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

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I'm just gonna be posting on some things that Dr.Snark said that he will think of a way to implement into the turns. Please note that I haven't looked over the whole thread for this, nor the previous one.

- Improved lightsabers to give to our agents
- Create our own with the lava crystal
- Hiring bounty hunters

Will add more when I find time to comb the thread or is told of what was stated by Dr.Snark to be implemented into the quest.
 
*random incoherent screaming*

Well, got a bit silent here while we all wait for the results of this entire misadventure, so... there.
 
I looked over the achievements and saw that The Silencer was called The Fourth Horsemen, Thrawn, The First Horseman, Grievous, The Second Horseman. Any speculations on who is the third?
 
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Interlude - Legacies of the Force Pt. 7 - Fractures
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    • Mortis

    It had been a long walk back to the Monastery, and the tension in the air was palpable despite the length of the journey. Not a word was spoken as they traveled; no one wanted to get unwanted attention from the Father, and for his part he never said a word as he continued forwards.

    Once they reached their destination it was a relief to everyone barring Ciaran herself, who had been trying to suppress her nervousness at what was about to happen. She knew that the Father's intent to help her learn about what had caused her "outburst" earlier was sincere...after all, she wasn't dead despite what had happened.

    It was just that she...

    Before Ciaran could get her thoughts in order, the Father turned to the two Jedi and his Daughter. "Leave us. She will be returned to you once our work is finished," he said in a stern tone that brooked no argument.

    The Daughter politely bowed and walked deeper into the monastery. Anakin seemed like he was about to say something before Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder and slightly tugged him away, though the both of them gave Ciaran a worried look before they did so.

    Without a word, the Father gestured for Ciaran to follow him, and after a brief moment of hesitation she did so, falling in slightly behind him as they moved deeper into the monastery.

    "Were you like either of the Jedi here I would simply be able to examine your presence to the Force and determine how you managed to learn Her name unconsciously," the Father explained to a nervous Ciaran. "However, your concealment of your Force presence makes that far more difficult for me to do so, so we must take other measures."

    "Wait, if all it takes is just revealing my Force presence for you to figure out what's going on then I can just release the effect." Ciaran stopped for a moment as she breathed in, then focused on canceling the Buried Presence technique.

    And focused.

    Her brows furrowed as she could feel the effect slightly lessen but not vanish entirely.

    She focused harder.

    If anything she was fighting to stop using it; she could feel resistance as she tried to undo the effect, and it only seemed to get stronger as she tried to undo it. Eventually she relented, gasping for breath for a brief moment before she noticed the Father staring at her. "...Well-"

    "Young one, I may not have seen how you gained the technique in the first place but I believe I understand what is happening. How often have you been using it?"

    Ciaran blinked as she tried to recall the last time she consciously used Buried Presence to hide herself completely. "...Define 'us-'" She stopped short as something occurred to her. "Is...did it become self-sustaining!?"

    "I believe so. It is likely that you became so used to using the technique that you no longer needed to consciously invoke it to a degree. When you do consciously invoke it...you were able to evade my children for a reason. But we are wasting time at this point," the Father concluded, turning and continuing towards his destination as Ciaran quickly moved to follow him again.

    After a few silent moments of walking, the Father turned and opened what appeared to be an ordinary door, gesturing for Ciaran to follow him inside. The room itself was perfectly square and completely bare of any furniture or decoration; in fact the only thing remarkable about it was that the floor had glowing green lines coming from the center of each wall and ending at a small square at the center of the room that also glowed with the same mysterious green light.

    "Now, sit down there," the Father said to Ciaran as he pointed to the square, and with only the slightest bit of trepidation Ciaran followed his instructions. Once she had done so, the Father held out a hand and the green glow in the room began to intensify.

    "Something within you allowed you to learn Her name to be certain, but with hindsight I suspect that same ability is what led you here to begin with," the Father calmly explained to a worried Ciaran. "You have a remarkable ability young one, but it is clear that if it is not properly controlled it could have dire consequences for both you and those around you." The Father looked Ciaran in the eyes as his own began to start glowing. "You must look within yourself and learn how to control it; fortunately for you have my help in doing so. Now-"

    "Let go."​

    For a moment the world around Ciaran seemed to become hazy and indistinct. Then Ciaran felt herself blink(?) or was it that she had fallen into a trance-

    She was no longer on Mortis. The world around her seemed to resemble...

