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>>FARREN GAELLE
>Brawn – 2
>Agility – 3
>Intellect – 2
>Cunning – 2
>Willpower – 3
>Presence – 3

>SKILLS

>Astrogation 1 (Int) – knowledge about galactic routes and hyperspace jumps.
>Charm 1 (Pr) – a social skill used to say the right words and things to bring someone to your side.
>Cool 1 (Pr) – ability to remain calm under danger. Resists Charm/Negotiation.
>Coordination 2 (Ag) – measure of a character’s nimbleness and flexibility.
>Deception 2 (Cun) – ability to trick others into believing falsehoods.
>Discipline 1 (Wp) – used to maintain composure. Protects against Leadership, Coercion and Deception.
>Force Entities 1 (Int) – knowledge in entities strong in the Force.
>Lore 2 (Int) – knowledge of the galaxy and its ancient history.
>Mechanics 1 (Int) – skill in working on machinery from weapons, droids and starships.
>Melee 2 (Br) – proficiency with melee weapons such as knives, swords or fists.
>Medicine 1 (Int) – used to treat wounds from minor scratches to life-threatening injuries.
>Negotiation (Pr) – used when making deals through social means.
>Perception 3 (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people, and information by observation. Opposes Skullduggery.
>Piloting [Space] 1 (Ag) – a measure to pilot starships and other stellar vessals.
>Ranged [Light] 1 (Ag) – proficiency in single-handed firearms such as pistols, spears and grenades.
>Skullduggery 1 (Cun) – proficiency in slight-of-hand techniques such as lockpicking or escaping.
>Sith 1 (Int) – knowledge regarding the Sith and the Dark Side of the Force.
>Stealth 2 (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>Streetwise 1 (Cun) – measure of a character’s experience living and working through the underworld.
>Vigilance 2 (Will) – the ability to quickly take notice/react to events happening in the immediate/peripheral.

>TRAITS/TALENTS:

>Jedi Shadow – add +1d6 to rolls made for Deception, Perception, Stealth and Vigilance.
>Indistinguishable – you are but a face in the crowd and add +1d6 to Stealth rolls.
>Makashi Technique – may use Presence instead of Brawn to roll for Lightsaber checks.
>Makashi Expert I – add +1d6 per rank in Makashi Expert to Lightsaber checks when fighting a singular opponent.
>Niman Technique – may use Willpower instead of Brawn to roll for Lightsaber checks.
>Aberration Bane – add +1d9 made to rolls against Force Entities.
>Alignment [Light] – add +1d6 to checks made against opposing Force rolls.

=====

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>>LIGHTSABER/FORCE TALENTS:
>>Lightsaber Rating: 4
>Weapons – “Makashi/Duelist’s” lightsaber; “Niman/Dual-wielding” lightsaber.

>>Lightsaber Forms Known:
>Form II/Makashi [Presence]
>Form VI/Niman [Willpower]

>>Force Rating: 3 [3d12+Willpower]
>Force Affinity: Alter (+1d6 to Alter-type powers)

>>Force Powers:
>Farsight 1 (Sense). Ignore blindness or conditions that inhibit sight; upgrade to see events in other places.
>Force Fire 2 (Alter) – a pyrokinetic ability that allows for the manipulation and conjuration of flames.
>Force Move 2 (Alter) – the iconic telekinesis of every Jedi, determines lifting limit and push power.
>Force Speed 2 (Alter) – increases muscle speed/reflexes and slows perception of the world.
>Force Weapon 3 (Alter) – imbues an object with the Force. Increases lightsaber damage, and makes mundane weapons resistant to being sundered by lightsabers.
>Mystic Weapon 1 (Alter) – using the Force to manipulate a chosen weapon, allows it to operate independent of your grasp. At Rank 3, add another weapon.
>Sever Force 3 (Alter) – rare, seldom-taught technique that severs a target’s connection with the Force.

=====

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[WEAPONS]

>>Farren Gaelle’s Lightsabers – a pair of lightsabers constructed after the Exodus from Kakarit, and Farren Gaelle’s elevation to a Jedi Knight.

>>Lightsaber Stats:
>Skill: Lightsaber
>Range: Engaged

>>Makashi/Dueling ‘saber
- Hardpoints (6/6):
-- Curved Hilt (1) - Preferred by duelists and Makashi/Form II wielders, adds a +4 to lightsaber checks when using Makashi/Form II in combat against a single foe.
-- Dual-Phase Mod (2) - Allows you to change the length of your blade once per encounter, catching your opponent off-guard to ignore melee defense for one attack.
-- Kakerox Crystals (2) - A shard of the Godseye given to you by Grand Shamanka Bos. You may make a Resolve Check to draw upon the power within the crystal, adding +5 to the next Force Power check. This can be done twice per the wielder's Force Rating before the crystal needs to be recharged via exposure to a solar body for a full 24 hours. The blade created is dense and vibrant, intensifying in plain view of a star or sun.
-- Shadowsheathe (1) - A specialized sheathe or holster made to conceal weaponry using optical camouflage. Doubles the DC made to find the affected weapon on your person.

>>Niman/Dual-wielding ‘saber
- Hardpoints (6/6):
-- Dual-Phase (2) - Allows you to change the length of your blade once per encounter, catching your opponent off-guard to ignore melee defense for one attack.
-- Stabilizing Coils (1) - When using this lightsaber, negate the first Critical Failure that occurs naturally for that encounter/situation.
-- Kakerox Crystals (2) - A shard of the Godseye given to you by Grand Shamanka Bos. You may make a Resolve Check to draw upon the power within the crystal, adding +5 to the next Force Power check. This can be done twice per the wielder's Force Rating before the crystal needs to be recharged via exposure to a solar body for a full 24 hours. The blade created is dense and vibrant, intensifying in plain view of a star or sun.
-- Shadowsheathe (1) - A specialized sheathe or holster made to conceal weaponry using optical camouflage. Doubles the DC made to find the affected weapon on your person.

>>Nomi’s Mandalorian Blaster – a Mandalorian pistol given to you by Nomiana Whrul after an evening of dancing on Mylar-3 prior to the Slave Revolution. She gave it to you in the hopes that it would keep you alive in the Unknown Regions.

>Pistol Stats:
>Skill: Ranged (Light)
>Range: (Medium)

- Hardpoints (3/3):
-- Blaster Actuating Module - Increases power/penetration of blaster bolts at the cost of increased maintenance.
-- Hair Trigger - Allows the weapon to be fired twice in a single action at the cost of decreased accuracy.
-- Multi-Optic Sight - Reduces any penalties due to smoke, darkness and other vision-affecting environmental effects.

=====

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INVENTORY
>Farren’s Padawan Lightsaber – the last of a pair of lightsabers you constructed as a Padawan. Bears no special modifications, but has been with you for the better part of almost fifteen years. Noteworthy foes of this lightsaber include several Dark Jedi, the Revenant, the Accuser of Pilgrims, the Herald of Jombaral, and Mad Warrior-King Trax.
>Golden Lightsaber Crystal – one of two lightsaber crystals taken from the caves of Illum when you were a youngling.
>Nomiana's Note - a note from Nomiana Whrul with her HoloNet address, planetary coordinates, and a lipstick kiss.
>Terrible Glare Protosaber – a protosaber belonging to an acolyte of the Terrible Glare. Contains a red, synthetic crystal.
>Quartz Key – a mysterious key carved out of white quartz, hung from a necklace taken from a Terrible Glare cultist.

>>HOLOCRONS
>Holocron of the Betrayer – a Jedi Holocron containing the persona of Kreia, an enigmatic Jedi Master from the time of Revan and the Old Republic. Survivor of the Jedi Purge at the hands of Darth Nihilus.
>Holocron of the Redeemed – a Jedi Holocron containing the persona of Meku Sakaroto, a Jedi who followed Revan into battle against the Mandalorian Crusaders and fell to the Dark Side at Malachor V.
>Holocron of the Seeker – a Jedi Holocron containing the persona of Zayne Carrick, a former Jedi Padawan who survived the Padawan Massacre at the hands of the Jedi Covenant.

ALLEANA'S LEADS
>Arkinnea (P-10), a planet in the Expanse Region, where refugees of both Separatist and Republic bent flee.
>Bracca (Q-10), a planet in the Mid Rim, where the only fortune to be made is from shipbreaking and scrapping.
>Dagobah (M-19), a planet in the Outer Rim, a desolate swamp void of any significant or advanced civilization.
>O’haon (R-3, uppermost left corner), a planet in the Tingel Arm, suspected to be the planet you saw in the Revenant’s vision.
>Uliea (L-2, center), a planet in the Outer Rim, alleged homeworld of Alleana and Farren Gaelle, largely unknown by the galaxy.

MERCANTOR’S LEADS
>Abridon (J-18) - a mountainous planet in the Outer Rim territories. Its civilian shipyards were retrofitted into producing Separatist capital ships and droid starfighters.
>Bal'demnic (R-7) - an ocean planet in the Outer Rim territories. Hotly contested by its native Kon'me, the CIS and the Republic for its vast cortosis deposits.
>Flaspot (T-9) - a savannah planet close to Hutt space. Fell under corporate occupation prior to the war and served as a staging ground for the Droid Army.
>Lupa (Q-6) - a lush, grassland planet in the Outer Rim territories. Homeworld of the Mercantors, its primary moon Selene hides a Separatist droid and munitions depot.
>Sy Myrth (S-7) - homeworld of the Sy Myrthians, it remains one of the most important Separatist factory worlds unconquered by the Republic.
>Vinsoth (N-5) - homeworld of the Chevin and Chev, its traditions of piracy and slavery have given much grievance against the Republic.

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========

THE ALBATROSS

>>Class: Lonrar E-9 Explorer

>Silhouette – [4]
>Speed – [4]
>Handling – [-1]
>Hull: [25/25]
>System: [14/14]

>Shield (Fore) – [1]
> Shield (Port) – N/A
>Shield (Starboard) – N/A
>Shield (Aft) – [1]
>Armor – [4]

>>Cargo Capacity: 300 Metric Tons

>>Customization Hardpoints [2/4]:
>Electronic Countermeasures (1) – doubles the DC for enemy shits to hit you.
>Security Measures (1) – doubles the DC for Computers/Skullduggery checks made for unauthorized access.

>>Misc:
>Engineering Access – sub-deck access passages grant easy access to nearly any internal engineering system in the ship, allowing for quick response to problems. Lowers the DC made for Mechanics or Computer checks thanks to ease of reaching systems typically hidden behind bulkheads or sealed beneath deck plating.
>Namesake Bonus – increases engines/sublight speed by 1.

>>Weapons:
>1x Dorsal & 1x Ventral Turret- mounted Medium Laser Cannon(s).
>Fire Arc: ALL; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Close], Linked 1

>>Crew & Compliment:
>1 Pilot, 1 Co-Pilot, 1 Engineer, 1 Quartermaster.
>4 Passengers.

========

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DRAMATIS PERSONAE

>>Crew of the Albatross:
>Ceyla Vikol – the mild-mannered and vision-addled miraluka padawan of Farren Gaelle.
>Elbawaraak “Elba” – wookiee engineer/mechanic enslaved by the Tof, who swore a life-debt to Farren.
>Suzel Sho – nagai scout/pilot enslaved by the Tof, repaying a debt to Farren after his parents were rescued from captivity.
>B-33 – SupTac droid purchased from a merchant prior to the slave revolution. Seeks new experiences.
>HK-82 – the head of a Hunter-Killer droid with a pacifist protocol. Searching for the rest of his body.
>Trykov – Clone survivor of the ill-fated 57th Elite Corps. A logistics officer turned quartermaster.
>S-19 – an astromech droid purchased from Amagi. While it has a downcast demeanor, it will always pull through for its friends.

>>The Jedi Triumvirate:
>Master Uyer Kosa – twi’lek Jedi Peacekeeper, representing the Guardian. A stern woman, she took on Arotta Bashur as her padawan, and led the 57th Elite Corps into several battles during the Clone Wars.
>Master Brethon Larid – human Jedi Shadow, representing the Sentinel branch. Prone to bouts of eccentricity and deadly seriousness, and Farren’s former master. Sworn enemy of the Sith Lord known as the Storyteller, who killed his wife, Tessa Ceryll.
>Master Aure – zabrack Jedi Diplomat, representing the Consular branch. A sardonic woman with a sharp tongue, she insists Kirsten is still her padawan, and has so far refused to think about replacing her.

>>Farren’s Jedi Friends:
>Torok Lamal – cathar Jedi Pilot and recent Jedi Knight. A childhood friend of Farren and Kirsten, he came perilously close to the Dark Side in the wake of Order 66, witnessing the aftermath of Kirsten’s torture at the hands of the Tof. Now a Jedi Knight.
>Kirsten Corrho – human Jedi Padawan. A childhood friend of Farren and Torok, and padawan of Master Aure. Tortured by the Tof and rendered comatose and brain-dead in a carbonite freezing experiment gone horribly wrong.
>Arotta Bashur – togruta Jedi Padawan. A childhood rival of Farren’s, turned sex friends during their later years. Padawan of Master Kosa, she was stranded on Kakarit until her rescue. Now burgeoning lovers with Farren.

>>Misc:
>Nomiana Whrul – female human Mandalorian bounty hunter that Farren met on Amagi. They shared an evening’s dance and a bed prior to the Slave Uprising, after which she disappeared on sabbatical with other Mandalorians. Gave Farren a custom pistol in exchange for a knife in the hopes it would keep him alive.
>Urzu & Mukir - companions mentioned to be with Nomiana.

>>Enemies:
>The Storyteller – the spirit of a Pureblood Sith bound in the pages of a book. The perpetrator of the misery of du Lac’s Hollow, and the death of Tessa Ceryll.
>The Revenant – a half-insane Dark Jedi and apprentice of the Storyteller. Suspected to be either Master Larid’s unborn daughter with Tessa, or his sister-in-law Eira Ceryll.

(cont.)

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>>The Kessel Conclave:
>Koffi Arana - human Jedi Master and General of the Grand Army of the Republic. Initially a wary supporter of Potkin, he tacitly approved of Farren's brutal takedown.
>Tsui Choi - Aleena Jedi Master and General of the Grand Army of the Republic. Survived Order 66 to meet with Bultar Swan, then Farren on Rion.
>Robilo Darte - human Jedi Master and General of the Grand Army of the Republic. Quickly abandoned Potkin's plan after exposing its glaring flaws and reckless deception.
>Jastus Farr - ??? Jedi Brute and General of the Grand army of the Republic. Wary of Farren's takedown of Potkin, opining that he had 'gone too far' in dispatching her.
>Ma'kis'shaalas - Nikto Jedi Knight and former Morgukai warrior. A being of action who was first to be persuaded by Farren of Potkin's folly.
>Shadday Potkin - human Jedi Master and General of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mastermind of the Kessel Conclave that would have lured eight Jedi into an ambush against Vader. Dueled and lost to Farren, currently subdued and sedated aboard the Albatross.
>Bultar Swann - human Jedi Knight and veteran of the Clone Wars. Survived Order 66, she met up with Tsui Choi to invite him to the Conclave, then rendezvoused with Farren on Rion.
>Sia-Lan Wezz - human Jedi Knight and veteran of the Clone Wars. A seasoned adventurer who was second to be persuaded by Farren to abandon Potkin's folly.

======

>>In-transit thru Hyperspace
>>Albatross, 19 BBY

COLLAPSE IN SPICE MINE

Kessel, Kessel Sector – at least one hundred people were reportedly killed in an explosion at a KesCorp-owned spice mine, with several hundred more left trapped in the rubble.

The cause of the explosion is currently unknown, but the possibility of Separatist sabotage and Jedi terrorism cannot be ruled out at this time. An interdepartmental committee between KesCorp and the Imperial Senate has been set up to investigate the cause of the blast.

Fortuitously, Imperial Forces were in the sector to reinforce the push on Formos to retake the planet from Separatist forces. Clone Troopers of the vaunted 501st Legion have committed troopers, demolition experts and medics to recover any survivors…

“…if they’re digging out miners, then I’m a Hutt’s uncle,” whistles Suzel. With the Albatross in hyperspace, he’s mostly free to lounge about the cockpit. “Coins on the credit that it’s the 501st digging out themselves after they ran into your little surprise, boss.”

No doubt about that. Between the earlier report back on Rion of ‘tectonic disturbances’, you can smell the cover-up from a mile away. By all accounts, it’s the sort of story with a gripping headline but an ultimately boring and forgettable body. Fearmongering and laying the blame on Jedi and Separatists, the hum-drum of committee forming, propaganda to highlight the Clones engaging in “humanitarian” work…

…but the lack of any mention of Vader is a concern. The best possible outcome would have been for the Sith Apprentice to have been crushed under the rubble. Alas, if you were only that lucky. Loathe as you are to admit it, Skywalker’s gotten out of worse messes than a little cave-in.

