Be ial LT EL AMIS ai Soe ® THE SITH! “THE Aras i]? LT ey Get te EOSCats Nothing says “The Dark Side lke this issue's cover by Tommy Lee edwards. It has Darth Vader, stoemtroopers, TIE fighters, more an Sever Mn} page 44.to find out why he's on aur cover. stormtraopers, and Blackhole,"Who'sTHE FORCE IN STAR WARS GAMING CONTENTS: 28 40 76 pansy t= Prd 6oO Lait) aires ty Perey erp etry Ey Creag Pern anna peehcierrennierreieredtentennrney Poetielenrsinrsemy sehr pend ere Pics ee oi ait say ey Se eee er eae SeT ON Seed SEL presortiennnniecpnroren Soares ed th ody tht hig mane arb o BT Eh rg cit Core aR Lhe poaetseeirortarecaris pesaariiae 108 1) ess B84 g4 120 Ne Set) rea i eed Career) piel eee ener reenter Peace . eee et rl pet coer Hoole Yow tro he gly CaCO Dea epiird : — Ont ay Peredpaed et er ee eae Pe enim cote sneer ated Bt em ec Pea od Pr SeenON ET ee naa Peierreth ernest etree Tena De)! aaa eta ea Petting Cena 6 ar YONGSSL ors Pronetereny ers Peet et rt fcture it Christ taking the formative steps tow lifelong obsession with Sta wakes up tofind under the ssorted stack of Kenner trea hand-sewn Obi-Wan Kenobi robe hand-drawn card rendering the be Official Jed Knight. n case you didn't gues, that boy was m are personally responsi transpired in my life regar 197A little boy, da not only Yes, it's true—my parents otal that has g Stor Wors, have to confess, though: When they gave king up the ime the Jedi robe, they were \wrang tree. Don't get me wo ‘with all my heart. tts just th Kenobi the movie, an Not the character a seven-year 0 identify with, Plus, he wasn't a black-clad,respirator-breathing villain who choked butfoons for falling to do as they were told. Yes, indeedy do, my hero was—and remains to this day—Darth Vader. So what if he turned wimp at theend and dumped that fogy downa shaft and saved the entire galaxy from indentured servitude and never- ending misery? He proved to me that he wasn't taking any poodoo from anybody. A goad role model for any child. It doesn't make you a bad person to reat for the bad guy. The coolest characters are always the villains. They have the most they talk down to ey take aver worlds would readily impressive people who de and subjugate huge groups of people just because they can, and t outfits, Besides, this is fiction, No mat malicious these characters are, you can rest assured that some jejune, idealistic twit ks going to come along and save the day Not in this issue of Gamer, however. the DARK SIDE issue, remember? It's going to have the Jedi Council quaking in their smocks. Who cares ifthe Emp little clones got dissed, or if Luke bas Shira Brie into a pulp? You can find plenty of loathsome characters bv enough of the dark side of the Force tomake me mus vei se, seething with a \ ee e58c8 Yoda Don't Preach Up for the Emperor's untimely passing You've got Lumiya (so Luke didn’t blast Shira Into a complete pulp), Blackhole, Maret, Stele, Jeng Droga, and a bunch of m spruce up your adventure ven get gaming stats for both halves of Darth Mau! (Okay, that last one isa lie} ‘Meanwhile, just in case you didn't notic we've pretty much declared August 2001 Official Dark Side Month. There's so much dark side stuff goingon this month that I be surprised If Shadow Academy School ads st popping up on day }07, you ask? Well 's see. There's alittle old book coming out ed The Dark Side right around naw ¢ Sourcebook. an assure you it will quench thirst for evilyou and your compatriots might have: Buy this book, read Ft fram front to back, create a dark side char. acter, and kick the goodness out of those burbling ight-siders who can get so annoy ing. Be warned, though: Too much of the dark side wall make you wrinkly and baggy and keky. This is a foct Enough blathering, On a final nete: For those of you whonaw envisage me tabea wretched, evil hateful person, let you in ‘ona little-known tidbit, like Ewoks. And Gungans, too. Don't ever insult them in front of me. Those litle lambs sacrificed them- selves for the betterment of the galaxy Now ead the dang magazine, Just about all th Lucas Licensing Editor Ben Harper spends ‘quality time with his theremin, esse‘our letters are rlling in, and t amazes me that you're not afraid to ask the tough questions. This month's letters run that gamut from to ludicrous, There are some keen-eyed hawk-bats ‘out there, too. You've spotted all af our good mistakes fram previous issues. We've been quick to lay the blame wiere it belongs and print conrecthons, Like the headline says, keep sending us feedback. Every letter helps shape future {sues of Stor Wors Gamer. tknow you don't want te miss aut on being a part of that Michael Mikaetian Managing Editor To Each His Own.. My 10-year-old son really likes Star Wars ‘Sowhen he wanted to purchase this mag tne et him. Since rt came ina plastic cover that did not allow us telook through the issue, we were not amare that it was full of what Iconsider to be grotesque and BUC We're Just Getting Started sickening material, had my son mark ‘af the revolting pages for you to see, At frst Iwas going to glue paper over the unacceptable pages so that he could keep his magazine, but there were too many,| read your editor ‘grasp how you canbe 40 exited about this magazine. You are putting into the hands of young people murderous articles about “Anzati” inserting probosc into thelr victins sinus cavities to drain mucoid medium (pages 92-93) and feeding kids stories tures, And people, wonder whete kids get thelr ideas tobamb their schools ar shoat whoever nd cannot pout evil, havering. taloned crea 1 axountry of fee they choose because they carry somuch id anger Inside of them. The ven: jedia they have taken inside their minds has grown out of control, ating is awesome! ‘With that aside the Guordian Akai issue #a (State of the Arts] was usta copy of the Havoc. | would lke to see other video games statistics in particular for ‘Demolition and JeiPower Battles the ene kes suchas the binary lifter lame droid ‘and mercenary from level nt just the Jed). abo would keto see afeaturein every issue containing assorted used mer chandise much ike the one in issue #3 pet= taning to roids. believe t could makea {good campargn too! ft had equipment Page 58, under Defense Bonus _ ‘Add the following sentence to the end of the paragraph: “Thisxppenaty only applies to levels in «a heroic class, When multiclasing into. professional or prestige class, simphy ‘add the full Defense bonus fram the ew level" Page 2.compater Use silldesription, Ship systems ‘The first sentence of the Ship Systems entry should end with “sensars and shields", not “sensors, weapons, and shields Page 8, Soft Fall Falling €amoge isin Chapter 2.nat Chapter 8:Combat. Pages 87-88, replaces current Move Object entry ‘Move Object (it) equines the Force Semitve ond Alter eats ‘Youan move object using the