"Once upon a time in a Galaxy far far away…" A Star Wars Matrix Game scenario was written. Why? Because the hype demands it. This year people will want to play Star Wars games. THE SETTING: The Empire has struck back but the Jedi have not yet returned. So Luke (Duke in this game) is minus one hand and has yet to have his final show down with Vader. The Empire is far from defeated. In fact they are building a new death star. The rebels need to get their hands on the new plans. It just so happens that a copy of those plans is in the citadel of the Imperial garrison on the desert world on Naba-daba-do-to-ine. They are surrounded by three barriers of defense. Once the rebels learn what those barriers are they should be able to get into the fort and steal the plans. The alliance has sent their very best to do this job: Duke Skywalker, Hans Solo, Princess Lea Ortega, Chewbacco and Ar-to-de-do. Naba-daba-do-to-ine has only been garrisoned for the last five years. Prior to that it was an independent planet controlled by a human colony. The humans are Muslim and came to this world to recreate an Islamic paradise. The indiginous life is rather hostile but the Muslims have made some headway in converting them. Along with the ever present off worlders this planet is a powder keg waiting to explode! The game begins just after the heros have landed. For some reason the Empire then stops space travel so the heros go to Earth. There must be an informer in their organization! THE FLOW OF PLAY The Empire Strikes out is a spy game. So players should recruit local agents, find out the defenses of the citadel, make a plan to break in and actually break in. Recruiting agents and breaking in will cause conflicts. Meanwhile the Imperials must try to find the good guys to arrest them. Since they are main characters they can not be killed (only tortured and wounded a little). They must also keep the peace and hold the planet for the Empire. For them, finding where the good guys are hiding (ie crossing their barrier of anonymity) and arresting them cause conflicts. Thought the game is not meant to be a revolution game, it can quite easily turn into a civil riot. Unarmed locals can flood the streets calling for an end to the Empire. The short set of Politics by other means rules included at the end of the characters can be used to play out such encounters. PROPS AND TOYS This game is played on a 2X2 foot 3D map of a North Africa city. It uses 25mm figures. Obviously most people don't have these props. In this case draw a map of a city with the following locations: a citadel, a mosque, a market, a men's court yard, a woman's garden, a cantina, and a space port. Figures are not needed as long as you can remember where everyone is. Each Imperial commander controls 6-8 storm troopers. The local men have 2-3 figures as do the local women. There are 2-3 believing green things and 4-5 unbelieving green things. There are three CNN reporters and two Imperialist British Dogs. All other character cards refer to individual figures. Each player will need a six sided die. The character cards should be copied and placed for all to see on the table. MOVEMENT Character get a free move at the beginning of each turn. They may move anywhere in the town as long as they don't cross any barriers. The barriers are as follows: Only women can enter the women's garden. Only Imperials may enter the citadel. Only Muslims may enter the mosque. No one may follow a figure who is anonymous. No one may leave the planet. No one may leave town. Players can cross barriers by making arguments saying they cross the barrier. This triggers a conflict over whither they make it. THE CHARACTERS DUKE SKYWALKER young, well off, respected "You are the last Jedi knight. Well...er...maybe not. Your sister is also learning the ways of the Force. Together you must defeat the evil empire and restore the republic. But you are plagued by trouble. Nagging twitches in your mechanical hand, and all those pesky auditory hallucinations "Use the Force Duke..." PRINCESS LEA ORTEGA young, wealthy, powerful You awake from a dream screaming, "No, not Alderon!" And it happens again - the Death Star destroys your home and everyone you love. That was several years ago. Now you fight the Empire with your brother Duke and you husband Hans Solo. I hope the republic is worth it because you've given everything to the cause. HANS SOLO young, poor, respected "Hey kid! Don't get cocky! This war ain't over yet!" And boy isn't it. Here you are, a smart smuggler, mixed up in the rebel alliance. Sure your side is winning. Sure you married to a beautiful Princess but what about your future? Legit has got you by the short hairs! You'll never be able to skirt the law again. CHEWBACCO young, poor, powerless Graaaaahhhh? Ooooohhhh. Grrh! (Translation: What are we doing here? Not another "adventure" with Duke. I've got a bad feeling about this!) AR-TO-DE-DO old, impoverished, wretched Beep, beep, wheep ooooooooh. (Translation: I am at you command Master Duke. Are there any computers I can interface for you?) MAJOR MILOSOVIC middle aged, well off, powerful At last! A command of my own. Now that I have been appointed regent of this shit hole the rebel's days are numbered. Round'em up I say! A few months in an Imperial re-education camp (without any food or water) will put and end to the trouble. Your troopers are the best. Look! Their uniforms are the whitest! CAPTAIN KARADICH middle aged, rich, respected Sure the rebels are a problem. But why pursue them to hard. This place is nice. You've been here for five years. The bribes have made you rich the women are attractive and if the locals are a little zealous at least they usually confine themselves to killing one another! THE GRAND MUFTI old, rich, powerful In the name of Allah, the merciful the compassionate! The unbelievers will surely be punished for their disrespect. Only those whom God has chosen will walk in the watered gardens of paradise. (Translation: The filthy savages who have converted will go to heaven. The rest will burn. In the mean time we need protection to be safe on this shit hole of a planet!) THE MUEZZIN young, impoverished, wretched In the