Ceyla hums in contemplation, then opines from the co-pilot’s seat, “How much explosives did you end up using anyway, master?”

You shrug, all the while balancing a holocron on the tip of your fingers. “Yes.”

She frowns. “That isn’t a quantitative answer.”

More than enough to bring down a neighborhood, less than whatever Master Larid used to collapse the mountain on the temple of the Storyteller.

“…the minimum amount that would guarantee a cave-in,” you reply. “Strategically placed at support beams and pillars.”

Ceyla frowns but decides not to press the issue. “So, when do I learn how to use explosives?”

“Hopefully not while we’re aboard the ship,” mutters Suzel.

>>Based on the last votes of the prior thread:
>Farren will focus on his Holocrons and debriefing the Kessel Conclave.
>Ceyla will focus on learning practical skills and mastery of Force abilities.

>>Which of Farren’s Jedi Holocrons do you wish to consult with?
>Holocron of the Betrayer (Kreia).
>Holocron of the Redeemed (Meku Sakaroto).
>Holocron of the Seeker (Zayne Carrick).

[VOTE OPEN FOR TEN HOURS]

>>5655135
ITS BACK!! Unfortunately you caught me at my bedtime Kaz

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>>5655115
Welcome back, Kaz! Good to see you again!

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Betrayer (Kreia).
I'm not going to deny Granny her chance to shine

>Holocron of the Betrayer (Kreia).

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Happy May the 4th!

I know I promised a thread after Katsucon, but IRL slammed into me. Apologies for that.

Gonna run as much as I can before I head to vacation next month.

Your boy also fell into Genshin Impact hell, which didn't help either, lmao.
Shenhe is my wife.
Razor is my son.

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Seeker (Zayne Carrick).

Also, I just noticed, but there's a cut off sentence in the starting blurb...

>>5655115
>With this victory, he

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>>5655146
Welcome back.

Despair

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Seeker (Zayne Carrick).
Kreia is 100% the worst choice to consult with a bunch of Jedi Masters aboard after having used Sever Force on one of them. Zayne is also, you know, the Seeker.

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Redeemed (Meku Sakaroto).

>>5655135
>>Holocron of the Betrayer (Kreia).
And we're back!

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>>5655115
AAAAAAAH ITS BACK, SCORE
>>5655135
>Holocron of the Redeemed (Meku Sakaroto).
Fuck kreia, Murder's where it's at, also Date Night with Arotta when? I'm certainly interested in going hunting or something with the Torgruta GF
>pic related, what Arotta's next sidequest is about
Oh, and Kaz have you seen any of Visions yet? I really like the Sith Latina and Shrieker's Cave in the new season

>>5655135
>>Holocron of the Redeemed (Meku Sakaroto).
welcome back

time to get back homee nowwww

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Seeker (Zayne Carrick).
Zayne was a cool dude (aka a fuck up) from what I remember from the KOTOR comics, so why not.

>>5655135
>Holocron of the Betrayer (Kreia)

!!!

>Holocron of the Seeker (Zayne Carrick).

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

Motherfucker, it's a tie even with the cut off.

Tossing a coin to tiebreak.

>1 - Kreia
>2 - Zayne.

>>5655154
>With this victory, he convinced the rest of the Conclave of Potkin's folly, and successfully evacuated them from Kessel before Vader's arrival.

>>5655115
OOOOOOOOOO WE'RE BACK BABY! HAPPY MAY THE FORTH/CINCO DE MAYO KAZ, YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD.

Seriously though, please run this as hard and as often as possible till the 31st. I NEEDED this BAD. Shit I'll PAY for more runs once your vacay's over.

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>>5655141
>>5655143
>>5655206
>>5655508

“Personal space” is a relative term with the Albatross well over its passenger capacity. That isn’t to say that people are bumping elbows at the sink as much as the fact that someone’s almost always turning a corner. Cooped up for the long haul back to Amagi, and with only so much to entertain or stave off cabin fever, more than one member of the Conclave could be found doing laps around the rear half of the ship.

That being said, the walls and bulkheads are more than thick enough to keep away prying ears or any unwanted eavesdroppers. And that while accommodations for the Conclave have spilled into the cargo hold, you haven’t been forced to share your cabin…yet.

Fingers crossed that it’ll be a long time coming before you have to replace the Albatross, but having more cabins for the next ship wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

But alas. You have other, more pressing concerns to go over.

From your desk, the hologram of Kreia regards you with a cool, analytical gaze. “I see that you aren’t drunk this time. Perhaps you’ve realized the futility of seeking solace in spirits.”

“That was only one time,” you counter, crossing your arms imperiously. “And it just so happened that meeting you coincided with my elevation to Jedi Knight.”

The elderly master remains unamused. “How curious. I would think that the Shadows would have more solemnity in their rituals.”

…the worst part about talking with Kreia is that you genuinely can’t tell if she’s insulting you or not.

The hologram makes the effort of huffing, and slipping her arms into the voluminous sleeves of her robes. “But I can see that you have come to me for guidance. Far be it for me to turn away a willing student with the courtesy to inquire with a sober mind.”

…okay, now you know that she’s screwing with you.

It might have been a trick of the light, but you could have sworn that the corner of her mouth twitched in a facsimile of amusement. “Tell me what has happened since we last spoke. I am curious to see how you have grown since our last meeting, and I sense that much has happened.”

Banter over. Now to Jedi business.

You nod, pouring yourself a glass of water. “So I got knighted…"

For the beginning of the recounting, Kreia holds her silence. She offers no commentary beyond questions of clarification, visibly digesting your story. That quickly changes after reaching the part in the story where Trykov sounded the alarm on the Kessel Conclave. The already-thin line of her mouth seems to grow even sharper, more severe as you recount the journey to Kessel.

By the time you finish, you aren’t quite sure who the old master is more furious with:

Shadday Potkin, who had attacked you in a fit of pique unbecoming of a Jedi master.

Or Farren Gaelle, who had spared her in spite of it.

(cont.)

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“…you think that I should have killed Master Potkin,” you say flatly.

After a very long and profound silence, she intones: “Are you seeking guidance, or are you hoping to confirm what you already believe?”

Your face screws up into a scowl. “The former. I made my choice, and I’m not second-guessing it. Killing her would’ve been unnecessarily cruel.”

“Cruel?” Her tone adopts an incredulous lilt. “You humiliated her in front of the other Jedi Masters, even before your little duel. By your own account, you tore Potkin’s strategy apart without the delicacy or politeness afforded to another Jedi. Tell me that you delivered the news of her duplicity without feeling sort of smugness or righteous indignation.”

…you hadn’t been smug. There hadn’t been any room in your heart for that.

Anger is not the Jedi Way. But you had been…incensed about the fact that her plan involved lying to seven other Jedi. Drawing them without their knowledge or consent into a duel against one of the two Sith that all but destroyed the Jedi Order. The sheer recklessness of her folly would have made any sane and rational man appalled and compelled to act against it.

In the silence, Kriea continues: “But her reaction is entirely her own, even if your words had provoked her to such an effect. That she lashed out like an unruly child throwing a tantrum at not getting her way speaks ill of the age’s Jedi…or what so little remain.”

And there it is. The parts of Kreia’s ‘teachings’ that always manage to catch you flat-footed. Telling Master Larid that the holocron was critical of Jedi teachings was an understatement at the best. There are serious moments in your little talks that her critique of the Jedi goes beyond philosophical disagreements with the order’s teachings…although perhaps not so Sith-like.

You sigh. “Can’t we go one conversation without you complaining about how your Jedi were better than ours?”

“I never made such a comparison,” she refutes. “I am merely observing how very little has changed since the time of my creator.”

Now that gives you pause. “…in what way, exactly?”

Kreia’s image shifts. “Were I to detail the faults and failures of the Jedi of my time, we would be here for several days. I will not stray too far and reminisce about an age so long ago, but know this, Farren Gaelle. Master Shadday Potkin may very well be the latest, but she was not the first Jedi to be blinded by her own arrogance and ambitions – the Jedi Covenant, Masters Vrook, Kavar, and Zez-Kai Ell to only name a few, have found in her a worthy successor of their collective self-righteousness.”

The last three masters, you know very little about, if nothing at all. Their names are familiar, but not enough for you to know them immediately. But it’s still unfair to compare Potkin to Lucien Draay and his clique of paranoid, padawan-murdering masters…

…erk.

...okay, maybe she has a point.

(cont.)

>>5655890
>Master Shadday Potkin may very well be the latest, but she was not the first Jedi to be blinded by her own arrogance and ambitions – the Jedi Covenant, Masters Vrook, Kavar, and Zez-Kai Ell to only name a few, have found in her a worthy successor of their collective self-righteousness
Just like Kreia to leave out the context that none of those Masters had actual guidance thanks to Exar Kun's drive-by policy on the senior Masters of the Order. Though whoever elevated Potkin to Master and not Anakin deserves shade too it was probably Mace Windu, let's be real.

>>5655900
Let's be real while Anakin had the power to be a Master in spades, he didn't really have the wisdom. He was till very much a hot head. Couple that with how Palpatine doted on him openly, and was using his powers to already pressure the Jedi into doing things they'd rather not do, the other master had a rather justifiable fear that he'd use Anakin as his spokesperson to the council. The fact he got on the council at all speaks to the immense amounts of sway he had there and the Master were rightfully leery of him gaining anymore.

>>5655916
I was mostly pointing out how Jedi like Potkin and Kota got to be Masters while Anakin didn't, not that he deserved to be one. They only really put him on the Council to keep a closer eye on him anyway, Rancissis' spot should have gone to Luminara or back to Even Piell under ideal circumstances. Or back to Eeth Koth if you're a Canonfag I guess.

>>5655921
Man, if only someone could have got it through Anakin's dense skull that becoming a Master on a council of self righteous fart-sniffers isn't that important as compared to fatherhood and openly banging his wealthy, hot senator wife. It's not like they'd require him to not use his force powers, and if they'd want his lightsaber, he could just ask us for help on making normal weapons force empowered.

...I wonder if he ever used those powers in the bedroom...

I have only missed one vote!

Was kinda more interested in Zayne, the case would be pretty cut and dry for Kreia. I would, however, like to see her chat with Larid.

>>5655890
>Kriea thinks we should have offed Potkin

I mean, on the one hand, I get it, Shaday "no need for planning" Potkin was a buffoon who didn't even bother bringing extra knives to the assassination plot, but on the other, she's not TOTALLY beyond redemption. A reckless moron, yes, but reckless morons can be curbed and taught. She just needs to understand there's a proper way to mourn that DOESN'T involve suicide-by-fallen-jedi, and that discretion is the better part of valor. Better the Empire THINK we're dead than being actually dead. Besides, with Vader, the Inquisitors, and Palpy up our asses, we need all the force sensitives on our side we can get.

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>>5655890
“Regardless,” you say, sipping at your drink, “Killing her would have alienated the other Jedi – I need teachers for the remaining younglings we have. And I’m not about to do the Empire’s dirty work for them when there are so few of us left.”

Kreia’s eyes seem to glitter with intent. “And yet is it not the duty of the Shadows to hunt down and eliminate adherents of the Dark Side? By any standard, she had Fallen to the Dark Side the moment she attacked you. In sparing her, you have evaded duty and responsibility.”

“It isn’t my place to judge her.”

“If not you, then who?”

“My Master,” you say with confidence, “He and the Triumvirate will pass judgement on Potkin.”

The image seems to waver at the mention of the Triumvirate, but quickly stabilizes. “You are merely shirking your responsibility. And even then, what what will be their judgement? A slap on the wrist, a lecture on the dangers of falling to one’s emotions, or a temporary expulsion from the order? You cannot rely on them to make the choices that are necessary to save the galaxy.”

Master Larid certainly would have made mincemeat out of Potkin. But whether or not he’d take her prisoner in an effort to redeem or get her to see the error of his ways…that’s a coin toss that could go in either direction.

But she’s wrong about shirking responsibility. Not when you’re making fast tracks towards Amagi. If nothing else, this whole mess will set a precedent for you to have carte blanche to deal with like-minded enemies.

“So you think that I should have killed her,” you accuse her.

Kreia spreads her hands. “It matters not what I think you should have done, but that we must now live with your choice and the consequences that flow downstream of them. What will be the consequences of sparing her? Will she forgive you for your maiming and humiliation, or will she see you as weak? Will she seek revenge, biding her time for the opportune moment to strike?

“You say you are unwilling to do the Empire’s work for them, but there is a greater evil in letting a gangrenous rot spread through what remains of the Jedi. And left untreated, it might very well spell the doom of the order.”

You direct a flat look. “Using your analogy, it would be extreme to amputate when antibiotics would fit the illness.”

“And yet, when the infection is deep-seated and has resisted all attempts at cure, what then? ‘Antibiotics’ can only do so much for a disease…or a recalcitrant patient that refuses to cooperate. And when the head healer is nowhere to be found, it is the obligation of the most local authority to make a decision to save the body.”

“GIVE HER BACK! GIVE US BACK OUR SISTER!

As if she could read your mind, Kreia muses dryly: “There are worlds of difference between Torok Lamal and Shadday Potkin. His massacre of the Tof slavers has undoubtably made the galaxy a safer place for all of sentient life.

(cont.)

>>5656498
>Kreia spreads her hands
Shit continuity, quest dropped.

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>>5656498
“But he at least recognized,” she continues with that lecturing tone of voice, “That the loss of control would lead to his downfall. Any good teacher would have seen his regret and granted a stay of execution. Your master made the correct decision in that regard.”

A chill runs down the back of your spine as you link ‘execution’ to your sibling in all but blood. “…and Torok was a padawan. Potkin was a master who should have known better.”

“Indeed. My advice to you,” she observes, “Is for you to be mindful of the consequences of your actions. In the short term, sparing Potkin has allowed for you to keep the Conclave in your good graces. But in the long term, she remains a problem, one that may be far more trouble than it had been worth. Beyond her sin of deception, she has committed a graver act – the Empire knows that eight Jedi have escaped their grasps, and they will not stop until they find them.”

…she isn’t wrong. Even if Kenobi’s attendance would have been a falsehood, Potkin’s message to Vader all but confirmed that the members of the Conclave had survived Order 66. There would be no easy way for them to disappear in the final throes and confusion of the Clone Wars. The Empire would be hunting them down until they had definitive and absolute proof that any one of them was dead.

“Be ready for any possible outcomes and their consequences,” warns Kreia, “And remember that your choices and actions are not made in a vacuum – they have an impact on the galaxy at large. So do not make your decisions lightly, and do not allow any one dogma or code to justify an easy choice…”

>>Larid has asked to keep the Storyteller/Revenant private, but do you wish to ask Kreia for advice about them?
>Yes.
>No.

>>The debriefing doesn’t have votes, so vote for Celya.

>>Which of the following Sentinel/Shadow Skills do you wish to impart onto Ceyla? (Select 2)
>Deception (Pr) – the ability to trick others into believing falsehoods.
>Perception (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people and information by observation.
>Skullduggery (Cun) – proficiency in criminal techniques such as lockpicking, escaping, etc.
>Stealth (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>Streetwise (Cun) – measure of a character’s experience living and/or working through the underworld.

>>Which of the following Force powers did you wish for Celya to focus on? (Choose 1)
>Farsight – through the Force, one sees more than what the eyes could allow. (Miraluka Inherent)
>Foresee – the user can feel the Force flowing around everything, seeing what is and what will be.
>Force Weapon – imbues an object with the Force to make it reliant and more damaging.
>Move – the iconic telekinesis of every Jedi, determines lifting limit and push power.

>>Please structure your votes as the following:
>Kreia vote.
>Ceyla Skill 1.
>Ceyla Skill 2.
>Ceyla Force Power.

[VOTE OPEN FOR EIGHT HOURS]

>>5656531
>Yes.
>Skullduggery (Cun) – proficiency in criminal techniques such as lockpicking, escaping, etc.
>Streetwise (Cun) – measure of a character’s experience living and/or working through the underworld.
>Force Weapon – imbues an object with the Force to make it reliant and more damaging.

>>5656546
>No
>Perception
>Skullduggery
>Force Weapon

>>5656550
Whoops, that was meant to link to >>5656531

>>5656531
>Yes.
>Perception (Cun)
>Deception (Pr)
>Farsight

>>5656531
>No.
>Perception (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people and information by observation.
>Stealth (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>Farsight – through the Force, one sees more than what the eyes could allow. (Miraluka Inherent)

>>5656498
I like how Kriea thinks we can't just kill Potkin in the future. Or keep a close eye on her, stealthily tracking her movements and interactions. We're a friggin' Shadow, that's kind of our job. Make no mistake, sparring her was a one-time deal, we don't do no second chances.

