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

[Panory]

Bearer of Bad News
​

Mitth'ras'safis thought he would be happy for any relief from the ceaseless paperwork that flowed across his desk. Truly a Syndic's work was never done. Yet he would have doubtless preferred that his workload be doubled if it let him turn back time and not answer that call. Because standing in front of Mitth'ras'safis was his brother, Mitth'raw'nuruodo. His brother who had been exiled, and was no longer his brother.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo, I was under the impression that you had been exiled, and were to never return to or contact the Chiss Ascendancy again." he said, keeping his voice even with all his experience as a politician. Even that was barely enough to hold back the rising tide of emotion that filled him at the sight of his brother.

"Mitth'ras'safis, I have news of great importance to the Ascendancy. I felt it required a temporary breach of my exile." said his brother, who's voice didn't waver in the slightest. Mitth'raw'nuruodo always had the stronger nerves between the two of them.

"I will be the judge of that. What information do you have that could be so important?" asked Mitth'ras'safis. It would have been more proper to end the call as soon as he saw who it was, but it wasn't illegal to contact those in exile if the wellbeing of the Ascendancy depended on it, and Mitth'ras'safis decided to abuse that clause dependent on his judgement if it meant seeing his brother's face longer.

"A small sample of Mnggal-Mnggal was smuggled into the galaxy at large." Any sentimentality left Mitth'ras'safis as he was flooded with fear. Mnggal-Mnggal was an unstoppable monstrosity, a nightmare that could only be slowed as it consumed the galaxy. If even a small piece of the abomination made its way to a populated planet, let alone one with star ships, it was over. "It was a small piece that had been contained and on an isolated planet. At my urging, the sample was destroyed with precise charges of explosives, everything leaving the planet was screened no fewer than twice, and the planet's surface was targeted with a sustained orbital bombardment."

Mitth'ras'safis gave a sigh of relief as he released the tension that had built up. "The Chiss Ascendancy thanks you for your role in averting such an unimaginable disaster, Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Still, that any of Mnggal-Mnggal could escape the world's we've contained it to is troubling. I shall pass this news on with a recommendation to resurvey any worlds we thought clean and tighten security on those we're aware of."

"We must all do our part in the face of such a threat." said Mitth'raw'nuruodo with the solemn tone that always accompanied talk of Mnggal-Mnggal. "If I might put forth a suggestion to switch to a garrisoned sector-based security net, I feel-"

Mitth'ras'safis raised a hand to cut him off. "Mitth'raw'nuruodo."

"Ah yes, exile. Of course. Well then I suppose I must make do with wishing you good luck in your containment efforts." said Mitth'raw'nuruodo with an exasperated sigh. It pained Mitth'ras'safis to turn away his brother's advice, which was likely better than anything that would be proposed, but the tradition of exile meant even less if the exiled could still participate in military planning sessions. Still, Mitth'ras'safis would remember what his brother had said before being cut off, and try to extrapolate from there. It wouldn't be as good as having Mitth'raw'nuruodo present, but it was still better than anything else.

"Well then, that concludes my report. I must get back to my job, which is both keeps me entertained and challenged." Mitth'raw'nuruodo said, the attempt to inform Mitth'ras'safis of his wellbeing thinly veiled, but not unappreciated. "Good luck, brother."

Mitth'ras'safis closed his eyes to prevent the tears welling up from flowing down his face. "Yes, good luck, brother." He ended the call after that, but it was some time before Mitth'ras'safis was collected enough to return to his paperwork.


AN: Hope you like Chiss names, because Jesus are those hard to spell. Remember the sacrifice I made to bring you this touching brotherly conversation.

...jk I just copied and pasted them over and over. Hooray for technology!

 

[Jarrik32]

While it's pretty clear my knowledge of exactly what the CNS actually has done is slightly out of date (I knew that ciaran had a strong influence but not about the command network). I still stand by my suggestion as what amounts to forming an actual military with the requirement that they fund and maintain it themselves albeit with some very generous donations from a certain someone (which isn't one because we say it's not) compared to the current situation of various militias some great (mandalore; kalesh) some good (eldersfief) some just plain crap.

Ciaran has been encouraging the formation of militias yes but they are not an army. Essentially space NATO everyone has to contribute goods of reasonable standard rather than a few donating some exceptional goods.

The fleets I meant as permanent local forces not roving fleets and equally important small in size and numbers. Picket not batlle fleet.

