May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)

[Panory]

I don't know if this omake is long enough, it's only like 900 words. Oh jeez, I don't know...

'...I should like an appreciation of Coruscanti personalities. Are they not possibly for sale?...' – Our Good Friend.

Minutes from: IC 230/29







TOP SECRET

WO 800/437​

2.11./49/W.R/44.



G.


Some week ago our good friend instructed us to make a study into the possibilities of further surveillance of the clientele of SSS by any suitable means after all others had been expended by existing teams.

1 . The team concerned with the task have proceeded and achieved their goal. Our other team tasked with the monitoring of the intelligence have compiled a series of reports and minutes on items of interest at a senior legislative level and will continue to do so.

2 . There are several of note which are attached to this copy of the report for you to go over and address with our good friend and their circle.

3 . The team concerned with the task however faced minor trouble and have unfortunately 'died' over the course of the month. In addition two civilians whom we approached with regards to the task are now on Alderaan and should be back on planet by the end of the quarter before we part ways.


Your Friend,

C.

Its not the omake i said I'd do but eh. And yeah civil service and intelligence documents can be that short. I was surprised the first time I read a declassified one but there are some complete stonkers like 30-50 pages long.

Click to shrink...

Fuck it.

Cata Family Roadtrip Pt. I
​

"Give me one reason I shouldn't shoot you right now, old man." Said Galvin, blaster pistol leveled at Silas Catas' face. The bar they were in was seedy enough that no one was even giving them any attention.

"I'm your grandfather?" guessed Silas with a shrug.

Galvin's eyes narrowed. "Give me a good reason I shouldn't shoot you right now."

"Ciaran sent me, and if you shot me now, she'd hunt you to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. And you'd probably disappoint that little lady of yours down in the labs." teased Silas.

"Damn it." Cursed Galvin, holstering his blaster. "So what does she want this time?"

"Investigating some force sect on Jedha. Larana will be coming along too. More the merrier." said Silas.

"Where the hell is Jedha?" asked Galvin as he turned back to his drink.

"In the Freestanding Subsectors in the Mid Rim. Middle of nowhere. Which is why Ciaran thinks there might be something interesting that no one else has gotten to yet." Said Silas, sitting down and ordering a drink of his own. "The place is some kind of spiritual home for the Jedi, but it's so far out of the way that they don't really go there."

"Fine, what kind of weather should I pack for?" sighed Galvin.

XXX​

Jedha, for all Silas' talk of being deserted, was actually pretty bustling. I reminded Galvin of Tatooine, if a little less boisterous without the economic influence of the Hutts. The only real population center was Jedha temple, located in the middle of some abandoned temple. The rest of the planet was desert, spotted with ruins and the occasional mountain.

"We'll split up in the city, see if we can't find any leads. Meet up in the market later and try not to get yourselves killed, okay?" said Silas, waiting for confirmation from Larana and Galvin before heading off into the city.

Galvin didn't have any contacts on Jedha, so he decided he might as well shop around. He found it was the easiest way to make contacts, buying things and looking for the shadiest guy selling them. Most of the stalls were food or worthless trinkets though. Apparently he'd found himself the good market, which was an odd feeling. A few trinkets caught his eye though.

"How much for this ring?" asked Galvin, picking up a silver band with a shiny gem of some kind embedded in it. Galvin wasn't sure exactly what Cheriss would like, but he'd found that rings with shiny rocks were always a safe bet.

"That is a very rare gem. Only found in the stomachs of Krayt dragons, and they disintegrate upon contact with air if not treated properly. Once made stable though, they shine as the brightest gems in the galaxy." said the merchant. Galvin was insulted that the man thought him so easily duped. It was a pretty rock, but if it were half as difficult to obtain as the fool made it out to be, there was no way he'd have it.

"Neat. How much is it?" said Galvin, clearly having none of it.

"You're getting that for your girlfriend? Are you stupid boy?" Galvin turned to see his grandfather berating him.

"First of all, she's a paramour, not a girlfriend. No one can tie me down." corrected Galvin. "Second of all, she'll love this. All women love gems."

"Most women love gems. And most women also aren't sentient rocks. It would be like her getting you a necklace made of severed Wookie arms. A great way to get her mad at you." said Silas.

"Fine then, oh wise one." Said Galvin, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What would you suggest then?"

Silas looked around the table with various trinkets were laid out. The merchant was clearly miffed about not selling the ring, but hopeful that Silas would buy something at least. "This would be good." said Silas, picking up a green crystal roughly the length of his head.

"Is your memory going old man? You chewed me out for picking a gem not thirty seconds ago." deadpanned Galvin.

"Gems and minerals are a bad idea, but this is a kyber crystal, and a damn fine quality one too. You use these to make lightsabers, or blasters too powerful for their own good. No Shard would want a gemstone, but no scientist could turn down a kyber crystal this good." Said Silas, setting it back down on the table. "How much?"

"Well, since it's so rare…" said the merchant, clearly trying to figure out a price for what he had previously thought to just be a shiny rock.

"Cut the crap." Said Galvin. "I'll give you fifty credits for it. And good luck getting anyone else to believe that's a rare crystal."

"Republic credits are no good out here, I need something more real." complained the merchant. Galvin quietly cursed. Any other money he had was valid in places even further than the Republic.

Out of ideas, Galvin drew his blaster and pointed it at the merchant. "Credits will do fine."

"Is there some Jedi around pulling mind tricks, haha? Because I think they just made me say credits weren't valid, what a crazy thing to say!" said the merchant, frantically backpedaling.

"Perfect." Galvin pocketed the crystal and tossed fifty credits on the table. "Thank you for your business."


AN: As the great Han Solo once said, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side." Cheriss did love her gift, both for the sentiment, and the research opportunities. Anyways, this'll be a two parter. Problem is I'm moving tomorrow, so expect the Adventures of Larana… eventually.

 

[Dr. Snark]

Caamas

Once Jango had been declared to be the new Mandalore by the Guardians it had become increasingly clear that you would need to send a message to the galaxy, assuring them that Jango's return was not going to turn the CNS into a new Mandalorian Empire. As such, you and Satine went on as many diplomatic trips as you could possibly afford to while Thrawn began planning a PR event to help the galaxy become more 'familiar' with Jango. It's hard to decry someone you actually know about in some fashion...

That being said, the plan to have some diplomatic meetings and some PR events revolving around Jango rapidly ballooned out of proportion as you and Satine were wildly successful during your trips, the two of you cooperating as best you could to not only reach to as many worlds as you could but to people who were willing to listen to you.

And as it turns out, there were a lot of people willing to listen to the idea of peace in some capacity. So much so that Satine hatched a plan so crazy you're beginning to think you're rubbing off on her.

The plan was to hold a meeting on Caamas between as many Republic and Separatist representatives willing to attend and initiate a massive, albeit temporary ceasefire in as many places across the galaxy as you possibly could. Satine handled the publicity, you leaned on everyone you possibly could to get as many attendees and by extension ceasefires as you possibly could. It took everything you had but you managed to get enough contacts through your many connections to actually get the ceasefire process moving forward. While neither side's upper staff would be attending for security reasons, both sides would send representatives to Caamas-quite possibly one of the most peaceful planets in the galaxy to negotiate the ceasefire.

When Thrawn heard about this, he saw a golden opportunity and instructed you to push Satine to allow Jango to go to the conference. It took some doing, but she relented when you pointed out how powerful it would be for him to be present at a ceremony like this.

And then...there you were, at what was already being called the Caamas Ceasefire, what was already being called your greatest contribution to the galaxy even before the treaty itself had been signed. It was honestly a rather surreal feeling when you walked off of the diplomatic transport alongside Satine and Jango to thunderous applause from the people attending. It was impossible to make out anyone you actually knew in the crowd, so you simply settled for waving and smiling in a way that satisfied the newscasters.

Speaking of which, Jango was looking surprisingly personable as he walked off with seemingly unblemished skin and smiling warmly as he walked forward. You were honestly impressed at the lengths Thrawn went to make him presentable with having a full-on makeup team touch him up before the event as well as having him coached to look and sound more presentable.

And then you arrived at the location of the signing-an outdoors structure, beautifully built from white marble to give any proceedings inside a greater sense of grace. And there, the speeches would begin.

As Thrawn put it, the order of said speeches was extremely important as there needed to be a sense of flow between the three for maximum impact. As such, he prepared one for each of you, and made sure that the order would be Satine (to demonstrate her commitment and set the tone), then Jango (to capitalize on Satine's momentum), then you (so that people would maintain interest in the other two speakers who were admittedly less popular).

Satine was clearly overjoyed to take the stand seeing that her ideals of peace had managed to bear fruit during the war.

"To all of you who are willing to stand here today in the name of peace, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. These times of war have caused no end of grief for so many innocent people who have been caught up in its flames, and I cannot find the words to fully express my joy that there are so many who believe in peace, that there are so many who simply want to live their lives without fearing what comes tomorrow. While this peace may be fleeting, we should look at it as a time for the galaxy to breathe easier, to heal the wounds that the war has caused in the hopes that we can leave behind a better galaxy for those who will follow us.

I thank you all, and once again I say that it is truly from the very bottom of my heart."

The applause is almost deafening as Satine respectfully bows towards the audience before she steps back and Jango steps forward. As he does, the tension in the room dramatically spikes, the audience holding their breath to see what the Mandalore has to say to the galaxy.

"Before we start, I want to say that I have never done something like this before, so I hope you'll be willing to bear with me," Jango says flatly.

The tension in the room slightly evaporates at that and you can tell that a few people are sincerely confused at what's happening. Though no one but you and Satine know it, that was a calculated move to make Jango seem more human to the audience, instead of some all-powerful figure beyond their understanding. Clearing his throat, Jango begins to speak.