>No.
She's just gonna start the conversation with "Oooh, so now your master's opinion matters so little", or some shit. I like you Kriea but you gotta dial back the snark.

>Perception
>Deception
>Move

While I think Farsight is the easiest I think Move is the most useful. Give her a good foundation to build off of and hey, maybe she can actually SEE the Force pushing and pulling things.

>>5656558
>I like how Kriea thinks we can't just kill Potkin in the future
I also like how she thinks Larid isn't liable to kill her himself once we tell him what she did.

>>5656531
>No.
>Perception (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people and information by observation.
>Stealth (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>Farsight – through the Force, one sees more than what the eyes could allow. (Miraluka Inherent)
>>5656562
Larid is 100% just gonna off her which makes it completely pointless really, all it does is make the rapport other jedi less spooked.

>>5656531
>No
>Perception (Cun)
Only the best cun for our apprentice.
>Stealth (Ag)
>Farsight

>>5656565
>Larid is 100% just gonna off her which makes it completely pointless really
Whether or not Potkin lives or does is irrelevant, but this is important to demonstrate that the Triumvirate holds authority over what's left of the order.
Regardless of the distaste they might hold over a potential execution, they should be put at ease somewhat by the continued existence of an organized command structure.

>>5656531
>No.
>Perception
>Deception
>Move

>>5656531
>No
>Perception
>Streetwise
>Move

I'm angling on specializing on supplementing force seeing abilities with more mundane skills. Read emotions through their body language, while the force just let's you do it through walls.

>No.
>Perception
>stealth
>Move

>>5656707
>but this is important to demonstrate that the Triumvirate holds authority over what's left of the order
What do they do when a more influential or famous Master shows up? Or, heaven forbid, a Councillor?

>>5656531
>No.
>Deception (Pr)
>Perception (Cun)
>Farsight

Wonder if anybody here knows Mind Trick or Illusions? That way we can trick people into believing Ceyla has eyes.

>>5656866
Hope to the Force they fall in line, or, failing that, one of them steps down so they can take their place?

>>5656531
>No.
>Perception (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people and information by observation.
>Stealth (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>Move – the iconic telekinesis of every Jedi, determines lifting limit and push power.
Good to see this quest back.

>>5656531
>No
>Perception
>Stealth
>Farsight

>>5656866
Only 4 councillors survived, tops. Yoda's health is failing even now, Shaak-ti is in the state of may or may not be alive depending on continuity, Coleman Kcaj is running right now, and obi-wan is pretty damn well hidden.

I doubt Councillors will be the issue. As for more famous jedi? Most of them are very much dead, or are sensible enough to let the people who've built something run it. Those that are not won't get much support unless there is a serious misplay.

>>5656531
>No.
>Skullduggery (Cun) – proficiency in criminal techniques such as lockpicking, escaping, etc.
>Perception (Cun) – used to notice subtle clues, stealthy people and information by observation.
>Force Weapon – imbues an object with the Force to make it reliant and more damaging.

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>>5655921
Bruh Even Piell is fuckin toasted lol

>>5656531
>>Stealth (Ag) – how easily a character can hide or appear inconspicuous.
>>Streetwise (Cun) – measure of a character’s experience living and/or working through the underworld.
>>Farsight – through the Force, one sees more than what the eyes could allow. (Miraluka Inherent)
Know I'm late, voting anyway. Great to have you back, Kaz.

>>5656531
>No
>Perception (Cun)
>Streetwise (Cun)
>Force Weapon – imbues an object with the Force to make it reliant and more damaging.

Very nice to be back Master Kaz

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>>5656546
>>5656550
>>5656553
>>5656555
>>5656558
>>5656565
>>5656571
>>5656748
>>5656826
>>5656832
>>5656877
>>5656913
>>5657045
>>5657182
>>5657245
>>5657251

Training Ceyla is certainly a unique experience, in part due to her species’ hereditary “blindness”. But not an exercise in futility. While she can see more than what eyes could allow, there are still subtle clues and hidden contexts that are not immediately seen at first glance. And while space is limited in the Albatross, there are still plenty of exercises and teaching opportunities abound.

“…there’s something different about the air unit,” she eventually says during a lesson in the engine room. From behind her blindfold, you can see how her brow furrows in deep concentration. “It sounds…different?”

“Are you asking me?” you ask gently.

She shakes her head and corrects herself. “No, master. It does sound different. The sound it normally makes is higher-pitched…and the air tastes a little stale.”

“Which means?”

“The CO2 scrubber needs maintenance.”

Master Larid once used a combination of blindfolds and sensory deprivation to make you more aware of your surroundings. When sight fails, turn to another sense – the smell of the environment, the taste of the air, the sound of bodies in motion. Everything in the galaxy has a spatial presence, and feeling where that presence is relative to your location is a critical observational skill.

Perception goes beyond keeping track of people. It also means taking notice of subtle clues at what Master Larid often called “the scene”. Even the smallest detail might have some importance or relevance to the task at hand.

“…did you tilt all the objects in my room by exactly three degrees?”

But one shouldn’t miss the forest for the trees.

>>Celya now has 1 rank in Perception (Cun)

Master Larid often said that the mark of a good Shadow was adapting to limitations. The restrictions or otherwise confining “box” that one could find themselves working in wasn’t a hindrance – it was an opportunity to be creative. Destroying the box is a valid enough tactic, but one that should only be held as a last resort or a truly dire emergency. Continuing with the analogy, a good Shadow could not only adapt, but thrive in the box.

And Force help those in Master Larid’s path whenever he got…creative.

But, you digress. One would think that the (relatively) cramped Albatross wouldn’t be ideal at all for stealth training. Even without the over-capacity of hyper-vigilant Jedi passengers, a spaceship of its size doesn’t theoretically facilitate training as easily as a building or a cityscape would.

And yet, you not only manage to make it work – Ceyla thrives.

“She damn near gave me a heart attack,” Darté grouses at the breakfast table one morning. “Sneaking down the hallway like some sort of thief in the night.”

(cont.)

>>5657244
Even Piell died 2 months after Order 66 in the Undercity of Coruscant, several weeks after the Kessel Conclave.

>>5655115
YES!
Awesome having you back dude.

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>>5657415
“That means its working, innit?” counters Suzel, stabbing his fork into the communal pancake tray. “Considering her boss’ line of work. Hell, sounds like you all could benefit from some yourself considering…y’know.”

Farr chortles dryly. “Perhaps. But given the man who taught her master, I fear for the galaxy and the Empire if a third, stealthy Brethon Larid is unleashed upon it.”

“Given what her master did to Potkin,” Arana interjects smoothly, “I fail to see the problem.”

Stealth is both a mental and physical state of being. There’s what you can control, moving silently by crouching close to the ground or using toe-to-heel steps to get around. Breath control is critical – in and out through the nose, instead of the mouth. Blending in with one’s environment, be it hiding behind objects, dim lighting or wearing clothing that makes little noise.

And then come the mental aspects. Focusing on the task at hand and staying in the present. Being aware of not only the environment, but every move and sound you make. The patience to wait for the opportune moment to slip away and remain calm in high-pressure situations. Adapting to changing circumstances…

“Have you seen Ceyla?” asks Sia-Lann one day. “Bultar and I wanted to check in on her.”

Elba grunts a ‘no’. Similarly, you shake your head. “Did you need her for something?”

“To be blunt, girl talk.” Bultar makes a gesture with her hand, and a wry grin. “But in all seriousness, it’s…three droids and four males compared to herself? Poor thing must be clawing at the walls.”

Trykov coughs to mask a snort. You aren’t nearly amused. “I’d like to think I’m running a ship, not a frat house.”
“To which you’re doing an exceptional job.” Sia-Lann grimaces as a thought flash in her eyes. “Force knows that as much as I loved traveling with them, my old friends knew how to make a mess out of things.”

“We’re hardly asking for a spa day, Farren,” jokes Bultar, “But there are lines of solidarity that go beyond the bonds of Jedi-”

“I’m actually in them, Master Swann.”

Bultar and Sia-Lann visibly jump as a subdeck hatch by your feet pops open. Coughing and blowing dirty hair out of her face, Ceyla pokes her head above the grate, then gives a cheery wave and a smile. “Erm, the walls. I meant the walls. But I wouldn’t mind that, actually. Maybe after dinner tonight?”

When they hesitantly nod, your padawan gives you a thumbs-up, then disappears back into the access passage. It takes her all of ten seconds for her to scurry away, only bumping her head and cursing once before she practically vanishes.

At the pointed looks that both female Jedi give you, you shrug. "Stealth training."

Perk of the E-9 Explorer models – subdeck crawls spaces through the entire ship. Large enough for a wookiee of Elba's size to crawl through, more than enough for a young girl of Ceyla's age to practice in.

(cont.)

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Although you do notice that throughout the trip, more than one member of the Conclave warily checks both above and below their feet.

>>Ceyla now has 1 Rank in Stealth (Ag)

“I remember that you said that you can see through walls,” you inquire after daily meditation. “Is that a talent inherent to all Miraluka, or just you?”

Ceyla’s lips thin in concentration. “In theory, any one of us could after training. I just happened to get it from so many years living in the temple.”

“Is that something you can maintain?”

“Not without getting a headache after too long,” she admits. “I only did it that one time on Amagi to, erm…flex.”

Chortling, you wave off any potential apology. “That’s fine. Can you see in the dark?”

“Yes. About as well as the middle of the day…” She pauses, frowning. “It’s a pain, sometimes. My internal clock gets all loopy if I don’t step outside or have a timepiece handy.”

Ouch.

“If I really reach for it…” she continues, pointing towards the ashtray containing the incense. “I can make out a few microscopic details of a single object.”

“I remember Aqinos saying something about that,” you recall, intrigued at the possibilities. “Can you do both simultaneously? Microscopic sight and transparency through walls?”

She shakes her head. “I'd have to be pressing my nose to the wall to see anything microscopic on the other side.”

“We’ll table that for later.” You come to your feet and help your padawan up. “I’ve got some ideas for how to train that…”

>>Ceyla now has 1 rank in Farsight.

>>>Now to debrief the Conclave...

>>Koffi Arana – Human Guardian (General/Aggressor/Shii-Cho Knight)

“I fought at Boz Pity. Kenobi apparently tracked that Sith Assassin of Dooku’s there, and then the Separatists had a whole fleet blockading the planet.”

“Ventress.”

“Right, her…but Skywalker made a mess of things by jumping his ship too close to the planet’s gravity well. Crashed the whole damned Venator."

"Yeah, that...tracks.

"My group was first on the ground to land, but it was a mess. The battle on the ground degenerated into a damned near free-for-all when Grievous and Dooku took to the field.”

“I read reports on that battle. We lost Masters Bayts and Gallia to Grievous.”

“Hmmm…and you say that Grievous was killed by Kenobi?”

“On Utapau. Just a few hours before Order 66.”

“…I only regret that I wasn’t there to tear the cyborg limb-from-limb myself."

"...the galaxy is a safer place without any more Jedi hunters of his caliber."

"Aye. And I can rest easy that they’re all dead. Save our energy for Sidious and Vader.”

…you don’t have the heart to tell him that the medical shuttle carrying Ventress from Boz Pity never made it to Coruscant.

>>Master Tsui Choi – Aleena Consular (General/Jedi Ace /Ataru Striker)

"So you were with Master Yoda on Kashyyyk?"

(cont.)

>>5657581
>We lost Masters Bayts and Gallia to Grievous
>and Gallia to Grievous
>lost Gallia to Grievous
Your response, fat cowboy fanfic enjoyer bro >>5657244?

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>>5657581
“For a certain time. I was with him for the opening moves of the battle before my unit was redeployed to Eriadu.”

“And that’s where you were when Order 66 happened.”

“I was shot out of the sky by my own squadron. I survived by playing dead, hiding in the gutters and sewers until I ran into Bultar Swan, where she invited me to the Conclave.”

“Damn…sorry, Master Choi, I was hoping that you’d might have known where Yoda went.”

“Master Yoda is alive?”

“Yeah. My master went to the temple after everything happened. He said that Yoda tried to take on the Sith controlling Palpatine-”

“I think we both know, young Farren, that Palpatine and the master of Darth Vader are one and the same.”

“…and here I thought the Triumvirate was going to be keeping that under wraps.”

“I’ll defer to your master’s judgement for now, but I would very much like to speak with him. I’m not used to this whole cloak-and-dagger way of life.”

“…we kept it under wraps to not spook our younglings.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. But Yoda is alive?”

“Empire still has an open bounty on his head. Him and any Jedi that they personally didn’t confirm dying.”

“…that’s good. Force willing, I hope that many of those bounties are never closed.”

>>Master Robilo Darté – Human Guardian (General/Peacekeeper/Soresu Defender)

“My clones helped me escape. We were in-transit when they got the order. It caused…confusion among the ranks.”

“They could disobey the chancellor’s orders?”

“Only the veterans. The fresh blood that gradually replaced my legion were very quick to comply.”

“So what exactly happened?”

“My aide warned me before the gunfire started. Dropped us out of hyperspace in the middle of nowhere. But even though my loyalists had the bridge, we were nearly locked out of every system. We decided to evacuate.”

“And what did your loyalists think of Order 66?”

“Separatist plot. They knew me – I don’t have the stomach for politicking the way the Grand Council did. The idea of me being in on any sort of Jedi coup was absurd.”

“That’s…good to hear. To be frank, your story is anomalous compared to everyone else’s.”

“I was quick to learn that mine was the exception, rather than the rule. Almost every master at the Conclave who commanded Clones said that theirs didn’t hesitate.”

“Regretfully, that seems to be par for the course. But how did you escape your ship?”

“We fought towards the hangar, floor-by-floor. There was a little shuttle that had a functioning hyperdrive. It was…a difficult battle.”

“Were all of the loyalists with you?”

“…no. Some of them were detained. Others shot on the spot for questioning their orders. But those that escaped caused havoc across the ship, sabotaging systems and tying up others to buy time to get to the hangar.”

(cont.)

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“…you had no clones on Kessel. What happened to your loyalist squad?”

“...I was the only one to escape. They stayed behind. Made sure the anti-fighter guns wouldn’t shoot me on my way out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…of the ten percent of my Clones that survived the Battle of Parcelus Minor, only a mere three survived the war up until Order 66. Now, I am all that remains of my original legion.”

“They were good soldiers.”

“They were better men.”

>>Master Jastus Farr – ??? Guardian (General/Sentry/Shien Expert)

“The one time I’m away from the temple, the Sith lead an army to destroy it to bits and pieces.”

“Quite unfortunate. What called you away?”

“Training a detachment of the Temple Security Force. By the time we got the warning and call to return to Coruscant, it was too late.”

“What happened to them?”

“One of them made contact with a resistance cell. They were helping dissidents and enemies of the Empire escape from
Coruscant. Their first mission was getting me off-planet.”

“Do you have any way to get in contact with them?”

“I must first ask why. They are already risking their lives without us drawing the attention of the Empire on them even more.”

“…never hurts to have friends in low places. Especially now.”

“…you sound like your master.”

“Wouldn’t be here speaking to you without him.”

“Fair. And I can certainly see how contacts on Coruscant would be useful. I must only ask that you be exceedingly careful – it may bring more harm than good, no matter your intention.”

“I’m not looking to contact them now. Maybe later down the line when things near Coruscant start cooling down.”

“I fear that won’t be for a long time. Although I have to ask, does the Triumvirate have its own Security Force?”

“We have Suzel, Elba, the droids, and a mechanic my master picked up on Coruscant.”

“…I suppose that every great organization has humble origins.”

>>Master Shadday Potkin - Human Guardian (General/Peacekeeper/Niman Disciple)

“… … …”

“… … …”

“… … …”

“… … …”

“… … …”

“…great talk. We should do this again sometime.”

“… … …”

>>Knight Ma'kis'shaalas - Nikto Sentinel (Investigator/Makashi Duelist)

“How’s your arm?”

“Better. I owe Sia-Lann a debt of gratitude for her healing, and sharp words for Master Potkin.”

“The medical bay is sound-proof, so shout all you want.”

“I’d prefer her to be conscious and out of the bacta tank when I deliver my rebuke.”

“As do I, but she’s being kept under for obvious reasons.”

“Mmmmm. But I sense you’re here to speak about other subjects.”

“Aye, just a debrief. How’d you end up on Kessel?”

“I was originally dispatched to Saleucami with Master Oppo Rancisis to deal with a clone army of Morgukai that the Separatists had created.”

(cont.)