On the topic of actual battle droids is walking in a line shooting from the hip seriously the cutting edge? Your average wolf pack is more lethal than a droid squad because unlike a B1 it can and will think. R2-D2 could do a better job.

Bugger it my headcanon now is that due to historical droid rebellions and a few too many Senators assassinated by their protocol droids their is a widespread taboo against making geniunely intelligent killing machines along with a heap of legal restrictions al la Mass Effect.

The atrocious aim and armour of CIS troops however is because the trade federation is too cheap to pay for the good stuff.

 

[Publicola]

I wanted to point out, that for the 'Operation Snake Eater' rewards, we haven't really seen them yet.

[X] An End To The Nightmare:
Rolled 60 + 13 + 20 (Omakes) = 93 (Critical Success)

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Specifically, the biggest reward (besides Wesker's death) is this line:

Results: Wesker terminated along with Mnggal-Mnggal offshoot, significant bio-research data recovered from base due to Cheriss' efforts, information about Order 66 given to Kal Skirata, partnership with Clan Skirata gained, Cheriss gains ''Novice Strategist" trait

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This is how I know:

[] Analyze recovered research data and samples: Reward: More information on the mutants, slight chance to get additional information on the conducted research

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Will this action have a higher chance of success and/or better rewards after we attack the Wesker compound? (Presumably due to more dead mutants being available for study, as well as possible direct access to the research facilities, laboratories and computers...).

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Yes on both. What the new reward would be is spoilers.

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And:

[] Develop Virus Library: Reward: Virus research for vaccines or bioweapons [Takes 2 turns, locks actions for 1 turn]

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Considering we'll be fighting Wesker this turn, would this research benefit us in any way for that fight? Either during the fight (familiarity w/ various viruses means we won't be caught off guard if they use a bioweapon to attack us) or after the fight (a virus library would ensure we have a place to put various samples we recover from the lab)? I'm asking because we could double-down our research to complete it this turn. Alternately, would this have a higher chance of success and/or better rewards if we wait another turn?

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Your forces would be smart enough to wear armor/hazmat suits, so it wouldn't provide any major benefits. As for what the new rewards will be after the battle: spoilers.

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So basically, doing "analyze recovered research data" is basically locked in for (one of) next turn's Learning actions. We definitely want to see what goodies we got from fighting Wesker, both from Ouroboros and from the earlier operation that netted us La'Sombra. Frankly, I'm even feeling tempted by that Virus Library, though there are so many other Learning actions that are priorities for us.


(Again: really hoping we can add a Learning Action dedicated to Force research at some point. Perhaps tie that to the Chu'unthor if/when we recover it? It was a research vessel, with training rooms, lightsaber workshops, Jedi Archive, research university quarters & facilities, etc. If that doesn't help us with Force research, what would?)

 

[Dr. Snark]

Galactic News:
Caamas Ceasefire Initiated: With the efforts of the CNS and the esteemed humanitarian Lady Ciaran, a temporary humanitarian ceasefire has been called to allow more devastated systems to heal. This has also resulted in more devastated battleground systems such as Mygeeto and Muunilist using the opportunity to join the CNS. In addition, the ceasefire has reassured the galaxy that even with a new Mandalore, the CNS will not become a new Mandalorian Empire.

Miraculous Taris Recovery: Due to new refugee-friendly policies and a general influx of investors, the ecumenopolis of Taris has reported astounding economic gains in the past few months, bringing the planet back into prominence. It is expected that it will have recovered to the point where it will be just as affluent as it was before its destruction millennia ago.

(CLASSIFIED): Republic Military Project Authorized: According to reports from Senate discussions both on and off the books, the Republic has begun investing in a classified military project. Details are currently speculative but indicate that it is some kind of super-capital ship of some variety.

Underworld News:
Durge's Rampage: While reports on the matter have been sketchy it seems as though the feared Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge has been hunting down Mandalorians and clones with increased ferocity. The attacks have been scattered but everyone in the know suspects that he will likely try to attempt an attack on Jango Fett himself soon...

Mandalorian Warriors Exercise Caution: While it seems like Jango will be able to maintain his status as Mandalore, his public appearances have caused more hard-line warriors to question his motives. However for now they are continuing their "wait-and-see" policy on the matter, especially with Durge's increased activity.

Organization News:
(CLASSIFIED): Darth Sidous Identified: After considerable time and energy invested into the mystery of Sidous, his identity as Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine has been conclusively identified. While this information has not left the upper echelons of the Watchers new plans have been put forth to curtail his influence and possibly set up a plan to eliminate him in the future.

