Session 14: The First Strike

The heroes were summoned once again before Master Denia aboard the Resurgence. With grave expression, she revealed what her meditations on the holocron had shown her—the slaves they had freed on Bespin were Nazren, a proud but obscure species from the planet Nizon in the Malrood Sector. Though not directly under the Empire’s thumb, the Nazren were now being targeted for enslavement, their strength twisted into fuel for Imperial war machines. Denia tasked the heroes with traveling to Nizon, aiding the Nazren in their struggle, and perhaps striking a blow against the Empire itself.   The journey through hyperspace was long, and after more than a week of travel the heroes emerged into Nizon space—only to find themselves staring down a Star Destroyer, the Arkanian Dragon, flanked by two heavy cruisers and swarms of V-wings. Against such odds, a head-on fight would have been suicide. With quick thinking and clever manipulation of their ship’s systems, the heroes managed to spoof the Imperial sensors, broadcasting the illusion of a fleeing vessel. In the chaos of false readings, they slipped past the blockade and dove for the planet below. The Arkanian Dragon and its escort, too large to follow, could only watch as the Reliance and four Headhunters vanished into the dust-filled skies of Nizon.   Landing in the shelter of cavernous rock formations roughly a kilometer outside the capital city, the heroes concealed their ships from the Imperial patrols scouring the skies. Donning breath masks against the choking dust that clung to every surface, they began their trek toward the city. The journey was far from uneventful, for the shifting sands gave way to a monstrous blade scorpion. The beast towered over them, its chitinous carapace deflecting blaster fire as its bladed pincers slashed with terrifying speed. The fight was brutal, each strike leaving grievous wounds, but through grit and coordination the heroes finally brought the creature down, its body collapsing with a shuddering crash into the dust.   At last, the heroes reached the city. Here, whispers and hushed conversations painted a grim picture—the Nazren’s leadership had been captured, held in a central prison camp. The Empire had first arrived a year ago, and since then, Trandoshan slavers had been shipping the Nazren away by the hundreds. If hope remained for the planet, it was locked away in cages. The heroes resolved to act. Tracking down an off-duty officer, Mouse wove her will through the Force, subtly bending his thoughts with a mind trick. For a moment, his heart was filled with empathy for the suffering Nazren, and he strode to the cages to unlock them. Yet the illusion faltered, and his senses returned as doubt set in.   Before the officer could act, the heroes struck. The camp erupted into chaos as blaster fire rang out. Guard dogs snarled and leapt, their handlers shouting orders, but the heroes carved their way through, dispatching soldiers and beasts alike. When the dust cleared, the cages stood open, and Sartok, a key leader among the Nazren, emerged alongside his freed companions. Gratitude burned in his eyes as he led the heroes into the secrecy of a hidden cave, away from Imperial sight. There, Sartok spoke plainly: the Nazren would rise, a city-wide riot to cast off the chains of the Empire. But for the rebellion to succeed, the Empire’s armored walkers had to be destroyed. Looking to the heroes, Sartok entrusted them with this crucial task—strike down the war machines, and give his people the chance to reclaim their freedom.