THE BEGINNING OF THE END

STAR WARS - INTERLUDE FIFTEEN
"The Beginning of the End," written by Mike Cross and edited by Mark L. Stinson


Quinn had to get up and pace. By the Force, this meeting was taking forever, and he couldn't believe his ears. The rebels were in essence giving up! The consensus of those at this meeting was that their only hope was to flee the planet taking as many people with them as they could. Quinn couldn't believe that the force had led him here if there was no chance of success. "With all due respect...are you sure you know what we're talking about here? This is the only home you have ever known. Even if it were possible to get all of you off the planet...where will you go? What will you do?"

The room went quiet. Quinn's powerful voice and presence served him well when he was called upon to lead. When he spoke, people had a tendency to stop and listen. The rebel leaders appeared to be considering this question for the first time. Finally the leader of the Fire Mages, Alron, spoke. "These are true concerns, my friend. Where will we go? What will we do? In due time, these matters will need to be resolved...and resolved soon. But there is one flaw to the questions you have posed...a flaw that no one can blame you for overlooking. This...this...Hell is not our home. It is a lab...an experiment...a deal made with a demon. We were created and bred in the cradle of the Dark Side...and if given the chance, not one of us would decline to leave!"

"Forgive me, Alron. I had not considered this. We will...well, we will do all we can. You know that don't you."

The older mage smiled a rare smile, his face wrinkling in awkward ways that seemed foreign to it. "Of that we have no fear. You and the Slave...and all your friends have done so much already. Our trust in you has never wavered."

Quinn returned to his pacing, a thoughtful, but troubled look on his face. Kenai was going over the third, or was it fourth, variation of his plan for contacting the Mick-Ricks to come and help evacuate the slave population. He seemed to have the assembled rebel leaders and Fire Mages rapt attention. Quinn's mind however was restless. His eye kept being drawn back to the map that Naben Leeds had brought. He'd used it to show how the Hindar's planned to restore power to the factory levels.

Quinn glanced over at Ranar who's outward appearance was alert and attentive. Ranar knew the value of planning and would never neglect it. But Ranar was also a man of action and this interminable planning by committee was almost more than he could bear. The training of the Golden Race served him well in projecting the proper image to the rest of the assembly. He couldn't hide his true feelings from a Jedi though. In his mind he was screaming with frustration and pulling out his hair. For a moment Quinn and Ranar's eyes meet and they both knew what the other was thinking, no need for any Jedi mind tricks for that.

Now Morgan was sharing a plan with the Rebel leaders on how to stop the Hindar's efforts to turn the power back on. It was a good plan and might even have a better than 50% chance of succeeding, Quinn thought. But the price would be very high among the rebel rank-and-file. The Fire Mages needed time to work their miracles and the Hindar's would not leave them in peace to work such a task. Morgan had become fascinated with the manner of power that these Mages possessed...it was seemingly the antithesis of what he had experienced on his home world. Maybe he just liked being warm for once in his life. Oh, by the Force, why was this inconsequential drivel running through his head! He had to concentrate, but he was so tired and so agitated. The smell of defeat hung in the air here and it nearly drove him mad.

Again his eye was drawn back to the map but his mind wouldn't quit racing. Why had he been brought here to fail? It made no sense. Neither he nor Vette had sensed any outcome that could even remotely compare to this. They had to be missing something, they had to be. Quinn stood still, closing his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing. This is one of the first things Tchor-won had taught him when he'd first showed up at the White Tower. Far too old to be trained, yet trained he was by his bull-headed master who the Force talked to just a little differently than anyone else. He often saw the things that no one else did and they all stood around afterwards wondering why they hadn't experienced the same powerful visions.

His breathing was regular and deep, his heart rate had slowed to a crawl and the droning noise of the meeting was just a thing at the edge of his thoughts. Opening his eyes, he was still staring at the map. His attention again being drawn to the repair tunnels between the boroughs and the factory level. Why did he keep looking at the same thing…? Turning to Naben Leeds he asked, "What is this symbol...right here?"

"Oh, that's the power core modulator," he replied. "The power stream coming from the core is very strong, it has to be harnessed and dispersed to where it is needed. The modulator does the harnessing. It still only harvests a small portion of the total energy generated and recycled back into the power core itself." Naben was starting to get into it now...happy to be sharing, and possibly helping the efforts of the rebellion. "After the power is harnessed it is sent up to this device on the factory level. It is called a power coupling. It takes the energy and further subdivides it into usable amounts and them directs these towards the various energy consumers who draw their energy according to a strict protocol…."