Everyone is fully aware of how daunting a task that will be. Especially since:

(CLASSIFIED): Sith Communications Intercepted: Thanks to Grievous' efforts the Watchers' upper command has not only become aware that they are now seen as a legitimate if minor threat to Palpatine's plans. All teams have been advised to ensure that they must under any circumstances erase any and all presence they have during their more clandestine operations no matter the cost.

Ciaran's Mysterious Voyage: Ciaran hasn't revealed any details about the time when she left on a "personal trip," but it's clear to everyone that she's...different now. Those who know her best say that she's still herself, but she's become much more "centered" as those closest to her have put it. The only other person who has any ideas on the matter is Asajj Ventress, and while she's become noticeably more relaxed she's remained tight-lipped on the matter.

Ouorboros Burns: Despite the success at emptying Wesker's base during Operation Snake Eater, Ciaran has ordered that the base and the entire planet for that matter is to be bombarded into nothing and be completely restricted to any visitors. While the exact details are unclear Ciaran has stated that said measures are due to an extremely dangerous bioweapon that may have been present on the planet.

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Excerpt from Report #25870: Palpatine Counter-Action Report I (Submitted by Central Command, Compiled by Thrawn):

Ciaran, the board of command has universally agreed that a Palpatine victory would be catastrophic to the Abyss Watchers given his recent declaration that the organization has become a threat to him, if only a minor one. While there is still debate about the precise measures that should be taken against him, the general agreement is that we are currently not ready to take any direct action against him for both military and political reasons.

Militarily, we currently cannot guarantee a successful assassination attempt given that Palpatine is likely extraordinarily powerful as he has been able to hide himself from the Jedi directly under their noses and commands the already powerful Sith Dooku. In addition, he is surrounded by highly-trained guards and well-protected security systems on Coruscant at all times; even with the SSS in play it would currently be extremely difficult to get a team in to kill him.

Politically, due to his considerable influence over both the Republic and the Separatists it is highly likely that if Palpatine were to die at this very moment it would cause catastrophic damage to both governments; given how effective he has been at subtly controlling both sides we have concluded that he likely has contingency plans to ensure that should he die the galaxy would burn with him. This is also assuming that he simply doesn't reveal his true identity at the last second out of sheer spite for his killers should they succeed.

With OOM-9's help, we've calculated that the current odds of successfully completing this operation and ensuring some measure of galactic stability after the fact are so low that the exact number is not worth printing in the report. We require additional allies (who we can trust to act in a manner that we want them to act), assets, and intel to deal with Palpatine in an effective manner, as well as weakening his hold over the Republic and CIS. To that end, OOM-9 will rerun the chances of success every time we secure new assets or complete major operations similar to Skyfall and determine whether we have a reasonable chance of success. At the same time we will attempt to provide a summary of assets that we can reliably use against Palpatine should the time come as well as potential future assets.

This is going to be a difficult battle, Ciaran. Do not falter.

Currently Available Significant Assets:
Abyss Watchers:
Agent Teams: Force-trained commando units. While skilled against conventional targets, Palpatine himself is likely far out of their reach.
Oracle Fleet: A small fleet capable of providing some support; though it would crumble against a proper military assault.
Decimators: Prototype heavy tanks, viable as a desperation tactic for a possible full-scale assault of some variety.
SSS: We have an in at the Senate with them but those men would not stand a chance against Palpatine's guards.
Tyro: Skilled in the Blazing Chains enough that he might be a viable candidate, but I question how effective he'll be against Palpatine himself.
The Silencer: A skilled warrior to be sure, but there is only so much a normal man can do against a Sith Lord.
Grievous: While talented as a leader and fighter, see the Silencer's entry.
Thrawn: There is only so much I can do. I can plan an attack but I would certainly perish to Palpatine.
Asajj: One of the two people we can reliably trust possibly confront Palpatine himself; though even with her growth it is likely that Palpatine is still stronger.
Ciaran: You've become much stronger in recent years, but for obvious reasons Palpatine is still likely to be far beyond you.

Apparently the HK-47 droid you recovered may be useful enough to count as an asset should it be reactivated, and there is a strong chance of recruiting Jango Fett to our organization in the near future given recent events.

Senate:
Padme: Our best candidate for ensuring that the Republic is still at least partly functional after Palpatine's death, and apparently considers you to be a trustworthy friend which would make her pliable. Currently unaware of the scope of his influence.

