The galaxy sure has changed...

? - ? Republic Reckoning

Following the town meeting, a fifth of the town gathered their possessions and proceeded immediately to the ship to help start packing. Approximately thirty people intended to defend the town to the end.

Kurgan killed his herd of shep, skinned them, and placed them in the snow to freeze. He also built a 'bike rack' on the back of the ship out of tac welded strips of metal, and placed the frozen shep meat inside this shortly before take-off (so that the vacuum of space would freeze-dry it).

Kurgan and Charlie? headed out on patrol on thumper-back of the southern perimeter after (the scout) returned to get his possessions and pack them aboard the ship. Kurgan spotted a woman on thumper clutching a bundle in one arm who was firing erratically at two zombies. One zombie had a rifle.

Kurgan went prone, with Charlie holding the reins of his thumper a good distance back. He fired at the rifle-bearing zombie until the unarmed zombie closed to hand-to-hand combat, at which point he drew his vibro-axe. After several exchanges, the zombie had taken much damage, but his partner with the blaster's aim was improving. Charlie rode up and tossed Kurgan the reins to digmeat before dispatching the zombie with his own vibroblade. Charlie and Kurgan made a plan, then ambushed the remaining zombie before returning to camp.

The woman continued to ride on until she reached the ship, bundle still clutched in her arms. She immediately asked for a doctor. Somewhat paranoid Cantonese kept her under armed guard and uestioned her briefly. Her name was Kishan Gurai, and she and her infant son had fled Brighton's Landing a few days previous, and had managed to find a thumper and rode the rest of the way, fleeing from the TCV zombies. Upon examination by Doc Hale, it was revealed that her baby had been bitten. She reported that the child had been injured the day before, and wouldn't someone please do something. (It had already turned, and although it wasn't able to break the skin without teeth, it still tried to attack people.) Doc Hale conducted an investigation of the baby for a time, for scientific and humanitarian reasons. The mother eventually intruded, insisting to see her baby. She was restrained and sedated.

Upon waking, Kishan was given a choice: stay here with her zombie son or leave it behind. She went hysterical, was given a mild tranquilizer, then went catonic. (Doc Hale later inferred she wished to live, and she was brought aboard the ship.)

Time passed, patrols continued, and the ship neared completion even as people were still packing what they could aboard. Reports started to come in of assaults on the perimeter of the town, and on the route between the ship and the town. Kurgan gathered up the available thumpers and rode out back towards the town. When he saw folk along the trail (a total of 10), he handed off thumpers. There were ten more people in town when he got there, and he led all those willing to leave back towards the ship while the defenders fell back.

Twenty people were cut off in the town, but it was agreed they'd try to hold up in the general store and the ship would try to pick them up.

Zara had spent much time going over the thousands of pages of technical documentation that came with the ship. By the time the engines were finished, she was ready to take off. She navigated the ship into a hovering position above the general store while Kurgan and others laid down covering fire with their blasters.

All in all, the ship took on 96 passengers and crew.

Zara led the ship into orbit, where a space battle was visible (40 AU away). There was also a report of a cloaked swarm in orbit of the planet. Using evasive manuvers, the ship took only two glancing blows from probability distortion weapons. The alloy of one section of ship was slightly adjusted, and a quadrant of the ship sprouted a massive fin (in place of the section which held the airlock). Kurgan was turned into a black man with an afro (he now resembles Samuel Jackson.)

Zara initially set course for (the world which was three days away), but everyone agreed she should drop out of hyperspace just in case they were being followed. She then altered course to the more distant planet, for a total travel time of 9 days.

Orbital surveys of the planet (Bozu-Zok Quintus) indicated there were two main continents, one of which seemed to be inhabited by a low-tech ore and agriculture civilization made up of multiple races. The still as-yet unnamed ship landed on an atoll and everyone except the Doc, Kurgan, Zara, Keldic and Noven got out.

After a peaceful flyby of the main settlement,Thalus the group landed on not-a-field and walked towards the main settlement. After being greeted by some guards wearing sith-like uniforms and carrying (shouldered) blaster rifles, everyone agreed to meet Director Takane Kingston.

Takane Kingston was in the largest home, the only structure which bespoke any luxury whatsoever. He wore a fine suit, and seemed nervous or embarassed about something.

The group returned to the atoll where they'd left the other settlers to find a stranger present. Lorq J'von, second in command to Captain Dranson demanded the ship. Kurgan and Zara protested. Kurgan tried bluffing, by indicating the Director wouldn't be happy with them taking the ship. He pretty much laughed at that. Kurgan then challenged him to a duel, and drew his Sith boarding vibroaxe. The axe became red hot, so Kurgan threw it at him. It froze in mid air. Kurgan lept at him, and went into a frenzy as he was lifted off his feet. He started to injure himself struggling against the telekinetic force. The sith was mildly impressed. Doc Hale helped to sedate Kurgan.

Everyone was loaded back onto the ship, and returned to the main town. The Heroes were placed in individual cells along with Keldic.

The Captain knew the ship had landed, and demanded the Director give it to him. The Captain is a pirate who had captured Director Kingston. Kingston aranged to not be spaced by coming up with this idea for a slave colony.

Director Kingston proposed a deal... he would try to get us a ship, and in return we would help him get back at The Captain. Kurgan was quite fresh with the Director, stating his platitudes and excuses in much more stark terms. Either the group would do what Kingston said, or he would continue to work the 90 other colonists (in two-week per year shifts) in the mines... which would eventually prove fatal.

The group agreed to work on a former ship of a Trandoshan? captain, Traggisk?. It was a former Republic courier ship of a common configuration. The group agreed to take ownership of the vessel (along with one spacesuit, whose helmet is for a Trandoshan). They have named it Hobson's Choice.

They also have several leads:

• Potential Bith TCV cure
• Jedi project in Cerea? where they're constructing a megaproject, possibly in league with the Sith
• Smuggling Herglic, Maruon Tagoor on Giju who we are to say Traggisk? sent us...
• Jedi infighting, one person (Trandoshan Captain) met was from a place called 'The Monestary.'
• Sith infighting (Tion Hegemony?, rebel captains)
• Trandoshans will be working within the triangle defined by (Giju,Bozu-Zok Quintus,Cerea)
• Many ship captains are acting as if it is still wartime-- no trials, spacings.

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