Star Wars Missions 006 - The Search for Grubba the Hutt

by Dave Wolverton

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +5 to your MP total. The droid opens the door for you.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The droid doesn’t believe you. You must combat it (below).

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  To combat the droid (with a weapon): Add your weaponry# +1 to your weapon’s close-range# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to combat the droid.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. This droid is ready for the scrap heap.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Repeat this confront until the droid is disabled.

  To combat the droid (hand-to-hand): You must grapple with it to turn off the power supply behind its back. Add your strength# to your skill# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to grapple with the droid.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. The droid is out for the night. You may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Repeat this confront until you have switched off the guard droid.

  Once you have defeated the droid, add 20 MP to your total (30 MP for Advanced Level players).

  You stand there for a moment, preparing yourself mentally. You hope that your friends are still alive. Above the door is a trip-bar, which you realize is some kind of alarm.

  To enter quietly, you must disable the alarm.

  Note: If you persuaded the droid to open the door, you do not need to worry about the alarm. Simply proceed.

  To disable the alarm: Your skill# +1 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference to your MP total. You disable the alarm. You may proceed.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Repeat the confront using the same confront# until you succeed.

  You rush down the tunnel to the detention center. You see surveillance cameras up on the walls, but there is no way that you can blast them without drawing more attention to yourself.

  You enter a large room, where banks of security monitors are flashing warnings. Three menacing guard droids have taken defensive positions behind various desks and countertops. One of them shouts, “Warning: You have trespassed onto the property of the Zabin Hive. In the name of Queen Zabin, surrender, human!”

  “Look,” you answer, “I just came here to get my friends back! I’m not looking for trouble.”

  One particularly fierce-looking droid stands up. He holds a laser cannon in his arms, and has power cartridges strapped over his chest in a bandolier. “Maybe you’re not looking for trouble, mister,” the droid says. “But you’ve found him!” The droid powers up the laser cannon, so that it whines as its cooling engines begin to heat. Vapors fill the room. “Go ahead, human —” the droid squints at you and dares you to fire, “complete my day!”

  Another burly droid draws an enormous blaster and aims in your direction, shouting, “Hasta la blaster, baby!”

  As you look at the brave droids you realize something is wrong. These Kubaz think you’re the bad guy.

  Threepio tugs at your elbow. “Excuse me,” the droid says. “But rather than a shoot-out, which I think you are certain to lose, might I propose a more diplomatic course of action?”

  You look at See-Threepio. He is a diplomatic droid, well-versed in the customs and protocols of various alien species. “What would you suggest?”

  “The Kubaz government is based upon hive organization,” Threepio says. “If they think you are a warrior, they will treat you as an invader. Perhaps if would be better to present yourself as a diplomat, a foreign emissary, and appeal to their hive-honor.”

  “Oh,” you say.

  You look up at the deadly droids. “I am a diplomatic emissary from the Rebel Alliance,” you say. “Take me to your leader.”

  You must convince the droids to take you to their leader. You can persuade them with Power or without Power. Choose now.

  To persuade the guard droids (without Power): You say, “Look, I’ll drop my weapon.” Then you throw down your weapon. Your charm# +2 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +3 to your MP total. You have a gift for charming Kubaz guard droids. They escort you to their queen.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. One of the droids comes and slaps you with the butt of his weapon. He then drags you to his queen.

  To persuade the Kubaz (using Power)*: Use your Persuasion Power. Your charm# + your Jedi# + your Power’s low-resist# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +3 to your MP total. You are much beloved by Kubaz guard droids. They escort you to their queen.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. One of the droids comes and slaps you with the butt of his weapon. He then drags you to his queen.

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  You are taken down long tunnels to Queen Zabin. You have never seen a female Kubaz before.

  She sits in regal splendor upon her throne in a great room. Pet ghost spydrs behind her are held captive with chains of gold. Diamond rings adorn her gray snout, and her face is painted with graceful blue tattoos. Dozens of other Kubaz courtiers groom her. These courtiers are Kubaz children, dressed in splendid robes of white, with clustered gems at their collars. Around the queen, incense burns in silver braziers, so that the sweet smoke fills the hall.

  You go to her and bow. Threepio translates for you. “Wondrous Queen Zabin,” you say, “great is the honor of your hive. I come to you as an emissary of the human worlds, seeking justice.”

  “I have heard of the human worlds,” Queen Zabin says, “and have been anxious to establish trading partnerships with your people. The Zabin hive has long provided the finest-tasting ghost spydrs in the galaxy. Yet I have no direct outlet to the human worlds.”

  You wonder if you can make some kind of trade. Certainly, even in the Rebel Alliance, there must be some species who would want to purchase ghost spydr meat.

