A broken Padawan whose only remaining comfort is breaking others in turn. A star of the academy, now an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau tasked with rooting out traitors and subversives. A pirate with a blaster to the back of his head, forced to serve at the Emperor’s pleasure. An old soldier who should’ve been put out to pasture, but has clung to service for a sense of belonging. We may have seen the Dawn of Rebellion, but light still shines on the Galactic Empire. This visit to the galaxy far far away is going to use the first FFG Star Wars Era Sourcebook to take us for a walk on the Dark Side!

Aki created the Imperial Garrison on Vena for us, a teeth-clenched team forced to work together to serve their Emperor on an out-of-the-way colony. Agentha, Darius, Kelz’er, and Eryn would probably have a lot of leeway, being far removed from Coruscant and with the local Governor having vanished. What path they take could be very interesting indeed! For this Imperial team, however, I decided things would be a fair bit less ambivalent. Clouded, the future is, but whatever might happen then is going to be rooted in a much darker beginning . . .

Second Brother, Anx Seeker Executioner/Padawan Survivor

Morality: Pride and Disdain 29

Motivation: Deadliness

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

Force Rating: 2

Wound Threshold: 21

Strain Threshold: 13

Soak: 6

Defense: 1 Melee/1 Ranged

Abilities: Free Rank of Kill With Kindness, Free Rank of Lethal Blows, Mood Indicator

Talents: Kill With Kindness, Lethal Blows

• Executioner: Grit, Toughened, Quick Strike, Hunter’s Quarry, Improved Hunter’s Quarry, Quick Draw, Lethals Blows, Precise Aim, Deathblow, Marked for Death, Force Rating
• Padawan Survivor: Street Smarts, Sleight of Mind, Secrets of the Jedi, Parry, Toughened, Reflect, Constant Vigilance

Skills: Knowledge (Xenology) 1, Survival 2, Vigilance 2, Discipline 2, Perception 2, Lightsaber 3

Force Powers

• Farsight (Control x4, Range, Duration)

Equipment: Double-Bladed Inquisitor Lightsaber (Lightsaber; Damage 6; Critical 2; Ranged [Engaged]; Breach 1, Sunder; in dual-saber mode, add Linked 1 and Unwieldy 2; in spin mode add Defensive 1 and Deflection 1), Inquisitorius Uniform

The Second Brother is a killing machine, built to annihilate all enemies of the Emperor while also being capable of tracking them down. The murderous talents from the Executioner tree are made even more so with the access to a lightsaber provided by Padawan Survivor. Second Brother’s inherent rank of Lethal Blows from being an Anx fits right in with the Executioner, while the Padawan Survivor’s Parry and Reflect make him a fair bit harder to take out. Finally, his skill with the Farsight Force Power makes him almost ridiculously adept at spotting both prey and details.

Agent Mya Fallwen, ISB-658, Human Spy Slicer/Imperial Academy Cadet

Duty: Internal Security 0 (+10 XP)

Motivation: Peace

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

Wound Threshold: 12

Strain Threshold: 14

Soak: 4

Defense: 0 Melee/0 Ranged

Abilities: Free Rank in Charm, Free Rank in Knowledge (Core Worlds)

Talents: 

• Slicer: Codebreaker, Grit, Technical Aptitude, Bypass Security, Defensive Slicing, Natural Programmer
• Imperial Academy Cadet: Grit, Know The Enemy, Formation Tactics, Improved Formation Tactics, Natural Scholar, Targeted Firepower, By the Book, Dedication (Intellect), Knowledge Specialization (Warfare)

Skills: Charm 1, Knowledge (Core Worlds) 1, Computers 2, Deception 1, Knowledge (Warfare) 2, Perception 2, Stealth 2, Leadership 2, Piloting (Space) 1, Ranged (Light) 2, Knowledge (Education) 1, Knowledge (Underworld) 1, Coordination 1

Equipment: SE-14C Blaster Pistol, Stun Grenade x2, Laminate Armor, Advanced Flesh Camouflage Kit,  Slicer Gear, Comlink (Handheld), Surveillance Tagger, Electronic Lock Breaker, Binders, 1975

Agent Mya Fallwen‘s skill as a slicer is without question, and that will serve her well in service to the Empire. It’s the addition of Imperial Academy Cadet that makes her stand out from the slicer crowd, however. Her time at the academy makes her a good shot, a decent pilot, a solid tactician, and a respectable leader. Know the Enemy lets her Knowledge of Warfare be used for initiative. Formation Tactics lets her coordinate the team to upgrade the difficulty of attacks against them, potentially for the entire encounter. while Targeted Firepower grants advantage to her allies’ attacks. She still has some weak spots, but Mya comes the closest of her fellows to being a jack-of-all-trades while still excelling in her chosen fields.

