TEXT: By Morrie Mullins
  Hunger
  A Free Star Wars Mini-Adventure 
  For the Rebellion Era
  
  HUNGER
  002
  DESIGN
  MORRIE MULLINS 
  EDITING
  RAY AND VALERIE VALLESE
  TYPESETTING
  NANCY WALKER
  WEB PRODUCTION
  JULIA MARTIN 
  WEB DEVELOPMENT
  THOM BECKMAN
  ART DIRECTION
  ROB RAPER
  LUCAS LICENSING EDITOR
  MICHELLE VUCKOVICH
  STAR WARS RPG DESIGN MANAGER
  CHRIS PERKINS
  VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D
  BILL SLAVICSEK
  “Hunger” is a Star Wars Roleplaying Game mini-adventure
  for four heroes of 10th to 12th level. The adventure is set
  during the Rebellion era, but it can be modiﬁed to work in
  any time period.
  The scenario can be modiﬁed for heroes of higher level by
  raising the skill check DCs as appropriate to your party and
  adding one or more high-level Elite Troopers (from Chapter
  14 of the revised core rulebook) to the ﬁght with Jaeth and
  Looca as Jaeth’s secondary lieutenants. The scenario can be
  modiﬁed for characters of lower level by lowering all skill
  check DCs by one for every level the average level of your
  party is below 10, removing Looca’s Improved Force Mind
  ability, and reducing the number of guards present for Jaeth
  to 1d4+2.
  Background
  Pinett is a small mining moon in the Elrood sector that has
  so far managed to escape the interest of the Empire. It sees
  moderate trafﬁc, due to its proximity to several spice routes
  that run across the Mid Rim and the Outer Rim, and its two
  spaceports generally remain ﬁlled to capacity with various
  freighters that stop to refuel.
  Recently, two factions on the planet—economic factions,
  both of which claim loyalty to the Empire but pay it as little
  mind as anyone on the edge of the Outer Rim—have begun
  vying for control of the spaceports. The Corsignis Property
  Alliance (headed by Deniv Corsignis) and the Jon-Tow
  Economic Development Group (a consortium of mid-level
  smugglers and ne’er-do-wells from around the system) have
  traded blows in an economic power struggle that recently
  resulted in both organizations setting up a blockade above
  Pinett. Each group’s goal is to block the other’s ability to
  control trade through the ports of Oscum and Beliarr.
  This mutual embargo is doing neither faction any good,
  but neither is willing to back down. Corsignis (a Chagrian
  who does not appear in this adventure) is renowned for his
  rather Gamorrean approach to business—if something does-
  n’t seem to work well the ﬁrst time, he just puts his head
  down and bashes at it until something gives. The Jon-Tow
  consortium, on the other hand, was barely able to organize
  a vote to set up the embargo, and now the membership is
  completely divided on whether to end the blockade or leave
  it in place. Some of the wiser members of the consortium
  have recognized that their actions amount to cutting off
  their collective nose to spite their collective face, but others
  maintain that backing down when Corsignis has not (and
  likely will not) is a sign of weakness that they can ill afford.
  The net effect is that trafﬁc into Pinett is painfully slow,
  and people who live on the planet and rely on the spaceports
  for their livelihood are beginning to suffer. A group of locals
  calling themselves the Pinett Freedom Force has decided to
  peacefully protest the blockade. This protest originated with
  their leader, a Rodian named Daetan Taakses, beginning a
  very public hunger strike, and has progressed to the point
  where the protesters walk back and forth across any empty
  landing platform, allowing only ships that are not associated
  with either Corsignis or Jon-Tow to land.
  The problem is that the individuals who work at Oscum
  and Beliarr have thus far failed to see that the real problem
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  003
  is with Corsignis and Jon-Tow. They see that which is clos-
  est to them—the protesters who are slowing down trafﬁc
  and preventing some of the most reliable sources of income
  (the Corsignis and Jon-Tow ships) from landing. They are,
  as would be expected from people dealing with economic
  strain, looking for somewhere to vent their anger. Daetan
  Taakses, for all his peaceful intentions, is about to become a
  target for their collective rage. And it’s happening just as
  the heroes arrive on Pinett . . .