Force ‘Check A Move Objet sil check siiows yout plck upand move an object from a distance. You must be able to-see the object tobe moved, and must be and starshipstoo.Some Jed prestige clases would be nce Bebsavela ia Internet it's good tafee! loved. Hopefully you've seen the corrections for the Guandion Man tison our website by now. In case you haven't see the below i hear youwhen it ‘comes toa those coo! video game vehi des starships, equipment, and characters. ‘Westrive to getas much of that stuff as osslbleinto"State of the Ars” every issue ‘Younever know—some future iste might have some ofthat good ol stuff all RPCed ‘out [hint hint). fm sure youhaver't seen the ait table such as the two you men tioned, though there are similar tables for ‘buying used vehicles and starships in the core rulebook Chapters 1 and 12} within to meters of your postion. ufting and moving an object of up to 5 Hilograms is a simple task, requiring ‘cheek against aC 19 and costing * vitality point (and a standard action), Fareach additional oder of magnitude (Go ke, 500 kgyetc) ef the object, the DC Increases by sand the vitality-paint cost doubles. Weight Vitality Cost up tos kg. ‘The target can either be an object, creature, oreharacter, and recelves 2 Aeflex saving theow based on the Move ‘Object skill check, Note that wnat: tended objects never receive a saving throw. Attended items—objects held by a character {grasped, touched, or worn, for example)}—receivea saving throw Just as if the-character were making the saving throw. Grasped items also gain the character’ strength modifier as a bonus tothe Reflex save,Tr fian Mantis Crafts Unique X4Char creation; Class: Starfighter; Coste Not avalable forsale; Sie: Tiny (14 ra long): Crew: Unique (+ pilot hardwired astromech); Passengers: None; Carg Capacity: 70 kg: Comsur ables: weeks Hypardrve 5) an rum Speed: Ramen, Defense: 2 (+2 site, +0 amor) Shield Pots 25° Mull Points 50: DR 5. ‘Weopon: Laer cannans a ire-linked} Fire Ae: ron; ita Bors: #10 (+2 size, 68 fre control: Damage: dor ange Madifiers P8052, W/L w/a. Weopom: Nano misile magaine (om sles) Fre Ae: Front Attack Bors +5 (a ste, 46 fre conto}; Damage: dona; Range Medifir: PB 60, 5/4. Weapon lon Encumbrance System (10 ‘tags Fre Ar Front, Attack Bonus +6 Rest OC vptox0 10 m0 5 3 20 ‘Yucan move the objet within 10 rnctersof our postion in around. If te characters are contesting control of an abject use enposed Move Objet skill checks. with the higher result gaining control for that round. “To use the Force tostrike a target with tan object. the Move Object sil check result (pus the Foroe-users Dexterity bonus) must equal or exceed the target's Defense: i the Move Object stilt check is rot highenough to movethe abject, the attack fils regardiess ofthe target's Defense) A character struck by a moving ‘object sufers damage based on the objeets weight. 5-kg object inflicts 146 damage, and each addtional oréer of magnitude (sa, 300 kg et) doubles the damage dice (toad6, 46, and 3 on). Example: Moringa rock weighing25 hg requires a check against OC 1s. f the character wished to strike a specific tar- get (witha Defense 96) with the object, he would need to roll a 16 or better on his Move Object skill check to success> fully hit the target. (ea se, fie control: Damage: Spe: lal; Range Modifiers: PB +0, S/MA/L ra nts pote thant tad) sineneer an crafty Ra Manip mtn he ft Lape ec dt it fal tert nds hem ate athe emored 61 ble ei Bee i chek) The Initio ea of matings tc The oe ae he ‘Sturn Drang-it! "You made a mistake in issue #3 concerning atdde's pets. Kate had the bays talls Moving multiple objects simultaneously ‘spossble, but mare dificult land requires «a fullround action thes thana standard action) The heaviest object inthe group ‘set the base OC and vitality cost, and each additonal object (repariess.of ste) ads 42 f0 the OC and: to the vitality. ‘point cost Multiple objects cart strike 2 target as part of the same action, ‘You canal telekinetically Hf and ‘move yourslf with this skill though the [DCinceases by 1. Thus, for characters between stand soo, the checks ‘made against DC 30. “itality Point Cost: 10r more (se above) Page 92, under Ambidexterity feat, Special ‘The Two. Weapon Fighting Penalties table istable #3,not 8-4. Page 94, Fightful Presence entry, under Benefit Replace the phrase“DC 10 plus your level ‘and Charlama modifier” to"0C vo plusyour ‘Charisma modifier and one-half your level” ‘age 93 Weapon Finesse feat description (Onthe ist of weapons to whic this feat maybe applied nsert“double-baded IIghteaber" between combat glove and knife. cutoff tomake therm more docile. Wild vornskyrsstithave theie poisonous tals, bt the boys are “neutered” ia that respect shellyfett viainternet Her story checks out. According to the Star ‘Wars Encyclopedia, Sturm and Drang have no tals. What was printed In Stay Wors Gamer #3 was the vorskyt entry from the Upcoming sourcebook Allen Anthotogy. ‘Anyone planning-on using the real Sturm and Drang can fel free to ignore the game text about their poisonous {alls Look on the bright side; you've got stats for an ordinary vornskyr.and the party responsible has actually been fed to vornskyrs for perpetzating thslinjustice. thear the boys” don't lie tobe teased about thelr stumps (continued on page 128} Pages 99-100, replaces Defect Blaters Benefit text Benefit: You must be carrying an acti- ‘ated lightsaber to use ths Feat. When- ever you arethe target of blaster shot (or other ranged atte), you can maze a fefex saving throw against a OC 5 pls ‘he attackers base attack bonus. A cit> ‘eal ht increases the OC by 0. fyou suc- ‘eed, you deflect the blaster shot and tale ne damage: You must be awrareof| theattack and not fat footed to use this ‘eat Attempting to deflect bate shot ‘counts aveaction. If the Reflex save result 5 ar more pains above the BC. you can defect the blaster shot ata target within onerange increment of your postion. lrmediaely make an attack rll using yourlightsaber ‘bonus with 24 penal the attack -wcoeeds, the deflected shot isthe tor ‘get and takes damage from Deflect blasters only defends agpinst [pervomalseale weapans; you cn' deflect ship scale weapons lightsaber.Heroes seem difficult tokill inthe Star Wars Roleplaying Game. If understand the rules correctly, acharacter can never go below era wounds and abways hasa chance to stabllne—though it gets tougher as the hours goby. So you cancrash your Xewing Into a nuclear reactor, causing it to melt: down allaround you and you stillhave a chance to survive? Am | missing something? Wel. yes and no, Star Warsi a universe ofhereet and high adventure—not of sovsty wearing them down until they drop. But that descrtes the best case scenaria for unconscious and dying char acters Rallinga natural unmodified on 2 saving throw is always afallure, and ‘ot