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61
Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: Corellian Birthright
« Last post by Medivh on January 30, 2025, 01:35:37 PM »
Corellian Sector: Deep Space

The Republic fleet was still deeply involved in their battle with the Corellian ships; the Corellians in turn were striking hard at disabling the Republic ships.
Disabling, but not destroying.
That was key to the plan.  Shields, engines, hyperdrives, weapons - all were viable targets.  But they were doing their very best to not destroy any ship, not with so many lives on board.  Ion cannons were helpful in that process, and multiple Republic capital ships had already gone dark.  Starfighters were the trickiest part, as they could only take a few hits. It was hard to disable one without obliterating it.  But modified corelian starfighters along with classic Y-Wings were up to the job, and so close to the Corellian sector, the Corellians had a larger force to work with.


The Republic was growing desperate as their options dwindled, their attacks more sporadic as they regrouped to form a more strategic offensive.  And still, they were clueless. By all accounts, it appeared that the Corellians were trying to just take back this territory.  No one was paying attention to the tugs that had slipped into the periphery of the battle.

Even when the gravity well nets all went inactive, The only noticeable sign onboard most ships was a few changes in sensor readings, and mid-battle, the fact there was less gravity seemed to be the least consequential detail.

For most.

One analyst aboard the lead Republic ship noticed it, how they suddenly went offline, before flagging down his supervisor.

"Sir ... it appears the nets are not working"
"Ensign, we are in the middle of a fight.  Why are you looking at a mechanical malfunction?"
"I don't think it's a malfunction, sir.  They've all gone offline.  At the same time."
"All ... every one of the nets?"
"Yes sir.  There are no artificial gravity wells in play.  And my readings show almost no electrical activity from any of the gravity well nets"

"So that means ... the Corellians are free to leave?"
"Maybe sir.  But if that were all ... why are they still fighting?"

It was several minutes of analysis and discussion before the idea went up to a commander who actually had a say in the matter.
"Is there any fighting near the nets themselves?"
"Nothing too close to them, sir.  We've had fighters pass them several times, but they are not really in the trajectory of battle"
"Divert a squad of fighters away from the battle to get a closer look at the gravity well nets. Let's see what's causing them to go offline"


But, alas for the Republic, it was too late.

Even as the order as going out, the sensors showed the signatures of multiple jumps to hyperspace.  The tugs had successfully disabled the gravity well net platforms, secured them in place.  And now, one by one, they were being taken out of the battle.

It was only when they were gone, every single one of them, that there was a hail again from the Corellian command ship.

"This is High Commander Artemis Soldys of the Corellian Sector Defense Force.  Once again, we are here to enforce our sovereignty, under both the Republic charter and the intergalactic laws of governance.  As you can see, we have at our disposal the capacity to destroy the invading forces.  We have chosen not to do that.  We demand all non-Corellian vessels leave the system at once.  Any non-disabled vehicle should leave now.  We will return to you every single soul aboard any disabled ship, assuming you comply with our orders."




62
OOC Cantina / Re: Skeleton Crew (**Potential Spoilers**)
« Last post by Syren on January 17, 2025, 12:29:35 PM »
I really liked this. Too bad it received little fanfare and will likely not be continued. An underrated gem, and one of the better shows - Andor being the best (thus far) and I will die on that hill.

I am actually surprised they took Jod through as a villain - thought for sure he'd be redeemed or at least act on his growing fondness for the kids. Kinda impressed they went for it and really leaned in. A bit sad we didn't get at least a flashback of his origin, despite his brief recap of being found by a Jedi post-Order 66 and watching her die after she showed him a trick or two. 

The parents in this show were bonkers clueless and I wonder if this is because of their cush lives and complacency of being protected by the barrier. Not a bad plan, as plans go - hiding within generated storms and only minimal, tightly controlled access. Makes me wonder if they have been doing this since the Old Republic...

..which brings me to my lingering questions. If the Supervisor was a massive droid and an emissary had not visited At Attin in a long time, what era do these people think they are in? Do they even know the Old Republic was replaced by the Empire, which then fell and was replaced by the New Republic? They referenced "the Republic" but the nature of the operation and seeming ambiguity around anything outside the barrier by the planet's inhabitants really made me wonder.

Overall, this was fun and exciting and really got to the core of what Star Wars is about - adventure! Strange though that although both audiences and critics liked it that it did not receive much buzz.

Final thoughts?
63
Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: Corellian Birthright
« Last post by Syren on January 01, 2025, 05:39:59 PM »
“Pull me underneath the waves
Devil with a pretty face
She knows - I’ll just smile while she sings me to death.”

-Henry Morris

Corellian Sector

Drall

Nevylinn continues to train with Gemma after Mara departs.

There is an uneasy truce, although the chill would likely never thaw entirely. Nevylinn considers the ideas Mara presented and tries to unfold and detach them from everything she was taught about the sides of the Force. Their meaning and uses. Facts and figures. Tales and tragedies. Gemma may have simmered but there is still so much rage within her. She can feel it, tempered by circumstance but never far from the surface. She is still not certain Masterton could pull off a balance without succumbing to the easy nature of the dark side. It fed on animosity and impulse which she witnessed when they engaged one another in sparring. Gemma has neither forgiven nor forgotten.

