An ambassador who believes in fostering relations with the natives (in order to make them dependent upon her). A COMPNOR officer with a (literal) sixth sense for troublemakers. A Bothan engineer working part time through his “retirement” and who hides a dark secret. A quartermaster who looks to make his fortune at the same time as keep his new home out of the dark ages. A Corellian Hotshot who has a gift behind the sticks of her craft, and an attitude and a mouth to match. Welcome new recruits. Meet the Party strives to create ready-to-play characters for a variety of systems and settings, both for your use and to inspire you in making characters of your own.Today we are going to give some examples of some of fine servants of the Empire! You would do well to live by their example, despite any possible . . . irregularities. We shall observe a case study where, in the face of a shortage of manpower, a lack of proper logistical supply chain, and locals of questionable loyalty, loyal servants of the Empire managed to persevere against the dastardly Rebels!

There has been a long running history of “Rooting for the Empire” in Star Wars. For some people, it was the uniforms, or that they had the cooler toys. For others, it’s reflecting back on the events of the movies and a lot of the material from Legends. There was a relatively recent time in the Republic when the situation was far less rosy than people like to remember. At the time of Episode I, a mega corporation was able to blockade and invade a planet, and the Republic Senate would not lift a finger to stop it…in fact, the Trade Federation had seats and representation in that very Senate. A religious order was allowed to operate throughout the known galaxy with almost no oversight, taking away children and training them to be warriors of their faith. The Republic had no centralized military until the beginning of a bloody civil war that raged across the galaxy for three years. When Sheev Palpatine announced the formation of the Galactic Empire, he did so to thunderous applause in the Senate. And this is all canon. It’s not too shocking to think that, from a certain point of view, there were heroes of the Galactic Empire.

So, today, we are doing be taking a diversion from our some of our previous Star Wars Meet the Party’s to look at some of these “heroes of the Empire”, who have been assigned the thankless task of defending Vena from natural disaster, a populace which resents them, organized crime and worse, Rebel scum! Though I am pulling from a variety of source books form FFG Star Wars, the main focus will be a setting in Age of Rebellion with 20 extra XP to start.

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Agentha Snee: Human Diplomat/Ambassador

Duty: Political Support 10

Motivation: Order

Characteristics: Brawn 2, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 2,  Willpower 2, Presence 4

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

Soak: 2

Defense: 0/0

Abilities: Any two non-career skills at 1 rank each

Talents: Kill with Kindness, Grit, Nobody’s Fool, Confidence, Inspiring Rhetoric

Skills: Cool 1, Charm 2, Knowledge (Outer Rim) 1, Knowledge (Core Worlds), Leadership 1, Negociation 1, Perception 1

Equipment: Cultural Etiquette Manual,Symbol of Command, 365 credits

Someone has to be in charge of this place, or at least be the one standing before the superiors when something goes wrong, and that person is Agentha. Her high Presence makes her the natural negotiator and emissary for the Empire. Her relatively junior rank (currently Acting Lieutenant Governor) has led people to incorrectly assume that she can be bowled over. She has a wide breadth of knowledge about the galaxy at large, even if it isn’t too deep and she is nobody’s fool.

Darius “Dary” Albreadth: Human Guardian/Warden

Duty: Internal Security 0 (-10 for 5 XP and 1000 credits)

Motivation: Justice

Characteristics: Brawn 3, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 2,  Willpower 4, Presence 2

Force Rating: 1

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 14

Soak: 5

Defense: 0/0

Abilities: Any two non-career skills at 1 rank each

Talents: Intimidating, Scathing Tirade, Bad Cop

Skills: Athletics 1 Brawl 2, Cool 1, Coercion 1, Discipline 1, Streetwise 1, Vigilance 1

Force Powers: Sense (Base)

Equipment: Czerka Vibroknuckles, Riot Armor, Stun Cuffs, Comlink (handheld), 75 credits

Darius brings with him a steady and stern presence, honed from years as acting as the local COMPNOR “man on the street” which has made him known to some of the shadier elements around the garrison. His high willpower help him keep his cool in tense situations, and his intimidating presence, Scathing Tirade and Bad Cop mentality has actually stopped a lot of fights before they happen. He is notable in that he doesn’t carry a standard issue sidearm, and has had a surprising amount of success in taking down particularly stubborn agitators with his fists. His honed reactions help give him the drop in initiative, and he seems to have some…odd sense as to when trouble is coming, almost before it happens.

