Thinking about my Star Wars game

In a few weeks I am set to run a Star Wars game for my group. Our group usually runs 8-10 session games, then moves on to the next or returns to a previous game. Over the next few months, however, we're playing shorter games, (3-5 sessions) in order to get the third and final installment of our Weapons of the Gods campaign done before the summer.

So I am prepping a Star Wars game, set in the Old Republic time (3995 BBY for you SW nerds) using Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies. I am calling it Swashbucklers of the Old Republic (SOTOR). There are several really good reasons I think PDQ# (the S7S system) works for Star Wars, not least of which is the swashbuckling nature of Star Wars.

My original idea was to take the "Cleansing of the Nine Houses" and play it out. So far as I can tell this incident has never been detailed. The source book that it first appears in, Lords of the Expanse, does a very detailed job of describing the Tapani Sector during the Imperial Age, and I can use much of it in my Old Republic era game.

But here's the problem, I've only got 3 4-5 hour sessions to run this thing. The Tapani Sector seems to be an analogue to the Renaissance Italian City-States, so rife with dynastic court intrigue and Machiavellian politicking.

I had originally thought to set this up as the first episode, coming back to it every few months, but my Corvus Disorder (1) (2) is notorious and I can't guarantee I'll return to this game.

So what to do?

I had already thought of reducing the noble houses involved in SOTOR Episode 1 to three. I have previously advised myself and others on ways of packing a lot into a little game time. I must now take this advice to heart:

1. In Media Res. I had thought to have the PCs, all fairly inexperienced Jedi, arrive in the Capital and meet with the Tapani Imperial Chancellor concerning the rumors of Sith activity. Maybe if this was a longish, sand-boxish campaign, but damn man, I need to focus. So while they may have begun their journey before the Mecrosa Order began their bloody work, it has already started when they arrive. If I can expand this to every sessions (and nearly every scene) it will help tremendously.

2. Wipe them away. I've played around with strong scene framing in other games, espcially one-nighters, and found it a very helpful tool for controlling pace and winnowing away the chafe. Since Star Wars has such distinct visual scene changes (wipe) i may even use that as a ritual phrase to indicate a scene change.

3. Straightforward Plot. I was originally thinking the PCs would need to investigate and dig to find the Mecrosa Order and it's agents. But investigation doesn't seem very Star Wars to me. Instead they know there is a Sith cult and they are makng a move to take over the sector. They know that the Mecrosa are centered on Nyssa, but they must deal with immediate threats first. I think I'll make Nyssa unreachable for this Episode, just in case I do get to come back. So instead of spending time questioning nobles and digging through communication archives, they can have lightsaber duels, chases, and space battles. I like mystery investigation games as much as the next guy, but not in Star Wars.