Despite her misgivings, she knows that Gemma is entitled to her feelings. She and the others they managed to scrap together had fought their way through and survived—although not without consequence and loss. Nevylinn does not try to contextualize the Jedi’s actions, does not attempt to excuse their absence and guidance, and would not insult her that way. Gemma is not ready or willing to hear it, and she would need to win back that trust slowly if it could be won at all.

For her part, Gemma trains diligently, pushing further through recovery. The process began as an agonizing lesson but, with time, treatment, and consistent movement, she regained confidence in her abilities once more. The sparring acts as a mechanism of release which she desperately needs. Being sidelined after the betrayal and injury left her reeling but she has come to see it as an opportunity. She hones her abilities to strengthen her attacks and defenses. The routine feels good despite knowing that somewhere in these lessons lies a hope she would let go of her anger and reconstruct the illusion of what she thought the Jedi might be.

During their off time, they go their separate ways. Nevylinn maintains a disciplined meditation routine and ponders the Jedi’s future in the shifting galactic events. They went from revered to reviled and now garner more sympathy across various systems due to the Republic’s ruthless enforcement of their laws. She hoped they would again prove themselves as the defenders of peace. She recognizes the need to be more forthcoming and transparent to avoid suspicion gaining the kind of momentum that ousted them from Chandaar and public trust.

Gemma spends time wandering through the dense forests, finding a fleeting respite in the spectacular beauty of nature. She shares stories with the ever-curious Drall who presses her about her perspective, especially about what they had studied about her half-sister, Melanie. Those tales made the elder Masterton seem either a strident enforcer or a misguided zealot – depending on how it was told. Having communed with Melanie through the veil of the beyond, Gemma knows she was neither of those things. For all her conviction and strength, Melanie Masterton was just as much a victim of the prophecy as a player. Manipulated like all the others into actions she may not have otherwise taken. And the worst part is that she only knew slaying Karen doomed any that followed after she had fallen. A bitter pill, no doubt. She finds sharing her thoughts with the Drall a kind of release although careful to avoid details of their actual contingency. She reinforces the sentiment that no matter how this all shakes out, they will return to right these wrongs. Restore order and peace.

They hang on her every word.

Most evenings, she spends time chatting with Riley but has not heard from him in a day or so. Best to allow him some space as well. He has responsibilities of his own, a public figure and keeper of peace on Corellia. A noble mission but one they both know would not last, at least not in this cycle. The fact that he presses on is part of why she loves him as much as she does. His heart holds more capacity for empathy and understanding. At night, she dreams of their wedding but inevitably feels the ache of loss that her parents would not be there to celebrate with them. No mother to dote on her, no father to give her away. Even her brother would likely miss out to remain a fixture of power in the Corporate Sector while Dahlia, family no matter how she chooses to look at it, is hiding out somewhere scheming. Gemma knows the feeling. She is hiding and scheming too. In these ways, they are not all that different.

They also share a common enemy in Adubell. So long as Dahlia stayed alive long enough for them to bring her down, they would be able to execute their vow to end the prophecy once and for all. She wonders how evil Dahlia would really be on the throne, given Mara’s context of no one being entirely dark or light. As she recalled to them, Karen Winton was not as dark as they were led to believe. She and Mara stopped Alexander’s plot despite the then-unknown Adubell factor. That may mean, she considers dimly, that Alexia too was a victim and driven to those terrible acts by the ambitious manipulations of her father. Sacrifice one daughter so the other could rule. If only they had known, they may have had a chance.

Back in the training room, Nevylinn suggests they try something new.

She asks Gemma to draw on her negative emotions in service of good. To stay in the moment as she wades through that darkness. As dubious as Mara’s claims may seem, she would test the theory. In practice, this manifests as more aggression in their sparring, hedging the line between defender and destroyer. She decides to push, needing Gemma to react and face the dark feelings before she can control them with the light. Nevylinn goads her with being injured, and isolated – playing on her vanity and abandonment triggers. She infers attachment to Riley as a liability, that their union is a colossal mistake.

It goes too far.

Nevylinn watches in horror as an obsidian swirl clouds her blue eyes, teetering on the ledge, as their sabers clash more ferociously. Gemma struggles against it, at first, but the Jedi’s words are like rock against flint. The sparks shower down upon the kindling of her soul, and she lashes out. The Force seems to crystalize around her before pulsing outward. Nevylinn is thrown back, but Gemma advances and batters her down. It takes everything she has to keep the glowing blade from piercing her skin.

“Gemma-”

The strikes keep coming. Nevylinn is backed into the corner.

“Gemma, stop!”

She pauses mid-strike, teeth ground together, as the Jedi holds her weapon out in defense. Her eyes clear and she gasps. The pool of darkness is far deeper than she realized.

