Otherspace
When the crew of the Long Shot receive a high level mission to rendezvous with the Alliance transport ship Celestial carrying Imperial prisoners to an Alliance safe-world, it seems straightforward enough. However, the Long Shot appears in the middle of a wing of TIE Fighters, with the Relentless not far behind – and the Rebels are forced to flee.
The collision with a TIE fighter damages the Long Shot’s hyperdrive and causes the ship to jump to somewhere not in hyperspace and not in normal space: Otherspace. Adrift in space known on no star charts, the hyperdrive cannot be rebuilt with the parts available so the Rebels look to sensors for hope. In Otherspace, there is no subspace chatter, no beacons – only a carrier signal on an Alliance frequency: the Celestial.
Dead in space, the transport is apparently deserted. The Smuggler goes aft to check the hyperdrive just as the heroes in the bridge register movement in the drive section, fortunately they realise that the Smuggler himself is causing it. The hyperdrive is unusable, and the Rebels scour the rest of the ship for anything that they can use. They find signs of battle including some strange kind of webbing and claw marks. In the lower docking platform, the webbing appears to be some kind of fortification – blaster marks score the walls, and a number of the escape pods are missing.
From what remains of Celestial’s computer the Rebels discover that the ship was carrying a number of prisoners: Imperial Grand Moff Ravik, Imperial District Commander Bane Nothos, Zardra the bounty hunter, the N’anthri pirate Celis Mott and an assassin droid EL-434. The Rebels learn that Nothos managed to break his fellow prisoners out of their cells, and send a distress signal to the Relentless. The captain of the Celestial, Alain Gryphon, made the ship enter Hyperspace cold, burning out its hyperdrive and sending it into Otherspace. As the Heroes ponder this, it becomes evident that there are other ships dead in space in the nebula. One, a huge dark ship of alien design, emerges from the mist – and lights begin to flicker to life on the ship…
After discovering that the other ships are all dead in space, all showing evidence of the mysterious webbing found on Celestial, the players dock with the mysterious hulk. In the landing bay, the Rebels find a popular ship pet: an Adoris Feline. Disturbingly the creature is no longer alive: micromechanical switches, circuits and fibres animate it. The Minor Jedi picks up some very disturbing readings from the ship, making him increasingly uneasy. The ship, Desolate, is like a black hole to the Force- it sucks in the Force but does not return any of the energy that binds all living things together. It is an abomination that goes against all Jedi training.
The Rebels find the dying Captain Gryphon who babbles about “shadows that you can’t fight in the dark”, her wounds caused by sharp poisoned claws. Proceeding deeper into the ship the Rebels are attacked by a now insane Celis Mott and a number of Celestial crewmembers, all suffering nerve tissue damage. After dealing with the pirate, the Heroes find a cargo hold of sorts. A quick search reveals a hyperdrive motivator (a part required for a new hyperdrive). Holding fast to the hope that other parts may exist, the Heroes continued on.
After passing though a resistive membrane of some kind, the Rebels found themselves in a chamber filled with wisps of red mist that caused delusions and terrifying hallucinations. Weakened and psychologically battered, the Rebels emerged from the mists into a hangar deck of sorts. The ships and computers found there revealed a technology that leant more towards biosciences than engineering. One of the decks contained a number of normal pieces of equipment from the Celestial, including a power coupler required for the hyperdrive.
Exiting the chamber, the Rebels found themselves surrounded by large spider-like suits of armour in the dark – then they were attacked by one, which fled into the darkness before its wearer could be seen. Shaken, the Rebels continued their way on passing through strange chambers, until they arrived in what looks like a holopark, and learnt the true nature of the Desolate.
The inhabitants of the Desolate are the Charon. A spider-like race, the Charon worshipped a black hole that destroyed their planet: a death cult that embraced the worship of everything that the Void represented: an end to existence, nothingness, death. They purged hundreds of worlds of the “Illness” leaving their galaxy dead and lifeless: even the living ship that was Desolate was perverted according to their beliefs.
