Session 04: The Lost One

The next day, the heroes returned to Darga’s court as the Hutt began preparations for a display of martial prowess—a gladiatorial contest meant to impress the guests and reinforce his image as a powerful underworld figure. Without much warning, Darga announced that the heroes would face off against his current gladiator team. The winner of the match would become the official representatives of Darga’s court in future bouts. Reluctantly, the heroes entered the makeshift arena and clashed with the seasoned gladiators. Though they emerged victorious, it was a hard-fought battle that left them battered and bruised. After some much-needed recovery time in the ready room, they returned to Darga’s side, where he praised their strength, awarded them 500 credits each, and named them his new champion team. He also presented them with a pass allowing unrestricted entry and exit from the palace—an invaluable tool for the mission ahead.   As the celebration unfolded and guests mingled, Mouse picked up a valuable piece of information: Darga's Moneychanger was a being named Gome who resided within the palace. Recognizing the potential to gather intel on Darga’s finances and dealings with the Empire, the group resolved to make contact with him. Later that evening, they laid out a plan to gain allies within the palace. Inspired by their previous success with Z1A, they tracked down an R5-D4 astromech unit. After locating the droid through a mechanic’s records, they approached it with a proposal—freedom in exchange for allegiance. The droid, who introduced itself simply as R5, agreed. They disabled its restraining bolt, gave it limited free will, then reattached the bolt in a damaged state to avoid suspicion. Whether or not R5’s jokes about "meatbag annihilation" were serious remained unclear, but the droid pledged loyalty to the party.   R5 led the heroes to Gome’s quarters, and though they tried to rouse him and strike up a conversation, they failed to make a strong impression, and Gome promptly dismissed them. Undeterred, Mouse returned alone the following morning and attempted to deceive Gome using a blend of charm and subtle Force manipulation. The seasoned Moneychanger saw through her lie, but rather than call her out, he invited her in for a private conversation. Gome revealed that the Empire’s dealings with Darga centered around the trade of Tibanna gas—vast quantities of it. Imperial agents were scheduled to arrive soon to finalize terms, a fact that confirmed the heroes' suspicion that Darga was closely tied to the Sarlacc Project.   Later that day, the party returned to the court as new guests arrived—slavers who were clearly unwelcome. They demanded a refund from Darga for a shipment of slaves they claimed were “used up” and no longer of value. Darga scoffed, blaming their poor handling. During the tense exchange, one of the slave girls subtly poisoned Darga’s drink. Mouse, suspecting something, attempted to intervene and convince the slaver to drink from the Hutt’s cup instead, but Darga, in a fit of bravado, drank it himself before the ploy could play out. Fortunately for him, the poison had little more effect than a minor stomach ache, and the slavers quickly fled the court. Darga, visibly annoyed, ended court early, retreating to recover.   As the heroes regrouped and considered their next move, Mouse suddenly felt an unnatural intrusion into her mind—a psychic probe that slipped past her defenses and withdrew just as quickly, leaving her unsettled and alert. With tensions rising and the clock ticking on the Empire’s impending visit, the group decided to head into the city to stock up on supplies, knowing that whatever came next would likely test their skills, loyalties, and nerves to the limit.