Tabletop Squadron Transcript – Season 2, Episode 29:
We’re All In

Transcript by Tyler (Twitter: @Tyler_MoonSage)

## Intro

LILIT: Hello everyone, and welcome to Tabletop Squadron, a Star Wars: Edge of the Empire actual play podcast. Every other Thursday, our story follows a thief, a bounty hunter, and a slicer as they hunt for galactic treasure, staying away from a bitter rival and growing closer together.

Music credits and content warnings are available in the show notes this week.

Now let’s get into the episode.

##

NICK: Hello! Welcome to Episode 29 of Tabletop Squadron! I’m your host and game master, Nick, and I hope that you are having a beautiful and sunny Thursday… unless it’s nighttime and not Thursday, in which case I hope you are having a beautiful and not sunny whatever the day is. Let’s go around the table and everybody say who you are and who you’re playing today, starting with Cameron.

CAMERON: Hello. My name is Cameron, and I will be playing Karma Nailo, a Nautolan bounty hunter.

NICK: Wonderful. Up next we’ve got Hudson.

HUDSON: Hi, I’m Hudson, and I’m playing Tink, a Gigoran slicer.

NICK: Fantastic. Last but not least we have Lilit.

LILIT: Hello. I am Lilit, and I play Xianna’fan, a Twi’lek smuggler, and I hope you’re having a pleasant Tuesday. You know, I got a one out of seven shot, so I’m taking those odds.

NICK: I was sitting on the edge of my chair going “are we gonna get through introductions without a bit,” and we almost made it, and I’m glad we didn’t.

LILIT: Nope.

NICK: That’s good. That would have been outside of our brand.

LILIT: We are 69% bits.

HUDSON: [game show stinger]

NICK: Before we get started with the recap, let’s do the Destiny Roll~

CAMERON: One light side.

HUDSON: Two light side.

LILIT: Two dark side.

[somber western style guitar begins]

NICK: When we last left off you all had arrived on Lessu, managed to find a contact with Carson Agen, an underground smuggler on the planet of Ryloth who had a penchant for blurrg racing and pointing people in the right direction. You were able to get the information you needed. You took your two speeders from the Afternoon Delight and went off to attempt to find Endo the Tognath who has several of the pieces of the Broken Force, which is your goal to collect these.

You came upon a group of Twi’lek resistance fighters who were attacking an imperial supply caravan and “helped” with that. Some of you helped, some of you were also there. And were surprised to see Endo and his crew of no-good pirates jump in to assist with dispatching the Empire. The last thing we saw was Xianna seeing her sister amongst the fighters and Endo was able to somehow teleport near to you and say that she wanted to speak to you, and that’s where we are going to start.

You all are able to hop onto your speeders and follow the imperial transport and some other speeders that appear to have been hidden up along these mesas. We open after this trip on the base of operations for the Ryloth resistance forces. It’s hidden in the wilderness outside of Lessu, close enough for sabotage operations but far enough away that the Empire hasn’t discovered it yet. I want everybody to give me a detail of what this base looks like or how the resistance is operating here to try to kick the Empire off of Ryloth.

[guitar music ends]

CAMERON: Did we establish that it’s in a cave?

NICK: Nope.

CAMERON: Okay, it’s in a cave.

NICK: Okay, it’s in a cave. Give me a little more.

CAMERON: It’s in a cave! Built into—So there’s this huge mesa out in the middle of… flatness, and basically the entire thing on the inside is hollow, and that’s where the base is set up. So it’s basically like a giant ship hanger but inside of a rock.

HUDSON: Tink’s walking through there and just looks around and says:

HUDSON (as Tink): This place is less of a mesa and more of a messa. Who’s cleaning around here?

CAMERON: Probably because of all of the dust.

LILIT: Yeah.

HUDSON: [laughs] Yeah.

CAMERON: [laughs] Being in a desert.

NICK: And the blurrgs. They have a small pen of blurrgs.

CAMERON: Hmm.

LILIT: Inside you can see that a lot of the speeders and ships and equipment they have is old Clone War items that were left that have been repaired and pieced together and sort of Frankensteined over the years.

NICK: Oh, very cool. Yeah, the whole feel of it is very much of a ragtag band barely hanging on. You all are standing in the main hanger of this base which turns out is a vast majority of this base, farthest away from the entrance which is like a sunken hole in the wall that really looks like it’s a slight overhang and then as you get closer the ground goes underneath, so it’s kind of like a cave entrance but half tunnel as well so it’s very difficult to find if you don’t know where to look.

Far away from that entrance you can see that there are some walls and smaller buildings set up for offices and barracks and things like that, but a majority of this place is a big open hanger.

There are a few speeders around, some armored, some stripped down for speed, mostly from the Clone Wars era, most of them just kind of kitbashed together. You see the LAAT which is the clone landing ship. You see one of those but with just a ground speeder’s engine stuck on the back and the top cut off so it’s this weird-looking convertible. Things like that, that’s the standard.

