TEXT: ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  Otherspace III: Extinction is a Star Wars 
  adventure for a gamemaster and four to six players. 
  The Characters should ideally be experienced, as 
  they will face great challenges in this adventure. 
  Beginning level characters can play this adventure, 
  but the encounters should be ‘toned down’ to reflect 
  their overall toughness. Gamemasters should read 
  the entire adventure before play begins so that the 
  action and storyline can progress naturally, without 
  a lot of page flipping and undramatic pauses.
   
  Players, however, should stop reading this 
  booklet now. The information contained herein is 
  for gamemasters only.
  In This Adventure...
   
  ...a group of heroes responds to a call from a 
  remote military outpost and arrives to discover a 
  strange visitor from another dimension. This young 
  woman brings news of an impending invasion, 
  and has been sent by her mistress, Ellen Varnay, to 
  find help. Surely this cannot be the legendary Jedi 
  Knight presumed dead in a hyperdrive accident 
  decades ago... can it?
   The heroes are quickly swept up in a tide of events 
  that takes them across dimensional barriers and 
  into conflict with both the genocidal Charon and 
  a legendary Jedi Knight teetering on the brink of 
  darkness. The fates of two dimensions hang in the 
  balance as this epic struggle unfolds.
  Integration with Previous 
  Otherspace Adventures
   
  In order to integrate this adventure with the 
  previous two Otherspace modules there are a 
  few basic assumptions that must be made. First 
  and foremost, you must assume that the first two 
  adventures were merely the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as 
  far as the Charon menace is concerned, and that 
  there is a larger power at work behind the scenes. 
   In the first module, Otherspace, we are told that 
  the Desolate was the flagship of the Charon, the 
  instrument of their conquest of their galaxy. In 
  order to run the third chapter, we must assume that 
  the Desolate was but one of many such vessels, and 
  its leader also one of many. It only stands to reason 
  that the conquest of an entire galaxy would require 
  more than one vessel. Imagine then, thousands of 
  these ships, working in concert.
   
  In Otherspace II: Invasion, the Desolate (now 
  commanded by the Charon construct of Moff 
  Ravik) crosses over to the Star Wars galaxy in 
  an abortive invasion attempt. Assume instead that 
  the Desolate was merely an advance scout for the 
  armada to follow; its crossover made possible by a 
  malfunctioning prototype of the dimensional drive. 
   
  In essence, you must assume that there was 
  more going on in the first two modules than even 
  the author’s of those adventures knew. The Charon 
  menace is more than a single ship, it is an entire 
  race, numbering in the billions, led by a ‘Mother-
  Queen’ of immense power. If you are willing to 
  fudge the background just this little bit, you’ll find 
  the trilogy of Otherspace fits together quite nicely.
  Adventure Background
   
  This adventure is the final chapter in a trilogy 
  of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game adventures. 
  What began with Otherspace and continued in 
  Otherspace II: Invasion, culminates in Otherspace 
  III: Extinction. If you have not played the previous 
  adventures, you may wish to consider running them 
  first, but this is not necessary for enjoyment of this 
  adventure. The necessary information from those 
  adventures is summed up below.
  Summary of Previous 
  Otherspace Adventures
   
  In Otherspace, the Celestial, an Alliance prison 
  transport, suffers a hyperdrive accident which hurls 
  it into another dimension known as Otherspace. 
  I
  ntroduction
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Here the Charon, a mysterious race dedicated 
  to the worship of the “Void”, were the sole 
  remaining civilization in a galaxy decimated by 
  their destructive jihad. The arrival of the Celestial 
  awoke them from their hibernation. 
   
  A group of rebel heroes battled across the 
  length of the Desolate, the Charon’s half-living 
  starship. Overcoming both Charon and escaped 
  Imperial prisoners, the Rebels managed to find the 
  parts needed to repair their shattered hyperdrive 
  and fled back to realspace.
   
  Having learned of the existence of another 
  dimension, teeming with the ‘disease’ of life, 
  the Charon realized that their holy mission was 
  not yet complete. They would not rest until this 
  dimension too was made desolate. To this end, 
  they integrated the consciousness of Imperial Moff 
  Ravik into their biological computer, hoping to use 
  his knowledge to help them build a drive capable 
  of taking them across the dimensional barrier.
   
  In Otherspace II: Invasion, the Charon worked 
  feverishly to complete their ‘dimensional drive’, 
  and after several months were close to success. 
  The Desolate was to be the first to cross over, 
  an advance scout for the armada to come. 
  Unfortunately for the ship’s commander and holy 
  leader, Ber’asco, things did not go as planned. In 
  the final stages of preparation for the jump, the 
  consciousness of Moff Ravik (having somehow 
  survived ‘integration’ ) lashed out at the Charon 
  commander, struggling for control of both the ship 
  and Ber’asco’s corporeal body.
   
  The end result of this struggle was a mis- timing 
  of the jump and a disastrous crash immediately 
  after the Desolate’s emergence in realspace. 
  Ravik, existing as a monstrous Charon/Human 
  hybrid, was now in control. His mind shattered 
  by his ordeal, he planned to lead the Charon on 
  a rampage of destruction throughout the galaxy. 
  Ravik’s first step was to capture Stronghold, 
  the rebel outpost they had crash-landed next 
  to. While his bio-scientists began the process 
  of transforming its inhabitants into mindless 
  ‘constructs’, his warriors scoured the planet for 
  the hidden rebel shipyard. With its hyperdrive 
  equipped ships, he would be able to carry his 
  insane mission of death to new worlds.
   
  Only the timely intervention of a band of 
  heroes prevented these plans from coming to 
  fruition. Investigating the loss of contact with the 
  outpost, these brave beings managed to rally the 
  surviving rebels of Stronghold and bring an end to 
  Ravik’s mad schemes.
  Subsequent Events
   
  The loss of the Desolate and the apparent 
  malfunction of its dimensional drive set back the 
  Charon’s invasion plans, but only for the moment. 
  The void would not be denied. Even as arachnoid 
  scientists worked to perfect the drive, the Mother-
  Queen, true ruler of the Charon race, called her 
  children from the far reaches of Otherspace. The 
  armada gathered. Billions of Charon in tens-of-
  thousands of ships- the bulk of their entire race- 
  stood poised for the fateful day when their crusade 
  would begin again. 
   
  But the dimensional barrier was not the only 
  obstacle to the arachnoid’s plans. Unknown to 
  the rebels who had twice before encountered the 
  Charon, there were others who fought against the 
  Arachnoid menace. Despite the lethal ‘efficiency’ 
  of the Charon war against life, their victory was 
  not complete. Here and there, handfuls of beings 
  had managed to survive. They lived in hiding, ever 
  fearful of discovery and eradication. Some twenty 
  years ago, the arrival of a warship from another 
  dimension changed all this. The RSS Triumph, 
  veteran of the recently ended clone Wars, suffered 
  a hyperdrive accident that inadvertently sent the 
  vessel to Otherspace. Aboard was the legendary 
  Jedi Knight Ellen Varnay, and under her leadership 
  the ragged bands of survivors gathered and were 
  soon transformed into a viable, if hopelessly 
  outnumbered, fighting force. 
   
  After years of struggle, the ‘Resistance’ (as 
  they called themselves), established a secret colony 
  called Sanctuary. From here, they began to strike 
  back against the Charon. Though they could do 
  little more than harry the arachnoids, their very 
  presence was a victory. They represented life 
  and hope to all those who had survived. Perhaps 
  it was a futile struggle. Maybe the Charon were 
  unbeatable. But to the Resistance, life, however 
  fleeting, was worth fighting for... and that is 
  exactly what they did.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Recent Events
   
  Several months before this adventure, on a mission 
  to discover the reason behind the gathering of the 
  Charon armada, Ellen Varnay was captured. The 
  Mother-Queen herself conducted the ‘questioning’ 
  of her adversary, but even after weeks of physical 
  and mental torture, the Jedi simply would not be 
  broken. The Mother-Queen was enraged... and yet 
  curious. What power did this creature possess that 
  made her so strong? The queen had to know, for 
  perhaps she too could acquire this power.
   
  Making use of her race’s bio-computers, the 
  Mother-Queen established a direct mind-link with 
  Varnay and began a series of cruelly methodical 
  mental probes aimed at discovering the source 
  of the Jedi’s power. The Queen got more than 
  she bargained for, however. The link worked 
  both ways, and Varnay, seeking to find some 
  weakness in her enemy that would help her escape, 
  unwittingly stumbled upon the Charon’s plans to 
  invade Realspace... her home. In a moment of pure 
  rage and fear, Varnay lashed out with the force. 
  The Mother-Queen and her attendants were struck 
  down in a storm of blue-black force energy. The 
  Jedi managed to escape in the confusion, fleeing 
  the Armada in one of the Charon’s prototype 
  dimensional-drive biopods.
   
  Unfortunately, the Mother-Queen hadn’t died. 
  Though injured grievously, she felt it was a small 
  price to pay, for in those final moments of the link 
  she had seen the source of Varnay’s power. She 
  had felt the rage and fear... the darkness. It burned 
  in her now, like an insatiable hunger. It was the 
  Dark Side, the ultimate embodiment of the Void, 
  and its power was now hers. Though difficult to 
  control at first, the Mother-Queen was learning 
  fast. Soon, she would master the darkness... and 
  serve it. Together, they would rid the galaxies of 
  the hateful light of life.
   
  Back on Sanctuary, a recovering Ellen Varnay 
  could sense the growing power of the Queen. 
  Guilt stricken, she believed it was her fault, her 
  weakness that had allowed this to happen. Despair 
  gave way to rage: Varnay resolved that she would 
  not allow this to happen. She told the Resistance of 
  the destructive plans she had glimpsed in the mind 
  of the Charon Queen. For the surviving crew of 
  the Triumph, the idea of the Charon taking the war 
  to Realspace, their home, was unthinkable. Those 
  members of the Resistance native to Otherspace 
  felt much the same way. They did not want the 
  nightmare that befell their civilizations to happen 
  to anyone else. Thus the Resistance dedicated 
  itself to a new goal: to stop the Charon from 
  crossing over, no matter what the cost. 
   
  Though acting in anger, Varnay was no fool, she 
  knew how long the odds were against the Resistance. 
  She needed help, and she could think of only one 
  source, the Jedi (not knowing that the order had 
  been destroyed by the Emperor during her twenty 
  year absence). During her escape from the Charon, 
  Varnay had stolen a prototype dimensional-drive 
  biopod. Using this ship, she would send one of her 
  people across the barrier to bring back help. She 
  didn’t know if the ship would even survive the 
  jump, let alone make the return trip with help, but 
  she had to try, even if only to give warning of the 
  Charon threat. For this mission she chose Tishana, 
  one of her most trusted students. Even as Tishana’s 
  craft made the Jump, Varnay turned to the task of 
  planning the final confrontation with the Charon. 
  With or without help from the Jedi she would stop 
  the arachnoids, or die trying.. 
  Main NPCs
   
  Here are brief explanations of the major non-
  player characters, including their backgrounds, 
  plans and motivations. More information is 
  available in the NPC profiles section and in the 
  various episodes in which they appear.
  Ellen Varnay: Legendary Jedi knight and hero 
  of the Clone Wars, Ellen Varnay was presumed 
  dead some twenty years ago following a tragic 
  hyperdrive accident onboard the RSS Triumph. 
  This ‘accident’ was discovered to be the result of 
  deliberate sabotage. But, unknown to Varnay and 
  the crew of the triumph, it was actually done by 
  agents of then Senator Palpatine during the early 
  stages of his “Purge” of the Jedi order. But Varnay 
  had not been killed in the accident. Rather, she 
  and her ship wound up stranded in the dimension 
  known as Otherspace. Here, Varnay, assisted by the 
  capable Captain Marsten (see below), fought her 
  way through numerous Charon attacks to eventually 
  found the Resistance. Even in the face of the brutal 
  realities of life in Otherspace, the Jedi’s naturally 
  intense and aggressive personality was tempered by 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  her belief in and adherence to the Jedi Code. 
   Her recent ordeal with the Charon Mother-Queen 
  has pushed her too far, however. She has endured 
  too much cruelty, seen too much death. The rage 
  she feels at this is also fueled by her guilt. In that 
  moment of weakness during her torture, she let the 
  Mother-Queen discover the secret of the force’s 
  dark side. The thought of the Charon armed with 
  that power terrifies her beyond words and she is 
  driven to erase ‘her mistake’, as she considers it, 
  by destroying the Queen and her children once 
  and for all. Though she has not yet been consumed 
  by the dark side, Varnay treads a dangerous path, 
  setting aside the Code to give herself and her pupils 
  the ‘edge’ she feels they need to have any hope 
  of defeating the Charon. Given time, her students 
  would grow strong in the lightside, but right now, 
  time is something they don’t have. As she sinks 
  deeper into the dark side, she sees those around 
  her less and less as people, and more like tools, 
  weapons she can use to exact her revenge on the 
  Charon. Some part of Varnay still wants to return 
  from the dark, and perhaps that is another reason 
  she sent Tishana to find the other Jedi. When she 
  learns of the fate of her order, she will sink even 
  further into despair... One of the major goals of this 
  adventure is for the players to help bring Varnay 
  back to the light. 
  The Mother-Queen: The arch-nemesis of Varnay 
  and the ruler of the entire Charon race. This twisted 
  and powerful creature embodies the cruel, genocidal 
  fanaticism of her subjects. She is the latest in a long 
  line of Mother-Queens who have led the Charon in 
  their long crusade to rid their galaxy of all life. The 
  revelation that there is another galaxy to conquer 
  has filled her with dread purpose– the war must 
  continue. The Void must be satisfied.
   
  The continued existence of the Resistance 
  troubled the Mother-Queen, as did the power which 
  its members seemed to wield. This ‘Force’ was like 
  nothing the Charon had ever faced before, and until 
  recently, they had no way to counter it, save for 
  superior numbers and the fanaticism of the Warrior 
  caste.
   
  This changed when Varnay was captured.
   
  During a mind-link with the Jedi, the Mother-
  Queen discovered just what the Force was, and 
  more importantly, discovered that it had a dark 
  side. Though the encounter nearly killed her, what 
  she learned may well spell the downfall of the 
  Resistance, and pave the way for the invasion of the 
  next dimension. 
   
