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Synopsis:
Lieutenant Page and his commandos begin an overthrow
attempt on yet another Imperial warlord – this one
being Moff Kentor Sarne of the Kathol sector. The
commando unit attacks Sarne’s fortress on Kal’Shebbol,
trying to lower the energy shield over it to allow a
fleet attack. Meeting with their Special Ops contact
Lilla Dade, they are led to the remains of an armoured
tunnel leading into the compound. Dade reports that
Sarne’s men were experimenting with something –
something that could burn through thick metal, yet not
touch anything two meters away. They also learn Sarne
has a Carrack cruiser standing by to make his getaway
– and the shield controls are right next to it.
Page frees Sarne’s prisoners, including a
Force-sensitive ex-employee of Sarne’s named Jessa
Dajus. She warns him not to go any further – and it
buys them time enough to discover the booby-trap meant
to destroy the whole detention area. Page invites Jessa
along. As they start towards Sarne’s escape route,
Sarne uses a mysterious-looking module to send a
fireball through the tunnel, eating through the metal
walls! Then he uses another module to send a mindwarping
ray through to knock out the commandos and makes good
his escape.
Page wants to chase Sarne down, but the New Republic
simply can not spare any ships. Page insists – Sarne
has got his hands on some highly unconventional
technology that could be a huge threat to the New
Republic. He is finally told if he find a ship of his
own, the New Republic will supply some crew. Jessa gives
him the name of the technology – DarkStryder. Page has
an idea on the ship – he would heard Sarne was
modifying a Corellian Corvette for unknown reasons.
Jessa knows where it is and provides the location. On
their way there, Jessa runs into a Rodian ex-slaver
named Gorak Khzam. She would love to run him in, but he
hints – and rightly – that she may not be as “ex”-Imperial
as she is led the New Republic to think. They continue
on to the Corvette, and Page’s team looks it over. It
is salvageable. Page hires commando members Keleman Ciro
and Kaiya Adrimetrum as captain and first officer,
respectively. Jessa and Calamarian doctor Akanseh
(another ex-prisoner) joins the crew, as does a Defel
named Kl’aal, ex-pilot Darren Thyte, a Twi’lek named
Loh’khar the Finder, starfighter flight commander
Ranna Gorjaye, mechanic Brophar Tofarain, chief mechanic
Lofryyhn (a Wookiee friend of Kaiya’s), and Gorak (as
security officer).
Twenty-eight hours later, the re-christened FarStar is
ready to fly. As the New Republic task force leaves Kal’Shebbol,
the FarStar sets off with a hundred crew to find Sarne,
find out where this “DarkStryder” technology comes
from, recon and report on Imperial forces in the Kathol
Sector and the unknown space past the Kathol Rift, and
represent the New Republic as best they can. With this a
volatile a crew, that will take a miracle.
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