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

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HymnOfRagnarok said:
...Actually the increase the power of other beings could have some hilarious synergy with Ciaran and Asajj's force bond, especially when they fight together. Actually learning the Nightsister's abilities is its own action already though.
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That is true, But I´m pretty sure that a high enough crit in this action would also mean to complete the Nightsister´s techniques, even if it is a diplomacy action.
 
I'd like to hear from others before committing either way, but at this point I'm still inclined to keep Asajj on the Jebble Box and Cheriss on the Force Builders. As much as I'd love to super-duper-crit the Mother Talzin roll, we would already be adding +80 to that roll even without Asajj's involvement, and I think we could see even more benefit from crit-ing the Jebble Box and Force Builders.


I did my first second third pass through the bases and balance sheet, and I have about 300 credits left to play, even after buying pretty much everything I had my eye on (all defensive upgrades, all smuggling upgrades, six new bases, etc.) For the remainder, we could spend it on some income-generating upgrades (probably on Naboo, which has the best ROI available). Or we could expand our droid/vehicle factories on Kiln -- upkeep is basically nil, and there's quite a few options left there. Finally, we can afford to expand our operations on Cato Neimoidia, using the Clovis Factory to build more BX commando droids, and expanding the shipping center so we can use them elsewhere in the galaxy.

Thoughts?
 
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Saving a bit of money isn't the end of the world you know. I am a bit worried about what Sidious will be doing next.

Though thematically pairing Asajj us with us on the mother Talzin, and taking Night sisters force action would go very well together.
 
Publicola said:
I'd like to hear from others before committing either way, but at this point I'm still inclined to keep Asajj on the Jebble Box and Cheriss on the Force Builders. As much as I'd love to super-duper-crit the Mother Talzin roll, we would already be adding +80 to that roll even without Asajj's involvement, and I think we could see even more benefit from crit-ing the Jebble Box and Force Builders.
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I would rather go all in with Talzin, because even if the Force Builders sound Awesome, if we roll high enough we may be able to use Talzin in our final battle and seeing that she was a very decent match against him, her contribution to the last battle would be invaluable.
 
wakshazi said:
Saving a bit of money isn't the end of the world you know. I am a bit worried about what Sidious will be doing next.

Though thematically pairing Asajj us with us on the mother Talzin, and taking Night sisters force action would go very well together.
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We'd have to drop Blazing Chains to make that happen. Still, if we wanted to make damn sure we succeeded here, that would indeed make for a very impressive interlude.

Honestly, Blazing Chains has been neat but not critical to me, though it sounds like it ties into our build better than Night Sisters. The latter is much more appropriate for this encounter, though it's also possible we may learn it via the Force Bond.

For stronger narrative, I'd probably give the win to sisters-in-arms training together to go match wills with Talzin. For practical, unless we're hoping for truly epic rolls or results, spreading us around seems better. Cheriss' frame and nature does make a pretty solid argument for going after the Jebble Box, so it's really which wins do we want, and how do we want them.
 
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Publicola said:
I'd like to hear from others before committing either way, but at this point I'm still inclined to keep Asajj on the Jebble Box and Cheriss on the Force Builders. As much as I'd love to super-duper-crit the Mother Talzin roll, we would already be adding +80 to that roll even without Asajj's involvement, and I think we could see even more benefit from crit-ing the Jebble Box and Force Builders.
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I'm in favor of switching Ventress back to the Talzin action and having Cheriss deal with the Box. Firstly because I think it's thematically appropriate to have Ventress be involved in the former, and because Cheriss makes more sense for dealing with the Talisman since she can't be turned into a Rakghoul. Also has the advantage of not startling that Jedi as much, since there is a significantly lower chance of her deeming Cheriss a Sith than there is of her deeming Ventress one.

Publicola said:
I did my first second third pass through the bases and balance sheet, and I have about 300 credits left to play, even after buying pretty much everything I had my eye on (all defensive upgrades, all smuggling upgrades, six new bases, etc.) For the remainder, we could spend it on some income-generating upgrades (probably on Naboo, which has the best ROI available). Or we could expand our droid/vehicle factories on Kiln -- upkeep is basically nil, and there's quite a few options left there. Finally, we can afford to expand our operations on Cato Neimoidia, using the Clovis Factory to build more BX commando droids, and expanding the shipping center so we can use them elsewhere in the galaxy.
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I personally say you should use that cash on the income-generators to increase our purchasing power for later.
 
HymnOfRagnarok said:
For stronger narrative, I'd probably give the win to sisters-in-arms training together to go match wills with Talzin. For practical, unless we're hoping for truly epic rolls or results, spreading us around seems better.
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This is pretty much where I am. I do like the concept of 'Ciaran and Asajj vs. the World', and Asajj has some unfinished personal business, and Mother Talzin is intimidating as all get out... but Sith zombie plagues are also bothersome, and Force Builders could be huge.

That said, it sounds like there's broad support for moving Asajj back to the Talzin action. Let me know if you object, but otherwise I'll abide by the will of the majority and assign Asajj to help deal with Mother Talzin (and Cheriss to the Jebble Box).

JAGwin said:
I personally say you should use that cash on the income-generators to increase our purchasing power for later.
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Fair enough, though our PP for this turn was so ridiculously high we bought basically everything. Looking forward to those six new bases -- we're going to need them!
 