    For one moment it was the Diamond Deception cantina, looking as if she had just left it behind yesterday but oddly empty-

    Then it was...was it one of the rooms on the Oracle? She could tell that it was one of the rooms on it but it was devoid of anything recognizable, like she had never modified it...or maybe it was as if she had just stepped on board for the first time-

    The world shifted - no, Ciaran could barely perceive that for just an instant it fragmented as though it were glass shattering before reforming itself into a new scene - and Ciaran was suddenly looking at herself, floating in a bacta tank seemingly dead to the world...​

    She was shaken for a brief moment, but as she could see the vision start to crack Ciaran tried to focus on it, to keep it from shifting again...​

    It took longer for it to happen but the world still fractured and rebuilt itself again, this time showing Ciaran a still of her sparring against Asajj for the first time as Dooku watched the both of them, the hatred that once consumed her plainly visible on her face...
    ​
    Gritting her teeth, or at least feeling like she did, she reached out again and tried to control it...

    The world shattered again, but this time the fragments did not reform, leaving Ciaran in a white void as glass-like shards floated around her. She could barely make out the images within them-the first view she ever had of Kiln, her standing before the Jedi Council as she testified about her associating with the Separatist leaders, the Scimitar racing towards Kamino...

    Ciaran shook her head and breathed in. She needed to focus, needed to be in control-
    ​
    The world reformed itself again, and this time Ciaran knew what shape it would take beforehand-the central meeting room of the Oracle, where she and the rest of her council would meet to determine the course of action for the Abyss Watchers as a whole...

    The only difference was that floating above the table's center was an almost entirely transparent sphere, and from what Ciaran could make out the images/shards were still floating around within it, albeit much smaller. Though it seemed like they became clearer the longer she focused on them-

