Star Wars Missions 006 - The Search for Grubba the Hutt Page 3

  To evade (without Power): Your stealth# +1 is your confront#. Roil the 6-dice to evade the claw.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +4 to your MP total. You deftly duck beneath the claw and may now get back to business.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The claw grasps your arm lightly, and you must fight (below).

  To fight the scarpyen: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s close-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +3 to your MP total. The monster won’t ever crack nuts with that claw again!

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront. Add +2 to your confront# for your new confront#. Roll the 6-dice and repeat the confront, using the new confront#, until you defeat the claw.

  With the claw out of the way, you glance over the side of the landspeeder. The monster is there in the fungus, lashing madly. It’s getting ready to strike with its deadly tail. It is grasping with its claws. You’ve got to put it out of commission quickly!

  You can fight the creature with or without Power. Or you can attempt to put the creature to sleep using Power.

  To fight (with Power)*: Choose your weapon, and your Object Movement Power. You must smash the scarpyen with a tree trunk — as you fire your weapon. Add your weaponry# + your weapon’s close-range# + your Jedi# + your Power’s low-resist# +2 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to shoot the giant scarpyen.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add 15 MP to your MP total. Bug parts fly everywhere. You may now proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Add +2 to your confront# for your new confront#. Roll the 12-dice and repeat this confront until you have eliminated the creature.

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  To combat the giant scarpyen (without Power): Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s close-range# +3 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to shoot the scarpyen.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +7 to your MP total. That’s one messed-up bug. You may now drive off to look for your friends.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Add +3 to your confront# for your new confront#. Roll the 12-dice and repeat this confront, using the new confront#, until you have eliminated the creature.

  To put the scarpyen to sleep (with Power)*: Choose your Sleep Power. Your Jedi# + your Power’s low-resist# +2 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +6 to your MP total. Now get out of there quick — who knows how long the monster will sleep?

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. It didn’t work. The monster is about to rip up your landspeeder. You must fight (above).

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  That wasn’t easy. Reward yourself with 25 MP (45 MP for Advanced Level players).

  You escape the scarpyen, but your friends are now far ahead. You can’t see their headlights, and your conununications console is a mess. You could try to fix it, but the gross blob of poison sitting on the dash convinces you otherwise.

  Luckily you know the general direction the other speeders were heading in, so you flip on the headlights and speed away.

  For a long time, your trip is fairly quiet You don’t spot any sign of the others, but everywhere there are wondrous insects.

  In the deep of the forest you come across an army of giant silver antz. Their warriors carry shields made of wood and bear axes made of crude stone. They wear thick armor made of woven moss, and have helmets that cover most of their heads. They stand almost upright, like humans. You’re surprised to find that some of the insects here on Kubindi have developed such high intelligence. Their army has perhaps ten thousand members, marching across the forest floor, and they are cutting a swath of destruction everywhere they go — harvesting other insects, fungus, and roots.

  You steer clear of them, even though this throws you off your intended course. There’s still no sign of the others.

  “Threepio,” you sigh, “I think we’re really lost. Can you help us find our way back to the Falcon?”

  “I think so,” Threepio reports. Then he suddenly taps you on the shoulder. “Look! We’re saved!”

  You see dim lights far ahead in the forest

  You race toward them. The lights bob up and down, and you wonder at their color, for they are more of a pale blue than the white of a landspeeders lamplight.

  You slow a bit, uncertain as you approach. Suddenly you see the source of the lights: Four giant fyrefliis are bobbing up and down in the woods.

  “Oh, dear,” See-Threepio says. “Those are no help.”

  You shake your head in defeat and turn the vehicle in a long, lazy arc.

  Suddenly there is a loud clacking noise above, and Threepio shouts, “Aaaagh!”

  You look up just as an enormous flying insect strikes. You catch a glimpse of it — a fierce white face, almost like a skull, with enormous black eyes. Giant legs are poised to strike. You reach for your weapon, but the insect grabs you with two strong pincers. Four legs wrap around your body, holding you like a vise.

  As it lifts you in the air, Threepio shouts, “What shall I do?”

  “Help!” you yell as the insect lifts you high into the air. Already you’re two hundred meters aboveground, and climbing. You try to grasp your weapon. But if you kill the insect now, you’ll fall to your death!