Moving on the Rebels moved into a heavily webbed area where they meet Bane Nothos – accompanied by four Charon “new soldiers in this new era” he remarks to the Rebels – and offered the Rebels the chance to join him and when they refused the Charon attacked. When Nothos attempts to hurl a thermal detonator at the heroes the floor gives way and he drops from sight into the depths of the ship. After the battle ends the heroes find a tunnel leading up further into the ship and find a chamber filled with the immobilised brain-dead inhabitants of the derelicts outside, now used as ‘food’ by the Desolate’s power core.
As they proceeded further, the rebels came under attack from a number of altered creatures in what seemed to be some kind of test. In the process EL-434 and Zardra are encountered, and the former foes ally with the Rebels to escape as a number of the Charon close in. Fleeing the chamber, the Rebels and their allies found themselves in worse trouble - surrounded by Charon awakening from their long death-sleep, EL-434 and Zardra sealed the tunnel between then and the Rebels, leaving them to fend for themselves. Eventually, the heroes managed to fight their way out and close the way behind them.
Finding themselves in the temple to the Void, the Rebels again came under attack, this time from a cat-like Charon construct. After leaving the temple, a most disquieting place, the Heroes found themselves in the Nest, the bridge of the Desolate. And they were not alone.
Surrounded by Charon warriors, the Rebels were surprised to hear a human voice; that of Ravik; “I am Grand Moff Ravik. I am hoping that you have the sense and decency to join me in a grand and noble cause – the annihilation of Emperor Palpatine and the New Order.”
As the Rebels considered Ravik’s words, the Charon Prophet, Ber’asco stepped from the shadows. The other Charon rasped their claws together in greeting and left the Nest. Larger and more ponderous than the other Charon, the imposing figure spoke, a brain-like computer translating his rasping words: “The disease rarely has vectored to Desolate, never before within the Nest. Your strain is most resistant. Ravik-culture has convinced me of your value in service to the Void. I am the Final Prophet of the Charon. I am Ber’asco. Submit to the will of the Void; bioscientists can evaluate, cultivate your strain. Agree to construction; we shall cross you with the finest of Charon warriors. You accept our offer?”
The Rebels decided to decline both offers and opened fire at Ber’asco, his armour deflecting the blaster fire - the Charon Prophet activated the Nest defences: tendrils that fired plasma bolts at the Rebels.
As the heroes rendered the tendrils inoperable, Ber’asco commanded the ships computer to “Cleanse the wound,” and opened the Nest to the vacuum of Otherspace.
As the Heroes are nearly pulled into space, they attempt to put on Charon vac-suits, only just managing to don them in time. A chase then ensues across the surface of Desolate, as the Rebels clumsily make their way back to the Long Shot pursued by increasing numbers of Charon.
They reach the Long Shot, with four Charon hot on their heels. A Charon leaps for the Rebels – but the Long Shot’s gun turret swivels, fires, and reduces the Charon to a burnt husk, the remaining three Charon pausing in confusion. Zardra’s familiar voice crackles over the com unit, “Darlings, I am feeling most generous today. Forget my fee – kill those three pests to prove you are worth my trouble while I discourage our pursuit. When you are finished I shall open the hatch and we can leave. Do hurry. My marksmanship isn’t good enough to kill all of those things…”
After dispatching the remaining Charon, the Rebels exited the Desolate in Long Shot, trying to repair the hyperdrive with the parts they found. Under heavy attack from Charon bio-fighters, the final repairs take place, and the Long Shot makes the jump back to normal space, much to the relief of the Rebels.
Meanwhile, back on Desolate, Ber’asco sits within the command centre, idly disassembling a Rebel blaster. Bioscientists scurry by carrying surgical instruments and things which look wet and unwholesome. He addresses someone we cannot see.
“The others of your strain have fled, running to hide in a place we cannot yet reach. The Void is disappointed. Ravik-culture is all we have left. We are taking utmost precautions in constructing you. When you are free of the disease you shall lead us to your strain. The Void is patient. Soon its patience will be rewarded…”
