Heart of Evil

Act III

Scene 1:

Location: Near Tariss' Coordinates, Fornax System.

NPCs: Tariss Vimm.

Objective: Find the Planetoid.

As the Jedis approach Tariss' coordinates, they will find nothing but empty space. Should they argue with him, he explains that it was from here that he obtained his crystal shard. The crystal enhanced his force abilities and, consequently, his ego. He left the planetoid in the hopes of escaping the quarrantine, stealing a shard of the crystal on the way. The planetoid SHOULD BE THERE! If the Jedis approach the coordinates PRECISELY, they will be astonished to see an entire planetoid appear before their eyes! It was hidden by the force! Scans of the planetoid will reveal a Lambda Class shuttle near an ancient castle surrounded by a lake of liquid methane. There is no breathable atmosphere so spacesuits will be required. All force-sensitives on the ship will become temporarily ill from the sheer presence of power emanating from the planetoid. There may also be some climbing rolls needed to scale the ascent to the castle entrance.

Scene 2:

Location: Ancient Castle entrance, Fornaxia, Fornax System.

NPCs: Tariss Vimm, 4-5 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Defeat the Stormtroopers and get inside the Castle.

Once inside the castle airlocks, the group is attacked by a small unit of Stormtroopers guarding the entrance. Any Force scans will reveal two powerful presences inside the castle, one good and one evil, there is also a squad of Stormtroopers.

Scene 3:

Location: Inside the Ancient Castle, Fornaxia, Fornax System.

NPCs: Tariss Vimm, 10-15 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Use the Force to find Mishara.

The group must now search the castle. They must get to one of the towers where Raisa is holding Mishara as bait for the young Jedis. If their force senses ever lead them in the wrong way, give them hints by having 3-4 Stormtroopers attacking from the correct direction. Hopefully, they should figure that the path of most resistance should be the correct path.

Scene 4:

Location: Castle Tower, inside the Ancient Castle, Fornaxia, Fornax System.

NPCs: Tariss Vim, Mishara, Raisa Kargin, Compforce Agent 29, 4-5 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Confront Raisa, who details her plans. Hopefully, they'll go along with them, for now.

Raisa has gained control of the Crystal Circle, a circle of large glowing red crystals that provide an eerie glow to the dark chamber at the top of the tower. To one wall is chained Mishara, Myke and Raisa's mother. Raisa has tortured her to the point of exhaustion and has depleted her force powers using small creatures called Ysalamiri, two of which are chained balefully to her ankles. As the group enters, they should be suprised by her. Any fire at her will be absorbed or deflected. She is very powerful and any Force-sensitive should be able to detect that. Now would not be the best time to confront her directly, especially since she is holding Mishara prisoner, and because there are 4-5 Stormtroopers behind them, accompanied by Agent 29 of Compforce. They are trapped. Raisa grins under her facial wrappings. Agent 29 declares, "Well, well, it appears we have a little family reunion! My plan worked! Troopers, Supervise our guests while we return to the WORLD DEVASTATOR, we'll ahve another shuttle sent down to retrieve you. Oh, and have the old failure killed!"

Scene 5:

Location: Corridor, inside the Ancient Castle, Fornaxia, Fornax.

NPCs: Jergo, Krell, 2-3 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Have them sprung by Jergo and Krell..

The group is disarmed by one of the Stormtroopers. Tariss is separated and presumably killed. After a few moments, the Stormtroopers receive the radio signal that the Shuttle has landed. They are led down the tower stairs. While being marched down a long corridor, one of the group (hgihest perception check) should see Jergo hiding in a corner and winking. Moments later, Krell, the little robot, swoops out from behind a corner and begins dancing and singing in mid-air. The lead Stormtrooper sens two to chase it down "You two, check it out!" Krell takes off, leading them on a chase through the castle. Jergo then opens fire on the remaining Stormtroopers, causing enough of a diversion for the group to act.

Once they are free, Jergo explains that he hid aboard the Shadowstar and managed to get their original lightsabers from Fornax-1 bofore it exploded. He snuck back aboard the Shadowstar and hid in the secret compartment. Emerging once everyone had left. Good thing, too.

A quick search of the ancient castle reveals that nothing is left. The Imperials have been here for several weeks, waiting for Myke to show. Now that they beleive they have him, they have left. The shuttle carrying Raisa, Agent 29, Mishara, and the Crystals has taken off to dock with the World Devastator, which has begun to churn up the surface of the Planetoid for resources. Within a matter of hours, the entire planetoid will be destroyed and processed by the Devastators. The Shadowstar has been disabled by the Imperials and there is no time to repair it. The World Devastator will destroy the castle any moment now, besides, it would look suspicious if the Shuttle didn't take off as expected. Hopefully, the group should decide to take the other Shuttle.