  The insect climbs higher and higher, flying over a thousand meters into the air. The silver trunks of the great trees are like pillars in the darkness, and soon the lamplight from your landspeeder is so distant, it seems like a single star, far below.

  Then the monster heads north, and you lose sight of the vehicle altogether.

  You are apparently the captive of a giant mantys-like creature. You look at the way that its huge front pincers fold toward its belly, and realize that if it wanted, it could eat you as it flies. But the insect seems to have other plans.

  It wants to stop and eat you somewhere private.

  Quietly, you struggle in its grasp, and try to draw your weapon. It’s not easy. You fear that if you wriggle too much, it will attract the beast’s attention.

  You can either retrieve your weapon with Power or without Power.

  To draw your weapon (using Power)*: Choose your Object Movement Power. Your skill# + your Power’s midresist# + your Jedi# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. Your weapon is firmly in your hand.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Repeat this confront until you retrieve your weapon, then proceed.

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  To draw the weapon (without Power): Your stealth# +2 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to draw your weapon.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +1 to your MP total. The weapon quietly slips into your hand.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You miss your weapon, but can always try again. Repeat this confront using the same confront# until you retrieve the weapon, and then proceed.

  The insect carries you high into the woven branches of the tree, then drops into a nest of twigs and limbs and moss. The nest is full of grisly things — the skulls and bones of a dozen Kubaz, along with an old speeder bike, other pieces of metal, and the discarded shells of dead bugs.

  As soon as the insect’s
feet touch the nest, you roll to the side. You must fight.

  To combat the giant insect: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s close-range# +4 for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice to shoot the creature.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The beast is blown over the edge of the nest — you may now proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Add +2 to your confront# for your new confront#. Roll the 12-dice and repeat this confront, using your new confront#, until you have wasted the beast.

  That bug will never try to eat a Rebel again. Reward yourself 17 MP (27 for Advanced Level players).

  You begin searching the nest, hoping to find a parachute or something.

  You find an old speeder bike that has been fiercely crushed. It is useless… except for a battered pack you see on it. You open the pack. Inside is some rotten food and a BlasTech DH-17 blaster pistol — a perfect weapon for fighting giant bugs, since it can blow big holes in their hard outer shells. Add the weapon to your arsenal.

  You also find a little hand-lantern, along with a knife, and some ultra-thin towing cable. The rest of the stuff is just junk — comic books written in Kubaz, some Kubaz snout ornaments, and clothes that won’t fit you.

  You poke around, looking among the bones of insects and Kubaz, but find nothing more that will be helpful.

  You look down, but can no longer see the lights of the landspeeder. You call for help, but See-Threepio doesn’t answer. The mantys didn’t just carry you straight up, it carried you north.

  You ponder your predicament, and decide that you can either starve to death up here or fall to your death while trying to climb down the tree.

  Falling seems faster.

  You walk along a twisted limb, which is about as thick as your waist. The bark of the silver tree feels rubbery under your feet. The tree sways gently in the night wind, and you’re almost grateful that you can’t see how far you will fall if you trip. You are acutely conscious of the fact that if you do slip, you’ll have to grab onto the limb.

  Everywhere above, you hear the sound of wind rushing through leaves.

  A gust blows, and the limb suddenly sways beneath your feet.

  To avoid falling: Add your strength# to your skill# +3, for your confront#. Roll the 12-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +6 to your MP total. You easily stay on the limb. You may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You fall over, and must grasp the branch and climb back up (below).

  To climb back up the branch (if you have fallen): Your strength# + your skill# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to grasp the branch.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. You drag yourself up onto the branch. You may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You fall farther back. You must reach for the branch again (below).

  To reach for the branch: Your strength# +1 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to get a proper hold.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. You have the branch in reach. Now you must climb back up (above).

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. You must try again, using the same confront equation.

  You reach the base of the limb. Even here, the trunk of the tree looks as if it is seventy meters across. As you search the trunk for handholds, you realize that trying to climb down the smooth trunk would be nearly impossible.

  Reluctantly, you pull out the towing cable and tie it around the tree limb. The cable is remarkably thin and strong. As you unroll it, you find that it is perhaps five hundred meters long.