"I look around at you all and I can tell that many of you are afraid of me in some way or other. It's alright, I wouldn't hold that against you in the slightest; to you the Mand'alor are a great enemy, some great force that you can't understand.

But that's not what the Mand'alor is.

The Mand'alor is...think of them as the embodiment of the passions of the Mando, a face given to the fires in their hearts. And for the longest time, we Mando let that passion run wild with abandon, never considering whether it needed to be tempered or kept in check or anything like that. And because of that everyone suffered for it. The galaxy suffered from the people they've lost, and the Mando have suffered from the people we've lost...as much as we don't like to show it.

And I will say right here and now that I want that to end with me. I won't deny the passions of Mandos like the Guardians, young boys and girls who want nothing more than to protect their home and the peace they've found in recent years. But I've learned from people like the Duchess that we need to control passion like that, and channel it towards whatever will be best for everyone. It won't be easy for us, and I can't imagine how hard it's going to be for you to trust us to do that. But hopefully all of us," and as he utters those words he gestures towards the audience as a whole, "no matter who we are, will be able to start something new today that we can all look back on with pride. Thank you all for your time."

There is silence for a moment, before one man starts clapping, then another, then more and more until there is a crescendo of applause at Jango's speech and cheering from the crowd.

They would never know that the first few people who applauded were in fact placed there by Thrawn to deliberately start the applause in general...but given how much faith in Jango had been generated by this, you suppose it didn't matter in the end.

With a slight but deliberately awkward bow, Jango steps back as you step forwards, the applause and cheering now deafening, the walls beginning to shake from the sounds of the ecstatic audience. You smile and hold up your hand in a calm, but firm gesture indicating you would like silence, which the audience is willing to give you after a few moments.

"Honestly, after these two have been up here I'm not really sure what more there is for me to say," and you get a small amount of applause for Satine and Jango at that, "so I suppose I'll have to keep myself from going on for too long. I would just like to say that it is truly an honor to be a part of something like this, an event that will echo throughout the ages as a great victory for peace and for the greater good of the galaxy. Let the events of today represent how there are people who want nothing more than to live without fearing what comes tomorrow," you say as you deliberately echo Satine's speech, "and to create something that they can take pride in," now Jango, "and to show those who come after us that the times we live in now are more than just war. Thank you all."

Once again the applause and cheering is deafening, and with that Thrawn's script effectively ends as the speeches will hopefully be passed around the news and holonet to amplify their effects.

It's an hour or so later when something happens that you weren't expecting. As the event wound down into a more relaxed atmosphere, a group of Lurmen approached you, parting the crowds despite their diminutive stature.

And then, one elderly Lurmen stepped forward from the group. ...And you could see the tears welling in his eyes as he introduced himself as Tee Watt Kaa, leader of the Lurmen refugees on Maridun. He didn't manage to say anything more before he broke down, trying to coherently thank you for what you had done for him and his people as he continued sobbing, the group behind him quickly breaking down as well.

You simply knelt down and offered your hand which he was barely able to shake before more people came to you, a more disorganized group than the Lurmen but still no less emotional, many in the group losing their composure as they came forward. When they finally managed to get coherent statements out from behind the tears the group of refugee leaders ended up thanking you for what you had done for them on Taris, giving them a chance to start a brand new life away from all of the horrors of the war.

...That was nothing short of a miracle in and of itself now that you thought about it. You'd used your influence to have refugee-friendly policies implemented on the planet, as well as invested in some of the more downtrodden areas of the planet to rebuild them into proper homes for the incoming people. And they did come, first in a stream, then a torrent as refugees from across the galaxy flooded the planet, occupying homes that had been abandoned for centuries. Buildings that had been left to rot had been revitalized by volunteer construction teams allowing even more people to arrive on the planet, businesses reopened with the massive influx of workers and customers alike...you've heard that there's now a popular movement to get you formally elected as the planet's prime minister after your efforts sparked a rebirth for Taris, allowing it to reclaim glory it hadn't had since before it was devastated by the Jedi Civil War. The similar policies on Muunilist had gone over well, revitalizing the economy and earning the gratitude of the Muun and the support of the Banking Clan, but their reactions had been nothing in comparison to the Tarisian government.

At any rate, after the grateful refugees, general well-wishers, and so on began to die down you managed to slip away from the group to find Thrawn in the middle of painting something you couldn't see from your position.

"Excellent work, Lady Ciaran. You and the others have played your roles to perfection," he said, glancing up at you with a slight smile before returning to his painting.

"Thanks," you say neutrally as you cross over and look at it. While it was a work in progress, you could tell that it was a stylized painting of the Lurmen and Tarisian groups meeting you, their tears visibly bright on their faces.

"I know I tend to observe art rather than create it, but I felt that there needed to be something that truly captured the spirit of the day's events, something more than just news reports and conversations on the holonet," Thrawn explained, not even stopping his painting as he did so while you looked on with curiosity. "Though it is unfinished, I already have a name for it: 'The Tears of Caamas.' I do admit this is more for myself than for anyone else."

A thought occurs you as you turn to Thrawn. "Are you sure you don't want to be with everyone else? Even introducing you as a valued associate of mine-"

Thrawn held up a free hand as he set down his brush, then turned toward you with a serious expression on his face. "While the gesture is appreciated, I see no need. There are times in history where the most important figures in events are those who go unrecorded, and I consider myself to be among their ranks today." He turned back to his painting, restarting from where he left off. "Enjoy this brief moment of peace while you have the chance Lady Ciaran. We both know it will not last for much longer."

"I can at least thank you for helping me make today possible can't I?" you say, and while Thrawn doesn't visibly react you swear you can see his lips briefly twitch upwards. "Enjoy your painting, then." With that you leave and rejoin the celebration, and there you can actually see groups of people you recognize as you mingle with the crowd.

You see Satine talking with Obi-Wan and Siri of all people, and although Obi-Wan looks slightly nervous the three seem to be getting along well enough.

You see Padme talking with Bail briefly, before moving over to check on a board game between Anakin and Ahsoka. From what you can see, the pupil is surpassing the master. Repeatedly. Though given the cocky grin on Anakin's face that suddenly appeared that might not stay the case...

You see Jango look slightly nervous as he tries to unwind while still trying to look professional in the cheerful atmosphere as small amounts of people come by to talk with him.

And as you look around you get a message on your communicator with a cipher indicating it's from Seti. Opening it you see copies of articles on the ceasefire with one single sentence from him attached:

"This is why I have faith in you."

You close the image and glance around before the briefest of sad smiles comes across your face as you remember everything that is happening out of sight of the celebrating masses...then your smile becomes more genuine as you resolve to genuinely enjoy yourself for this briefest of moments.

Barely a day later the Lurmen declared that Mygeeto would be joining the CNS, using the opportunity granted by the ceasefire to declare neutrality without reprisal. Maridun would join as well to protect the refugees that had moved to the planet. The day after that the Muun announced that Muunilist would follow suit in joining the CNS.

If nothing else, your pragmatic side notes, after this you're politically nigh-untouchable and Jango will likely be freed up soon so that he can be recruited by you.

Still...being declared a hero isn't so bad.

-------

"Obi-Wan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Anakin, just...if nothing else, Lady Ciaran is proving to the entire galaxy that peace can be the most powerful tool of war. Two CIS systems neutralized in two days, a feat no army could match, accomplished by one woman."

-------

Diplomacy Results: Temporary ceasefire enacted between the Republic and Separatists. Mygeeto, Maridun, and Muunilist join the CNS, with the eternal gratitude of the Lurmen and regular gratitude of the Muuns. Ciaran's popularity skyrockets to new heights in the wake of the Caamas Ceasefire. Ciaran gains 'Bringer of Peace' trait. Tensions between rest of galaxy and CNS rapidly deflate after Jango's speech, and any stigma from potential CNS applicants for having a Mandalore around is effectively negated. Oversight on Guardians and Jango dramatically reduced and due to end early next year. Political tension on Mandalore decreases. Thrawn gains 'Public Relations Master' trait.

Stewardship Results: Muunilist economy recovers. Income from Muunilist increases to 130% (current and future). Recovery package encourages Muun to use ceasefire to join CNS. Taris is effectively reborn due to the resettlement efforts, putting the planet back on the map. Serious talks among the people of Taris to get you in an elected position. Income from Taris doubled (future), new options for property available due to dramatic economic gains. Ciaran gains 'Revitalizer' trait.

AN: This right here is where a lot of all the crits went, and the results show it. Aside from that I figured it would be nice to show just how much this whole ceasefire means to people who have been suffering from the war, especially the poor Lurmen who finally get to catch a break.

Still, there's a lot of nasty shit waiting in the wings as you all well know. But for now...you might as well enjoy the good feelings.

Give me time to update the front page, and stay tuned for more~

Edit: Credit goes to bookworm702 for that last line from Obi-Wan.

 

[Panory]

Cata Family Roadtrip Pt. II
​

Larana wandered Jedha City, looking for anyone who seemed in tune with the Force. Unfortunately, Larana's exposure to the Force consisted of a vague idea of what a Jedi Knight looked like, so she was generally being less than successful. She finally decided to test her luck with just asking one of the people around who looked religious weird instead of just regular weird.

"Excuse me, do you know where I could learn about the Force?" It was blunt, it was stupid, and if she wasn't winding up as a rumor for some local warlord, she'd be surprised. Still, it was also surprisingly effective.

"You wish to learn about the Force? Well you've certainly come to the right place friend." Larana realized that the voice was actually that of a droid, she simply hadn't noticed under all the robes. The rather organic appearance of the droid didn't do much to give it away either. "The Disciples of the Whills are always glad to assist those who wish to grow closer with the Force, provided they treat it with the respect it deserves."

