Count Feracci makes a scene at the Arbiter’s Precinct Station to create a distraction while Lady Adriana takes on Drake.

TURN 4

DRAKE: Now the fight begins in earnest. Drake and two men hop the wall and attack Adriana and her men. Everyone is a tough, experienced fighter, and Adriana and her men avoid harm.

Two of Drake’s crewmen jump the wall and keep going. Someone has to reach the illicit trader, and Drake is occupied with Lady Adriana. As the two men run off, Drake hopes they don’t take the goods–and disappear.

FERACCI: Feracci is waiting to see how Adriana fares, so he continues to distract the Enforcers. Two of his men start to head to the aid of Lady Adriana, but their movement catches the eye of the Arbiter. The GM rolls a die–an Enforcer spots a weapon. Despite Feracci’s bellicose objections, the men are detained.

Meanwhile, Adriana is delighted with the current turn of events. She has Drake all to herself, and she reaches up for her diamond-studded hair pin–which turns out to be rather oversized. In fact, it looks remarkably like a very slim dagger–and it looks oily. Perhaps poison?

It turns out Adriana is fast–very fast–and Drake very narrowly avoids being stabbed. One of Adriana’s men manages to knock out one of Drake’s men, who is prompted stabbed and killed.

ARBITER: Rolling a perception roll, an Enforcer spots an illegal weapon and arrests one of Feracci’s men and the man accompanying him. The Enforcers in the back of the Precinct Station escort their prisoners to the cell block.

TURN 5

DRAKE: The fight continues, and Drake takes on Adriana and her henchmen. Blades, brass knuckles, and a heavy piece of pipe–the weapons are quiet but no less deadly.

Adriana’s goon takes a swing at Drake, who has pulled a short saber from his belt. The Rogue Trader smashes the saber’s steel pommel into the man’s temple, knocking him out.

To the north, Drake’s two crewmen dash across the market square toward the meeting point with the trader.

FERRACI :  Feracci decides it’s time to join the fun. As he’s still visible to the Enforcers, he walks away haughtily but not so fast as to arouse suspicion.

Meanwhile, Adriana is actually laughing as she spars with Drake, her fighting stance almost like a dance as she stabs repeatedly at the Rogue Trader. She wonders how fun it will be to see Drake writhing in agony as her poison takes hold.

Drake’s last crewman almost takes her head, though, drawing her wrath. A quick jab and the man is on the ground, convulsing as poison liquifies his internal organs.

ARBITER: The Enforcers on the roof raises the alarm as he notices the fighting. The Arbiter hurriedly puts his prisoners in a cell and orders his men to stop the fight.

TURN 6

Two of Drake’s crewmen arrive at the tavern to complete the deal with the illicit trader. Question is: Will the men return to Drake’s ship–or take the goods and run for it?

DRAKE: Drake is surrounded, and he’s barely keeping Adriana and her goon at bay. And he sees Feracci and another man racing toward him. Drake does the math. It’s time to call for help. He starts yelling: “Help. I’m being attacked. Enforcers! Enforcers!”

But then,  Drake gets lucky. He fumbles a thrust of his saber–whereas Adriana moved to block what she predicted would be a better-aimed blow. His saber clumsily–yet effectively–gets inside her guard and slides into her torso. With a stunned look on her face, she collapses.

Meanwhile, Drake’s two crewmen finally reach the illicit trader and make the deal. Their timing is none-too-soon: Two of Feracci’s goons appear on the northern table edge. (Random Event Card:  Reinforcements.)

FERRACI: After clearing the corner, Feracci breaks into a run to join his beloved Adriana in the fight. Nothing must happen to her! When she suddenly falls, he is enraged, draws his sword and charges at Drake, screaming at the top of his lungs.

ARBITER: The Enforcers in front of the Precinct Station follow Feracci around the corner. Seeing the violence, they draw their stun rods and rush forward.

TURN 7

DRAKE: Feracci reaches Drake and, screaming like a madman, lets loose a flurry of swings that manages to slice Drake’s arm. Drake can do little but defend himself against the enraged nobleman.

Meanwhile, the two crewmen in the tavern finish their business with the illicit trader–and run out the back door to safety.

FERACCI: Although down, Adriana is still alive. Seeing the approaching Enforcers, she yells at the nobleman that she will survive–and he should flee the scene.

Relieved that she still lives, Feracci’s sense of self-preservation (and his utter selfishness) is restored. He hops the wall and leaves his remaining goon to deal with matters. (Random Event Card: Narrow Escape!)

Meanwhile, Ferraci’s goons near Drake surrender to the Enforcers, while the goons to the north make their way to the tavern where the illicit trader is conducting business. But they’re too late: Drake’s two crewmen already have exited the table.

ARBITER: The Arbiter and his Enforcers arrest everyone still alive.

AND THE WINNER IS …

The Arbiter wins the day with 16 points: Witness who starts an act of violence (5), arrest a leader (10), and arrest a man seen committing a crime (1).

Drake and Feracci tie for second place. Feracci has 9 points: Kill two of Drake’s men unobserved (4), and Drake is arrested and Feracci wasn’t (5). Drake has 9 points: Crewmen pick up artifact (15), three men arrested (-3), Drake wounded (-3)

EPILOGUE

Drake is dragged into the Precinct Station and subjected to intense interrogation. Drake recites a tall tale of being set upon by unknown attackers, and he is just an innocent ship captain who was looking for a dealer in scrap metal.

Later, sitting in his cell, he notices several of his crewman–but there’s no sign of Feracci’s men … or Adriana. Striking up a conversation with an Enforcer, he learns that “Lady” Adriana claims she also was set upon by unknown men–although she specifically refuses to charge Drake. Given her social status–consort to a Belliose nobleman–she was released hours ago. Her wound must not have been that serious; she declined medical treatment.

It’s clear that the Enforcers are not convinced by anyone’s story. But, despite a number of stab wounds and two dead, and no has pressed charges–and there’s enough work for the Enforcers without having to waste time getting to the bottom of this subterfuge. Drake spends another day in detention–and is fined 1,000 credits on a charge of disturbing the peace … unless he wishes to pursue his claim of being attacked with an appearance before the magistrate.

Drake opts to pay the fine and depart. To his relief, he discovers that the two crewmen with the xeno artifacts have decided to return to the ship rather than go independent. He promises them a big bonus–and, with much relief, boards his shuttle and heads back to his orbiting ship.

Meanwhile, Count Feracci and Lady Adriana also leave Morkai. Although furious that his consort was struck down by Drake, Lady Adriana actually defends Drake–and says it was all great fun. Besides, she reassures Feracci with a purr, “we can deal with Drake at our leisure.”

—

TheGM: A perfect matchup for Drake and Feracci. Neither were killed, and while our hero managed to complete his profitable mission, he ended up in jail and the “bad guy” made his escape to cause mischief in the future. You couldn’t ask for a better end to the first tabletop clash of these rivals. It would make a great “B” movie scene.

Click here to read Ambush on Morkai (Part 1).