There is a small pen of blurrgs that are sedately chewing on slop in the corner, and you’re standing there as the Twi’leks’ resistance has landed with the imperial transport and some of their own speeder bikes, not super close to you, and medics run out to check on the injured. The medics don’t have a lot of work to do because, as you know, most of the people who were shot didn’t make it. The imperial security was a lot heavier than they were expecting and was carrying stronger blasters than they were expecting.

You park your speeders a distance away, and this action is all kind of rushing around you. Nobody’s really paying attention to you right now. And then you see a purple Twi’lek hop out of the driver seat of the imperial transport. She’s probably 20-30 meters away from you. She peels a pair of dusty goggles off of her face and begins to stomp in your all direction. You probably have a few seconds before she gets there.

HUDSON (as Tink): Who’s that?

LILIT (as Xianna): Tink, let me hide behind you. Just pretend I’m not here, Tink.

HUDSON (as Tink): Done.

LILIT (as Xianna): Just, Tink, hide me.

HUDSON (as Tink): Done.

LILIT: Xianna is now clutched onto Tink’s back and partially dug into the fur.

HUDSON (as Tink): [pained] Agh!

LILIT: And just doing her best to mold into the silhouette of Tink and not be seen. [laughs]

HUDSON (as Tink): [gritted, hushed] Don’t grab me so hard, twitchy.

LILIT (as Xianna): [hushed] Shh! Shh! I told you, just pretend I am not here. Just say that I went away. Say I went to the bathroom or something, that I was having tummy problems.

CAMERON: Karma is leaning against one of the speeders.

NICK: You turn your head to watch the action around you and your head tails blow in a nonexistent breeze for a second. So, Xianna is clinging to the back of Tink’s fur, Tink is trying to smile behind his translator and not have to lean forward too far, Karma is observing, HK is staring into space, and this purple Twi’lek stomps up.

NICK (as Taan): Where is she?

HUDSON (as Tink): Who? She? She’s not here!

NICK (as Taan): Don’t give me that. I know she’s here. Where is she?

HUDSON (as Tink): Uh, uh, uh… Karma! Karma, where is she?

CAMERON: I think Karma and HK are behind Tink with Xianna on his back, so Karma just kind of points towards Tink from behind him.

HUDSON (as Tink): No Karma, not looking for “me,” looking for “her.”

NICK (as Taan): Listen here big boy, I have had a very difficult day and I need to talk to that Twi’lek that you are with or we are going to have problems and they are going to hurt you. So, you can give up wherever that other Twi’lek that was with you mercenaries was or I can beat the kriff out of you. Which would you prefer?

NICK: She smiles really broadly, and you can tell that she’s kind of hoping that you’re gonna pick option two. Tink, you don’t know how she would beat you up, but she seems pretty confident.

HUDSON: I do a 180.

LILIT: Xianna sort of stumbles as Tink moves around and loses grip and falls a little bit but catches herself before coming face-to-face with Taan.

LILIT (as Xianna): Oh, um… ello. I did not see you there. I was, um… busy.

NICK (as Taan): Oh, you were “busy” for, how long has it been? Ten years?

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean… That is, um… yes, maybe it has been ten years, but… I have been very busy, you know? I’ve gone to prison like three times and I’ve gotten married. Not for real, but you know, it’s still an ordeal every time you do it. And you know, being on a ship with a crew… I have a pet loth-rat. It is a lot to deal with, you know?

NICK (as Taan): Oh yes, the loth-rats, they are a lot of responsibility. You’re right. This makes sense to me why you would go to our uncle, give him money, and then abandon me, abandon your home.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay, abandoning our home, I can kind of understand why you would think that. And I did, a little bit, you know, but that was the point. If anything I feel like you abandoned me because we had agreed to leave the planet together. Then I show up at the port and you are nowhere to be found, and I just have to get a com message from you saying that you changed your mind. So if anything I feel like I was maybe the one who was abandoned.

NICK: You can see a muscle twitching in her jaw and her lekku are moving. Whenever you’re talking she’s basically yelling at you with her lekku language. [chuckles] So, you’re getting the time to talk verbally, but you are getting no break from this tirade.

NICK (as Taan): Now you are with these mercenaries? You are killing imperials. You are helping us, great, but you didn’t tell us you were coming. You could have blown our cover… I just don’t even understand, Xiann. Who are these people?! You have this droid who keeps looking at me.

LILIT (as Xianna): HK, stop looking at her! Look in a different direction! But anyways.

LILIT: And Xianna turns back.

LILIT (as Xianna): I did not know you were going to be here, okay? I thought that we could just come to the planet, we could do the business we needed to, and we could leave without ever having to interact and I could be here as little as possible, but apparently the person who was giving us info just did not mention who else was there and I did not know it was you.

NICK: She crosses her arms and noticeably begins to ignore Xianna and looks at Karma and Tink.

