This was the part that made Celes sweat. She'd need things to happen a certain way if she was going to survive long enough to help the others. In her head, she went through hyperspace calculations to keep herself calm. It was habit by now.

She raised a hand and gave the standard Stormtrooper hand signal for the squad to move forward, walking at a slow enough pace to let her "subordinates" move ahead of her in what she hoped was their standard positions. It had been a while, and this was a different type of trooper. Celes didn't like working on this many assumptions, but there wasn't much choice. So long as a couple of them set off the trap, this was going to go just fine. Probably. Hopefully.

Wait. "Hopefully" wouldn't cut it here. She needed to be sure. Just before any of them stepped on the tiles, Celes shot up a fist beside her head.

"Halt!" Bringing extra attention to herself was never part of the plan, but it had to be done. She moved up to the edge of the stones and knelt down, pointing.

"Look there, the dust has been stirred up here. Someone's been through here often, and they took a specific path. No one just does that, there's a reason. Probably some kind of trap. Come on, follow me. Carefully." Celes took a moment to give a look to the other troopers, making sure they understood, before steeling herself (for their benefit, mostly) and taking a cautious step forward.

[Okay boss, I'm gonna try to lead the Forcetroopers like ducklings across the path. I have a terrible, terrible plan. Do I need to make any rolls here?]
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:49, Sat 13 May 2017.

TwoOneBee inclined his head towards Chrome, acknowledging gratitude.  Then he turned to the Forcetrooper the monk had indicated, modulating his vocalizer to ensure a submissive tone.

"If you would allow this unit to accompany you.  I will gladly retrieve what is needed.  I will follow your lead," he stated as humbly as he could.

He walks a few paces behind the Forcetrooper, scanning their stores for what he is actually seeking.  Once he finds it, he quickly takes what he needs, pretending to examine several different medicines in order to confuse his escort, before appropriating the needed tranquilizers.  Once they have returned, he loads his hypodermic injectors with the medicine and then begins quietly "assisting" as many as he can, making sure to give Ms Shira, Thuraya and Captain Ali a mild stimulant instead.

Shira opened her mouth to address 'Bee, but remembered not to call him by name. "Droid" she said in what was hopefully an authoritative, trooper-like tone. "Check the others." She looked around casually, trying to see where she might take cover once the fight started. She stepped slightly away from the others so hopefully it wouldn't be immediately obvious who was part of the rebels once the fight started.

Once Bee had attended to his work, Shira turned her weapon on Chrome. She hesitated half a second before she decided to just fire on one of the mechanical spider legs. It wasn't as though the brain in a jar could bleed to death. "Surrender!" she told the mechanical spider

17:46, Today: Shira rolled 15 using 4 dice with the WEG Classic system.  Blaster Shot.

Celes crouched down, trying to really sell 'noticing' the tracks of the Rebel Scum that had gone before.  The Princess considered his words and then stared at the stone.  "Wouldn't it seem counter-productive to make a grid of traps that might reveal the tracks of those had gone before?  In any case, I do not detect any discernable tracks myself, 'trooper, and I am quite perceptive."

While at this moment only idly curious, Celes knew the Princess could not be delayed for long.  Mercifully (of sorts), salvation arrived by other means...
____________________________

The trooper led TwoOneBee to the ship's medical stores, not really paying attention out of boredom, pain or pre-occupation.   The canny droid was able to stock up on more than enough drugs for practiced mayhem.  He was allowed to inject his comrades with the stimulant without any real notice by that odd cyborg spider.  The drug was very mild, it should not lead to any instances of sudden aggressio---

After 'ordering' TwoOneBee to check on the others in a subtly tactical way, Shira yelled "Surrender" and fired her blaster.

Through the Force, Octal Chrome was sensing an instant into the future.  He was preparing for Shira's attack even before she drew her blaster.

OOC:
And now the final battle begins...

Octal Chrome is using his Danger Sense, allowing him not to be surprised (at least, against non-Jedi).  This means that he has technically won Initiative and the PCs must declare their action first but then Chrome get to react first.  Yep, it sucks to take on even a minor Sith.

But there are a few advantages in your favor. Chrome may be mentally now prepared for fighting but he is not physically in the right situation and this will cost him dice.  Also, if Shira is getting an action, I will give other characters there (including Ali and Thuraya) an action as well.  Chrome may see them all coming but he can't react to them all.  Everyone who will act, declare your intended actions.

The combat on the ship may affect the combat at the old monument so it is technically first and the PCs with the Princess may want to hold their actions and react.

Questions, just ask.  I know how difficult it is to run a combat by post so I am very understanding.

Intentions- Invert abilities to dampen Force.

