[The Survivors RPG] Mission: Tatooine, pt.1

This is a dual-purpose build for the Survivors RPG - introducing the secondary characters, and setting up the probably overcomplicated plot for my future submission to the Tatooine challenge.

 

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The team, left to right...

 

Keldon Velius: New Republic Intelligence (on leave), full backstory here... flic.kr/p/2jNumU8

 

Lin: Genius level IQ, triple advanced degrees in engineering, mathematics, and (oddly) history by age 21, and professor of engineering. Vowed to fight the Remnant after they blew up his university. Can build or fix essentially anything.

 

Rhodes: Professional concert musician. Vowed to fight the Remnant after they blew up his favorite concert hall. Decided to put his talented fingers to new use as a slicer, programmer, and technology expert.

 

Penn: Weapons and demolitions extraordinaire. Has always enjoyed big guns and bigger explosions, so fighting the Remnant is an excuse to pursue his hobbies. Childhood friend of Lin and Rhodes and happy to drag them into the fight.

 

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[7 days before the Tatooine assault]

 

///Begin Meeting Recording\\\

Velius: "Alright team, circle up. I've talked to Kevin and they've received an outstanding response - the team for the main base assault is solid, and honestly, they don't need four more guys. I asked about secondary targets, and here's what we were assigned."

 

"The main Imperial installation has a commanding view of the surrounding area in every direction, except overlooking the valley to the southeast. About 10 years ago - which unfortunately is the newest data we have - they built a secondary tower at the mouth of the valley. It's about 500 yards from the main facility, and has a direct line of sight for secure comms. And according to this 10-year-old intelligence, it was also built with longer range off-planet comm capability, since the original base could only reach orbit...and the Empire wasn't in the habit of keeping a Star Destroyer stationed at Tatooine full-time."

 

"Mission requirements: incapacitate the tower at the same time as the main facility, and prevent them from calling in reinforcements from another system. What do you guys think?"

 

Penn: "Seems easy enough. Lin rigs up a remote control speeder bike that Rhodes can drive from his computer, then I load it up with a dozen thermal detonators and we hit the front door. Boom."

 

Velius: (awkward pause) "Okay, well... pros... speeder bike of exploding doom. And cons... that would be challenging to time with the rest of the group, which is one of the key requirements."

 

Rhodes: "A lot of room for error, too - driving remotely down a canyon at high speed."

 

Velius: "Let's make that plan B?"

 

Rhodes: "Hypothetically, if we could get inside--"

 

Penn: "--because you can just stroll right into an Imperial facility--"

 

Rhodes: "Hey, I didn't say I had a plan to get in, I'm just saying *if* we could... we'd be able to hack their comms."

 

Velius: "Meaning that we could listen in to the tower before the attack?"

 

Rhodes: "The tower, and most likely the main facility too. If the Remnant is so low on funds that they're using abandoned bases, I highly doubt they're using separate encryption keys for two buildings next door."

 

Velius: "Probably true."

 

Rhodes: "And not just listening in - we could make their comms conveniently break down shortly before the attack. That would keep patrols from reporting anything suspicious they notice as the Survivors are planting explosives...or we could even intercept calls from patrols so they don't realize comms are down, which might be suspicious to begin with. We could also handicap the response from anyone not taken out by the blast, since they'd be reduced to low-range helmet comms."

 

Velius: "I'm sold. How do we get inside?"

 

Lin: (looking up for the first time) "Let's make them sweat."

 

Velius: "Get them nervous?"

 

Lin: "No, literally...sweating. Studying this tower, the only exposed machinery I see on the outside is the fan for the ventilation and climate control system. We sabotage their VACC unit, and then go in to fix it."

 

Velius: "First obstacle: how will you sabotage something five stories up without being detected?"

 

Rhodes: "We've got the mini spider droid prototype working - that could climb right up the wall without detection."

 

Lin: "Great idea - I can make that work."

 

Velius: "Second obstacle: don't they have their own mechanics?"

 

Lin: "Sure, but they're generalists, and they'll be looking for signs of normal wear and tear, not well-hidden sabotage. Besides, that's a specialty VACC unit developed here on Tatooine, not standard Imperial equipment. They'll try for a couple days, then give up and call one of the VACC outfits here in town."

 

Rhodes: "And we can tap all of those comms in advance to intercept the call and hijack the appointment."

 

Velius: "And we stroll right in as VACC techs. That might actually work. You and me, Lin? You'll have to fix whatever you break."

 

Lin: "Definitely. Penn, I bet you can hook me up with some hydrospanner-shaped timed explosives that will make it through a security scan and just so happen to be forgotten in the VACC unit?"

 

Penn: "Sure, no problem. Probably not strong enough to take out the whole tower, but enough to wipe out all electronics."

 

Velius: "That'll work. You're coming too, Rhodes?"

 

Rhodes: "No, better if I'm here. Ever tapped comms before?"

 

Velius: "A few times back in my pirate hunting days, but I'm sure an Imperial control room has more sophisticated equipment."

 

Rhodes: "No problem, I can give you a demo. Which is the third obstacle: how are you going to touch an Imperial computer without an Imperial looking over your shoulder?"

 

Velius: "I think it's time to call an old friend... the best distraction I've ever met. Trust me, if she's in the room, we'll be invisible."

 

Rhodes: "I'm intrigued."

 

Velius: "Don't get excited, she's lightyears out of your league. Alright, this crazy plan is officially on. I'll call my friend, and I'll also let Kevin and Zach know what we're up to...."

 

\\\End Meeting Recording///

 

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Somehow the idea of something dramatic and slightly absurd, like going undercover as A/C repairmen, was irresistible. Let me know what you think, and check out a slew of fun Star Wars scenes from other builders in the Survivors RPG:

www.flickr.com/groups/thesurvivorsrpg/

 

(I also apologize for the less than amazing photo quality...working with a three year old smartphone and struggling with clarity.)

Done