"Uh, thanks." said Larana. She hadn't really expected things to be this easy. "I heard that Jedha was really important back in the day. Do you know if there are any places with unique Force… things?" Larana winced at her own lack of knowledge in regard to what Ciaran was actually looking for, but decided to plow ahead since the droid didn't seem to treat her question as anything but natural.

"Sadly, despite the efforts of our sister sect, the Guardians of the Whills, much of Jedha's cultural artifacts have been lost to either time or looters. Particularly here in the city, and the ruins around the land are too numerous to protect." The droid sounded remarkably melancholic. "I am disappointed as well. How I wish I had been able to experience the teaching of the ancient masters."

"Is there anything that hasn't been looted? Perhaps I could recover something for you and the uh, Guardians? To protect of course." ventured Larana. It was a long shot, but this groid might be one of those models that actually couldn't lie at all given how helpful it had been.

"Well, there are the Catacombs of Cadera…" it began, before frantically waving its arms in front of her as if to halt her movement, even though Larana was completely still already. "B-but those are abandoned for a reason! Everyone says that the catacombs are haunted by the spirits of those long deceased. All those who attempt to enter perish!"

Larana was adequately dissuaded. Messing with the undead was Ciaran's thing, and she wasn't touching ghosts with a ten foot long pole. "No need to worry about me. You had me out of there at 'haunted'." Larana gave an exaggerated shiver to sell her point.

"I'm glad you are not about to do anything foolish. If you wish to learn about the Force however, I've found that the elder Disciples are excellent mentors. They have taught me much. I could introduce you, if you wish?" the droid offered.

"Oh no. Thank you though. I'm here with my family, and was just curious since Jedha seems so tied to the Force." explained Larana, being intentionally vague as to why they were here and why exactly she wanted to know more about where ancient relics might be located.

"Hey Larana!" Larana turned to see Galvin and Silas headed towards her. "Hope you've had more luck than us."

"Yeah, I found this guy. He was really helpful." said Larana, gesturing to the droid. "This is my cousin Galvin and my grandfather, Silas."

"Silas? As in Silas Cata?" asked the droid, perking up upon hearing the old scoundrel's name.

"Depends who's asking." Said Silas warily, putting a hand on his blaster. Silas was touched to see Galvin reaching for his as well.

"My grandmother told many stories of you when I was young. She always said to show respect to my grandfather should I ever meet him. My name is Larus." Silas and his grandchildren stood silent for a moment as the droid's words sank in.

Silas was the one to break the silence with an awkward laugh. "I think I'd remember hooking up with a droid. I'm also pretty sure that actual reproduction with a droid is impossible, regardless of what some desperate people might wish."

"Oh, my apologies, but I am no droid." Larus pulled aside the robes to reveal a blue cluster of crystals embedded located between the chest and the stomach.

"Oh yeah, Luxsaria, I remember her. So you're my grandkid, huh? Pleased to meet you kid." said Silas amicably.

"You motherfucker." whispered Galvin before exploding. "I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW IT! HOW?! HOW DID YOU EVEN MAKE THAT WORK, YOU OLD BASTARD?!" Larana had to tackle her cousin as he attempted to draw his blaster, Ciaran's wrath be damned.


AN: So I figured that Silas needed a grandkid who would boost his lore stat, so I combined the joke about him sexing up a Shard with their own natural wanderlust to make his grandkid a Force sensitive Shard who is enraptured by the Force, and set off on a galactic trek to learn as much as it can from whatever source. So dedicated in fact, Larus forgoes identifying as male or female in an attempt to get closer to the Force.

As for this being an archeological action, a follow up action would let Ciaran investigate those catacombs personally. Regardless of what Dr. Snark decides is a good reward (conversation with Force ghosts, old relics, etc.) something from the dawn of the Force is bound to be pretty sweet. Unrelated, I can now get to omake-ing the newest update.

 

[Killerflood]

Reactions to Treaty of Caamas (The Shadows)​

The Malevolence, Unknown System
Shortly After the Treaty of Caamas

Dim lights flicker on inside of a dark circular room. The air is suddenly disturbed as the door to the chamber slides open allowing a dark robed figure to walk through. The atmosphere quickly grows tense and an invisible pressure pushes against the walls. Even though the man standing in the center seems calm, a violent storm rages inside of his mind. When the holo-emitter starts to hum, Count Dooku kneels before the forming image of a figure whose face is covered by even darker robes.

"The new Mandalore appears to have ideas of his own, my Master."

"Do not be a fool, my apprentice. This new Mandalore is but a puppet for someone else. Someone whose influence has grown to be too large of an annoyance."

Count Dooku's eyes narrow just the slightest.

"Lady Ciaran."

"Correct."

"You believe her to be a threat?"

Count Dooku's eyes glance upwards towards the standing holo-video of Darth Sidious when a silent moment passes.

"Are you afraid of a simple dilettante, my apprentice?"

Dooku grits his teeth before rejecting the idea.

"No. It is just that I had thought you had found uses for her."

"She is useful no longer. Her pathetic attempts to gain power to sate her own greed have proven to be too much of a nuisance for my schemes. You are to restart your own paltry attempts on her life."

"She will be dealt with my master."

"Do not delude yourself. Your attempts will fail. After all, your previous ones were ineffective even when she did not have her fingers in a galactic entity."

Dooku attempts to rein in his temper. He allows himself to revel in the power his anger gives him. In a moment he calms down. He chides himself for allowing his anger to take control if even for a moment for he knows that his master would have noticed.

Dooku asks in his calm baritone, "Then how will we go about seeing her fall?"

Sidious points at Dooku and states, "You will put pressure on the remaining CIS systems to fall in line under you. You will use the time thrust upon you to marshal your forces and ready yourself to push further into Republic space. If the populace wishes for peace we must then show them the truth that peace is a lie. See to it. You are to also put pressure economically on the CNS. Ciaran's lifeblood is trade and we shall see to it that such trade is strangled at its roots. Start with the blackmail we have. Spread it and her reputation will start to fall."

"Is it not safe to assume that such an attack will fail to harm her?"

"It is not supposed to harm her. It is supposed to leave her open to other attacks. From all sides she will be forced to defend. In the end she will be weak and without allies. It is then that from the darkness her final defeat shall arise. Go and make it so."

Dooku's head bows lower.

"As you command."

The holo-video of Darth Sidious cuts out but Count Dooku does not rise. He balls a fist and seethes. Eventually he stands up to his usual stance. Tall and regal he uses the Force to start another call. After a few minutes, another person's image fades in. A Chiss female in the trappings of an admiral lies kneeling in front of the Count.

"Tann, you have new orders. You are to collect your forces and move to quash the rebels at Onderon. Once there you are to wait for further reinforcements. The next stage of the invasion is about to commence."

Sev'rance Tann's head turns her blank face up towards her master.

"Am I not to start the attack on Sullust?"

"Our goal is to bring the Republic down crashing. We cannot do that if a large amount of our forces are in a quagmire due to fighting peasants. You are to eliminate any resistance as well as deal with any incompetence as you see fit. Those are your orders. See to it."

The Chiss' own head bows low once more.

"As you will, my master."

Dooku cuts the connection and then turns around. He leaves the chamber dark once more. He walks back to the bridge thinking of plans dealing with a certain Blonde Miraluka.

So even my Master was unable to foresee your emergence onto the scene. I find myself intrigued with you even more, Lady Ciaran. If I had been able to influence you further towards the CIS, I would have had a powerful tool easily lead by the simple promise of credits. Now though, even Sidious has found you to be more annoying than useful. Your demise will thus finally prove short in coming. People like you are not meant to thrive in the coming new order. They are meant to submit.

---

Chancellor's Chambers, Coruscant
Shortly After the Meeting with the Count

Palpatine finds himself meditating. It is not often that one of his plans is so easily dismissed. He knows that such a chaotic time would see to it to throw spanners his way but never would he have thought that such a large irritation would crop up its head. And that is what it is, an irritation. Palpatine smiles as he rearranges his plans. His primary one is still on track. His popularity in the senate continues to climb and with the war sure to take even longer now due to a lull, he will have plenty of time to gather further power and weaken the Jedi. Even the noisy senator from his own homeworld, Senator Padme Amidala Naberrie, has chosen not to stand against the tide of war. A snarl escapes though as he realizes that such an outcome likely came from said irritation.

Lady Ciaran. At first she was only a small factor. A business woman who got lucky with her investments in Naboo, Sidious quickly came to find out over the years that her factor would only grow. That was fine, after all she had her own uses. Unknowingly she helped to organize the separatists and even seemed to have had thrown some fuel on the fire by helping see that the buffoon Nute Gunray was allowed to roam free after the first trial. Even afterwards, his own work to see to it that the re-trial fell victim to the same problems proved to be spectacularly more easy than expected. He was unable to find solid proof but it was simple enough to infer who was behind it. Sidious was surprised that her own employees even bothered to continue said help but it just added more levers for later. Palpatine wasn't surprised when she came back. He had actually assumed she would. He knew that she had the resources to see it done. But he had also assumed that she would come back paranoid, afraid, and weak. She did not. She somehow came back stronger.

At first her use seemed to grow. She started by growing both the republic and even the separatists. Her own plans might have seen those who did not wish for war grouped together but you had seen it as bringing to light those who would need to be dealt with in the end. Also, neutrals could always be brought into the fight whenever it was deemed time for it. Or so the thought went. Instead, a supposedly useless and loosely tied confederacy grew into a unified bastion which neither the Republic nor the Confederacy could be seen to coerce or attack or even persuade to one side. In fact, the CNS even worked to repair the trade lanes as the galaxy began to burn! All this came about from one single person.

Lady Ciaran, your usefulness has come to an end. The galaxy will be shown suffering until I am able to come to power. The Jedi will be destroyed and their ashes blown away. You are only a speed bump on my rise to power and nothing more.