    Suddenly in spite of herself Ciaran blinked, and once her eyes opened again she saw herself sitting in the chair in front of her, the double's back turned to her. Slowly moving around to get a better look, Ciaran could see that her double's face was frozen, and a quick glance-over seemed to confirm that the rest of her was the same...then she noticed that the double's finger seemed to be tapping as though it was waiting-
    ​
    "Greetings."
    ​
    Ciaran reflexively jolted backwards as her double suddenly spoke and turned towards her, a soft smile on her face.
    ​
    "Normally you would say 'it is nice to meet you,' but that would imply that you do not know each other," Ciaran's double said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Or is it more along the lines of you not knowing yourself in this case?" she said, genuinely curious.
    ​
    "...I can't say I know who or what you are, or why you're...we are in my mind or something, right?"
    ​
    "In a sense. It is an abstract visualization of your psyche that is in place to make it easier to comprehend-"
    ​
    "A yes would have been fine, and you still aren't telling me who you are."
    ​
    "Ah, apologies. To simplify, the 'you' that is speaking right now is an approximate representation of your subconscious that is attempting to assist you in your current endeavor."
    ​
    "...Oooookay...so how exactly am I - are we - okay this pronoun thing is giving me a headache."
    ​
    "No it is not."
    ​
    "Not helping." Ciaran took a deep breath and collected her thoughts before speaking again. "If you are a part of my mind, how are we having this conversation right now? I think I would have noticed if I had developed a split personality or something."
    ​
    "Explaining that right now would likely be far too complex for you to properly understand, so perhaps beginning with a question would be easier. What happened to you while you were in your coma after the attempt on your life?"
    ​
    Ciaran folded her arms. "I think...something or someone contacted me through the Force, right? It's all kind of hazy..."
    ​
    "You know who contacted you."
    ​
    "...Hah. So that's why Plagueis was so mad..."
    ​
    "Indeed," the double said, a slight smirk briefly present on her face for a moment. "However it was not just that. You do know that by all rights you should have died that day, correct?"
    ​
    "......I know. If it wasn't for Dooku coming back, if it wasn't for the Arkanians managing to purge the toxins from my system...enough things happened that let me cheat death."
    ​
    "More accurately you were just a hairsbreadth away from dying, yet you still lived. It is admittedly quite rare, but not unthinkable with the technology present in the galaxy, and had there been no other interference you would have likely remained a relatively normal being."
    ​
    "But Plagueis happened."
    ​
    "Yes. Whether or not he intended it...he fundamentally altered your connection to the Force. One might say that you yourself became a 'fracture' in a sense."
    ​
    "And that's when I started affecting shatterpoints unconsciously, I get that." Ciaran's eyes met her double's. "Which means that you were in charge of that, right?"
    ​
    "That is close enough for your purposes."
    ​
    "But you're just a part of my mind, right? So how are we - I - dammit all this is confusing - how is this conversation happening right now?"
    ​
    The double closed her eyes for a brief moment, contemplating her response before she opened them again. "It is because of Mortis itself. This place is a conduit for the Force itself and as such dramatically amplifies any Force powers used within it. As such, your shatterpoint ability is able to be much more precise and frequent. Your decision to seek shelter with the Father, your ability to navigate the monastery to locate Anakin as well as your focusing on him, obtaining the Dagger and...With the assistance of the Father in focusing your mind, you also are able to use said ability to consciously learn more about it in a relatively intuitive manner."
    ​
    "...So I'm subconsciously using Shatterpoint right now."
    ​
    "Yes."
    ​
    "And I'm subconsciously using it to consciously learn how to control it."
    ​
    "Yes."
    ​
    "And my subconscious determined that the best way to do that was to have a headache-inducing conversation with 'myself.'"
    ​
    "Yes. And now you are actually getting a headache for the record."
    ​
    "...I think I need a loooooong vacation ASAP then. ...Wait a moment, then what's this about-"
    ​
    "Do not finish that thought!" Ciaran's double said, raising her voice for the first time. "When you had your standoff with the Son, your shatterpoint ability was almost unable to find a path forward that resulted in the solution you desired: none of the Ones dying and the balance of the Force being naturally maintained. As such it was pressed to its limits and while it found a solution the fact remained that the method of gaining the knowledge necessary to execute said solution put you at considerable risk. Given enough time and effort you can and should forget precisely what happened; the information you gained was vague enough that you will be protected so long as you do not focus on it."
    ​
    "That's not helping you know."
    ​
    "Then it is time to change the topic," the double quickly said, gesturing to the sphere that contained the shards within it. "As much as you may not want to admit it the Father is correct; it is clear that you need to be able to at least slightly exert more control your ability to affect the shatterpoints of events. Now then, what do you see in that sphere?"
    ​
    Ciaran's eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on the shards floating within it. "I...think I can see images of Anakin on occasion."
    ​
    "Understandable; he is the reason you are here after all. However you must be more specific; try to focus on a singular shard."
    ​
    Ciaran did so, and after a moment of concentration the shard she focused on seemed to expand, displaying a still of Anakin having a conversation with the Daughter.
    ​
    "Congratulations, that is the first shatterpoint you have managed to perceive on your own."
    ​
    "Are you kidding? I can't even tell what they're talking about, it's a still image."
    ​
    "Under normal circumstances that can often be the most you can glean from a shatterpoint. You may know that an event or a person is significant, but not precisely why without further investigation. Still, now you must move on to the far more difficult task of learning how to control your influence over them."
    ​
    "Before we move on, I'm not sure how this will help when I wake up."
    ​
    "We are within your mind; while it may not seem like it the knowledge will remain when you awaken. Now then," and with a gesture from Ciaran's double an image of a trio of personal speeders came up. "You should start with something simple while you are attempting to learn. Now, Anakin will shortly be taking one of these speeders to the monastery. Your task is to get him to bring a second one for you to use."
    ​
    "...You say that like I know what to do."
    ​
    "Of course you do, otherwise this would not be possible to begin with. Breathe in and let the Force flow through you. Create an impression in your mind of what you want to see realized. Do not concern yourself with the specifics of how the event has to occur; simply start visualizing the endpoint and let everything else just happen."
    ​
    After briefly glancing at her double, Ciaran nodded to herself and started to breathe in slowly, focusing herself and trying to will the Force to move through her. She formed an image of the same three speeders sitting at the foot of the monastery's steps within her mind, and as she focused more on the image more details seemed to appear within it as though they were there all along. Suddenly Ciaran could tell that a cable was laying on the ground with an end still tied to the unused speeder's front, then she saw that Anakin was undoing the knot that had tied the two speeders together and then-