every hero will automatically suc ceed a DC 0 Fortitude save'on her first stabileation attempt—let alone the escalating ave for subcequent ours. All that ade, there's no" massive dam age” rule in the Star Wors Rolepleying ame, but the GMs can alWway'-cal fora Fortitude save just because the damage the hera took was catastrophicin nature: Dwctons Be Deacons calls fr such all when acharacter takes mace than 50: points of damage in one go, and there's ho reason why you cauldr't adopt asim larrulend, of course, fa character bs just plain, no question about, blown- to-smithereens dead, then the GM. should probably rule that it time to make up new character, and not worry about saving throws, Tih levels of the vatious characte classes dont go abowe 20, but is there any reason | ‘couldn't have a character who'ka 3rd level noble and a 1th fevel Jed guardian? Nope, and youre welcome tada so—just bear in mind that the rules don't support such high-level play While there are some extremely powerful characters— the tmpefpx fbr example—tevels above ves" — ener ose ar Mac ed a — yi HOLONET TRANSMISSION Answers To Your By 10 WIKER 2o are the domain of characters.with odie powers. And there ust aren't that many in the Stor Wiars universe. ‘ut if you're keen on playing 26th Jevel-plus characters in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game—oe you want to ‘throw such a character atthe players your gae—you might want to check ‘out the upcoming high-level campaign book for Duscaons Deacons. Do characters have torest an entire hour (or day) to recover one vitality (er wound) point W they recover more than one ahour for day? For instance, does a ath-level charac ter recowera vitality point every 15 minutes ofrest? Ifyou wantto go to the trouble of book- eeeping inag-minute for even rminute) Increments, you can decide that the healing ate for damage is based ona ‘smaller time period. But wsing blocks of one hour (fr vitality) ar one day (for wound and ability points) i the easiest way we've found to keep track of recov ery Ultimately of course's upto you ‘and your gaming group how you want to handle it Along those same lines,how many wound points does a Wookiee receiving long-term ‘are recover each day? Inthe d2o system, anything that “mutt ples" a number doesn't stack on top of ‘other things that multiply as well tt adds ‘one increment to the multiplier. Two effects that allow recovery at"tucice the ‘ormal rate" combine to inereate the recovery by three times the normal rte. athird effect doubled the recovery rate the total would be four times, and sa on. So aWookiee receiving long term care recovers three timeshislevelin vitality per hour. and wounds per day. Star Wars RPG Dilemmas What sie category "unarmed"? Fage 48 of the cote rulebook says thata character can attempt toate another character tunaemed, but doesnt say what weapon site category“ unarmed” i, Unarmed weapon site| alsoimportant fa character wishes tomakea second punchingattack using. two-weapon fighting. According to page 136 of the core role book, unarmed strikes count as light weapons for purposes of two-weapon attack pealiet and wo forth The sie cat legory ofa character's hare hands is two ‘se eategories smaller than the characte Tus a Medium-sized characters hands {orother appendages] count 28 Tiny Is there a reason fr fie inking lon cannons ona starfighter? Normally.a single ion can ‘on inflicts a=2 penalty toall checks made con the affected ship. What happens when Jan cannons are fie-linked? ‘Fireslinking lon cannons increases the penalty by one point. So the fire-linked fon cannons on a wing, for example, Unfit a -3 penalty to the target ship on a successful hit (When using Heal Self or Heal Another, when do yauchoose ifyou're going to heat swaunds or restore witality?lo you rll fist tosee what your result I before choosing? ‘Yu should always declare before you roll—on any skilmthe effet you're shooting fo.in the case of Heal Anather ‘and Heal Sef, you should declare whether you're trying to heal vitality, ‘Wound, ar ability points before you roll the d20. When a Force use ola high Heal Self or Heal Another can the player ‘reduce the result s0 they don't have to spend as many vitality points? This can be o sty >Game Mastering Advice ‘Whenever the group |GiM meets to game, they arent really Into {The first lve i that they joke way, way too much: the second {that the sesion i over before they ever accomplish anything. ‘Do youhave any tips for a more involving session? Yd bike to throw some purzles atthe heroes, but the players are way too. combst-oriented—they much prefer fighting to talking—or thinking. Help! ‘Group dynamics are abrays a rch sue. some players want to play one wayand the rest want to pay another it reas fle tion Ifthe players want o laugh and joke, but the GM wants to jet some gaming done, thenane ar the atheris lable to be ery frustrated a the end of the session. ‘good way to start any campaign isto sit down with allthe playersand deckle—before anyone makes upa character—what tind of arspaign the players want and whether oF not the GAs wiling to provide that kind of campaign in most cases, the play- fersand the GAA cancome tosome kind of compromise “ost ‘combat, withthe oteasional roleplaying challenge pursie,"or “motly putes and roleplaying, with some combat rid in” still doesnt have enough vitality points for the walled result For Heal Selfand Heal Another. treat the amount healed as though it were limited to the result on the dle, oF the amount of ‘tality points the healer has—whichever lower. Thws,a character with only 2 italty pints left effectively cart ro higher than 24 using ane of these ils Hf the hero’has the Profong Force feat. he can use the higher result he wishes to spend the wound points Whee you spend a Force Point sit gone for cver.or do yougetit back after awhile? it's spent for good, what's the incentive for sing the Force Point? nce spent, Force Point s gone forever. The only way you get more Force Points \s toadvance a evel,ot to perform ara ‘matically heroic deed. You do"get them back”—just net quickly. You could save them up, but then you'e ignaring one of yur characte’s resources, since having unspent Force Points doesn't do any: thing for you, You're better off spending them judiciously, and making sure you always have atleast one—just incase you need it, — — — Me — — are they? Species matters not \Wny do stormtroapers, the utra-clite ofthe Emplee, have stats worse than an average thurman?! know they are blaster bait but, to sea Duniceans Be Deacons analogy, you ‘made them kobolds instead of orc (think they need tobe ogres) “Uitraelite may be overstating the capabilities of the average stormtrooper but thelr statistics are average fora ‘Human, not worse. Unlike ordinary. ‘Humans, they are fanatically loyal tothe Emperor—and have