  Getting the Characters Involved
  There are always deliveries to be made, favors to be repaid,
  and blockades to be run. Depending on your group, you
  might consider one of the following reasons for the heroes
  to be approaching Pinett.
  As couriers for the Empire, the heroes are making a clan-
  destine delivery to one of the senior members of the Pinett
  Freedom Force: Daetan Taakses’s nephew, Oryel Taakses.
  Oryel is an Imperial informant on Pinett, and his personnel
  ﬁle indicates that the only loyalty he has that is stronger
  than his ties to the Empire is his loyalty to his family. He is
  particularly fond of his uncle Daetan, whose values he cites
  as a major reason for his own willingness to attempt to
  maintain order in this portion of the galaxy so far removed
  from the Imperial center. When his uncle appears to be in
  danger, Oryel asks the heroes to do him—and the Empire—a
  favor and help to maintain order.
  As agents for the Rebellion, the heroes are bringing
  supplies to the blockaded families. Their contact is none
  other than Daetan Taakses. While he is not eating as part of
  the protest, he believes it would be inappropriate to ask
  others to do the same. He wants the people of Pinett fed. It
  is clear, from everything the heroes know, that Taakses is a
  good individual, a calming force in what might otherwise be
  a chaotic and dangerous place.
  Another option: The heroes are attempting to smuggle
  contraband through a series of Empire-controlled systems. A
  recent brush with Imperial forces left their ship crippled, and
  Pinett was the nearest locale with a suitable spaceport. In
  order to get their ship safely out once they’ve docked, they
  need to calm down the locals.
  Any of these means, or one of your own devising, even-
  tually brings the heroes to Pinett and introduces them to
  the adventure. The tense situation quickly becomes clear,
  and they ﬁnd themselves mixed up in something much
  bigger than they’d expected. The general motivations above
  can be modiﬁed to ﬁt any era (there are always smugglers
  and spies and humanitarian efforts to be made), and you
  should feel free to modify them to suit the needs of your
  campaign.
  Scene 1: Inspection
  Whatever the reason for the heroes’ approach to Pinett, the
  sight of the dual blockades ringing the planet should come
  as a shock to them. None of their contacts on the moon
  have been communicative lately, and their instructions were
  to arrive, go about their business, and leave. It appears that
  arriving will be only the ﬁrst of their challenges.
  The Herriar and the Nosh vu’Ta will continue this for as
  long as the heroes let them, or until you get tired of it. The
  heroes can elect to pull into orbital pattern gamma (to wait
  for the Nosh vu’Ta) or orbital pattern delta (to wait for the
  Herriar). They can also elect to bypass the orbiting ships
  and head for the surface, toward the landing platform for
  which they have coordinates. If they’ve got a hotshot pilot,
  getting through the blockade and to the planet below will
  require some fancy ﬂying, but it can be done. The following
  series of pilot checks allows them to slip past without going
  through an inspection at the hands of either the Corsignis
  or the Jon-Tow captain.
  Pilot Checks
  1.
  DC 15 to accelerate into the orbiting haze of ships.
  Failure indicates the heroes must pull up outside the
  outermost orbit and allow themselves to be escorted to
  either gamma or delta (roll randomly)
  2.
  DC 25 to weave through the orbiting ships. Failure
  indicates the heroes ﬂy too close to another ship’s
  exhaust and burn out a sensor array, making naviga-
  tion impossible; they must wait to be escorted to either
  gamma or delta (roll randomly)
  3.
  DC 28 to avoid running into a huge freighter in a low
  orbit. Failure indicates the heroes are caught in the
  freighter’s tractor beam, then ionized (5d10 x 2 points
  of damage)
  4.
  The heroes are chased by two hotshot pilots, one Jon-
  Tow and one Corsignis. Each has +20 to Pilot checks,
  and each can take 10, even under stressful conditions.
  Pulling ahead of either of the two by three range incre-
  ments beyond starting distance breaks off the pursuit.
  Note: Diving for the ground and leading the ﬁghters
  over populated areas may be grounds for a Dark Side
  Point, if it puts innocents at risk.
  Pinett is a small moon, even as moons go, so the sight
  of several dozen ships in orbit around it strikes you as
  more than a little odd. Your comlink hisses to life.
