The Gerbil Run

Seratlin contacted some friends he had on Ryloth and was told they had been attacked by the empire with biological weapons. Seratlin wanted to help them but on the way to Ryloth, The Phoenix was intercepted by an imperial star destroyer. Seratlin told the boarding officer he was going to get a cargo of rare gerbils. He then paid them a bribe and we were allowed to depart after a tracking device was fitted to the Phoenix. We continued and flew down to the capital of Ryloth.

Philippe disabled the tracker then we flew to the mountain range on the far side of the planet where Seratlins rebel friends were. Zhobee succeeded in capturing a few of the rare gerbils in the forest on the way in case we needed to show some cargo on the way out.

We finally arrived at the rebel camp. Seratlin examined those affected by the bio weapon. He concluded it was a Vesicant disease which was causing blisters and would eventually prove fatal. It appeared to be from a combination of Twi’lec and another unknown DNA. The rebels nearby suggested a nearby imperial base may be the source. Seratlin immediately wanted to go there and investigate.

The rebels warned of Lylec, an apex predator which lived in the jungle and was very dangerous. The clone troopers volunteered to come with us. While forging our way through the jungle we spotted a covered pit. I investigated and found it was a Lylec pit when the Lylec emerged and chased us. I distracted it then stealthed while the others ran away.

As we neared the area where the imperial base was believed to be, Seratlin detected a high level of contamination from a nearby river. The river flowed out of a cave in a hill. I scouted the hill and found an entrance covered by a hologram. Unfortunately I was detected by an auto blaster system, and was forced to destroy it when it opened fire. The others came up to the entrance and started examining the force field behind the hologram. While I they were doing so, I went back to the river and entered the hill there. I broke through a grill and entered a large cavern with three structures inside. Meanwhile Philippe managed to disable the force field and entered the base by the main door. In the cavern were many dead bodies of imperial scout troopers. They had limbs missing and stab wounds, and there was evidence of wild blaster fire.

Zhobee found barefooted humanoid footprints and strange pierced marks which came from some pits and then headed to the power plant. There were Twi’lec bodies in the pits. We entered a research lab and found more bodies on the floor, and a broken GH7 medical droid. Philippe did some repairs and reactivated the droid. Seratlin then sliced the droid as it was requiring imperial access before it would respond to questions. It seemed incapable of free thought. The droid was there to assist Dr Travalis’s research. Seratlin managed to download some information which revealed they were splicing Twi’lec and Lylec DNA. Reports indicated the test subjects were aggressive and predatory and that the disease affecting Twi’lec's was a side effect. It also suggested it may be possible to synthesise an antidote from hybrid blood.

We found a pack of eight hybrids in the power plant. They had Twi’lec bodies with additional Lylec legs and cybernetic implants. They were very aggressive and we took a great deal of damage defeating them. Zeke, the leader of the clone troopers took the most damage. We destroyed seven of the hybrids and immobilised one.

We gathered some of the weapons lying about. Philippe disconnected a Bacta tank in the research lab while Seratlin worked on an antidote. I then destroyed the lab and the dumb droid which had all the research information. We made slow progress returning to rebel base with the looted equipment and trussed up hybrid on a grav trolley, but killed the hybrid an abandoned the trolley when we heard sounds of an imperial transporter landing. We were pursued by three squads of imperial scout troopers and a speeder bike. We set an ambush and destroyed them, but as we did so an imperial walker came through the jungle.

Zhobee jumped onto the speeder and started flying in circles round the walker, trying to attach a grappling cable to it. She succeeded and managed to climb onto the walker, letting the speeder crash into a tree. One of the co-pilots opened a hatch and shot her but Seratlin shot fired back killing the co-pilot. Zhobee then climbed inside and killed the pilot and gunner. Seratlin climbed aboard and read on the scanners that there were another two walkers at the base. They started moving into the jungle towards us and Seratlin heard on the radio they were sending reinforcements.

Philippe disabled the walker and we quickly headed off through the jungle back to the rebel base. Seratlin worked on the antidote but after two days without success all the Twi’lec had all ceased to function. We left the clone troopers and returned to the capital where Phillipe reconnected the transponder before we left Ryloth. An imperial star destroyer intercepted the Phoenix on the way out but their scan found nothing on board and we were released.