While there is currently an Anti-Palpatine faction in the Senate they are not well-known to us enough to count them as assets. Further contact is required.

Jedi:
Currently all Jedi Order candidates are deemed too unreliable; should they receive the information about Palpatine's Sith Lord status they likely would act rashly and get themselves killed or cause catastrophic political fallout. It is recommended that Jedi outside the Order such as Ferrus Olin be contacted instead if we require Jedi assets.

Republic Military:
Kal Skirata: The man not only is already acting against the Republic but has set up covert activities to allow clones to desert. Given his influence over the commando divisions of the GAR, assisting him would likely give us those units to work alongside. He already has the Null-ARCs with him and they would be of considerable aid to us in any situation.

Other:
Seti Ashgad: If we can find a way for Seti to exert his influence over politics without being detected he could become a major force in our favor. He is also a confirmed reliable asset.
Talzin: While I myself am uncertain as to whether she can be trusted in this endeavor she does command the Nighsisters and has promised us her support.

The news about the codebreaker indicates that Mister Fry may be a reliable asset, or at least his technology could be.

Current Probability Of Successfully Neutralizing Palpatine: Negligible

AN: Normally I wouldn't comment on this but given the nature of what's happening I feel like I need to say something. So, here's how the whole Palpy thing is going to play out:

Like the report says, each turn after the rumor mill you're going to get a report on assets that can be used against Palpatine and the chance of neutralizing him. You can either locate new assets (like HK-47 or Fry's codebreaker) or have the current ones increased in potency through either upgrades and development (in the Watchers' case) or through relevant actions (like with assisting Kal). Sabotaging Palpatine's efforts in the Republic and the CIS is also an option. Most importantly, once that probability of success rises above "Negligible" you will have the chance to initiate the final battle.

But.

The chance of success you'll be given for the operation is non-negotiable, and no bonuses of any kind will apply. No Personal Attention boosts, Hero Support, omake bonuses, nothing.

In addition to that, the final battle itself will operate under its own special rules. We'll get to them in the (presumably) distant future when that happens, but right now I can tell you that the main one is that all plot armor will be negated during the battle with Palpatine. Depending on when you trigger it and what you do when that happens, people could die. People you like could die. People that survived in canon could die. Ciaran herself could die. You get the idea.

As for Palpatine himself, he's not going to make his move until the war is about to end or he's been made and has no other choice. So be aware of that.

As I have said before, this is where Shit Gets Real. It's time to begin setting the stage and gathering the players for the main event.

 

[Publicola]

(CLASSIFIED): Republic Military Project Authorized: According to reports from Senate discussions both on and off the books, the Republic has begun investing in a classified military project. Details are currently speculative but indicate that it is some kind of super-capital ship of some variety.

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...This sounds really important, and I have no idea what it is. It can't be the Death Star, because that's still in CIS hands (construction over Geonosis, iirc). Is this roughly the point where Star Destroyers (and variants) are being designed? Or something else entirely.

Durge's Rampage: While reports on the matter have been sketchy it seems as though the feared Gen'Dai bounty hunter Durge has been hunting down Mandalorians and clones with increased ferocity. The attacks have been scattered but everyone in the know suspects that he will likely try to attempt an attack on Jango Fett himself soon...

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Well. Nothing like a minor antagonist to propel the next mini-arc. And look, he even brought Gen'Dai genetic samples for us to play with once we're done!

(Unrelated question: is there a reason you didn't include Sev'rance Tann's mission to Onderon in this section as well?)

Like the report says, each turn after the rumor mill you're going to get a report on assets that can be used against Palpatine and the chance of neutralizing him. You can either locate new assets (like HK-47 or Fry's codebreaker) or have the current ones increased in potency through either upgrades and development (in the Watchers' case) or through relevant actions (like with assisting Kal). Most importantly, once that probability of success rises above "Negligible" you will have the chance to initiate the final battle.

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Awesome.

The chance of success you'll be given for the operation is non-negotiable, and no bonuses of any kind will apply. No Personal Attention boosts, Hero Support, omake bonuses, nothing.

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Crap.

On a more serious note, I really like how you've designed this system. It makes it clear just how absurdly dangerous Palpatine is, especially with the lack of applicable bonuses that would apply to the operation. I also really like the transparency, so the final decision rests entirely on us. Finally:

As for Palpatine himself, he's not going to make his move until the war is about to end or he's been made and has no other choice. So be aware of that.