Palpatine finally rises from his sitting position. He walks towards his own chamber's exit and allows the blue-skinned and tusked Mas Amedda to fall in behind him.

"Vice Chairman, it seems to me that the Republic must not only defeat the separatists militarily but also economically."

Amedda's eyes glance towards the chancellor before returning to the hallway.

Amedda remarks, "It would make our victory that much easier, yes."

Palpatine's sweet and sickly smile grows on his face.

"Exactly. Therefore, anyone who is seen to be dealing with them is surely an enemy of the Republic and should be considered a traitor, no?"

Amedda nods.

"Well then, the task is clear enough. Now, to figure out the implementation."

The two walk further down the hall seemingly alone but for their guards. Unknown to those not in touch with the Force and even able to hide away from the Sith in their midst, a dark phantom shadows the group. If the phantom would choose to coalesce, then a certain Muun known to be dead might be seen. Hego Demask, Darth Plagueis, sneers at his former apprentice.

Even in the safety of your power your arrogance will prove your undoing. You see only that which makes itself known. You do not delve further for there is no use for it yet. Your plans only account for that which you choose to account for. All the while your enemy has her own plans. Whoever comes out on top between the two of you, the one thing I know is that they will be weakened. For her, such weakness would prove difficult but not fatal. For you … you have never suffered true challenge. You will find yourself on your knees looking at those you thought were only tools. Whatever they prove to be: the Republic, Separatists, or even the Jedi, I will be there savoring every bit of your downfall. My how the tables will turn, apprentice.

---

Author's Notes: I was bored.

 

[Panory]

Reciprocation​

Cheriss Sair was leaning her elbow on the counter in front of her, repeatedly making the robotic arm in front of her bend at the elbow. Ostensibly, she was stress testing the new material to ensure that it would be able handle extended use without maintenance, but in reality she was just filling time. Apparently creating robotic limbs capable of using the Force was a lot more boring than she had initially thought.

Her attention was grabbed by Var Zheen entering the room and sitting down at his own station to work on his own research. Seeing as the Givin wasn't interested in making conversation, she turned back to the robotic limb that was bending and unbending at ninety degree angles.

"Oh, by the way, your boyfriend is pacing a hole in the floor outside." said Var Zheen nonchalantly after a few minutes.

Cheriss sat straight up before practically running to the door, slowing down a bit to look a bit less eager to see Galvin. Playing her opening line in her head, Cheriss opened the door and leaned up against the frame. "You know, the lab is open."

Galvin startled and stopped pacing. "Oh, I just didn't want to interrupt you in the middle of something important."

"Don't worry, you couldn't interrupt me from something important if you tried. I was just stress testing the new prosthetics. Didn't think robotics could be so boring. So what brings you down to the labs? I thought you said your grandfather dragged you off into the middle of nowhere for something." asked Cheriss.

"Indeed he did, but apparently the stuff there is the kind of thing Ciaran will want to deal with personally. You know how she is." said Galvin.

Cheriss thought of defending her boss, before remembering that she was the type of woman to employ deceased Sith Lords. Galvin was absolutely right that anything weird and Force related was something she'd insist on looking at herself. "Yeah, you're probably right." admitted Cheriss with a sigh.

"But I didn't come away empty handed. Jedha has some interesting souvenirs. I figured you might enjoy this." said Galvin, drawing a large crystal out of his pack. Cheriss knew what it was from her time working on the Abyss Watcher's lightsaber designs, though in retrospect there were a thousand things she wanted to improve about the design. But she had thought the kyber crystals mined from Dantooine were good enough. Just looking at this one made the others look inferior though.

"A pretty gem for a pretty lady." said Galvin with a wink and a bow. While Cheriss was still blushing and trying to remember how words worked, he put the crystal in her palm. "The old bastard says it's got some practical use too, so you have something not boring to do now."

"Wow, thanks Galvin. I don't know how to make this up to you." Galvin put up a hand to stop her.

"Your presence is thanks enough. Speaking of, I happen to have acquired two reservations to a rather upscale restaurant for tonight, and would be delighted if you would accompany me." Galvin handed her a pass, apparently for admission into a rather upscale restaurant. "Later of course. I have to clean up after that time on Jedha. I think I still have sand… pretty much everywhere. See you later."

Cheriss turned around and walked back into the lab, clutching her gifts closely and wearing a large grin on her face. Carefully placing the kyber crystal on a stand at her workstation, Cheriss realized that she was still wearing a labcoat stained with grease and oil from lubricating the joints of the prosthetics. Galvin wasn't the only one who needed to get cleaned up before dinner, and she rushed off to her quarters to change into something fancier.

XXX​

Cheriss practically skipped into work the next morning, still riding the high of the previous night. Galvin hadn't been lying when he had called the restaurant fancy. When she had seen the prices of the food, Cheriss had offered to not order anything, since food was essentially just recreation for her. Galvin had insisted though, footing the bill for the both of them as well. The night had concluded sweetly, with the two cuddling back in her quarters for hours. Nothing further had happened, though Cheriss thought that might have been due to biological issues more than anything else.

Sitting down at her station, Cheriss' eye was drawn to the large kyber crystal Galvin had given her, and she could feel herself blushing again. Cheriss wasn't exactly inundated with presents, and the thought alone would have made her cherish it, but that fact that Galvin had put thought into why she specifically would enjoy it was what really made her love it.

Cheriss was just sad that she hadn't gotten him anything in kind. It wasn't wrong of her not to have, the present had come out of the blue, but that logic didn't stop her guilt. And so with one last look at the kyber crystal, Cheriss sat down and got to work.


AN: The continuing adventures of Galvin Thorn seducing a rock. Canonization dependent on the preceding two road trip omakes. So if you needed another reason to vote for investigating Jedha when that becomes an option...

 

[Panory]

Overextension​

Thrawn looked over the intelligence reports with annoyance. Ever since Lady Ciaran had decided the rebels of Onderon needed a grand strategy to retake their planet more than they needed daring raids, he had replaced Grievous as head of the operation. It had been intriguing to learn more of their history. The people of Onderon were not well versed in the ways of war, historically united by the threat of the creatures living beyond the walls of their cities.

Their time with Grievous had proven them quick learners of the art of war however, as their strategy after the Kaleesh general was done closely resembled those of the Kaleesh warriors when they fought against the Huk. This luckily bled over into a willingness to adopt Thrawn's strategies with little resistance. This rebellion had been a phenomenal chance to utilize the guerilla tactics he had studied and found little use for at the head of a fleet, and dare he say it had even been somewhat fun.

This report stood to change that however. Reinforcements, more than doubling the number of droids on the planet, led by Sev'rance'tann. She was no genius of the field, but she was still leagues more competent in strategy than the usual droid commanders employed by the CIS. Which meant Thrawn was going to need to change his strategy. Which was a shame, as he had a perfectly good plan to depose the current king.

"So what do we do now? You're good, and we're good, but there's no way we can take out that many droids, even if they just stood still and waited for us to shoot them." said Steela Gerrera. She and her brother Saw were essentially the leaders of the rebel movement, though they deferred to Thrawn in matters of strategy.

"You are not wrong. We simply do not have the resources to repel the Separatists with these reinforcements. Even if we did, the planet if not likely to be habitable knowing the lengths Sev'rance'tann is likely willing to go to. Still, I believe there is a way to deny our foes victory." said Thrawn.

"What is it?" demanded Saw Gerrera. "How can we beat this many droids?"

"I have a plan." said Thrawn cryptically. "But first, I must ascertain something. What are you fighting for?"

"To beat those Separatist bastards." said Saw Gerrera aggressively. "For freedom!"

"For our home." said Steela, more melancholy than her brother.

"And what is your home? Is it where you live? You fight for these woods? Or is it the people of Onderon? Do you fight for them?" probed Thrawn. It was a carefully worded question, phrased as a yes or no, while a third option would have been equally viable. But he needed them to stop thinking of Onderon as the planet and start thinking of it as the people and resources.

"Enough of this!" shouted Saw. "What's this plan of yours? Tell us so we can do it!"

"General Grievous had the rebels attack, and I won't deny the advantage of the element of surprise. But I often find it more efficient to let your opponent overextend their forces. If I know Tann, she will commit all her forces at once to crush us entirely with sheer force. So we let her right into the base, emptied of valuables, and blow every last one of her droids to kingdom come along with the base."

"Where would we go then? We only have the one base. They'd just hunt us down as we tried to get away. We don't even have ships to get away quickly." criticized Steela.

"And a cornered rat does desperate things. If she starts killing the people in the city to get to us…" Saw grit his teeth rather than voice his fears, lest they become reality.

"Indeed, a lack of transport would pose a significant problem." admitted Thrawn, before smiling coyly. "Luckily, our dear Sev'rance'tann is bringing us her own ships. Tell your spies to prep the civilians. We will need to strike quickly."

XXX​

Sev'rance Tann was not a patient woman at the best of times. What most people mistook for patience was actually planning. Spending an hour doing something pointless chaffed far less when one had spent time beforehand getting used to the idea of doing something pointless for an hour. Unfortunately, her superiors cared little for her plans, diverting her and her forces to quash some rebellion on Onderon.

She was in a hurry, and had optimized her strategy to produce results quickly, regardless of losses and resources required. Dooku had asked for results from Onderon, not efficient results. It was petty, but it was her revenge. All her forces had congregated in the city that had been targeted most heavily by the rebel forces. Given their lack of heavy transports, they had to be located relatively nearby. Sev'rance had sent out droid scouts in all directions to find their base. She would get an answer, if just from the gaps in the line when the rebels shot one.

