can demolish the droid, however, Threepio appeals to Chewie’s love for Han. This snaps Chewbacca out of his rage-trance.

Threepio then explains that the Darker had lied earlier. He said that the race that created him could NOT destroy him. The truth of the matter is, they CHOSE not to destroy him, because he was a part of them, even if he was their worst part. The force field that holds the Darker does so because it CAN destroy him. The Darker then returns. Chewbacca tries to face him, but is overcome by waves of fear directed at him. Only the timely intervention of the Hoojibs (who had been cowering the the shadows all this time) distract the Darker long enough for Chewbacca to recover- and throw the entity into the Force field, destroying it for good.

As the weary heroes leave the cave and return to the Rebel base, they are teased by Luke and Lando for their absence- with Luke insinuating that they’d been on ‘vacation’.

This is certainly one of the more strange Star Wars stories, dealing as it does with disembodied entities and ancient all-powerful races. But even so, it’s not bad, and not entirely outside the realm of believability (within the Star Wars universe). It was also nice to see Threepio get a chance to be the hero, however reluctant he was to do so.

Marvel Comics Star War: A long time ago... Volume 3 - Part 3

This is yet another continuation of my review of the Star Wars Marvel Comics Omnibus, Volume 3. In this installment I'll be looking at a four-comic story-arc that centers around the newly introduced character Shira Brie.


Shira's Story

In this story, we see the Rebel Alliance (Luke Skywalker's Squadron specifically) using its illegally acquired TIE fighters to launch a series of raids on remote Imperial installations unprepared for attacks from "friendly" craft. We also see the burgeoning relationship between Luke and Shira via their banter during and after combat. After one mission, Shira asks to be allowed to run a personal errand. Leia nixes the request, fearful of compromising base security- see, only high-ranking officers actually know the coordinates of the secret base on Arbra. Thus, if Shira left, she wouldn't be able to find her way back. Luke, knowing the coordinates, volunteers to escort Shira on her errand. Leia agrees, though reluctantly (once again implying some sort of unease between the Princess and Shira).

Shira, Luke and a couple other pilots from the squadron head to the remote world of Shalyvane- Shira's birthplace. On the surface they find only ruins. Shira insists on visiting a local temple alone and performs a strange ceremony in which she cuts herself and lets the blood drip onto an altar of sorts. This is rudely interrupted when a large group of humanoids suddenly attacks. Luke and his group are quickly pinned down, even as Shira explains what happened: Evidently her people used to live in these ruins and were at war with the 'nomads' now attacking them. That war ended when the nomads told the Empire that Shira's people were rebel sympathizers- prompting the complete destruction of the city- and all of Shira's family by bombardment and stormtrooper assault. That is the reason for Shira joining the Rebellion and her reason for returning here is to renew her 'blood vow' of vengeance for her people.

After this story is told Artoo discovers an underground tunnel and the rebels prepare to use it to escape. Unfortunately, the tunnel collapses after Shira enters it, apparently killing her. Luke and his men hold out until they run out of ammo, then prepare to make a final stand against the nomads when, suddenly, an X-Wing soars in and drives them back. Evidently Shira made it out of the tunnel and back to her ship, saving them all. Luke seems especially relieved that Shira survived- again hinting at the growing relationship.

This is definitely one of the better story arcs in the marvel comics series. From the dialogue to the 'realistic' feel of the missions presented it was quite grounded in the 'reality' of the Star Wars universe (i.e. it felt like the movies to me). About the only thing I don't really like is the suggested jealousy Leia holds for Shira. Though looking at this with 'modern' eyes, you could easily read something more into it- a protectiveness Leia feels towards her brother and perhaps some unease about Shira herself- whom she doesn't trust for some reason...