“Nevylinn, I-I’m sorry…I…”

Catching her breath, she rises and gently guides Gemma’s hand down. They deactivate their weapons and stand facing one another. She does not outwardly show her fear but what Nevylinn saw terrifies her to the core. Mara does not recognize the risk. How could she? The balance is more easily struck without the mercurial motivations of human emotion. Far more challenging for people. So easy to slide once one is on the path – a path Gemma has already started down.

“I know. It is not depth or skill you lack; it is control. Tapping into those feelings is a start but exerting power over them takes practice.”

“You do not believe it can be done.”

She chooses her words carefully, “I have not experienced anything that would indicate a successful outcome. However, I will admit there are…stories. Legends, mostly. Those who claimed to walk between both sides.”

“That is not what I meant. You do not think I can do it.”

“You do not have the discipline.”

“And you do not have the courage. Keeping those feelings bottled up serves no one. I lost control, I understand that, but at least I am willing to explore that side of myself. Are you?”

“You do not know me, Gemma Masterton.”

“Dahlia may not be my twin, but she fell to the dark side nonetheless. We both have sisters who chose a path of destruction over one of peace. Does it make us better if we believe in an outcome that will likely never happen? They always have the advantage of playing with the fully realized versions of themselves. What do we have?”

“Hope.”

“It’s not enough, and you know it. To best Adubell and the Voss-Ra, I need the ability to draw from all aspects of myself. I need your help.”

“Your actions and behaviors do not inspire much trust.”

“No one said we must agree or even like each other. We have a common goal. Help me help us.”

Nevylinn appraises her warily. Although she knows the woman who was once her sister has long since been destroyed, there is a dull sting of regret she desperately wishes did not exist. She could not be saved and never wished to be. Adubell is a threat, as are the Voss-Ra and their long-held plans. That is something they can agree on.

“Alright, Gemma. Let us try.”

And so, they begin again - a reluctant partnership at best but one that aims to end the oppressive specter of the prophecy. There is one thought she cannot seem to shake.

Where Mara sees an advantage, Nevylinn sees only danger.







-TBC
64
OOC Cantina / Re: Skeleton Crew (**Potential Spoilers**)
« Last post by SWSF Eidolon on December 29, 2024, 08:52:01 PM »

  The society on At Attin gave me the whole surface utopia but beneath a secret vibe from beginning.  What is the Great Work and how does that relate to their minting of OR credits?    I had thought they were cut off entirely with no knowledge of the fall of the OR or the Empire or Galactic Civil War.  Assume the Supervisor knows something wild has been going on outside the barrier all these years and uses the droids and a lie to keep the population unwitting.  Prob rewatch through 5 tomorrow day time in prep for Ep 6 at 12:01am (assuming it is Tues on the nose it unlocks..)

  You suggest the Jod perhaps is an agent witting or un of the IR hunt for financial backing?  That is interesting..  it would be a cool angle and makes great sense but a hard knock for the kids characters and the lighter fun story we've gotten so far.

  Also hoping Jod doesn't turn out to be entirely Sith.  His personality is too colorful to be darkside entirely and a sith being caught up in a pirate brig for mutiny seems goofy?
65
OOC Cantina / Re: Skeleton Crew (**Potential Spoilers**)
« Last post by Syren on December 29, 2024, 04:45:14 PM »
I did see that re: Sith language. Wondering if some of these pirates were Sith hiding in plain sight. Or people who began training - Jod is at least familiar with the Jedi teachings in the pep talk to Wim. Quotes Qui-Gon straight up, or at least those that believed as he did. The kiddos continue to impress in terms of characters. There is the bravado sense of imagination and adventure now tempered with the realities of life outside the barrier - much scarier up close than in stories or pretend scenarios with friends. The parents plotting makes them seem naive like they are also unprepared for anything more serious than an audit. Their relative protection has made them complacent, but the Supervisor's inactivity makes more sense now. Missing kids = bad but they don't know how to find their way back. Attempts to signal outside the barrier could compromise them so their "great work" and secrecy vs a few missing kids could be seen as an acceptable loss. I feel like the parents will fumble this which I suppose may be the point.

I was right about At Attin being a mint world. The last of the jewels of the Republic. Explains why it is hidden the way it is and why others would search for it. But the credits they use are not current which makes them more valuable. Why would a world continue to create and use currency different from what the Republic/other worlds are currently using? How cut off are they?

Not loving that Jod feels he could get more through plundering their world instead of safely returning the kids but there needs to be a bit of drama. Some stakes. If he is a Sith or has Sith leanings then there could be darker undertones in terms of how the Remnant/New Order was funded in secret - seizing a hidden mint world would do it.

66
OOC Cantina / Re: Skeleton Crew (**Potential Spoilers**)
« Last post by SWSF Eidolon on December 29, 2024, 01:20:44 PM »
It has been fun and I way enjoy the historical pirate focus.

Funny that the girl filling in Data's role/gadget kid from Goonies has a Data from ST TNG tech visor.



Saw article earlier pointing out- The script Jod reads on the wall is the Old Tongue / ur-Kittat.  the ancient language of the sith.  Seeming to solidify the mounting evidence of his dark nature but also hinting at a deeper Sith connection to the story.