Octal Chrome had been confident.  He knew his strength in the Force would alert him to any attack.  And any attack short of actual Jedi could be easily stopped by him.  He could sense the pathetic ghostling attempt to shoot him, easily absorbed.  But then there was the unexpected and horrible emptiness of the loss of Force powers.  But there were no Ysalamiri to account for this.  It was the alien!

Now, instead of casually destroying these fools with the Dark Side, Chrome knew the Force would give him but one action before being taken from him.  Had he still had his glands, Chrome might have felt fear.  But he was aware that his existence and mission was actually in danger.

With only one guaranteed action before the response of the enemy, Chrome activated his internal commlink.

"The prisoners are not prisoners. So the guards are not guards. We are betrayed!"

In the next instant, Shira fired and Thuk blocked the Force.  The shot hit the leg square on.

DeeJay used her internal jammer but, not having Sith precognition, was too late...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The prisoners are not prisoners. So the guards are not guards. We are betrayed!"

At the stone temple, all present heard Chrome's warning over the commlinks.  The Princess cursed and said aloud; "Freeze! No one move!"

OOC:
A little post to move this along.

Chrome's Danger Sense allowed him to take a first action but Thuk's ability to block the Force has saved the day.  With only one action left to him, Chrome has broadcast a warning to everyone.  This is not selfless but very calculating self-interest, Chrome now needs allies.

Because he had only an instant to react and chose warning rather than dodging, Chrome was hit by Shira (go ahead and roll damage).  If he still can, Chrome is going to try and escape on foot (feet/legs).  He is making the (correct) assumption that Thuk's dampening power has a range, like the Ysalamiri.  All PCs present can make the just as easy to infer guess of his intent to escape.  He is not really skilled without Force powers so this is his best chance.

Having now been warned, the Princess can't really be surprised.  And there is a Scouttrooper with a speedercycle full of Ysalamiri.  Still, they are outnumbered.  The Princess' next intended actions are not combat unless resisted.  Let me know if any PCs don't 'freeze'.

Back at the ship, we are now in normal combat.

Realizing that he can't use the Force, Chrome will spend one of his Force Points to try and survive the next round.  Fortunately, he can't double his Initiative Roll.

23:17, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC Octal Chrome, rolled <orange>13 using 4 <dice with the WEG Classic system ((2,{Wild}5,2,4)).


23:28, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC Ali, rolled 15 using 4 dice and 2 pips with the WEG Classic system ((2,{Wild}5,2,4)).

Ali has won Initiative.  I believe her 4D+2 Perception is the highest on the team.  If I am wrong, feel free to roll your PC's Perception for Initiative.

Questions, just ask, we have the time...

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:32, Tue 23 May 2017.

Grev gently squeezed the trigger, even as the Princess spoke.  He carefully targeted her head, the quickly aimed and fired on the scout trooper with another shot to the head, intending to get the bike to crash into the Princess.  Then four more quickly aimed head shots rained down, alternating between the Princess and the trooper.

[I'm spending a Force Point to double all of Grev's die codes until his next turn and taking 6 actions:  called shots to the head vs the Princess and the scout trooper.  That's +1D to the difficulty.  Each hit will deal +12 damage. Blasters skill is 9D, doubled to 18D, with each shot at -6D.]

Princess
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 39 using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 2,4,4,3,3,3,2,5,4,{Wild}4,2,3.Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
   20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 15 (22 excluding the wild die) using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 5,{Wild}1,4,6,2,1,3.  Blaster Rifle damage.
Princess
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 53 using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 4,1,5,4,{Wild}5,2,5,6,4,6,5,6.Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
   20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 23 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 4,4,{Wild}4,6,1,3,1.  Blaster Rifle damage.
Princess
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 37 using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 4,5,1,2,4,2,2,2,{Wild}2,6,6,1.Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 19 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 1,1,6,{Wild}2,2,6,1.  Blaster Rifle damage.
Scout trooper
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 37 using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 1,2,5,{Wild}4,6,4,1,5,3,4,1,1.Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
   20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 28 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 1,4,6,{Wild}3,2,6,6.  Blaster Rifle damage.
Scout trooper
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 31 (38 excluding the wild die) using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 6,1,6,4,5,6,1,4,1,{Wild}1,1,2.Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
   20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 26 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 3,4,4,1,4,5,{Wild}5.  Blaster Rifle damage.
Scout trooper
   20:13, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 44 using 12 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 1,3,1,4,6,{Wild}2,2,6,3,5,6,5.  Aimed blaster Rifle attack.
   20:14, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 24 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system with rolls of 1,4,2,4,{Wild}6(+3),2,2.  Blaster Rifle damage.