more training than the average being on the street A stormtrooper isnt likely tou when faced with overpowering odds. willscore some hits, and do alot more damage: But if bigger toughes, more dangerous stormtroopers are what you're ates, then you'find exactly what you wantin the upcoming febelion Ero Sourcebook Some of my players want to play a charac ter ofthe same speces.s Yous. There’. ‘obviously more than one ef them, since another member ofthe Jedi Counell—Yad dle—was the same species. What species Judge Voda by his species, da you? The serious answer is that Yoda's and Yaddle’ speci ri] ‘Ask yourself" Why do we get together inthe first place?" The anserer may seem ke no-brainer “To game:"Games are » social event. and some people sow up just to sociale, The gaming s secondary forthe. that’s the case, goth the low, and dor't worry too muh abguthow much you accomplish in a ‘session_sust don't plan for longer itscate plots that require ‘the players to pay attelon every inutedest they mis some- ‘thing wa. It¢.a question af expeetatlons—yours. and theirs ‘Als thnk about whereyou gather to poy. the players are spread out around the roam, there area lot of distractions — computers, televislons, video gamas, rome meat doodad—then theirattenton wl naturally df. Cut down the distractions, and try toarrange the seating $0 that the players ae closer tothe ‘action, so they don't suff frm that "oublemakers at the back ofthe class" syndrome, you find that you doallthis and they sil joke around, consider Betting alittle hard-nosed: impose a moratorium on out-of-char- acter conversations Take a five-minute break once an hour dur lng which they canjoke as muchas they tke. but when that Five ‘minutes is up everyone et back into character. ee George Lucas int telling. It ally n't Important to Stor Wars ts knove what species Uhey are Yoda represents the mysterious, wise and wizered charac- ter that you see in so many heeoie imyths—the one who appears to guide the hero tohis true destiny. His origins ae not as important as his contribution to the story. Feel freeto createsucha species for ‘youand your play group Yoda's and ‘Yadale's strength in the Forer is not a ‘factor oftheir species, but oftheir ‘understanding and experience, Other members oftheir species—whatever it hhappens to be—won't automatically be Jed masters, or even ableto use the Force, necessarily 5 ero eae Ce eed a fer One Cone Peer ns) Peron en Coen aan FryHi i By ELAINE CUNNINGHAM oC eee eee eee we as Lae‘pplause rolled through the Great Tempe ever: berating from the vaulting ceiling and ancient stone. To Jaina Sola, the thunderous ovation held ‘echoes of other days and other deeds—and not all of them from times past. he song of the future, rer future, was there as well Orso Jaina assumed ‘The question Uncle Luke has asked her before the ceremony played over and ove inher mind like a malfunctioning holo- "What are your plans fr the future?” ‘A.reasonable question, given that she was about to leave the Jedi academy, burt nothing that came to mind felt quite right. ‘he liked toMy fast ships. She iced to bulld things, to fixand Improve what had already been built. But such sills seemed dwarfed by the grandeur ofthis pace, this moment. ‘Much was expected of the nlece of Luke Skywalker the old- ‘st child of Lela Organa and Han Solo. Jaina had always known ‘and accepted this. Responsibility was her birthright, the inevitable result of her Jedi heritage. \Never had Jaina been more conscious of this heritage. She stood upon the dais ofthe Grand Audience Chamber, keenly wate of the nearby Force-presence of her two brothers and the friends whold shared their years atthe Jedi academy They tadiated exhilaration and pride, only slightly shadowed by the ‘uneasiness that came from being the focus of so rmuch applause, and so many eyes. OFF te one side stood Uncle Luke het pavents, and several other heroes oftheir generation, All {his Jaina sensed, though her eyes could perceive nothing but the dazzle of led lightsabers. ‘The older ledi Knights gathered inthe first row had ignited ‘their lightsabers, ofting them in blazing tribute to the gradu: ating students. The multicolored weapons spoke of hope and power—a rainbow refracted froma hidden sun. “Then the ovation faded, the lightsobers dimmed. Alithe, ‘sverhaited woman moved quietly toward abench at the front of the dais She settled down, raised het long-necked ‘double viol, and began to play Delicate music filed the hal like ‘moonlight: Tionne had taught the young Jedi through tales of former glories; ow her song. celebrated their adventures and ‘challenged ther to create new legends. Jaina’slips quired in a faint, ironkc smile, “The Ballad of the Jedi Mechanie She'd bet the Millennium Fafcon that Tionne wouldn't get many requests for that ture! When song faded inte silence, the new Jedi Knights fled from the dais and processed down the long hal. The solerse mien dissolved the moment they let the Great Temple ‘Whoops of celebration mingled with the bright green music of ‘avin 4’ jungles owbacca let out an exuberant howl and swept jina into thug. She wrapped her arms around the Wooklee’s waist and buried het face in his ginger-colored fur. She was then spun away Into a strong. one-atmed embace, andthe unexpected scent of ext perfume Jaina pushed fene! Ka ot toa length and regarded her witha gi. For once the Oathom gi had exchanged her ‘suo! warirgarb--a bright bief costume fashioned from ‘pple reptile eather—for traditional Jed robes and her abu dant e-gold hal had been tamed into an elegant crow of cellsand bab “Except for the hair color, you look just like my mother,” Jaina teased The g's gray eyes brightened at what she clealy perceived as a compliment “hy grandmother willbe pleased She often admonishes me tolook and act ke apricess"she said, slanting glance toward the royal wessl The former Queen Mother of Hapes traveled in. starfaring castle,a whimsical structure that tow: ered high atove the more conventional ships The lines of fenel Kas face hardened as she studied this sym- bol of her hemtage ander familys expectations. simi, sub {ued expression el over the other young. teoccured to Jaina that she was not the only one perplexed over next steps To hersurprie kcen was theft to pve vote to thelr shared concerns, "Anakin aed wl be traveling with Mater Luke." he sald. brushing aside the lock of brown hale that was forever creeping over his eyes And not just te Mon Calamari ‘After the vation, wee pom to become his apprentices” Zell’ green eyes widened in surprise “Both of you? Wort two apprentices be too uch to handle?