It also noted the passing similarity between Rennod's sigil and the ur-Kittat alphabet
67
Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: Corporate Greed
« Last post by Syren on December 17, 2024, 09:25:17 PM »
“I’ve got a problem
Was it supposed to be?
Is it bad karma
That is affecting me?
Is it all related
Or did I make it all up?”

-B.Visible

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Mondder: Gellar Tower

“What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Alka replies curtly, holding her ground. “Garron isn’t my stalker.”

Avenarius slips off his helmet, dark hair matted down, “But how did he help you survive?”

“He was there. We escaped the attacker together, okay?”

“Alka,” Demaris breathes, rising from her seat. “That is critical information you failed to share with us. We cannot protect you if we do not have all the details.”

“And exactly how much information did the Jedi share with you and Gemma when they wandered off for, I dunno, years and let you wade deeper into this mess? Get real.”

“Lashing out for Gemma by proxy is only going to get us all killed. She asked us to come here, to protect you.”

“To protect him. I am just a plot device, remember?”

“Not true,” Dane says, wounded by what he thinks may be an implication. “You matter to me.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? We suffer to make you suffer. Why couldn’t you be part of a more fanciful and fun magical prophecy? This is so depressing!”

Taarek rejoins them, “You are avoiding the question, miss Dawning. We need to know how Garron interceded during your attack.”

“What is this, an Espos inquiry? The power cut out, the knives thing happened, our droid was sliced up, and so I ran,” she sighs. “Garron found me in the hall, and we escaped through my father’s study. He said someone might try something when I returned to the estate alone. Turns out he was right.”

“So, he’s been watching us.”

“Not surprising, given his apparent intention. We should sweep the penthouse. We need to be sure since he has intimate knowledge of the properties and security. As for Garron, he follows you back to D’ian and miraculously appears during your attack, infiltrating your supposedly secure estate?”

“Pretty much.”

“Did you actually see anyone else?”

“No, but we heard them. There was definitely someone else there. Wait, what are you saying? He staged the attack to rescue me himself?”

Demaris folds her arms in front of her.

“You thought there was evidence of a telekinetic attack! How could he have pulled that off? That’s insane!”

“As opposed to every other completely sane thing that’s happened to us. He may not be working alone.”

“Right,” Taarek says. “Staging that kind of a scene may serve to soften Dane’s resolve.”

“What about the stalker stuff?”

“He could have left you those things, staged your attack, and come to your rescue. He is the common factor here. He wants Dane scared enough to force a confrontation. What does he have to lose?”

Dane frowns, “He’s not in control. Garron would not be doing this otherwise.”

“We’ve established that,” Demaris says softly but the threads of exasperation thicken her words. “Where did he take you afterward, Alka? After you escaped the Dawning estate?”

“To some sort of safe house in the Tyndarian Woods then I came back here.”

“That’s something to go off of although he will unlikely stay there if she knows where it is.”

“How did he seem? Emotionally, physically?”

“A wreck, obviously, but that’s where your theory falls apart for me. If he was sent here to make Dane suffer then he would have killed me when he had the chance. I don’t think he’s programmed to hurt me or anyone close to Dane. He had plenty of opportunities before his escape. I think Dane is his primary objective.”

“Not necessarily,” Roman muses. “Killing you would take you off the board. You could no longer be used as an influence over him. They are not going to do that. Not yet. Not until we know what he and whoever is behind his abduction really wants.”

“Roman, what the fuck?”

“Dude, dark!”

“We do not have time for denial. You both know it’s true.”

“You think they are trying to get him to negotiate through Garron?” Taarek asks.

“There is a wealth of assets under the Gellar name, access to boards of companies and holdings that could reshape entire regimes. I know you've taken measures so I don't expect him to try to seize anything outright. Irulan may lead the charge, but everyone knows this all belongs to you. So, yes, he may be the primary but everyone else is fair game.”

Dane fumes, “Then why hasn’t someone made the ask yet?”

“Maybe someone doesn’t believe you are desperate enough yet to deal with the terms.”

“Or other pieces have yet to fall into place.”

“Your sister and Riley Patten are running around flouting Republic laws, and they will respond. A conflict of that magnitude would draw a lot of attention and put the Empire in a tricky situation if they took it too far. There would be destabilizing ripples throughout the galaxy. We’d be on our own.”

“We’re on our own already,” Dane snaps. “You think anyone outside the Sector is watching over us aside from the people in this room? No way. We have to handle our own shit.”

“Exactly. Garron is a threat to us all, even if he isn’t responsible for every incident here.”

“You,” Demaris says, pointing sharply at Alka. “No more lies, even those by omission.”

Alka rolls her eyes up.

“Are you saying we proactively take him out? Garron Prescott has been loyal to our house since I can remember. He’s family!”

“He may have been…once. But not anymore.”

“Seriously? That’s how we repay his service to us? His friendship and trust?”

“You see another option? A better option?”