Then the results came. One side of the line went dark, one after the other. Others reported being caught in traps in the same area. She had them. Commands were given, and every droid in the city amassed into three armies to crush the rebels with overwhelming force. As they departed the city, Sev'rance Tann sat back and enjoyed the calm before the storm. Soon, she would be back on track, launching her assault of Sullust.

The forces met little resistance as they cut through the jungle, two forces approaching from the front, angled to prevent the rebels from slipping around, and the third sweeping around the rear in case they tried to flee. It was a plan elegant in its simplicity and speed. Soon those pesky rebels would be no more and she could be on her way, Onderon done and dusted behind her.

She heard a beeping noise and answered the call from her commander on the front lines. "Report."

"We've reached the rebel base, but it appears to be deserted ma'am. Just a lot of traps in the woods that got our scouts." came the tinny reply. Needless to say, Sev'rance Tann was no happy to receive the news.

"Then where are they? Search their base for clues, and don't report back until you have something to report!" Sev'rance Tann hung up in a huff, her rage giving her power that had no foe to be directed at. Another hour passed, with Sev'rance Tann destroying the room to vent her anger as she waited longer and longer. Then her communicator beeped once more, and she hurried to answer it, eager to get results.

Her hopes were crushed however, when she saw not one of her battle droids, but Mitth'raw'nuruodo projected before her. "You. What do you want?" she spat.

"I simply wanted to thank you. It's not always I can ask for such a straightforwardly aggressive to run headlong into my traps. It would have been much more difficult to usurp your capital ship without you sending most of its security on a romp through the woods." said Thrawn casually.

"You what?!" asked Tann, turning to look out her window at the capital ship slowly flying away from its place above the city.

"Yes, it was quite the daring raid to steal a transport ship, hide some rebels aboard, fly up to the ship proper, take control without raising the alarm, and then board all the refugees of Onderon. Enjoy your empty city." taunted Thrawn. "It's a shame you did not moor your entire fleet. I'm certain Lady Ciaran would have derived no end of pleasure from you being stranded here."

"I will end you." cursed Tann.

"By all means, overextend yourself again. Perhaps in your attempt to end me you will stumble into a room I used to occupy, now filled only with bombs." Thrawn pressed a detonator in his right hand, and Sev'rance Tann heard the explosion from the direction of the rebel base. She didn't need to look to verify what had happened and focused instead on trying to kill Thrawn with the Dark Side of the Force through the communicator.

Thrawn continued undeterred, as casually as if they were sharing a cup of tea. "Don't you worry, I'll be sure to return your rebels once I'm done dropping off these refugees somewhere safe. Don't go anywhere in the meantime."

Sev'rance watched in silent fury as Thrawn hung up on her, and the ship he was aboard left the planet's atmosphere. Finally, the rage inside her burst out. "THRAAAAAWN!"


AN: Both sides send their Chiss to take Onderon. Too bad our Chiss is best Chiss. Thrawn's plan was originally different, but as I wrote it became increasingly difficult to justify Thrawn not killing Tann by carpet bombing the city, so he had to settle for crippling her armies and coming back to annoy her later, setting everything back to square one.

This shows that force choke can be used over a com call.

Click to shrink...

As for this, which was somehow posted before I wrote an omake wherein Sev'rance tries to kill Thrawn with the Force over a comm-link, I'll just say Tann hasn't learned that skill yet. Seriously though, that timing. How?

 

[Dr. Snark]

Oracle, Ciaran's Office

"Ciaran."

The woman in question jolted upwards from her desk covered in datpads, starcharts, and other forms of research on the Malachor system before leaning backward with a pained moan. "How long have I been in here again?" she asked Asajj.

"You've been in here for the past three days. The only reason I was able to get in here was because PR-1 was starting to get concerned for your health. Speaking of which." Asajj passed her a box containing a basic meal and water, which Ciaran quickly devoured. "Something's clearly wrong since you haven't infuriated me even once since I've gotten in here," Asajj commented as Ciaran finished eating. "You're going to Malachor aren't you?"

Ciaran didn't look at Asajj, but began to reorganize her desk as she spoke. "Yes, and I would prefer if you wouldn't tell anyone about it for obvious rea-"

"I'm going with you."

Ciaran's head whipped towards Asajj, her face unreadable for a brief moment. "Normally I'd make some pithy comment about enjoying a private getaway for the two of us or something, but you do understand that going with me on my journey is going to be unbelievably dangerous, right?"

"Which is why you need someone capable of withstanding the Force energy in the system and capable of fending off whatever it will throw at you," Asajj countered.

Ciaran was silent for a moment. "While that is true, I know you must have your own reasons for wanting to go, and I won't pry." She looked at Asajj with an expression of seriousness that the Nightsister had never seen before. "We leave tomorrow then."

Malachor System

Wrong.

This system was wrong in both the physical sense and in the way the Force felt within it.

Ciaran had to pass the Scimitar's controls over to Asajj as the navigation systems had been going haywire, the computers picking up planetary gravity wells in empty space and displaying phantom planets forcing the two of them to manually find their way to Malachor II. But that was nothing compared to what they felt through the Force.

It was as though the system was...diseased. Ciaran had taken off her visor as her Force vision was like looking through murky water, the mere act of looking through the Force making her nauseous. As they traveled through the system both Ciaran and Asajj were constantly feeling a sense of unease, as if the system itself was displeased at their trespassing into forbidden space.

The two of them had made a silent agreement to take the straightest path to Malachor II and more importantly not go anywhere near the remains of Malachor V. Despite that, the two were dead silent as the Scimitar slowly worked its way through the system towards the desolate world of Malachor II.

Once the ship had gotten closer, the silence on board was finally broken. "Do you even know where this place is?" Asajj asked quietly as Ciaran closed her eyes, trying to control the sense of nausea that came from looking through the Force. Though her vision was murky, she did see a bright spot on the planet, and simply pointed towards the location in question, Asajj guiding the Scimitar in for a landing.

Eventually, Asajj managed to land the Scimitar close to the Sith complex and the two disembarked, constantly looking around for signs of anything, but seeing nothing. They slowly entered the menacing building, the both of them reflexively reaching for their weapons as they entered it despite the eerie silence.

"Darth Traya, I am Ciaran. If you are here, I wish to speak with you," the Miraluka in question shouted into the darkness of the complex. There was silence as both Ciaran and Asajj waited, then the two of them felt the tiniest tug from the Force.

Come closer in.

The two slowly moved forward, both of them ready to ignite their weapons as they entered what appeared to be a large central chamber. The room was circular with black walls surrounding it and a ceiling that was several stories above the intruders. While there was nothing present in the room itself, there were three doors leading from it; the one behind Ciaran and Asajj and two to either side.

As the two glanced around to see if there was anything else in the room, a figure dressed in a dark robe suddenly appeared, as though she had been there the entire time. On reflex, Ciaran and Asajj ignited their weapons, though the figure did not react in any way.

"...Darth Traya?" Ciaran quietly asked.

"It has been millennia since anyone has dared to set foot in this forsaken place," came the voice of an old woman as Darth Traya turned to face the two intruders, most of her face hidden under her hood. "Though I see you are not mere thieves or scavengers. The fact that you knew to come here to seek me out is only further proof of that. So what are you searching for? Power? Knowledge?"

"Understanding," Ciaran responded as she took a step forward.

"Have the teachings of the Jedi and Sith not been enough for you?" Traya questioned. "Surely you could find the understanding you seek anywhere in the galaxy."

"No, I couldn't. Those teachings are...tainted by the arrogance of their creators, their belief that they are the only ones who are right," Ciaran explained. "I have come here to speak with someone who rejects the teachings of both the Jedi and Sith."

"As you believe you have if I understand your implications?"

"Yes."

"We shall see how true that is." Traya turned to face Asajj. "And what of you? You stand as though you are a proud Sith despite your ignorance. What do you believe you can find here that is irreplaceable?"

Asajj briefly clenches her fists at Traya's words before she replies, "Resolve. To go through the trials of this place and return a stronger person for it."

"It has been tested I see, I can sense the feelings of betrayal from you though you try to bury them. Do you truly believe this place will hold answers for you?"

Asajj closes her eyes in thought before opening them again. "That is why I am here. To see if there are answers."

"You are uncertain then, perhaps even desperate." Traya looks at both of the visitors in turn, her face unreadable before speaking again. "In fact that is what both of you are. Lost. Uncertain. Searching for answers to questions when you have rejected every other answer given to you, answers that any other would be content with."

"Just because people are content with those answers doesn't mean they're right," Ciaran said, her violet eyes shining as she stared down Traya.

"What we are looking for...is something that neither of us are willing to be given," Asajj said as she stepped forward to stand next to Ciaran. "That is why were are here. To find what we are looking for ourselves."

Silence descends on the room. Then...

"How interesting."

With those words Traya vanished, though her voice was still audible as it echoed through the room.

"If you truly believe those words then come in further. However your paths must diverge at this point; what lies beyond is for each of you alone."

As the room fell silent Ciaran and Asajj shared a brief look before moving to opposite doors, journeying further into the depths of the temple...

--------

The corridor Asajj walked through was dark and lightless, though it remained uniform as she continued to walk down the halls.

"There is much fear in you still." Traya's voice echoed through her mind. "You act as though you are willing to change but I sense that you still carry that fear of pain within you."

Asajj stopped short at that before continuing through the hall, increasing her pace as her hands began to drift towards her lightsabers.

"You fell into the trap of believing that power would let you overcome that fear. But in the end your fear only grew, did it not?"

Asajj was now beginning to run through the hall, her hands now actively gripping her lightsabers.

"Perhaps returning to where that fear began will provide...clarity."

All of a sudden Asajj stopped as the world around her had suddenly changed from a light-less corridor to an arid wasteland surrounded by mountains, that felt oddly familiar to her before she realized where she was: Rattatak. The first home that she remembered. But why-

"Asajj, are you alright?"