* Jacenfloshed, an Jaina go the amprecion the two of ther had nad ths conversation before" fet ike the night stepto take” He ashe is crooked grin “Seems tome ve got plenty left to learn.” “No aigument there” Zeb agreed. During the laoghter that flowed na conskered her brother path. Apprenticeship was.ageat Idea, and f Uncle Luke were taking on students maybe Aunt Mata would con sider one Mara Jou wos absolutely stellar—practica on dent.o crackpot and a fighter who cauld mop a cantina flor ‘with a couple of Black Sun thugs without messing up het aubuinbak ‘A delighted se spread ove Jana face. That was t—path selected, problem sohed ut Zeth jing bythe bemused expression an his face, vas stiltying to get his mind around this concept “So you tho ae off to become famous ed warlors ke Master Sky walker.” “Those were ferent tne,"Iaen sal thoughtfully. “Mas ter Luke became a edi during the Rebellion and his path was shaped by necessity We've aways known the Jed ate more than warior but we dort know what that mor! might Be ‘Maybe its. ou task to releam what was bosThe "Very philosophical itile brother” teased Jaina ‘And what ae the rest of sto do Crystal riches meu orcas ‘He responded with a good-natured grin. “Save the galaxy. ‘What else?” “Hf that's our destiny, we're getting off to a slow start,” Anakin sald."Mom was elected to the Imperial Senate when ‘he was cen andssina'sage” Our parents ight say thatthe challenges they fae today are naless than those of their youth,” Tenel Ka observed, her ‘gaze upon three people emerging from the Temple, a tall man tnd two veiled woman inthe elaborate gariof Hapan royalty Jalna nodded Princess Lia had been Chief of State and temalned asiledcipfomat who hed together the inceas ingly contentious Republi, Han Slo—Iaina’ personal her as wells her father-—weasa retired general who seemed tind Wis way ito the ridstof one adventure of another She watched with a full, fond heart as her parents emerged from the Grand Temple and rushed toward the young Jedi, their faces bright with pride, Han slapped bath boys onthe backand swung Jaina off er feet as fhe were stil nec high toa woking. “Have some regard for your daughter's dignity,” Leia admon- shed witha sie, “Dignity overrated "he rejined. “Trust me on this" Newer theless he ein down ard sent he an apolgete grin So, What the next adventure? Luke stepped forward Jina noticed that Aunt Mara wasnt ‘with him, and she sent her mother a quizzical glance. Lela shook her head, aslight, almast imperceptible gesture. saina aught a wif of her mothers concer, sad andsubte 3s the perfume of a crushed flower. “Jacen and Anakin will be working with me,” Uncle Luke said quietly. “They will be apprentices, in the ledi traditian.” Han nade i hed ben expecting this but there was 3 arian sadnessn his eyes He worked up 2 smile and ruffled Jaina’s bait "What about you, kid?” “Tmt thinkingabout fina said glancing From her mother to Uncle Like. “Good. You've got ime." Han looked over his shoulder at Chewoocca, “Did you get dala sg aduatin present vrloaded™™ The big Wookice shot a cautious glance at Leia and moaned. aa rather subdued-sounding affirmative. "present" Jaina glanced fom he father her mother A {amir expression—mingled exasperation and affection — was dawning on her mother's face: Lela folded her arms and cocked her head to one side. “Pre- sent?" she echoed ina challenging tone Han treated hs wife to his best opus grin, then draped anarm around Jaina's shoulders "Cimon td tt's have 3 ook athe" Jaina’ hear leaped with sudden hope, He father's tastes and talents ior her own, and is git were usualy spare Pats orlterstng hemos ed picked Up inode comers ofthe galaxy. in Han's word, the only non-iving thing worthy of the feminine pronoun was a ship. lana hadn't dared hope fr het (own ship so soon! She fellinto step beside her father.n her excitement easly matching his long legged stride. tea sighed and tummed totuke, who was hig. a smirk behind his hand and looking more like the boy hero he'd been than the Jed Master he had become. “Are you coming? Mis in broadened."t wouldnt miss” tea glanced atthe cluster of young Sed, The younger stu- ‘dents had joined them, Obivious to everything but each othe, they huddled together ina maelstrom of animated chatter, as if determined to relive and define their time together "think we can leave without causing offense,” she said dryly. luke chuckled, and they followed Han and Jaina t the dock ing bay. Next to the venerable Millennium Falcon was.a smaller vehicle, nearly a old and disreputable “She's got character” Han aid patting the dented metal fendly.“What do you think?” Jains "new" ship was alate madelZ-95. The flaed-potition double wings gave tthe look of one of the more primitive X wing models The hull looked decidedly battered—several pan els had been replaced, not always with metal of the same colo, and the canopy had been reinforced, also without regard for cosmetic value. Despite the patching, the ship stil displayed an Impressive collection of dents, creases, and carbon searing “She's beautifull" aina said, and meant we made some modifications" her father sald proudly. "Reinforced the hull,enhanced the motors, put ina hyperdeve, upgraded the manevering ets. She's got it where it counts.” ea stared at her husband," cart believe you bought this. this thing wthaut discussing it” A strange expression crossed Man's face. Lea's eyes narrowed im suspicion. "You did but did't you” "No-one’s going to tel you different," Han said ghbly His cocky expression suddenly faltered and his gaze sid toward Luke as if hed suddenly remembered his old friend's ability ta read the truth things. The bei Master lifted both hands. "Tm keeping out ofthis tela started circling the wreck. “Fourlaser cannons and a proton torpedo launcher? isn't that alot of fire power fr a ‘hip this size” “Hey, better to have t and not need It than need it and not have it Han countered “Uke carrying a lightsaber on 3 date,"Jaina observed with 3 straight face and dancing eyes, Her father’ eyebrows lifted approvingly, and he pointed a ‘ipgerat Jaina afta award her points for logic and ingenualty. The cockpit creaked opened anda lithe, red-saited woman ‘vung herself out. She landed lightly and walked with ct-ike igrace toward the suddenly sllet group, “it might not be prety, but i'l fh" she announced Sueidenly laina understood her mother’s concern, More Jade hhad always been sim the belt cinching her fight suit was fas tened several notches tighter The sharp, elegant bones of herface cast shadows upon the hollows below. There was an unhealthy gray cast to her pale skin,and her green eyes were fever-bright, Jaina quickly shielded her shock and dismay. She ran forwand and threw her arms—carefully—around her uncle's wife, "aunt Maral 'm so glad you came" “Where eise would be?” ‘At least Mara’s voice was the same: a smoky purr that always {gave Jaina the impression of velvet over sheathed claws like a Togorian warrior’ offered handclasp. Her Force presence, how- ‘ever, was even more drastically altered than her