Kelz’er Sur’vvr: Bothan Engineer/Saboteur

Duty: Tech Procurement 0 (-10 for 2500 credits)

Motivation: Expertise

Characteristics: Brawn 1, Agility 2, Intellect 4, Cunning 3,  Willpower 2, Presence 2

Wound Threshold: 11

Strain Threshold: 13

Soak: 2

Defense: 1/1

Abilities: Streetwise 1, Convincing Demeanor

Talents: Convincing Demeanor, Resolve, Grit, Powerful Blast

Skills: Computers 1, Mechanics 3, Medicine 1, Perception 1, Ranged (Light) 1, Streetwise 1 Skullduggery 1

Equipment: Slicer Gear, Tool Kit, Emergency Medpac, Holdout Blaster, Smuggler’s Trench coat, Lockpicking Tools, Ion Grenade, Frag Grenade, Commlink (Handheld)

Kelz’er is the more mechanically inclined of the group, and between his Mechanics and Computers skills he’s the best one around for keeping machines running the way that they are supposed to. Surprisingly, he’s also the one best suited to keeping people alive too, with a bit of medical training on the side. He’s got some sneaky skills too, and where his Perception, Skullduggery and Streetwise key off of his Cunning.

Dox Kells: Human Diplomat/Quartermaster

Duty: Resource Acquisition 10

Motivation: Trade

Characteristics: Brawn 2, Agility 2, Intellect 2, Cunning 3,  Willpower 2, Presence 3

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

Soak: 2

Defense: 0/0

Abilities: Any two non-career skills at 1 rank each

Talents: Know Somebody (Two ranks), Smooth Talker (Negotiation), Grit, Sound Investments

Skills: Charm 1, Deception 1, Knowledge (Outer Rim) 1, Negociation 2, Skullduggery 1

Equipment: Cultural Etiquette Manual, Lockpicking Tools, Holdout Blaster, Authentication Tools, 15 credits

There’s always “a guy” and Dox has a tendency to be “that guy”. Know Somebody makes it easier to find legal goods, even in a more remote region like Vena and his Sound Investments keep a slow and steady trickle of credits into his pockets, even if nobody quite knows what those investments are. The fact that he can lie like a rug, and has a way to get around doors that should be shut for him might be how he can offer prices as low as he does.

Eryn Slynt: Corellian Human Ace/Hotshot

Duty: Combat Victory 0 (-5 for 5 XP, -5 for 1000 credits)

Motivation: Glory

Characteristics: Brawn 2, Agility 5, Intellect 2, Cunning 2,  Willpower 2, Presence 2

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 13

Soak: 2

Defense: 0/0

Abilities: Piloting (Planetary) or Space 1 (can reach 3 at Character Creation)

Talents: Skilled Jockey, Shortcut, Grit, Koiogran Turn, Dedication (Agility)

Skills: Gunnery 1, Piloting (Planetary) 3, Piloting (Space) 2, Ranged (Light) 1

Equipment: Fabritech AGL Mk. III Targeting Goggles, L:ight Blaster Pistol, Commlink (Handheld), 175 credits

Eryn Slynt is a force to be reckoned with behind the control yoke of a ship. She’s a hot stick with anything on land or space, though she’s had more practice with ground craft lately. She’s no stranger to ship weaponry, or for that piece by her side either.

Who They Are

The first thing to understand that these are all loyal servants of the Empire, from whatever stripe they come from. The second thing is that, well, the Empire has deemed it fit to keep them in a colony planet well off the main hyper lanes, in an area that does not enjoy their presence. Vena has a long history of isolationism which stretches back to the days of the Republic, and being forcibly drafted into the Empire has not improved their mood. Normally, it would be an assignment to break the spirit of even hardened bureaucrats.

However, there has been a new development. Recently, Governor Windam and his staff left on a (purported) business trip for with a purported investor, only to have their ship attacked and the crew and passengers vanish. There has been no small amount of discussion as to how and why this happened, and normally there would be a quick response. However, around that time an even bigger story has swarmed across the galaxy: The Rebel Alliance, a group of terrorists whose importance was considered negligible, had attacked and destroyed a mobile base, killing Grand Moff Tarkin. The news has stunned the Empire, and has thrown resupply and personnel requests into absolute disarray.