Screams in the Void

This issue begins with an awards ceremony for Shira Brie for her actions in saving her squadron-mates in their last mission. The award is presented by Leia herself and Shira is shown to be accepted and admired by the other Rebels. The rift between Leia and Shira seems to deepen, however, as Luke spends all his time with the latter at the expense of the former. This leads to a whole scene in which in introspective Leia examines just what she's feeling and why she's feeling it- going so far as to remind herself that she IS in love with Han Solo, and shouldn't begrudge Luke forming his own relationship...should she?

We then cut to the armada of Admiral Giel, who had briefly been introduced in the former issue. Here, we see him in command of an escort mission for a strange electromagnetic entity called a 'screamer'. This rare (perhaps unique) creature could, if 'installed' on Coruscant, greatly increase the speed of intergalactic communications for the Empire, thus giving them another edge over the Rebellion. Giel is shown to be a firm but fair commander- and in fact comes off as competent- a seeming rarity among Imperial officers.

We then rejoin the rebels as they prepare for their next mission. Here we finally see the REAL reason that they acquired the TIE Fighters in the previous missions. They intend to infiltrate Admiral Giel's armada and destroy the Screamer before the Empire realizes what's going on. It is during preparation for this mission that Shira takes Luke aside and they share a kiss- after haltingly commenting on how dangerous the coming mission is going to be.

Phase one of the rebel plan involves ambushing a long-range patrol from the Admiral's fleet. From a captured TIE pilot, the rebels gain the recognition codes they will need to pose as that same returning patrol. Phase two of the plan is the infiltration itself, with some tense moments as the recognition code is given and finally accepted. Phase three finds all hell breaking loose as Luke and his squadron attack- prompting the Empire to open fire on its own TIEs in an attempt to isolate the attackers. Admiral Giel cleverly orders his techs to utilize the "Screamer" to jam all communications channels save his own. Thus, Luke and his squadron find themselves unable to identify each other in the melee. As Luke lines up for his shot on Giel's ship, he finds his path blocked by another TIE. Reaching out with the force to determine if it's a friend or foe, he senses foe and fires- destroying the tie before firing the shots that destroy the Shrieker and cripple Giel's ship (which had been carrying it).

Luke only narrowly escapes Imperial pursuit and makes it back to base. There, he finds an oddly cold reception. Evidently one of Luke's team-mates made it back just before Luke. On his flight-recorder, Rebel techs have made a shocking discovery. The fighter Luke shot down, thinking it was an enemy, was actually Shira Brie's.

Again, this was a pretty darn good story. And again this was mostly due to the dialogue (and monologue) of the various characters. The action leading up to the final showdown was great, as was the Introduction of Admiral Giel as a unique character. What I really did NOT like was the whole concept of the "Screamer". It just came off as being far fetched- and in retrospect it really only seemed to exist as a Mcguffin to set up the REST of the story. It provided a reason for the Rebels to attack. It provided a reason why the Empire could jam Luke's communications- thus setting the stage for the tragic accidental death of Shira Brie at Luke's hands. You could have just as easily had something more believable be the target of the attack (a prototype shield or weapon or vehicle, etc.) and the whole Jamming thing could have just as easily been standard Imperial jamming- or a special jammer on Giel's flagship. You didn't need to make up some 'cosmic entity'. Bleh.


Pariah

This story picks immediately after the events of the last, as Luke tries to come to grips with the fact that he has just evidently killed Shira Brie, his wingman- and a woman he was beginning to have feelings for. He faces cool hostility from many in the Rebel base- and some outright anger as one soldier accuses him of being a 'sorceror' who may be in league with Darth Vader. Luke reflects moodily on his sudden status as outcast- and feels all the worse because he IS guilty of shooting down Shira. Ultimately, he decides to dig further into the matter, unable to accept the fact that the Force simply led him astray in identifying her as an enemy. Lando and Chewbacca aid Luke in taking the Millennium Falcon, despite standing orders that Skywalker was to be confined to base. Chewbacca goes so far as to accompany the boy in a show of solidarity with his friend.