name of Allah, the merciful the compassionate! The unbelievers will surely be punished for their disrespect. Only those whom God has chosen will walk in the watered gardens of paradise. (Translation: See how the green ones flock to Islam! Truly we are mighty. Soon we will rise up against the oppressors!) THE BELIEVING GREEN THINGS In the name of Allah, the merciful the compassionate! God has chosen wisely. We accept him and his prophet, peace be unto him! (Translation: The turbaned ones feed us better than the plastic clad ones. But the plastic ones taste so much better - once your get them out of their shells!) THE UNBELIEVING GREEN THINGS Yum! You looka delicious. Would you wanna go hunting with mesa? Mesa know where the best Gungans are. Mesa show you. We can share in the kill. (Translation: Yum! You look delicious. I want to lure you out of town so I can kill you and feed you to my young.) THE IMPERIALIST BRITISH DOGS I say old chap! Its been simply ages since we last met! I'm here with Binky to do a spot of hunting. They say the Gungans are whopping here. Peachy! What? What? Need an Imperial hunting license? Pish twottle! Never needed one before! Damn! THE GRAY ALIENS We work for CNN. We are here covering the horrible things that are happening. What? Nothing horrible is going on? Well, we'll fix that! What? You thought this was a mick? Guess again monkey boy...ZAP! (Translation: Its a slow news day on the Imperial home world. Need a good massacre to stir up ratings.) THE LOCAL WOMEN Storm troopers to the left of us, green things to the right! Why did we ever come to this planet? Maybe if I stay low they will leave me alone. Oh no! Not the children! What can I do to help? These bastards must be stopped! THE LOCAL MEN I love this planet. Storm troopers to the right, green things to the left. The opportunity for profit is enormous! Allah has truly blessed us with such opportunities. Nothing could be made better. THE BUGS Intelligent? Sentient? Beats me. All I know is these bipeds taste good. Maybe if I crawl a little closer one will step on me. WHOMP! Mmmmmmm...tastes good. GRACE DARLING young, poor, powerless Damn the Empire! They killed my family and burned my home. Sure, I sing for them and entertain their officers with my favors. But I hate them! I can't wait till I can get even. EMMA PEEL young, well off, respected Mrs. Peel, you are needed! Mother has sent you to this planet to save the Empire. Of course you are an Imperial agent. But unlike most, you are here to root out corruption. If working with the rebels is what it takes to do this then so be it. The Empire can only survive if its officials are above reproach. THE TWINS young, poor, powerless Ruby one and Ruby two are here on business. They need to meet a man about a dog. Well, maybe its not a dog. Maybe its a package. Maybe they have to deliver it to another man on a distant world. A man with a limp and a bad accent. Gee, I wonder if he's a good guy or a bad guy? DOCTOR BONES middle aged, respectable, respected Damn it! I'm a doctor not a miracle worker! What on Earth am I doing here. Damned spatial anomalies, damned temporal shifts. Where the hell am I? I hope I'm not back in that parallel dimension ruled by the evil empire. I hate that place. I need to get back to the Federation. BRIGITTE young, poor, powerless Come here you great big hunk of a man. I want to get to know you better. Am I not beautiful? Do you now want me? ACE REILLY young, poor, powerless What's an honest spacer to do? The Empire has regular shipping shut down. You're grounded till they open it back up. That could be months! The only option they offer is joining the Imperial fleet. What a choice! FATIMA KHALILA young, well off, respected Daddy is the Grand Mufti of the planet, but you have been given a liberal education on the Imperial home world. You've seen what your missing and you want it. You're looking for a way off this dust bowel. SHIRLEY T. THE LITTLE GIRL child, poor, powerless On the good ship lollipop. It's a short trip to that candy shop. Where bon bons play...I'm sooooo bored. Daddy is always off with the storm troopers protecting you from the inferior creatures. You're glad he does that. You're afraid of the rebels and the other monsters who live under your bed! VELMA THE GOVERNESS middle aged, poor, powerless I am here to protect the children. What a place to bring a family to. What was the Major thinking?!? Not only are their rebels and monsters but the locals have crazy religious views. STINKY THE LITTLE BOY child, impoverished, wretched Allah be praised! I am a local boy of the streets, but the local garrison has taken me in and treat me like a son. I go to school with the commanders daughter and play with her and the governess. Still I slip away sometimes to go to the madrasa to continue my real studies. The muezzin is my friend. JOSEPHINE BAKER young, well off, powerless Woman of mystery, intriguing, fun, dangerous. You have been here for many years. You were here before the Muslims came and well before the Empire sent a garrison. The green things leave you alone as do the bugs. I wonder why, they seem to like to eat every other animal walking around. But you are different. THE FAT MAN old, well off, respected I am interested in acquiring a certain package. I'll pay you well. No questions asked. Why do I want it? Well suffice it to say, I'm completing a collection. GRETA GARBO young, poor, powerless I want to be alone. This life is so miserable. I want it all to end. Argument Strength Roll on 1d6 Very Strong 2,3,4,5,6 Strong 3,4,5,6 Average 4,5,6 Weak 5,6 Very Weak 6 Stupid 7 Battle Matrix Game Rules MOVEMENT: Roll 1d6 to see how many inches your figures move. RANGES: Melee 1" shoot as far as you can see. You can fire in any direction. COMBAT: Roll 1d6 per figure. 6's hit. Hits kill. DUCKING: Make an argument to save hit figures. UNEXPECTED EVENTS: Each turn players can make one argument to make weird things happen. Players can interrupt other player's moves. Back to Table of Contents -- Matrix Gamer #6 To Matrix Gamer List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Chris Engle. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com