  “Unidentiﬁed vessel, this is freighter Nosh vu’Ta of
  the Corsignis line. Please enter orbital pattern gamma
  above Pinett and await further instructions. Moonside
  may not be safe for landing, so please hold.”
  Seconds later, your comlink hisses again and a
  different voice, raspier, speaks.
  “Unknown ship, this is command wing Herriar, Jon-
  Tow private security. Pinett requires security clearance.
  Please enter into orbital pattern delta. Do not enter
  orbital pattern gamma. All ships in orbital pattern
  gamma will be shot.”
  No sooner does the communication end than the ﬁrst
  voice speaks once more.
  “Unknown vessel, disregard Jon-Tow commands,
  orbital pattern gamma is safe. Orbital pattern delta is
  on military hold, and Jon-Tow lasers malfunction more
  than taun-tauns stink.”
  “Nosh vu’Ta will cease communication on Jon-Tow
  channels!”
  “Herriar will cease harassing ships en route to
  orbital pattern gamma!”
  HUNGER
  003
  
  Boarded!
  If the heroes submit to an inspection, then either the crew of
  the Herriar or the crew of the Nosh vu’Ta send a scanning
  crew aboard, do a quick once-over of the ship and its mani-
  fest, and leave. They don’t really care what’s being
  transported—only that it’s not the property of the other side.
  Roleplay/information points for this scene: 
  • The scanning crew knows about the problems on the
  planet and are more than happy to be in orbit. The
  people down on Pinett are not thought of highly by
  either Jon-Tow or Corsignis employees, and are viewed
  as reactionary dolts who can’t appreciate the good that
  the corporations have done them.
  • Communications with the Jon-Tow ship (Herriar) are
  brusque. The captain refuses to give his name (he’s had
  too many of his own superiors come through on
  “surprise inspections” and berate him for a lack of
  professionalism), but he does clarify that the “military
  security” on Pinett is not of Pinett’s doing, and is in
  place for the “protection of the moon and her people.”
  • The Corsignis ship Nosh vu’Ta (Huttese for “We proﬁt”)
  is much more polite. Corsignis is not afﬁliated with the
  Hutts but does admire some (though not all) of their
  business practices. The name is part homage, part joke,
  since the Corsignis Property Alliance is very intent on
  obtaining credits, but also tends toward humanitarian
  concerns (DC 15 Knowledge [galactic economics or an
  equivalent skill] check to recognize the Corsignis name
  and know their reputation).
  • Neither the captains nor the scanning crews have any
  interest in bribes. If they were that concerned about
  money, they’d be shipping goods rather than sitting in
  orbit. They want to stop the other group from proﬁt-
  ing, and each is willing to sacriﬁce its own prosperity
  to hurt the other.
  • The purpose of the blockade, according to either the
  Corsignis captain or a Corsignis scanning crew: “The
  Jon-Tow consortium has proﬁted for too long from the
  exploitation of the common folk of this system. They
  want to control all the trade through Pinett, and if
  they do, they will be able to dictate how much they
  pay in docking fees. Knowing them, they won’t pay
  any, and Pinett will be bled dry. We, on the other hand,
  want to establish primary control in order to keep
  Pinett prosperous. It’s a good location.”
  • The purpose of the blockade, according to either the
  Jon-Tow captain or the Jon-Tow scanning crew:
  “Corsignis is greedy and wishes to put all smaller busi-
  nesses out of the system. We are small, but we are
  angry. They will not take Pinett from us. We live in the
  system, while they only come here to trade. We want
  them gone from our home.”
  Scene 2: Insurrection
  On arrival, the heroes are greeted by a delegation from the
  Pinett Freedom Force. Either because he is expected to meet
  the heroes, or because he is escorting his nephew to meet
  them, Daetan Taakses is with the delegation. As soon as he
  begins to greet them, however, a group of disgruntled port
  workers decide to vent their frustrations.