  Since learning of its existence, the Mother-
  Queen has turned all her efforts into mastering the 
  dark side of the Force. She sees the dark side as the 
  ultimate embodiment of The Void she serves, and 
  for its part, the dark side has rewarded its pupil, 
  enhancing her already formidable powers. So while 
  her children gather, the Mother-Queen grows in 
  strength. Now, she feels, not even the Force will be 
  able to stop the Charon and their holy cause.
  Tishana: A fledgling Jedi, Tishana is the best of 
  Varnay’s students. Her bravery, compassion and 
  thoughtfulness are very close to the Jedi ideal. 
  Though ferocious and determined in battle, she has a 
  very tender and caring nature, and despite her battle-
  hardened demeanor, she is just as naive and uncertain 
  as any young woman coming of age. Of late, she has 
  been influenced by Varnay’s new, aggressive nature. 
  As the teacher falls toward the dark side, so to do 
  her students. Tishana, however, knows something is 
  wrong, and with help from the PCs, will seek to turn 
  her Mistress back to the light.
  Kordak: Kordak is an aggressive (sometimes even 
  brutal) humanoid who is easily the most powerful 
  warrior of all Varnay’s students. He has also been the 
  most difficult to train in walking the path of light. 
  He struggles constantly with both his natural, war-
  like tendencies and a with a deep anger stemming 
  from his bearing witness to the extinction of his 
  entire race at the hands of the Charon. Though he is 
  not truly evil, Kordak is falling quickly to the dark 
  side, especially since Varnay is no longer teaching 
  him to control his rage. Now she sees it as a tool she 
  can use to defeat her enemy, and in her current state 
  of mind, that is all that matters.
  Captain Marsten: Virgil Marsten made a name 
  for himself during the Clone Wars, quickly rising 
  to the rank of Captain in the Republic Starship 
  Triumph. His promising career was cut short, 
  however, by a sabotaged hyperdrive resulting in an 
  unplanned trip to Otherspace (See Ellen Varnay 
  above). Marsten’s formidable command and tactical 
  skills were put to the test in decades of battle 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  against the Charon. It is a tribute to his ability that 
  the Resistance ‘fleet’ has survived and even grown 
  in size over the years of conflict. The Triumph 
  itself is like an extension of Marsten’s body, its 
  superbly trained crew able to respond almost 
  instinctively to the orders of their Captain. Though 
  he does miss his home dimension, he has refused 
  to fall into despair, and over the years has managed 
  to maintain his vitality and hope; to maintain his 
  humanity in the face of the unrelenting Charon. 
   
  The source of Marsten’s inner strength comes 
  from his belief in Ellen Varnay. The Captain has, 
  over the years, fallen deeply in love with the Jedi, 
  but for some reason, he hasn’t been able to tell 
  her. It breaks his heart to see her in her current 
  state, and though he has tried to talk to her about 
  it—to help her, she has shut him out, withdrawing 
  further into her own anger and fear. For the first 
  time since his arrival in Otherspace, Marsten is 
  has begun to lose hope. All he can do now is pray 
  Varnay will come around.
  Axelai: This hulking, bear-like humanoid holds the 
  unlikely position of Librarian within the Resistance. 
  He is currently in charge of a storehouse of knowledge 
  and art salvaged from the extinct races of Otherspace. 
  Infinitely wise and patient, Axelai also serves as an 
  advisor to Varnay and to many of her students. 
  When not engrossed in his studies, the librarian 
  spends his time with the children of Sanctuary, his 
  innate gentleness and talent as a storyteller making 
  him immensely popular. As far as Varnay’s present 
  condition is concerned, he shares much the same 
  problem as Marsten. She has shut him out and 
  refuses to listen to his counsel. He sees the PCs as a 
  catalyst that will hopefully spark change in the fallen 
  Jedi, and will help them in whatever way he can.
  The Charon: A race of spider-like beings 
  hailing from a planet which was devoured by 
  a black hole. The Charon adopted a religion 
  which worshiped the ‘Void’, and through it, 
  death. Tens of thousands of ‘prophets’ have led 
  them on a crusade across their home galaxy, 
  destroying millions of worlds and civilizations 
  and conquering all who opposed them. 
   
  Their culture is separated into two distinct 
  castes, each bred specifically for their duties. The 
  warrior caste serves to destroy all who would dare 
  resist the will of the Void. The worker caste, known 
  as ‘bioscientists’, supply the warriors with the tools 
  they need to carry out this war, from weapons, to 
  ships, to hideous‘constructs’– zombie-like soldiers 
  created from the dead bodies of fallen enemies. All 
  Charon are fanatically loyal to their Mother-Queen 
  and to their cause. They see all unfettered life as 
  a blasphemy, and seek to send all life (including 
  themselves eventually) to the Void. 
   
  With their victory in Otherspace almost complete, 
  the Charon now seek a way to carry their ‘holy war’ 
  to other dimensions—to spread the message of the 
  void and stamp out the hateful ‘disease’ that is life.
  The Resistance: Though the Charon crushed every 
  other civilization in Otherspace and were responsible 
  for the extinction of untold millions of species, their 
  victory over life was not complete. Here and there, 
  beings had survived. These pitiful few lived in hiding 
  until the arrival of the RSS Triumph, and the Jedi 
  Ellen Varnay. Under her leadership, the small bands 
  gathered together and actually began to strike back at 
  the supposedly invincible Charon. 
   
  The beings that make up the Resistance are 
  a varied lot, representing hundreds of different 
  species, few of which are familiar to the PC’s. From 
  humanoids, to reptillians, to avians and insectoids, 
  the variety of beings that make up the Resistance is 
  astounding. On a grim note: many of these beings 
  are the only surviving members of their race and 
  civilizations. The surviving crewmen of the Triumph 
  (and their descendants) make up another significant 
  portion of the Resistance, and have, over the years, 
  adapted to life in Otherspace. 
   
  Even with such a widely varied makeup, the 
  Resistance is remarkably organized and tight-
  knit. Its members trust eachother and their leaders 
  implicitly, and each would gladly lay down his 
  or her (or its) life to save the whole. While this 
  loyalty is commendable, it has blinded them to the 
  problem they are currently facing. They can’t bring 
  themselves to question their leader, even though 
  many are beginning to feel uneasy about the new 
  turn their cause has taken. It will require the efforts 
  of outsiders (the PCs) to ‘shake up’ the situation 
  enough to bring about a change. 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Setting The Tone
   As with previous Otherspace adventures, Extinction 
  is a horror story (albeit on an ‘epic’ scale). An entire 
  species, billions strong, waits to invade, intent 
  on one goal: the destruction of all life. With the 
  galaxy divided in open warfare between the New 
  Republic and the Empire, the Charon’s plan seems 
  frighteningly plausible. As game master, it is your 
  job to make the players truly feel the danger, both 
  to themselves and the galaxy as a whole. Think of 
  horror and suspense movies and try to incorporate 
  their storytelling techniques into your narrative 
  and descriptions. While you don’t have to go into 
  extreme detail, make your descriptions colorful, and 
  remember, there are senses other than sight. A cold, 
  clammy breeze or eerie moaning wail can be just as 
  frightening as seeing a Charon Warrior round the 
  corner in front of you.
   But beyond personal fear, you should try to 
  impress upon your players the overwhelming 
  might of the Charon: their swarming hordes; 
  their thousands of warships and bio-fighters; 
  and their fanatical tactics that put the success of 
  their ‘jihad’ above personal survival. Your players 
  have to believe the Charon stand a very good 
  chance of winning or the adventure will lose a lot 
  of its drama. This isn’t just another mission, this is 
  an epic struggle for the future of the galaxy. Luke 
  and Han aren’t here to deal with this problem, its 
  up to the players this time. This is their turn in the 
  spotlight (or is that the frying pan...).
  Troubleshooting
   
  Game masters should keep in mind that even 
  though this book presents a definite storyline, their 
  players are by no means obligated to follow it. 
  Therefore, the various episodes and events should 
  not be treated as a ‘script’, but rather as an outline 
  of how things could possibly go. You can steer 
  players in certain directions, but you should never 
  dictate to them. Nobody enjoys being told what 
  to do, especially when its supposed to be fun. So, 
  when your players do something unexpected (and 
  they will), don’t force them back into the storyline. 
  Adapt. Nudge them subtly if you can, and if you 
  can’t, make sure you know the adventure well 
  enough that you can alter it. The bottom line is, be 
  flexible... and be ready for anything.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Summary:
   
  The adventure begins with the heroes being 
  called in by the New Republic to investigate a 
  mysterious craft picked up at a remote outpost. 
  A strange pod and its single occupant bring 
  news of a great danger from another dimension: 
  Otherspace. This emissary asks the heroes to 
  journey back with her to stop the threat before it 
  is unleashed on the galaxy.
  Starting the Adventure
   
  Make sure you have read the adventure and 
  understand the motivations of its characters as 
  well as the general flow of its storyline. To help 
  with the atmosphere, try dimming the lights 
  or playing some kind of ‘spooky’ background 
  music. You don’t need to go to extremes here, 
  just have fun with it (that’s the whole point of the 
  game anyway, right?)
   
  This done, begin by reading the introduction 
  above and then the cut away. From there, proceed 
  with the rest of the adventure, reading aloud from 
  the text when prompted (and when appropriate to 
  the PC’s actions).
   ead Aloud:
   A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... 
   
  As the war between the Empire and the 
  New Republic rages, a storm gathers. A dark 
  presence waits, consolidating its forces in a 
  place far removed, yet all too close to the known 
  Galaxy. Twice before the storm has touched the 
  galaxy; twice before it has been thwarted. Now 
  begins the final chapter in the struggle against 
  the darkness, with a only a small band of heroes 
  standing in the way of... Extinction.
  R
  E  pisode One
   Emissary
   ut-Away to Space:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  EXTERIOR: SPACE. A sea of white stars 
  shines against the velvet black of space. A slight 
  distortion appears, causing the stars to shimmer, 
  then blur. And then, with a rending sound, a 
  hole of flat grey tears the fabric of space. An 
  oblong spheroid of some sort hurtles out of the 
  anomaly. The camera angle changes as the hole 
  seals, following the path of the sphere as it arcs 
  towards a nearby planet, trailing a cloud of 
  smoke and debris...
  [The scene shifts to show...]
   
  EXTERIOR: SURVEILLANCE TOWER. 
  Suspended in a slender tower high above a 
  forested mountain range, a Republic soldier 
  tracks the path of an asteroid as it burns across 
  the sky and impacts over a distant ridge. She 
  lowers her macro-binoculars and pulls out a 
  comlink...
  [Fade to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: CRASH SITE. A squad of 
  Republic soldiers move cautiously across a circle 
  of blasted trees towards a blackened spheroid. 
  One trooper moves forward, his companions 
  covering him from defensive positions. Tentatively, 
  the soldier reaches a gloved hand out to touch 
  the charred side of the pod. A loud hiss and blast 
  of steam cause him to stagger back; the squad 
  raises its weapons as a circular hole irises open. 
  Then there is silence. The trooper approaches 
  again and peers cautiously inside. The camera 
  focuses on his face as his eyes widen. He glances 
  over his shoulder and shouts “Sir, we’ve got a 
  visitor.”
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: CHARACTER’S  SHIP.
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  The Outpost
   
  Read Aloud:
   
  A crisp wind greets you as you step off 
  the ramp of your ship onto the landing pad 
  of Republic Outpost Genevra-IV. A trio of 
  Uniformed figures stride purposefully across 
  the tarmac towards you. You recognize the 
  middle officer as General Airen Cracken. His 
  grim countenance tells you that something is 
  not right... “Greetings, gentlebeings,” he says, 
  “welcome to Genevra, and thank you for 
  responding so quickly.”
   
  At this point allow the characters to greet the 
  General and his aides (Base Commander Valcon 
  and Lt. Anders, Alliance Intelligence). After curt 
  responses by all the officers, Cracken will lead the 
  characters to a remote hanger on the far side of 
  the tarmac. All questions about why the characters 
  were called here will be met with a somewhat grim: 
  “I’d like you to take a look at something first.”
   
  Any force sensitive players will feel a strange, 
  tugging sensation, as if someone is calling to them, 
  but the voice is obscured and faint. A difficult sense 
  roll will determine that the ‘call’ is coming from the 
  outpost’s security wing. The General will insist that 
  the players go to the hangar first, however.
  The Pod
   
  Read aloud:
   
  A dull thunk echoes through the chamber as 
  Cracken activates the overhead lights. Resting in 
  the middle of the hangar is an oblong spheroid, 
  its rock-like surface charred. It appears, at first 
  glance to be a meteor which has survived re-
  entry. The valve like hatch in its side, however, 
  shows it to be something quite different...
   
  Cracken will give the players the go ahead to 
  check out the pod. Players familiar with the Charon 
  will recognize the sphere for what it is: a Bio-pod. 
  A ship composed of biological and mechanical 
  components. All the controls of this particular pod 
  seemed to be shorted out or fused: it must have 
  had a rough trip. A difficult search roll will reveal 
  one odd, fist sized, piece of machinery which 
  appears unharmed. An easy starship repair roll 
  will allow the character to realize the component 
  has something to do with the hyperdrive, but just 
  what it does is anyone’s guess. As is typical with 
  most Charon technology, this vessel exudes an 
  aura of unease, any force sensitive character will 
  pick this up.
   
  Cracken will explain that the pod crashed 
  some thirty-eight hours ago, and that the sensors 
  didn’t pick it up till it was entering the atmosphere. 
  He has read the reports on the Celestial and 
  Stronghold missions (Otherspace and Otherspace 
   enevra-IV Military Outpost
   This small outpost is really nothing more 
  then a forward observation post situated 
  in the ‘no-man’s-land’ between Republic and 
  Imperial space. Housing roughly two hundred 
  support and combat troops, Genevra serves as 
  a base for reconnaissance and scouting mis-
  sions in the area and as a minor fuel and supply 
  depot for any New Republic naval vessels oper-
  ating nearby. The terrain of the planet is mostly 
  untamed, temperate forest and mountains.
   
  NOTE: You do not have to use this spe-
  cific base. If you wish to substitute it for a 
  similarly remote base you have developed in 
  your campaign, feel free to do so.
  G
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  II), but would like for the players to confirm that 
  this is indeed a Charon vessel. Upon confirmation 
  he will become grim, clearly this means the 
  Charon threat is still out there. If the players have 
  not participated in the Otherspace or Otherspace 
  II adventures, he will give them a short briefing 
  on the Charon and what is known about them, 
  underscoring the threat the pose.
   
  After they are done examining the pod, the 
  General will ask the characters to accompany him 
  to the outpost’s security wing to take a look at the 
  passenger that was found inside.
   
  The Passenger
   
  Read aloud:
   
  Through the haze of the detention cell’s 
  force-field, you see a young woman, sitting 
  crosslegged in the center of the floor, her eyes 
  shut, apparently oblivious to her surroundings. 
  She wears an odd mix of robes and piece-meal 
  armor over her lithe, grey- skinned body. Her 
  long, blue-black hair is pulled back into a loose 
  pony-tail to reveal the delicate and attractive 
  features of her face. Faint scars criss-cross her 
  exposed arms and her body is toned and fit, like a 
  soldier, yet, she seems to radiate peace and calm; 
  a serenity inconsistent with her appearance.
   
  Allow any characters with Force tendencies to 
  make a knowledge roll at easy, if they succeed, 
  they will notice a distinct similarity between the 
  woman’s garb and the robes once worn by Jedi 
  Knights. Any force-using characters who make an 
  easy Sense roll realize this woman is strong in the 
  force, and that she is the source of the strange ‘call’ 
  they felt upon landing at the outpost. 
   
  Cracken explains that the woman has been in 
  this ‘trance’ since they pulled her from the pod and 
  that they found something interesting on her person. 
  At this point, he produces a lightsaber. The General 
  will allow the players to examine the saber, but will 
  not allow them to keep it. The craftsmanship of the 
  lightsaber is unique, the hilt appears hand-forged, 
  and is ornately worked. 
   
  If any of the party are known to be medical 
  experts, or force sensitive, he will ask the player(s) 
  to take a look at the woman, and see if they can 
  rouse her from her trance. If there are no doctors or 
  force-sensitives in the group, he will still suggest a 
  closer look, figuring “Hey, it couldn’t hurt.” Cracken 
  will signal the guards to deactivate the force field 
  and usher the group into the cell. As soon as the 
  players step into the cell...
   