  You know that you’re much higher in the tree than that. But you reason that at least you’ll get down lower, and maybe then Threepio will be able to hear your shouts for help. Or maybe you can flash your light around, so that someone below will know that you’re stuck.

  You take the rope and put it between your legs, then pull some of it up and wrap it over your shoulder. The friction of the rope coiled around your body will keep you from falling too fast. This is called body rappelling, and is just one skill that every Rebel soldier must learn. It’s not the safest way to climb down a giant tree, but as long as you’re careful and don’t twist the ropes, you should be all right.

  You drop off the limb and begin rappelling down the tree. Soon you’re sweating from the exertion. You slow down. Two hundred meters farther, you find another tree limb. You kick against the trunk of the tree and swing over to it so that you can rest.

  There’s still no sign of See-Threepio.

  You rappel down farther. A hundred meters. Two hundred and fifty. You find what looks to be a huge cave, so you stop for a second and flash your light inside.

  Some kind of huge gnawing insect has been eating the tree. There is rough sawdust all around the burrow. You shine the light in, but can’t see any bug.

  You swing into the burrow for a breather.

  You shine your light down, and see that there isn’t much towing cable left — fifty meters at the most. It’s not enough to get to the next branch.

  You take your weapon and fire once, cutting the cable. You roll it up, thinking it might come in handy later on.

  With your light leading the way, you creep into the core of the burrow.

  Instead of finding just one cave, you discover a maze of tunnels where the digging creature — or creatures — have burrowed. The tunnels go off in all directions — winding around in curlicues, dropping down what seems like ten meters in one spot, then climbing ten meters the next. The tunnels look very old. The pulp of the wood on the floors is dry and moldy. In some places, you unearth plodding mytes as large as your head. They flee at the sight of your little flashlight.

  You choose a tunnel and follow it through, always searching for paths that lead down.

  For a long hour you descend. As you do, you realize that the tunnel is getting wider and wider. The signs of digging look fresher. Whatever is chewing into the tree has been doing it for years. And it is growing. You could easily fly a landspeeder through these caverns.

  You move farther, until you smell a putrid odor — the stench of rancid fat. It grows stronger and stronger.

  The cave widens even more. At one point, it intersects again with the outside. You step into the fresh air, and shine your light down. Dimly, you think you can see the ground. Maybe five hundred meters down. You wonder if you could climb for it. But it’s an enormous drop. Still, the folds in the bark are deeper, giving you a handhold. And lichens grow in patches on the bark down here — thick bushlike plants that you might be able to hang onto.

  No, you decide. It’s still too risky to climb.

  You go back into the cave and head farther down its twisted way. There is a noise in the cave now. The cracking and tearing of giant mandibles as they rip wood from the tree. The low rumble of the creature as it grinds its food with enormous teeth.

  You wonder what could be down here. A giant bug? A beetul?

  What will it do if it sees your light?

  You really don’t want to confront the creature, but there seems to be only one way down.

  You draw nearer to the noise, as the cavern grows wider and wider still. The beast is not far.

  You turn a corner and flash your light ahead.

  The terror that confronts you is like nothing you’ve ever imagined. An enormous creature, a giant termyte, turns to glare at you. Its body is a milky pale color. Its small eyes are like clusters of emerald. Its mandibles are large enough to crush an armored vehicle.

  The beast shrieks a strange, otherworldly cry, and lurches in your direction.

  You must evade the creature with Power, evade wi
thout Power, or fight. Choose now.

  To evade (with Power)*: Choose your Evasion Power. Your stealth# + your Jedi# + your Power’s midresist# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +7 to your MP total. The huge bug glances your way, then turns back to eating. You may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. It didn’t work. The mega-muncher charges toward you, and you must fight (below).

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  To evade without Power: Your stealth# +2 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to evade the lethal insect.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +9 to your MP total. You quickly and quietly slip back up the burrow.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The huge bug lunges for you, and you must battle it (below).

  To fight the monster: Choose your weapon. Add your weaponry# to your weapon’s mid-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +5 to your MP total. Wouldn’t it be great to mount that bug’s head on your wall back home!

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total and repeat this confront until you defeat the bug.

  Whew, do you ever feel like bug bait. Add 30 MP to your MP total (40 for Advanced Level players).