NICK (as Taan): Hello. Thank you for coming to the aid of the Rylothi people. We thank you and owe you a debt. Unfortunately, most of our funds have been used on supplies for the liberation movement, but perhaps we can come up with some sort of payment, you strangers who have helped us in our time of need.

HUDSON (as Tink): What’s your snack counter look like?

CAMERON (as Karma): Tink.

LILIT (as Xianna): Tink, we don’t need more snacks.

HUDSON (as Tink): I don’t see—In what world do we ever not have enough snacks?

LILIT (as Xianna): When we don’t have more room on the ship for more snacks.

HUDSON (as Tink): Oh…

NICK (as HK): Boss Man, the entire mess is currently filled with Space Doritos, Spunyuns, and Dunkaroos.

HUDSON (as Tink): Oh, those Dunkaroos are good.

NICK (as Taan): We are starving to death down here and you are asking for food while you have more. I understand that the space life is glamorous and has different concerns. I… Ugh. I don’t even know what to do with you. Why are…? Go away, please? Leave me here? Why are you even here? I don’t—

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay fine. We can leave. If you don’t want us here, we can leave, but just let us kill Endo and we will be gone. That is all we came here to do.

NICK (as Taan): No, you can’t kill Endo. Endo is the reason we’re able to fight the Empire.

LILIT (as Xianna): [huffs] Look. He wants to fight the Empire, but he is only trying to fight the Empire so that he can take over himself. He has this whole weird plan and he’s getting artifacts and weird shit and I don’t even know exactly what it is. I keep forgetting, but he’s doing something, so we have to… I keep saying kill. I don’t think everyone else wants to kill him, but like, defeat him. You know what I mean?

NICK (as HK): I would very much like to kill him.

CAMERON (as Karma): We know, HK.

LILIT (as Xianna): And besides, he’s tried to kill us in the past, so I feel like we are allowed to kill him, like self-defense and whatever. But like, if you just leave us alone we can leave you alone and we don’t have to keep talking.

NICK (as Taan): You hear this?

NICK: She points to Tink and Karma.

NICK (as Taan): We have only seen each other for the first time in ten years and she’s saying that she wants to leave again. Do you see what I have to deal with?

LILIT (as Xianna): You just said we needed to leave. You just said that we should go! So, you know, I’m just trying to do what you want me to do.

NICK: She rolls her eyes so hard you worry she’s gonna dislocate them. Appearing behind you, like Batman, you hear a voice that says:

NICK (as Endo): Oh, so now you’re trying to kill me? That’s laughable. I’m going to be instrumental in keeping these noble resistance fighters alive, kicking the Empire off of Ryloth, and you want to kill me for some trinkets?

LILIT: Xianna twirls around and points at Endo.

LILIT (as Xianna): You shut the fuck up. I am talking to my sister right now. I will talk to you later, and I will try to kill you later, but wait your fucking turn! Okay? I am having a conversation.

LILIT: Then she whirls back around.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay. So you don’t want us here, obviously, because you told us we should go, so we are just going to go now. Is that okay with you?

HUDSON (as Tink): Hey, uh, Xianna’s sister… I’m just saying, don’t he sound evil though? Don’t Endo sound evil…?

NICK (as Taan): Your droid sounds evil.

HUDSON (as Tink): Our droid has programming in it to not be evil anymore.

LILIT (as Xianna): No, he is absolutely evil. He murders people all the time. But he just wants to murder individuals. He does not want to take over the entire galaxy. There is a difference.

NICK: [smiling] Behind you, as you’re having this argument, Endo has put his hands up and taken a few steps back and looks like he’s trying to inspect the wall like it’s really, really interesting. You actually shut him down pretty hard. [laughs]

NICK (as Taan): Honestly, listen to the emotion in Xiann’s voice. Wouldn’t you say that borderlines on evil?

HUDSON (as Tink): Uh…

LILIT (as Xianna): No, this is not evil. This is hyper and aggressive because I have taken drugs. Okay? I have taken drugs, and I am upset, and you are being annoying, and I just think that you should tell us. Do you want us to go or do you want us to leave?

NICK (as Taan): Xiann!

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean stay. Whichever one it is. Do you want me to go or do you want us to leave? We can’t do both.

NICK (as Taan): You’ve been taking the drugs?!

LILIT (as Xianna): yes! I have. They are fun, okay?

NICK: She is slightly open-mouthed and blinking.

NICK (as Taan): Now I do not want you to go because I think we need to have a talk, Xiann.

LILIT (as Xianna): Look. Do you want to buy some? I don’t have a huge amount on me, but I can sell you something.

HUDSON (as Tink): Now you should know, the last time I asked Xianna if she had a problem with drugs she said “the problem is I don’t have any drugs right now” if that tells you anything.

NICK (as Taan): No, I don’t want to buy drugs. After everything that you’ve been through, I can’t believe that you would throw away so much of your life on drugs.

LILIT (as Xianna): Throw away? It is an improvement. I am so much faster when I do them.

CAMERON (as Karma): Um, Taan? Yes?

NICK (as Taan): Yes, my name is Taan.

