Quest Line · Original Adventure · Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
One-shot · 3 hours
A dying Rodian freighter pilot crashes near the party and begs them to deliver a datachip to his daughter on Kessel. Unknown to everyone, the chip contains evidence of Imperial corruption and is broadcasting a tracking signal. The party must decide whether to complete the delivery, destroy the chip, or sell it to the highest bidder while being hunted by Imperial agents and criminal syndicates.
Players should create characters with some spacefaring capability—at least one pilot and one mechanic recommended. The adventure assumes the party has access to a small freighter or similar vessel. Content warnings include violence, moral dilemmas regarding family and loyalty, and themes of government corruption. The adventure works best if at least one character has a reason to distrust the Empire or sympathize with struggling families on the Outer Rim.
Hook A: The Crash The party witnesses a battered YT-1300 freighter making an emergency landing at the outskirts of whatever spaceport they're currently visiting. Local authorities will take 10-15 minutes to arrive. Inside, they find Vekko Shenn, a Rodian pilot bleeding out from blaster wounds, clutching a datachip. With his dying breath, he begs them to take it to "Nissa Shenn, Kessel, Spice Hauler District." He dies before explaining further.
Hook B: The Favor A mutual contact asks the party to check on Vekko Shenn, who missed a scheduled delivery. They find him in a flophouse, already dying from wounds sustained in a firefight with unknown attackers. He gives them the datachip and the same plea about his daughter.
Hook C: The Intercept The party is hired to intercept a datachip from a Rodian smuggler. When they catch up to Vekko, he's already mortally wounded by someone else. Touched by his dying request about his daughter, the party must choose between their contract and their conscience.
Once the party takes possession of the datachip, read or paraphrase:
The datachip is warm to the touch, smaller than a credstick. Its casing is scratched and worn, clearly well-traveled. If anyone with technical knowledge examines it, they'll notice a faint blinking indicator on its edge—not standard for data storage devices.
Skill Check: Computers (Average difficulty, 2 Purple dice) to analyze the chip reveals:
Skill Check: Mechanics (Easy difficulty, 1 Purple die) to disable the beacon:
Within an hour of acquiring the chip, the party encounters their first interested party. At a refueling station or while preparing their ship, they're approached by Qira Denn, a human woman in nondescript spacer's clothing who offers 5,000 credits for "the item you picked up from the Rodian." She's polite but persistent, increasing her offer to 8,000 credits if refused. She works for the Margath Syndicate, a criminal organization that knows the chip contains evidence of Imperial officers stealing from their spice operations.
If combat erupts, Qira has: Soak 3, Wound Threshold 12, Blaster Pistol (Damage 6, Range Medium), 2 Adversary guards (Soak 2, WT 10, Blaster Pistols).
The party must travel to Kessel, a journey that takes them through Imperial-patrolled space. During the voyage, they have time to investigate the datachip further or leave it alone.
Skill Check: Computers (Hard difficulty, 3 Purple dice) to decrypt the files:
The Imperial Inspection Before reaching Kessel, an Imperial patrol corvette stops them for "routine inspection." Lieutenant Kavven Morse, a by-the-book officer, boards with four stormtroopers. He's scanning for the datachip specifically.
The party has several options:
Threat/Despair complications: The Margath Syndicate's ship appears, creating a three-way confrontation, or the ship suffers damage requiring repairs before proceeding.
The Spice Hauler District on Kessel is a grimy industrial zone where workers live in cramped housing between massive ore processors. Nissa Shenn is a green-skinned Rodian woman in her twenties, wiry and tough, with chemical burns on her hands from mine work.
When the party finds her (asking around requires a Simple Streetwise check), her reaction depends on whether the chip is intact:
If the chip is delivered intact: Nissa is shocked—she had no idea her father was even alive. She explains he abandoned her family years ago after getting involved with smugglers. When she learns what's on the chip, she reveals she's been organizing workers to strike against the mines' horrific conditions. This evidence could force Imperial authorities to negotiate reforms, or at least expose Moff Kale's corruption, giving workers leverage.
Possible Endings:
Ending A: The Public Release Nissa wants to broadcast the files to every news outlet and underground network in the sector. The party can help her set up the transmission (Computers check to ensure it reaches maximum distribution). This makes them permanent enemies of both Moff Kale and the Margath Syndicate, but they become heroes to workers throughout the Outer Rim. As they leave Kessel, they must run a blockade of Imperial and syndicate ships (one last Piloting check, Average difficulty).
Ending B: The Negotiation The party suggests using the chip as leverage for quiet negotiations rather than public exposure. Nissa reluctantly agrees, and they arrange a meeting with mine administrators. Nissa gains concessions—better safety equipment, reduced quotas, an independent oversight inspector—but the corrupt Moff remains in power. The party gains 3,000 credits in "consulting fees" and the gratitude of Kessel's workers, but knows justice wasn't fully served.
Ending C: The Betrayal The party can sell the chip to the Margath Syndicate (10,000 credits) or turn it over to Imperial authorities (5,000 credit reward plus Imperial favor). Nissa is devastated by this betrayal of her father's sacrifice. The corruption continues, and the party gains an enemy in Nissa, who becomes a recurring antagonist dedicated to exposing their treachery.
Combat Option: If the party lingers too long or if earlier scenes went loud, both Imperial forces (Lieutenant Morse with 6 stormtroopers) and Margath enforcers (Qira Denn with 8 thugs) converge on Nissa's location simultaneously, creating a three-way firefight the party must escape.
Vekko Shenn — Dying Rodian smuggler with more heart than sense. Wants to make amends for abandoning his daughter by giving her a weapon against their oppressors.
Nissa Shenn — Tough Rodian labor organizer on Kessel. Wants dignity and safety for mine workers; deeply conflicted about her absent father.
Qira Denn — Professional enforcer for the Margath Syndicate, human female. Wants to retrieve the chip to protect her organization's blackmail leverage against Imperial officers.
Lieutenant Kavven Morse — Honest Imperial officer following orders, human male. Wants to recover "stolen Imperial intelligence" and maintain order; uncomfortable with Moff Kale's obvious corruption.
Moff Rendik Kale — (Off-screen villain) Corrupt Imperial governor. Wants the evidence destroyed and all witnesses silenced to protect his embezzlement scheme.
Experience Points: 15 XP for completing the delivery, +5 XP for creative problem-solving or excellent roleplay
Credits:
Story Rewards:
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