>>5657711
>“…great talk. We should do this again sometime.”
This, while Ceyla is practicing stealthing around the walls

>>5657711
Oh shit, Maki roll is a Makashi duelist, y'all think we could ask him to spar?

>>5657827
Sparring with another Makashi duelist, and an ambidextrous one at that, would definitely be a good learning experience.

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>>5657711
“A clone army? I wasn’t aware that the Separatists had the facilities.”

“Neither did we until it was almost too late.”

“So what exactly were you going up against?”

“The so-called Shadow Army was receiving extensive training by the last Morgukai, Bok, as well as Anzati assassins. They were making not only hard counters to our Clone Army, but Jedi Hunters as well.”

“That kind of escalation would certainly warrant Master Rancisis’ personal involvement.”

“Him, and many other Jedi Generals. Just to list a few, Quinlan Voss, Stass Allie, A’Sharad Hett, K’Kruhk, Alaya Secura, and Tholme.”

“And you as well.”

“…I was a general, but I’d had previous encounters with Morgukai that had Master Rancisis personally request my presence.”

“…his loss diminishes us all.”

“Aye. Battle meditation aside, we lost one of our order’s most brilliant strategists and thinkers.”

“…but in spite of that, you won the battle.”

“It took five months of keeping them on-planet, but we did. I led my army on a frontal assault to destroy an orbital-range ion cannon, which allowed our fleet to move into range for orbital strikes. Vos dueled and defeated the traitor Sora Bulq, and escaped just in time before our fleet bombed the Separatist citadel. Tholme sabotaged and destroyed any remains of their cloning capabilities.”

“I don’t suppose that you know where the other Jedi generals went?”

“Unfortunately, not. I was rotated off to bolster another front in the Outer Rim. Master Allie was the only one to have stayed behind for mop-up operations.”

“…do you know what happened to her?”

“…with the look on your face, Gaelle, I can make a guess.”

“I have regretfully confirmed her death…as well as Alaya Secura’s.”

“No…where?!”

“Felucia. Her and Barriss Offee…”

“…I did not know Offee. But Alaya…was a friend. She will dearly missed.”

>>Knight Bultar Swan - Human Guardian (Warden/Shien Expert)

“You said you were at a medstation when Order 66 happened?”

“Yeah. I transferred there after the Battle of Coruscant. Master Yoda says that there’s no such thing as luck, but…in that moment, I was inclined to disagree.”

“How’d you escape?”

“The healers warned me. I had enough time to get off world before the Clones could find me.”

“Close call. And then…Kessel. What’d you do until you got into contact with Potkin?”

“She got in touch with me, actually. I was hiding in a Jedi bolthole when I got the call.”

“And you had no idea she was luring you into a trap.”

“…are you accusing me of something?”

“Of course not!”

“…just teasing you, Gaelle. But…no. I didn’t know. I genuinely thought…”

“…the last time we had a Jedi Purge was over four thousand years ago. It isn't something that happens every day.”

“Hah, that's quite the way to reframe it. Not much of a comfort, though.”

(cont.)

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“I’m afraid that we’re dealing with something worse than a wound in the Force – a career politician.”

“Pft!”

“At least Nihilus had the courtesy to be straightforward about wanting to eat the galaxy.”

“Heh…not unlike a certain master stewing in a bacta tank.”

“…it’s not your fault. Everyone was desperate.”

“That doesn’t excuse what she did. Force, I’m just so…”

“It’s okay to be annoyed. Never heard any tenants against annoyance.”

“I appreciate the levity, Gaelle. And I am incredibly thankful for your intervention.”

“It was the will of the Force that I was nearby. And I only did what any sane person would have.”

“No sane person would fight a master.”

“Touché, but do you know who my master is?”

“Only by name and reputation.”

“Sanity doesn’t exactly fit into the Shadows’ lexicon. That belongs to far-more stable Jedi.”

“Not many of those left, even before the war. It’s robbed us of so many of our brothers and sisters.”

“…yeah. It has.”

“…even if Potkin said what her plan was, I wouldn’t have gone. And I would’ve warned Master Choi to stay away. Revenge and anger are not the ways of the Jedi, and her plan recklessly indulged in both.”

>>Knight Sia-Lan Wezz - Human Guardian (Warleader/Niman Disciple)

“I’m sorry, you need me to get you what?”

“Peko-peko albatross. However many your friend Arani can smuggle off of Naboo. Ideally alive, but if dead, they have to be fresh.”

“What in the name of the Force do you need those for?!”

“Jedi Shadow business.”

“…wh…what?! Farren, they aren’t edible! Their skin and feathers-”

“Are an incredibly powerful toxin that has a side effect of nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps, yes. That’s exactly why I need them.”

“…may I ask why?”

“Some of the enemies I’ve made since Order 66 use poisonous, hallucination-inducing fruit, and the effects of the toxin would be quite
useful for removing them.”

“… … ..”

“I wouldn’t ask if I was being serious, Sia-Lann.”

“…when did the Sith start using hallucinogenic fruit?!”

“Actually, if Arani has the skill, I’ll pay premium price for harvested peko-peko albatross toxins to be shipped to Wild Space for dead drop pickup.

“You didn’t answer the question, Farren! When did the Sith-?!”

“Oh, it’s not the Sith. Or the Empire, for that matter.”

“…the Tof?”

“…not them either…but I’m not above using peko-peko venom to deal with the big, green, ugly bastards.”

“…okay, there’s…a lot to unpack there.”

“…they hurt someone very dear to me, my best friend and a member of the Triumvirate. One of my youngling clanmates…Kristen Corrho.”

“…what happened to her?”

“Botched carbonite freezing. The process left her braindead.”

“Oh, Force. Farren, I’m so sorry!”

“…I know its selfish of me to ask…but when I saw you heal Potkin…”

(cont.)

>>5658010
I'm sorry Sia-Lann, that's a lot to have dumped on you

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>>5658010
“…you want me to cure her? Farren, I’m not even a proper field medic…I’m no Jedi Healer!”

“You’re the best thing we have. Nobody in the Triumvirate was ever trained in the healing arts.”

“I…I can’t promise anything. At the very least, without seeing her-”

“I’m not asking you to bring her back. I’m just asking for you to give one hundred percent of your efforts to try…”

“I owe you that much for saving me. But again…I can’t promise anything.”

“…if you can’t do it, that’s okay. I’ll just…keep on looking for a way to bring her back.”

>>Two weeks later…
>>Amagi, Mylar System, Unknown Regions (H-3)

Nobody is more surprised than Master Lard when you make your return to Amagi. The instant the Albatross drops out of hyperspace, you dial in the frequency reserved specifically for the Shadows. He picks up almost in an instant.

“What happened?” he demands, going straight to business. “Are you alright?”

You can’t help but smile. His brusqueness and the hiss of the comm doesn’t completely filter or hide his worry. “We’re alright. I’m just back sooner than I expected.”

“What’s the situation?”

“…well, we found the Iron Knights when we got this signal from Kessel…”

>>You give a truncated report of what happened.

“…and now I’ve got eight Jedi in the cargo hold…one of whom is drugged to the gills and stewing in a bacta tank.”

To his credit, your master recovers quickly. You can almost see the gears turning his head as he barks: “Get down here ASAP. I’ll call for an emergency meeting of the Triumvirate. Kosa’s almost finished recovering and Aure’s back from the Chiller…”

“Understood.”

“Farren.” Before you cut the connection, Larid interrupts. “…what you’ve done…that took no small amount of courage. Not since the age of the Barsen’thor has such a deed been accomplished by a Shadow.”

The praise leaves you flustered. “I’m only what you’ve made me, master.”

But he shakes his head. “Your mother would have been proud. That’s the kind of thing that Alleana would’ve been all for gate-crashing.”

One landing later finds the Triumvirate and the Conclave gathered and assembled in the bowels of the Boss Bantha. Only this time, Master Aure is present and in attendance. Sporting bandages and a sling from her time on the Chiller, the zabrak appears no less diminished in her hawkish demeanor. Similarly, Master Kosa has made great strides in her recover after her torture at the hands of the Herald. Her cheeks are fuller, and she’s ditched the wheelchair.

The Conclave’s first impression of the Triumvirate is surprise. If they were expecting members of the Grand Council to be in attendance, they are sorely disappointed. But Farr looks on approvingly to Master Larid; Darté bows respectfully to Kosa in solidarity from one general to another; Tsui Choi exchanges a smile with Aure.

(cont.)

“Brothers and sisters,” says Kosa, opening the meeting, “It is good to see you alive and well during these dark and troubling times. We have all been truly blessed by the Force to be reunited.”

Aure grins. “It ain’t exactly the High Council Chamber, but we’ve got some friends constructing one for us in the deadlands.”

The flat-footed declaration catches them off guard. Privately, you can see what it is. Aure’s little joke is an assertion of dominance. The Triumvirate’s position of authority necessitates its own High Council Chamber – the same kind that only the leaders of the Jedi could use and meet in.

But Larid coughs: “Would that construction conveniently schedules itself for these kinds of meetings. Yet it is no matter. Members of the Jedi Conclave, the Jedi Triumvirate welcomes you to Amagi.”

“We understand that you’ve had a stressful journey and would like to rest and recuperate,” says Kosa smoothly, “But we would first like to discuss what happened on Kessel.”

The Triumvirate’s eyes turn towards you. Aure gestures, then asks: “So what exactly happened? Brethon was light on the details, but it sounds like you’ve had yourself one hell of an adventure.”

Obviously, you aren’t about to mention the Iron Knights to the Conclave. Opening your mouth, you give a report of what happened on Kessel…

>>How do you wish to report?
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
>Offer a sympathetic account, highlighting Potkin’s fear and desperation that fueled her actions.

>>After the meeting, the Triumvirate will excuse you to retire for the day.
>>What do you wish to do?
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.
>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.
>Inquire about hiring additional help for the Albatross.
>Return to your ship and decompress. It’s been a long day.
>Custom option. [Write-in]

[VOTE OPEN FOR NINE HOURS]

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
Kessel gang will do the lambasting.

>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.
These guys gotta wrap this war up before the Empire gets here.

>>5658054
>Offer a sympathetic account, highlighting Potkin’s fear and desperation that fueled her actions.
>But also mention that any semblance of a master's dignity was thrown out after Force Sever

>>5658054
>Check in with lizardbros, they might want some advice on settling in.

>>5658054
>>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
FUCK. THAT. HOE.
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.
Gotta finish what we started.

>>5658054


>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.

>Return to your ship and decompress. It’s been a long day.

>>5658054
>>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
She needs to die.
>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.

>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.

>>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.

>>5658054
>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.

>>5658054
>Lambast Potkin, harshly condemning her for her little scheme that would have killed all the Conclave.
Deserved
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.
The war against the Tof will not end anytime soon. The MSDF has many things that they need to establish and their military while growing and eager for battle, is far from launching invasions against the Tof worlds now.
Of course, if we offer our help again that may change ....

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.

>Return to your ship and decompress. It’s been a long day.

>>5658054
Hope I ain't too late


>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
Much as she deserves it, I remember what Kreia said about "respect afforded a master". We'll talk shit to her face, but it's a bitch move to do so behind her back in front of everyone else.

>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.
>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.
I hope we can do both, otherwise, I lean my decision to Arotta.

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
We don't even need to try to make her look bad, she did all the work for us.

>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival.

>>5658355
>Find Arotta and surprise her with your
With our what anon?

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.

>Find Arotta and surprise her with your arrival

Fixed again jesus christ.

>>5658356
With our stealthy entrance into her

>>5658054
Actually, you know what, switching my second vote here >>5658275 to
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.

>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
>Check in with Keimann and the MSDF’s war effort.

>>5658054
>Give a neutral account, stating only the facts of your duel with as little emotional inflection as possible.
With the caveat that we admit our own indignant rage might have caused us to goad Potkin more than was necessary. What she did was wrong and stupid, but it would have been better for all involved if it could have been handled without violence.
>>Return to your ship and decompress. It’s been a long day.
>>Custom option. [Write-in]
Talk to our padowan, and subtly nudge her into pranking the other padowans, under the guise of stealth training. Then when she has been emboldened by her successes lure her into trying to scare Master Larid or the blueberry

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>>5658056
>>5658063
>>5658066
>>5658067
>>5658070
>>5658076
>>5658111
>>5658177
>>5658209
>>5658252
>>5658257
>>5658275
>>5658299
>>5658360
>>5658445
>>5658499
>>5658520

Out of the aggrieved, you would be the most justified in utterly lambasting Potkin. Granted, you were a late comer to the party, and a gate-crasher at that, but the fact remains is that she was the one who attacked you. Kreia had mentioned something about the “dignity afforded to a master”, but you couldn’t care less about that beyond stating the facts as plainly as possible.

Besides, there’s at least seven other people who have an axe to grind with her. And they can more than make up any foregone lambasting.

Over the comm, you’d only given Master Larid the bare minimum to bring him up to speed. Now that you have the time to completely debrief, the predominant emotion on your master’s face is fury. Not nearly as intense as the same hatred he had when cursing the Storyteller, but it comes very close.

The look on his face is similarly mirrored on the rest of the Triumvirate. Aure is the most vocal – she barely suppresses a curse as you recount how Potkin tried to backstab you. Compared to her compatriots, Kosa is the textbook definition of composed, but there’s no mistaking the sharp, deepening furrow in her brow.

For the most part, your account is delivered without interruptions, only stopping and pausing for the Conclave to supply their perspectives. When you finish, you reach your hand into your robes, and present Master Potkin’s lightsaber, then the cortosis blade intended for Vader that she nearly plunged into your back. More than one member of the Conclave looks notably nervous as the Triumvirate look like they’re about to explode.

But Master Larid beats his peers, stonily declaring: “Shadday Potkin stands censured and attained. Her fate will be settled at a later time, but what this body can agree that she cannot be allowed to roam free.”

Kosa nods gravely. “The remainder of her wounds will be tended to, of course. But until we can determine whether or not she’s Fallen, she cannot be allowed to spread her poison to the rest of the order.”

“You’re sure that she didn’t use the Dark Side?” demands Aure, as serious as you’ve ever seen her.

“No, Master Aure,” you confirm, “It was a frantic duel, but as far as I could tell, she didn’t.”

“One doesn’t have to use the Dark Side to Fall,” your master flatly intones. “But even before this whole mess with the Sith, the High Council would have severely punished this sort of behavior.”

Farr interjects, “Forgive me for interrupting, but do you even have the facilities to contain a Force-sensitive prisoner of Master Potkin’s caliber?”

(cont.)

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A valid point, but one that Master Larid seems to have anticipated. “We do. During the uprising that saw this planet liberated from the Tof, the MSDF claimed several containment field devices. Thanks to Master Aure’s negotiations, the Triumvirate has secured a handful in order to contain Force-sensitive prisoners.”

That seems to please most of them. Then…

Tsui Choi coughs, shuffling to come beside you, before the Triumvirate. “Much as this is in keeping with tradition, I fear that there is one person missing in this legal drama. If the Triumvirate is truly in keeping with the traditions of the Jedi High Council, then Master Potkin should have the opportunity to defend herself of the charges laid against her.”

More than one person looks at the Aleena as if he’d grown a second head. You yourself aren’t exempt from gaping…and yet you can’t find yourself disagreeing.

Tsui Choi regards the Triumvirate coolly. “I understand that in legalese, this is merely a preliminary hearing. And that while we do not conduct internal Jedi masters like the late Republic’s courts, it would be nothing short of unjust to simply lock her away without giving her a chance to speak.”

…clever. Between the lines, Choi is verifying for himself and the others if the Triumvirate is truly in keeping with the teachings of the Jedi. And whether or not he’d be willing to bind himself to an authority claiming to have (temporarily) replaced the High Council. For good or ill, he doesn’t look like he’s jockeying for power by speaking on the Conclave’s behalf…that kind of politicking wasn’t in his file.

But the Triumvirate takes it as well as you’d expect. Aure looks like she’s swallowed a lemon, and Larid remains stony-faced. It falls to Kosa to nod, and say with a deliberate, professional politeness: “It is as you say, Master Choi. This is merely one of many preliminary steps of…dealing with Master Potkin. We would very much like her account of what had happened on Kessel.”

…you’ve heard that tone of voice before. It’s the kind that Arotta said promised a very bad time for the directed target. In your lover’s case, a light scolding more often than not, but it probably won’t be the same for Potkin.

Larid breaks his silence, nodding towards you. “Farren, you’re excused. We’ll talk later. Thank you for your testimony.”

“And saving our brothers and sisters from the Sith,” adds Kosa with a smile. “Certainly no small deed.”