Shendo clears his throat and steps forward, “You must put an enemy down before they put you down. Hesitating will only give them more time to find an opportunity to strike.”

He stares at the Nagai. It was the most he had spoken to him since he arrived. The shitty part is that he is not wrong. They would slip up eventually. Someone would leave an opening or charge recklessly ahead in the name of honor or love. Boldness may be favored but being eliminated too soon may hinder their advantage in countering the evil that a Winton’s victory would bring to the galaxy.

“Dane,” Demaris says pointedly. “If he was sent here to take you down in service of the prophecy then he is not going to stop until he either succeeds or is stopped.”

“I need to sleep on it.”

*

Later, his door chime rouses him from a fitful slumber. It turns out that mulling over whether to murder a friend is not the sedative one might expect. He groans, “Yeah?”

Alka appears through the doorway, allowing it to slip close behind her.

He is suddenly more awake now, rising in bed, “Hey…”

“Dial it down, Gellar. I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to be alone.”

“There’s plenty of room in here.”

“I know,” she says, rounding the bed before crawling onto the opposite side. “I remember. It’s bigger than the one in my guest room. Nothing but the best for the heir of Gellar Enterprises.”

“Yours is just as big back home.”

“You mean the home where I was attacked and all our security killed? Sounds comfy.”

“I didn’t mean…”

She curls herself under the covers, pulling dark hair over her shoulder.

“I know what you meant. I just needed…I don’t know, something. Not you as a lover, Dane. I need you as the friend I have always had right now.”

“And you shall have it. You always have that.”

“Good.”

“You still should have told us about Garron.”

“You want to compare what we should have done about Garron Prescott?”

He falls silent, taking a long, slow breath. Garron asked her to be a source of reason for him and she would do that. He may have claimed to want to help him but leveraging their new access to the Direx Board in favor of whatever his dark motives may be is not something that should be so easily dismissed. Solving problems with problems.

“They are right, you know. I don’t think he stalked me or staged the attack but whoever did that to him did it well. He’s not going to stop until you are dead. He told me that is why he was sent here. He knows it and now you need to as well. I’m a target no matter what but I take some comfort knowing you are fighting beside me.”

He rests his chin on her shoulder, sliding an arm around her. She allows it.

“I am pleased to hear you say that.”

“If you feel you must die to end this, where does that leave the rest of us? Where does that leave me?”

“To live out your life to the fullest. Free of this shadow.”

Alka touches the side of his face, “It is too late, you gorgeous dolt. My father will be tried for Dyre’s murder, our friends dead or scattered to the winds, and we are now members of a board who see treachery and opportunity in everything we do. If Dahlia prevails, she will not leave us lurking about as loose ends. Your death will not free me from anything.”

“Would if I could but this is the only way unless Gemma and Riley manage to destroy the Voss-Ra. Free us all from this.”

“I believe you believe that,” she whispers. “I may not trust Demaris or the Jedi but know that if Gemma sent them to us there must be some reason. They need more time to unravel what is happening here. Garron stands in our way.”

“You can’t seriously be advocating for-”

“I have known him for a long time too. It is not the same, I know. You love him like family, but he is not who you remember him to be. That person has been tortured out of him and the ones who did this to him are counting on that past connection to blind you to the danger he really is. As much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. Rescuing me only furthers your doubt. I do not want to be the reason for your death, confident as you may be that it must happen.”

“I’m sorry…for all of this. I never wanted to put any of you in any danger.”

She laughs, pulling his arm tighter around her, “As if that were ever an option. This prophecy has likely left a trail of bodies wider and farther than we know. I’ve been trying to think of a way out of this but always come back to the fact that The Four and their friends are, well, kinda doomed.”

Dane sighs, “Your altruism is inspiring.”

“Says the one rushing to his death. Your clones or whatever will be blank slates, incapable of stopping anyone let alone remembering why without any of your memories.”

“I have mine backed up regularly. I can fill the others in.”

“What a lovely story. We need you to stay alive long enough to stop those monsters or pull off your contingency. If the Jedi believe these people were sent back to skew things in their favor then Garron is a real threat. That doctor led the Republic right to Corellia’s front door then Janessa Kain blew up the Republic President and took Kier with her. Or did you forget about him?”

“I didn’t forget.”

“Acceptable risk, blah, blah, blaaaaah."

“You know that is our world, our way, but I hear you. Garron is a problem. I’m just not sure I can do it.”

She settles against him, “You must.”

“How am I supposed to kill him? After everything he has done for me?”

“You won’t have to. All you need to do is draw him out.”

“He’s too smart for that.”

“Not if he’s being driven by something deeper than his feelings for you. Draw him out and let the others do the rest.”

“You have it all figured out, do you?”

“Something like that,” Alka murmurs, starting to drift off. He lays his head on the pillow beside hers, feeling the warmth and connection between them. There is a lot to lose for those caught up in the prophecy. So much they must give. Blood spilled in their names. All part of the cycle.

Dane Gellar will have to sacrifice too.