  The woman’s eyes fly open, her piercing, blue 
  gaze locks onto (the most force-sensitive person 
  in the party). “You have come at last!” She rises 
  in one fluid motion, her voice carrying a tone of 
  excitement and insistency. “Quickly, we have no 
  time to lose. You must help me gather as many 
  others of your order as possible.”
   
  The woman’s name is Tishana. She is a fledgling 
  Jedi from Otherspace, a student of the great Jedi 
  Knight Ellen Varnay. (see Character profiles for 
  details). She is operating under the information given 
  to her by Varnay, who became stranded in Otherspace 
  before the fall of the Jedi. She believes the order still 
  exists and that the players are, themselves, Jedi. 
  She will introduce herself and continue to insist on 
  quickness of action. “We must hurry, there is little 
  time to lose!”. When the players explain to her that 
  the Jedi no longer exist, Tishana will be crestfallen...
   
   
  Tishana’s eyes darken, her expression falls to 
  one of great sorrow as she looks away. Her voice 
  is a sad whisper, “They are no more... just as 
  Mistress Varnay feared.” She closes her eyes and 
  hangs her head for a moment as silence fills the 
  cell. Her eyes open again suddenly, her expression 
  hardening with resolve. She turns on her heel and 
  pushes past you towards the door, saying simply, 
  “I must leave.” One of the guards moves to block 
  her, raising his weapon. Tishana throws out her 
  hand, making a gesture in the air—the guard is 
  suddenly flung backwards out the door. 
   
  Allow the characters to react how they will. Tishana 
  will resort to further violence only if the players force 
  her to. If the players do nothing to intervene, Cracken 
  will, asking for Tishana to calm down and tell him 
  where she has to go. Any character who makes a 
  moderate Jedi Lore or difficult Knowledge roll will 
  recognize the name (refer to the info given in the 
  Character profiles section). In any case, Tishana will 
  explain the plight of her people and the message she 
  bears from her mistress:
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  The Message
   
  Read aloud:
   
  Tishana speaks slowly, her expression grim, 
  “The Charon plan to cross over. They plan 
  to spread the message of the “Void” to this 
  dimension, your dimension. Even now, my 
  people fight to stop them. My mistress sent me 
  here to find help... and I have failed. Please, let 
  me go back. If I cannot bring help, let me at least 
  return to fight alongside my people.” 
   
  This is the moment of choice for the players. 
  They should want to accompany Tishana back to 
  her dimension, to aid her people. If the players do 
  not seize this chance to offer their assistance, have 
  Cracken take them aside and ask them to go with 
  Tishana, acting as a reconnaissance team, their 
  mission: to assess the threat the Charon pose, should 
  they cross over. If the players are still reluctant, or 
  adopt a “What’s in it for us?” attitude, Cracken will 
  offer them monetary compensation (up to 20,000 
  in cash or equipment). Once the players offer their 
  services to Tishana, read the following:
   
  Tishana eyes each of you appraisingly. Then, 
  slowly, a smile spreads across her serious face. 
  She speaks softly, a note of relief evident in 
  her voice. “Perhaps I have not failed after all. 
  I am most grateful for your offer of assistance. 
  You are not many, but...” she pauses, her voice 
  growing a bit distant, “... you may be enough.” 
  Tishana blinks “We must hurry. Come.” With 
  that, she strides out of the cell, past the now 
  hesitant guards.
  Departure
   Tishana will make a bee-line for the hangar 
  where the pod is located. She intends to remove 
  the hyperdrive component necessary to achieve 
  crossover. Depending on what happened when 
  the party inspected the pod, the characters may 
  already have this component. In any case, once 
  she recovers the part she needs, Tishana will ask 
  to be taken to the player’s ship so she can install 
  it. She will complete the installation quickly (using 
  the Enhance Attribute force power to aid her 
  Technical skills). 
   
  Cracken will return Tishana’s lightsaber and 
  will offer the party supplies from the base stores. 
  Allow the players to collect the gear they think will 
  be necessary, but keep in mind that Genevra is a 
  small outpost, stocking only standard gear. When 
  everything is finally gathered and stowed, Tishana 
  will take the astrogation controls, explaining the she 
  needs to guide the crossover jump personally. When 
  the ship takes off, read the following:
   
  With your gear stowed and everyone aboard, 
  your ship lifts off, quickly clearing the atmosphere 
  of Genevra-IV. Tishana has positioned herself at 
  the astrogation station in preparation for the 
  dimensional jump. Cracken’s voice crackles over 
  your com- system as you leave the gravity well, 
  “Good luck, gentlebeings. We’ll do what we 
  can here and we’ll be waiting for your return. 
  May the Force be with you.” Tishana closes her 
  eyes, her hands move deftly over the astrogation 
  controls. Her expression is one of great calm as 
  she makes the final adjustments. Her eyes slowly 
  open as she eases back on the control lever, 
  taking your ship into hyperspace.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Summary:
   
  In this episode, the characters will arrive in 
  Otherspace, hoping to find and aid Tishana’s people 
  in their war against the Charon. The fledgling 
  Jedi will direct their damaged ship to a Resistance 
  outpost, only to discover it overrun by Charon. 
  Surrounded and outnumbered, the players will be 
  rescued in the nick of time by an Old Republic 
  battlecruiser carrying a group of lightsaber-wielding 
  warriors. Once aboard and en-route to a place 
  called “Sanctuary”, they will be introduced to 
  several major players in the Resistance– and will 
  begin to see alarming signs of darkness within the 
  Resistance itself.
  Arrival
   
  Read aloud:
   
  The jump begins like any other: a flash and 
  streak of stars, then the kaliedescope swirls of the 
  hyperspace lane. Unlike other jumps, however... 
  your ship seems to continue accelerating. The 
  deck vibrates under you as an unhealthy shudder 
  ripples through the vessel. Holes begin to tear 
  through the wall of the hyperlane: maws of light 
  and dark. Blue-white ionization plays over the 
  control panels as systems begin to short out. 
   
  Tishana sits at the astrogation station, in 
  deep concentration, ignoring the chaos around 
  her. With a stomach-churning roll, the ship 
  seems to turn and drop through one of the 
  holes. Suddenly, the power gives out, leaving 
  you in total darkness, surrounded by the bitter 
  tang of ozone. Gradually, a dim light begins to 
  filter through the viewports. Your ship hangs 
  motionless in the dull grey void of Otherspace. 
  You have arrived.
   The PC’s ship has crossed over to otherspace, but 
  dimensional travel has its price. The ship has been 
  severely damaged by the energy flux of the jump. 
  Allow the players a few moments of anxiety before 
  the emergency generator kicks in, providing enough 
  energy to run most of the ships vital systems, namely 
  life support and the emergency lighting system. A 
  quick survey by a technician will show the extent of 
  the damage (see Damage Report, below).
   Tishana seems drained. She will sit quietly in her 
  seat as the characters take stock of their situation. If 
  E pisode Two
  Reception
   amage Report
   An inspection of the ship reveals  
  the following:
   
  Main power core: Heavily damaged. Will need 
  dry dock facilities to affect repairs.
  Power cells: Drained. Ship’s systems running 
  on emergency power. Only enough energy for a 
  few hours flight (at most).
  Hyperdrive: Fused. Completely irreparable. 
  Will need to be replaced. The device Tishana 
  installed has survived the crossover, however. 
  Backup hyperdrives will be operational, but will 
  be insufficient to achieve dimensional crossover. 
  The backup can be engaged, but will severely 
  drain the ship’s emergency power system.
  Sublight and Maneuver drives: Only minor 
  damage (Moderate Starship Repair roll to fix). 
  Backup power enough for a few hours flight 
  (6-8 hours tops).
  Sensors/Communications: Offline. Can be 
  powered for short periods by the emergency  
  generator, but will drain the energy reserves.
  Weapon systems : Offline. Can be powered 
  for short periods by the emergency generator 
  but will be a great drain to emergency power 
  if fired. 
  Life Support: Online. Capable of roughly 48 
  hours operation on Emergency power. 
  D
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  any of the characters check on her, she will smile 
  tiredly and insist that she is okay, and just needs to 
  catch her breath. As soon as the character’s get their 
  ship operational again (about an hour’s work on the 
  sublight drive), Tishana will talk to them about their 
  next step. 
   
  Read Aloud:
   
  Tishana seems to have regained her strength, 
  her voice is clear as she stares out the cockpit 
  viewport. “We have made it, my friends. We 
  must now find my people.” Her eyes seem to 
  study the formations of black pinpoints that are 
  the “Stars” of Otherspace. Her fingers glide over 
  the charred controls of the astrogation station 
  as she lays in a course. The display highlights 
  a system several light years distant from your 
  current position. “They are here... or were when 
  I left.” She turns her bright blue eyes on you 
  “We must get there as quickly as possible.”
   
  Quick calculations will show that the ship will 
  have just enough energy to make it to the system 
  Tishana has indicated... barely. The young jedi will 
  watch quietly as the players pilot their ship towards 
  the rendezvous, but will engage in conversation if 
  approached. If asked about her people, she will say 
  that they need to keep moving to avoid the Charon. 
  She says that if her people had to evacuate, she does 
  have one more way of contacting them: Through 
  the force, but that is iffy. She is still but a student.
   
  Play up the characters fear of their ship’s 
  power situation by having various (non-vital) 
  ship components cut out along the way (i.e. the 
  emergency lights die... then flicker back on, sensors 
  go blank for a moment, etc.). As the players draw 
  nearer to their destination, they will get a close look 
  at one of the black “stars” of Otherspace:
   
  The “star” at the center of the system you 
  have just entered is like none you have ever 
  seen before: It burns a cold black with cracks 
  of red lacing its surface like bleeding scars. 
  Dim, hellish light filters out over the shattered 
  remains of planets, asteroids and other 
  debris. The course Tishana outlined takes you 
  through this graveyard system, towards a 
  planet near its center. Brownish grey and red 
  stormclouds roil over the surface of the world, 
  obscuring its surface. Tishana quietly straps 
  herself in, preparing for the descent.
   None of the characters have ever come across this 
  kind of stellar phenomena before, and the ship’s 
  computer cannot classify exactly what happened 
  to the star. Tishana will say that it is the Charon’s 
  work, turning the suns into the likeness of the 
  “void” they worship. She does not, however know 
  exactly how the charon are able to corrupt stars in 
  this manner.
  Landing
   The descent will be bumpy as the ship drops 
  through turbulent stormclouds. Have the pilot make 
  a Moderate roll to avoid any mishaps. A failure 
  will result in a minor power failure (a result of 
  the pilot overcompensating and shorting out the 
  already taxed systems of the ship) and a rapid loss 
  of altitude. A difficult piloting roll will pull the ship 
  out of its dive. If this roll is failed, the best the pilot 
  can do is bring the ship in for a controlled crash-
  landing. Either way (crash or normal landing) the 
  character’s ship will be on its last legs. Even if they 
  avoid crashing, the ships power systems will be 
  so drained that taking off again would be chancy. 
  Once down, the characters will have a chance to 
  examine their surroundings: 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  The landscape outside the viewport is 
  bleak. Greyish-brown flatlands surround the 
  ship, lit only by what light can filter through 
  the oppressive clouds. Tendrils of dust and 
  reddish smoke twist over the cracked and dry 
  ground, driven by the harsh winds that moan 
  around the ship. Looming in the distance, just 
  visible through the haze, is the wreckage of 
  buildings... some kind of city, stripped to its 
  skeletal remains.
   
  Once on the ground, Tishana will be eager to 
  leave the ship and find her people. She will suggest 
  breath masks to guard against the pollutants in 
  the air outside. Though some of the Charon’s 
  Red “Death” mist is still floating around, it is 
  mostly diluted. Tishana will say that this world 
  was destroyed long ago by the Charon and that her 
  people have a hidden base under the city.
   
  If some of the characters wish to remain on the 
  ship, allow them to, but make them feel uneasy. 
  Describe their companions slowly disappearing 
  into the mist outside; the noise of the wind moaning 
  over the hull of the ship, etc. Staying in comlink 
  communication with the ship will prove to be a 
  problem as well. The thick, polluted atmosphere 
  outside will cause interference, garbling comlinks 
  with static. All contact will be lost once the rest of 
  the group enters the city.
  The City
   
  Travel across the blasted wastelands towards the 
  city will be uneventful, but play up the character’s 
  fear by having them see strange shape moving 
  within the mist and haze. These are merely optical 
  illusions, however. The Charon aren’t coming for 
  the players... yet. Continue building suspense as the 
  players enter the city ruins: Dark gaping doorways 
  in ruined buildings, strands of webbing blowing in 
  the bitter tasting wind, dried and cracked skeletons 
  peering out from the rubble. Tishana will be 
  cautious, but not overly concerned as she guides the 
  Characters through the city. She moves with grace 
  and an almost unnatural silence, her large eyes 
  constantly scanning the area around her. Read the 
  following after the party has made its way into the 
  city a bit:
   
  You move slowly over the cracked roadway 
  into what must have been the central plaza of the 
  city. Tishana pauses here, crouching in the cover 
  of a burnt out landspeeder. She motions for you 
  to to lay low as well. The city is very quiet now, 
  even the wind seems to have died down. Once 
  you are under cover, she moves forward again, 
  striding to the edge of the Plaza, her eyes closed 
  in concentration. She pauses as a gust of wind 
  strikes her, swirling her hair. Her eyes suddenly 
  snap open. She spins, looking fearfully at the 
  buildings around her. Quickly she heads back 
  towards you... past you, she shouts “They’re 
  here... We must go now!”
  The Trap
   
  Unknown to Tishana, her people’s base was 
  discovered shortly after she left. The Charon wasted 
  no time in destroying the complex and killing all its 
  inhabitants. They left a force behind, dormant, in 
  case someone should return to the base... someone 
  like the PCs. Tishana has sensed the Charon trap 
  and will urge the players to flee back to their ship.
   
  Very soon, the magnitude of the trap will 
  become apparent to the players: there are several 
  thousand Charon in the city. Rising out of their 
  dormancy, the arachnoid hordes will begin to close 
  in on their prey. The players can either run or fight. 
  Either way they will be cut off and encircled. 
   ut-Away to Ruins:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  INTERIOR: A BARREN ROOM IN 
  ONE OF THE RUINED BUILDINGS. The 
  Camera looks out a window across the wind-
  swept wastelands surrounding the city. A 
  small group of figures emerge from the haze, 
  the only signs of life in the barren landscape. 
  The wind moans sadly through the room 
  then fades away... leaving only the sound of 
  faint rustling and clicking. A shadow moves 
  slightly, at the edge of the frame as the shot 
  fades.
  [Fade to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: RUINS. Where a group of 
  heroes enters the remains of a great city...
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  As you fall back through the city, you can 
  sense movement all around you. In doorways, 
  windows, alleys, hulking chitinous beings skitter 
  out of the rubble. To all sides, behind you, 
  closing in, cutting you off. Hundreds of cruel 
  eyes focus on you. Rising over the mournful 
  wind is the unnerving sound of thousands of 
  Charon, hissing and clicking in their strange 
  language. Tishana answers them with the snap-
  hiss of her Lightsaber, igniting it and standing 
  defiantly, her young face calm. She spares you 
  all one glance. “I am sorry it has come to this, 
  my friends. May the force be with you... always.” 
  With that, she turns back to face the tightening 
  circle of Charon.
   