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I really appreciate this. It makes sense -- I've argued for precisely this point before, that 19 BBC and the canon date of Order 66 should not be a "fixed point in time" given Palpatine's own reasons for triggering it. So this gives us at least a bit of breathing room, though we'll want to be careful facing off against his attempts to swat us down.

Basically, the name of the game is: stick to what we're good at. Stick to the shadows, don't let Palpatine know we're on to him, keep him distracted, and delay (as much as possible) the conditions that would lead him to activate Order 66 prematurely. That means keeping the Jedi Order strong (or at least, prevent wartime attrition from taking as great a toll as canon). That also means working to pacify the galaxy and keep full-scale war from breaking out in areas we've claimed for peace & neutrality.

No biggie.

 

[Jarrik32]

As for Palpatine himself, he's not going to make his move until the war is about to end or he's been made and has no other choice.

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This makes me think of The matrix's burly brawl if I'm being honest. With Sideous replacing Neo.

This isn't a write in but a question. Is it possible to subtly encourage the use of non-clone troops in the Republic (weakening order 66) or are the masses simply too apathetic to sign up in meaningful numbers?

 

[Stroth]

(CLASSIFIED): Republic Military Project Authorized: According to reports from Senate discussions both on and off the books, the Republic has begun investing in a classified military project. Details are currently speculative but indicate that it is some kind of super-capital ship of some variety.

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Well then.

...This sounds really important, and I have no idea what it is. It can't be the Death Star, because that's still in CIS hands (construction over Geonosis, iirc). Is this roughly the point where Star Destroyers (and variants) are being designed? Or something else entirely.

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Yes, because it's not like someone has tanked the CIS economy while simultaneously boosting up the Republics.

Oh, wait...

 

[Dr. Snark]

(Unrelated question: is there a reason you didn't include Sev'rance Tann's mission to Onderon in this section as well?)

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Because I forgot and it wasn't quite as important. It's still a Thing, don't worry.

Well then.

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No, it's not the Death Star. It's something that's not exactly canon in any sense but I'm using it anyway because it'd be awesome and I'd like to do things with it.

This isn't a write in but a question. Is it possible to subtly encourage the use of non-clone troops in the Republic (weakening order 66) or are the masses simply too apathetic to sign up in meaningful numbers?

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Preeeetty much the latter, especially thanks to Palpatine's influence. Any recommendations for non-clone armies are probably going to get stonewalled by Palpatine anyway.

 

[Evaunit02mark1]

Pull up your britches ladies and gents, Time to get serious.

Spoiler: Video

 

[Publicola]

Yes, because it's not like someone has tanked the CIS economy while simultaneously boosting up the Republics.

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Are you saying we did that? Or Palpatine? I don't recall seeing mention of either before now....

No, it's not the Death Star. It's something that's not exactly canon in any sense but I'm using it anyway because it'd be awesome and I'd like to do things with it.

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My first instinct was to go trawl Wookiepedia for possible superweapons, but this line makes me wonder if that wouldn't provide the answer anyway. Unless someone has a better idea, looks like this'll be one for an Intrigue action. Perhaps we could also try to see if Kal Skirata's group can use their Treasury and/or GAR access to figure out some of the details....

 

[Akasha]

@Dr. Snark

Wait, by 'final battle' do you mean 'final battle with Palpatine' or 'final battle of the quest'?

Also, can you elaborate on those bonuses? Does that mean the 'final battle' will be all about a single, luck-based roll? I mean, if we were to, hypothetically speaking, surpass Palpatine in all stats by a vast margin, would we still get no bonuses from Ciaran's skills, thus letting him possibly win because of sheer, dumb luck?

 

[Darrenb209]

Our best hope is ironically to drag out the war as long as possible to prevent Palpatine from striking before we are ready.

If this ever ends up public, all the good we have done is going to be forgotten quickly.

Edit:

No, it's not the Death Star. It's something that's not exactly canon in any sense but I'm using it anyway because it'd be awesome and I'd like to do things with it.

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Pride of the Core or an actual SSD?

 

[Dr. Snark]

Wait, by 'final battle' do you mean 'final battle with Palpatine' or 'final battle of the quest'?

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We'll see; I honestly need to know what happens at the fight with Palpatine itself to figure out where we can go from there. I certainly would like to continue this if the people want more but I need to figure out how I can do that and right now there's still a lot of uncertainty for obvious reasons.

Plus Palpy is basically the archetypal final boss of the Clone Wars at this point.