-TBC
68
OOC Cantina / Skeleton Crew (**Potential Spoilers**)
« Last post by Syren on December 09, 2024, 09:28:57 PM »
Ummm - what a goddamn delight this is so far! Star Wars Goonies? I did not think I needed this but in these dark times, a bit of whimsy and magic is just the thing.

I remember what it felt like to experience Star Wars for the first time. That thrill. I love that kiddos and families could enjoy this together as a more accessible way into the deeper lore and main continuity. However, the central characters do not diminish my sense of adventure overall. Like, what would my friends kids get up to in this scenario? It made me laugh out loud at least a few times. Needed that.

As for the planet they come from - the fact that anyone outside of it either doesn't know it or believes it's a myth kind of gives me the sus vibes with the Republic. The dad's job, the undersecretary, teachings of algorithms; are they in a closely guarded planet-wide mint? A banking world? Keepers of the Republic wealth, etc.? If the kids don't know anything beyond their home world then there must be a reason they want it so insular. And does the barrier keep them hidden just as it keeps other stars hidden from them? Their limited perspectives and perceptions make the mystery of it all more interesting. They can't hide something they don't know. Or something is being hidden from them, at least until the test results sort them out into ranks where knowledge may be shared. I sense Republic hinkiness up in here!

Spoiled suburban youths get caught up in some craziness? Count me in.


69
Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: The Crimson Covenant
« Last post by Syren on December 02, 2024, 08:36:50 PM »
“'Cause when something makes you shook
‘Cause there’s no way in and there’s no way out
There’s no getting off this hook
My life’s just a western, you’re born to fight
No luck all night, can you make it till sunset?”

-Nilüfer Yanya

Contruum

Moon Base

The Inquisitors are formidable.
 
Involis comes down hard on Feraas, impressed they took Adubell’s words so plainly and set out to do her bidding. It is not vision they lack. It is patience. Something the Voss-Ra and even the Sith Order believe is the key to their ultimate success. Adubell had pushed them to act but it was not the way. The Sith have risen before and would rise again…with the victor and leader to show them the way. Abudell was not that leader, of that he is certain, and she would not see victory in this.

They are also mistaken.

Barrett Trevaithan shares his own connection to the Force, one that makes him more dangerous than either of them realizes. Schrag saw the threat in him. As does Erinbol. The only difference is that Schrag took action to control him through Princess Dahlia and the Imperial Control Serum which proved…unwise. He would not have taken such an action had fear not served a convincing motive.
 
As parents of the past would likely attest – if any were still around to do so – controlling The Four was far more difficult than it appears. He knows because he watched from afar as Alexander, Monica, Celeste, Henrick, Blair, Kyri, and Lilandra lost complete control of everything they ever loved – their children spiraling into bloodshed and madness and they went down right along with them. 

One way or another.

Players, pawns. Heroes, villains. Sinners, sacrifices.
 
Sorcerers weaved webs while opportunists took full advantage along the way. Erinbol knows better than that because he, like the Voss-Ra, is playing the long game. The Corellian doctor, the Republic liaison, the Corporate Sector hero, the last remaining Inquisitors – all reek of Abudell’s intention to undermine the Voss-Ra’s foretold future to claim it all for herself. They have once again allowed someone to capitalize on the power it offers. An easy proposition with such a sinister sway but in the end they all grasp for something that they would never have. Something that was never meant for them. So much nuance in prophecy, divinations, and interpretations leads some to see what they want to see.

Until one wins, dark or light
Repeat, repeat eternal fight

Yet it has always ended the same, at least to this point – with everyone in the grave. He had even come to accept that he might wind up there as well in service of it. Lost to the legend of it all. Until Winton prevails. The central tenant of The Covenant. Dark or light is practically irrelevant, the methods through which Winton wins, and it is only that they triumph while the others perish. The concept, convoluted and mysterious, was not something many understood – obviously - as the Voss-Ra only came to understand its meaning and value a few generations before. The Voss-Ra could stage the scene but they could not be the ones to take action directly. They could not win for the Winton, the Winton had to win on their own. But it was do or die this time for the sorcerers in the shadows.
 
In their blood rituals, they saw The Four’s potential for peace – if left to live out their lives as they were set, undoing the strides the previous cycle had made. It has been drilled into him after Centerpoint, after all that planning and work destroyed. They would be set back decades and seek to sow instability, conceal themselves in glamours to whisper just the right things to just the right people for them to then take steps that would bring The Four back together and push everyone to the precipice of a galactic confrontation. A crisis to solve, a path to glory, immortalization across the ages. And so, here they are.

Dahlia was right and if they were not careful, this base would become their tomb and their blood would christen a new age.
 
The Age of Adubell.

Never.