Not sure where to begin, Luke travels to Shira's desolate homeworld of Shalyvane, hoping to learn more about her and the strange blood ritual she performed there (several issues previous). What he finds are more hostile natives- the same nomads who attacked him the last time he visited. From their Shaman, however, he learns a very different story than the one Shira told. This was not a human city at all, but rather home to the Nomads, wiped out without warning by the Empire. Luke is skeptical, but his misgivings about Shira's story only grow when he discovers a transmitter hidden inside the 'altar' Shira had visited. Mimicking Shira's own action, Luke lets drops of his own blood fall on the altar. At first nothing happens, and then suddenly- Darth Vader Appears!

I thought this was a very solid story, if a bit melodramatic. But then, a lot of comics of this era are. I especially liked the idea of not ALL of the alliance folks liking the fact that Luke has the Force. With this being set post-Empire Strikes Back it has the added gut-punch of making Luke question himself and his training. Is Darth Vader really his father? CAN his powers be trusted if this is so? What else DIDN'T Yoda and Ben tell him… I also really enjoyed the various reactions of the other heroes. Lando and Chewbacca in particular really stand by Luke in his moment of need. What I didn't understand, though, is the 'faked' scene early in the story where Leia pretends to have chewed out Luke and he pretends to be angry with that. It was evidently done so that Leia wouldn't seem 'preferential' in her treatment of a soldier who had just committed 'fratricide', but to me, it didn't seem to work- it just made Luke look all the more guilty- and like a jerk, to boot.


The Mind Spider

This issue picks up right away with the Cliffhanger from the last- which is quickly defused as Darth Vader turns out to be just a pre-recorded Hologram who (very thoughtfully) 'monologues' his entire plan to Luke. Seems Shira was an agent of the Dark Lord, placed to bring about the downfall of Luke by destroying his credibility within the Rebellion- turning him into an outcast with nobody to turn to- except Vader. The hologram- and the transmitter- then self-destruct, leaving Luke with the knowledge that Shira was a traitor- but no proof.

Meanwhile, on Vader's Flagship, Admiral Giel (from two issues ago) must report his failure to the Dark Lord. His professionalism and courage impress Vader enough that he doesn't kill the man- he merely demotes him to Lieutenant. At this point, Vader receives word that the transmitter on Shalyvane has terminated- and Vader sets course immediately for a world called “Krake's Planet”.

As it turns out, this is where Luke had traveled as well- looking to break into an Imperial “data vault”. The vault is revealed to be of rather unique construction: an organic “crystal cocoon” shaped by native slug-like creatures under Imperial control. It is held aloft in the middle of a ravine by spindly, leg-like supports, giving it a resemblance to a giant spider (the titular “mind spider”). Luke and Chewbacca manage to sneak inside through a difficult to reach (and less well guarded) kitchen entrance. Here, they ambush an Imperial officer and (by pretending to poison him) convince him to access the computer files via the Kitchen's recipe terminal. Here then, Luke finally gets the proof he needs- Shira Brie's complete file. It reveals her to be an Imperial agent in Darth Vader's employ. Unfortunately, stormtroopers attack and destroy the data-disk Luke had just used to capture that information.

A running battle ensues as Luke and Chewbacca try to escape the vault. The two are separated, forcing Luke to find his own way out (and hope Chewbacca can do the same). He manages to get back to the Falcon and take off. He then swings back around to see if he can find Chewie. Utilizing the Force, Luke reaches out and 'convinces' the commander of the Vault to lower its shields momentarily. This allows Luke to fly in and pick up the Wookiee. By this time, however, the shields are back up. Nothing to do now but destroy the whole complex. And that's what they do- escaping as the Data Vault explodes. Vader's fleet has evidently just arrived in orbit as this happens, but is unable to prevent the Falcon from escaping yet again. Luke is at first distraught at being unable to get the proof he needs. Thankfully, Chewbacca had gone back to make another copy of the data (hence the reason for his getting separated from Luke). The two then head back to base to clear Luke's name.