Ommal Maru, Clawdite Bounty Hunter Operator/Pirate

Obligation: Blackmail 20 (+10XP)

Motivation: Survival

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

Wound Threshold: 13

Strain Threshold: 12

Soak: 3

Defense: 1 Melee/1 Ranged

Abilities: Free Rank in Resilience, Changeling

Talents: 

• Operator: Grit x2, Full Throttle, Skilled Jockey, Let’s Ride, Dedication (Agility), Shortcut, Offensive Driving, Overwhelm Defenses, Debilitating Shot
• Pirate: Black Market Contacts, Greased Palms, Toughened, Fearsome Rep, Street Smarts, Intimidating, Double-Talk

Skills: Resilience 1, Piloting (Planetary) 2, Planetary (Space) 2, Streetwise 2, Vigilance 2, Astrogation 1, Gunnery 2, Coercion 2, Deception 2, Knowledge (Underworld) 2, Skulduggery 1, Ranged (Heavy) 1

Equipment: Disruptor Rifle, Armored Clothing, 74-Z Speeder Bike, 500 Credits

Ommal Maru is a decent shot with his disruptor rifle, but he really shines with the controls of a vehicle in his hands or a clever-looking grin on his face. Pirate provides a slew of social abilities, most impressively the disorienting confusion he can inflict with Double-Talk and the extreme ability with Coercion granted by Intimidating and Fearsome Rep. Operator doesn’t just make him a good pilot, it makes him a good pilot when it comes to catching people. Shortcut’s an obvious one, while Offensive Driving can really throw a wrench in his prey’s Piloting checks. Overwhelm Defenses stripes points of Defense from his targets, while Debilitating Shot cripples their speed. The fact that he’s a Clawdite, capable of changing his form, also can’t be overlooked if sneaking up on a target becomes necessary.

Snare, Mandalorian Human Soldier Trailblazer/Retired Clone Trooper

Duty: Placard Hunter 0 (+10 XP)

Motivation: Comrades

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

Wound Threshold: 17

Strain Threshold: 14

Soak: 4

Defense:  0 Melee/0 Ranged

Abilities: Free Rank in Knowledge (Warfare), Free Rank in Knowledge (Outer Rim)

Talents: 

• Trailblazer: Stalker, Toughened, Outdoorsman, Expert Tracker x2, Disorient, Prime Positions, Cunning Snare, Dodge, Blind Spot, Prey on the Weak
• Retired Clone Trooper: Steady Aim, Spare Clip, Grit, Familiar Suns, Swift, Toughened, Combat Veteran, Comrades in Arms

Skills: Knowledge (Outer Rim) 2, Knowledge (Warfare) 2, Melee 1, Ranged (Heavy) 2, Survival 2, Perception 2, Stealth 2, Vigilance 2, Discipline 2

Equipment: “Precision-X” Marksman Rifle, Vibrosword, Imperial Storm Commando Armor, Thermal Cloak, Backpack, Load-Bearing Gear, Utility Belt, Comlink (Long Range), Comlink (Handheld), Crash Survival Kit, Military Field Manual, Climbing Gear, Stimpack x10, 1025 Credits

Snare is a hunter of the deadliest game, and seeing as how some of that game could include Jedi he’d better be good at it. Trailblazer makes him a premier wilderness fighter and tracker, capable of laying ambushes, hunting down targets, and keeping them staggering (or at least disoriented). His experience as a Retired Clone Trooper actually feeds into that very well. He doesn’t need to worry about ammo, difficult terrain can’t slow him down, he’s been to all sorts of worlds, and he’s tougher than most Trailblazers have a right to be. Uniquely, Comrades in Arms will let him grant extra Defense for his allies, keeping the entire team in the fight longer.

---

The squad was created using the Age of Rebellion core book, Dawn of Rebellion, Forged in Battle, No Disintegrations, Friends Like These, and Savage Spirits.

Aside from their species’ XP, everyone got handed 300 more XP to work with. Everyone except the Second Brother also got an additional 10 XP from Duty or Obligation; the Inquisitor instead took the ‘start on the Dark Side’ Morality option.

The Second Brother also probably has more credits-worth of gear than he should, since at Knight Level+ a basic lightsaber would clean him out . . . but kriff it, I handed him the same gear the other Inquisitors in Dawn of Rebellion have.

Who They Are

Second Brother once thought he was one of the lucky ones: Jedi Master killed by their own clone troopers, entire Order wiped out, forced to go on the run and hide for the rest of his life, but alive. When the Inquisitorius found him, however, he realized that his Master had been the lucky one. The former Padawan vanished into the fires of Mustafar and was reforged by the Grand Inquisitor into a weapon for the Empire. Hunting the Emperor’s enemies, former Jedi and rogue Force sensitives foremost among them, is Second Brother’s only purpose now – and doing it well is the only thing he finds solace in.