Aure snorts, her earlier indignation with Choi forgotten as she drawls: “Ya did real good, kid. Just don’t go getting a big head.”

Suppressing the urge to roll your eyes, you bow respectfully, first to the Triumvirate, then the Conclave. “May the Force be with you.”

As the door closes behind you, and you step off the Boss Bantha, you think about the Triumvirate’s…you wouldn’t necessarily call it bloodlust towards Potkin.

(cont.)

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Righteous indignation, perhaps, but there was no mistaking the fury in their eyes.

At first, you think them justifiably upset for Potkin’s blatant and unabashed breaking of the Jedi Code.

Then, you realize that it goes further beyond that.

The kind of anger they displayed was deeply personal.

Shadday Potkin had attacked the son of their beloved Alleana Gaelle with the intent to maim or kill him.

And that was justification enough for them to throw her away and slag the key.

>>Supreme Archon’s Office, Freedomspire, Serano Port
>>Amagi, Mylus System, Unknown Regions (H-3)

“Gaelle!” Keimann crosses the room in five great strides, then clasps his hands firmly with yours. “It’s good to see you.”

You return his grip with a firm shake and a grin. “The feeling’s mutual. Sorry if I’m barging in.”

“It’s no trouble. I was just about to take a break. Can I get you anything?”

“Tea if you have it.”

He pours himself a glass of what could only be alcohol. “That might take a few minutes. I can make you Slave’s Tea with what I have.”

Recalling the last time you had the beverage, you politely decline. “I don’t mind waiting.”

As it turns out, you don’t have to wait too long. Mern Ungtek emerges from a little servant’s elevator towards the side of Keimann’s office. The late viceroy’s daughter looks…remarkably domesticated in her candor and stride. Alas, it seems to come unraveling at a single look at the Supreme Archon’s guest.

Mern’s brow creases in confusion, then her eyes suddenly widen in recognition…and fear. With a frightened scream, she drops the tray she’d carried, spilling tea all over the floor as she frantically scrambles behind a surprised Keimann.

“J-jedi!” the teenaged girl stammers hysterically, pulling at Keimann’s uniform with a genuine panic. “Kaules, he-”

“Convinced Torok to spare you and your family’s lives,” you interrupt sharply. The warmth of reuniting with Keimann is quickly replaced by the dark thoughts of what her father had subjected Kristen to. “When he would’ve turned all of you into cubits of sizzling meat.”

…a rather un-Jedi-like thing to say, even if it is the truth. Admittedly hypocritical after you’d just left a meeting dealing with un-Jedi-like behavior, but it’s the lesser of two heterodoxies.

But the drama doesn’t last for too long. With a long-suffering sigh, Keimann gently plucks Mern’s hands off of his uniform. “He’s not here to hurt you. Mern…go take the rest of the night off. I’ll clean up the mess.”

That seems to do the trick. Mern’s eyes don’t leave you as she scurries away, like frightened prey evading a predator. The instant the door behind her closes shut, you can hear her sprinting away at full tilt. An impressive feat considering her high heels.

“I’m so sorry about that,” the Supreme Archon apologizes, genuinely contrite. “I didn’t think she’d react that way.”

(cont.)

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“…you think she’d be more grateful for my intervention,” you grouse. At the flat look he gives you, you raise a cursory eyebrow. “…‘darning your socks’, huh?”

He holds his hands up in a “what could I do” kind of gesture. “She’s surprisingly proven herself a very capable maidservant.”

“I wouldn’t trust her to bring my food and drinks any further than I could throw a boulder with the Force.”

“She knows well enough that if something happens to me, it’s her surviving family members on the chopping block.”

“How’re they doing, by the way?”

He gives you an odd look. “I didn’t know you were worried.”

“Not for their wellbeing as much as whether or not they pose a security risk.”

“They’re harmless…or as much as they can be. They’re behaving as well as spoiled brats can be.”

“…and I couldn’t help but notice the first-name basis.”

Keimann grimaces. “…let’s just say that I really don’t want her calling me ‘master’. And that Supreme Archon is too much of a mouthful.”

There was something else on the surface of his mind. It wasn’t just disgust at his former status as a slave of reviling the title. But it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Any further probing would’ve been a violation of his privacy.

With the drama of the last few minutes compounding the Triumvirate meeting, you make an executive decision. “…I think I’ll be having that Slave’s Tea after all, Keimann.”

One mess and two drinks later finds the two of you pouring over a holotank. You’d asked about the warfront with the Tof, and Keimann acquiesced.

“Hope you don’t mind the typos,” he mutters, wincing as he checks the map. “The tech’s are still getting used to operating the tank, and intelligence is still being processed.”

…you’ve seen worse.

Keimann fiddles with the console, zooming into the grid containing Mylus. “This is our best estimate of our projected territory, and our sphere of influence. Thanks in part to Grand Admiral Mercantor, we’ve been able to add Kalle and Ulsind.”

You squint at the planets, then at the little key card. “Anything noteworthy on them?”

“Ulsind was a slave colony with plantations across the entire planet. Kalle has a few mines where they sourced the metals to make durasteel.”

But his face darkens. “The Tof burned as many plantations as they could on Ulsind before they retreated back to Atoces. We’re self-sustaining in terms of foodstuffs, but the slaves who worked them aren't. They took what they could, and just left the rest to starve.”

“Bastards,” you curse.

Keimann nods in agreement. “We’ve dispatched several relief missions – food from Amagi and water from the Chiller. Feeding them is our immediate priority, but I’d be lying if we weren’t considering the possibility of seizing the plantations for our use.”

(cont.)

>>5659037
>we’ve been able to add Kalle and Ulsind.
Damn, Laurentius, Octavia, two whole planets in about a month’s time… you two don’t fuck around.

Mind if we get the grid coordinates for those planets, Kaz?

>>5659058
Never underestimate the efficiency of sufficiently motivated free men.

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>>5659037
>>5659058
Any competent leader would. An army marched on its stomach, and a wise man said that before civility came a full stomach. “What about Kalle?”

“We got lucky. The viceroy’s distress signal got blocked by a nebula – locals call it the Veil. Kalle and its mines were seized with minimal bloodshed. Local governor capitulated when Mercantor threatened to bomb his villa from orbit.”

So far, the MSDF has their immediate bases covered. Ulsind would have been a likely staging ground for the Tof, and if you’re looking at the map properly, Kalle’s behind too many nebulae for stable hypersrpace travel. That only leaves…

“Dondron’s our next target,” Keimann declares, zooming towards the planet. “That’s the closest garrison on the Tof’s hyperlane maps. We need to take it to secure our northernmost borders.”

“…define ‘garrison.’”

“Current intelligence suggests at least two companies of infantry and a small flotilla of Tof corvettes and frigates.”

“What’s stopping the Tof from jumping from Dondron to Mylus?”

“The same nebula that protects Kalle. They haven’t found a safe-enough route through the Veil without colliding into something or flying headfirst into a solar storm. The Tof have to jump from Dondron to Ulsind before they can get to Mylus.”

Awfully convenient. But you’d still be nervous about the Tof taking the long way around the Veil for an attack on the southern flank. Raising the point to Keimann, he gives you a little grin.

“Not likely. See these…” He zooms out of the MSA’s territory, moving to another polity. “The Teladi are helping us fight the Tof. Their fleets are patrolling around Ciric…the outpost, not the starbase. They’ll be keeping an eye on whether or not the Tof are taking the scenic route to try and flank us.”

“Telaid?” you ask, puzzled.

Keimann’s explanation of the Teladi leaves you wary. Even if they’re dedicated to helping the MSDF fight the Tof, comparisons to the Trade Federation are hard to ignore. The fact that they’re enemies of the Tof doesn’t completely ease the tension of them trying to turn a profit by backing the Mylar Star Alliance.

Still, it’s not like Keimann had a choice. A fleet of ships is hard to turn down, even if only one of them is factory-fresh. Now that you know that they exist, as well as their location, you’re sorely tempted to take the Albatross to one of their shipyards to customize it even more. Force knows you’ve got the credits for a few upgrades.

But there’s one alarming point of contention that you have with the new fleet. With a frown, you tap at a line on the invoice. “…it says here that a Pip Arcblade is the lead foreman of the project.”

“You and Master Aure,” he chortles humorlessly. “She said something similar and nearly flipped the table. But as far as our intelligence goes, he isn’t part of the Blazing Chain.”

"...so who is he exactly?”

(cont.)

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“Our intelligence department thinks he’s a survivor of the fleet that Zonsoe destroyed during their civil war. But we don’t have any more than that. Earliest he shows up is this ribbon-cutting ceremony when the company opened.”

…he looks harmless enough. Certainly, doesn’t look the part of a Force-sensitive pirate.

“He’s the lead ship designer of the company Teladi Corp outsourced our order to – Sertain Solutions.”

Your eyes flick towards the map. “…and they’re based out of the Sertanius system?”

“Right in one. The Frihet’s being built there, and they’re retrofitting the mothballed ships as well.”

“…so how did Mercantor take Ulsind and Kalle?”

“His wife’s Lucrehulk core ship, some crash-built freighters-turned-corvettes, and Blitz Squadron, led by your friend Torok.”

It’s hard not to smile. Your brother seems to have done exceptionally well for himself.

Keimann takes your silence to continue: “We’ll be planet-hopping, seizing what supplies we can and digging in to protect them from any further invasions. We plan to at least incorporate Dondron, Atoces, Lenth and the middle planet into our definitive territory by the end of the year.”

“I assume you’re aiming to make a push to Hokand.”

“Aye. It isn’t their capital world, but it’s the stronghold of one of the Bloody Barons – Clan Uglatz. They were the intermediaries to pass slaves from the Outer Rim further into the Unknown Regions. Mern’s father answered to Baron Uglatz.”

“…how come Uglatz hasn’t sent a punitive fleet? He knows where you are.”

The Supreme Archon spits into a little pot by his desk. “The Tof are creatures of face. He can’t appear to commit everything because it looks like he’ll have lost control of his territory. The baron’s going to be trying to take care of this as discretely as possible, hopefully without alerting the other barons to his plight.”

You cast a wary look towards the north of the map. “…the Tof’s territory goes beyond the local square.”

Keimann sighs, fists clenching tightly. “…I’d be happy if we could drive away Uglatz and stop at Hokand. But I know that the rest of the Barons won’t take one of their trade partners collapsing – if anything, they’d gloat at the opportunity to have a causus beli to annex Uglatz’s territory.”

The only real advice you can give him is not to bite off any more than he can chew. The Alliance is still fragile, even with the Teladi supplying them with spaceships and infrastructure. Planet-hopping always ran the risk of overstretching supply lines. Regretfully, an all-too common occurrence by Jedi Generals during the Clone Wars, who’s zeal to beat the Separatists was stronger than their supply train.

You decide to change the subject, eyeing the other territories on the map. “Busy sector for pirates.”

(cont.)

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“The Vagaari, Ebruchi and Ssi-Ruuk bought and sold in equal measure when this was still a slave planet,” growls Keimann. “They kept their distance between the Tof and the Teladi patrolling this area of space.”

“I take it that’s no longer the case. Bastards though they were, the Tof must’ve been a deterrent.”

“Unfortunately. They haven’t been trying to annex star systems, but we’ve had a sharp increase in pirate attacks. Slaves, supplies…whatever they can get their hands on before retreating back to their space before we can mount a response.”

“What about the Chain?”

“Intelligence hasn’t had a chance to get that far, but they’re dormant.” The Supreme Archon then turns to you with his full and undivided attention. “Farren, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Your lips thin. “…I’m willing to listen.”

“I understand that the Jedi are dealing with a crisis. And for that, I completely sympathize and understand your plight. But if you could personally render any aid to the Alliance, I would be exceedingly grateful.”

“But you already have Master Aure and Torok,” you say, puzzled.

He pauses, visibly concentrating to pick the right words to say. “Aure stays here to iron out laws and regulations, and Torok only goes where the Mercantors go. The rest of the Triumvirate are willing to help for major battles, but they’re too busy with their own internal matters.”

You give him a look. “I wouldn’t call training the next generation of Jedi and protecting our future from the Sith to be a mere ‘internal matter’, Keimann.”

“I meant no offense. I’m just merely asking you since you’re not as…committed? You’ve got more freedom than the rest of the Triumvirate to travel the galaxy.”

And I have my own orders to follow. Namely, to find sanctuary for us as well as any other hidden Jedi back in the Empire.

But you don’t say that aloud. “I’m not as free as you think.”

“Duty-bound, I understand. I’m only asking that if you’re in the area, and if you don’t have anything immediately pressing, that you would consider helping. You would be amply rewarded.”

It’s…not quite insulting as much as baffling to think you’d be so mercenary. Jedi aren’t bounty hunters. The order is duty-bound to protect the innocent against the wicked, not only limited to the Sith or practitioners of the Dark Side.

And yet you understand. It was different during the revolution, when you were just worried about getting Kristen, or the freedom of three million people. Now you’ve got your own responsibilities to your own respective factions and people…even if the relations between said people are friendly.

“…I’ll keep it in mind,” you eventually say. “And you can rest assured that if I’m nearby when a distress signal from one of your ships goes out, I’ll come running.”

(cont.)

Keimann smiles. Tight and somewhat forced, but still more of a grin than a grimace. “That’s all I can ask for.”

>>The arrival of the Conclave has caused the Triumvirate to put a hiatus on missions back into the Empire.
>>With Darth Vader having missed the Conclave, the Empire is on higher alert knowing that eight Jedi have escaped.
>>Additionally, with the Conclave’s arrival, the Triumvirate needs some time to properly integrate them.
>>Until the heat dies down, your masters would like for you to stay somewhat close until you can meet for your next mission.

>>In the meantime, please choose one of the following as your next mission:
>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.
>Patrol along the edges of Alliance/Teladi space for pirates attacking convoys.
>Stay on Amagi to have enough space to properly train yourself and Ceyla.
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade).
>Custom option. [Write-in]

[VOTE OPEN FOR TEN HOURS]

Sorry this one took a while. Took part of the day off for my birthday.
Also, the H-3 map is VERY much a WIP. The key was yoinked from a Star Trek map, so ignore the "Starfleet asset" symbol.

>>5659112
>Until the heat dies down, your masters would like for you to stay somewhat close until you can meet for your next mission.
Sounds like a good excuse to investigate the Blazing Chain or the Mandalorians

>>5659112
>Are there any places besides Horexis where the pirates could be setting a staging ground to receive goods from raiding?

>>5659119
You could demonstrably lead a scouting mission into that unmapped space to find any systems that the raiders might be using as an FOB. Hell, you’d actually be using the E-9 Explorer for its intended purpose.

>>5659112
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade).

>>5659112
>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.
Happy (late) Birthday!

>>5659129
I'll aim for that, then.

>>5659112
>Scout for the raiders' or Blazing Chain's FOB
We can also use this as an opportunity to do a favor for the Teladi. They shouldn't like pirates either, so we may be able to sell them something worth an upgrade or at least looser tongues.

>>5659112
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade).
We’ve been running around for everyone else, take the downtime to get the Tross upgraded.

>>5659129
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade).
An upgrade or more sounds good, depending on how much cash we have. The Albatross can use new weapons, shields and other utilities. We will do missions for the MDSF likely after this, so is a good investment against pirates, raiders and Tof's.
Ship upgrades shouldn't take too long either to complete. A week maybe ? Depends on how much we buy probably

Perhaps we could use this occasion for look in to the dirty laundry of the Teledi Corp for the MDSF ?
A bit of snopping around and using jedi mind tricks, innocent things.
Damn i want a kakarit crew member.

>>5659179
meant this, sy
>>5659112

>>5659112
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade).

>>5659112
>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.
>Regardless of choice, request some descriptions of the Vaagari, Ebruchi, and Ssi-Ruuk from former slaves, as well as tactics and ship descriptions.

>>5659112
>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.

>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.

this could possibly be more interesting than first appearances

>>5659112
>Escort and protect relief fleets going to Ulsind and Kalle from Tof raiders.

Keep our Padawan close. nothing like field experience bb

>>5659112
>Visit Teladi space to upgrade the Albatross (and investigate Pip Arcblade)

Upgrades people upgrades!

>>5659409
The Albatross only has so many upgrade hardpoints to use, and we've used up a substantial amount for the ECM suite and the hidden compartments.

If you want a dedicated fighty ship, we really ought to get a dedicated fighty ship to use as a base, and then just make it better.

Shoot, we forgot to ask about Ingarm‘s parole and asking about Cranz and Stern for anti-slavery infiltration missions.

Glad to see this back Kaz.