CAMERON (as Karma): Hi… I’m Karma. It’s nice to meet you. I’m on your sister’s crew. Um, I—

NICK (as Taan): Well that immediately puts us off on the wrong foot. I’m going to be honest.

CAMERON (as Karma): Yeah, and I do apologize for that, but I also do very much understand where you’re coming from in this conversation. So you are—

NICK (as Taan): You hear that, Xiann? Even your crewmate agrees with me.

LILIT (as Xianna): No, she did not agree with you. She just said that she heard you. There is a difference.

NICK (as Taan): And that’s all I’m asking for is for you to hear me, Xiann.

LILIT (as Xianna): I did hear you, but you keep making no sense.

CAMERON (as Karma): What I’m just saying is that y’all are starting to garner a little bit of attention. The room is a little bit echoey.

NICK: [grinning] The camera zooms out and the entire resistance is just staring at this group of people arguing and Endo has scooted himself further away.

[laughter]

LILIT: But everyone is doing it, like, holding crates and just slowly walking while staring and pretending to do stuff, but very clearly everyone has stopped, and then they quickly turn around and get back to busywork.

CAMERON (as Karma): So I do think it is very important probably for both of y’all’s mental health for y’all to have a conversation, but do you have a more private place that y’all could have this? I just, I feel like it really needs to happen, but I also feel like y’all have a lot of emotions to let go of and I want a safe space for you to do that.

HUDSON (as Tink): Do you have like a thunder dome?

NICK (as Taan): We do have a thunder dome, but we will not be going there. Xiann, come with me. We are going to have a conversation.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay fine.

NICK (as Taan): I owe it to our mother to put you on the right track.

LILIT (as Xianna): Oh don’t  you bring our mother into this!

NICK (as Taan): Oh I’ll bring my mother into this.

LILIT (as Xianna): Your mother?! It is my mother too. You can’t pretend like she only gave birth to you. I was first, you know.

CAMERON: [laughs]

NICK: They’re like slapping at each other.

LILIT (as Xianna): I am your elder! You will respect me, okay? I am the matriarch of the family!

CAMERON: [laughs]

NICK (as Taan): [mockingly] Matriarch of the family! Meh, meh, meh.

NICK: And they’re just slapping at each other and walking back towards a barracks leaving Karma and Tink and HK standing nearby to Endo. Endo looks up from where he’s inspecting the wall.

NICK (as Endo): Wow. Awkward, right?

CAMERON: Karma just does the slow nod.

HUDSON (as Tink): Yeah buddy.

NICK (as Endo): I guess now would be a great time to kill me since that’s what you want to do, right here in the middle of all these people who owe me their lives. Take your best shot.

CAMERON (as Karma): You know, that’s really more her thing.

NICK: You can just see flailing lekku and angry distant shouting in the distance as they walk across the hanger.

CAMERON (as Karma): She gets a little murderous and aggressive when she’s angry.

NICK: For the record, Cameron, Karma has said multiple times “I’m going to kill Endo.”

CAMERON: Oh yeah! I know. Karma knows that too. [laughs]

NICK: Okay.

CAMERON: But Karma’s not gonna invite a fight in the middle of this room.

NICK: We see a yellow Twi’lek man. He’s got one of his lekku thrown over his shoulder like a scarf. He smiles, and his teeth are sharpened.

NICK (as Twi’lek): Hello. I believe we owe you our lives. Perhaps we could talk about what brings you here.

CAMERON: Karma points towards the flailing purple as it enters the office or wherever it’s going.

NICK (as Twi’lek): Oh yes, you will have to forgive the general. She is a woman of passion.

CAMERON (as Karma): You know, family reunions can come with a lot of emotions attached.

NICK: [smiling] And with that we’re gonna cut away to Taan’na and Xianna. Xianna, your sister has led you into a small room in a barracks. It looks like it was once used for storage, but all that’s there is two durasteel chairs and a durasteel table with a single dangling lightbulb. You follow her into the room and she goes behind you and slams the door shut and pulls the light on, and it casts dark shadows, and she sits down in a chair.

NICK (as Taan): Well, at least this is neutral ground. Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay, fine.

LILIT: Xianna plops down into the chair.

NICK: Do you slouch with your arms crossed?

LILIT: Yeah. Xianna is sitting in the chair as sarcastically as a person can.

[chuckling]

NICK: Taan’na is sitting up straight with almost… It’s not like military posture, it’s like someone who has seen what military is supposed to look like, doesn’t like it, but can’t help but be disciplined at the same time. She puts an arm down on the table.

NICK (as Taan): Xiann, I’m gonna be honest. I don’t know whether to hug you or slap you.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay, well it seems like you want to slap me.

NICK (as Taan): You show up, you’re on drugs, you save my life, you save my friends’ lives… We haven’t talked in years. You send money, I know you do, but… you haven’t spoken to me, I can’t get ahold of you. I can’t reach out, I can’t risk the Empire finding us, but you could have reached out first. The first time I see you, you’re on drugs. You’re killing people.