  In the absence of information to the contrary, the port
  workers have assumed that the heroes’ ship is something
  special. After all, Taakses doesn’t meet most of the ships
  that land here; in fact, he doesn’t come out much at all
  because of his lack of popularity with certain locals. He and
  his companions are somewhat overmatched by the assort-
  ment of thugs who want nothing quite so much as to do
  him harm. The port workers believe that, without Taakses,
  the moonside problems would end, ships would land once
  more in vast numbers, the economy would rebound, and all
  would be right on Pinett again. But since Taakses won’t end
  his hunger strike or call off the Freedom Force, the port
  workers have decided that he must be killed.
  The real difﬁculty for Taakses is that he is a paciﬁst. He
  doesn’t want to ﬁght, and he’s commanded his entourage
  of four members of the Pinett Freedom Force not to ﬁght,
  even if attacked ﬁrst. They scramble for cover and attempt
  to keep themselves alive, but Taakses has been very clear:
  Fighting only shows that the Freedom Force is willing to use
  violence to accomplish its ends, when nothing could be
  further from the truth. It is, in his words, “Better to die
  doing what is right than to live doing what is wrong.” Thus,
  no combat stats are provided for Taakses or his entourage,
  though they should all be treated as Experts or Diplomats
  of varying levels, with Defense of 14 and 12 WP.
  The port workers are thugs; there are two for each hero
  present.
  Port Workers (2/hero): Thug 9; Init +1 (+1 Dex);
  Defense 14 (+1 Dex, +3 class), Flat-footed 13, Touch 14; DR
  2; Spd 10 m; VP/WP -/18; Atk +11/+6 melee (2d6+2,
  vibroblade) or +11/+6 ranged (3d6 or DC 15 stun/19-20,
  blaster pistol); SQ none; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3; SZ M;
  DSP 3; Rep +2; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Challenge Code D.
  Equipment: Blaster pistol, vibroblade, blast helmet and
  vest.
  Skills: Intimidate +5, Jump +4.
  Feats: Armor Proﬁciency (light), Improved Critical (blaster
  pistol), Toughness (x2), Weapon Focus (blaster pistol),
  Weapon Group Proﬁciencies (blaster pistols, simple
  weapons, vibro-weapons).
  All targets should be able to scramble for cover when
  they see the port workers approaching with blood in their
  eyes. Everyone but Taakses calls for help; the Rodian simply
  closes his eyes and apparently begins to meditate.
  It is possible to reason with the port workers, bribe them,
  or use Force skills to dissuade them from violence. Fighting
  is far from the only option. If it seems that your heroes are
  not inclined to protect the helpless innocents, feel free to
  have the port workers (who are disgruntled and irrational to
  begin with) decide that these off-worlders are in league
  with the Pinett Freedom Force, and open ﬁre on them. One
  or more of the heroes should, however, recognize Taakses
  (DC 10 Spot check) or his nephew as their contact, and do
  what they can to keep the Rodians and their allies alive.
  Scene 3: Interruption
  The variety of obstacles to landing on Pinett have led
  (perhaps predictably) to a completely separate problem. Not
  HUNGER
  004
  
  long after the port workers are dealt with by whatever
  means the heroes select, a distress call comes in from one of
  the other landing pads. A small group of members of the
  Pinett Freedom Force, who have been sitting on the pad to
  keep ships from using it to land, is in trouble. The pad in
  question, A-13, has what was believed to be a nonfunction-
  ing tractor beam positioned directly beneath it. In
  attempting to make the pad even more useless, the Freedom
  Force members tried to raise the tractor beam’s main hous-
  ing to block access. Unfortunately, they managed to
  activate the beam and yanked one of the Jon-Tow
  freighters out of orbit. It is now heading directly for the
  moon at a rate of speed high enough to kill the crew upon
  crash landing—and to make a crater out of the half kilome-
  ter around A-13. To make matters worse, the pilot was
  knocked out when the freighter was yanked from orbit, and
  the life support systems have gone ofﬂine.
  The main problem is with the old tractor beam itself. The
  circuits and gears that are its guts have begun to degrade,
  and small creatures have chewed through the lining of the
  power cables. The last time it was used was twenty or more
  years ago (during the Clone War), and in that time, enough
  wires have gotten crossed that when the tractor beam acti-
  vated, it found the largest orbiting ship and began to pull it
  straight down.