With Vena’s relatively minor importance they have fallen far behind on the list for any sort of replacement, and the question of “Who’s in charge here?” has fallen to the people who have stepped up to do something, anything, to stabilize the situation.

Agentha is a diplomat who began her career with a quick rise, followed by a rather sudden plateau. This is primarily for the memo she circulated suggesting that the Tarkin Doctrine could be “supplemented” by system specific controls, wherein the system would become so dependent on the Empire to continue their standard of living that rebelling would be impossible. Her post to Vena seemed to be a combination of a dare and a hedge, in theory allowing her to try out her ideas without any real risk of her getting the credit if it worked. Of course, with the disappearance of Governor Windam, she is now the de facto representative of the Empire on Vena, for good or ill.

Darius is a local boy who signed up for COMPNOR when the Empire first rolled in, mostly because it was pretty obvious which way the tide was turning. Still, if the Empire was serious about one thing, it was keeping order, and it made sure that some of the revolts of his childhood weren’t going to happen again. Being a local meant he was more familiar with the goings-on, which helped him rise quickly. His decision not to carry a blaster and his ability to resolve conflicts with his fists stopped a lot of conflicts from escalating, and he almost seemed to have a sixth sense as to when someone meant trouble. It didn’t strike him as anything unusual, until the day he felt the killing intent of a man he had no idea was behind him. Darius has been extremely tight lipped about this ability. In his book, it’s an advantage that he really doesn’t need to give away. He passed on the chance to rise higher in the ranks, as that would likely take him off world, something he has no interest in. His steady hand and intimidating nature makes him an excellent enforcer to keep order.

Kelz’er has the distinction of being one of the few non-humans on the planet who have found themselves in the service of the Empire. While it has earned him quite a bit of suspicion, ISB has vetted him. In fact, they seemed rather eager to ship him off to the Expansion Zone. In reality, he secretly was one of their freelance assets. Kelz’er chose the right One Last Job to get out . . . the sabotage of Caamas’ planetary shields. Soon afterwards, the Emperor ordered that the planet be bombarded until it was uninhabitable, which did not please the Bothan clans. It was the perfect time to settle somewhere remote, and Vena did the trick just fine. These days, his skill as a saboteur mainly goes to keeping things from breaking down rather than blowing them up, but he still knows his way around a grenade and knows how to get a big bang for his credits.

Dox moved out to the Expansion Zone to make his fortune . . . which really hasn’t happened. He hardly imagined himself as a government bureaucrat on a no-name planet, but he’s grown to appreciate the upside. Apart from giving him a pretty comfortable job, his role as quartermaster means that he has access to a wide array of resources to barter with on his own side gigs. If a few dozen blasters have to fall off the back of the hovertruck to make sure that the power converters arrive on time and under budget, hey, that’s just business. 

Eryn lives up to the Corellian stereotype of being a cocky show off, and for being a hot enough stick to get away with it. She’s gained a reputation for being able to pilot nearly anything under a sun or in space and for running her mouth in the process. Her current stationing in Vena is a result of a few choice and injudicious comments about the wisdom of sinking a massive amount of military resources into a giant battlestation when they could have a few new fleets of Star Destroyers instead for less money. The fact that it seems she might have been right hasn’t helped her position, and she’s itching for a way to prove herself again.

How They Interact

Agentha appreciates the stern presence of Darius. While he is imposing, he has become a fatherly figure, and the willingness to throw himself into the fray with nothing but his wits and a pair of vibroknuckles speaks to his grit. Kelz’er is a model of what she wants in her approach to running the Empire: a non-human who has recognized that the Empire is the only way for them to survive in an enlightened age, and who is willing to take their place in it, even if it is less than that of humans. That doesn’t mean that she isn’t suspicious of how he knows his way around certain pieces of equipment, but those suspicions aren’t going to deprive her of her best engineer. Agentha wishes she didn’t need Dox, but she does. With the budget getting tighter and tighter every cycle, someone has to make sure that the lights stay on. She suspects that he might be playing a bit fast and loose with his inventory, but the man seems to have a knack for rubbing two credits together and getting a third to pop out of nowhere. However he’s done it, it hasn’t caught up to him. Yet. Eryn is another less than entirely welcome addition. The woman grates on her, but she can hardly get rid of the temperamental pilot and then ask for more defense assets so she has to put up with Eryn for now.