While he takes on Feraas, D’Cera engages Allom. She and Involis keep a distance between them, always the other at their back. D’Cera does not disappoint and in this moment she is suddenly grateful for Erinbol’s training. Pushing her harder than she thought possible, preparing her for the worst possible scenarios. They may believe her their savior but that did not mean she would not have to fight for it. They never lied about that, at least. She channels her radiating hatred for Adubell’s attempt to hijack her main character arc into every tactical strike and evasive spin. That monster has some real nerve! Allom views D’Cera as merely an obstacle and wields his saber as an instrument of destruction. After all their hunting and slaying, the possible targets naturally thinned out and the Inquisitors had become complacent, bored. It reflects in his movements. Performing yet another task – although this had the promise of a far more lucrative payoff. An end to their frustration and stagnation as they rose with the Sith to power once more. It is that complacency that D’Cera uses against him. She is light, graceful, but vicious as she batters him back against the crates of supplies tucked neatly into the corners of the platform.
 
He leaps onto one and then another, narrowly missing a swipe to his legs. She attempts to counter his high ground with a push of the crate beneath him, a quick gesture as he aims to leap again, causing him to stumble and drop to her level. Seizing the moment, she springs forward, bringing the saber across horizontally but he recovers, jerking back quickly as the tip of the weapon hisses across the front of his chest plate. Allom uses the movement against her, swinging his gloved fist up and across her mask in a dastardly backhand. She staggers, feeling herself caught in his Force-grip, chest aching from the pressure, and is pitched mercilessly toward the edge. The tumble is righted on the second roll but it takes a desperate tug at the larger crate to keep her from toppling out into the space beyond. He leaps high to land beside her and brings his saber down ruthlessly. She jams her own between them and they connect, fighting the sickening screech and bending toward her mask.

“A valiant effort, your Highness, but this is where you exit the production.”

Her laugh is dry but deep, “You underestimate many things, Inquisitor Allom. Adubell. Me. Only one of us leads to resurrection, the other to ruin. You may want to reevaluate your choices.”

“Overestimating yourself, as always.”

“Let us find out,” she snarls, a flare of hatred pulsing darkness through her to push him up and away just enough to allow her to snap to her feet. Their sabers are still crossed but he does not waver. Finally, they break, twisting and striking at each other as they angle back toward the shifted and scattered tower of crates full of service equipment meant to be transported throughout the base. D’Cera forces him into a makeshift corridor, keeping him attentive to prevent an aerial escape. His truncated swing catches the side of her suit, searing pain lancing through her shoulder. She screams, bringing down her own weapon against the storage case beside them. Sparks blinding him. D’Cera forces him away from her, recalibrating herself before advancing and leaping to strike.

He uses his free hand to snare her ankle with a coil of wire, dragging her down roughly against the floor. She gasps for breath, Allom striding toward her, and channels energy into a fist that she slams down against the durasteel beneath her, creating a concussive ripple that throws his balance. She pulls herself into a crouch and vaults forward, using both momentum and the gatherings of the Force to bring a fist into the center of his chest to send him crashing through a palate. Raising her saber, she stalks forward. Allom’s blade cuts upward, slashing through the cargo around him. There are more coils of thick wire that he steps through before charging. Their sabers clash once again, a tighter, more controlled confrontation in the narrower space. He clenches his open hand, pulling her legs out from under her, and cuts down. She blocks and tries to slide away but he is determined now, relentlessly pushing down. Her shoulder is screaming, her arm giving way as his humming blade edges toward her mask.

Reaching out, she unloops the wire behind them up and around his neck. She wills it tighter, wrenching him away, freeing space between them. She knocks his saber arm out and swipes upward, taking it off with a sickening hiss. He growls as her boots find purchase and finally allows her to slide back, rising slowly before him. The pink saber reflected in his mask. She has no mercy to give, swiping off his head at the base of the neck. His helmet hits the scuffed durasteel floor with a dull thud as his body goes limp, slipping out from under the wire, across the smooth, smoldering stump of his neck, and falling flat. The thrill of the act simmers across the surface of her skin and D’Cera tilts her mask back to appraise her work.

Play to win, bitch.

On the other side of the platform, Involis has locked Faraas in a battle of endurance, movement within the armor limited but more powerful. He counters Feraas evenly but neither has taken nor ceded much ground. He considers, briefly, combining his and Dahlia’s powers as they had on Hesperidium – using it against the other Inquisitors to gain a decisive victory – but decides against it, wisely. It is untested and the results unpredictable – neither he nor Dahlia could have known what would happen. Both could just as easily wind up teleporting into the bowels of the base.

“Your faith in them is admirable, Involis, but unfounded. Why wait when the chance for victory is so near?”

“That it is, and yet your faith is misplaced.”

“Is it?” he sneers, saber in front of him. “Or it is you who have placed faith where it should not exist? The sorcerers have not told you everything.”

“Not everything is for them to tell. They are the stewards of the prophecy, not its architects.”

“Yet it seems they conceal truth even to its most ardent enforcers, as was, it seems, the case with your mother.”

He tenses, willing himself to shield his mind from these lies, “No. She has been dead for years.”

“Lady Adubell told us differently. She knows what the Jedi and the Gellar clone have been up to, a visit to Naboo where Elle Greyson had been stashed away in the throes of madness for all these years. They kept you separated from your family to keep you under control, never allowing enough of a connection with insane Alexia or a spoiled Karen to sever your service to them. Their struggles were separate from your mission and you maintained your dutiful distance. Your father may have been long dead but your mother? That would have been something to shake your confidence in them and make you question your loyalty. Even liars can be lied to.”