LILIT (as Xianna): As if you are not also killing people.

NICK (as Taan): That’s my job! Your job is to transport things.

LILIT (as Xianna): It is my job too!

NICK (as Taan): Well good for you.

LILIT (as Xianna): Well like, not technically, but like… you know, roundabout. My job is like stealing things and stuff.

NICK (as Taan): Heh, haven’t changed much, have you Xiann?

LILIT (as Xianna): No, I have not, okay? I mean I have, I have changed a lot. I have a lot of things in my life right now. But… okay.

LILIT: Xianna takes a big deep breath and folds her hands in her lap.

LILIT (as Xianna): Okay. I am just saying, I felt like when we made an agreement that we were going to pool our money together and pawn the few valuable items in the house so that we could have enough money to leave the planet and be done with all of this, together. Then I show up to the spaceport and get onto the ship before finding out that you have changed your mind and you were going to stay. It was a big betrayal, and I felt like my trust was violated.

I did not know how to talk to you after that, so then I stopped talking to you because I left, and then I did not know when and how to start talking to you again because the betrayal was still hurtful and stung.

NICK: She raises her drawn-on eyebrows, because Twi’leks don’t have eyebrows.

LILIT (as Xianna): And also you are just annoying as a person.

NICK (as Taan): I’m the annoying one?

LILIT (as Xianna): Yes.

NICK (as Taan): Well, that was very well thought out. Are you seeing someone to help you with these conflicts, these feelings? It seems like you are.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, I am seeing somebody, but I am not seeing like a therapist. You know? I am just seeing somebody. It is different. I have just been reading a lot of self-help books and a lot of things on the Holonet about it and just trying to be more emotionally available and to stop shutting everything off and avoid it through partying and drugs.

NICK (as Taan): Xiann, what drugs are you on right now?

LILIT (as Xianna): Oh, I am on impact right now.

NICK: She nods, calmly.

LILIT (as Xianna): Again, it does increase my performance. I am a better fighter on it, okay?

NICK (as Taan): That makes sense.

NICK: We cut back to Karma and Tink. You find yourself seated around an energy generator on some camp chairs with the yellow Twi’lek you learn is named Colonel Kachadorian. Endo and a couple of Endo’s pirates have also gathered nearby. Endo isn’t saying anything, but he seems to be well-respected and nobody seems suspicious of him wanting to hear what’s going on. You are both holding warm cups of caf and Colonel Kachadorian says:

NICK (as Kachadorian): So, you have helped us out in our time of need. What can I do for you?

HUDSON (as Tink): Well, from talking to Taan, it seems like snacks are off the table.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Oh yes, we are barely making ends meet. I feel compelled to offer to help you, but we could use your help more.

HUDSON (as Tink): Karma, what are we here for again?

NICK (as Endo): Yeah Karma, why did you come here?

CAMERON (as Karma): Excuse me. Please don’t talk to me.

CAMERON: Karma doesn’t even look towards Endo.

NICK: The colonel raises his eyebrows and smiles.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Oh, you have some history.

CAMERON (as Karma): Yes, he was a prisoner at an incarceration facility. So, we don’t need any repayment for assisting in taking down the transport. Honestly, it was a pleasure. I don’t know on strategy on that one if it was necessarily the best move, but I also don’t know the full state of where y’all are at right now and you may be in a position where that level of a desperate attempt… That was not well-balanced… Yeah.

NICK (as Kachadorian): I regret the stage that we are at, but the Empire has taken us to some desperate straits. We are barely holding on. But, their occupation has grown more and more costly on their end as well. We hope to get them off of Ryloth in the near future.

CAMERON (as Karma): Has your main focus been like today where you’re wanting to capture the Empire assets or are you more just causing those assets to become unusable for the Empire?

NICK (as Kachadorian): How you say… a little of column A, a little of column B?

CAMERON (as Karma): Alright. Fair enough.

NICK (as Kachadorian): This mission was supposed to get us supplies to get us through the next few months. Unfortunately, it sounds like they knew we were coming. No idea how that could have happened, but unfortunately we will have to rely on our friend Endo for some more smuggling.

CAMERON (as Karma): [sighs]

NICK (as Kachadorian): He’s been selfless in keeping us there even if his services are expensive.

CAMERON (as Karma): Hmm. How much connection do you have within Lessu?

NICK (as Kachadorian): We have some. Some citizens help us, some are afraid. We know some things going on, but we cannot predict the Empire’s movements beyond the normal schedule.

CAMERON (as Karma): The city seemed fairly well locked down, lots of checkpoints in places.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Yes.

CAMERON (as Karma): My main concern would be that someone who was aware of your efforts being interrogated, forced into revealing things, or tempted into revealing things to the Empire units on the planet. Because the state of the… The people within Lessu are not doing well either within this occupation. I see lots of desperation all around.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Every mission we do is a risk. I know that the citizenry is desperate as well, but hopefully in the near future we will kick the Empire out. In fact, if you are willing to help us with something very dangerous and very risky, we may be able to kick them out once and for all.