  Heroic Choices
  Rather than prevent the Jon-Tow freighter from crashing,
  the heroes might simply decide to return to their own ship
  and leave Pinett. Taakses, of course, begs for help. Lives will
  be lost if something isn’t done. Note that whatever their
  afﬁliation, it’s not in the best interest of the heroes to let
  Pinett be smashed by this ship. The Empire wouldn’t be
  happy to lose an operative like Oryel Taakses, nor do they
  wish to risk alienating the residents of Pinett, which has a
  strong strategic position that could prove useful in the
  future. Heroes on the side of the Rebellion should need no
  other incentive than to do what is right.
  Once spurred to action, the heroes can head for the source
  of the problem – landing pad A-13—and try to disengage the
  tractor beam. The housing itself is shielded (it has to be, or
  hostile ships being brought in would simply blast away at the
  tractor beam until they got free), but it’s accessible manually.
  The housing can be breached physically (100 WP, Hardness
  10) or with a DC 32 Disable Device check to bypass the secu-
  rity. Once this is accomplished, the heroes can disengage the
  tractor beam with a DC 25 Disable Device check. Once the
  signal shuts down, life support kicks in, and the co-pilot
  wakes up enough to bring the freighter out of its dive.
  Another option is to try to board the runaway vessel and
  regain control of it. A hero who gets to the ship’s controls
  can stop the descent with a DC 20 Pilot check. But time is
  short. There are only 20 rounds in which the heroes can get
  their own ship started again (6 rounds), accelerate upward
  to meet the descending vessel (6 rounds, minus 1 for every
  5 points above 20 on the Pilot check, to a minimum of 3
  rounds), dock (DC 15 Pilot check and DC 18 Computer Use
  check over the course of 2 rounds), and get to the ﬂight
  deck. It won’t be easy.
  Of course, the heroes also might try to blast the freighter
  out of the sky or come up with some other means of
  preventing the crash. Use the DCs provided for the options
  above as a guide in whatever the character choose to do.
  Scene 4: Intervention
  Once the heroes have demonstrated their ability to solve
  different kinds of problems, Taakses takes a long look at
  them. He begins a conversation in which the following
  information is communicated to the heroes. Don’t feel obli-
  gated to read the shaded text aloud word for word; instead,
  work it into the conversation in a more natural manner.
  Tailor the request as needed according to what might moti-
  vate the heroes (as noted in Getting the Characters
  Involved). The plea for help might come from Daetan or
  even Oryel. In either case, make it clear that (a) the individ-
  uals the heroes are working for would want the situation on
  Pinett resolved, or (b) the heroes will have a very difﬁcult
  time leaving Pinett if a resolution is not reached.
  This encounter can proceed in several different ways,
  depending on whether the heroes are inclined toward
  combat or negotiation.
  Itching For a Fight
  The port workers are under the leadership of a man named
  Jaeth, a Human smuggler whose business has been hurting
  something ﬁerce of late. Jaeth’s lieutenant is a young Duros
  named Looca B’Nash. Looca is very quiet, and not much is
  known about him. His Force-sensitivity is one of the reasons
  Jaeth keeps Looca so close; having a Force-sensing ally has
  served him well. Between Jaeth, Looca, and their guards,
  the heroes would have quite a ﬁght on their hands. There
  are always 1d6+3 guards with Jaeth and Looca (each is a
  low-level outlaw, as detailed in Chapter 14 of the revised
  core rulebook).
  If the malcontents among the port workers are put down,
  Taakses can devote his energy to resolving the conﬂict with
  the Jon-Tow and Corsignis groups, and with his diplomatic
  skills, he can arrange a suitable resolution.
  Jaeth, Human Male: Scout 5/Scoundrel 6; Init +7 (+3
  Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 19 (+6 class, +3 Dex);
  Spd 10 m; VP/WP 68/13; Atk +7/+1 melee (DC 15 stun,
  stun baton) or +11/+6 ranged (3d8+1 or DC 18 stun, +1
  mastercraft heavy blaster pistol; SQ skill mastery (demoli-
  tion), uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Defense), trailblazing,
  heart +1, extreme effort, illicit barter, lucky (2/day), precise
  attack +1, DR 3; SV Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +6; SZ M; DSP 2;
  FP 2; Rep +2; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha
  16. Challenge Code E.
  Equipment: Stun baton, +1 mastercraft heavy blaster
  pistol, blast helmet and vest.