The Nightsister whirled around in shock to see a man she had seen die in her arms, the first man to ever teach her about the Force: Ky Narec, looking quite lively despite being long dead. "M-Narec?"

Ky placed a hand on Asajj's shoulder, a look of concern on his face. "Are you alright, my Padawan? I know that fighting against the warlords has been strenuous but-"

Asajj jolted back reflexively. "You-you're dead...I held you as-"

Ky held up a hand. "Asajj, breathe. Calm yourself, and let go of your fear. Remember, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to-"

"Suffering."

Ky and Asajj turned towards the man who had uttered the word. Though "man" may have been a charitable description given that his skin was more comparable to stone, with what appeared to be cracks running all over his body. His face was similarly disfigured, with his right eye a milky white while the other gazed at Ky and Asajj, the rage within it visible to the both of them.

"What are you!?" Ky asked, reaching for his lighsaber as Asajj did the same with hers.

"I am Sion," the figure said, his deep voice echoing through the area as he strode forward and ignited his lightsaber. "And I have come to remind your pupil about the meaning of pain."

Before Ky could properly react, Asajj knocked him away with a powerful Force push, sending him flying into the distance. Drawing her still red lightsabers, she charged at Sion and to her surprise managed to impale him through the chest easily.

Then Sion grabbed her arm holding the impaling lightsaber with his free hand, dragging her forward as he glared at her. "Did you think it would be that simple?" he said mockingly before kneeing her in the gut, causing Asajj to double over as Sion continued to tightly grip her arm, locking her in place. "No matter how strong you are it means nothing. There is no escape from the pain." He wound up for another blow before suddenly letting go of Asajj, allowing her to stagger backwards as Ky leaped forward with lightsaber in hand to begin dueling Sion himself. Recovering and quickly checking to make sure she still had both of her sabers, Asajj charged forward to assist her first master in fending off Sion.

And that was all they could do: fend him off. While the two of them combined managed to score a number of blows on him, Sion was undeterred, shrugging off the wounds the pair inflicted as they healed themselves, new scars appearing to join the rest covering his body. Eventually though it seemed that the attacks temporarily overwhelmed Sion as he hunched over, still alive but temporarily unable to fight back.

"RUN!" shouted Ky as he and Ventress ran as fast as they could from the nigh-immortal Sion as he slowly began to stand back up and stride forward after the retreating duo, looking unconcerned at the fact that they were escaping.

Seeing this, Ky suddenly stopped and turned to face Sion as he slowly advanced while Asajj looked at him in shock. "Master, what are you doing? We can't kill him, we have to-"

"You have to run Asajj. I will at least keep him from following you for a few moments," Ky said resolutely as he settled into a fighting stance.

"Are you out of your mind, Master? You cannot beat him," Asajj said, her voice beginning to waver.

"I know," he said quietly before looking back at Asajj with a sad smile on his face. "But I can stall him."

"Don't say that, we can-"

"Asajj." Ky said calmly but firmly. "I have no illusions about what's going to happen. As much as I wish I could stay, we both know that won't be happening." He looked back at Sion, who was slowly getting closer. "I can't imagine how much this is going to hurt you, but you have to let me go."

Asajj closed her eyes before walking up to Ky's side and settling into a fighting stance.

"Asajj, I told you to-"

"If I were to leave you to die now, I don't think I could ever forgive myself," she said. "Which I why I refuse to leave."

"You're going to die, and if the way he fights is any indication it will be a painful death," Ky said, no emotion in his voice.

"I know," replied Asajj as Sion reached them, standing a few feet away.

"Your master is right, girl. Your death by my hands will be slow and agonizing, your life ending only when I allow it to end," Sion growled out as he clenched his fist for emphasis.

"So come kill me then," replied Asajj. "Whatever you do to me...leaving my master behind to suffer the same would be far worse."

"So that is your answer? Very well."

Suddenly Ky and Sion vanished along with the scenery of Rattatak, leaving Asajj standing in front of Traya once again.

"You have passed," she said, her face remaining neutral. "Though you were afraid, you managed to overcome that fear for the sake of another."

"...He is long dead," Asajj quietly replied. "Just because I was able to stay at his side-"

"Were you expecting to miraculously overcome your flaws in one swift motion?" Traya said as she interrupted Asajj. "You have been given the chance to begin walking a new path, but you must complete the rest of that journey yourself."

Once again, Traya vanished, a door behind her now visible to Asajj.

"Go on then. If your companion has survived her trial she will be arriving in the next room shortly."

--------

As Ciaran made her way through a hall identical to the one Asajj had, she too was contacted by Traya.

"Your companion is easily understood in motivation but you are...different. You believe that the Force is nothing more than a tool for you to use, another way for you to gain power for yourself."

"While I wouldn't put it so callously, you are right," Ciaran responded.

"And yet you rely on it so much more than you realize, Miraluka. While you may have eyes of your own now, before you could not see without the Force, and because of that one might say that you are subservient to it. Yet here you are, arrogantly dismissing the Force as a mere tool while searching for more ways to satisfy your hunger for knowledge, for power, for anything so long as you alone could benefit from it. Yes...I see now the lesson that you must learn."

Before Ciaran could respond the hallway around her suddenly disappeared, replaced with a view of a verdant green mountainside, sloping upwards towards a white peak and a wide ocean visible as Ciaran looked downwards. It seemed somewhat familiar to Ciaran but she couldn't quite place it.

Suddenly she felt something. Or rather...

[-----------------]

All of a sudden, she could feel the Force dying, her Force vision starting to go black as the Force seemed to vanish, the wildlife around her decayed rapidly, the ocean dried up within a moment, and the very air around her began to go still. To Ciaran's horror she realized what was happening and finally understood where she was when she saw the [-----------------] above the planet.

This was Katarr. It was dying because it was being consumed by a being that struck fear into every Miraluka to this day. A monster that had consumed an entire world in but a moment.

And then, it appeared in front of her, the [-----------------] making Ciaran nearly vomit as her Force vision was unable to fully comprehend the [-----------------] contained within the abomination in front of her wearing a black robe and a bone-white mask that she recognized instantly.

Nihilus.

The being that any Miraluka knew to fear from a young age, the being who was described as a walking void in the Force, and as she looked at it in horror Ciaran could see the [-----------------] for herself, the sight similar to a black hole being visible from the lack of light within it.

Suddenly it spoke in a language that Ciaran didn't recognize and never wanted to.

"/\|\\|/\//////!"

Then it drew it's lightsaber and charged at Ciaran, who was only barely able to block it in time with her lightfoil, straining to keep Nihilus from pushing her down before she was able to disengage and backpedal away from it, settling into the Form II that she learned from Dooku so long ago.

"What makes you different from him?"

Nihilus charged at her and while Ciaran was able to deflect its blows she was rapidly being overwhelmed, unable to use the precognitive abilities she had gained from her Luka Sene training as Nihilus' [-----------------] blocked her vision. To her horror she began to realize that her blows were more imprecise, and it was more difficult for her to react to Nihilus' attacks in time to block them.

"Do you not consume much like he does, with reckless abandon and uncaring of the consequences?"

Falling back on nothing more than sheer reflexes at this point, Ciaran fought in a life-or-death struggle against Nihilus, desperately blocking its blows as it continued to relentlessly advance, the [-----------------] within it beginning to fray at her very core. Out of desperation, she drew a holdout blaster from her side and attempted to fire a few rounds into its stomach, though Nihilus effortlessly blocked the shots with its lightsaber before quickly disarming her of both blaster and lightfoil, hurling them away as it held its saber to Ciaran's throat.

"In the end, what do you leave behind as you consume without end?"

Ciaran's eyes closed tight as memories start flashing through her mind at a breakneck pace. The ceremony on Naboo where she was declared a planetary hero for helping rebuild the planet even after she had taken so much from it. Grateful Kaleesh and later Grievous himself bowing to her, lending their immense skills as warriors to her after she had saved them from the Huk. Reporters declaring her a hero for creating a humanitarian organization that made her look better and allowed her informant networks to spread. The tears in the eyes of the Lurmen and Tarisans thanking her for the ceasefire she had helped create for the sake of her own reputation and preventing the Separatists from advancing.

Selfish actions, every single one of them. And those actions had left the galaxy a better place for them. Not all of what she had done had left something of value behind but still-

Ciaran opened her eyes.

The wind began to blow again.

In spite of the [-----------------] in front of her, Ciaran began to feel the Force again. She quickly used it to grab her lightfoil, yanking it back into her hand and reigniting it as she charged at the man in front of her. Even with the [-----------------] throwing her vision off she began to see Nihlius' attacks coming with her Force vision, deflecting them effortlessly as she pushed him back-

-right into the line of fire of the blaster Nilhilus had knocked out of her hand.

She reached out and pressed down on the trigger with the Force as she pressed the attack on Nihilus, leaving him unable to block the bolt that impacted him in his spine.

"//////////////!"

Quickly taking advantage of the opening, Ciaran quickly sliced the arm that held the lightsaber off, then stabbed Nihilus in the chest.

"//////////////-"

With that, Ciaran deactivated her lightfoil, letting Nihlus' lifeless body topple backwards before she did as well, breathing heavily as the adrenaline left her system.

"Most impressive."

Ciaran staggered to her feet gasping for breath as she noticed that the surroundings had changed back to a normal room with Traya standing before her once again. "Don't...patronize me...that wasn't really Nihilus," Ciaran managed to get out between gaps for air.

"Of course not, you would have certainly perished to the real thing. Still, you were able to fight even as the Force was taken away from you and you were able to determine what separates you from him. Is that not enough for you?" Traya responded.

"Up yours old hag."