HUDSON (as Tink): We’re in.

CAMERON (as Karma): Whoa, hold on. I’m listening.

HUDSON (as Tink): Oh wait, not yet? Not yet?

CAMERON (as Karma): Not yet.

HUDSON (as Tink): Okay.

NICK: And we cut back to Taan and Xiann.

NICK (as Taan): Xiann, this is a losing fight. I’m not sure we can kick the Empire out no matter how we try. ColonelKachadorian has plans and ideals, but most of our funds go to securing supplies and the Empire always has more troops. I can’t leave because my fellow Twi’leks need me. I’m happy that you got out, but I’m also sad that you wouldn’t stay to fight for our home.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, we were children. We should not have had to be making those decisions. There were other people that would have fought.

NICK (as Taan): Do you remember little Milli, friend of ours? Her mother disappeared around the same time ours did.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, they did not disappear, they were violently dragged out of their houses and we just never knew exactly what happened to them.

NICK (as Taan): Yes.

LILIT (as Xianna): But yes, I remember.

NICK (as Taan): They probably died around the same time. Little Milli, the day I was going to meet you, tried to kill some stormtroopers and she got caught. I had to go and help break her out before they sent her to jail. She wouldn’t have made it without me, and that’s what made me decide to stay, seeing one of our friends almost get disappeared just like our mother. I couldn’t handle it.

LILIT (as Xianna): That is very noble of you, but also it was a losing fight at that time.

NICK (as Taan): It still is.

LILIT (as Xianna): We were literally children. There was only so much that two of us could do. At the time it felt like a better move to just leave, go somewhere less occupied and just accept that the Empire was in control of things, live more peacefully.

NICK (as Taan): Well…

LILIT (as Xianna): But, you know, you stranded me on a ship I had already paid for, so I left.

NICK (as Taan): Maybe you made the right choice. Milli is dead now, and nothing has much changed. But how do you sleep at night, Xiann? Do you sleep well?

LILIT (as Xianna): Yes, I do sleep well. I have a big round bed and it rotates and if I clap I have a disco ball.

NICK: She looks stunned for a second.

LILIT (as Xianna): It might be worth noting that the ship we are on is a repurposed party yacht of dubious origins.

NICK (as Taan): It sounds like you’ve really found your place. That’s… Look. I was feeling a lot of emotions when I saw you, it’s been so long, but I genuinely am happy for you. It sounds like you found something good. This is good.

LILIT (as Xianna): Yes, and now that I’m older and better equipped to deal with it, yes, we are fighting against the Empire now in a sort of roundabout way.

NICK (as Taan): There’s no way to get out of it, is there?

LILIT (as Xianna): No, there really isn’t, but I still feel like children should not have been involved, and that is your decision that you made, but I still can’t help but feel resentful that you chose other people over me.

NICK: She sniffs a little, and she’s relaxed some into the chair, and she looks at you and says:

NICK (as Taan): Fifty thousand credits. Do you know anything about that? I know the money did not come from our uncle.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, did I steal it? I’m sorry. Wait. What do you mean by fifty thousand? I don’t remember stealing fifty thousand. Well, not this time specifically. I have stolen that exact amount in the past, but…

NICK (as Taan): Xiann. Xiann, focus. Focus up. Our uncle gave the resistance 50,000 Credits a few months ago.

LILIT (as Xianna): Oh yes, those were my credits. They were stolen, mostly, I think.

NICK (as Taan): You know that kept us alive all this time, right? That was a lot of money.

LILIT (as Xianna): I am glad it went to something useful.

NICK (as Taan): Thank you.

LILIT (as Xianna): If I had kept it myself I probably would have just lost it somehow.

NICK (as Taan): [chuckles]

LILIT (as Xianna): It always feels like whenever I get a large amount of money I somehow don’t have access to it a short time later. I have no idea how. I just can’t seem to keep onto it.

NICK (as Taan): Well, thank you for… thinking of me. That’s…

NICK: She gets up.

NICK (as Taan): This is not for the money. This is because I’m happy to see you.

NICK: And she holds her hands out for a big hug.

LILIT: Xianna goes in and gives a big hug and squeezes, and then whispers.

LILIT (as Xianna): And we also blew up an Empire shipyard, so…

NICK (as Taan): Oh kriff!

LILIT (as Xianna): You know, I’m just saying, I am doing my part for the war effort or whatever.

NICK: She puts her hands on your shoulders and holds you back so she can get a full view of your face.

NICK (as Taan): Xiann, that’s pretty impressive, but was it on purpose though?

[moment of silence]

NICK: [chuckles] And we’re gonna cut away to Karma and Tink. There’s little diagrams in the dirt, it looks like an organizational chart, andKachadorian is saying:

NICK (asKachadorian): So, our last ditch effort is to assassinate the governor of Ryloth, and I’ve seen the weapons that you bring and heard reports of your skills. Quite frankly, I think that we could pay you for the work.