    All of a sudden Ciaran inadvertently jolted as though she were shocked by electricity. "Wha-"
    ​
    "Excellent work," the double said, gesturing back to the sphere where an image of Anakin tying the same cable to the second speeder Ciaran had seen in her vision was now visible. "You could feel it, could you not? How once you started to visualize the endpoint more details started to appear as you focused more and more on it?"
    ​
    "It was...something else," Ciaran said quietly. "But I'd imagine influencing the events of, say, a CIS offensive like the one that was heading for Qiilura that one time is much more difficult."
    ​
    "Indeed. It takes considerably more time and effort to affect large-scale events such as that, and it not only will place considerable strain on you but could also have severe consequences for everyone involved if you lose control of your power for whatever reason." The double held up three fingers. "One major event approximately every three months is the most you can manage. Any more than that and you run the risk of either dying from the strain of using your power or causing irreparable damage."
    ​
    "That sounds arbitrary."
    ​
    "The timing does not need to be quite so precise; it is more of a warning not to use it too often for the reasons I have described."​

    "I won't argue with that. Wait, what's stopping me from using this to make sure Palpatine is assassinated a year from now or something like that?"
    ​
    "Three factors. First, the further in the future you look, the more difficult it is to affect it as shatterpoints may quickly emerge or vanish during that timeframe. Secondly attempting to directly influence the lives of sentient beings to that degree is extremely unreliable; while you can certainly influence random impulses or sudden decisions by proxy it is functionally impossible to directly control their actions through shatterpoints. Thirdly, under normal circumstances it is more difficult to influence those connected to the Force due to their own precognitive abilities; if they are able to sense that a future they do not wish to occur is coming, they will attempt to prevent it, placing more strain on you that you would likely be unable to withstand. And given Palpatine's power he would certainly be able to sense your changes to his relatively immediate future."​

    "Blast. Well it was worth a shot at least. So what happens now?"
    ​
    "You wake up."
    ​
    "Just like that? Isn't this the part where I go on a series of lengthy trials to understand my powers or something like that?"
    ​
    "Normally yes. However with the Father's help you have been able to...truncate the process, for lack of a better term. It is why this process is only taking a few hours instead of several years or even decades."
    ​
    "Hang on, hours?"
    ​
    "It may seem like you have only been here a short time, however-"
    ​
    "Nevermind, I'm sure it makes perfect sense for reasons, please spare me the long-winded explanation for why that is."
    ​
    The double chuckled lightly. "Very well. One last thing before you wake up; you are welcome for the speeder."
    ​
    "Wait, wha-"

    Ciaran jolted in place before rapidly glancing around, confirming that she was still in the same room that the Father had led her to, and as she got a grip on her bearings she realized that the Father was nowhere to be found.
    skywalker
    Okay good, so I wasn't lying to myself when I said that I had more control over my powers. Ciaran thought to herself.

    ...

    I seriously need that vacation, don't I?

    Quickly moving through the now somewhat-familiar halls of the monastery, Ciaran reached the entrance to see the Daughter and the Father discussing something that she couldn't quite make out from her distance.
    the Son
    Ohhhhh, that can't be good.

    As Ciaran closed the distance between them, the Father and the Daughter turned to face her. "Forgive me for not being present when you woke up, I could tell that you had succeed and my attention was required elsewhere."

    "That's fine, where are Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka?"

    The Father and the Daughter briefly glanced at one another. "The latter two are at their ship. As for the Chosen One..."

    "He has gone to confront my brother," the Daughter said sadly.

    "...I see," Ciaran replied with an air of forced calmness before casually heading out and down the stairs.

    "Where are you going?"

    Ciaran didn't bother replying as she slowly started to increase her pace, eventually running to the speeder left by Anakin and starting it up.
    forwards
    "What do you think you are doing!? This is-"

    Not even bothering for a response, Ciaran kicked the speeder into high gear, racing off to follow Anakin...

    AN: So remember when I said this would be the final part? Er...that was before this became a little over 3k words before I could reach the climax. Such are the whims of my muse, though I admit it also didn't help that I kinda got carried away with the trip into Ciaran's head. That was fun to write.

    Good news is there is absolutely nothing left for me to cover aside from...well...I'm not going to say much more than that. Just trust me when I say that what I have planned is going to make for one hell of a climax. Enjoy~

    Edit: Slightly clarified some of the limitations of Ciaran's shatterpoint ability that I feel are important narratively.​
     
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