Darius trusts a great deal of what his “sixth sense” tells him. He feels ambition from Agentha, but it seems to be tempered by actual concern for people’s well-being. She seems to lean heavily on him for advice, and it’s a role he has begrudgingly allowed himself to move into. Darius doesn’t trust Dox further than he can punch him, which he would dearly love to try. Even without being able to feel the man’s palpable greed, every instinct he would have on the job would tell him to bring Dox in, but the man has friends in high places. Darius had better be sure before he moves. As strange as it sounds, he does trust Kelz’er. Darius had been rather suspicious of the Bothan at first (“never believe a word a Bothan says” was an early lesson of his career), but he can sense the creature’s quiet resolve, and recognizes the professionalism. Eryn is full of ego, but Darius has seen it in young recruits all the time. Most off them start off even worse than the cocky pilot, and a few years seasoning typically does the trick. She is a quick hand on the trigger, both literally and figuratively, so he does need to keep an eye on her to keep her out of trouble.

Kelz’er has noticed the quiet disdain that Agentha feels for him, but at least it’s quiet, unlike other Imperial officers. In the meanwhile, she keeps him employed in his “retirement”. Darius isn’t cuddly, but there seems to be a surprising mutual respect. There’s something about the man though…it reminds him of the legends of the Jedi he’s heard whispers about on other worlds. He doesn’t know for sure though, and either way, he is hardly one to complain about keeping secrets. Dox reminds Kelz of the Bothan’s family…and that’s not a good thing. The man isn’t as clever as he thinks he is, and it’s going to catch up with him someday. Eryn is a source of annoyance, not because of her personality, but for the fact that she seems incapable of returning a craft in perfect shape. Still, the constant flow of parts that her excesses allow gives him the chance to tinker with . . .  let’s call them “side projects”.

Dox finds Agentha a pain in his posterior, always calling him in to explain an acquisition or “temporary shortage”. Still, she provides him valuable cover if the whole thing comes crashing down. She isn’t as bad as her hound Darius. The man is always sniffing around. Dox has decided to keep a closer eye on him. No one hangs around the COMPNOR for that long, and at that rank, and doesn’t have something that he wants to hide that could be valuable leverage. Kelz’er is someone Dox can appreciate for being in the same line of work. The Bothan is too quick with certain tools not to have opened some locks in his time. Dox’s attempts to dig up more on the creature have been dead ends, but there’s a story there. He has a bit of a crush on Eryn: a warrior woman, and with a Corellian attitude to match. She seems oblivious to him though, and he needs to be careful about how he intends to change that.

Eryn wonders if the next time that Agentha backseat pilots she should vent the atmosphere of the shuttle. The woman is always calling her in for a tuneup, and always seems to hold her for launching for action. Bureaucrats. Still, at this point she can make or break Eryn’s career, so she is trying, trying to play nice. Eryn has no idea how Darius can stand Agentha, but the man’s stern presence reminds her of her flight instructor. He’s got nerves of steel that one, and his reaction is almost as quick as hers sometimes. She is a little apprehensive to turn over her craft to a Bothan for maintenance, but she is the first to admit that Kelz’er does good work. Even better, he seems open to making the tweaks and adjustment to her rides that standard protocol would not deem necessary. She likes to think that the two of them share a sense of when to tell protocol to shove it. Dox is called into Agentha’s office even more than she is, so there’s a bit of an “enemy of my enemy” sense in her mind. He’s a hard one to get a read on though, and her instincts tell her to be wary.

The Future

This group might be taking a crash course in teeth clenched teamwork, but for now they all need each other. The galaxy is only just starting to heat up. The initial news that the Senate was dissolved had been somewhat muted after Tarkin’s death, but the murmurs are starting back up again. Vena had more than its share of malcontents before then, and they seem to be gaining their voice now. Then there is the mystery of what happened to Governor Windam. Is there more to come? In addition, nature abhors a vacuum, and there is no telling what criminal enterprises might take their chances to move in, to say nothing of the Rebel Alliance, who have shown what travesties they are truly capable of.

There is one more wrinkle . . . the galaxy is vast, but the only thing that travels faster than a hyperdrive is a rumor. Who knows what might happen if whispers of a certain COMPNOR officer were to make their way to the ears of an Inquisitor.

Let me know about your own run ins with the Empire in the comments or on Twitter @HungryHalfling and @WHalfling! Image credit