  The purpose of this encounter is to show the 
  players the true power and cruelty of the Charon. 
  The situation is hopeless: the Characters are 
  outnumbered with no where to run. Try to drive this 
  point home to the players, make this feel as though 
  it could be their last battle...Tishana seems to think 
  it will be. 
   
  The Charon will try to incapacitate all the 
  PCs and Tishana. They will show no mercy, and 
  whenever one is cut down, another will take its 
  place. The charon will press their attack relentlessly, 
  teaming up on players, crawling over their own 
  dead and wounded to get at their enemies. Tishana 
  will fight with calm ferocity, her lightsaber cutting 
  a deadly swath through the Charon. You don’t have 
  to make dice rolls for Tishana during the battle, just 
  describe her fighting to provide background color 
  for the encounter (whatever you do, don’t allow her 
  to be killed at this point in the adventure).
   
  Do your best as a GM to take down as many 
  players as you can. This does NOT mean kill them 
  all. The Charon want live specimens. Fudge your 
  dice rolls if necessary, changing mortal wounds to 
  incapacitating ones. Your goal here is to scare the 
  players, to make them believe in the mortality of 
  their characters as they see their friends fall. Your 
  players may become irate at you for putting them in 
  a no-win situation, but be strong... If played right, 
  this encounter can be very dramatic.
   
  When half the PCs are down, or you feel the 
  proper dramatic effect has been reached, proceed 
  to the rescue scene.
  Rescue
   
  Read Aloud:
   
  The Charon continue to press in on 
  you... unending waves of claws and terrible, 
  emotionless eyes. Your strength is fading, 
  exhaustion threatens to take you just as surely 
  as the Charon. Then darkness sets in... a 
  shadow looms overhead. The Charon seem to 
  pause, to follow your own gaze upwards. 
   
  Hanging majestically over the battle is the 
  unmistakable wedge shape of a Star Destroyer. 
  The battered hull of the Victory-Class starship 
  hangs barely a hundred meters above the 
  ground, blocking out the sky. Searchlights stab 
  out towards the ground, suddenly bathing the 
  area in harsh, blinding light. The Charon shrink 
  back, their hordes swirling in disarray. With a 
  deafening roar, the gun batteries on the starship 
  open up. The world around you erupts in flame 
  and explosions as hundreds of Charon are 
  incinerated– yet you are left unscathed.
   
  Raining down with the turbolaser fire are 
  humanoid shapes, dropping from the docking 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  bay of the star destroyer, jetpacks firing. As they 
  fall closer you can make out various humanoids, 
  all dressed in piecemeal armor similar to 
  Tishana’s. As they land in a circle around 
  you, nearly half of the twenty warriors ignite 
  lightsabers. Tishana lets out an exultant cheer 
  as her people cut ferociously into the Charon, 
  forcing them back.
   
  The ship above is the VSD Triumph, an old 
  Republic battlecruiser stranded in otherspace 
  shortly after the end of the Clone Wars (See 
  Introduction) The soldiers dropping to the rescue 
  are elite members of the Otherspace resistance: 
  the Saber Warriors. The Jedi Ellen Varnay, having 
  sensed Tishana’s return to Otherspace, sent Admiral 
  Marsten and the Triumph to pick her up...they 
  arrived not a moment too soon.
   
  Let the battle continue a few rounds more. 
  The Charon fall back at first, then renew their 
  attacks with fanatical fury, pressing on through 
  the murderous turbolaser fire towards the deadly 
  blades of the Saber Warriors. The warriors hold 
  the arachnoids off as a battered rescue shuttle 
  descends quickly to the ground. Tishana wastes no 
  time clambering aboard the vessel, and motions for 
  the PCs to follow. Any character who is slow in 
  boarding the shuttle will get assistance (in the form 
  of a rough shove) from a hulking Saber Warrior 
  (Kordak, see Character Profiles Section.). 
   
  Once the PCs are onboard the shuttle, the 
  Saber warriors beat a hasty retreat, triggering their 
  jetpacks and rocketing towards the docking bay 
  above. Most make it, but an unlucky few are pulled 
  down by the claws of their life-hating enemies. 
  Charon leap after the shuttle as it rockets skyward, 
  several cling to its underside, clawing to get inside. 
  After the PCs get rid of these hitch- hikers, the 
  shuttle will quickly zip into the docking bay and 
  the Star Destroyer will ascend quickly, leaving the 
  burning battlefield behind.
  Meanwhile, back at the ship... 
   
  It is quite possible that some of the players stayed 
  with their ship while the others went with Tishana. 
  As mentioned above, communications with the 
  rest of the PCs will be lost once they enter the city, 
  leaving those on the ship isolated... a perfect chance 
  to play on their fears. Characters watching out 
  viewports will see shapes in the mist, moving then 
  disappearing (optical illusions, but the players don’t 
  need to know that). The wind will moan around the 
  ship, sounding like voices crying out in agony. Try 
  to play up the creepy mood and get the characters 
  jumping at shadows, that way, when the actual 
  attack comes, they may disregard it at first.
   
  As the PCs in the city get caught in the trap, the 
  Charon will send a force of fifty warriors out to 
  secure the players ship. They will appear out of the 
  mist, moving noiselessly towards the ship from all 
  sides. The arachnoids will first attempt to web the 
  ship down, and then tear their way inside to search 
  for passengers (whom they will attempt to capture). 
  PCs onboard may deal with this threat however they 
  see fit, but remember, the ship’s systems are down 
  (including shields and weapons). Just when all looks 
  helpless, The Triumph will arrive (on its way to 
  save the PCs in the city) and drive off the Charon, 
  dropping a small group of Saber warriors to clear the 
  ship. The star destroyer will then tractor the vessel 
  into its hanger bay. Even if no one stayed onboard the 
  ship, the Triumph will still stop to pick it up.
  Welcome Aboard
   Read Aloud:
   
  The hangar bay of the star destroyer is bustling 
  with activity as your shuttle touches down. The last 
  of the warriors fly into the bay on their jetpacks, 
  medical personnel scurry to tend the wounded, 
  technicians rush up to secure the shuttle. Klaxons 
  sound a warning as the mighty ship rises higher 
  into the atmosphere, out the magnetic shield you 
  can see the burning landscape below, rapidly 
  shrinking out of view. 
   
  Tishana leaps out of the shuttle and runs 
  towards one of the warriors, a hulking, dark-
  skinned humanoid with prominent brow ridges 
  on his head. “Kordak!” she shouts excitedly. He 
  raises a hand in greeting and moves towards her. 
  The two exchange words in a strange, guttural 
  language as Tishana leads him back towards 
  your group. 
   
  “My friends, this is Kordak, one of our finest 
  warriors.” 
   
  Kordak eyes you disdainfully then turns to 
  Tishana. “Mistress Varnay knew you would 
  return. She sent us to pick you up... you and those 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  of her order come to help.” He turns his gaze 
  to you once more. “This is our help.” he scowls, 
  shakes his head and turns back to Tishana, “I 
  hope they were worth it.” With that, he turns on 
  his heel and stalks out of the hangar bay.
   
  Not quite the warm welcome the PCs were 
  expecting, eh? The players are supposed to form 
  a dislike for Kordak, this first encounter should 
  accomplish that nicely. Should any of the PCs 
  attempt to follow Kordak or call after him, Tishana 
  will stand in their way and try to talk them down, 
  saying that it is just Kordak’s “way” and they should 
  not pay too much heed to his rudeness. Any force 
  sensitive players should notice a distinct ‘darkness’ 
  to Kordak’s aura, though not consumed by the 
  darkside, he is filled with anger.
   
  After the scene with Kordak, A group of six 
  soldiers will approach the shuttle, asking the 
  PCs if they would please accompany them to 
  the sickbay. The soldiers are young humans and 
  humanoids wearing what appear to be old, but well 
  maintained Old Republic Naval uniforms (hand me 
  downs from older crewmen now ‘retired’ or dead). 
  Medical personnel will help move any wounded 
  or incapacitated PCs. Tishana tells the PCs not to 
  worry and says she will meet them later. Right now, 
  she must speak with the captain.
   
  Observant players will notice their ship (partially 
  web covered) resting in the hangar bay across from 
  them, technicians already working to repair it. Any 
  crew members who stayed aboard the ship while 
  the rest went into the city will rejoin the party at this 
  time, making their way to the Sickbay. 
  The Triumph
   
  Read Aloud:
   The guards escort your group through the 
  halls of the Star Destroyer,towards the ship’s 
  sickbay. The corridors are worn and old, but 
  well maintained. Symbols of the Old Republic 
  abound, as do odd bits and pieces of alien 
  technology, used to replace worn or damaged 
  ship systems. As you walk, you see some sections 
  have been sealed off completely, while others 
  have been converted into ‘gardens’ of some 
  kind. The crew seems to be as piecemeal in 
  its makeup as the ship itself: an odd mixture 
  of unrecognizable aliens and humans wearing 
  uniforms reminiscent of the Old Republic Navy.
   
  The guards are polite but stern and will not 
  allow the character’s to wander the ship. Their 
  orders are to take the PCs to the sickbay and then 
  to temporary quarters where they will stay until the 
  captain says otherwise. These men are not much 
  for chit-chat either, they will tell the players to save 
  their questions for the Captain. 
   
  After a short walk, the PCs will arrive at Sickbay 
  where they will be greeted by a surly reptilian in a 
  white lab-coat (Mihspahk, see Character Profiles). 
  He will treat the most seriously wounded of the 
  party first, assisted by several antique medical 
  droids. Once the wounded are stabilized, the good 
  doctor will begin unceremoniously immunizing 
  the party with a serum designed to counteract the 
  effects of the Charon’s red “death” mist. The shots 
  will be painful and nauseating and Mihspahk’s 
  bedside manner leaves much to be desired. 
   
  The guards will then escort the players to a 
  recovery room where they may rest and clean up. 
  The quarter’s are spartan but clean and have enough 
  bunks to accommodate all party members. A table 
  is situated in the center of the room, on it, a box 
  of survival rations and several canteen’s of water. 
  Lockers contain clean clothing (simple one-piece 
  jumpsuits) if any of the players are interested. The 
  guards will remain outside the door and will not 
  allow any character to leave the area, they say the 
  Captain will visit them in due time.
   
  Any players who were badly wounded during 
  the battle with the Charon will be put in bacta tanks 
  and then taken to an intensive care ward to recover. 
  Players interested in seeing their wounded comrades 
  will be told that they are being treated but will 
  not be allowed to see them without the Captain’s 
  permission. If they ask about their ship, they will be 
  told the same– it is being repaired, but they must wait 
  until the ship is out of immediate danger.
  Captain Marsten
   
  After about six hours, the Triumph’s Captain will 
  come to visit his new passengers. Accompanied by 
  Tishana and Kordak, Captain Marsten will arrive at 
  the PCs quarters and introduce himself:
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  The entry chime on your cabin door sounds. 
  Shortly thereafter the portal hisses open and 
  three individuals walk in. Tishana, clean and 
  in a simple grey jumpsuit; Kordak, wearing 
  his battle armor and a dark scowl; and a third 
  man whom you assume is the Captain. Wearing 
  a well-kept Old Republic uniform, this grey-
  bearded man regards appraisingly with his 
  dark brown eyes. He nods and smiles slightly 
  before he speaks. “Welcome aboard the RSS 
  Triumph. I am Captain Marsten.”
   
  Marsten will greet all the PCs and apologize 
  for making them wait. If the players ask why they 
  were confined to quarters, Marsten will explain 
  that it was just a routine precaution until the ship 
  was out of danger and he had time to talk with 
  Tishana. The Captain will be friendly with the 
  PCs as long as they are polite, he will be gruff and 
  curt to any who “cop an attitude”. He will inform 
  the players that they will be arriving at Sanctuary 
  (the resistance’s headquarters) in approximately 24 
  hours, and that they should rest until then. Before he 
  leaves, he asks if there is anything he can provide 
  for the character’s in the meanwhile. Requests for 
  food, drink, clothing or bedding will be granted 
  and he will most definitely allow the PCs to see any 
  wounded party members. Keep in mind the Captain 
  has limited resources: requests for weapons or other 
  equipment will be denied.
   
  Marsten’s visit will be relatively short, he does 
  not have the time right now for long conversations, 
  even though he is dying for news from his galaxy... 
  news from the Republic. 
   
  Any PC who thinks to ask about their ship will 
  discover it is in good hands. Tech crews have been 
  working to repair it since it was brought on board. 
  Any PC who wishes to help repair the ship will 
  be granted permission to, but will be escorted and 
  asked not to wander. The tech crews estimate that 
  the ship should be spaceworthy within the week.
   
  During the conversation with the Captain, 
  Tishana stands quietly, she seems more relaxed 
  now than the players have ever seen her before. She 
  will offer to take the players on a tour of the ship, 
  after they have rested of course. Kordak will remain 
  silent during the exchange, his brooding presence 
  vaguely unnerving.
  The Tour
   Provided any of the PCs are interested, Tishana 
  will lead them on a tour of the Triumph. She will 
  take them to non-vital locations such as the crew 
  lounges, the vehicle maintenance bay (where the 
  PCs ship is being repaired) and lastly, the ship’s 
  gardens. The tour will show that the triumph has 
  taken much damage over the years, some sections 
  are entirely sealed off due to damage, others 
  have been converted into large, indoor gardens, 
  providing food and oxygen for the ship’s crew (as 
  well as a nice place to relax).
   Tishana will be relaxed and in a relatively good 
  mood during the tour, though she is still a bit 
  nervous about telling her mistress that she could 
  find none of the Jedi order. This is a good time to let 
  the players ask questions. Tishana will answer any 
  questions to the best of her ability, and can provide 
  much information on the resistance, the Triumph, 
  Sanctuary, and the Saber warriors. She is, however, 
  reluctant to talk about Mistress Varnay, saying only 
  that she is a great leader and teacher and has done 
  more than any other to keep the resistance alive. 
   After the tour, Tishana will escort the PCs back to 
  their quarters, where they are to remain until the 
  ship arrives at its destination. The reason behind the 
  PCs confinement to quarters is simple: they are an 
  unknown. Marsten runs a tight ship, and until the 
  PCs are cleared by Varnay, he’d just as soon they 
  stay safe and out of the way. The guards will bend 
  over backwards to make the PCs comfortable, but 
  will not allow them to leave the cabin. 
  Unscheduled Tours
   It is entirely possible the players will not want to be 
  confined to their quarters. Should the PCs manage 
  to get past the six guards outside their cabin, let the 
  them wander for a while, but keep in mind that all 
  vital areas of the ship are heavily guarded. When 
  the players have had enough fun or things bog 
  down, have a squad of guards discover them and 
  return them to their quarters. The guards will try 
  to handle the situation peacefully (their enemy are 
  the Charon, not the PCs), but will fight if pressed. 
  Any PC who actually harms a crewman will be 
  tossed in the brig for the rest of the trip and face a 
  stern lecture from an irate Captain Marsten, who 
  reminds them that he has enough problems to deal 
  with already.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  RSS	
  Triumph
   he RSS Triumph
   The game stats for the Triumph are as 
  follows:
   
