"I Use Diplomacy!"

So we finished the mini-campaign tonight. Sia-Lan Wezz and Rann I-Kanu's last mission saw them tasked by Naboo Defence Force Brigadier-Gen Dannt and Queen's Advisor Sabe to accompany Special Operative Lilla Tane to a camp outside Theed to infiltrate and reconnoitre 'the Movement', a shadowy organisation led by a mysterious man known only as the Master.

After a shaky briefing ("Kryptonite? What?") the pair of teenage Jedi drove in their speeder to the swamp that housed the threatening organisation... and crashed. A falling tree hit their speeder and smashed it up, scattering their gear and soaking them. They were then attacked by a swamp beast, and Rann I-Kanu dealt with it pretty quickly - his lightning reflexes really helped - despite at first attempting to, well, use Diplomacy.

They camped out and were roused in the early hours by Tane, who had heard some noises - this turned out to be three Gungans who, despite only being able to communicate by mime, took the group to the Movement's camp. There was a minor hiccup where they all fell in some quicksand, but otherwise, uninjured apart from their pride, they all reached the sinister, dark encampment safely.

A Sith Lord attacked! But it was an illusion, broken by Rann moving faster than the attacking Sith and hitting it for 13 damage... breaking the illusion. Which hadn't affected Tane at all, or the guards on the gate. Nor did it put the Padawans off, and they entered the camp (Rann using Diplomacy! to keep his lightsabre).

After talking for a while to various NPCs about the Movement, they were invited by the man who'd met them at the gate, one Comrade Kibbs, who took them to see The Master.

This is where it all unravelled. Their carefully thought out deception "Yeh we're err Jedi who err left! yes we left. We killed our Masters and came here to look for... umm... power!" was useless, because the Master was none other than Lo-Jad, Sia-Lan's missing teacher!

It turned out that Lo-Jad and Rann's Master had stumbled across a Sith artifact, the Dark Throne, in the ruins at the heart of the swamp. The Dark Side was strong here, and Lo-Jad had succumbed, killing Ali-Vor and gathering an army of mercenaries, pirates, and weak-willed reprobates around him to who knows what end.

He attacked, knowing he had to kill the Padawans in order to maintain the element of surprise. Tane's life was snuffed out instantly, Lo-Jad snapping her neck from afar with the Force. Then Lo-Jad leapt across the room, aiming a kick at Rann's head - to which the response was, predictably, "I use Diplomacy!"

It didn't work.

Lots of acrobatic fighting occured, and eventually, after much blaster fire and lightsabering, Rann got the killing blow in, and Lo-Jad died. With his death the Movement fell apart, as it had been held together by the Dark Throne's power channelled through Lo-Jad.

Obi-Wan Kenobi himself arrived the next day with a unit of Naboo Defence Force troops and Brig.Gen. Dannt to tell the Padawans that they had to return to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple to be fully debriefed... and debriefed they were! So impressed by their actions and their foiling of Lo-Jad's evil, the High Council saw fit to knight the two on the spot.

The next campaign will see us revisit Rann I-Kanu some ten years later, as the Clone Wars begin. Stay tuned!

In modelling and painting news, I've been busy the last few days:

The last five figures from the first third of my Traitor Guard army, 'B' Company, XV Karaboudjani Kataphraktoi. L-R: 3rd Platoon 2nd Squad Sergeant, Company HQ Bodyguard, and three members of the Weapons Platoon's assault squad (three flame-throwers!). These chaps kind of mark the completion of an army, sort of, were it not for the fact that I still have to paint three Sentinels, a Demolisher, and a Hellhound just for B Company. Then I have started collecting figures for A Company and intend to do C Company as well as Battalion Command and various other attached assets. Ho hum. But it's a start!

 

Another squad of Deathwing, this time made from the amazing Deathwing Command boxed set. So may bits! The only gripe is that there is only one possible pose for the Sergeant's power sword, and more than one Terminator doing that in an army will look ridiculous. So I may be forced - forced, I tell you - to pick up a box or two of standard Terminators just for the power sword arms.

Dark Angels Librarian from the Dark Vengeance boxed set. A beautiful model that's a lot simpler to paint up than he at first appears. He is for sale in my eBay shop for just £20, with free postage!

 I have also been busily rebasing and touching up my Righteous Fists Space Marines in line with the Amalthean Crusade project. They have gone from a temperate warzone to the desert! I think the brown bases really compliments the colour scheme and makes the figures pop like they didn't before. I am keen to knock them on the head - I have a few figures to paint and then I can declare them 'half done' as a force (they need another two Tactical Squads and some armoured support really).

Scouts - old metal ones, including (centre) the old Veteran Sergeant Naaman special character figure released in 1997? Game wise a bit jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but I like the background aspect of two sniper teams led by an angry drill sergeant type.

Tactical Squad II Polix. A deadly force! Meltas up the wazoo and a Veteran Sergeant just to top it off. I really like these figures even though there are still mold lines and sloppy painting from when they were originally done all over the place. Oh, and Polix needs a back banner.

 Last time these fellas saw action was against my old friend SRB's Space Marines way back in 2004? Might even have been 2003. I remember them jump packing up the center of the board and laying into something power-armoured. Now they're gunning for Tau...

Newly painted stuff! Well, work in progress anyway. The Sergeant got assembled yesterday from various bits and the armless Heavy Bolter gunner was worked up from pale grey to what you see there today. The two Rogue Trader marines I bought at a Bring and Buy in Colours 2001 I think.

So there we have it - a pretty long and picture-heavy update! Hopefully more like that soon. In the meantime, why not head over to my eBay shop and see if anything catches your eye, or go over to Dragon's Hoard and e-mail me if you fancy getting your hands on new release Eldar at 12% off RRP? Tell me you swung by my blog by heading your e-mail 'The Weeks Work' and I'll give you a 15% discount!

Painting Points: 6
2013 Total: 140 (95x 28mm, 2x 54mm, 3x tanks)