Meanwhile, on Vader's ship we follow the Dark Lord as he visits the medical bay. There, floating in a bacta tank, is none other than Shira Brie herself- injured but apparently still alive.

I was REALLY enjoying this story arc until the very end. I mean the exchange between Giel and Vader was neat- as was the fact that Vader's plan to discredit Luke was actually not that bad (though I do wonder just how Shira intended to do that if she HADN'T been blown up). The infiltration of the data vault is fun as well, as it the con-job Luke pulls in convincing an Imperial officer he had been poisoned (using soap flakes). There is also an awesome fight between Luke and some Stormtroopers that shows just how badass Luke was getting by this point. I also really loved the cliffhanger- with Shira revealed to be still alive. She will, of course, come back to haunt Luke in the future.

The whole Data Vault thing was a bit odd, however. Why would the Empire make use of crystal-exuding slugs to create a base? Maybe it was just cost effective. If that's the case (and I'm assuming it is), then I have no problem with it.

The 'deal-breaker' for me, however is in the final few moments of the adventure. It is another example of the Force used as a deus ex machina. Without even seeing her, or being anywhere close to her, Luke manages to somehow mentally control the base commander and force her to lower the shields momentarily. It just felt so out of the blue and way beyond anything Luke had shown before. I also disliked the fact that Luke and Chewbacca apparently destroyed the Imperial base by turning the Falcon's shields on and flying straight THROUGH it. That seems implausible, otherwise, why wouldn't ships with shields just be flying through everything? Bleh. In any case, it was a lame “Wah wah wah” ending to an otherwise great story arc.

Marvel Comics Star War: A long time ago... Volume 3 - Part 2

This is a continuation of my review/thoughts on Volume 3 of the Marvel Comics Star Wars Omnibus series: A long Time Ago... There will likely be several more updates as I delve into each storyline in a bit more depth.

Plif

This is a stand-alone story arc, but one that forms the basis for quite a few stories to follow. It begins by showing a rebel scouting party (led by Princess Leia and Chewbacca), scouting the forest world of Arbra as a possible site to set up a new base (since they lost their last base on Hoth). The team very quickly discovers that the planet is already inhabited—in this case by tiny rabbit-like aliens (Hoojibs) who feed on energy and also happen to communicate via telepathy. Unfortunately for the rebels, the “introduction” comes when the Hoojibs raid their camp, draining nearly every weapon and piece of equipment of power. It seems these otherwise gentle folk have been starving since they were forced out of their cavern home by a gigantic, flying monstrosity (dubbed “The Slivilith”). When both rebels and Hoojibs come under attack by said beast, they join forces to do battle. Through use of teamwork and clever tactics, the monster is slain. It is shown that the caverns in which the Hoojibs live are home to an odd-but-powerful crystal power source. This serves as the Hoojibs ‘food’- but could also be put to use to help power a rebel base. Some of the desperate rebels seem about to turn on the Hoojibs and TAKE their home. But Leia quickly nixes this. Thankfully, the Hoojibs, impressed by Leia’s integrity, invite the Rebels to share their home with them. The Alliance seems to have found a new base.

This was actually a very solid story. My only real criticism is the hoojibs themselves, who are…well, just too darn cute. They’re like the Nibblonians from Futurama. But even that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story. And again it is nice to see Leia as the main protagonist in the story- flexing her skills both as a soldier and a diplomat. I especially liked the way the rebels had to figure out a way to fight the big bad monster WITHOUT most of their high-tech gadgets. Great stuff.



Return to Bespin

This story arc spans two issues of the comic and details Lando Calrissian’s return to Cloud city to to check up on what happened to it since the Empire’s takeover (during the Empire Strikes Back). He finds the metropolis seemingly deserted- save for Lobot, who seems to have malfunctioned/gone berserk. While fleeing from the cyborg, Lando discovers a team of Imperials. After several shootouts, Lando finally comes face to face with the Imperial leader (Governor Treece) and finds out what’s really going on. Evidently, Cloud City’s Ugnaught workers (in protest against harsh Imperial rule) set explosives designed to topple the city- which was subsequently evacuated. The Ugnaughts were also responsible for disabling Lobot, the only person capable of thwarting their plans. Forced into an alliance of convenience with Teece, Lando manages to capture and repair Lobot. The Cyborg manages to defuse the bombs, just in time for Teece to betray Lando and kick him (literally) off cloud city.