  “You acquit yourselves well, in difﬁcult circumstances. I
  fear that the attack you witnessed on your arrival and
  the subsequent problem will not go away. There are a
  number of port-hands who will not stop until our
  peaceful protest is ended. I know that you may not
  agree with what we do, but it is necessary. Something
  must change. We will not be pawns in a game played
  by Corsignis and Jon-Tow. The danger to us must end.
  There must be peace. Can you help us?”
  HUNGER
  005
  
  Skills: Astrogate +5, Bluff +15, Computer Use +10,
  Demolition +18, Disable Device +15, Escape Artist +13,
  Gamble +3, Gather Information +13, Hide +17, Knowledge
  (Streetwise) +5, Listen +3, Move Silently +18, Pilot +7,
  Search +7, Spot +2.
  Feats: Armor Proﬁciency (light), Cautious, Dodge,
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Skill
  Emphasis (Demolitions), Weapon Focus (Heavy Blaster
  Pistol), Weapon Group Proﬁciencies (blaster pistols, blaster
  riﬂes, simple weapons).
  Looca B’Nash, Male Duros: Force Adept 11/Noble 1;
  Init +0; Defense 17 (+7 class); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 83/12; Atk
  +7/+2 melee (1d4-1, knife) or +8/+3 ranged (3d6 or DC 15
  stun, blaster pistol); SQ favor +1, bonus class skill
  (Intimidate), Force weapon +1d8, comprehend speech, Force
  talisman +2 (not included in saves below), Force secret
  (Improve Force Strike); SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +11; SZ M;
  DSP 2; FP 7; Rep +6; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 15,
  Cha 16. Challenge Code F.
  Equipment: Knife, blaster pistol.
  Skills: Craft (weaving) +5, Handle Animal +7, Hide +5,
  Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Force traditions) +7, Knowledge
  (Bureaucracy) +8, Listen +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +7,
  Survival +7.
  Force Skills: Affect Mind +16, Battlemind +7, Enhance
  Ability +7, Force Grip +12, Force Strike +18, Heal Another
  +8, Heal Self +12, Illusion +19, See Force +11.
  Feats: Force Sensitive, Frightful Presence (DC 23 to save),
  Heroic Surge (3/day), Infamy, Skill Emphasis (Illusion),
  Spacer, Weapon Group Proﬁciencies (blaster pistols, primi-
  tive weapons, simple weapons).
  Force Feats: Alter, Control, Force Mind, Improved Force
  Mind, Mind Trick, Sense.
  Let’s Talk It Out
  The other general path the heroes could choose is media-
  tion. There are high-ranking members of both the Jon-Tow
  and Corsignis groups in orbit. If the heroes saved the Jon-
  Tow ship, a meeting would be easy to schedule with their
  Captain-in-Chief.
  Mediation starting with the Jon-Tow
  The Captain-in-Chief of the Jon-Tow forces surrounding
  Pinett is a Trandoshan named Kurakk, large for his species
  and slightly past middle age. Kurakk has a reputation for
  brutal honesty—and sometimes, just plain brutality. That,
  however, was a younger Trandoshan, and he’s mellowed
  over the years. He doesn’t like what’s being done to
  Pinett, but he doesn’t feel he can back off unless the
  Corsignis group backs off, too. He has an ideal solution
  and an acceptable solution. The ideal solution is what he
  proposes to the heroes upon ﬁrst meeting them. The only
  stat that may prove particularly relevant for Kurakk is his
  Will save (+11).
  Kurakk communicates the following information to the
  heroes:
  • I want Corsignis gone. They’re a blight on the system.
  • As long as Corsignis remains, the blockade remains.
  • It would be in the best interests of the citizens of
  Pinett to stop interfering with what little trafﬁc they
  have solely to spite those of us who want to make the
  lanes onto and off their moon more accessible.
  • Neither Jon-Tow nor Corsignis ships food or other
  necessities to Pinett. Other contractors do this. We
  cannot and will not stop searching every ship we can
  to ensure that Corsignis is not bringing his goods here.