"Well then let me ask you this; what was it like, feeling the Force being consumed by him?"

Ciaran closed her eyes. "Horrible. I could feel everything around me dying as he consumed the Force."

"Knowing that, seeing and feeling what it means for the Force to be absent, do you still dismiss it as a mere tool?"

Ciaran looked at Traya. "I...no."

"Then you are learning." After saying that Traya vanished, letting Ciaran see the door that was behind her. "Your companion has completed her trial, you should hurry lest she believe that you died during yours."

--------

Eventually Ciaran arrived to see Asajj, who was clearly uninterested in talking about what she had gone through. Ciaran silently nodded at her, not understanding the exact details but knowing that she would not want to talk about what she had been through.

"You have both done quite well," said Traya, appearing once again. "The trials you faced pushed you to your limits, yet you have survived them. Have you found your answers, then?"

Ciaran and Asajj both considered the question for a moment, then nodded in affirmation.

"Then my business is concluded...with you," Traya said, pointing to Asajj. "If you would leave the two of us in private? I assure you that she will not be harmed, though it may take some time before our conversation is concluded. The door behind you will take you back to the entrance now that your trial is over."

Asajj glanced at Ciaran, who nodded affirmatively. Asajj returned the nod and exited the door behind her as Ciaran turned back to Traya. "Aren't you done with the whole 'mysterious mentor' act?" Ciaran snarked, her normal personality reasserting itself after everything.

"I am the ghost of an old woman, there is little else I can do but speak," Traya shot back in kind before throwing back her hood, revealing that both of her eyes were a uniform milky white. "And I would speak to you about the one aspect of yourself that was not a part of your trial."

Ciaran folded her arms. "If you're talking about me rejecting both the Jedi and the Sith, I meant what I said at the beginning. I am neither of those, I don't ascribe to either group's teachings, and that's not going to change even after what I've experienced here."

"And I could sense that as you fought the echo of Nihilus. Your actions are motivated by personal gain in the vein of many Sith, but the results of your actions often resemble the ideals of the Jedi, creating peace and bringing life."

"I've found that in the long run that investing in things, whether they be people or planets, is far more valuable then simply taking whatever you can from the wreckage." Ciaran smirked. "Though there is certainly nothing wrong with looting from an enemy. Still, the fact of the matter is that I have found that creating peace and bringing life is far more beneficial to me than causing strife and ruin like most Sith want to do, but to do that effectively I have to be far more ruthless than any normal Jedi would stand for."

"Then perhaps..." Traya muttered to herself. "While there are certainly others who have felt as you have from what I have seen you are likely the most successful of them. As such...yes, I believe you would be worthy."

"Of...?"

"Carrying the mantle of Darth Traya."

Ciaran took a step backwards in shock before recovering and narrowing her eyes. "I thought I made it clear that I am not a Sith."

"It is merely a title," Traya explained, "and given its history any who hear it would understand the implications of you using it." Ciaran was still glaring at Traya as she continued unabated. "When I was alive I too rejected the Jedi and the Sith, but I admit that in the end I became too reliant on the dark side. However you have managed to achieve a balance both in thought and spirit, and for that you are worthy of carrying on my legacy."

"I see..." Ciaran warily responded.

"Do with the title as you will, I give it to you because there must always be a Darth Traya. Though there is one other thing I wanted to discuss with you before you left, concerning something unique about you I sensed as you entered the temple."

"Uh...what would that be?" Ciaran asked, earnestly confused.

"Are you aware of the concept of a 'fracture' in the Force, or perhaps the term 'shatterpoint?'" Traya asked, and Ciaran shook her head in response. "I am not surprised as it is a rare ability held by only a few. A fracture can mean two things. The first definition is that it is the weak point in a physical object that can be used to break them if the Force is pushed into it. The second is a fracture in events, a point in time where even the slightest of influences can cause dramatically different results."

Ciaran frowned. "And this is going where...?"

"Have there ever been times in your life when it seemed as though an undertaking of yours was going to fail, only for events to suddenly shift to your favor?" Traya asked, causing Ciaran to consider the question.

"Perhaps...are you suggesting that it was because I was affecting the fractures in events that you mentioned?"

"It does not seem to be an ability you control yourself and I don't believe you ever could given its nature. From what I can sense it is more akin to a reflexive response to events, changing potentially negative outcomes into positive ones, though only rarely."

"Assuming I believe you, how did I get that kind of ability? That seems like nothing that anyone's ever seen or heard of before, why would I of all people get something like that?"

"You were on the brink of death at one point during your life, correct?" Traya asked, causing Ciaran to wince as she remembered the attack that nearly ended her life. "It seems as though that event combined with the influence of some other Force entity caused that power to awaken within you. It is truly extraordinary, though I would suggest that you not rely too heavily on it now that you are aware of its existence."

"...I'll keep it in mind," Ciaran said warily, "though from what you said, is it possible for me to learn about affecting physical fractures?"

"I can place you on the path to learning it, but you must finish that training yourself. Follow me." Traya walked away as Ciaran followed her. "Does Ventress know-"

"She has been informed that you will be here slightly longer," Traya interrupted before the two arrived in a room containing a table with a red sphere placed in a hole the middle of it for decoration.

"Look at that sphere through your Force vision closely. Though it may seem flawless, there are still weak points within it."

Ciaran closed her eyes and focused her view on the sphere, trying to concentrate on it.

"Since this is your first time attempting this, allow me to guide you," Traya's voice echoed in her mind as suddenly Ciaran was able to notice small cracks running along the sphere, though they seemed to almost blend into it. "Good. Now try to push the Force into the cracks." Ciaran focused, reached out and tried to guide the energy into the cracks...

The sphere visibly cracked though did not break as Ciaran fell out of her trance, exhausted.

"It is a start, then. Continue training on it and it will become a powerful tool," Traya commented as Ciaran nodded and began to leave before suddenly stopping and turning back to Traya. "If you're willing to indulge my curiosity, you knew what Revan and Meetra were like, right?"

Traya was silent before responding. "Revan was a brilliant man who was as strong in mind as he was in the Force. As for Meetra...she is and will always be my greatest disciple."

Ciaran nodded. "Then I thank you for everything you have taught me, Darth Traya."

"You are Darth Traya now. At this moment...I believe Kreia would suffice. It is the name Meetra knew me by."

"Then thank you, Kreia."

Results: Ciaran gains "Darth Traya" trait, ability to train "Shatterpoint" power. Reroll revealed to be "Fracture Manipulation" ability. Asajj's "Vectivus' Personal Guidance" trait has upgraded to "Exile's Resolution."

AN: Phew! Now this was something I was itching to write up the second the idea for visiting Malachor popped into my head during the interlude with Vectivus, and it was so so so much fun to write. I loved being able to have Kreia be Kreia, I loved the chance to use Sion and Nihilus as such meaningful antagonists to Asajj and Ciaran respectively, and I loved being able to have Ciaran's rejection of both Jedi and Sith teachings mean something. This is probably my favorite thing I've written so far, and unquestionably my longest at over 5k words. Worth every minute.

Also, in true KOTOR II fashion, I had to get a bit meta with Ciaran's reroll ability. Yes, Shatterpoints/Fractures like Kreia described are a thing in Star Wars, and it just made too much sense for the reroll to be a part of that.

...Any resemblance the ability when used on physical objects has to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception from the Nasuverse is purely coincidental, probably. Any references that result from the fact that Ciaran got said ability when she nearly died are also coincidental as Teron wrote that part before I made it a thing. I'm totally blameless. Really.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I really do.

 

[Diomedea]

Excerpt from Lady Ciaran's late night dictations, stored in folder "Drunken Ramblings at 3:00am"

-my greater point being that all these are traps. They force you into a way of thinking, a way of dealing with the force, that is not only limited but also fragile. A Jedi, when confronted with the darkside in a manner that they cannot strike it down, inevitably fall. A Sith who is forced to face the fact that there is power beyond pain, hate, and anger almost always consumes themselves in trying to match it.

Even those outside of the Jedi and Sith are not immune to such things. I initially thought the force a tool, something I could pick up when I needed it and then put down when I was done with it. Yet the truth I was forced to face is that the force is always with us. I don't mean that in some shallow platitude, but a fundamental truth. The Jedi knew this once, but have buried behind centuries of dogma and riddle "The Force is with me, and I am one with the Force." The force is with all creatures, in some manner or fashion. It is inescapable, and always present. You may not be using it, you may not feel it as most never feel it, but it is always there.

Anyway, I don't mean to talk about how the force is some creeper watching you. That isn't it at all. Getting back to the trap thing, there is another response, beyond just shattering in the face of knew knowledge. You can do what I did instead, and what the greatest force users, like Revan and Meetra did. You can grow. There's a hint there, I think.

Growing isn't always easy. I once spoke with a spirit of sorts of the Darth Traya, who once was known as Kreia, and before you say anything, shut up! I'm not a Sith! Anytime I mention anyone called Darth it's alwa-

*pause in the recording as Lady Ciaran consumes another drink*

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh right, Darth Traya and how growing is hard. She's pretty weird. Anyway, I talked to her ghost thingy once, so I looked into her more. She decided that the force was some sort of cosmic see-saw, going back and forth between Light and Dark and Light and Dark, causing all these stupid, costly wars. So, how to end this eternal cycle of conflict? Kill the force! I have to admire the sheer audacity of her goals, but even she grew into a trap. The answer to something you cannot escape, and cannot truly control, that everyone has, is not to kill it. I mean, it is an answer, but it's the answer of the grave, of giving up.