The next book picks up with Lando plummeting to his death. Lobot, now fully restored, manages to save his former boss with a Jet Pack- just barely slowing his crash landing into the swampy surface of Bespin. There, the two fall in with a clan of Ugnaughts. After escaping Imperial pursuit, Lando meets with the Ugnaught King and discovers that the Imperials had increased tibanna gas production to a point where it was damaging the ecosystem (mostly so Governor Treece could skim profit off the top without anyone noticing).

Meanwhile, back on Cloud City, Luke and his new wingman (a woman named Shira Brie) have come to Bespin to check up on Lando (since he had missed his scheduled check-in). The two quickly get into trouble with the Governor’s stormtroopers who are now “clearing” the city in preparation for a return to operation. It is during this firefight that Lando arrives, flying up to the city on an Ugnaught airship (lifted by huge gas-balloons). Accompanying him are Lobot and (of all things) an ugnaught news crew. The latter quickly set about ‘covering the story’ going on- remarking on the plight of the outnumbered rebels. Lando attempts to bully Treece into surrender by threatening to have Lobot re-arm the explosive charges. The Governor responds by shooting Lobot. It is at this point that Luke rejoins the fray. Using the Force, he apparently re-activates the charges. The Imperials flee as the explosives detonate and the city begins to drop. All seems lost when the city slowly halts its fall and Luke explains that he didn’t re arm the MAIN explosives, only the arming charges. Thus, it was lots of flash and bang, but without any real damage to the city.

The story ends with the city being repopulated, both by the ugnaughts and the returning evacuees. Lando and the Rebels are hailed as heroes and it is explained that Bespin will, once again, become a ‘free port’, since the Empire thinks it was destroyed.

Right. Yeah. So, I have quite a few problems with the above story, which is really a shame, because as far as characterization goes, it was actually pretty well done. The characters had great interactions and we get to really see Lando in action. He is definitely presented as a brains over brawn guy who plays the odds. Which nicely sets him apart from the more haphazard Han Solo.

The Ugnaught news crew was actually rather amusing- and a nice little touch to both the story and the race as a whole- giving them more character. There was even an amusing little scene with the Imperial Bomb squad discovering a ‘talking bomb’ (droid brain built into a bomb) that convinces them that it wants to help them disarm it. Yeah, turns out it really didn’t. Suckers.

Unfortunately, so much of the rest of the story just…ugh. First of all, there was the huge mistake of making Bespin a planet with a surface instead of a gas giant. I mean, it’s an honest enough mistake, since Bespin’s exact composition wasn’t ever explicitly stated in the movie itself. I could even forgive this and ‘gloss it over’ if it weren’t for the horrible ending to the story. Seriously. Luke suddenly develops the ability to sense and re-wire a dozen bombs which are likely several kilometers away from him. Yeah. Right. Not buying that. And then the whole Idea that Luke knew that the re-wired bombs would only cause the city to drop for a few minutes. Not buying that, either. And then the idea that the Empire would just assume the city had fallen and would never send anyone to check on it ever again. Riiiight. Sigh. This kind of ending just ticks me off, especially since it was an otherwise good story.

As a final note, this story-arc marks the first introduction of Shira Brie- a red-headed rebel pilot destined to become something of a love interest for Luke Skywalker. Though she plays only a small part here, she is involved in a few key moments- her introduction quickly sets her at odds with Leia (who is seemingly a bit jealous of Shira’s budding relationship with Luke). Shira also has some fun banter with Luke during the firefight and its aftermath. She will become an increasingly important character in future story arcs.