Scene 6:

Location: World Devastator hangar, over Fornaxia, Fornax system.

NPCs: 25-30 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Get surrounded by Stormtroopers, escape down access shaft.

If the group followed in the shuttle, everything goes smoothly. Raisa has several dozen Stormtroopers surround the other shuttle for the prisoner transfer while she offloads Mishara and the crystals and has them taken to her chambers. The group may escape the Stormtroopers by dropping down a service access shaft directly below the shuttle, but they must spend two rounds running to it. If they wait too long deciding what to do, the Stormtroopers close the shaft and storm the Shuttle with grenade launchers.

At the bottom of the shaft is the spacecraft maintenance deck, from there they have access to much of the ship.

Scene 7:

Location: World Devastator, over Fornaxia, Fornax system.

NPCs: Agent 29, 3-5 Stormtroopers.

Objective: Search the World Devastator for Raisa and Mishara, overcome some resistance.

The group must now search the labyrinthine corridors of the World Devastator to find Raisa's chambers. They are at the top of the ship in a small tower so that she may observe the destruction of worlds and their ecosystems. From here to there, they will encounter resistance in the form of Stormtroopers searching for them. Eventually, they will find Agent 29 and 5 Stormtroopers guarding the lift tube to Raisa's observation tower. They should figure out that this is the place.

By this time, the World Devastator becomes quiet as it has finished destroying the planetoid. It has now moved to deep space and is leaving the Fornax system.

Scene 8:

Location: Raisa's Oberservation Tower, inside the World Devastator, in deep space leaving the Fornax system.

NPCs: Raisa Kargin, Mishara.

Objective: Defeat Raisa in her Crystal Circle and save Mishara, then escape the disintegrating World Devastator.

Raisa has set up the Crystal Circle in her observation tower and is using her incredible Force powers granted by the cirlce to protect the World Devastator from the numerous astoroids, meteors, and space-mines at the perimeter of the Fornax system. If she is disturbed, she will turn her attention to dealing with the intruders. Her Force rolls are tripled while in the cirlce and she should be able to throw about the group fairly easily. However, while her attention is distracted, the mines begin homing in on the ship, exploding. If one of the mines does damage to the ship, she is knocked off balance, allowing anyone who makes a Dexterity check to enter the circle with her. Once inside, their Force rolls are tripled as well, allowing for a massive duel of either lightsabers or Force powers. If someone is really smart, they'll free the Ysalamiri from Mishara's feet and throw them into the circle, negating ALL Force within the circle and possibly a straight lightsaber duel (cool!). While she is continually distracted, the ship is hit more and more by space-mines, causing severe damage to the hull. Any mega-Force powers being thrown around will also cause stress on the structural integrity of the hull, further weakening it. Eventually, once someone is severely hurt, the ship begins to break apart and the call for a general evacuation is made. If the group doesn't get off they ship soon, they'll all die. There are several life-boats under the observation deck. Raisa gets to one and ejects as the mighty World Devastator lurches sickeningly and begins to buckle and heave. The group may get into another. Luckily, they are beyond the Asteroid Field and Space-mine Field that encloses Fornax. But they are alone. It will be several days before anyone will receive the sub-space distress signal, and whether the Alliance shows up first, or the Imperials, no one knows, but for now, they are safe...

Epilogue:

Hopefully, the group managed to get Mishara out alive and Raisa managed to escape to come back. Once safely in the Life-boat, Mishara thanks them politely, then there is time for a tender reunion. She reveals to Myke that she is indeed his mother. 18-years-ago, soon after he was born, Senator Palpatine began designing his New Order. At that time, the Jedi Knights were still strong. Fearing Palpatine's rise to power and anticipating his attrition of the Knighthood, they called for a volunteer to find the fabled planetoid before he could. Mishara, a young Jedi just out of training, rose to the task. After hiding her newborn son and his older sister with a trusted friend, an officer in the Republic Spacefleet, she found the planetoid and hid it behind a Force screen.

Unfortunately Palpatine did manage to win power, had the Jedi Knighthood exterminated, and declared himself Emperor. He began an exhaustive search of the system to find the fabled planetoid, only to end in failure. Fearing the discovery, he did the unprecedented, he had the entire star system quarrantined forever. Now not only did she have to protect the secret of the plaetoid, she was trapped in the system, separated from her children.

Her assistant, a fellow student who had not yet finished his training, eventually succumbed to the power the crystals granted. He left the planetoid, hoping to escape, with a shard of the crystal. His name was Tariss Vimm. He never managed to escape the Fornax system, nor could he return to the planetoid from self-exile. Others who would be Jedis came to the system in search of the planetoid, but Mishara knew, such power would corrupt even the truest Jedi, so she kept it hidden.