I'm thinking we should keep rescue as our main priority, and get back out there as soon as possible. Lots of groups to search for: Teepo Paladins, Grey Paladins, Baran-Do Sages, Antarian Rangers, Temple Security Forces, Wardens of the Sky, etc. We have to keep our distance from the Iron Knights for the foreseeable future though so as not to spook them, since they did ask for 6 months.

>Have Ceyla try to sneak up on/prank Master Aure
>Visit Arotta before we go on a mission.
>Check in on the Kakari.
>Investigate Teladi space...

Gotta' upgrade our ship before we can eradicate pirates anyway.

>>5659902
I think locating the Teepo Paladins and extending an olive branch is a great idea.
The Empire is a dangerous place for any Jedi, so it's imperative for any inside Imperial space to conceal their identity.
To that end, not immediately defaulting to Force powers and Lightsabers when in public should be standard doctrine. Thus, conventional weapons training is a must on top of the standard lightsaber forms.
I'd also like to point out that the Teepo Paladins being censured was a bullshit decision by the council in the first place. It's the same situation as what happened with the Iron Knights; old ass fogies stuck in their ways refusing to see anything from a different perspective or admit they're wrong on something.

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>>5659842
I gotchu homie.

>Ingmar
"Before I leave, I gotta ask: how's Ingmar doing?"

"...ah, right. He was the bartender, correct?"

"Proprietor of the Tipsy Toffer, to be precise."

"Hmmm. More than one of my wardens are grumbling, but he's been otherwise behaving himself on his parole."

"That's good to hear. But...I can't imagine him having a large clientele."

"There have been, regrettably, more than a few protests and heated incidents when he opened his business."

"How heated?"

"One of the rowdier mobs found a porcine-like creature, painted it green, and erected a guillotine on the front of his business-"

"...now that's just offensive to Gamorreans."

"Most were willing to let it slide if it meant dunking on the Tof."

"... ... ..."

"...we're working on it."

"Are you?"

"The Toffer has a detachment of MSDF soldiery protecting it around-the-clock. We have a few grumblers, but Ingmar's been giving discounts and free drinks to his security and active military personnel."

"As a reward and gesture of good feelings, or as incentive to not conveniently 'disappear' when the mob comes knocking?"

"...you Shadows are a very pessimistic lot."

"Can't help it. Have you met my master?"

>Crantz and Stern

"Oh, gods, not you too..."

"They saved the lives of our younglings. It'd be rude not to check up on them."

"The same words came out of Wing Commander Belka and General Sho for the fifth time this week."

"...I was just gonna get them a fruit basket while they convalesce."

"That makes you the most sensible one out of them. I'm up to my ears in requests for them to be transferred into Blitz Squadron or reassigned to a yet-to-be-named ranger company."

"...for what it's worth, I'd think that crashing a ship would preclude them from hopping in what few fighters you have."

"Not according to Belka. She's convinced that the fact that they made it down from atmo with hemorrhaging systems gives them enough of a shot."

"Point. But if I'm allowed to be biased, they did a good job of holding their own on the ground."

"...you angling for something, Gaelle?"

"Beyond your planet-hopping plan, what've you got in mind for anti-slavery infiltration operations?"

"...I'm pouring myself another drink."

>>5659902
At the time of the cutoff, the vote for escorting and protecting relief fleets won out.

>>5659953
Alright, thanks for the conversation snippets, Boss! Here’s hoping we can hear Ingmar’s and the comedic relief’s stories eventually.

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>>5659119
>>5659134
>>5659139
>>5659140
>>5659151
>>5659179
>>5659199
>>5659268
>>5659313
>>5659343
>>5659352

>>Intelligence of the most pertinent raiders in the sector:
>Ebruchi – nomadic marauders that ply the edges of the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Speciesim is a foreign concept to them, as they consider members of other races in their pirate crews as fellow Ebruchi.
>Ssi-ruu – a reptilian race with strange castes and customs, striking from the edge of the galaxy into the Unknown Regions in order to take resources and expand their territory.
>Tof – a humanoid species of conquerors and slavers originating from the Firefist Sector, they have carved themselves portions of the northeastern Unknown Regions as their own little principality.
>Vagaari – a nomadic species with their core territory south of Chiss space, their empire is built on the suffering, exploitation (and sometimes extermination) of all who are not Vagaari.

>>Respectively, each of them have their own tactics:
>Ebruchi – rely on ships no larger than frigates in small groups rather than fleets, favoring speed, maneuverability and ‘death by a thousand cuts’ over staying power.
>Ssi-ruu – opportunistic hit-and-run raiders that rely on swarms of droid fighters and ion cannons to tie up their enemies’ guns and disable their ships.
>Tof – extensively favor using overwhelming firepower to intimidate their prey, closing the distance between ships to carry out shock assaults and boarding actions.
>Vagaari – their ships’ hulls are lined with ‘living shields’ containing slaves and prisoners to deter enemies from firing on innocents. The victims’ screams are broadcast on all channels to demoralize their opponents. Their larger ships have mass shadow generators that can interdict a ship out of hyperspace.

Of course, you aren’t about to immediately hop back into the Albatross and fly off-world. The next shipment of foodstuffs and medical supplies to Ulsind won’t be for another standard day. That leaves you with thirty hours for the Albatross to get a full victualing, as well as a thorough calibration of…well, everything.

The MSDF doesn’t have the facilities to perform extensive upgrades (yet), but getting the ship close to one-hundred precent functionality should hopefully be enough. In all candor, a boarding action would be more preferable, but you’re not aiming to take trophies or salvage. That comes secondary to getting the victims of Ulsind the supplies they desperately need.

Breaking the news to the crew of the Albatross isn’t difficult in the slightest. All of them, but especially Elba and Suzel, are raring to go and help. They'd been more than happy to go along with whatever missions you (the Jedi Triumvirate) had to accomplish, but this hits home for them. And hey, it certainly gives you some credit in helping them burn off any lingering resentment as former slaves of the Tof.

(cont.)

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>>Line Break

“The flight plan the convoy head filed with us says that we’ve gotta make a stop before we hit Ulsind,” the Nagai says the day before the journey. On a palm-sized holoprojector, he brings up a map of the local subsector, and highlights the path the convoy would be taking. “We’re dropping out here – System 19A-KJ. Gas giant with nothing more than barren worlds and a few asteroid belts.”

“I thought it would’ve been a straight jump,” opines Ceyla. “And no more than a few hours of transit.”

“Explanation,” offers HK-82, “Due to spatial disturbances, the edges of the Veil Nebula are interfering with hyperspace travel. It was only after careful and deliberate consideration to take the long way around.”

Elba coughs, shaking his head roughly before crossing his arms. Nobody needs a translation to understand that he agrees. Traveling through the nebula would be a navigational hazard. They have the unfortunate tendency to obfuscate senor arrays and interfere with communications.

But what does go unspoken is the fact that System 19A-KJ is the perfect spot for an ambush.

“…we aren’t carrying any cargo, are we?” Trykov suddenly asks. “Insofar as being a part of the convoy. We’re just playing the role of escort.”

He's correct. Much as you’d like to load up the cargo hold, you’d rather keep the ship light. Jettisoning cargo isn’t something you’d see doing if you needed to escape – the ship’s fast enough for that. Space on a ship’s a luxury and a premium, and you’d rather have it in the event of an emergency.

Besides, it’d be the mark of a piss-poor convoy if they had to outsource cargo space.

You nod to each of the crew. “We shouldn’t be anticipating trouble, but I want everyone to be ready for it. That means gunners in the hotseats, ECM cranked up to the maximum, and all the fancy flying that Suzel can pull out of the ship.”

To Ceyla, you place a hand on her shoulder, and come down to her level. “If we need to carry out a boarding action, I want you stay close. No going out of my sight, and no going ahead of me. But the second things get too hot, I want you to run back to the ship. No heroics, understand?”

She nods. “Yes, master.”

You give her a little smile. “I'm not doubting you at all. You've done well for yourself on the Chiller and Dweem-”

“Eugh. Please don’t remind me of the Dweemons.”

"...fair enough."

>>During your free day before the mission, what do you wish to do? [Choose one]
>Check in with the Kakari to see how they’ve settled in.
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.
>Custom option. [Write-in.]

[VOTE OPEN FOR EIGHT HOURS]

>>5660026
>Check in with the Kakari to see how they’ve settled in.

>>5660026
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.

>>5660026
>Custom option. [Write-in.]
>Take Arotta to meet the Kakarit properly. It might not be a proper date, but it feels wrong for them to not meet after having endured the same terrors on that planet.

>>5660026
>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.
No reason we couldn't do this I think. Here's hoping we can get a moment alone with her after all the formalities.

>>5660026
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.
Write-ins are good, but I'm more curious about what's in store with this one alone.

>>5660026
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.

>>5660026
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.

Nice to see this back.

>>5660009
what the hell vagaari

>>5660026
>>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.

>>5660026
>>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.

>>5660026
>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.

>>5660026
>Find and spend some time with Arotta on a proper date.

Let's get some sweet fluff.

>>5660026
>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.

Hee hoo, write ins!

>>5660026
>>5660305
Supporting this

>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in with the Kakarit.

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>>5660117
>>what the hell vagaari

Kek. Their tactics certainly make the Tof look almost saintly in comparison.
Highly recommend reading "Survivor Quest" and "Outbound Flight" by Timothy Zahn if you want to see them in action.

Writing...

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>>5660612
Can't find Survivor Quest, but I'll read Outbound Flight.

These fuckin guys tho
>pic related

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>>5660627
I gotchu homie.

https://files.catbox.moe/gxtx1z.epub

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>>5660033
>>5660038
>>5660049
>>5660054
>>5660059
>>5660061
>>5660099
>>5660117
>>5660206
>>5660248
>>5660287
>>5660305
>>5660405
>>5660590

>>Invite Arotta to accompany you as you check in on the Kakari

Nujem spots you first. The young kalleran waves excitedly, tugging at his master’s robes. “Master Farren, Ceyla! Hey, we’re over here!”

Said master snorts. Even from across the berth, you can see Arotta rolling her eyes as she cuffs her padawan’s shoulder. “Don’t go making a ruckus.”

It’s been a month since your departure and return to Amagi, but much has changed. As they approach the Albatross, you spy the length of a padawan braid hanging around Nujem’s wrist like a bracelet. In contrast, the little length of beads that hung along Arotta’s montrals is nowhere to be found.

You grin. It seems like she kept her promise – she’d passed her trials and became a Jedi Knight, all in the time it took you to come back from the Empire.

Nujem breaks ranks with his master, running towards Ceyla with outstretched arms. “Ceyla! Look, I’m a padawan now!”

She sighs, but smiles ruefully, reciprocating the gesture with an ‘omph’ as they collide. “Congrats, Nujem. You must’ve worked really haAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!”

Your hand drops instinctively to your lightsaber as she breaks away, screeching bloody murder as she scrambles at the back of her neck. “Ceyla, what-?!”

Arotta’s palm meets the front of her head in a meaty smack and a groan of consternation. Red-faced and furious, the miraluka produces a runny ice cube. And Nujem, the little brat, has the guts to look completely and utterly unapologetic.

“We have ice now!” he declares triumphantly, “The MSDF took the Chiller back from the Tof, so we can have cool pillows like the one Luaine made you-”

He yelps, ducking as a vindictive Ceyla winds her arm and throws the ice cube back towards him. The kalleran has all of two seconds to realize his mistake as he books it, your padawan hot on his heels.

“NUJEM CLAVIS,” screeches your aggrieved padawan, “GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN!”

…on the one hand, it seems that Nujem’s recovered from the trauma he experienced on the Chiller. He doesn’t seem to be struggling with the moral quandary of his “pranks” being used to kill people that were trying to kill him.

…on the other hand…ah, what the hell.

…watching him run away with his latest victim brings back memories of more pleasant times when it was just you, Master Larid and the brat pack.

No Jedi Purge. No Sith.

...bliss.

Arotta idles up beside you with a grimace. “Yeah, uh…sorry about that. I felt his excitement through the Force, but I thought it was to see Ceyla again.”

Pulling your hand away from your lightsaber, you chortle dryly. “Better learn quickly. Nujem loves pranks almost as much as lightsaber practice.”

"...I know that look on your face, pink skin. You ain't mad, are you?"

(cont.)

>>5660712
>Oh no, I'm livid. Furious even. I'm sure Master Larid is rushing here right now to see what the trouble is.
>Oh you can't sense it? No surprise there, perhaps my Padawan can offer you advice~

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>>5660712
That’d be too strong a word. If anything, you almost pity him. “Give it a few seconds, we’re about to get some quality entertainment.”

It actually takes four, but your promise comes true. There’s no warning as the loading hatch to the Albatross slams open and hits the ground with a sharp BANG. Rushing off the ship like bats out of hell, Suzel, Elba, and Trykov have their weapons drawn and at the ready. They could only have heard Ceyla’s shriek and assumed the worst.

And as the Jedi don’t believe in luck or coincidence, it must have been nothing short of the will of the Force for Nujem’s flight from Ceyla to take him right into their path.

“Kid, you alright?!” shouts the Clone, eyes sharp and alert. “We heard screaming-!”

“Get him!” Ceyla points to Arotta’s padawan with a fierce snarl.

Said padawan only realizes that he might have bitten off more than he could chew seconds before Elba scoops him up like a sack of potatoes and roars mere inches away from his face.

“Whoa, hey!” yelps the kalleran, cringing as far away from the wookiee’s mouth. “Call ‘em off! Cey, it was just a prank! Just a prank!”

Suzel is unimpressed. The nagai scratches himself with the pommel of his knife, making a show of picking at his fingernails. “Just a prank, huh? Kind of prank has someone screaming that loud this early in the morning?”

Arotta tenses, fingers twitching towards her lightsaber. But you shake your head and grin, waving over to your crew. “Alright, alright. Play nice, guys. He just slipped an ice cube down Ceyla’s shirt.”

“…yeah, nah, sorry boss. That’s the death penalty right there.”

His master doesn’t think it’s nearly as funny. While she doesn’t draw her lightsaber, she still stomps over towards the group. “I’m only gonna ask once for you to put down my padawan.”

Okay, fun time’s over. You nod to Elba, who growls once final time before dropping Nujem to the ground. He nearly trips over himself scurrying away, right behind Arotta like a frightened child hiding behind his sister’s robes.

“Oi.” She nudges her padawan, mouth thin and brow sharply furrowed. “You got something to say?”

Nujem swallows nervously, wiping wookiee spittle off of his face. “…yes, master.” Then, to Ceyla: “Hey, uh…sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you that badly.”

“…apology accepted.” Ceyla looks like she’s still out for blood but decides to grant him a measure of her magnanimous mercy. Then, she sighs, shoulders sagging as the fight drains from her body. Turning to the crew, she smiles ruefully. “Sorry for scaring you. I’ve been…a little on edge since Dweeeeeeuh…since we left.”

It's hard not to wince. Flustered and het up, she only just catches herself before she reveals where you’d been to Nujem and Arotta. You make a mental note to work on reinforcing and remembering OpSec during your next practical training.

(cont.)

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But the others others relax, lowering and holstering their weapons. No better time to interject, clapping your hands to get everyone’s attention. “Master Bashur and I are going to visit the Kakari. She was planning to leave Padawan Clavis with the ship while we were gone, and pick him up when we got back.”
Nujem suddenly looks (understandably) nervous as the gazes of Ceyla, Trykov, Elba and Suzel suddenly bear down upon him like an extra force of gravity.

“Nothing’s changed in that regard, despite a rough first impression.” You pat him on the shoulder, then address both padawans. “No lightsaber dueling and frivolous Force abilities while we’re gone unless it’s an absolute emergency.”

“What he said,” grouses Arotta, but she levels each one of the crew the stink eye. “Fair’s fair that you got him back for the prank, but if I see as much as one scratch on him…”

They get the message. Trykov remains indifferent, but Suzel and Elba give Nujem a look that makes their feelings about the matter clear.

“And behave yourself, you hear?” she adds, pointing specifically towards her padawan. “Don’t make me come back earlier than I have to.”

>>New Nest, Kakari Enclave, Great Plains
>>Amagi, Mylus System, Unknown Regions (H-3)

Amagi is a relatively underdeveloped planet. Beyond Serano Spaceport, the only other major cities and settlements are shantytowns and slums servicing the extraction of a resource. Living on plantation-style manors, the Tof only allowed for the construction of the bare minimum of housing for the slaves set to mining or farming. And while there’s an intercontinental railway network for most of the cities, as well as dedicated fusion power plants, there is a noticeable shortage of higher-end industries.

But, you digress. Those are all matters of internal policy and development for other people to worry about.