appearance. Perceived through the Force, Mara had always reminded aina of. blaster—steel and strength stealth and speed. But now her life force burned like a thin, flercely determined fame, ‘With asigh,Jaina put asite her newly conceived plan for apprenticeship. ‘he felt Mara stifen. The older Kedi pushed Jaina offto arms’ distance and fixed her witha steady gaze, "The answer tayour question isyes." oma Mara cut off Jaina’s objection with a curtshake of her head and stepped back “Lets se your lightsaber ‘The git unhooked it rom her belt and handed it over Mara thumbed it on, A brilliamtt bive-viotet blade leaped from the polished handle, The battered: ‘metal of loth ships reflected its light and color—an intense, restless hue that Seemed poised on the edge of the visibie spectrum. While most lightsabers awakened witha snap-hiss and liluminated in. swift, graceful glide aina’s bade popped Into full and instant readiness. Jacen sometimes teased Jaina that hers was the only lightsaber in the galoxy that hummed even when it was off "Suits you," Mara said vith a wry smile. “| hear you grew your own crystals” The approval in her vole Surprised Jaina. ll the other stu dents had used found crystals ar gems as the foc! for their lightsabers, and none of them understood why Jaina had been determined ta create het ow, grew the crystals for my frst lightsaber." Mara went on. it connects you, gives you a different feel altogether. You ate, almast iteraly part ofthe weapon” “A balance between mechanical and metaphysical Luke suggested, “Something ike that. But more tothe point, t's about per= ‘ception, Sometimes you need to focus and sometimes you need to become the focus. Right?” ‘Mara directed this question at Jaina. she wasn't entirely cer- tain what her aunt meant, but she nodded sagely. “since you've already come this far on your own, we can skip that part of your training for naw and go straight to fying. “ying?” Han echoed ineredulously, his gaze shifting between his sister-in-law and his daughter! already taught her to fy” Mara sent him a wink. “tan probably work around that.” Her familys laughter rolled eff Jaina as she ran loving hans ‘over er new ship. While her aunt explained her plans for appreeticeship tothe other adults Jaina made a mental ist of fepairs and improvements, Her fingers itched for the fel of a Fhydrospanner, bt that impulse was nothing compared tothe urge to get inta the cockpit. "When can Ifly her?” she broke in Han scratched his chin, ‘Well we mere planning tohead straight to Mion Calamari. Why don't you meet us there? I'l be an easy flight=the coordinates ae already programmed into the computer And there's neasieslnding than the docking bayt the Crystal Reef resort” ‘Jaina glanced at Lela, who was eyeing the battered ship with 2 dubious expressian.”Mom? I know fsa, and that it, wm, ‘Bot character, but Aunt mara says tl be fine. And Dad, too." she added belatedly "Heythans” Han muttered While most lightsabers awakened with a snap-hiss and illuminated in a swift. graceful glide. Jaina’s blade popped inta full and instant readiness. {ela threyrp herhands in surrender “rm not exactly negot tng froma position of strength. How could | possibly abject to my sixteen year-old daughter traveling actoss the galaxy im a fying junk heap, when Im in the Falcon?™ “Keep It up."her husband wormed, only half in jest. ee 4 Jaina pulled steadily away from Yavin 4, her spirits soaring as she rose through the atmos phere. Mer new ship rattled and: shuddered a bit as it rushed upward through the heavy. humid alt,but the sublight drive hummed with steady competence. t was a reassuring, almost complacent sound "An easy trp,” Jaina said, repeating her father's words ina wistful tone, She supposed there was much to be sald for that. The maiden voyage in her first ship was a grand adventure in and of itself So she settled in to enjoy the simple pleasures of space travel The intense blue of the jungle moon's skies swiflly deep- ened to sapphire. Stars winked into life. The exhilaration of being hurtled through resisting air gave way to.afloating sen- sation as the 2-95 left Yavin q's atmosphere behind. Except for, the information coming to her from the ship's sensors and the rapidly diminishing Yavin system, Jaina might have thought that the Z-95 was sitting stil She pulled It into a tight turn, letting the Gforce build as she ot a fee! for what the ship could do. The orange gas giant receded swiftly, its light fading with distance. ‘STAR Wane ewan 20The Jaina glances back Yavin was too bright to study from its moons surface but fom Crystal tiitanapeine auld matc ou tscarcrg atmosphere patterns. The albouetes of few miniscule ships Crawler crs the fading rani light as far and fends wri attended the led ceremony retired tthe fa-sat- teredhomes, A aint smile coved er ips teavog apart of er lf behind vas had, but itheiped tohave a direction After a few days of play and relaxation atthe Crystal Ref, sheld tart working with her new dedi Maser. na way acen and Anakin ad aleady started Recently ft seemed that thy been practicing with ther ightsabers every Rates (ated woos (eth chl eter reer that made sense Fering improved physical condition, but primary purpose was helping led attune to the Fore. Uncle ke nag probably give the boys excites devised to move them toward the next level of strength and insight But Mara had decided to bypass that pao sina’ traning pepe ganda ls pl arty aa tceship to take but Jaina dd mind the klea one tle ‘ssh turned toward the hyperspace coordinates she relic rect roving pnpectc igh on tent coarse toward the Yavin system, alte te, arent your” murmured Jaina, Curious she pelted ose te the approaching eee The shipwas amoatfeg Xing late redel 9 beautiflslek ‘thing witha gleaming hull patterned in bronze and back. Inspired admiration but absolutely no em. Iaina patted the console of hes battered 2-95 contented ‘The King was stella, no doubtabout ft but ership sulted her just fine. She was fairy small ast short of her mothers size and height which made her considerably smal than ‘most human plots But the new seat her dc put In placed her ‘omfortably nea the control The sensitive pressure pads that controled dection and pitch had been replaced with the ol fashioned stick she prefered she ficed er cabin ight i a friendly halla then veered way fromthe approaching wing. no hury.she settled in to enjoy the ft ooping and soaring Joyful asa bird on the fist sin day. The fist atack took he by surpis. Sudden the sky Bazed witht pk light. thin bot, ke a thal sunset coud, fared tonandes The 2-95 shields took the hit but the shipya ed sharply Jaina wrested it back nto control, orercompensating and seoclighineea pratag ie, Dust as well—two more bolts streaked past in rapid succes ston each ising by rosters “That famous Sola lick, she muttered