The Traitor's Gambit, part 1

It is shortly after the events described in Revenge of the Sith. The Jedi are hunted throughout the galaxy, and the Empire has expanded its reach into the furthest reaches of the Outer Rim. A dark shadow has fallen over the galaxy, and yet there are those who might yet shine. And so, this journal shall be a record of the adventures of the following men, women, and androids who strive to make their way in such a dangerous time. They are:

• Auron Pike, a male Human mercenary
• Slephoo Araki, a female Duros card hustler
• Harth Fey'lon, a male Bothan Jedi
• Nezlo, a male Rodian slicer

The four of them arrived on Sel Zonn station, orbiting around the Core world of Brentaal. Slephoo and Nezlo decided to avail themselves of the casino, and the rest of the group accompanied them. While Slephoo and Nezlo gambled away their sparse credits on Sabacc, Auron Pike enjoyed a leisurely smoke in the bar whilst making time with a young woman employed by the casino. Mister Pike was interrupted by a young man in an Imperial uniform, who sought the attentions of the same young woman, and after trading insults the two men began to fight. Acting quickly, Slephoo interposed herself in the midst of the fight and soothed the Imperial with honeyed words. And so, further violence was averted, as Auron Pike later noticed the Imperial's compatriots lurking in the background, ready to back him with weapons if necessary.

Shortly thereafter Mister Pike was asked to leave the casino, and his friends left with him. They briefly strolled through the Promenade, taking note of the hawkers and the steady trickle of on- and off-duty stormtroopers in the area. Slephoo and Auron, being quite perceptive, noticed a pair of discreetly armed men standing apart from the Promenade crowd, intently observing the foot traffic. Auron Pike, experienced in matters of violence, also noticed that the men were in communication with one another via hidden commlinks. Shortly thereafter, a slender young Human woman stumbled into the Promenade, apparently drunk. Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that her stumbling was due to grievous injury rather than intoxication.

The discreetly armed men took notice of her immediately, and moved to intercept her. She quickly ran towards Auron Pike, who had been observing the situation with some interest, and begged for his help. Though she offered payment, Auron would hear none of it and decided to help her out of charity, a rare gift from a mercenary. They fled, with Auron's companions, away from the Promenade, but their escape was cut off by a pair of young Stormtroopers, eager for an easy promotion. Caught between the Stormtroopers and their mysterious pursuers, the group was forced into a short, but brutal firefight.

Harth Fey'lon moved with impossible speed, drawing his lightsaber despite the risk of discovery and attacked the Stormtroopers. And yet, inexperienced as he was, his clumsy thrust was avoided. Nezlo quickly dispatched one of the Stormtroopers with a well-placed blaster bolt, but was cut down by his victim's comrade, suffering a critical wound. Auron Pike tried valiantly to defend the injured young woman, but his frenzied volley of blaster bolts did not hit the mark, and though he interposed himself in front of her, the dread aim of their pursuers was too good, and she was killed almost immediately. Enraged, the group returned fire. Slephoo's slew both of the mysterious assailants, while Harth Fey'lon struck the last Stormtrooper dead with a surprisingly powerful use of the force.

Knowing that they would need to find a safe hiding place to avoid capture, the group quickly availed themselves of the weapons of the slain. Sadly, they could not take the body of the fallen young woman with them, though they did take her datapad, in hopes of discovering what this might all be about.The group took shelter in one of the more poorly-maintained areas of the loading docks, and took stock of their situation. Nezlo had survived, but was in need of medical care. The datapad made mention of a highly valuable cargo, which piqued the interest of Slephoo Araki, eager to replenish the credits she had frittered away in the casino earlier. The datapad also referenced a "V14" and something called "Switch". Slephoo slipped out to investigate, and discovered that "V14" was actually a Deep Storage Bay on the station, and that access to the area was heavily restricted. They would need to find a way inside before they could unravel the mystery further, but...how?