20:32, Today: Grev Longtooth rolled 46 using 10 dice and 1 pips with the WEG Classic system with rolls of {Wild}3,5,5,6,4,3,6,4,5,4.  Strength roll to resist recoil.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:10, Sat 03 June 2017.

The Dark Side kept the Princess's perceptions an instant in the future.  Grev had no chance of truly surprising her but that only meant the Sith witch would see all of the wrath heading her way...

She knew that she could not withstand all of those blaster bolts.  The Princess chose to spend all of her energies dancing between the lethal lances of energy.  Inside, she knew that this left her vulnerable to her traitorous 'Forcetrooper' and her sonic rifle.  The undeflectable weapon had been a cruel advantage against the enemies of the Emperor.  And now it was being used by those same enemies against her.

OOC:
Thanks to her Danger Sense, the only real advantage the overconfident Sith has over the rest of her enemies, The Princess can't be surprised.  This gives her the Initiative this round.  She gets one action before the first of Grev's shots land and she is spending a Force Point for a full dodge.

This means that she will take whatever of Grev's shots hit.  In the meantime, Celes will get at least one action against her.  As she is fully dodging, she cannot easily defend against crass physical assault.  If Celes rolls a high enough Brawling roll, he can flip the Princess into the nearest (and proven lethal) grid square.  Should Celes have to traverse the bad part of the grid (the bad part of the grid being most of it), she can use any reaction skill to avoid it.

The lone mounted Forcetrooper does not have Danger Sense as is completely surprised.  He will not be able to react this first action.  I was a little ambiguous in how I separated the groups and I am giving y'all the benefit, there is only the Princess and Forcetrooper present.

Let's get started, I will roll the Princess' doubled (due to her Force Point) Dodge skill.  She is not the best at non-Sith skills.

01:09, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC The Princess, rolled <orange>19 using 6 dice with the WEG Classic system ((2,3,4,{Wild}3,1,6)).

As a Full Dodge, The Princess adds a 19 to the base 15 range, making for a 34 base to hit.  Grev's 39 hits anyway.  The Princess doubles her Strength dice against Grev's 15 damage.

01:14, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC The Princess, rolled 19 using 6 dice with the WEG Classic system ((1,1,2,{Wild}5,4,6)).

She manages to not be damaged this time.  But Grev will hit some more times.  I am stopping here so that Celes gets an action...

Let me know what questions you have.  I know I have forgot something...</Orange>

Shots were coming in from outside. It could only be Grev! With the Princess on her guard, odds were he wouldn't land a killing blow, but they could overwhelm her as a team. Once she was off-balance, Celes took advantage of the crouching position she was already in and pushed off at the Sith, aiming to grab onto her waist and tackle her straight into the grid of tiles!

[00:29, Today: Celes Varik rolled 19 using 4 dice and +2 pips with the WEG Classic system.  Brawling.]

Thuk hopped, shaking off manacles and grabbing Brain. "You go no-where!" he told him.

18:01, Today: Thuk rolled 40 using 10 dice and +2 pips with the WEG Classic system.  Grab.

Shira looked mildly surprised she'd hit the spider.

02:43, Today: Shira rolled 20 using 5 dice with the WEG Classic system.  Perception initiative type thing.

02:39, Today: Shira rolled 16 using 4 dice with the WEG Classic system.  Sonic shot.

The old doctor was reluctant to say the least, but this was an extraordinary circumstance and he knew the crew needed all the help they could get... unfortunately it turned out he wasn't very much help.

18:16, Sun 04 June: TwoOneBee rolled 7 using 2 dice and +1 pips with the WEG Classic system.  TwoOneBee trying to taser the Monk.

"Oh dear, I do apologize, terribly sorry about that," he nervously explained.  It had worked so very much better on the Storm-troopers before.  Well, at least he might have the Monk's attention...which, now that he considered it, might not be the best idea he'd ever had.

22:24, Today: TwoOneBee rolled 22 using 5 dice with the WEG Classic system ((2,{Wild}6(+2),4,3,5)).

The old droid was truly astonished at the results of his taser attack.  He felt sad that it was necessary to incapacitate Octal Chrome, but it was much better to do that than kill him.

"I am sorry Mr Chrome, please do forgive me, but it is necessary for all concerned."

<b>(OOC: I will let the dice decide The Princess' Fate.  She is attempting to Reduce Injury with 7D against a Very Difficult roll of 30.  You don't get much deader)</b>

<b>01:33, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC The Princess, rolled 24 using 7 dice with the WEG Classic system ((6,3,5,1,{Wild}3,4,2)).

The Princess is Dead unless her Character Points can save her.</b>

One Character Point was enough.