as she pulled the 2-95 cu of ts sp she cosed the slick gingnrly to one Se and her Ship shot of at sharp angle away fom Rs attacker, ‘With ne free han, aia fore or he comm sytem and switched tohaling frequency. “Kewing acknowledge” 22 vouMe | nueen 5 er ancient system crackled. “This Is Bai Jumper, acknowl. ‘edging enemy fighter” The voice was mate, probably human, and melodic and reso- nant enough fer Coruscant opera. I was an unlikely voice for a pilot whose ship sported such a roguish nam. “Bail Jumper; m not your enemy” Jaina said as calmly as she could manage. She glanced at her sensors The X-wing wos gh ing pursuit, steadily casing in on her much-oser ship. "My name is Jaina Solo, and fm a student pilot on my way to a fary- ily vacation. t doesn’t get much less threatening than that.” “Negative. My scanners identify you.as Onyac Str, a ship stolen from my emplayer by agents of cats Too! and Drive” 2 shumped back into her seat and groaned. “setter start running, Oad. Mom fs going to kill you when she hears about thist” “A pathetic bluff. My sensors indicate no other ships within hailing fequeney, much fess lethal fring range,”"ebserved the disembodied woice. “That's not what meant, but never mind, "aia sal, "Us- ten, my only connection with Kars s that | used to get parts from them, They went out of business about three years back” "Negative, caris Corporation supplies parts and industrial Intelligence to Subpre Corporation, which intends to replicate the Onyx Str in quantity” “Sure, fifty yeas agot" Jaina exploded. "Subpro hasn't been building the Z-95 Headhunter for years. Theres lots of old Z- _95's around. don't have a copy of my ship's providence handy, but chances ae, you've got the wrong ship.” Negative. Onyx Stars unique. a prototype developed by Bahalian Shipyards.” ‘Two things simultaneously occurred ta Jaina, hitting her ‘with a speed and force that reminded her af her last fencing, ‘match against Jacen and Tenel Ka. First the pilot was not just misinformed, le was insane..According to him, the first 2-05 ship had yet to be bul, Second, she heard her father mention ‘Bahallan—a small, well-regarded shipyard that was known to ‘smugglers asa front company for the Tenlass Syndicate. “This isn't the Balle sector,” Jana pointed out, naming the base for the powerful criminal organization. "You're fong way from home, Ball Jumper. Isnt it possible that you're confused ‘about other things. too?” “No confusion, My mission is clear Destroy the prototype before it gets to Subpra. Bai Jumper cut.” Silence replaced stati. Blue flame exploded into the endless night Jaina’s warning sensors blinked and buzzed, confirming that the proton torpedo had a lock Instinctively Jaina reached out through the Force. sensing and then measuring the angle of approach. She clenched both hands around the stick and pulled back, hard. As the Z-95 traceda tight upward circle, the hum of the sub- light drive rose in pitch toa scream of protest, Pressure built in ‘the cockpit fromthe rising Gs until stars began to dance and ‘explode at the periphery of aina’s vision, More lights began to blink on the console, warning of possible system fatlure. The ‘proton torpede scorched past, a near miss,Jaina cased upas much as she dared. Stars spun, and the orarige gas giant whirled past. She abruptly pulled out ofthe Joop and twisted to one side. She glanced at the navigation computer A glowing screen ‘marked the coordinates for the hyperspace jump, as well as her ‘cumtemt position, And directly between the two points was.a tiny glowing icon, moving steadily toward her position. The X- ‘wing vas between her and the safety of hyperspace. She had {to go around it... through it. Jaina rebelled against that Idea even as her hand reached for the targeting device. Te Xwing pilot hid a madman’s delu- sions, He wasn't about to be deterred by a couple of warning shots. f Jaina fired, shed have to aim tok, Reluctantly she circled around to face the attacking X-wing. She pulled the targeting screen closer and activated her ‘weapon systems Blinking red arrows appeared on the screen, surrounding and then stalking the image represettng the X- wing. They flared triumphantly to announce a target lock. Stil Jaina hesitated. “Bail jumper, we don't have todo this. Twrmaside and let me pass” In response, abarrage of ruby fire exploded from behind the transparisteel canopy. coming froma place where no ‘weapon should have existed. Jaina instinctively inked, moving away from the incoming missiles. She took a sold bit. The cabin lights winked off then blinked uncertainty back. “No astromech droid,” she muttered. For some reason. the pilot had filled the compartment. designed to hold a droid with another laser canon fut that should have been impossible! The X-wing was designed fora single pilot, but its systems were too compl ‘ated for one person to manage. An R2 unit handed astro- navigation functions, platted hyperspace jumps, and rerouted “systems inresponse to damage. Maybe a droid pilot could manage to do all of that, but it would be hard presied, On the other hand, this possibility made her decison easier. Jaina had fewer problems with the idea of vaporizing a droid ‘than reducing a living pilot to stardust. Just to make sure, she reached out with the Force: There was 2 presence, faint but definitely alive, in the X-wing, The truth ‘came to her suddenly Cyborg." she murmured in a voice tinged with dread That would explain the lack of an 2 unit—a cyborg pilot would have neuralimplants, interface ports that hooked Alrectly into the ship's computers This might also explain the pilots confusion. Cybernetics vastly enhanced intelligence, but in time, the human mind receded under the constant assault of information. Some cyborgs became little more than fesh-and-bload droid, but the minds of afew pratested this lass of humanity with a vehe- ‘mence that drove the hast insane. Occasionally. cybernetic p5y- chosisset in, and the cyborg could no longer function as either thuman ora computer peripheral This pilot was obviously suffering a few glitches inhisinter= face. Guess that rules out negotiation,“ Jaina said. Reluctantly she reached for her targeting controls. She took a long. calming breath and opened herself up to Athe Force Trusting her instincts, she fired. Her frst attack was a simultaneous burst from a pal of laser ‘cannons, which the X-wing neatly dodged. Jalna caught her breath in mingled admiration and eancern, There was no way she could match that. She was a decent pilot, but the cyborg was quite IHeraly an extension of his ship, His data banks might have been jomnbled, but judging from the ‘way he was flying, he stillhad perfect control over most fur tions, Even with the Farce, she was definitely outclassed Jaina fred again, then juked sharply to evade the count attack The tno ships