  “You are anxious to trade as we are,” you answer courteously. “Whole worlds are hungry for your goods. But there is a matter between us that must first be resolved.” “What is that?”

  “I am on a diplomatic mission,” you say. “A child, a young Hutt, has been taken from its family against its will. This is against the laws of our worlds. The penalties are most severe. A member of your hive brought the child here. We must return the child to its family.”

  Cautiously, Queen Zabin says, “I, too, love my children. I would regret if one were taken from me. I would seek vengeance. Would your laws punish my child, for taking the Hutt?”

  You nod, and say, “Yes.”

  “On Kubindi,” Queen Zabin says, “the laws of one hive do not apply to the next. I would not want my child punished. However, we also see the necessity of trade.”

  “What is it you want of me?” you ask.

  “Go to my kitchens, and prepare me a human dish, an excellent dish, using the meat of my ghost spydrs. My master chefs will observe you, so that they might prepare it for human guests in the future. If the dish is excellent, you shall have your reward.”

  You want to shout, “But I’m not a cook!” Yet you know that you must prepare the meal. Hers is an odd request, but perhaps it does not seem odd to her alien mind.

  Three fat Kubaz chefs escort you and Threepio to the kitchen — an enormous chamber. Thousands of spices line the walls, and none of them are familiar to you. Herbs and vegetables and exotic fruits abound, and everywhere there is spydr m
eat — huge slabs of white meat from the legs, delicate fingers of darker meat from the claws. Spydrs’ eggs also abound. Some have been pickled, others are freshly laid. Some spydrs’ eyes have been ground into a paste.

  You consider what to do. You can think of only one fancy dish that you might make, a quiche-like soufflé. But you’ve never tried it with spydr meat, or with these strange spices.

  Desperately, you get some fresh spydrs’ eggs, poke them with a knife, and begin beating them with a wire whip. The chefs grunt, and their trunks squiggle as they mutter to one another. You boil a bit of spydr meat, both dark and light, and then taste it. Not bad… but a bit bland.

  With Threepio’s help, you find some oil and begin to fry it. The chefs stare in astonishment. You begin searching for spices on the shelves, opening each container of dried leaves or powder. As you do, you look behind you. Sometimes the chefs give little squeals of worry when you pick up a spice. Other times, they stroke their trunks thoughtfully. Yet on other occasions, they grunt with approval, or even sigh in wonder as you pour a new spice onto the frying spydr meat

  When the spydr meat has been blackened with spices, you pull it off the grill and chop it finely.

  Then you search for something like cheese.

  The funguses that grow in the Silver Forest of Dreams are many and varied, and some are rather pungent. You decide to try a concoction with four varieties. You chop up the funguses.

  You oil a pan and put the meat and fungus at the bottom, then pour the beaten eggs on top.

  This is the most important meal you may ever make.

  To create the perfect alien soufflé: Double your skill# for your confront#. Roll the 6-dice to exercise your full culinary ability (and then some).

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add the difference +5 to your MP total. You just might have pulled this off. Your soufflé is just about ready for the oven.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. Well, at least you tried. Hopefully that will be enough. You may proceed.

  As you finish, you garnish the whole concoction with globs of spydrs’ eyes. Voilà!

  The chefs begin wriggling their trunks excitedly, shouting in Kubaz. One of them claps in spontaneous appreciation, weeping in wonder.

  They grab the uncooked soufflé, preparing to rush it to their queen.

  “Wait!” you shout “First we must bake it!”

  The Kubaz chefs frown and pull at their trunks, definitely worried.

  You heat an oven, place the soufflé inside, and cross your fingers, hoping it will rise, that it will cook just perfectly. You don’t know how well it will rise when made with spydrs’ eggs.

  You wait twenty minutes, thirty. You peer through the glass. The glorious soufflé is rising! In fact, you’ve never seen one puff up like this. Already, it has formed a delicate head, and is beginning to turn a golden brown. In just a moment it should be ready for tasting.

  Just then, there is a dull rumbling sound, and the whole cavern shakes. Oh great, you think, I had to have my soufflé in the oven when a spaceship took off!

  The soufflé falls in ruin.

  Dejected, you pull it from the oven. Yet the aroma of it is surprisingly tantalizing. And you realize that the Kubaz queen has no idea what the soufflé was supposed to look like.

  One of the Kubaz chefs rushes forward and quickly dashes off with the hot pan to the queen’s audience room.

  The queen watches you warily. You know full well that half of any good dish comes with the presentation. You raise your head proudly, give her an encouraging smile, and cross your fingers behind your back.

  To please the queen with your dish, you may charm her without Power, or seek to persuade her with Power.