No. No. But Involis is shaken and he stumbles, leaving enough of an opening for Faraas to slash at his elbow and knee, armor taking most of the damage but getting a little too close. The Voss-Ra would not have kept this from him, would they? Why? How? He considers the source yet it is such a specific and targeted deception. A revelation that would only mean something to him. Distraction and doubt pull his mind in too many directions. Feraas lands a kick at the side of his helmet. Involis’s returns are weakened by his shock and Feraas takes every opportunity to strike, catching the top of his armored glove where his saber is mounted into, shorting it, a green glow winking out. He catches and grips him tightly with the Force, pressing in on the armor so it begins to crush the man beneath. His heavy boots grate against the floor as he is dragged toward the edge. With a brisk stabbing motion, Feraas punctures the casing in the center of the armor, exposing the Etheralis fragment which he then plucks out. It glows brightly in his hand.

“Such a fool,” Faraas spits venomously. “A waste. Winton may be your last mistake but I will be sure to cherish it.”

With that, he releases him – D’Cera sprinting toward them with an arm outstretched.

Inquisitor Involis disappears over the side of the platform.








-TBC
70
Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: Corellian Birthright
« Last post by Medivh on November 06, 2024, 11:34:49 AM »
Corellia

The battle continued to range around the small platform, ignored intentionally by the Corellians, and by lack of knowledge by the Republic.  At least for the moment.  At some point, the Republic would figure out that something was up, probably as soon as that the artificial gravity wells that allowed for the controlled travel through this area were shut down.  Then they would send someone to investigate, and they would see those auxiliary craft docked ...

It was the High Commander's job to keep the Republic occupied and distracted while Mara did her work.
It was not going to be an easy task.  The nets were designed with counter-theft. A wrong move, and they would self-destruct.  They were also not built for boarding, almost the entirety of their size was devoted to the power source, electrical work, and of course, the gravity-well cone.  To make any headway, Mara had to essentially work on the system from the outside.

Everyone on her craft had donned airtight space suits, the oxygen in the docking-pod had been filtered out to elsewhere in the ship.  Mara too had put on a suit - afterall, most Corellians did not know what she was, and certainly many wouldn't trust a droid, especially one who looked like such a perfect replica of a human.  Her suit had a modified arm that would allow her to do her most critical work without raising the attention of her compatriots.

"Opening airlock in 3..2...1"
With a light hiss, the doorway opened, revealing the outer panel of the platform that they had docked against.  The gravity well net was still humming, and with the artificial gravity in the ship turned off, they could feel the pull toward it.  Mara had cautioned about possibly falling sideways, and her team was braced against the bulkheads.

The bolts on the side panel were loosened and the panel itself was removed, to reveal the power maintenance hatch. A long, thick hose was passed through the auxiliary craft and brought to the hatch where it was carefully attached to the input.

"Preparing for power-surge"

Mara glanced up from the hose that would deliver the disabling source of energy, up at the mechanical chronometer the hung over the airlock.  Again, timing was everything.  The plan was to disable every single gravity-well net at the same time.  They had worked quickly, ahead of schedule by enough seconds that Mara held up her hand for them to wait.

Click click click.  The chronometer hit its target and Mara lowered her hand.

"Go"

There was a rumble as the generator powered up, beginning to deliver the energy into the platform at their side.
"Increase the power to maximum.  We need to knock this thing out before it realizes what we are doing"
"Yes Maam"

The hum of the generator grew louder, Mara's eyes turning to the power maintenance hatch.  a solid red light would be good - meaning the system was overheating and shutting down.  A blinking red light?  That would mean the self-destruct was activated.

Mara watched intensely, waiting for the first sign of trouble.
"Maam, we are delivering at maximum capacity"

Then it lit up - the bright red light on the side of the hatch, along with a low, solid beep. And then a minute later, darkness, and silence.
"Confirm it's been deactivated"
There really was no need - as soon as the platform grew quiet, they could feel the gravity pull disappear, sending a few of them floating through the cabin.
Still, never too careful ... a quick readout showed the system was down.
"Alright.  Head back to the cockpit. Monitor comm chatter,and let me know if anything looks like a threat"
Mara took the place of the soldiers, unlocking the power hose and placing her gloved hand toward the socket.  A single finger extended, , the rubber exterior retracting to reveal a metallic plug, and she slipped it inside.

Almost instantly, she could feel the platform's coding, washing over her senses. It had gone into a kind of hibernation to protect it from the power surge, but there was enough underlying activity for it to respond to her biometric coding.

Her consciousness slipped through the dense language, finding the passwords and rewriting them, as only a programmer, no, as only a machine could.

It made her introspective.
SHe had spent so much of her existence trying not to be a machine, and yet here she was, once again, acting as little more than a computer.
Not that it really mattered.  She knew she had little time left. And her last act would likely be both her most computerized, and her most human at the same time.


TBC
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