NICK (as HK): You son of a bitch I’m in.

CAMERON: [laughs]

HUDSON (as Tink): Wait. Can I say it now, Karma?

CAMERON (as Karma): [sighs] Just a little bit more information for me, before you say that, Tink. Okay? Just like a few more minutes.

HUDSON (as Tink): Okay.

CAMERON (as Karma): Okay.

NICK (as HK): But Karma, I already said you son of a bitch I’m in. That is contractually binding.

CAMERON (as Karma): Buddy, I know you’re in. The rest of the crew is still TBD.

NICK (as HK): We are part of an LLC. My word is binding as CEO and CFO.

HUDSON (as Tink): No, we’re part of a C corporation. We did that for tax purposes, dang it.

NICK (as HK): Oh right, I forgot. Please continue, Karma.

CAMERON (as Karma): [weary] Uh… Governor of Ryloth is in Lessu?

NICK (asKachadorian): Yes. Yes, it is the capital city of Ryloth. Where else would they be?

CAMERON (as Karma): You know, I honestly wasn’t sure.

NICK (asKachadorian): There’s even a mansion gubernatorial.

CAMERON (as Karma): Alright. If you had to give just a rough base estimate, what would you say totals are for troops? At least within the Lessu area at this time.

NICK (as Kachadorian): This is not an assignment I would tackle head-on. They have thousands.

CAMERON (as Karma): Oh yeah, I wasn’t going through the stormtroopers. I was just wondering.

NICK (as Kachadorian): It’s a full imperial detachment. They have periodic resupply and reinforcement from the star destroyer patrols in orbit. You would need to strike hard and strike fast.

CAMERON (as Karma): But we’re still at the star destroyer patrols phase and not at the blockade phase?

NICK (as Kachadorian): Did you see one on the way in?

CAMERON (as Karma): No, I did not see one on the way in. Alright, that’s good.

NICK (as Kachadorian): So they are not expecting much more resistance than what we do day to day.

CAMERON (as Karma): Alright.

NICK (as Kachadorian): It is possible you could sneak in, kill the governor, and get back out.

CAMERON: Is one of the maps he had sketched out on the ground of the city of Lessu?

NICK: No, but you’ve been there and you could draw a square and then a circle and some roads.

CAMERON: Okay. I draw a square, and then a circle, and one bridge coming off of it, but it’s kind of a dotted line bridge, it’s not stable. I kind of wave… I guess I drew it with my sword, because that was the stick I had on me. I kinda wave it around.

CAMERON (as Karma): Where within Lessu is the mansion located?

NICK: He quirks a smile and makes eye contact with Endo who’s been sitting there quietly, and he takes his stick and he points to the top of the mountain.

CAMERON (as Karma): Of course it is.

NICK (as Kachadorian): It’s, uh… it’s metaphoric, no?

CAMERON: Huh. So safe in assuming that is past… that I would know that is past multiple of the checkpoints that I went through?

NICK: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

CAMERON: Okay.

NICK: It’s in a neighborhood you didn’t even go to because it was secured enough, and you all were messing around with the normal citizenry not the upper class.

CAMERON: Yup.

HUDSON (as Tink): So… we’re in?

CAMERON (as Karma): Hmm. I’d very much like to be in, but I do feel bad making that decision without Xianna being aware of the fact that we’re signing her up for something.

NICK: At this point we see Xianna and Taan’na walking back towards you all. Endo looks less relaxed and stands up and moves away from the group just a little bit. Xianna, what about these two’s body language shows that they’ve at least come to a truce if not forgiven each other?

LILIT: I think one that Tink and Karma wouldn’t necessarily notice as much as everyone else in the room, but the two of them are no longer speaking to each other in lekku languages and are not yelling at each other or being sarcastic with their lekku anymore.

NICK: Okay. You all walk up and Colonel Kachadorian gestures widely.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Taan! I found you a group of assassins to go and finish off the governor.

LILIT (as Xianna): Oh shit! Are we doing political assassinations now?

NICK (as Kachadorian): Yes we are!

HUDSON (as Tink): [excitedly] Xianna! We got signed up. We got signed up. We got signed up. Oh, I can say it now!

CAMERON (as Karma): We haven’t officially said yes, in case you have any strong oppositions.

HUDSON (as Tink): I’m so close to saying it, though.

CAMERON (as Karma): I know.

NICK: [smiling] Something that you all may want to think about is you did not come here to kill the governor, you came here to get some stuff from Endo, so this is kind of a side distraction.

CAMERON: Yes, but so what I’m thinking is… Endo seems like the most useful fight-wise out of any of them, and he’s not gonna let us go off by ourselves, so if he follows us off into the non-base area where we’re not surrounded by Twi’lek resistance and he happens to die… oh darn, how terrible for him.

LILIT: Xianna is leaned over the table looking at all the blueprints and the maps and is pointing at things and has somehow gotten a pencil and is crossing things out and adding little notes.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, Karma, you are okay with straight-up planned murder now?