The Alliance had given the Kakari an area of roughly five thousand square kilometers to do with as they saw fit. By all accounts, it’s a mere fraction of the 350 square kilometers that comprises the surface area of Amagi. Any other group might have complained, but it’s certainly far more generous than seven hundred refugees would expect. Certainly far more open-aired and less constrained than the original block that Archon Sanada had initially offered.

As you bring your speeder through the countryside, you spy grazing herds of sniztrix under the watchful eye of bronka-riders. Farmers drive walzors, ploughing the fields and sowing seeds into the upturned earth. And in the backdrop, the mountaintops cast long shadows across the Great Plains, and the emerging settlement of New Nest.

“For a celebratory get-together for us becoming Knights, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Arotta snarks.

In spite of her words, her tone doesn’t have any bite. “Considering how you survived together on Kakarit, I thought having you go unintroduced would feel...wrong, y'know?”

(cont.)

>>5661768
So, is the official line for this “Date” is that we’re meeting with the Kakari and Troxl to talk about a possible field trip with the younglings? Because I kinda want to have another field trip to the Globus, eventually, to let the Mercantors see what kids on their bridge would be like.

Preferably when they’re not fighting the Tof.

Wew lads, I just speedread the prior threads.

Kaz, you’re an inspiration to a rookie QM like myself!

Can’t wait to take an active role as a player as we move ahead…

>>5662065
Welcome aboard m8, we're glad to have you. What quests you got in mind you wanna run, if any? Some cape-shit? Fantasy? Sci-fi? Maybe even a base builder...

>>5662108

Actually I’m already running my quest, it’s on the catalog right now.

I’d rather not out myself though, don’t want to be a distraction in Kaz’s thread!

>>5662065
>Kaz, you’re an inspiration to a rookie QM like myself!
I feel bad for your players if you're taking after his update schedule then :^)

Out of curiosity I wonder how long Kaz will have this quest span depending how things happen? all the way to 4 ABY?

>>5662113
Well shit man, you got a name? Hit me up b

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>>5661768
She huffs, crossing her arms. “Yeah, no thanks to them. You’d think that after everything, they’d actually approach us and not sneak around stealing our supplies.”

Certainly a valid point. The whole mess could have been mitigated if the Kakari had actually approached either the Separatists or Republic forces to warn them about the fruit. Not that the Separatists would have listened given their prior track record of dealing with native populations. Or even the Republic’s most advanced protocol droid to understand them without the late Grand Shamanka Bos using the power of the spirits to absorb the knowledge of how to speak Galactic Basic.

But in your gut, you have a feeling that the late High King Trax’s policy would have been to just hope that the fighting blew over without risking exposure – all the more justified given how the force entity calling itself Jombaral was actually on-planet and hunting them down. Still, based on his incoherent rambling in the Chamber of the Godseye, you wouldn’t put it past the deluded lizard to think that things would simply just go away and return to what passed for “normal”.

You reach over the middle, and squeeze Arotta’s hand. “No more perfect of an opportunity to mend the bridge, then.”

Located in the Great Plains thirty kilometers away from Serano Spaceport and five from the closest railway station, the Kakari Enclave is nestled securely in the valley of the Zhaman Mountains. It’s a picaresque sight, with snowcapped mountains that just miss the clouds, and pockets of green that dot lime-grey hillocks and lakes. Breathing in deeply, the air is dry, but crisp and fresh, far more palatable to the lungs than the industrialized spaceport.

At the gates of New Nest, a pair of Kakari guards stand alert, straightening as you bring the speeder to a stop. Curiously, you spy E-5 blasters in their hands, almost comically small compared to their relative size. You wonder where they might have gotten them, and then conclude that the Mercantors must have donated a surplus from the hold of the Globus.

You don’t recognize them, but they very much recognize you. Fumbling at a radio, one of the pair intones lowly: “Sings-of-Devouring-Darkness and a guest.”

Arotta seems to be more curious of the nickname than the dismissal. At her pointed look, you try not to flush as you drive into the settlement. “…long story. Don’t worry about it.”

New Nest could be charitably described as a work in progress. The buildings seem to be arranged in no particular order, with narrow alleyways snaking between them with little rhyme or reason. Only a handful of houses are made of wood or stone, few of which look like permanent dwellings. Most are ramshackle structures made from sheet metal, crudely welded together and sealed from the elements.

(cont.)

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But the Kakari have taken to their new home with gusto. The air is thick with the smells of cooking fires, intermingling with the earthy, gritty tones of the Plains. Carts full of mined ores, stone and lumber wheel in and out of the city gates. Children run around through the streets, with their parents hot on their heels. Day workers and laborers swap stories with their elders, hissing in an odd mix of Basic and their own guttural Kakarit tongue.

Many stop to stare you drive along the main thoroughfare – whether or not they’re staring at the speeder, Arotta, or Sings-of-Devouring-Darkness remains a mystery only the Force could solve.

Passing into the heart of the settlement, your eyes are drawn to a trio of cargo haulers that had landed in the market square. Their reactors still hummed with power as their crews worked tirelessly to unload their cargo. Soldiers in the livery of the MSDF had organized a neat queue, their expressions ranging from apprehension to friendly curiosity.

It is an expression reflected back to them by the Kakari. For an overwhelming majority of both parties, it will be their first time meeting a new species. There is an awkwardness that doesn’t quite nearly go away completely, but it pales in comparison to a very palpable sense of goodwill between the two groups.

One by one, the MSDF hand out supplies, foodstuffs and other amenities to the townsfolk, and taking orders for what they hadn’t brought. You spy crates of food, sacks of ferrocrete, and other relatively low-level amenities being given to the thronging crowds. In turn, carts full of ores and stone are loaded onto the transport. It’s trade agreement that overwhelmingly favors the Kakari, but still allows for them to provide and earn their keep on Amagi without feeling like a burden.

“Hearts and minds,” mutters Arotta.

But her expression is complicated. “Something wrong?”

She grimaces. “Not with me or the Kakari.”

“Then what?”

Arotta glances to make sure nobody’s eavesdropping. Then, in a low voice, continues: “You used your connections with the Archon to get the Kakari their own bit of land. And that’s all fine and dandy since you helped the MSDF get their independence. Nobody denying that.”

“…so what’s the problem?”

She sighs, glancing towards the cargo haulers. With the way her brow twitches, you can tell that she’s carefully considering the next words to come out of her mouth. “Nobody’s got a problem with the Kakarit, per se. They’re more than welcome on Amagi. Only thing is that there’s been some…jealousy from the newer arrivals.”

“Jealousy?” You stare, utterly perplexed. Racking your brain doesn’t come up with any immediate reason for anyone to be jealous…but you recall your earlier conversation with Archon Sanada and it hits you like a sucker punch to the gut. “...oh, Force me.”

(cont.)

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“Yep,” says Arotta with an audible pop of her lips, “The Kakari got a pretty good deal – an autonomous enclave for their species that’s allied with the Alliance and pays a nominal tax, but otherwise has the freedom to do whatever the hell they want.”

You bring your hand to your face, rubbing the side of your temples as a headache begins to form. “The Kakari barely invented aqueducts, not even spaceflight or hyperdrive theory before Jombaral forced them underground! It’d be too much to simply expect them to just....join.”

…not to mention the fact that almost four thousand years of living in fear of extinction have left them jumpy and fiercely protective of their culture. Even if they’re more than happy and smiling as they trade supplies with the soldiery.

“The Kakari will pay tithe for living on the planet, and send soldiers to march with you. But we will not be deprived of who we are. Allies, yes. Assimilated? Never.”

“There’s a silver lining though,” adds Arotta with a wave of her hand, “It’s only the newer arrivals. The initial three million? They all fought and bled together for their independence, so they’re pretty happy to stick together in the MSDF. Fight together, die together, be free together.”

“…and the new arrivals didn’t have that camaraderie,” you conclude. "Or won't for a long time."

“Got it in one.” Arotta grins, showing the edges of her teeth. “Funny how war brings unlikely people together and makes ‘em all friends – different species of slaves against the Tof…Clones and Jedi against Separatists and the Sith…”

It’s painful to watch her deflate into a bundle of tense emotions. Literally. The white-knuckled grip she has on your hand starts to hurt.

“…dammit, now I’ve made myself all upset,” she grumbles, “Could’ve sworn I was going somewhere else with that comparison.”

“…Scrapper Squad still considers you and Master Kosa their rightful leaders,” you comfort her. “If not their friends.”

Arotta snorts, rubbing at the corner of her eyes. “…damned fools. But you better do me a solid and let me know when you find Jombaral. I’m gonna carve my name into her heart and count the rings before I set her on fire.”

An exceedingly unbecoming statement for a Jedi Knight, but one you can understand and sympathize with. “Get in line.”

Her lips pull back in a fierce snarl. And for the briefest moment, you’re taken back to your fateful meeting in the sewers of the Heart of Kakarit, deep in the throes of her madness. “She owes me for the 57th Elite Corps. Almost six thousand clone troopers that she brainwashed into serving her, twisting them into those…things.”

(cont.)

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The three of you watch, horrified as Marcs’ skin begins to ossify. Pink and soft flesh ruptures and breaks, giving way to dull, brown layers of what looks like bark. It’s disturbingly organic, and fast as it acts, enveloping the clone within an exoskeleton of mutating, twisting fibers. With a hand that’s more branch than not, he manages to stand, giving you one last look at his face.

“...can't scavenge...a GoOd..." he strains as he somehow grips his pistol and aims towards you. His eyes are glassy, unfocused and empty, weeping just before they’re completely sealed by the wooden helmet. “...sOlDiEr...fOlLoWs...OrDeRs...rEn...”

You don’t say anything. The Force bond between you speaks volumes beyond what words can. Inexperienced as you are in the arts of romance, you can still show solidarity. Delicately extricating your hand from hers, you bring your arm around her shoulder, and pull her against you. Arotta doesn’t struggle, even as she scowls and sulks.

After a profound silence, she speaks, first flatly, then plaintively: “…revenge isn’t the Jedi way. So’s possessing stuff. But…they were my men. They didn’t deserve that.”

…if it’s any consolation, Tarkin’s Base Delta Zero would have instantaneously killed anyone caught in the blast zone. If there’d been any cognizant thoughts left in the Children of Jombaral, they wouldn’t have felt the pain of the bombardment.

But you do not say those things. You merely pull Arotta closer against you.

>>Line Break

Much to your surprise, the Kakari had salvaged the Obsidian Throne of the Chieftain-King from Nest’s End. How they managed to fit its considerable mass into one of Octavia’s Sheathipedes is nothing short of a mystery, but it would be the “Wise King” who would have accomplished it. And as befitting of such a throne, the gathering hall of the Chieftain-Kings has been lovingly and carefully built with nothing short of the finest craftsmanship.

The incumbent king holds his court, sitting atop the throne with a keen and hawkish eye. Troxl has foregone the elaborate headdress and ritual clothing he’d worn to that meeting with Sanada. Dressed in flexible and comfortable linins, the Kakari and his court observe a holotank demonstration, presented by an MSDF engineer. You’ve come in at the moment where the twi’lek launches into the benefits of having working electricity.

But your arrival, quiet as you intended it to be, does not go unnoticed. As the presenter pauses to take a deep breath, Troxl raises a hand. “Break for recess. Thirty minutes.”

As one, the court stands and disperses, breaking into cliques and whispering about what they’d just learned. The engineer is left flustered, but recovers quickly enough, slinking away after he turns off the projector.

Troxl stands, descending from his throne. “Sings-of-Devouring-Darkness! Here, in the flesh before me.”

“Your majesty.” You and Arotta both bow.

(cont.)

>"Hey, Troxl, I think I found a replacement ingredient for the seed removal medicine, if you don't mind it coming up the other way instead... You ever heard about the Peko Peko Albatross and it's skin and feathers?"

Once again Interregnum sneaks up on me at the worst possible moment. I love you all.

>>5655921
Rahm Kota was brilliant in a dozen different ways and pre-Order 66 was merely 'eccentric' rather than 'off his rocker'.

>>5663702
>Rahm Kota was brilliant in a dozen different ways and pre-Order 66 was merely 'eccentric' rather than 'off his rocker'.
He was eccentric in a way that agreed with the Council, that's the only reason he was given treatment as favorable as he was. And again, if you're a canon/filonifag then Anakin was knighted like 5 weeks after Geonosis AND trained ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ the being most devoted to the ideals of the Republic and Light Side of the Force in that time, so there's no excuse for him not to be a Master by war's end.

>>5663944
Yeah no, I really don't understand why they had such a problem with making him a master. It's just a title at the end of the day, not to mention he was already enjoying most of the powers and privileges associated with being a Master at that point.

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>>5662650
The Kakari’s lips curl into a grin. “None of that. Stand up, Jedi Wanderer! Stand tall and proud. King though I may be, but a legend bows to no one.”

Now you know he’s deliberately taking the piss out of you. He’d done the same dog-and-pony show of hyping you up when he debriefed you about the death of his father.

And wouldn’t you know it? His Basic’s improved in leaps and bounds since your departure. There’s the long, elongated ‘ssss’ sounds that occasionally manifest, but you can hardly blame him. With a tongue that long, and a jaw that sharp, one would be hard-pressed to speak normally.

Troxl’s eyes turn towards Arotta. His eyes widen with a flash of recognition. “I remember you. You were the one who wolfed down so many fruits, and chased me through the jungle when I stole them away.”

Your lover coughs harshly, ears burning red. But she makes an acerbic retort: “Wasn’t just the fruits, your highness. You guys flinched half a metric ton of MREs from our supply depot.”

The king shrugs. “Perhaps, perhaps not. It might have been a vision that the False Mother bestowed upon you.”

Now that’s interesting. In spite of the distance between Amagi, Kakarit and wherever the hell Jombaral went, Troxl isn’t about to use her real name.

But Arotta grins. “I like this one, pink skin.”

Ten years ago, you might have made a smart remark about how one cold-blooded lizard can easily relate to another. And while you think(?) that togruta are reptilian, it wouldn’t be worth the beating you’d get during the next of your spars. Or, if late night holodramas were to be believed, the couch in lieu of sharing a bed.

Now, you merely chortle. “Your highness…” you begin, but Troxl cuts you off.

“You’ve more than earned the right to use my name.”

“…Troxl, then. Right…how’ve you been?”

Despite centuries of living under ground, the Kakari seem to be doing well. Their immune systems, weakened by generations of living underground, are slowly adapting to the dry and arid environment of the Great Plains. There had been more than a few health scares, but those affected were largely the elderly and the newborn hatchlings – most had the opportunity to adapt aboard the Globus during the evacuation from Kakarit.

The development of New Nest is markedly slow, but nonetheless ongoing. Favoring function over form, the Kakari focus the bulk of their labors on the settlement’s infrastructure, building up walls and clearing space for future projects. One of their ongoing projects is the creation of an artificial river, diverting water from the lakes and rivers formed by mountain snowmelt. As it just so happened, the twi’lek engineer was selling Troxl on building a hydroelectric power plant until they could extend power from the closest fusion reactor.

(cont.)

>>5664213

Do Togruta ears turn red when embarassed?

Do they even have red colored blood?

>>5664271
Since Arotta's got blue skin, perhaps her ears would turn purple?

>>5664280
Would they not just turn a deeper shade of blue?

>>5664271
I don't think Togruta even have fleshy ears. They use their montrals for hearing.

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Clearly, the questions we have deserve to be researched quite thoroughly. Thankfully, I have acquired an assistant willing and able to assist us with our queries regarding the physiology of the average Togruta.

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>>5664213
But it hasn’t all been without difficulty. Beyond the tensions of the MSDF, food is an ongoing concern. There had only been so much time and not enough space in the shuttles to evacuate livestock onto the Globus. Spores and seeds of mushrooms and lichens from the World Beneath don’t take so easily to the soil of Amagi. While the Kakari aren’t in danger of starving with continued deliveries of MREs, it’s still a concern that has the Enclave rationing what supplies they have.

“Your master also visited,” says Troxl, folding his claws into his sleeves, “To pay his respects to the Communion of Spirits.”

“And how’d that turn out?” Privately, you know that he hadn’t been the keenest on them. Even if they aren’t an analogue to the Nightsisters, the fact that the Communion could meld their minds into a gestalt entity and call the spirits of the dead even disquieted you.

But the Kakari hums, adopting a pensive expression. “Words were exchanged, and tea was shared across the bonfires beneath the sky. But I cannot speak more on the matter. The Communion have since gone into mourning for the late Grand Shamanka.”

…you release a breath that you didn’t realize you were holding, even as your heart unexpectedly clenches at the mention of Bos.

>The meeting goes over well, and the Kakari seem to be adapting well enough.

>>Line Break

Mylus had already begun to set by the time that the pair had left the Enclaves. Halfway back to Serano Spaceport, in the speeder flinched from Kessel, the tension between the lovers snaps and boils over in an explosion of emotions.