"Forget the power coupling for a moment...what if the power core modulator wasn't there?" Quinn asked.

"Not there? What do you mean by 'not there?'"

"I mean...what if the power modulator was removed or destroyed...completely taken out of the equation?"

Naben thought for a second, as though he was trying to translate his very technical thoughts into layman's terms. "The energy from the power core would spill upwards full force...nothing to retrain it...nothing to harness it. Approximately 100,000 hours of captured, converted, and stored secondary fusion energy from the sun Milas would flow forth freely. The power couplings would overwhelmed almost instantaneously, and the force of a thousand hydrogen...Oh...gods...you can't be thinking...."

The rest of the meetings participants had stopped their bantering at some point during the exchange, and were now listening to Quinn and Naben's conversation. Hope seemed to enter the room again for the first time since the six borroughs had been wiped clean from the face of Milos by the Corporate Troopers.

Quinn looked long and hard at Naben. "That's exactly what I'm thinking."

After a second they all proceeded in excited tones talking about new plans as easily as one might change a hat. Kenai called for a plan to lure the Hindar Clan's houseguard into one of the factories to make sure they are destroyed. Morgan spoke of strategies to concentrate the legions of Corporate Troopers to make the power surge have maximum effect. Ranar committed what was left of his well-trained rebels to what ever fighting needed to be done.

Quinn raises a hand and waits for all to go silent. "I'm not sure we need to concentrate the legions. Look here. According to these plans...power couplings are evenly spaced around the industrial zone...the Twilight Ring. If the modulator is taken out...and the power bursts forth, it will vent at each coupling. Naben, what are we talking about here...what would happen?"

"If the power core modulator, and all of its back ups are destroyed...or taken off-line...all that energy will course without retraint towards the couplings...tearing through them...its...its an Armaggedon scenario." Naben wiped his sweating brow. "I would have to do some calculations and confer with some of my experts in power engineering...but I think it might rend the planet into two halves. At the very least it would obliterate the Twilight Ring, and deeply fracture and destabilize the planet's crust. If that amount of power is released unrestrained, I have not doubt it would leave Milos completely uninhabitable. No one will survive." Not a single sound could be heard in the room.

"No more baby-farming?" Quinn asked

The assembled group just stared, taking in the ramifications of this new idea.

A look of utter fatigue crosses Quinn's face. "I think someone better come up with a hell of a good plan for getting off this planet." Taking Ranar by the arm he leads him towards a side chamber. "I think we've done our work here my friend. I've still some Golden Mead left," giving Ranar a wink, "After all it's the waiting that's the hardest part."

Excellent story. There are so many things to resolve...so many character stories that could be told...SO MANY A.P. POINTS TO EARN before we play the final games on Milos. Most of all though...have fun coming up with some new twists for me to deal with! <<<<<Mark L. Stinson>>>>>

Hey, a quick note to all of you.

The actual act of "taking out of the power modulator" that is discussed and planned in INTERLUDE FIFTEEN is clearly something we will resolve in actual game-play. Feel free in your stories until then to work out some of the details of the power modulator...and power core. Just how deep are they into the planet? Do you actually have specific plans for how to get to the modulator? Do you have to make your way to the modulator to destroy it, or is there a control room somewhere you have to get to? I mean, you actually don't have to write about any of this...but if you want to, feel free. I think it is in fine shape as it is right now, and if you don't address the details, I will add them in as we go along!

What to write about? Those adventure ideas I gave after INTERLUDE THIRTEEN are a good place to start. Also...how are you going to get everyone off of Milos? What stands in your way? Write an encounter with a squad of Corporate Troopers. I like the Hindar Clansmen...and would like to hear more about them. Plus, perhaps there is a new skill you want your character to learn...this INTERLUDE is a great time to write the explanation for how your character got the skill...and earn the A.P. points you need to buy the skill at the same time....As I keep saying though. Have fun...you can write full stories...or even just send me an outline of your ideas. Main rule...have fun! Damnit, I said have FUN!

P.S. Craig, call me once you have a few ideas thought up, and we'll do what we did last time to create that story. I had fun doing that.

<<<<<Mark L. Stinson>>>>>

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