  To persuade the queen (using Power)*: You must use your Persuasion Power or your Hypnotism Power. Your charm# + your Jedi# + your Power’s midresist# is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add 10 MP to your MP total. The queen smiles and eats another bite. The Kubaz chefs raise a shout of triumph. When she finishes her second bite, the queen offers, “With such grand talents, I would be well pleased if you would stay at Zabin hive and cook for me always!” You graciously decline.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The queen politely takes a bite, and chokes it down. “An interesting flavor,” she says coldly. “Is this how humans would eat my spydr meat?”

  *Note: This counts as one of three Power uses you are allowed on this Mission.

  To charm the queen (without Power): Your charm# +1 is your confront#. Roll the 6-dice.

  If your confront# is equal to or more than your roll#, add 10 MP to your MP total. The queen smiles and eats another bite. The Kubaz chefs raise a shout of triumph. When she finishes her second bite, the queen offers, “With such grand talents, I would be well pleased if you would stay at Zabin hive and cook for me always!” You graciously decline.

  If your confront# is lower than your roll#, subtract the difference from your MP total. The queen eats one bite, and chokes it down. “An interesting flavor,” she says coldly. “Is this how humans would eat it?”

  Satisfied, the queen accepts your dish. “You have won your reward,” she says. “I decree that you and your friends are free to leave this hive, and that you will go with our blessings, and with a cargo full of spydr legs, as a gift to the Rebel Alliance.”

  “But what about the baby Hutt?” you ask. “What about justice!”

  “The young Hutt is gone,” Queen Zabin says. “The child left while you were cooking your dish.” You suddenly remember the rumble of engines that ruined your soufflé. “My subject, Udin, assured me that the child was taken with the full approval of Imperial forces. Your politics are beyond my understanding. I dare not interfere in Imperial concerns.”

  You stare hard at the queen, astonished that she would do this. But you realize she is serious. She does not want to punish her child, and does not want to stir the anger of the Empire. So, for the moment, you are defeated.

  Queen Zabin leans forward and says discretely. “Do not worry. Grubba was brought here only as bait. The bounty hunters still want their human prize. The bounty hunters will leave clues for you to follow.”

  This ends your Mission. You have not freed Grubba, but you know that the Bounty Hunters will set another trap — and next time you plan to get the young Hutt. Award yourself 90 MP (120 for Advanced Level Players).

  Night was falling on Kubindi when Solo, Luke, Leia, and the droids reached the Millennium Falcon. Above the ship, giant fyrefliis were soaring into the air, dancing like spinning moons a thousand feet in the sky.

  Some Kubaz workers finished loading the cold compartments full of ghost spydr meat into the hold of the Falcon, and Solo nodded approvingly. It wasn’t the same as getting Grubba back, but he might be able to sell this stuff to a broker and make a tidy profit from this trip.

  “I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” Leia said to Solo. “I’m sorry most of all for Grubba. I can’t imagine what the poor little Hutt is going through. He’s got to be terrified, and so lonely.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about him too much,” Han said. “Hutts have pretty thick hides, and he’s got some nasty bounty hunters for company. He’s probably loving it.”

  “Still, I wish we could get him back,” Leia said.

  Luke went into the Falcon, only to come out a moment later.

  “Han, we’ve got problems. A coded message came in from Rebel headquarters while we were gone. They say the hammerheads need our help on Ithor.”

  “That’s not far from here,” Solo said. “But what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know for sure,” Luke said, “but while we were gone, the bounty hunters must have breached the security on the Falcon. On the monitor next to the message, I found this.” Luke handed Solo a piece of clothlike paper.

  Scrawled on
the paper in red ink were four words: “See you on Ithor.”

  Aboard Dengar’s ship, the Punishing One, Grubba the Hutt threw down his cards and laughed uproariously. “I win again. I now get eighty-two percent of any bounty that Jabba pays for me!” He reached into a container of baby ghost spydrs and popped one into his mouth. It wriggled frantically as he swallowed. “Mmmmm… when I have my own trading vessel, I will make a fortune selling these to my kin.”

  Dengar shook his head. By now, I should know better than to play cards with the little monster, he thought.

  Eron voiced his sentiments exactly. “Too bad Queen Zabin wouldn’t let us keep Han Solo. If she had, Grubba, you’d be heading back to Jabba by now… and we’d all be rich.”

  “I apologize to everyone for the inconvenience,” Udin the Kubaz said. “I felt sure that my queen would side with us on this. We do, after all, represent the will of the Empire. Still, I must respect her wish to avoid upsetting the Rebels. I fear that I do not have a mind for politics.”

  “Yeah,” Dengar said, “you can’t blame her for wanting to please everyone. But we won’t make this same mistake again. The trap is set. Han Solo won’t escape from us on Ithor.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Eron asked. “The Ithorians haven’t exactly been happy about the Imperial takeover of their world. Solo won’t have to look hard to find friends.”