  Craft: Rendili StarDrive’s Victory I
  Type: Victory-Class Star Destroyer (Modified)
  Scale: Capital ship
  Length: 900 meters
  Skill: Capital ship piloting: Star Destroyer
  Crew: Skeleton Crew: 1,723 with Command 
  7D+2; Total crew 2,305
  Crew Skill: Capital ship piloting 8D, capital 
  ship shields 8D, sensors 8D, astrogation 8D, 
  capital ship gunnery 8D, starship gunnery, 
  communications 8D
  Troops: 230
  Cargo Capacity: 9,000 metric tons
  Consumeables: Unlimited*
  Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1
  Hyperdrive Backup: x15
  Nav Computer: Yes
  Maneuverability: 1D
  Space: 5
  Hull: 6D+2
  Shields: 3D+2
  Sensors:
   Passive: 75/2D
   Scan: 75/2D
   Search: 110/2D
   Focus: 5/3D
  Weapons:
   XX Heavy Batteries (Including Plasma  
    
  Cannons, HeavyTurbolasers,  
   
  T
    
  Disruptors, Particle Beams
     
  and Electromagnetic Rail Guns)
   
   
  Fire Arc: 18 Forward, 12 Port, 12 Starboard
   
   
  Crew: 3-10
   
   
  Skill: Capital ship gunnery
   
   
  Fire Control: 2D
   
   
  Space Range: 3-15/35/75
   
  XX 
  Light Batteries (Including Laser  
    
  Cannons, Blaster Cannons and
    
  Autocannons)
   
   
  Fire Arc: Forward
   
   
  Crew: 5
   
   
  Skill: Capital ship gunnery
   
   
  Fire Control: 4D
   
   
  Space Range: 3-15/35/75
   XX Laser Cannons
   
   
  Fire Arc: Forward
   
   
  Crew: 5
   
   
  Skill: Capital ship gunnery
   
   
  Fire Control: 4D
   
   
  Space Range: 3-15/35/75
   XX Concussion Missile Tubes
   
   
  Fire Arc: Forward
   
   
  Crew: 5
   
   
  Skill: Capital ship gunnery
   
   
  Fire Control: 4D
   
   
  Space Range: 3-15/35/75
   XX Tractor Beam Projectors
   
   
  Fire Arc: Forward
   
   
  Crew: 5
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  SUMMARY
   
  In this episode, the players will arrive on the 
  resistance safeworld “Sanctuary”, and come face to 
  face with the Jedi Knight Ellen Varnay. While the 
  resistance gathers itself for a final offensive against 
  the Charon, the characters become acquainted with 
  the inhabitants of Sanctuary and slowly become 
  aware of the darkness that has almost consumed 
  their leader. As the story progresses and the tension 
  builds, the players must ultimately confront Varnay 
  in an attempt to turn her back to the light.
  Sanctuary
   
  Read Aloud:
   
  You are engulfed in noise and harsh light as 
  you take a wide, metal gangplank down from 
  the star destroyer to the floor of the gigantic 
  docking cavern. Tishana ushers you off as 
  quickly as possible, making way for repair and 
  supply teams already clambering aboard. She 
  explains that the Triumph is departing shortly 
  to retrieve members of other Resistance cells 
  and bring them here for a great war council.
  E  pisode Three
   Sanctuary
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: BRIDGE OF THE TRIUMPH. 
  Jagged stone walls slide by the viewport, danger-
  ously close. But as the ship descends. neither the 
  Captain nor the crew show any sign of worry; 
  they move as if this series of tight maneuvers was 
  routine. Finally the descent slows, then stops in 
  front of a huge cavern gouged in the wall of the 
  shaft. Docking lights glare out harshly, ushering 
  the large ship inward. The camera turns to focus 
  on the Captain’s lined and careworn face as he 
  glances out the viewport. He allows himself a 
  brief smile. “Sanctuary.”
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: CAVERN. Ground crews and 
  vehicles scurry like insects under the massive 
  form of the Star Destroyer as it glides past the 
  magnetic shield and into the cavern. Mooring 
  tractors lock the mighty ship into place, prevent-
  ing it from drifting in the confines of this irregu-
  lar docking bay. 
  [Cut to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: CAVERN. Passengers debark-
  ing from the Triumph...
   ut-Away to The Bridge:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  INTERIOR: BRIDGE OF THE TRIUMPH. 
  A magnificent nebula swirls outside the main 
  viewport, gradually thinning as the massive 
  warship emerges from the clouds. Captain 
  Marsten barks out commands from his place at 
  the center of the bridge. Around him, his crew 
  moves smoothly; human and alien carrying out 
  their orders with efficiency and confidence. The 
  course is set towards a group of dead plane-
  toids... an oasis of sorts in the midst of the dense 
  nebula.
  [The scene shifts to show...]
   
  EXTERIOR: SPACE. The Triumph rumbles 
  majestically through the clutter of rock debris, 
  slowing as it nears one of the larger plan-
  etoids. Craters poc-mark the surface of this 
  abused sphere, and it is towards one of these 
  impact sites that the Star Destroyer descends. 
  Searchlights illuminate the area below the 
  ship revealing the entrance to a vertical shaft. 
  Never slowing, the Triumph drops into the 
  opening...
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  Kordak, scowling as usual, approaches. 
  “Tishana, you must take them to the command 
  center. Mistress Varnay wishes to see them.” 
  With a final scowl, he departs, heading down 
  one of the numerous side tunnels of the cavern.
   
  Perceptive players will notice their ship being 
  off-loaded as well. A tech crew guides the stricken 
  vessel into a side hangar. Here it will undergo final 
  repairs and should be fully functional within the 
  week. Also in this secondary hangar are a motley 
  assortment of some two-hundred small craft, almost 
  no two alike. Some are of Old-Republic origin (a 
  trio of antique Z-95 Headhunters), but most are of 
  alien design. These small craft serve as the defense 
  squadron for Sanctuary, and many represent the only 
  surviving vessels of numerous extinct civilizations.
  Mistress Varnay
   Tishana will lead the PCs down another side-
  tunnel, past workshops, supply rooms, armories and 
  barracks to the command center. When they arrive, 
  read the following aloud:
   
  This irregularly shaped cavern is packed 
  with a bizarre conglomeration of computer 
  machinery. Apparently patched together from 
  dozens of different alien designs, it is a wonder 
  this makeshift command center can even 
  function. And yet the place is alive with activity. 
  Dozens of humanoids go about their duties at 
  a frenetic pace: monitoring, and coordinating 
  various base operations. Clearly, something big 
  is in the works.
   
  The ‘eye’ of this hurricane of activity is a 
  tall, stately woman with flowing, silver hair. She 
  stands with her back to the door, and as you are 
  lead closer you notice she wears the robes of a 
  Jedi. As you draw near, she speaks.
   
  “Tishana... you have returned.”
   
  Tishana lowers her head reverently, “Yes 
  mistress Varnay.”
   
  “They are no more.” Varnay's voice is hollow, 
  resigned.
   
  Tishana raises her eyes, “But, I have brought 
  others. They are strong, capable fighters...” her 
  voice trails off.
   
  “They are too few.” Varnay says, her voice 
  distant. “They are not Jedi.”
   
  “But mistress—” Tishana starts.
   
  Varnay raises her hand angrily “Enough!”
   
  Tishana flinches and falls silent.
   
  Varnay turns to face your group. She is truly 
  beautiful, he face seemingly untouched by the 
  years that have silvered her hair. You are chilled, 
  however, by the hardness in her steel-grey eyes and 
  by the wicked scar that curves along the right side 
  of her face. Her gaze travels to each of you in turn. 
  It is unnerving... imposing. Finally she speaks.
   
  “You are here now. Come good or ill, your 
  destinies lie with ours.” She turns to Tishana. “They 
  are your responsibility. Find a place for them.
   
  Tishana replies meekly. “Yes mistress.”
   
  Any force sensitive PCs will notice (with an easy 
  Sense roll) a distinct ‘chill’ in the room. Clearly, 
  Varnay has strayed close to the dark side... perhaps 
  too close. In any case, now is not the time to confront 
  her about it. She is currently absorbed in planning a 
  new offensive against the Charon and simply does 
  not have the time. Persistent players will be urged 
  to leave by Tishana. If this isn’t enough to dissuade 
  them, Varnay will order a pair of Saber warriors to 
  escort them from the room. 
   
  The point of this encounter is to introduce the 
  PCs to Varnay and let them know that ‘something is 
  rotten in Denmark’. This will give them something 
  to talk about and drive their thoughts through the 
  episode. If they were to confront Varnay now it 
  would ruin the dramatic effect. They will get their 
  chance at a confrontation... just not right now.
   
  Tishana leads the PCs through the tunnels 
  in silence. She will talk about her mentor if 
  questioned, concentrating only on the good she 
  has done, describing how Varnay formed the 
  resistance: gathering survivors, training the Saber 
  Warriors, founding Sanctuary. If questioned about 
  Varnay’s behavior in the control room, Tishana 
  seems apologetic, explaining that her mistress is 
  under incredible pressure right now, especially after 
  discovering the fate of her Jedi order. She goes on to 
  say that Varnay was not so harsh prior to her capture 
  by the Charon. This should pique the PCs interest. 
  If pressed further, Tishana reveals what she knows 
  of Varnay’s capture and subsequent escape from the 
  Charon several months ago, namely that the Charon 
  tortured her (giving her that scar) and ever since 
  then, she has been... different. Tishana remains loyal 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  to Varnay, however, refusing to listen to any talk of 
  the dark side— for now at least. She has convinced 
  herself that the change in Varnay is just temporary 
  and that she just needs time to recover and she’ll be 
  her old self again (though her belief in this fades a 
  little every day).
   
  When the conversation slows (or if it never 
  began), have the PCs reach their final destination:
   
  Paradise Found
   
  Read Aloud:
   
   
  A pair of blast doors stand at the end of 
  the gloomy stone tunnel. As you approach, the 
  doors grind open and you are overwhelmed by 
  bright rays of what appears to be sunlight. As 
  you eyes adjust, a balmy breeze swirls in around 
  you, carrying the scent of wild flowers. The 
  doors open onto a ledge overlooking a gigantic, 
  kilometers-wide cavern. Lush vegetation covers 
  the entire floor below: trees, shrubs, grass and 
  vines— a carpet of green climbing the cliff-like 
  walls all around. In the distance, a waterfall 
  rumbles, its waters forming a wide stream 
  which meanders across the length of the cavern. 
  Amid the wilderness stand acres of tilled fields 
  and lush orchards and even a quaint village, 
  tucked away at the base of a nearby cliff-wall. 
  A squinted glance overhead reveals some kind 
  of huge, artificial sun-dome, its life giving rays 
  making this paradise possible. 
   
  Tishana stands nearby, the cares seeming to 
  Sanctuary
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  melt away from her serious face. “Come.” she 
  says simply, guiding your group down a ledge 
  walkway toward the distant settlement.
   
   
  Using the scavenged technology and knowhow 
  of the races of Otherspace, the Resistance was able 
  to construct this haven of life amidst the desolation 
  of their Galaxy. This cavern is indeed a miniature 
  ecosystem, fully self contained, providing a refuge 
  for beleaguered resistance fighters and their loved 
  ones. Roughly 5000 beings make their home here, 
  mostly non-combatants and children, but with a 
  good number of recuperating warriors as well. The 
  rules of Sanctuary are simple: leave outside cares 
  outside. This is a place to celebrate life... a rare 
  commodity in this Charon dominated dimension. 
   
  The PCs follow Tishana across the floor of 
  the cavern, along a forest path and over a simple, 
  wooden bridge to the settlement on the far side of 
  the river. Hand-made houses of stone and wood 
  rise along the riverbanks, amid numerous vegetable 
  gardens and orchard groves. Further back, the 
  village begins to climb the cavern wall itself, with 
  ledges, ramps and stairs providing access to scores 
  of cozy cave-homes. Men, women and children 
  of hundreds of different races live, work and play 
  here in harmony with the land. Tishana is greeted 
  warmly by all, as are the PCs (though they will be 
  subject to a great many curious stares and the topic 
  of whispered conversations as they pass). As the 
  players proceed into town, go to event one below.
   
  What do we do now?
   
  The focus of the rest of this episode is roleplay. 
  The players will spend approximately one week 
  on Sanctuary as the Resistance gathers for its final 
  assault on the Charon Armada and their ship is 
  repaired. There are several planned encounters 
  and events during this week, but what the PCs do 
  during the rest of the time is entirely up to them. It 
  is hoped that they will explore their surroundings 
  and interact with the beings of Sanctuary, hopefully 
  forming some kind of friendship or respect for these 
  brave beings who have survived despite all odds 
  and refuse to give up the simple joys of life. Any 
  relationships or feelings formed now will make the 
  next episode all the more dramatic and give the 
  characters a personal stake in the coming Charon 
  attack. Ask the players how their characters are 
  spending their time. You don’t even have to roleplay 
  out all of the interactions. Just try to get the players 
  to think about what their characters would do in a 
  situation like this. Hopefully, this will allow them to 
  see and express their character as something more 
  than a collection of statistics and equipment lists.
  Sanctuary Events
   
  The following events will happen during the 
  week the PCs spend in Sanctuary. Most can occur 
  at any time during that week, but they should occur 
  in order, as they build towards a final confrontation 
  with Varnay. The GM should, as always, feel free to 
  add or subtract any events he or she wants.
  Event One: The Librarian
   
  This event will happen as Tishana first leads the 
  players into the village. 
   
  You make it to the center of the village 
  before encountering a rather strange sight: 
  striding through the settlement is an immense, 
  hulking humanoid, standing some 2.5 meters 
  tall, his body covered by thick, silvery-brown 
  fur. He seems absorbed in the study of a small 
  leatherbound object which he holds in his 
  huge, paw-like hands. A pair of wire-rimmed 
  spectacles are perched atop his muzzle-like 
  snout, looking ridiculously tiny compared to the 
  bulk of his ursine features.
   
  If his appearance were not striking enough 
  already, it is made moreso by the sheer number 
  of children riding, climbing, hanging, dragging, 
  running and skipping along with / on top of 
  / beside and behind him. Nearly two dozen 
  smiling, laughing youngsters proceed with the 
  good natured creature, apparently finding him 
  to be the perfect, mobile playground. For his 
  part, the creature seems perfectly content and 
  not the least bit distracted.
   
  Tishana laughs at the sight and cries out 
  happily, “Axelai! Over here, I have some people 
  I would like you to meet!” The ursoid glances up 
  at the voice, his muzzle curling in a bearish smile. 
  He changes course and shambles slowly closer. 
  Half the children rush ahead, swarming around 
  Tishana instead, grinning at you curiously from 
  the shelter of her embrace.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  Tishana will introduce the PCs to Axelai, 
  the Librarian of Sanctuary. He is responsible for 
  collecting and preserving the surviving combined 
  knowledge of the races of Otherspace and can be 
  quite helpful in answering just about any question 
  the players have to ask about Otherspace, the 
  Charon or the Resistance. The Librarian is laconic 
  but eloquent and is extremely intelligent and 
  charming (when he wants to be). He is genuinely 
  glad to meet the PCs and is very curious to hear of 
  their dimension. He invites them all to visit him at 
  his library after they are settled in, then (after giving 
  Tishana a warm embrace) shambles off with his 
  entourage of children.
   
  Event Two: Getting Settled In
   
  Tishana leads the PCs to a cave midway up the 
  cliff face. The interior is sparsely furnished, but 
  cozy, with enough bedding for all the characters and 
  even crude bathroom facilities. Tishana will leave 
  the players here to settle in assuring them she will 
  be back shortly. The PCs are now free to either rest 
  here or explore their surroundings.
   
