Herein is presented a summary of the first “episode” of our alternative prequels Star Wars campaign. See this post for more details, including a basic summary of the concept of the game as well as a cast list: Star Wars Prequels Campaign
Opening Crawl: Episode I: Balance of the Force
The opening sees the Star Phoenix, a small smuggler’s vessel, streaking toward Chathos and dodging fire from Republic spacecraft. The cunning droid pilot BL3K estimates high odds of landing safely, but the ship is caught by a stray ion blast that fries his circuits. The Star Phoenix crashes on Chathos, and the former clone soldier Janos Kreel climbs out to find himself marooned in a sea of thick jungle. He immediately trains his gun on a young man who has pulled up on a swoop, looking for parts. The man introduces himself as Anakin Skywalker. The distant crash catches the attention of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Kain Starkiller (a young man from the Hapes cluster), who also go to investigate. They arrive just in time to help Kreel, BL3K, and Anakin fend off several lion-like creatures.
Obi-Wan immediately detects that Anakin is strong in the Force, and insists on the boy accompanying them to the nearest spaceport for the needed parts to repair the ship. Leaving BL3K to repair the Star Phoenix as best he can, they make their way to Chathos City. Janos heads off to find a way through the Republic blockade, which presents itself in the form of a stranded Falleen diplomat called Zythe Zera. The mysterious and alluring woman can negotiate through the blockade with her ambassadorial papers, but she lacks a ship, making her a perfect ally. Meanwhile, Anakin takes the Jedi back to his swoop gang hideout, only to discover that they have all been killed by Republic troops. Kain, dispatched to check on the control tower, finds that they too have been massacred—this time by someone wielding a lightsaber. Anakin takes a small memento of the only family he has ever known, and when the group gathers, they return to the Star Phoenix and blast off.
The Star Phoenix makes its way to Alderaan, where the heroes meet Admiral Bail Organa, his protocol droid C3-PO, and Organa’s young wife Mina, who forms an instant bond with Anakin. Zythe notices this connection and uses her pheromones to make Mina hot and bothered while the woman escorts her to use Alderaan’s long-range communicator. The heroes also meet a seemingly aged Jedi woman named Alana Lars, who tests Anakin with a telekinetic trick, then mocks Obi-Wan for “failing to train his apprentice properly.” (Kain is discomfited by her mistake.) Bail asks Obi-Wan to escort Mina the next day to a council of Separatist leaders, where she can sway them to peace. That night, Mina surprises Anakin at his room, and the two spend the night together.
Along with Mina and Alana, the heroes board the Star Phoenix and two starfighters (for Kreel and Anakin) and head for the council, which is held inside a gargantuan comet. A twi’lek majordomo greets them in the seemingly deserted landing bay, inspiring a sense of unease—the heroes prepare for conflict. Rather than her usual elegant robes, Zythe dresses in a sleek black operative’s outfit, suggesting to the others that she is more than she appears to be. The heroes head into the council chamber, only to discover all the Separatist representatives murdered by a unit of 13th Legion troops (Kreel’s old unit), the leader of which wields a blaster pistol Anakin recognizes as belonging to his oldest friend back on Chathos. The lieutenant accuses Mina of being a real traitor to the Republic, and she confesses her guilt.
Obi-Wan sways their minds to distract them, and battle ensues when Zythe hurls a knife into the face of the lieutenant. Anakin’s first instinct is to protect Mina, then to avenge himself against the lieutenant, who has managed to stun Zythe and is about to kill her. Empowered by anger and the Force, he beats the man to death with his fists, and the heroes manage to escape, covered by Obi-Wan and Kain deflecting the many blaster bolts of the swarming soldiers. Alana refocuses her Force power to cover their escape, dropping the illusion that makes her look old and wise—in fact, she is little older than Anakin himself. Thereafter, shattered by what he did, Anakin speaks to everyone for guidance. Kreel tells him that hard things happen, and he shouldn’t blame himself. Obi-Wan chides him to control his anger, saying that this must never happen again. Instead of offering advice, Zythe helps Anakin bandage his ruined hands, and simply thanks him for saving her life. She also swears her life to him—the greatest of all humans—and that she will never harm him.
Concerned about the intrigue surrounding them, the heroes return to Alderaan, where they surrender Mina to Admiral Organa, who grimly asserts that he must turn his beloved wife over to the Republic for justice. BL3K and Anakin’s saucy astromech droid (designation R2-D2) decode a Separatist plot to attack the galactic Senate on Coruscant, and the heroes persuade Admiral Organa to bring them along. Once they arrive, Anakin springs Mina from her cell and together with Alana, they go down to the planet to try to stop a train carrying a powerful bomb toward the Senate. Meanwhile, BL3K and Janos Kreel hold off swarming Republic fighters, while Obi-Wan and Kain resist clone troopers who have boarded the Pride of Alderaan. On the bridge, Zythe almost talks one of the officers into firing on the opposing ships (ostensibly to aid her friends), nearly precipitating war between Coruscant and Alderaan, but one of Admiral Organa’s aides stops her. She manages to convince the Admiral into keeping her from being arrested, claiming the near calamity was entirely an accident.
On the train rushing toward the capitol, Anakin throws Mina to safety, then fights off clone troopers and makes his way to the bomb. Without a way to diffuse it, all seems lost, but Anakin manages to cut away the lead car with Alana’s lightsaber, then destroy the repulsor system. The train derailed and crashed, just short of the capitol building. The two leap to safety and watch as the payload explodes, then can only share an uncertain look as the galaxy changes.
Credits roll.
[...] Episode I: Balance of the Force [...]