fell into a deadly dance, dipping and swooping lke a pat of vahitian hats wying for territory. Streaks ‘of laser fire uminated the blackness ofthe void, so many that a tangled web of fading lines etched the sky. Blue flame exploded into the endless night. Jaina's warning sensors blinked and buzzed, confirming that the proton torpedo had a lock ‘The Z-95 took a hit to the port maneuvering jet Sensors ‘whined and flared in warning as the system began to sputter ‘out Before Jaina could react, her ship jolted again 3s another ‘beam battered her shields Realization set in, knowledge as bleak and cold as space itself: Sometimes, the Force wusn't enough, ‘Then an image flooded Jaina’s mind,one bright enough to ‘counter this darkness=the memory of Mara lade admiring the bive-violet blade of Jaina’s lightsaber, and the crystals within. “Sometimes,” she'd sai, “you have to finda focus, ondome: ‘umes you have to become the focus” Suddenly Jaina understood what Mara had been trying to ‘ell her She reached out, notin an attempt to sense and focus ‘the greater Force, but into every corner of her battered Z:95. ‘Anew and yet familar awaroness filled her, ke avrakening tofind herself in a remembered dream. She knew her way around the inside of a ship and was confident that, given time and parts. she could fix any damage ta the Z-95. But now she saw and felt the ship ia ways she had never thought possibie. Every bolt and rivet was.as apparent to her a3 the lights on her control panel, as detailed as a zoorvin on a holographic systems report, as mucha part of her asthe color of her eyes ar the calluses on her small hands. The hum of the drives. the tensed readiness of armed weapons, the sputtering death of the port maneuvering jet allspoke to her in a language of sounds and sensations that she could understsed And not just understand, but coatrol. What a crystal was toa lightsaber, Jaina became to her Z-95,The Aktien attack cut dbot tseplahairy. Jaina sensed the Incoming proton torpedo Cry ste Ee fared, She didnt need to look tthe console to know t hada feud es oa hel baer Isha sed Peter her a bear vosnrersig eben sudden unbalanced surge spun the Z95 on ts horizontal axis ihear ernoh/ ruse foes ives ler secarates the faltering pot jet instead The result was simi fo what Han often achieved with an seers ced sek oar cas cece perience a Fale The sles et faced bo Fy kien terpet then Pei dyima tam siendy steariea weaatle power Jaina modes sight adjustment that brought the ship out of Its spin and sent it hurtling directly toward the X-wing. She fired two of her laser cannons, Both hit the target, but the sturdy X-wing merely shrugged off the blows The cyborg pilot countered with a barrage of incoming fire. Jaina put her ship into.a complex evasive dance, as instinctively 1s she might have blinked, and with as litle conscious thought. ‘When the lethal fireworks faded, she veered away, keeping enough distance to give her time to take stock of the situation. Hership described a wide arc, beyond the practical range of the X-wing’s laser cannons. Cee ee peice cee et nn ai are eid De ence ett familiarity +2, tarfighter evasion; S¥ Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5; SZ es et ne east Ce ec a See ec tc ee cee COR a ee ey Read/Write Basic, Repair #10, Speak Basic, Survival +4 Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiency light, medium, Ce ee ee reer Starship Dodge (starfighters), Starship Operation (starfightersh, Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, heavy Cee ae Ce Craft: Modified incom 7-658 X-wing; Class: Starfighter, Cost: Not Seed Cea ta sengers: 0; Cargo Capacity: 75 kg: Consumables: 1 week; Hyper- Cae ee eee Ce eee ey en Lec Ces Weapon: Laser cannons (s fre-linked) eed eee ee cee ere eee ey Weapon: Two proton torpedo launchers (3 torpedaes each); Fire etree ere nee eee er en ae dion; Range Modifiers: PE 40, S/MV/L n/a, Pree ed The cyborg fired anyway. Beam after beam followed Jaina along her sweeping path, like spokes in an elliptical wheel. At this distance, evasion Fequired no more than a subtle undulation, as a small boat might rise and fall over gentle waves. Some of the bolts eared past, some dissipated just short of their target ‘Anew solution occurred to Jaina. She had four laser canno and very little weapon power remaining while the Z-95's mo fied engine tried to keep their recharge rate up, Most likely, t Xowing's firepower was similarly depleted. She continued te dance and circle, teasing laser blasts fron the cyborg pilot. Again and again, her sensors warned that th X-wing was arming its weapon systems. Finally, the warning flashed, but the cyborg’s lasers did not Jaina sank back with sigh of relief. Her ship was less optimistic Warnings pulsed and flared as the cyborg pilot repeatedly fired his depleted weapons. "M's finished,” she said with exasperation. “Get over it!” But the single-minded pilot came on, setting a direct path for her 2-95, Aftera startled moment, Jaina realized his inten He was going to stop the protatype” ship even if that meani Using his awn ship as a missile ‘Swiftly but reluctantly, Jaina shifted power to her forward shields and reached for the weapon controls. She splayed her fingers wide and tapped them in a sharp, rapid pattern over: four of her laser cannon triggers, Ruby lights streamed forward, so rapidly that they seemed converge into a single devastating blast. Jaina leaned the shi sharply aside. ‘A brief, brilliant explosion lit the void. Jaina flinched instin tively as debris clattered into her ship, She continued her wid away from the potentially lethal shrapnel that was the cyborg’s last remaining weapon. Her heart thudded like Ewok battle drums as she circled back, carefully dodging the floating remnants of the ship. An entire wing formation spun by, and a chuck of twisted metal that appeared to comprise most of the cockpit. Jaina sighed with relief, She'd aimed for the underside of t ship, trying to graze the ship and take out the cargo compart ment. A breach of that magnitude would trigger immediate evacuation, whether the pilot liked it or not. She'd heard abou the dangers of going Ev—extra-vehicular—but the way she saw it, anything was better than getting vaped. Her eye caught a small black shape that cut a void against the background of stars. She powered down and drifted close Tumbling lazily through space, clearly visible through the translucent material of his sealed suit and helmet, was the cyborg pilot, Once he had been a human male of exaticappearance and Impressive condition, A fitted black fight suit emphasized muscles in fine trim. His clean-shaved face had sharply define bones, and his skin was a coppery hue—so metallic in appear ance that for a moment Jainadidn't notice the cybernetic parts, External ports of the same copper color had been place