  Should any PCs choose to accompany (or 
  follow) Tishana, she will proceed to a small cabin 
  at the edge of the village (her home), change into 
  a simple dress and then go among the townsfolk, 
  taking a collection of food and other goods for the 
  players. This done, she returns to the PCs cave with 
  several baskets of food, drink and even clothing. 
  She invites them all to come to a celebration that 
  will begin at ‘sundown’ in the Village- A welcome 
  home for the warriors and crew of the Triumph, a 
  chance to unwind from the strain of combat. The 
  young Jedi’s behavior is almost a complete reversal 
  of her former, serious demeanor. She seems very 
  young now, energetic and enthusiastic like any 
  other eighteen-year-old. Tishana will be a constant 
  companion to the players if they let her and will 
  take them on a tour of Sanctuary if they wish. She 
  is eager to hear stories of their galaxy and is a great 
  source of information on Sanctuary, the Charon, 
  and Ellen Varnay, though she is somewhat tight-
  lipped on the latter subject and will try and change 
  the subject if the PCs suggest something is wrong 
  with the Jedi. 
   
  Event Three: The Celebration
   
  At ‘sundown’ (when the artificial light-dome is 
  dimmed and shut down) people begin to gather at 
  the edge of the settlement near the banks of the river. 
  A banquet is layed out and kegs of local brews are 
  tapped. A mis-matched band of unfamiliar aliens 
  strikes up a lively tune, and before long, people rise 
  up to join in a simple dance. Warriors and townfolk, 
  young and old, aliens of every description allow 
  themselves to put aside their cares and hurts for a 
  while and just celebrate the simple joys of life. Life 
  is a rare commodity in Otherspace and celebrations 
  like this are an escape from the horrors outside 
  sanctuary and a reminder of exactly what it is the 
  resistance is fighting for.
   
  The beings of Sanctuary will welcome the PCs 
  without hesitation, doing whatever they can to make 
  them feel at home. Allow the players some room 
  to roleplay here. Again, have each player describe 
  what it is their character is doing. The whole point 
  of this episode is to give the players a chance to 
  roleplay their characters in a non-combat situation. 
  Should any of the characters avoid coming to the 
  celebration, have Tishana or Axelai visit them and 
  try to persuade them to come. At the celebration, 
  Tishana will take it upon herself to make sure the 
  PCs have enough to eat and drink. If any of them 
  don’t seem to be enjoying themselves, she’ll drag 
  the offending PC(s) into a dance. Her honest good 
  cheer should be enough to crack even the most 
  determined ‘gruff’ in the group.
   
  As the night proceeds, however, something 
  happens to break the festive mood. 
   
   
  A hush seems to fall over the celebration, 
  followed by a nervous ripple of whispers. The 
  dancers slow, then stop as the musician’s song 
  fades away. The crowds part before Kordak as 
  he shambles unsteadily toward your group. He 
  stops and stands somewhat shakily, clutching 
  a gourd-like bottle in one hand. Regarding you 
  through narrowed eyes, he jabs an accusing 
  finger in your direction. “Good warriors died to 
  bring you here... and now you laugh and dance.” 
  He sways slightly, then growls “It is not right.”
   
  “No, Kordak.” Tishana’s calm, commanding 
  voice rings out. She moves to stand between you 
  and the drunken warrior. “It is not right that 
  those warriors, our friends, died. But it is not 
  the fault of these people. They are brave and 
  worthy.”Her voice takes on a harsh, scolding 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  tone as she continues. “This is Sanctuary. Here 
  we celebrate life. You know better than to bring 
  your anger here... and if it is a fight you want, 
  then it is me you will have to face.”
   
  Though he towers over the young Jedi, 
  Kordak seems to whither before Tishana’s 
  unflinching gaze. He manages only a strangled, 
  frustrated growl before he turns and stalks 
  away. The crowds open quickly to let him pass. 
  The music starts up again as Tishana returns to 
  your group, but it seems more subdued now... 
   
  The purpose of the scene is to underscore 
  the fact that there are some disturbing problems 
  within the Resistance. Force sensitive PCs will 
  realize that Kordak is on the brink of the Dark 
  Side, just like his teacher, Varnay. This encounter 
  should further their desire to help resolve this 
  situation— if only because their own skins are on 
  the line here, too. 
   
  After this scene, Tishana will be more willing 
  to listen to any doubts cast upon her Mistress and 
  the effect she is having on others. She is not yet 
  ready to confront Varnay, however. Nor does she 
  wish the PC’s to. Allow the tension to build a up 
  to events five and six. In the meanhile, the PCs 
  can try to dig into Varnay’s background by talking 
  with Tishana or Axelai. The more they know about 
  what happened to her, the more ‘ammunition’ they 
  will have in their attempt to turn Varnay back to 
  the light. If the player’s don’t seem interested in 
  talking about this, have either Tishana or Axelai 
  bring it up. 
  Event Four: Romance?
   
  Tishana enjoys the celebration immensely, she 
  is, after all, very young and it is a good momentary 
  escape from the many problems and duties her 
  position forces onto her. Now that she has the time 
  to ‘let her hair down’ (literally and figuratively) 
  she may begin to develop feelings for a male PC, 
  especially if that PC has proven himself honorable 
  in earlier encounters. Tishana is naive in the ways of 
  courtship, but not so in her judgement of character. 
  False or clearly shallow advances will be politely 
  refused. Rather, she seeks out the most kind or 
  thoughtful member of the group. If this should turn 
  out to be a force-user, all the better, but that is not a 
  requirement.
   
  How to develop this romance (or whether to 
  develop it at all) is up to you, the game master, 
  but again, it could make for some good roleplay 
  and will help to create dramatic tension in the 
  episodes to come. Just keep in mind that Tishana is 
  not looking for a ‘one night stand’. She is a caring, 
  intelligent young woman with discriminating tastes. 
  Depending on the player character’s reactions, the 
  result of this romance could be anything from a 
  close friendship to a deep, abiding love affair (or 
  even a doomed love affair, should Tishana die in the 
  final episode of the adventure.)
  Event Five: Training Session
   
  The Resistance is preparing for its offensive, and 
  since it appears the characters will be joining them, 
  they are eventually invited (by Tishana) to attend 
  a training session. Since the PCs are (presumably) 
  ‘elite’ fighters, they will be allowed to train with the 
  Saber warriors– the elite of the Resistance.
   
  Assuming they agree, Tishana will lead the PCs 
  to the training center in the military complex of 
  Sanctuary. This stark, stone chamber contains
  some forty warriors of many different species, 
  including some who helped rescue the PC’s in 
  Episode two.
   
  The training session is lead by Kordak, who 
  seems subdued after his behavior at the celebration 
  the other ‘night’ (though this doesn’t stop him 
  from scowling at the PCs anyway). The session 
  begins with basic exercises, then moves on to 
  combat training, including ranged weapons, melee 
  weapons, unarmed combat, and lightsabers (for 
  those who know how to use them). The warriors 
  spar with eachother as well as specially designed 
  sparring droids (resembling robotic Charon). 
   
  If your players are the kind who enjoy combat 
  roleplay, then indulge them a bit here. Let them 
  show off, and/or test their skills against the NPC’s 
  in ‘friendly’ combat. Tishana won’t mind mixing 
  it up a little, and Kordak actually looks forward to 
  the chance (should any PC challenge him). Though 
  all sparring combat is strictly non-lethal, Varnay’s 
  warriors do not play ‘nice’– there are bound to be 
  bumps and bruises after these sessions are over. 
  Kordak, though rough, will not dare cause serious 
  injury to any character in the presence of Tishana.
   
  Should the players give a good account of 
  themselves during training, they will easily win 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   xploring Sanctuary
    Sooner or later (it is hoped) the 
  Characters will end up exploring their 
  surroundings. There are several major areas of 
  Sanctuary that could be of interest to the PCs: 
  The Village: Apart from a small ‘tavern’ of 
  sorts and the workshops of several crafts-
  men (carpenters, weavers, potters, etc.) there 
  isn’t all that much to see in the village. The 
  townsfolk will be helpful and friendly to the 
  PCs, providing them with anything they need 
  (within reason). Though curious about the 
  Character’s origins, the townsfolk will not 
  pester them about it, but will listen eagerly if 
  given the chance. 
  The Library: This is a large, multi-leveled 
  cavern filled floor to ceiling with all manner 
  of data-storage devices, from alien computer 
  terminals to datapads to ancient leather-bound 
  tomes. It is here that the Librarian Axelai seeks 
  to catalogue and maintain the surviving knowl-
  edge of the races of Otherspace. History, lit-
  erature, technical manuals, even artwork from 
  thousands of races can be found here. Sadly, this 
  lore is all that remains of most races. Though 
  the library could best be described as a disor-
  ganized clutter, Axelai claims to have a system. 
  Indeed he can recover most any knowledge 
  the PCs can think to ask him for (keeping in 
  mind this is a different dimension’s lore we’re 
  talking about). Of particular interest to the PCs 
  would be works relating to the Charon and to 
  the arrival of Varnay in Otherspace. With this 
  information, the character’s can piece together 
  most of Varnay’s history in Otherspace (See 
  Adventure Background) and can learn most 
  of the specifics about the Charon themselves 
  (save for their mysterious Queen, whom no one 
  but Varnay has seen and lived to tell the tale).
  The Wilderness: The settlement covers only 
  a small portion of the cavern, the rest is either 
  tilled cropland and orchards or untamed wil-
  derness, left to grow as it will. The forests 
  are beautiful and peaceful, made up of both 
  pines and hardwood interspersed with patches 
  of shrubs, ferns and wildflowers. A variety of 
  fauna can be found as well, mostly insects and 
  birds, but also including small rodents and 
  lizards. Only a few predators exist to keep the 
  populations in check, the largest of which is a 
  small fox-sized creature (which poses no threat 
  to the PCs). In all, a nicely balanced (if limited) 
  ecosystem.
  The Waterfall and River: The waterfall that 
  feeds the river that flows through the cavern 
  has its source in a gigantic aquifer situated 
  above the cavern. Water is allowed to run down 
  the falls and into the river, eventually ending up 
  in a reclamation/pump station at the other end 
  of the cavern. Here, the water is pumped back 
  up to the aquifer to repeat the cycle. Water can 
  also be directed to an overhead sprinkler system 
  designed to simulate rain. The area around the 
  mouth of the falls has been sculpted by nature 
  and numerous artisans into a beautiful grotto, 
  complete with secluded caves, ledges and pools 
  of crystal clear water, perfect for swimming. 
  Mosses, lichens and vines have overgrown the 
  moisture slicked rocks, covering the area in a 
  rich green carpet of vegetation. This place is 
  frequented during the day by those seeking 
  recreation or meditation, though usually by no 
  more than a dozen at a time. The river itself is 
  wide and slow-flowing, fed by the waterfall 
  and converging with several small brooks (fed 
  by the artificial rains). A few hardy species of 
  fish thrive in the waters, and are harvested on 
  occasion by the citizens of Sanctuary.
  The Military Complex: This is a warren of 
  low, gloomy tunnels and chambers situated 
  between the docking area and the main cavern. 
  It is divided into a number of distinct sections, 
  each detailed below. Most of this area is off-
  limits to the PCs unless they’re accompanied 
  by Tishana.
   
  “The Forge”: Here, skilled craftsmen hand 
  forge the weapons and other equipment of the 
  E
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  resistance: blasters, armor, jetpacks, modified 
  charon plasma weaponry– All are constructed 
  here along with more mundane technological 
  items like agricultural machines and even a few 
  crude droids and computers. Also fabricated 
  here are the lightsabers wielded by Varnay’s 
  elite circle of warriors, each hand-crafted by 
  the weaponmaster Krim (A stocky, hairless 
  alien with a massive upper body and a rogu-
  ish patch over one eye). Though they could be 
  considered somewhat crude, these weapons are 
  very effective. The armory also contains cap-
  tured examples of charon weaponry: plasma-
  cannons, bio-armor, and even a biopod fighter 
  (the latter broken down into its components for 
  analysis). If any of the players lost weapons in 
  previous encounters, Tishana will help them 
  replace what they lost here, but keep in mind 
  the Resistance has limited resources. (i.e. don’t 
  allow the players to take more than they need 
  from here). Under no circumstances will the 
  PCs be allowed to take lightsabers, those are 
  reserved for those who know how to use them. 
  The only exception to this would be a force-
  using PC who has no lightsaber of his own. If 
  this is the case, Tishana will equip him/her with 
  one from here.
  Med-Lab: This treatment/research center is 
  staffed with nearly two-dozen medical vol-
  unteers and is currently treating about forty 
  patients (recovering Resistance soldiers as well 
  as a few mundane injuries and illnesses), 
  though there are facilities for a great many 
  more casualties. Treatments range from holis-
  tic herbs and therapies to high-tech synthetic 
  medicines and other scientific methods— an 
  odd combination of old and new that has pro-
  duced remarkable results. Of interest to the 
  players here are complete scientific reports on 
  Charon anatomy and bio-weapons (webbing, 
  poison, and the red “death” mist). Characters 
  unfamiliar with the Charon can learn much 
  about the race here (tell them as much or as 
  little as you want from the background material 
  on the Charon). There are even a few Charon 
  bodies kept in storage, representing all encoun-
  tered castes: Warriors, Bioscientist ‘workers’ 
  and the massive, cybernetically enhanced 
  ‘Sentinels’. Resistance scientists have made 
  several breakthroughs regarding Charon bio-
  weapons, including the antidote inoculation for 
  the red-mist and a solvent that can be used to 
  dissolve Charon webbing. 
  Training Room: A series of huge, feature-
  less stone caverns where the warriors of the 
  Resistance train and exercise. The expansive 
  facilities include several weight-lifting sta-
  tions, grav tracks, obstacle courses, firing rang-
  es, etc. One room is reserved for Varnay’s Jedi 
  students. Here, they hone their combat skills 
  against stun-remotes, charon-shaped sparring 
  droids and each other. (See Sanctuary Events 
  for more information.)
  Command Center: This is the room where 
  the PCs first meet Varnay. This area, along 
  with its adjacent conference and tactical com-
  puter rooms, is off-limits to all non-essential 
  personnel (i.e. the PCs). Varnay spends almost 
  all her time here, seeming to work around the 
  clock planning something she calls the “final 
  offensive”. No one knows the details of this 
  offensive, but whatever the plan, the resistance 
  trusts its leader explicitly and will follow her 
  orders without question. Don’t allow the PCs to 
  confront Varnay here, she will eventually come 
  out to deal with them elsewhere (See Sanctuary 
  Events for more information.)
  Escape Bays: When Sanctuary was built, the 
  designers had to plan for the eventuality of it 
  being discovered. Therefore, they constructed 
  several escape bays spaced evenly along the 
  asteroid’s surface. Each of these bays hous-
  es numerous escape craft, cobbled together 
  from whatever parts the resistance could find. 
  Though mismatched in appearance, these craft 
  are fast and dependable and there are enough 
  of them to evacuate two times the current 
  population of Sanctuary (so that if one or two 
  escape bays become cut off, the evacuees could 
  all escape through the others). These bays are 
  accessible through numerous tunnels, and will 
  become important during Episode Four.
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  the trust and admiration of the Warriors. The 
  mood of the training session should be kept light 
  if possible, to contrast with Varnay’s immenant 
  arrival. After the training has gone on for a while, 
  or whenever the roleplay begins to slow down, 
  read the following aloud:
   
  A hush suddenly falls over the training room. 
  The groups of warriors part quickly, giving way 
  to Varnay as she enters the cavern and strides 
  to its center. Her students gather around her 
  in a wide circle, none daring to speak. She eyes 
  the assemblage, then says quietly, with just a 
  hint of menace in her voice. “Who will show 
  me what they have learned this day?” There 
  are no immediate responses, but finally, one of 
  the warriors gets up enough nerve to step out 
  from the circle. Varnay nods and draws her 
  lightsaber, motioning the blue-skinned alien 
  closer. Thus begins the duel. 
   