01:36, Today: That Old Fossil, for the NPC The Princess, rolled 7 using 1 dice with the WEG Classic system (({Wild}6(+1))).

The Princess had been able to keep her head together (literally) against Grev's damage but there was still damage done.  She summoned her last reserves of the mocking Force.

A woman's face on top of Forcetrooper armor floated in front of her.  The Princess could just barely smile.  She weakly motioned with her limp hand.  Celes felt a tightness in her throat.  The Princess laughed and then slumped over unconscious.  Celes could again breathe free.

_________________________________________________
Beyond Octal Chrome, the rest of the Khara's crew was so injured, a stiff breeze could have knocked most of them over.  They were easily dealt with.

Held by Thuk, the cyborg was not resisting.  A leg twitched in acknowledgement of TwoOneBee's concern.  "If I still had glands, I suppose I would feel fear." Chrome said.


OOC:  The Princess is barely alive but utterly helpless.  It will be an interesting moral dilemma.  Chrome is offering no apparent resistance.  All other Imperial resistance is so pathetic, you can simply write out their fate.

As soon as the trap sprang to life, Celes had rolled out of it and back onto the stone floor. The benefit of knowing precisely what was happening. It didn't seem necessary for Celes to unleash the stolen sonic blaster on the Princess, and instead she just watched as the bright beams severed the other woman's arm at the elbow, aiming the arm-mounted weapon at her just in case. She gave a sigh of relief as the woman dropped, and lowered the weapon.

She reached down to pull her team's comlink out of a pouch on the armor's belt, but didn't get to speak into it before a pressure closed on her throat. It came with pain. The arm blaster came up again, but she couldn't hold her arm steady enough to take a shot! Then, as quickly as it had begun, the Princess slumped and Celes was free to breathe again, quickly taking several steps back from the Sith. At last she raised the comlink, and spoke into the helmet-mounted unit as well so the whole team could hear.

"Princess neutralized. Jedi, come to the death grid. Captain, situation?" Afterward, Celes began the careful process of pulling the Princess out of the death grid without setting the system off again. Once she could locate the first aid supplies on the armor's belt, she started working on stabilizing their enemy.

"Grev, nice shot. Alliance command will want this one alive. Still got those dogs, just in case?"

Thuk's claws hovered just above Chrome's braincase. "One false move" he warned it.

"21B, get over here and put it to sleep."

"Scared? Of me?" Shira said, startled. "Well, this is a new experience."

The old droid shuffles his way over and examines Octal Chrome.   It appears to be some sort of cyborg, more mechanical than organic.  Still, he reasoned, as long as their is an organic component I should be able to render it peacefully unconscious.  Enabling his hypodermic attachment in his left arm, he carefully measured a mild dose of sedative.

"This should be enough to sedate you, Mr Monk," he explained gently to the creature.  "I do apologize but I must agree with Mr Thuk's assessment; you are far too dangerous to allow you any freedom.  This unit values all life, even yours, and the probability of you harming us or vice versa is simply too high.  This will ensure all of us, you included, arrive at the Rebel base without further complications.  Pleasant dreams, if you do dream that is."

He injects the sedative in an appropriate place on Octal Chrome's body and observes it to make sure there is no adverse reaction.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:04, Sat 24 June 2017.

"You're the best, -" Shira begins, cutting off suddenly when she realizes she shouldn't use 'Bee's name in front of Chrome.
"I hope I never end up as a brain in a jar. Fragile as my body is, I like it."

With the commanders neutralised, taking the rest of the ship was a matter of rounding up the wounded and directing them to sick-bay. They would have to ask Sundancer or Ember for policy on stray humans, for sure this lot wouldn't all fit on their ship.

Done, Thuk looked over at the captain. "We have eaten!"

TwoOneBee swivelled to face Shira, his visual receptors glowing amber.  "Ms Shira, your physical form is exactly as it should be. In this galaxy there are an estimated 256 x10 to the 206th exponential sentient life forms!  Yet, among them all, none is a perfect genetic match for you.  You are unique in this galaxy, and by extension very probably the universe; a one in a quadrillion combination that can never be duplicated.  You are, what I believe organics call a "miracle" precisely as you are.  All life is, and so each person, each life form is special; beautiful; extraordinary..  You, Ms Shira are extraordinary.  So I am glad you like your form as it is.  I do too.

With that, the droid doctor assisted with gathering the defeated Imperials into the Med bay.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:43, Wed 28 June 2017.

"Aww, you're the best and the nicest" Shira said to 'Bee, giving the droid a kiss on his metal cheek. She helped keep an eye on the prisoners, keeping a fair distance from them; hand to hand combat was not her forte, at all.