Also, can you elaborate on those bonuses? Does that mean the 'final battle' will be all about a single, luck-based roll? I mean, if we were to, hypothetically speaking, surpass Palpatine in all stats by a vast margin, would we still get no bonuses from Ciaran's skills, thus letting him possibly win because of sheer, dumb luck?

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If you mean assets, those are basically a summary of what you can use in the operation against Palpatine. Getting Ciaran to surpass Palpatine's stats (which will be very difficult) would boost your chances of success to an extent.

As for the event itself, it's not going to be just one roll to determine the fate of the galaxy. There's going to be much more to it, but we'll get there when we get there. It's still a long ways out.

 

[Wilgar]

That means keeping the Jedi Order strong

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It also means keeping them in the dark. I cannot stress that enough, if the Jedi find out too soon, the galaxy catches fire.

 

[Vilegrave]

No, it's not the Death Star. It's something that's not exactly canon in any sense but I'm using it anyway because it'd be awesome and I'd like to do things with it.

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so a super star destroyer equivalent?

 

[Panory]

Stuff that didn't address my omake.

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Heyo, I wrote an omake, it's at the top of page 181.

 

[Ardion Prosili]

My my, I LIKE this system! Very forboding, very informing very....well, final.

So, this is good! We have to now juggle Keeping the War On, Keeping the Jedi In The Dark, Not Dying, Not Being Exposed, Weakening Sidious' Position, Strengthening Our Position and overall just juggling everything because if one number gets too low or high? BAM! SIDIOUS INTERRUPT!!!!

This is gonna be !FUN!

 

[Dr. Snark]

Heyo, I wrote an omake, it's at the top of page 181.

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*headpat* Yes, Panory, you are very special and all that jazz. I should not have focused on important rule clarifications and simply praised you more instead.

On a more serious note, the omake in question is in fact canon with a +10.

 

[Bones]

What's to stop us from simply assassinating Palpatine? Just have a droid suicide bomb his office or something. The security isn't quite as tight as you're thinking, at least from one angle: that big ass window. In one of the books Boba Fett flew straight up to the big window in broad daylight and cut a hole inside without getting stopped. And then there's Grievious literally strolling up to it during the Battle of Coruscant. So what's to stop us from having a droid fly an air speeder full of explosives through that big ass window when the time comes to kill him?

 

[Panory]

*headpat* Yes, Panory, you are very special and all that jazz. I should not have focused on important rule clarifications and simply praised you more instead.

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I'm glad you've seen reason.

 

[XenonPrime]

Clearly Ciaran needs to work towards a stalemate whilst working towards 'replacing' Palpatine with Padme.

We may want to meet with Yoda, to insinuate that we're working on leads about the Sith Lord's identity, or at least something to encourage them to start assembling a task force. The Jedi are going to be our best firepower for taking down Sidious.

Ideally we'd have Yoda, Mace and the Battlemaster on hand to take on Palpatine with our other assets supporting.

Of course, we could take the Kathlondan approach...set up a weapon of mass destruction beneath Palpatine's most likely location and consign millions to death for the sake of securing our mastery of the shadows.

 

[Jarrik32]

Hmm. Star forge? It would certainly take the pressure off the Republic.

 

[Bones]

Of course, we could take the Kathlondan approach...set up a weapon of mass destruction beneath Palpatine's most likely location and consign millions to death for the sake of securing our mastery of the shadows.

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Or droids. Can't see that coming. Quality ones, mind you. Like IGs or whatever HK-47 cooks up.

 

[Ardion Prosili]

Hmm. Star forge? It would certainly take the pressure off the Republic.

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Which would be bad for us as them winning to hard makes Sheev flip the I WIN switch and activate FINAL BATTRU too early for us.

Destroying or stealing this thing is key to our continued survival.

 

[Dr. Snark]

What's to stop us from simply assassinating Palpatine? Just have a droid suicide bomb his office or something. The security isn't quite as tight as you're thinking, at least from one angle: that big ass window. In one of the books Boba Fett flew straight up to the big window in broad daylight and cut a hole inside without getting stopped. And then there's Grievious literally strolling up to it during the Battle of Coruscant. So what's to stop us from having a droid fly an air speeder full of explosives through that big ass window when the time comes to kill him?

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Palpatine could easily see a car bomb coming and stop it with the Force. Or it would just be shot down.

As for Grievous remember that he was basically operating under Palpatine and probably had intel that let him do that without issue.

It's not going to be that easy.