  It is brief but brutally demonstrative. Though 
  the warrior holds his own for a while, his guard 
  eventually slips, and he pays for it with a small 
  cut... then another, and another. Through it all, 
  Varnay comments cooly on what it is the Warrior 
  is doing wrong. “Foolish.” she comments “Do 
  not hold back. The Charon will not.” 
   
  The frustration of the fight begins to take 
  its toll on the rapidly tiring warrior. He lashes 
  out in anger, snarling. Varnay nods as she deftly 
  blocks the attacks. “Use it. They hate you. Hate 
  them back... use it!” Spurred on, the Warrior 
  practically throws himself at his teacher, only to 
  wind up spawled on the floor, felled by a vicious 
  round-house kick to the head.
   
  Varnay turns to address the rest of the room 
  as the warrior writhes in pain at her feet. “Use 
  it... But control it. Focus your anger, it will give 
  you the strength we need to win.” A cold silence 
  fills the cavern as she lets this ‘lesson’ sink in, 
  broken only by the groans of pain from the 
  student lying on the floor.
   
  This should set warning bells ringing in the 
  minds of the players especially those who play 
  force users. What Varnay is teaching is the way 
  of the darkside. Though the PCs may agree with 
  her that extreme measures are necessary to defeat 
  the Charon, what she is doing is ultimately self-
  destructive to her students and herself. It goes 
  against not only the Jedi Code, but against the 
  ideals the Resistance has been fighting for since 
  its inception– the celebration and preservation of 
  life itself.
   
  Should any of the characters verbally confront 
  Varnay about what she is doing, or take her challenge 
  to ‘show her what they have learned’, the Jedi will 
  indeed invite them to a sparring duel. Unless your 
  characters are very experienced (or very lucky) 
  they should be completely outmatched. Though she 
  will not seriously injure them, Varnay will push 
  them, almost to the point of taunting them. Part of 
  her knows what she is doing is wrong, but another, 
  darker, part wants to prove that she is right– that 
  using your anger will make you a better fighter.
   
  If the characters persist in challenging her 
  teachings during or after the duel, she will finally 
  explode in anger: 
   
  In a single fluid motion, Varnay lunges to 
  the side, swinging her lightsaber in a vicious 
  arc that completely bisects a nearby sparring 
  droid. As the shattered mechanical clatters 
  to the ground, the Jedi rounds on [the PC(s) 
  questioning her], eyes burning with anger. “You 
  understand nothing!” she snarls. She gestures to 
  the sparking, twitching droid with the tip of her 
  lightsaber and hisses. “That is what the Charon 
  understand! That is the all they understand! 
  That is the only way!” She spins away, stalking 
  Smashed
  Droid
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  out of the cavern in an angry flutter of robes. 
  “Exercises are over.” 
   
  After seeing this display, and feeling the discord 
  within her mistress, Tishana is finally ready to help 
  the PCs confront Varnay and will take them aside 
  immediately after the Jedi leaves (preventing them 
  from following her if they try) She asks them to 
  come with her later that night. Tishana knows now 
  that it must be done– Varnay’s slide into darkness 
  threatens to take the Resistance with it, and this she 
  cannot allow. Read the cut-away at the top of the 
  next column and then proceed to the next event.
  EVENT SIX: CONFRONTATION
   
  After the training session and while the PCs 
  plan for their upcoming confrontation with Ellen 
  Varnay, describe the feeling of unease falls 
  over Sanctuary. Its inhabitants seem unusually 
  subdued. Tension seems to hang in the air, causing 
  depression in some and tempers to flare in others. 
  Word of Varnay’s outbursts has spread quickly, 
  and the people who believe so strongly in her now 
  feel lost... without hope. 
   
  Tishana’s plan is to approach Varnay after she 
  has ‘cooled down’ a bit and has gone out for her 
  evening meditation– which usually takes her to 
  the caves overlooking the waterfall. She hopes 
  that the tranquil and isolated setting will help to 
  calm her mistress, and make her more likely to 
  listen to reason.
   
  Though she is open to just about any plan the 
  Players come up with, Tishana will be horrified by 
  any suggestion to use violence. Not only is she still 
  loyal to Varnay, she also realizes her importance 
  as a symbol to the Resistance. Were the Jedi to 
  be slain, the morale of the resistance would be 
  destroyed. Unless the players come up with a better 
  idea, she imply intends to try and reason with 
  Varnay and not back down.
   
  The scene that follows will require good 
  roleplay from the players. Though Tishana has 
  chosen a place and a time, it should really be up to 
  the players to talk to Varnay and bring her back to 
  the light. If your players aren’t particularly adept 
  at talking, then the following encounter could be 
  rather awkward. In this case, have Tishana help 
  out a little, but the PC’s words and actions should 
  really decide the outcome.
   
  When the players have made all the preparations 
  they care to, read the following:
   
  Evening falls over Sanctuary. Tonight, 
  however, the darkness seems more than just a 
  physical state. The inhabitants of Sanctuary 
  seem to huddle by their fires and in their homes, 
  paying you no mind as Tishana leads you past 
  them towards the distant waterfall. The uneasy 
  pall that has fallen over the settlement seems 
  only to intensify with the coming of night. 
  Though quiet, your guide doesn’t appear to 
  share in this depressive mood. Tishana’s face is 
  set with resolution and, when she looks to your 
  group, confidence.
   
  Your path winds through the woods, along 
  the river to the waterfall that is its source. There, 
  you climb the rocky slopes of the cavern wall to 
  a cave etched within it. Tishana pauses slightly 
  before entering, turning to look at each of you. 
  After a moment, she offers a small smile and 
  ducks into the cave.
   ut-Away to Dark Chamber:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  INTERIOR: NEST CHAMBER. The 
  camera begins a slow pullback from a dark 
  form situated at the center of a huge web. One 
  by one, long spindly limbs unfold from this mass, 
  silhouetted against the grey window behind. 
  “Yesssss...” rasps an alien voice. “She draws 
  closer to the void... She draws closer to me.” 
   
  Hundreds of rasps, clicks and chitters are 
  heard just off camera, growing in intensity. The 
  voice at the center of the web speaks again, 
  soothingingly “The time approaches, my chil-
  dren... soon... sssooon...”
  [Fade to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: SPACE. An armada of dark 
  ships rumbles towards and into a familiar look-
  ing nebula.
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: SANCTUARY. Where a group 
  of heros meet to decide the fate of their cause...
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  A small fire illuminates the rocky chamber 
  and before it kneels Ellen Varnay, her back 
  to the entrance. She seems unaware of your 
  presence at first, but then suddenly speaks. Her 
  voice is low, with just a hint of menace in it. “So, 
  Tishana. You think to challenge your mistress. 
  Come then..” Varnay rises, turning to face your 
  group. “... what have you to say.”
   
  And now the roleplay really begins. It is up to 
  the players, with Tishana’s help (as needed) to turn 
  Varnay back to the light. This will not be an easy 
  task, but it is a necessary one. Not only is it ‘the 
  right thing to do’, it is also the only way to keep 
  the Resistance from crumbling (and thereby stop 
  the Charon).
   
  As the players confront her, Varnay will fight 
  back verbally. Though part of her knows she is 
  wrong, the dark urges her defend herself, to justify 
  her actions. Her main argument is that the ends 
  justify the means. If she must turn heartless to slay 
  the Charon, then so be it. 
   
  The players can offer many arguments against 
  this, but the most convincing would be to point 
  out that if she does this, she becomes what she 
  seeks to destroy. It was hope and a love of life that 
  kept her and her people alive all these years, and 
  it is just possible that these same things can see 
  them through this, their darkest hour. If the players 
  seem to be faltering, have Tishana try to nudge the 
  argument in this direction.
   
  As the confrontation proceeds, Varnay will 
  become more and more angry, especially when 
  Tishana joins in. Should the players come up with 
  a particularly good argument or if the scene is 
  starting to drag on, the Jedi will finally snap. At this 
  point, read the folowing aloud:
   
  Without warning, Varnay’s lightsaber 
  seems to leap into her hand. The Jedi sweeps 
  the weapon into attack position, snarling in 
  frustration: “You don’t know! You haven’t seen 
  what I have, you don’t know what I do! They 
  must be destroyed!” She rounds on Tishana, 
  jabbing the tip of her lightsaber accusingly in 
  her direction. “You turn against me when I need 
  you most! After all I have done... this is how 
  you repay me?!” Despite herself, Tishana looks 
  down, ashamed. Before anyone has a chance 
  to speak again, an angry scream interrupts. 
  Kordak emerges from the shadows of a nearby 
  tunnel. “You DARE challenge my Mistress?! 
  You will all pay for your insolence!” The hulking 
  warrior launches himself into the midst of your 
  group, igniting his lightsaber as he charges.
   
  Kordak has followed the PCs to the cave and 
  has listened to the arguments from the shadows. 
  He has now had all he can stomach, and (spurred 
  on by his Mistress’s anger) he attacks. Run the 
  combat as normal, determining surprise and 
  initiative as normal.
   
  While Kordak is a dangerous opponent, he 
  really shouldn’t be a match for the entire party. It 
  is hoped the players will find some way to subdue 
  him rather than kill him, but it is entirely possible 
  that they may have to do just that.
   
  Either way, Varnay will be stunned by the 
  attack. She will not join either side, but rather 
  watches in horrified fascination. This is a product 
  of her teaching, and a graphic example of what the 
  players may have been arguing all along. Tishana 
  will aid the PCs, but will not kill him, no matter 
  what the reason.
   
  When the fight is over, and Kordak is subdued 
  (one way or another), Varnay will drop her lightsaber 
  and kneel beside the fallen Warrior. Even if he is not 
  dead, the impact of the fight has finally opened 
  Varnay’s eyes. “What have I done?” she asks 
  numbly. “What have I done...” This said, proceed 
  with the cut-away below.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Read Aloud:
   
   
  Somewhere, in the distance, a single low 
  wail sounds, echoing across the cavern from the 
  direction of the settlement. It is soon joined by 
  others. Tishana looks up in alarm. “No! The 
  evacuation signal...” Her face twists in dismay 
  as she turns to Varnay for guidance. But the Jedi 
  pays no heed to anything going on around her. 
  She continues to kneel beside Kordak, shaking 
  her head slowly. She mutters to herself as bitter 
  tears begin to run down her cheeks. “They’ve 
  found us... they’ve found us, and it was all my 
  fault... all of it.” 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
   
  At this point, Varnay is overcome with grief 
  and feels she deserves to stay here and die for 
  what she has done. She knows that the only way 
  the Charon could have found out about Sanctuary 
  was through the Mother-queen’s newly gained 
  dark Force abilities. With them, the arachnoid ruler 
  could sense for the life force of the beings in the 
  resistance– could track it across the void of space. 
  And worst of all, the Mother-Queen gained these 
  powers from Varnay. 
   
  Give the players a chance to complete Varnays 
  redemption by pointing out to her that she is still 
  needed and that even if it was her ‘fault’ there is 
  something she can still do about it. If the players 
  do not do this, or seem ready to leave Varnay to 
  her fate, then have Tishana speak up, saying “We 
  need you, now more than ever.” Once this final 
  emotional hurdle is taken, Varnay will have been 
  truly redeemed to the light, read the following 
  aloud:
   
  Varnay looks up, turning to regard each of 
  you with searching eyes. She nods slightly, almost 
  to herself, as a grim determination builds in her 
  tear-streaked features. She rises from where she 
  kneels and speaks in an earnest, resolute voice. 
  “You are right. You were right all along. I...” her 
  voice breaks from emotion. “I cannot express 
  the gratitude...” She shakes her head, regaining 
  her composure. “But, there is no time for that 
  now. Come, we have a battle to win.” 
   ut-Away to Command Center:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  INTERIOR: COMMAND CENTER. 
  A Resistance technician monitors a sensor 
  readout , running a standard sweep of the 
  area around the Sanctuary asteroid. His 
  eyes suddenly widen in horror as blips begin 
  to appear on his screen, first dozens, then 
  hundreds. He slaps an alarm button on his 
  control panel and shouts for the duty officer. 
  “Sir! Charon vessels approaching!”
  [Cut to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: SPACE. An armada of 
  Charon vessels emerges from the clouds of 
  the nebula. Hundreds of larger ships begin 
  disgorging thousands of smaller craft as they 
  fan out into formation in front of the Sanctuary 
  asteroid. In hasty response, Resistance attack 
  ships begin launching to intercept, but they 
  seem pitiful few against the arachnoid fleet.
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: COMMAND CENTER. A 
  Resistance officer stands amidst the chaos of 
  activity, shouting orders. “Finish launching 
  all defense craft! Signal the evacuation!... and 
  notify the Triumph of our situation!” He pauses 
  to glance at the sensor display screen again, 
  exchanging glances with the technician moni-
  toring it. The officer hisses to himself worriedly 
  “Damnit... Where is Varnay?”
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: CAVE. Where Varnay kneels 
  beside a fallen Kordak...
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  Summary:
   
  In this Episode, the players must fight their 
  way free of Sanctuary as it is attacked, doing their 
  best to save as many of the Resistance as possible. 
  Opposing them are the Charon Armada and hordes 
  of arachnoid warriors invading the asteroid base 
  itself. With the timely aid of Captain Marsten and 
  the Triumph, the players should be able to make 
  it to where the rest of the Resistance has gathered 
  its fleet. From there, they will prepare for the final 
  assault on the Charon as they prepare to make the 
  dimensional crossover to realspace...
  Holding Action:
   
  Even as the announcement is made, Varnay 
  begins to take control of the situation. Despite all of 
  her recent troubles, she is a brilliant leader, and one 
  with a lot of experience fighting the Charon. She 
  informs the players that Sanctuary does have an 
  evacuation plan, but that it will take time. Therefore, 
  they must all help to hold off the Charon invasion 
  while the resistance’s non- combatants escape.
   
  In order to avoid being overshadowed by the 
  Jedi’s combat abilities, the Characters should be 
  sent off on their own while Varnay and Tishana 
  attend to other tasks (this also reduces the number 
  of NPC’s you will have to keep track of in the 
  following scenes). The Jedi directs the players to 
  the Village in the main cavern, asking them to help 
  oversee its evactuation and escort the people there 
  to their designated evactuation ships.
   
  Meanwhile, the Charon have already begun to 
  infiltrate the asteroid with their borers and other
  vehicles. There will only be a few scouts and raiders 
  to begin with, but these will soon be followed by 
  hordes of warriors...
   
  Scenes of Evactuation:
   
  Once the players are on their way, run the 
  following scenes, keeping in mind the current 
  condition of the PC’s and the fact that you do 
  not want to kill them, but rather just make life a 
  ‘challenge’ for them. As always, though, if your 
  players make foolish decisions, then they should 
  pay the price. Players who do not use their heads in 
  these encounters could easily lose them.
   