So, what is the force? All the pieces are there. Look how the force users live their lives, and where they trip up. The Jedi try to deny they have emotions, which is bullshit. I've met some great Jedi, and let me tell you, they got feelings, but since they wont admit that they're just hilariously terrible at them. Like, Obi-wan. He's got two ladies hanging off him, and-

*skipping forward over irrelevant gossip*

What was the point again? Right, Jedi only pretend there isn't emotion. The Sith, rebelling against the Jedi, try to pretend that emotion is all there is. Anyone who has ever dealt with someone with a quick temper knows how easy it is to lead that type of person by the nose. And it must get exhausting, to do nothing but wallow in your emotions, day in, day out, for years. They completely miss reason, thought, creativity, except as a means for furthering their emotions. They miss the value these things have in themselves.

So if the force is so wide and vast, what is it really? It's present wherever we go, and always with us. It encompasses both dispassionate thought, and the strongest of emotions. The last hint was provided to me by Darth Traya. She showed me a vision of the Sith every Miraluka knows, Darth Nihilus. We know him as the great life-stealer, the all consuming maw. Yet I saw what he did, and he was eating the force.

It should be clear by now, but I think it should be said. The Force is life itself. Life. It's why it is so varied, so deep. Why the Jedi and Sith keep failing, because they try to deny entire aspects of living, why it can't be a tool, because living is something you do. There are always going to be disagreements and differences, just like no two people's lives are the same. Yet most people in the galaxy manage not to murder each other because they're not living the same life, though now I think about it, enough do that the whole kill all sith, kill all jedi thing shouldn't be surprising.

Just like life, there isn't one answer to the force. You gotta figure out what path works for you, and maybe try not to murder people for following a different one? I mean, there's plenty of reasons to murder people, but just because they're living...living their life...

PR-1, you need to...remind me...listen...morning...

*recording ends due to Lady Ciaran collapsing from exhaustion*
*Safely stored in deep storage*
*Searching for time slot in morning for Lady Ciaran to listen to recording*
*Time not found*
*Listing as low priority item on her daily agenda*

 

[Panory]

Chain of Command
​

When he had first been hired by Ciaran to work for the Abyss Watchers, Tyro Torwin was motivated by credits. Credits needed to rebuild the Arcblade Fleet, but cold hard credits nonetheless. But time passed, and the Arcblade Fleet recovered. Tyro no longer needed to send credits to rebuild his homefleet, though he still did to this day. He had found new motivation in his students though once Ciaran had assigned him to their training.

His motivations nowadays were twofold. Pride in his work was one, because he did see his students as his work. If he were less than the best, the Force-using agents of the Abyss Watchers would be substandard, and it would reflect poorly on him. The second way his students motivated him was fear. His talk with Darth Vectivus had alleviated the fear somewhat, but he was still terrified that one of his students would surpass him with unbridled natural talent. Statistically, it made sense that such a thing would happen eventually.

But Tyro didn't want that day to come for a long time. He was the most experienced, still living Force user in the Abyss Watchers, and he'd be damned before someone took that title from him. So he made the time to train himself, something he had given up on back when he had still been a member of the Arcblade Fleet of Blazing Chains pirates. He had been the best at what he did, and saw no one who could challenge him in his field.

Now his horizons had been expanded. What he had discovered and thought advanced tricks of the Blazing Chains style were revealed to be rudimentary tricks most Jedi learned as padawans, and what he had mastered as a youngster was rarely utilized by anyone. Tyro was trying to integrate other styles to complement the Blazing Chains style, as he had taught himself how to sense life with the Force so many years ago.

His current attention was on the Buried Presence technique. He could use it already of course, but getting good enough at the technique to use it in combat was something else entirely. Hiding himself while still affecting his shots with the Force had been simple, but masking his use of the Force on the shots themselves was an entirely different beast. He thought he had it mostly down pat, though with no one to truly practice against he would never be sure.

He was winding down with some of the basics, shooting a dozen or so targets behind cover with his eyes closed, when his practice was interrupted. "So, you're the one in charge of training the Abyss Watcher's in the ways of the Force?"

Tyro opened his eyes to see the Sith assassin Lady Ciaran had taken in. "Indeed I am. Tyro Torwin, what can I do for you?"

"I hear you practice the Blazing Chains style, making use of a blaster rather than a lightsaber. I want to see if such a thing is worthy of anything but contempt." she said, taking out two unlit lightsabers. It appeared that she wanted a fight.

Tyro sighed as he drew his two blaster pistols. "Alright, if you insist!" he said, opening fire on the last word and putting some distance between them as Asajj was taken off guard. Still, for being caught flat footed she managed to deflect or dodge every shot with her two crimson lightsabers. After a second though, she regained her composure and started pushing forward.

But that short time had given Tyro the chance to put some distance between them. He stopped firing headlong, using the Force to turn his shots at the last second to strike at different angles. Most impressively, Asajj didn't even slow down, deflecting his shots into the ground without even looking at them, likely using the Force to see a split second into the future and predict his attacks. Tyro had never had a talent for foresight with the Force, but damn if he didn't envy it.

As she was drawing nearer, Tyro threw the blaster in his left hand at her. She weaved out of the way effortlessly, and deflected the shot he fired remotely from behind her, spinning to cut the blaster in half and destroy it. Tyro took advantage of her facing the other way and leapt forward. If she wanted to predict his shots, he'd just give her no time to react.

Asajj completed her spin and found herself staring straight down the barrel of Tyro's remaining blaster. He fired, missing as her head barely shifted to the side enough to dodge it. He dropped the blaster then, looking down at the lightsaber inches from his chest.

"It appears blasters aren't any match for a lightsaber, even with the Force." said Asajj.

Tyro let out a short, barking laugh in response. "Perhaps you should look behind you before you jump the gun with all your gloating." Asajj looked behind her, and saw Tyro's last shot hovering in the air directly behind her. Tyro's empty right hand swept to the side, and the blaster bolt went hurtling to the right as well. Tyro stepped to the side of her still lit lightsaber and walked past her. "I start training the next class of acolytes in the Blazing Chain techniques tomorrow. If you ask nicely, maybe I'll let you sit in."


AN: At this point I'm motivated to hit the omake cap so we don't need to use an action giving something personal attention and can finally learn Blazing Chains. Until then though, I'll just keep portraying Tyro Torwin and his style of using the Force in the most badass way possible to make the option as appealing to everyone else as it is to me. C'mon people, telepathic guns!

 

[Panory]

Less Hookers and Blow Than Expected​

"I have no idea how you talked me into this." complained Larana as she entered The Orb of Phantasticora alongside her cousin. "I have no idea why you talked me into this."

Galvin was wearing one of his 'good' outfits, which meant he was even more of an eyesore for those who could see the visible spectrum. "I just have that kind of charisma cuz. And as for why, I needed a wingman."

"First of all, I'm not a man. Second of all, I have no intention of helping you cheat on your girlfriend." lectured Larana.

"Well most of the guys I know from work either want me dead or would probably get violent by the end of the night. Ciaran is always busy, so that leaves you as my backup. As for Cheriss, as I have said before, nobody can tie down Galvin Thorn." he said, pointing to himself proudly. "Now then, Ciaran made mention of a recently opened nightclub in addition to the casino. And if there's one thing my life as a scoundrel has taught me, it's that Nar Shaddaa plus nightclub equals lots of hookers and blow."

Larana sighed and hurried after her cousin. The Zeltron mercenary had already moved from the casino section to the nightclub area. Despite her own past experiences with nightclubs and Galvin's enthusiastic descriptions on the trip to Nar Shaddaa, the Orb of Phantasticora was actually pretty fancy looking. Which made sense considering who had built the place now that she thought about it.

Galvin however, was too distracted by the patrons to really notice that the establishment was far more upscale than he thought. The Zeltron mercenary had already approached a group of women laughing over something or other and struck up a conversation, albeit in his own unique way.

"Say, are the person who hired me as a bodyguard?" Galvin asked the Iridonian woman dining with her friends.

The group fell silent and turned to look at Galvin. "No, I don't think I hired any bodyguards. Now if you'll excuse us."

"Strange, I was hired as a bodyguard by someone, and was told that my charge would be the most beautiful person in the Ord of Phantasticora. Who else could it be but you?" asked Galvin, raising an eyebrow seductively.

To Larana's shock, the line actually worked, and the Galvin was greeted by flattered giggles and an invitation to join them. It wasn't long before he had the entire group enraptured by tales of his exploits across the galaxy, most either highly sensationalized or outright fake. And they were somehow working. Out of duty to Cheriss, and most of all to get back at her cousin for dragging her out to Nar Shaddaa just to ditch her for the first thing with long legs and big breasts.

"I had the scoundrel at the end of his rope, both metaphorically and literally. Then he told me something. Something that changed me forever. Silas Cata told me that he was my grandfather, and I could tell it was true. While I was stunned by the revelation, he managed to slip away by jumping off the tower into his waiting ship." said Galvin remorsefully as he bowed his head in silence. The three women at the table began to express sympathy for his familial conflict of interests.

"Hey cuz." said Larana as she walked up behind him, using his own little nickname for her. "Gramps told me to keep you faithful to your girlfriend, so let's get a move on with story time here." Galvin's red skin paled to an adorable shade of pink as Larana aborted any chance he might have had with the Iridonian and her friends.

"Dammit, even when they're not the ones I'm seducing, my cousins forbid me a lovelife." Grumbled Galvin under his breath. "Ladies, we shall have to continue this another time." He said that, but the look on their faces told a different story should he attempt to seduce any of them again.

"So what now?" asked Larana as they walked away. "Do I watch you get drunk and gamble away your most recent paycheck?"

"You know what? No. If I can't frequent my cousin's establishments without having any chance at romance shot down, I'll just go make my own nightclub. With hookers! And blow!" said Galvin, turning for the exit. "In fact, forget the nightclub!"


AN: Mostly just Galvin fluff. Ciaran described the nightclub to him before we decided to go in a different direction.