CAMERON (as Karma): It’s called a political assassination of the “Empire’s” guy, so yeah.

LILIT (as Xianna): I’m just making sure. Usually you tell us we should not just “plan” the murders out.

CAMERON (as Karma): You know, I’m not—This is an infiltration effort that definitely the end is that we are killing someone. But, you know, really we’re, it’s uh… Hmm. I don’t really equate murder and killing war criminals to the same thing.

LILIT (as Xianna): Cool.

CAMERON (as Karma): I think that’s my line.

LILIT (as Xianna): Cool, cool, cool. I get to keep whatever I steal, right?

CAMERON (as Karma): Yeah, sure.

LILIT (as Xianna): Awesome. Great.

NICK (as Taan): Xiann!

LILIT (as Xianna): What?!

NICK (as Taan): We are freeing our people and you are focused on the money. We just talked about this.

LILIT (as Xianna): Not necessarily the money, just if there are any cool items. Like, my girlfriend’s birthday is coming up and I need to get her something.

HUDSON (as Tink): Oh, I bet the governor’s mansion has a ton of cool items.

LILIT (as Xianna): I know. Exactly. She would love it. I probably should get her a few things, some that are just for her and some that she would be very excited to sell. You know?

CAMERON (as Karma): I do have a strange inkling that the governor’s mansion may be full of, I don’t know, cultural… important cultural artifacts from Lessu.

NICK (as Kachadorian): It absolutely is.

CAMERON (as Karma): Yeah.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Part of why we have not launched an assault. It’s a building that has important meaning to us as a people.

CAMERON (as Karma): Mm-hmm.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, obviously I’m not stealing those things, I’m stealing, like… the gaudy gem necklaces and stuff like that.

NICK (as Kachadorian): Oh yeah, feel free to take whatever kinds of imperial bullshit that you want. I don’t care as long as you kill the governor.

NICK: And Kachadorian winks at you.

LILIT (as Xianna): I feel like everybody should know at this point that I’m not going to steal the cultural artifacts.

NICK (as Taan): I was a little concerned. From what we’ve talked about so far I didn’t know where your line was. I’m glad it is there.

LILIT (as Xianna): I mean, I would steal his shoes and wine collection.

NICK: We see Xianna go pale and then flush as she remembers the situation with her wine collection that recently was discovered. [laughs]

CAMERON: [laughs] Oh no.

LILIT: She shakes her head and glares at Tink.

HUDSON (as Tink): Huh?

LILIT (as Xianna): I am not going to get overly mad. It is in the past, and I cannot change it. Okay.

HUDSON (as Tink): Karma, can I say it?

NICK (as HK): But secondary user, it may be in the past and you cannot change it, but you could get your vengeance.

CAMERON (as Karma): HK?!

LILIT (as Xianna): HK, you are not helping.

NICK (as HK): Sorry, I am getting excited about the idea of killing someone.

CAMERON (as Karma): Hmm.

HUDSON (as Tink): [gritted] Alright. Can I say it?

LILIT (as Xianna): Yes, you can say it!

CAMERON (as Karma): Yes, Tink. Go.

HUDSON: I get excited. I start jumping up and down. I point to Karma and I say:

HUDSON (as Tink): You’re in!

HUDSON: And I point to Xianna and I say:

HUDSON (as Tink): You’re in!

HUDSON: And I point to HK and I say:

HUDSON (as Tink): You’re in!

HUDSON: And I point to Endo and I say:

HUDSON (as Tink): You’re Endo!

CAMERON: [laughs]

HUDSON: And then I point to me and I say:

HUDSON (as Tink): I’m in! We’re all in!

NICK: And that’s gonna be the end of the episode!

ALL: Ba-naaa~!

## Outro

CAMERON: Thanks for listening to Tabletop Squadron. If you enjoyed our show, please consider leaving a review on your podcast listening app of choice. Reviews help new listeners find the show, and every time we get one the squad does a special secret dance.

If you’re so inclined, you can also help support the show through our Patreon which can be found in the show notes, on our website, and basically anywhere else we post things. We have all sorts of fun Patreon levels including Hot Tub Hangout, a level that gives you access to monthly movie nights with the squad, livestreams, extra Q&A sessions, and bonus extra Discord channels.

Xianna’fan is played by Lilit Penrod. They can be found on Twitter at @cheerio_buffet.

Tink is played by Hudson Jameson. He can be found on Twitter at @hudsonjameson.

Karma Nailo is played by me, Cameron Robertson. You can find me on Twitter at @midnightmusic13.

Our game master is Nick Robertson, and you can find him on Twitter at @alias58.

Our intro song is Space Jam by Pablo Ribot.

Additional music by James Gunter.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram at @Tabletop_Squad and join our Discord and share all of your cute pet photos with us. We also sometimes talk about Star Wars. You can find the link to join our Discord on our website and in our pinned tweet. See you next time.