In a little secluded cliffside, overlooking the vast expanse of the Great Plains, Farren Gaelle and Arotta Bashur come together into each other’s arms.

Here, in this moment, there are no plots or ruminations, schemes or far-flung plans. There is only the feverish warmth of her body, and the achingly familiar way it contours and contrasts against your own. Your lips meet hers, and in the confines of the little speeder, the universe becomes perfect.

After an eternity, it finally ends. Pulling away for air, you gasp: “I missed you.”

Arotta’s chest heaves as she laughs, and her hand comes up to cup your face. “Didn’t need to tell me that…but I missed you, too.”

>>The Day of the Relief Mission…

The convoy heading towards Ulsind consists of four cargo freighters carrying crucial supplies to relieve the famine. Accompanying them is a starfighter squadron of twelve, with three assigned to protect each ship. However, the squadron is a mixed bag in terms of experience. It wasn’t just that some had prior experience before becoming slaves, but that said “experience” was with haulers, not starfighters.

(cont.)

Is this a cuck quest?

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>>5664370
It is the hope of Wing Commander Belka that a combination of sim time and these low-level patrols would be enough for the rookies to cut their teeth on. So far, it seems to be working. The MSDF only lost ten ships and eighteen pilots by the time they retook the Chiller. The loss of hardware isn’t too much of an issue – the diplomats worked out another deal with the Teladi to sell the Alliance mothballed fighters.

Suzel pulls the Albatross out of Amagi’s gravity well, setting a course towards the convoy. He coughs twice and clears his throat before reaching for the comm. “Jolt-Leader, this is Albatross. How copy, over?”

“Jolt-Leader reads you, five-by-five.” The reply comes smoothly from the squadron leader, a Falleen named Ashim. “Try to keep up with us.”

If he rolled them any harder, the Nagai’s eyes would’ve fallen out of his head. “That’s the plan.” He hits another button, switching frequencies to the convoy. “Convoy-Lead, this is Albatross. How copy, over?”

The reply comes smoother, without the inflection of an adrenaline-huffing flyboy. “Loud and clear. Glad to have you with us, Albatross. Transmitting jump coordinates now…”

“…coordinates received. We’re locked in and ready to go when you are.”

“That’ll be within the minute. Standby for our signal…”

The cockpit of the Albatross is buzzing with activity. S-19 beeps and chirps from its station, communicating with HK-82 and B-33 as they crunch numbers and oversee subsystems and ongoing processes. Even Ceyla has her own role to play, eyeing the astrogation computer as best she can. You occupy the sensor array, keeping a sharp eye on the on-board ECM and scanners for the first sight of trouble.

Tapping at the comm, you call, “Elba, Trykov. We’re about to jump. You guys good?”

The query is met with a “yes, sir” and an inarticulate grunt. They’ve both taken to the dorsal and ventral turrets.

“Ceyla, how about you?”

Through the burgeoning Force bond, you can sense her unease and apprehension, warring with the stoicism expected of a Jedi. But your words seem to tip the balance. Your padawan flashes a thumbs-up before returning to her work.

“All hands, prepare to jump…” announces Suzel, making the last preparations. The convoy lead has already jumped, with the escort hot on their heels. As the ship falls in line with the rest of the convoy, their engines similarly glow with the tell-tale color of a hyperdrive charge. “Accelerating to hyperspace in three…two…one!”

The universe above your head reels and elongates as Suzel punches the hyperdrive. As the individual points of the stars lengthen, a force presses you against and into your seat…

>>Thirty minutes later…

“Standby…” Suzel adjusts several manual compensators, “Ready to go back to sublight…cutting us back in…now.”

(cont.)

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The droids chirp an affirmation. At the same time, the Nagai reverses a large lever on his console. Abruptly, the swirl of hyperspace falls away, and the extended points of light across the skyline return back into the pinpoint lights of distant stars.

The stellar body of 19A-KJ is a red giant, late in the stages of its stellar evolution. Its ominous glow blankets the lifeless planets and asteroid fields that swirl in its gravitational embrace. A chill runs down your back. The way its glare plays off the cockpit glass conjures a memory of the Revenant, and the way her lightsaber struck with unrelenting hate and fury.

The Albatross isn’t the only ship here. You spy the convoy lead, as well as the IFF signatures of Jolt Squadron. Within the next two minutes, the rest of the convoy arrive. All callsigns report in at the roll call.

Everyone has arrived.

Now came the next step of the plan – calculating the jump from here to Ulsind without flying through the Veil. A calculation that could hopefully be sped up by the droids on your ship and data-linked computers, but one that hasn’t been done before.

If anyone’s been to this system, it must have been decades ago…or so you hope.

But perhaps the most difficult thing is the waiting. And you can’t even escape to go meditate. Not with your hands on the triggers your eyes staring at sensor suites in what feels like the longest waiting game you’ve ever played…

>Roll 1d100.
>Best out of five.

I’m so sorry that this took so long to get out.
Simultaneously, my writing ran away from me and I got writer’s block.
Then IRL slammed into me like a freight train.
We will be returning to regular updates.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5664395
Rolling for some blazing chain

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>5664395
Rawlin

>>5664404
>>Ren, kinda awkward that you blew me off like that, but fancy meeting you here again in the outer regions! By the way me and my mandalorian buds are just here for perfectly innocuous reasons, no need to investigate us

>>5664371
Yes, go the fuck away.

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5664395
Rolls for the roll god

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>5664395
1

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>5664395
uhmm

>>5664404

Why does Tzeentch love Farren Gaelle so much bros?

>>5664465
Everything is as foretold.

>>5664465
Why wouldn't he? He's kicked off a violent rebellion against an established, stagnant polity in the Tof, foiled the generations-long ploy of Jombaral and transplanted an entire species into a completely alien biosphere.

It's a whole mess of change and upheaval he's left in his wake, and that stuff is like crack to Tzeentch.

>>5664500

Well, when you put it like that, anon, it does seem to make a lot of sense.

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>>5664404
>I'll just check on the thread so I can outline while eating breakfast-

Anyone want to have fun making up ideas for what we’ll find with a 99? I’m thinking it’s a long lost Tof or Vagaari treasury ship of legend, gone missing after a disaster during hyperspace.

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>>5664736

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>>5664402
>>5664404
>>5664422
>>5664429
>>5664431
The radio crackles to life. “All ships, this is Convoy-Lead. We’re too close to the star, and it’s throwing off our readings. Pull back to the edge of the system, and we’ll recalibrate for another jump calculation.”

Affirmations come up and down the line. After sounding off, Suzel accelerates the Albatross into a measured pace that keeps the ship abreast of the convoy. Several tense minutes follow, during which the cockpit becomes heavy with a tense silence. Everyone’s eyes are on their respective stations, tracking screens and occasional glimpses to the viewing port.

Eventually, you reach the edge of the system, where the interference of the star would be at its weakest. But it isn’t completely gone – the crimson light of 19A-KJ shines faintly off of transparisteel, refracting macabre shapes onto nearby asteroids and other stellar debris. It sits in the backdrop, much like the unease pooling in your guts and blood.

“This far enough for y’all?” jokes Jolt-Lead.

“Should be,” you reply dourly. Through the data-stream, you share the Albatross’ sensor readings with the rest of the group. “Only thing we have to worry about this far out are asteroids.”

In lieu of a planet, the last stellar body in the system is an asteroid belt. Most are fist-sized, pinging harmlessly off the deflector shield with nary a drain in power. But there are still far larger objects that meander at the edge of the gravity well, asteroids that run the gamut from rocks the size of freighters to mountains that could outweigh a Star Destroyer. A cursory scan reveals nothing even remotely resembling a dwarf planet.

“…if anyone wants to hit us now…here’d be the place,” Trkykov warns. “Plenty of nooks and crannies for ships to hide in.”

Jolt-Lead takes it under advisory. “Keep your eyes peeled, and your fingers on their triggers. Spread out, and keep an eye for any stray rocks coming up at your wingmen’s six. Convoy-Lead, how much time do you need?”

“Thirty minutes,” comes the answer. “But we’re also going to be deploying a recon probe to stay here. Just in case we need to come back, or if the green uglies decide to use the system as a staging ground.”

You share a glance with Suzel. That hadn’t been in the flight plan, but it makes enough sense at face value. Grabbing the mic, you reply: “Convoy-Actual, confirm method of deployment.”

They don’t want it free-floating. That would risk it being crushed in the asteroid field. A team of engineers from one of the freighters would have to touch down on a large enough asteroid to bolt the probe onto its surface. The dish itself isn’t “too” large, but it would still take some time to set it up. And then they’d have to find an asteroid large enough to support and protect the probe.

(cont.)

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Thankfully, it’s something that can be done without compromising the time to make the jump calculations. As S-19 and the navicomputer begins to run the astrogation check again, the freighter and its fighter escort begin scouting for the perfect asteroid. It takes only five minutes for them to report an ideal candidate – a lumpy, frozen asteroid three times the mass and size of the Albatross. It takes another ten for the freighter to touch down and disgorge the probe and its away team.

“Damned shame this wasn’t back on Amagi,” grumbles an MSDF engineer over the comm.

That gets some laughs. “We got the Chiller now, so no point in bellyaching.”

“But think of how many tons this is! Or how many fighters we could trade for giving this to the Teladi.”

“Dibs,” jokes Jolt-Seven, maintaining a gyro-synchronous position around the asteroid with Jolt-Eight and Jolt-Nine.

The banter is unprofessional and unbecoming of proper radio etiquette. But it does help bleed some of the tension in your gut. Not completely, though.

More minutes follow, occasionally punctuated by more banter. But the cockpit of the Albatross remains dead silent, save for the beeps of S-19 and the noises of the consoles and sensory stations. Progress for the new calculation can’t come fast enough, but it’s nearly finished. It looks like the hyperspace route would be realized before the probe finished-

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Everyone jumps as the sensor suite beeps a warning. With your heart only inches away from your throat, you swallow and check the computer. You scan for any hostile IFFs, or unknown reactor signatures, only to find nothing of the sort. With a frown, cycle your tools, switching your options from radar to IR/thermal…

There! The warning comes from the site of the probe. You spy the thermal signatures of the engineers, and the sight of their fusion torches and equipment boring holes into the ice. Close behind, the freighter comes across as an almost yellow-red light indicative of a dormant reactor on standby. But it hadn’t been any of those that had tripped the warning.

The Force remains silent, but your gut churns. “Away team, what the hell are you guys doing down there?”

“Digging holes?” The reply is almost annoyed. “We're drilling through the ice to put the bolts in.”

“Did you guys do something to the asteroid? It’s heating up! The hell's going on down there?”

A flurry of chairs and movement. Ceyla and Suzel abandon their stations, peering over your shoulders to glance at the monitor. The look of utter confusion on their faces mirrors yours.

“Break, break!” Convoy-Lead interrupts. “Away team, confirm what the Albatross-”

Everything happens at once.

Seismic sensors shriek an alarm. “The asteroid just moved!”

The thermal bloom comes in gradual, faster pulses. “I…I can see something! The surface is clearing up…”

“…the hell…is that coral?”

(cont.)

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The uneasy feeling in your gut metastases into a desperate action. Convoy-Lead is the one technically in charge, but radio protocol’s been shot to hell. You grab the line and scream: “Everyone, get out of there! Now!”

They’re already running, even as the proper order from Convoy-Lead barks an evaucation. The probe and all their equipment are all but forgotten as the away team makes a mad dash towards the freighter. It’s not a graceful sight – in their EVA suits, their steps are ungainly and slippery on the icy surface, amplified by the tremors that run up and down the asteroid.

All of a sudden, the asteroid starts to rotate. You can’t hear it, but you could imagine an earth-shattering CRACK as a fissure the size of a river suddenly emerges down the length of the ice. Like the breath of an angry god, superheated gas and steam blasts out of it, scattering those lucky to be far away enough, flash-boiling those too close to the gap.

“Jolts Seven through Nine,” Jolt-Leader shouts, the flyboy attitude all but a distant thing of the past, “Break off and get out of there!”

But it’s too late.

The asteroid’s heat approaches a brilliant yellow-white on IF/thermals. Almost all of the ice has melted, revealing a pock-marked surface scared by years of repeated collisions with other asteroids. But from those scars, the suite picks up sudden blossoms of heat growing within them. Almost blinded, you hurriedly switch the sights from thermal to visual, zooming as far in as you can for an analysis…

…the closest thing you can compare it to is a vent at the bottom of oceans near volcanic rifts. It isn’t a far-off comparison – the heat of it easily matches, even surpasses what nature has. The mouth of the vent glows ominously, catching the red light of 19A-KJ before it fires.

Jolt-Seven disappears in a stream of heated plasma, and a scream that vanishes in a wet squelch of radio static. Another blast from another mouth consumes the recon probe, and the entirety of the expedition team too slow to reach the freighter. The freighter doesn’t even bother closing the hatch, opening up to a full emergency burn. But it isn’t enough to escape unscathed as more mouths emerge and unleash unrelenting fire.

“Ancestors’ blood!” Suzel swears, wide-eyed and horrified as a bolt catches the aft of the freighter. Before your disbelieving eyes, the armor and structure of the ship begins to melt, running like wax as internals and circuitry are exposed to the vacuum of space. “It went right through their shields!”

An explosion rocks its rear half, spraying reactor fuel and atmosphere like blood from a wounded animal. It limps vainly, trying to put as much distance as it can behind it and the asteroid. And then, in almost direct violation of the laws of physics, the asteroid moves. Devoid of the ice and frozen gasses, it races towards the wounded freighter, hissing and spitting fiery death.

(cont.)

AHHHH

This is horrifying

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I THOUGHT YOU WANTING THE BEST OF FIVE MEANT SOMETHING GOOD KAZ WHY

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Jolt-Eight reacts faster than Nine. The fighter streaks through space, blasting at the asteroid with all its lasercannons. Most miss. What few hit either glance off or only do superficial damage. In desperation, it launches a pair of proton torpedoes before breaking off from its attack run. The asteroid is fast, but the torpedoes are faster, closing in with every passing heartbeat…

“Sithspit!” Ceyla swears explosively as the asteroid turns on a dime, kicking itself into an impossible angle to allow the torpedoes to pass harmlessly above it. “How in the hell-?!”

The wounded freighter doesn’t even bother calling in a mayday. Its dorsal turret fires ineffectively as the ship approaches, buying time for what few escape pods can be launched. The asteroid spins ominously, its mouths spitting thermal projectiles that tear the ship apart in a violent explosion.

“No!” screams Convoy-Lead. His despair lasts only for another few heartbeats before professionalism wins over. “All ships, scatter!”

S-19 beeps a sharp warning. The calculation for the jump to Ulsind isn’t finished! But nobody pays the astrodroid any heed. Suzel nearly trips over himself, cursing as he launches himself into his seat, and gooses the Albatross to maximum sublight burn. The inertial dampeners only do so much, throwing you back into your seat, and poor Ceyla onto the floor with a pained yelp.

Straining against the sudden acceleration, you grab at the console and cycle to tactical overview. Jolt-Eight and Nine are in trouble – the asteroid chases Eight, who does everything in his power to try and dodge. Struggling behind is Nine, desperately trying to angle a shot. But they're running on borrowed time - there's only so many corkscrew maneuvers and escapes they can pull before g-lock gets the better of them.

“All fighters,” shouts Jolt-Lead, voice raw with grief and anger, “Target the asteroid! Protect the remaining freighters with everything you’ve got!”

>>What do you wish to do?
>Join Jolt Squadron and engage the mysterious asteroid. (Attack)
>Order an emergency jump for all ships back to Amagi. (Retreat)
>Standby for S-19 to complete the Ulsind jump calculations. (Wait)
>Custom option. [Write-in]

[VOTE OPEN FOR SEVEN HOURS]

>>5664808
From a certain perspective, this could be a very good thing to have happened. :^)

>>5664816
>Join Jolt Squadron and engage the mysterious asteroid. (Attack)
It's a long shot, but if we can coordinate with Jolt Squadron and keep dividing its attention between targets, we might be able to take this thing down.

>>5664816
>Join Jolt Squadron and engage the mysterious asteroid. (Attack)

>>5664816
>Standby for S-19 to complete the Ulsind jump calculations. (Wait)

that's a big nope from me if this thing can one shot ships.

>>5664816
>(Attack)
Get some flyboys to fire whatever they've got up the ass of this weaponized Taco Bell binge aftermath, see if it'll slow this thing down.

> :^)
Fuck you, Palps, you better pay out the ass for removing this shit as well as Jombaral and whatever-the-fuck's going on with Grimlight, you human ballsack filled with murder hornets.