  Scene One: Chaos in the Village
   
  Upon arriving in the villge, the players find a
  scene of pure chaos. Despite their dedication and 
  training, the people here are afraid. Though they 
  have been prepared to evacuate ever since they 
  moved here, many had begun to believe it would 
  never happen and are now in shock. Without any 
  E  pisode Four
   Paradise Lost
   ut-Away to Space:
  	Read	aloud:
   
  EXTERIOR: SPACE: The battle rages 
  between the vastly outnumbered resistance 
  attack ships and the Charon armada. Waves of 
  ships blast through the defenses to hammer the 
  Sanctuary asteroid itself. 
  [Cut to:]
   
  EXTERIOR: 
  ASTEROID SURFACE. 
  Dozens of huge, beetle-like Charon vehicles land 
  on the surface of the asteroid and begin to bur-
  row into the stone, throwing up clouds of debris 
  behind them. 
  [Cut to:]
   
  INTERIOR: COMMAND CENTER. A 
  grim officer watches the display screens, then 
  announces over the base-wide comm-unit “We 
  have Charon borers inbound, Sanctuary has 
  been compromised, I repeat, we have been com-
  promised...”
  [Fade to:]
   
  INTERIOR: SANCTUARY. Where Varnay 
  and our heroes hear the grim news...
  C
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  solid leadership, the people mill about in a state of 
  near panic gathering what goods they think they 
  can bring with them. Some have begun to move 
  toward the evacuation tunnel, but unless someone 
  gets control of the situation and motivates them, it 
  is clear they wont get out in time.
   This is a chance for those players with high 
  command skills to take charge. A loud voice and a 
  Command roll will get the attention of crowd and 
  get them moving to the tunnel. Failing the use of 
  Command skills, a loud show of force (A Wookiee 
  roar, blaster shots in the air, etc.) will suffice, but the 
  evacuation will be less orderly and take more time. 
  Consult the table below to see how this encounter 
  affects those to follow.
  Scene Two: The Library
   
  As the players (hopefully) get people moving 
  in the village, Axelai, the librarian, is busily 
  downloading what he can of the library files onto 
  a portable terminal and grabbing what few artifacts 
  he can carry— most will have to be abandoned. As 
  he does this, the players should notice a group of 
  8 charon warriors scale down the sheer cliff walls 
  and enter the library cave (remember, the number of 
  charon may be modified by the players’ actions in 
  the previous encounter). 
   
  It will take the players five rounds to reach the 
  library from the village. If any were already at the 
  library (for whatever reasons), then run the combat 
  as normal, with Axelai assisting them. If no players 
  were at the library, then they will arrive to find a 
  wounded Axelai battling the Charon amidst the 
  now burning ruins of his library. If nobody goes to 
  the library, then Axelai will be killed.
   
  To add some drama to this scene, during the 
  combat in the library, one of the village children 
  will rush in to assist Axelai– only to wind up being 
  batted aside by a charon warrior. As the child 
  falls, critically injured, Axelai will go berserk and 
  attack the offending charon bare-handed. His rage 
  is such that he literally rips the charon limb from 
   ommanding The Situation
   The less time the evacuation takes, the 
  fewer Charon the players will have to 
  face in subsequent encounters. The rules for 
  this are as follows: 
   Player’s  
   
   Modifier to
  Command Roll  
   Number of Charon
   
  Heroic 
   
   
  x.5 
   
   
  Very Difficult 
   
  x.75
   
  Difficult 
   
   
  -
   
  Moderate 
   
   
  x1.5
   
  Easy  
   
   
  x2
   
  Very Easy 
   
   
  x3
  If the players use a show of Force (wookiee 
  roar, firing blasters into the air) rather than 
  their command skills, the number of Charon 
  in the following encounters should be modi-
  fied by x1.5.
  If the players do nothing to take command of
  the situation, but still stay with the evacuees, 
  multiply the number of Charon in the follow-
  ing encounters by x3.
  If the players ignore the situation and move to 
  save their own skins, the number of Charon 
  should be modified by x.5. This is a very 
  cowardly thing to, however, and the players 
  should face repurcussions later for leaving 
  people behind to die.
  When applying the modifier to determine the 
  number of Charon involved in an encounter, 
  round all fractions up.
  C
  Bloody	Claw
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  limb (from limb). You don’t actually have to roll 
  dice for this, just describe it happening during the 
  combat. This kind of violence coming from the 
  normally pacifistic librarian should help increase 
  the ‘desparate’ feel of the battle.
   
  When it is all over, Axelai (if he is still alive) will 
  gather the child in his arms and move to join the 
  evacuation.
  Scene Three: Borers
   
  Once the majority of the evacuees are in the 
  tunnels, headed for the escape ships, read the 
  following aloud to any players performing rear-
  guard for the retreat.
   
  As the last of the beings of Sanctuary make 
  their way into the escape tunnels, you pause 
  for one last glance at the cavern. Already fires 
  have are raging through the forests, set by small 
  parties of charon advance scouts. Thick clouds 
  of black smoke have begun to fill the cavern, 
  blotting out the light of the sun-dome above. 
  Here and there you can see flashes of blasters 
  and plasma weapons, accompanied by distant 
  screams and shouts— it seems not everyone was 
  able to get out in time...
   
  And then the Charon arrive in force. The 
  ground begins to rumble and sections of the 
  cavern walls suddenly collapse inwards. Odd 
  , beetle-like burrowing vehicles burst through 
  the stone and disgorge hordes of of arachnoid 
  warriors and clouds of their red ‘death mist’.
   
  Your view of this scene is suddenly interrupted 
  when the ground rumbles again, this time much 
  closer. Another charon borer vehicle emerges, 
  chewing its way through the stone only twenty 
  meters from the escape tunnel you guard.
   
  Even as the borer begins belching out gouts 
  of red mist, warriors leap from its back and 
  skitter towards you, the light of distant fires 
  glinting hellishly off their armored bodies... 
   
  The players will have to hold off 16 Charon 
  warriors in this battle (modified by the results of 
  their actions in encounter one). As always, feel free 
  to modify the exact number of Charon to suit the 
  current condition of the party. If the characters are 
  already pretty beaten up, then lower the number of 
  Charon. If the players have been easily defeating 
  Warriors in previous encounters, then raise the 
  number Charon.
   
  During the battle, remember to take the effects 
  of the red-mist into account. Most players are 
  probably immunized from the mist’s mind-warping 
  effects by now, but it can still hamper their vision.
   
  After unloading its troops, the borer vehicle will 
  attempt to withdraw back the way it came, headed 
  for the surface of the asteroid. And for you people 
  who must have explainations about such things, 
  the reason the asteroid base is not explosively 
  decompressing as the borers penetrate its surface 
  is because the asteroid itself has a thin atmosphere. 
  Though the tunnels the Charon have dug are indeed 
  venting the ‘good’ atmosphere of the base out 
  into space, it is happening much slower (and less 
  violently) than it would have if the base interior was 
  suddenly exposed to hard vacuum.
   
  The Charon will attempt to kill or subdue all the 
  players and then go after the evacuees fleeing down 
  the tunnel. Once the player’s defeat or otherwise 
  overcome the Charon, they may themselves proceed 
  down the tunnel to the evacuation bays.
  Scene Four: Last Stand
   
  Read Aloud:
   
  You hurry after the flood of refugees, rushing 
  down the escape tunnel and away from the 
  burning ruins of Sanctuary. As the twisting 
  passageway proceeds, it suddenly opens into a 
  larger cavern where several other tunnels join 
  it. At the entrance to one of these, a small band 
  of resistance warriors fights to hold off a swarm 
  of Charon. As you watch, another group of 
  arachnoids emerges from a different tunnel and 
  sweeps in behind the warriors, cutting them off 
  from retreat. The cavern is large enough that 
  the Charon have not yet taken notice of your 
  presence. It would be easy enough to sneak by 
  while they are distracted, but you know that by 
  doing so, you would leave the warriors to certain 
  death...”
   
  Should the PCs stop to aid the warriors, they 
  will face another 16 Charon (again, modified by 
  the results of their actions in scene one). They will 
  be aided in this fight by six resistance warriors. 
  Should the players overcome these Charon, they 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  (and any surviving resistance warriors) will be able 
  to retreat all the way to the escape bays without 
  further incident. From there, they can board one of 
  the escape craft and launch into space. Proceed with 
  Scene Six.
  Scene Five: Scramble
  (Optional)
   
  It is hoped that the Characters are well- rounded 
  enough to be useful both on the ground and in their 
  ships, but if any of them are really more suited to 
  space combat, have Varnay order them to their ship 
  to help with the defense of the asteroid from outside. 
  If there aren’t enough PC’s to fully man their ship, 
  then have several resistance members volunteer to 
  fill any vacant positions. All volunteer crewmen 
  will have a 6D in any applicable skills (Gunnery, 
  Astrogation, Shields, etc.)
   
  When the ship is finally manned and launched, 
  read the following description aloud:
   
  The space surrounding the asteroid is utter 
  chaos. Swarms of Charon vessels swirl by— 
  squadrons of biofighters, strange, beetle-like 
  boarding craft, and perhaps a dozen huge 
  ‘motherships’. Though few in number, the 
  rag-tag fighting craft of the resistance are 
  making their presence known. 
   
  Explosions blossom against the backdrop 
  of the surrounding nebula, sending thousands 
  of Charon to their ‘void’. Yet thousands more 
  remain. One by one, resistance ships are 
  singled-out and overwhelmed by numbers. 
  The lucky ones are destroyed outright. 
  Others, merely disabled, are pulled in by the 
  motherships... a fate no one envys.
   
  You have only a second to take this all in, 
  for as soon as you clear the asteroid, greenish 
  plasma blasts light up around you. It seems 
  the Charon have singled you out as their next 
  target...
   
  A squadron of eight Charon bio-fighters attacks 
  the character’s ship. Though there are other resistance 
  ships fighting, they are all too busy to aid the PCs at 
  the moment. If the player’s ship is not particularly 
  combat oriented (possible, but not likely) feel free 
  to adjust the number of Charon fighters down. 
  Likewise, if the ship is a battlewagon, send a full 12 
  fighters against it.
   
  Once past this initial dogfight, allow the 
  characters to proceed as they see fit (and as time 
  allows). If only one or two players went with the 
  ship while the rest stayed on the asteroid to help 
  with the evacuation, then focus more on those inside. 
  If, however, the majority of the players returned to 
  their ship, then concentrate more on the exterior 
  battle. For this, you will have to come up with your 
  own ‘scenes’. But here are some suggestions:
   
  The PCs must rescue (or destroy) a disabled 
  resistance craft that is being pulled in by a 
  mothership. Indeed, if there is no way to rescue the 
  pilot, he (or she) will ask to be destroyed. This can 
  be a very dramatic scene, especially if the pilot is an 
  NPC that the players have befriended previously.
   
  The PCs must stop a flight of Charon borers 
  (escorted by bio-fighters) from landing near 
  Sanctuary’s escape launch bays. This is a flat out 
  dogfight scene. 
   
  The PCs make an attack run against a Charon 
  mothership in an attempt to hamper the arachnoids 
  lines of communication. Unless the player’s ship is 
  particularly well armed, then the goal of this scene 
  should be to destroy a particular ‘communications 
  node’ rather than the entire ship.
   
  No matter which battle you emphasize (the 
  space battle, or the battle inside the asteroid) all the 
  player characters should wind up in space for the 
  final scene of the episode.
   
  Note: If none of the player character’s returned 
  to their ship, it will be evacuated by NPC resistance 
  crewmen and will survive to escape with the rest of 
  the resistance.
  Scene Six: The Gauntlet
  Read Aloud:
   
  As the evac ships finally launch from 
  Sanctuary it seems that all of your heroics were 
  for naught. The resistance’s fighting ships have 
  been decimated. It is clear that those few that 
  remain will not be enough to cover the unarmed 
  
  ©2009 Roland Gutwein
  life-boats in the run they must make against the 
  Charon gauntlet.
   
  There is a brief moment of respite as the 
  disorganized Charon regroup. But any hope 
  this brings is quickly dashed by the arrival of 
  three more motherships and their escorting 
  bio-fighters. Reinforced, the arachnoid fleet 
  maintains its position, cutting off all avenues of 
  escape, but holding off its attack. It seems they 
  are smugly content to let their prey come to 
  them...
   
  Over the resistance com-channels can be 
  heard the voices of its warriors, speaking words 
  of defiance and resolve. Varnay begins to issue 
  the order to move out when she is cut off by a 
  sudden series of explosions.
   
  Roaring out of the clouds of the nebula comes 
  the Triumph, and with it a host of mis-matched 
  warships. One of the Charon mothership’s is 
  destroyed instantly and its wreckage plows into a 
  second. A wave of fresh resistance fighters roars 
  in after, clearing a lane through the blockade.
   
  Marsten’s voice sounds over your com-
  channel, steady and clear. “Allow us to get the 
  door for you.” An exultant cheer greets him and 
  the evacuation ships barrel towards the opening 
  in the Charon formation. 
   
  By the time the Charon recover from the 
  sudden onslaught, you have fled with the 
  Resistance’s fleet. Behind you, Sanctuary 
  disappears into the mists of the nebula...
   
  And so, the players are narrowly able to escape 
  the Charon. Though the Resistance has lost its 
  Sanctuary, they are not defeated. In fact, Resistance 
  leaders from all across Otherspace are gathering 
  even now to plan a last assault against the arachnoids. 
  The player’s ships will dock with the Triumph and 
  from there they will travel to this rendezvous.
   
  Loose Ends
   
  Any number of things may have happened 
  during the last episode, and once onboard the 
  Triumph, the PCs will have a chance to catch their 
  breath. During the three day trip to the rendezvous, 
  any wounded players will have their injuries treated 
  and any equipment that was lost will be replaced as 
  best as possible (keeping in mind the Resistance’s 
  limited resources). If the player’s ship was damaged 
  during the space battle, it will also be repaired 
  during this time.
   
  If any of the characters was unfortunate enough 
  to be killed during this episode the trip will 
  provide a chance for memorial services (if any of 
  the surviving PCs are so inclined). The same goes 
  for any NPCs who were friends of the players. 
  Players who have lost their characters and wish 
  to start another must come up with some kind of 
  background to explain them. The easiest would be 
  to have them be one of the Resistance members- 
  even, possibly, a traveller from Realspace who was 
  stranded in Otherspace not too long ago.
   
  During this ‘downtime’, Varnay will make a 
  point of visiting the players to aplogize for her 
  behavior towards them and to thank them earnestly 
  for all they have done so far. With the recovery of 
  Varnay, the mood of the Resistance has changed- 
  though they realize the danger they are going into, 
  they are once again certain of their course of action, 
  and of their leader. 
   
  Should Kordak have died in the previous 
  episode, then there will great mourning, especially 
  by Varnay. This time, however, she will not allow 
  her guilt to affect her judgement. She realizes that 
  she played a great part in his demise, and that she 
  will have to atone for that, (perhaps for the rest of 
  her days) but she no longer sees that as an excuse 
  to let herself fall to the dark again. Even if Kordak 
  lives, Varnay knows she still has much to atone for.
   
  Tishana and Axelai will spend much of their 
  time during the trip with the player characters, 
  providing a chance for any relationships to be futher 
  developed. As always, urge your players to describe 
  how their character spends his ‘down-time’. When 
  this all these loose ends are tied up, proceed with 
  the next episode.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Wars [multi]/SWD6/Misc/SWD6 - Adv - Otherspace III - Extinction.pdf