Mya Fallwen was a star at the Imperial Academy, specializing in technical espionage and internal security, and that has translated into a rising star at the Imperial Security Bureau. For several years that largely meant a desk job, but Mya became dissatisfied with this: a true believer in the peace and order that the Empire is trying to bring to the galaxy, she continually petitioned her superiors to head into the field. Eventually she got her wish, although her team isn’t exactly what she envisioned . . .

Ommal Maru was like any other freelance entrepreneur on the Outer Rim: just trying to make a profit, and if maybe it wasn’t always 100% legal profit, well, it’s a big galaxy and surely no law can cover the entirety of it. The Galactic Empire disagreed. Vehemently. Rather than ship Ommal off to the spice mines or have him executed, however, the Empire made him an offer: serve the ISB as an agent, and he would get to remain both alive and technically free. It’s slavery without the shock collar and Ommal knows it, but for now he’s got to play along until an opportunity – to escape or to profit – falls into his lap.

Snare, CT-5443, was honorably discharged after a successful career in both the Grand Army of the Republic and the Imperial Stormtrooper Corp. For a time he enjoyed his retirement on a quiet Mid-Rim world . . . but eventually the boredom and the time away from his brothers got to him. The Empire was reluctant to take him back, so Snare took matters into his own hands and successfully assassinated a high-ranking Rebel officer. That got him noticed by a young up-and-coming ISB agent, and she brought him back into the fold. He’s still without his brothers, sadly, but he’s back to doing what he was made for, and he takes quiet enjoyment in that.

How They Interact

The Second Brother most often lets his emotional weakness of disdain be his only outward opinion of the ISB agent and her hangers-on that he has been assigned to liaison with. Agent Fallwen’s heartfelt belief in the peace of the Empire is foolish; peace is a lie. Granted, she has useful skills that help him in his hunts, which is more than could be said of most. The pirate Ommal is trapped in a situation that Second Brother would sympathize with if he could be brought to care; as is he wavers between amused at the Clawdite dancing on strings and eager at the prospect of hunting him down if he runs. Snare’s presence grates on the former Padawan’s nerves, memories of being hunted by clones still stark despite being old . . . and surely Snare’s familiar presence only has to do with being a clone. All the Second Brother needs is an excuse and an opportunity.

Mya sees the Second Brother like any other loyal Imperial: a cog in the machine that is dragging the galaxy kicking and screaming to a better future. Granted, this particular cog is a dangerous one that’ll pull in and crush any who get too close. She’s proud to serve with him for now . . . but conceives of plans for the day when such a beast can be disposed of. Maru is as slippery as a dianoga and twice as unappealing, but he’s not the first member of the underworld to be put to good use. Mya privately hopes to find some way to convince the Clawdite to serve faithfully instead of because of threats; it would be quite the victory. Snare is a loyal and professional soldier, exactly the kind of person Mya hoped to serve alongside. While Mya is in charge, she often looks for the old clone’s experience to help her out.

Ommal nearly got fed to a rancor, once. Long story, not as funny as you might think, but the Second Brother definitely reminds him of the experience. The trick, you see, is to keep the animal’s attention on other, juicier targets, And if you manage to make the person holding the keys to the cell look particularly juicy, well, that would be a convenient opportunity. Mya is a charming jailer, for all that she is a jailer, and potential rancor snacking aside he’d prefer not to have to harm her to survive. Perhaps there can be some sort of profitable arrangement set up, given time. Snare’s an old soldier, and they’re all the same: they’re glad to have someone to trade stories with around the fire or at the cantina. The clone is probably the only one who wouldn’t make shooting Ommal personal, either. That’s actually a little comforting.

Snare doesn’t know quite what to make of the Second Brother. According to Agent Fallwen the man is a Jedi hunter, and having helped to kill a Jedi traitor himself during Order 66 Snare can respect the profession. The Anx keeps staring at him and tapping fingers on that lightsaber, however, and there’s a ghost of familiarity about him. Agent Fallwen got Snare back into the field, proper like, and he’ll be eternally grateful. She’s a bit of a shiny, but that’ll change with time, and he’s glad to help her learn. Ommal’s a scoundrel, not a soldier and not a professional, and Snare knows to keep an eye on him. Still, he’s the only other person on the squad who is any fun to be around during downtime.

The Future

Playing as the bad guys can be fraught with danger for all involved, especially when you add a layer of intrigue a la Crush the Rebellion, and the same could certainly be said for this special team of Imperial servants. Will the Second Brother, Agent Fallwen, Ommal Maru, and Snare triumph against the Jedi traitors, internal subversives, and rebel terrorists they are tasked with hunting, or will they fall to the rising chaos in the galaxy? Will they function as a team successfully, or will they turn on one another as personal goals and conflicting ideas clash? Is there any chance to be redeemed, for any of them?

As always that’s for you (and your dice) to determine!

Like what Meet the Party has to offer? Want to see ready-to-play characters for a system and/or setting of your choice? Let us know @HungryHalfling, at cannibalhalflinggaming@gmail.com, or here in the comments!