Well, it's finally here! After a month or so of delay, quite possibly the biggest chapter of TSR has arrived! Enjoy...
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It is mid-morning on Trideeno. Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, and Senator Forgs are eating breakfast in the dining room. Everyone is still shaken up from the explosion in Luke's room the previous night. Also suspicious is the disappearance of R2-D2, C-3PO, Admiral Elick, and Han Solo. Robilus and Sivart Dralco enter the dining room.ROBILUS: Good morning, friends! I trust that everyone got a good night sleep, aside from the explosion?
CHEWIE: Rerrrraw!
LANDO: Yeah, I’ve had better nights myself.
SIVART: You feeling better, Luke?
LUKE: Actually, I am. I’m feeling much better, thanks to the Force.
LEIA: Mr. Dralco, I was wondering if you’ve seen Han this morning? And our droids?
ROBILUS: I saw the droids on my way here. They said they would like to look around some more while we eat. As for Captain Solo, he must still be sleeping, as I haven’t heard from him since last night. The same goes for Admiral Elick.
Leia gives Luke a strange look, showing her distrust for the Dralcos.ROBILUS: Now, if you are all finished, we will be making our way to the Trideeno capitol building. President Talos has arranged for us to go on a special VIP tour, which is not available to the normal public. Princess, I shall inform Captain Solo of our whereabouts when he awakes.
Everyone gets up and walks out. Robilus catches Luke as he gets up from the table.ROBILUS: Luke, I managed to find out that the Remnant paid off a maid to plant the bomb in your room. So far, we have been unsuccessful in getting the leader’s location, but the maid informed us that Admiral Margalit is running things. Hopefully that will aid you in your investigation.
LUKE: It will, thank you sir.
Inside the rotunda of the Trideeno capitol building, President Talos leads the group on their tour. The capitol rests on Capitol Hill, which overlooks a large city as well as a beautiful mountainside and ocean.
TALOS: And here we are, the main attraction, the rotunda. We have some beautiful sculptures up towards the top. You may be interested in them, Master Jedi, one is a depiction of the Sith War.
LUKE: Too bad I can’t see it up close.
The group looks around at the beauty as Robilus pulls out a comlink.
ROBILUS: Yes. … Really? … I’m at the capitol right now, but I can get there as soon as possible. … Right. I’m on my way there now. Thanks for the heads up.
Robilus turns toward the group.ROBILUS: Friends, I’m terribly sorry for all of this, but I have a client coming in from Bespin interested in my defense systems. I’m afraid that I must go meet with him for now. Sivart, I’ll need you to escort him. Again, my apologies, I will meet you all again later this afternoon.
Robilus and Sivart leave the rotunda as Luke walks up to Leia.
LUKE: I sense a disturbance in the Force.
LEIA: I do too. I think it’s coming from the Dralcos. I don’t trust them.
Suddenly, the rotunda darkens, as a large ship appears to have cut off the natural light. The ship is a Star Destroyer, which flies right over the dome.
Star Destroyers enter Trideeno's atmosphere and begin sending out troops for a hostile takeover. Inside the rotunda, Stormtroopers burst through the windows. Luke and Leia ignite their lightsabers, while Lando and Chewie pull out their blasters. However, President Talos and Tridia Forgs pull out blasters of their own as Admiral Margalit and Baron Samedi enter through an already broken window. Realizing that they are outnumbered, the New Republic heroes surrender their weapons.
SAMEDI: Republic scum. You’re outnumbered. Put down your weapons.
LUKE: Tridia… how could you?
FORGS: Your powers betray you, Jedi. You should have seen this coming. I was always a bit quiet, wouldn’t you think? I’m surprised you didn’t suspect anything sooner.
LANDO: I had a feeling you were leading the Remnant, Samedi.
LEIA: And Talos, I suspected he was up to something all along.
TALOS: Then your Jedi powers aren’t as sharp as Skywalker’s are, though that isn’t saying much. Skywalker here is about half the Jedi his father was, before Darth Vader killed him.
LUKE: And you’re about half the politician Count Dooku was, before Darth Vader killed him.
TALOS: TAKE THEM AWAY!
The Republic leaders are marched out of the rotunda.CHEWIE: Raar!
LEIA: It’s okay Chewie. No harm will come to us.
MARGALIT: And Skywalker, brush up on your history. Your father killed Count Dooku, not Darth Vader.
LUKE: Well I’ll remember that next time.
The troops take the prisoners outside, where a Trideeno Starfighter escorts them from above.SAMEDI: Oh I’ve been waiting a long time for this. I’ve wanted my revenge on the Jedi ever since they ruined my figure.
LANDO: It’s not their fault you can’t afford a robotic hand.
The Remnant forces have pushed the Republic leaders down into a tourist extension inside of Capitol Hill, which overlooks the city.
SAMEDI: SILENCE. It was on an excavation to Dantooine, just after the emergence of the Empire. A team of Imperial scientists and I were searching for a Sith holocron, thought to have been hidden there by the Jedi. Well a Jedi in hiding attacked us. He cut my chin, stabbed out my eye, and cut off my hand. Because Dantooine is so remote, we could only attach a hook. Now it’s MY turn to disfigure you.
LANDO: If you’re done sobbing, I’m gonna do this.
Lando tackles the two troops holding the weapons. They toss the lightsabers, which are caught by Luke and Leia, respectively. They ignite them and strike down the two tackled troops, who are still on the ground. Lando and Chewie retrieve their weapons and a firefight ensues. The Remnant troops lose a troop while running for cover, as Luke and Leia block fire away from Lando and Chewie.
The Trideeno starfighter flies from overhead and makes an approach at the group, firing. Luke tries to deflect them, but they hit right in front of him, and the group falls. Luke quickly springs up and jumps on the starfighter as it turns away from the walkway. The pilot sees him and boosts, causing Luke to lose balance. He is able to grab on to a vent with one hand. The starfighter begins to speed around the city.
Meanwhile, Samedi, Margalit, and the troops force Leia, Lando, and Chewie into a corner. Both sides try to find cover as Chewie shoots down a Stormtrooper.
Outside of Dralco’s mansion, an old Trade Federation MTT loads Han, Admiral Elick, C-3PO, and R2-D2 in the back. Commander Quaas is in charge of the troops. A skiff carrying the Dralcos lands near the MTT. The Dralcos get off and walk over to Quaas.
QUAAS: Robilus Dralco. It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I’m sorry about this invasion, perhaps you should have activated your all powerful planetary shield?
ROBILUS: You pathetic excuse for a life form. If the shield is activated, nothing can enter or exit the atmosphere. I wanted the Remnant to invade, just to rid us of these pesky Republic leaders here.
QUAAS: Us? You’re an independent businessman. You aren’t part of the Remnant.
ROBILUS: You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today, or you’d be killed in an instant, Commander. Do you know who I am?
QUAAS: … Robilus Dralco?
ROBILUS: Wrong. Who did Baron Samedi say had access to these prisoners?
QUAAS: Just himself, me, Admiral Margalit, and Lord Darth Sinis.
ROBILUS: Then step aside. And inform the fleet that Darth Sinis is now in control of the Remnant.
The Dralcos board the MTT as Quaas remains baffled by the Sith’s revelation. 