Sundown

This single-issue story details the Rebel Alliance’s attempt to find a hiding place for it’s fleet even as they set up their new headquarters on the planet Arbra. The plan is to utilize a gigantic ‘energy pyramid’ to surround their fleet and then fly the whole thing into the chromosphere of the system’s star. They’re going to hide in the fires of the sun itself- the last place ANYone would look. Yeah. You can say that again. Of course, all of this seems to be worth it when an Imperial TIE patrol passes through the system, looking for Rebels- and find none.

Unfortunately (but perhaps not surprisingly), things go wrong. One of the ‘points’ of the pyramid (responsible for generating and maintaining the energy field) experiences some ‘technical difficulties’- and it seems as though the whole thing is going to collapse and fall into the sun’s corona- destroying the fleet entirely. Only through the timely intervention of Artoo and Threepio is disaster averted and the fleet saved.

So. Yeah. I dislike this entire story and call BS on both the concept of the ‘energy pyramid’ and the necessity of hiding a fleet inside a sun. I mean, seriously- how big is space? Why not just hide in deep space, outside of any solar system. The odds of being found there would be very, very (very) low. Why risk having an entire FLEET destroyed by hiding in a sun. There is no reason. It’s just stupid. It reminds me of that scene from Family Guy’s version of the Empire Strikes back:

Leia’s Plan: “We’re going to hide our ships inside the sun! What could possibly go wrong!”

Rebel soldier: “Ummm yeah. Could we talk to someone else? Maybe in the military? Preferably a man?”


Bazarre

This is mostly a single-issue story-arc, though some of the set up actually occurred in the previous issue. Here we have Lando and Luke traveling to the gigantic spaceship/spacestation known as “Bazarre”- a less-than-reputable trading post run by a less-than-reputable criminal named Orion Ferret. Yes, that’s really his name. Subtle, huh? I guess “Weasley McBackstabber” was taken. In any case, the two heroes are here to purchase four TIE fighters for an as-yet-unknown reason. Ferret, of course, intends to betray them, but is (for the moment) thwarted in this by Chewbacca, whom Lando leaves behind with the crime boss to ensure nothing bad happens.

Luke and Lando, meanwhile, travel in Ferret’s shuttle to the junk world of “Patch 4” to pick up their TIE fighters. There they find (not surprisingly) a trap in the form of a gigantic worm-like watchbeast that tries to kill them. The two escape to link up with some friendly local folk who reside amongst the junk. The junk-folk tell Luke and Lando that Ferret keeps a ‘sonic pacifier’ in his shuttle and the two concoct a plan to get it an escape. They wind up battling the worm beast, with Lando moving to distract it as Luke races for the pacifier. In the end, they manage to down the critter just in the nick of time- and turn the pacifier over to the junk-folk.

Meanwhile, back on Bazarre, the scheming Ferret manages to utilize a hidden ‘freeze ray’ to immobilize Chewbacca. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work and Chewie escapes. Needless to say, the Wookiee is a bit irate, but before he can twist Ferret’s head off, Luke and Lando return— with their promised cargo of TIE Fighters— and all is well.

All in all, this was a great little story- especially when compared to the shortcomings of the previous tales. Again, we get to see a lot of insight into Lando’s character. There is also quite a bit of genuinely amusing banter- something that is, to me, a MUST in any Star Wars story. Other things I enjoyed were the fact that they FINALLY allowed Lando to get out of the costume he’d been wearing since bespin- you know, the blue shirt with red-cape combo? Yeesh. I also enjoyed (despite his less-than-subtle name) the character of Ferret and his amusing little octopus-parrot thing that sat on his shoulder. He was a unique and memorable character who I could easily see being used in any game campaign. But most of all, I liked the rather solid plot, with no deus ex machina ending. At one point, Luke uses his force powers to topple a pile of junk onto the worm beast- only to have it simply burrow its way out. So yeah, the Force isn’t infallible, no does it always produce a miraculous rescue. Yay!