  (If this position doesn’t sound wholly rational to the
  heroes, that’s because it isn’t. Both Corsignis and Jon-
  Tow have dug their heels in and won’t move until the
  other moves. A DC 25 Diplomacy check with appropriate
  roleplaying allows Kurakk to present his “acceptable”
  solution:
  • A trade agreement must be signed between Jon-Tow
  and Corsignis, specifying cargo volume that can move
  through Pinett in a given Galactic Standard day, week,
  month, and year, based on carrier.
  • This trade agreement must allow the carriers equal
  cargo volume, with a 5% margin of error.
  • Trade volumes must be tracked by an independent
  group. (He does not specify a group. Taakses and the
  locals on Pinett would qualify, as would the heroes
  themselves, if they wanted to do a lot of bookkeeping
  on the side. The obvious choice should be Taakses,
  though.)
  The Corsignis representative is a Human female named
  Nari Beksen (Will save +10) who looks to be in her early
  forties. She has a harsh, gravelly voice and tends to grind
  her teeth when she isn’t talking. If presented with the ﬁrst
  option—what Jon-Tow treats as ideal—she laughs. A lot.
  Her counter:
  • Jon-Tow are nothing but troublemakers who are using
  the threat of violence to force legitimate businesses
  out of the system. (There is, of course, no implied
  threat of violence from Jon-Tow. She’s just hearing a
  threat where none exists.)
  • As long as Jon-Tow remains, the blockade remains.
  • The pirates and smugglers are a threat to the citizens
  of Pinett. They are the ones who are responsible for the
  food shortages. We do not turn away any ships other
  than Jon-Tow ships.
  She stops just short of saying the Pinett citizens are respon-
  sible for their own misfortune, though it’s clear she believes
  it (DC 15 Sense Motive check to understand her
  subtext/body language). If she is presented with the
  compromise solution ﬁrst, it takes a bit of convincing (and
  a DC 20 Diplomacy check), but she agrees that the option is
  acceptable. From that point on, it’s just a matter of
  hammering out details, and that’s something both parties
  are willing to assign staff to work on. They are also willing
  to accept ongoing mediation, either from the heroes or
  from the residents of Pinett.
  Mediation starting with Corsignis
  Nari Beksen’s initial position does not change, and it takes a
  DC 30 Diplomacy check, with appropriate roleplaying, to get
  her to present what essentially amounts to the compromise
  position put forth by the Jon-Tow above. From there, the
  back-and-forth is much the same as above.
  HUNGER
  006
  
  Wrapping Up
  To some extent, the most important aspect of this adven-
  ture may be what happens after the ofﬁcial “goal” has been
  met. There are times, though, when a hero has to go above
  and beyond the parameters of the mission, in order to do
  what is right. Doing what’s right is not just its own reward,
  either. If the heroes did a particularly good job mediating
  the dispute, they may be rewarded with honorary positions
  among the Jon-Tow, Corsignis, or Pinett groups, and called
  upon at later dates. Deniv Corsignis, for example, is a good
  individual to have on one’s side, and a group of smugglers
  as organized (if sometimes obstinate) as the Jon-Tow can
  be a real boon.
  Whether the intervention of the heroes was combative
  or diplomatic, the Pinett Freedom Force is grateful for the
  assistance, and the people of Pinett are out of danger.
  The Jon-Tow and Corsignis groups come to an arrange-
  ment, and someone will make a decent living keeping
  track of the comings and goings of the two groups. The
  blockade is down, and the hunger—both the real, physical
  hunger of the citizens of Pinett, and the hunger for
  power on behalf of both the Jon-Tow and Corsignis
  groups—has abated.
  At least, for now . . .
  About the Author
  Morrie Mullins is a psychology professor who saw Star Wars
  in theaters in 1977 and fell hopelessly in love. He began
  playing roleplaying games in elementary school and started
  writing for the RPGA in 1999, culminating in a two-year
  stint as Plot Director for the Living Force campaign. He has
  written over 20 modules for the RPGA and contributed
  extensively to the Living Force Campaign Guide. Currently,
  he teaches and does research during the day, does freelance
  and other writing at night, and is ﬁrmly convinced that
  sleep is a crutch.
  HUNGER
  007
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Wars [multi]/SWD20/SWD20 - Adv (lvl 10-12) - Hunger.pdf