I would like to get at least a couple vehicle factories, particularly the AAT and MTT ones. Tanks and APCs are necessary components for our army to be truly effective against a comparable military force.
 
Some one who is defiantly not Sith could be narratively good for the Box option if it gets opened. If there is a crazy inside the box, Cheriss is much less likely to make her go nuclear than Assaj. Then again, that is narrative not rolls based.

Huh, i just had a random thought; we have been sitting on what is quite possibly the most useful force technique for the clone wars the entire time in the blazing chains. It would be useful for practically every engagement the Jedi would fight as either offence or defense because it means that a Jedi does not have to be in light saber range to be useful, and 99% of opponents will be using blasters.

I wonder how useful Obi-wan would find it in a major engagement.

Also do we have any idea what his martial score is? We did just train with him after all. Or really anybody just for comparison? Because i keep trying to find a way to see how we measure up to other people. Assaj was Anakin's rival once upon a time, and her martial score has gone up(his too probably) but i have no idea how we measure up to say a Jedi knight or master.
 
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Publicola said:
I'd like to hear from others before committing either way, but at this point I'm still inclined to keep Asajj on the Jebble Box and Cheriss on the Force Builders. As much as I'd love to super-duper-crit the Mother Talzin roll, we would already be adding +80 to that roll even without Asajj's involvement, and I think we could see even more benefit from crit-ing the Jebble Box and Force Builders.


I did my first second third pass through the bases and balance sheet, and I have about 300 credits left to play, even after buying pretty much everything I had my eye on (all defensive upgrades, all smuggling upgrades, six new bases, etc.) For the remainder, we could spend it on some income-generating upgrades (probably on Naboo, which has the best ROI available). Or we could expand our droid/vehicle factories on Kiln -- upkeep is basically nil, and there's quite a few options left there. Finally, we can afford to expand our operations on Cato Neimoidia, using the Clovis Factory to build more BX commando droids, and expanding the shipping center so we can use them elsewhere in the galaxy.

Thoughts?
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If you have not the 1.56 ROI packages are the best income generators likely available to you and will be nice for us to have more income to deal with all of the new upgrades on the bases you are buying but I would need to see what base upgrades you have. Also keep Asajj on the box and Cheriss on force builders so we can spread out the chance of success plus we will want a crit on the box to avoid issues with it as much as possible.
 
Void Stalker said:
If you have not the 1.56 ROI packages are the best income generators likely available to you and will be nice for us to have more income to deal with all of the new upgrades on the bases you are buying but I would need to see what base upgrades you have. Also keep Asajj on the box and Cheriss on force builders so we can spread out the chance of success plus we will want a crit on the box to avoid issues with it as much as possible.
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Man Cheriss is perfect to avoid issues with the Box. She is not organic so she can't be infected with Rakghoul plague, and she is much less likely to have problems with Celeste since, unlike Ventress, she is not a Sith.
 
All right, here's the pretty-sure-it's-final base purchases, upgrades, and linked Balance Sheet. The end-of-turn balance (before loot, salvage, and everything else) is 35 credits. Let me know if you have any suggestions or other feedback, about this or about the actions.


New Bases:
[] Cularin: Cost: 200 Reward: Facility on Cularin
[] Manda: Cost: 150 Reward: Property on Manda
[] Pantora: Cost: 150 Reward: Facility on Pantora
[] Cormit: Cost: 250 Reward: Facility on Cormit
[] Procopia: Cost: 300 Reward: Property on Procopia
[] Empress Teta: Cost: 200 Reward: Property on Empress Teta
Cularin is all kinds of amazing, and we spent an archaeology action last turn to unlock it. Manda is dirt cheap, and thanks to our partnership with the Baobab Merchant Fleet will probably give us a Stewardship bonus. We're working with Baron Papanoida's media network this turn, and a base on Pantora will double down on that relationship. Cormit is nothing by itself, by a trading post to the Chiss Ascendancy is worth its weight in gold, especially if we can get our hands on Chiss military tech. Finally, Procopia is expensive, but it unlocks the whole Tapani sector, which has a lot of promising leads and potential base upgrades, including relations with the Jal Shey sect that specializes in Force Imbuement.

EDIT: we had credits to spare, so much so that we're running out of base upgrades to buy, so I added a sixth purchase: Empress Teta, queen of the Deep Core, with its decaying ecumenopolis, archaeological digs, and black market.


Base Upgrades:

Coruscant Base:
[] Corporate Espionage Program: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 information income
[] Coruscant Enquirer: Cost: 100 Rewards: +25 investment income, tabloid rag set up on Courscant
[] Underworld Investments:
-[] Aegis Security Expansion: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 security income
-[] Smuggler's Dens: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 smuggling income
-[] Regional Strongholds: Cost: 150 Reward: Controlled areas heavily fortified against attack
This turn is all about defense, so 'strongholds' and Aegis Security are a lock. The rest have good ROI.


Kalee Military Base:
[] Megafauna Museum: Cost: 200 Reward: Megafauna museum opened, +50 investment income, potential to study contained fauna in more detail
[] System Defenses: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Rewards: Systemwide defenses set up around Kalee
System Defenses due to the three fleets in CNS space. Megafauna Museum because we're finally studying megafauna -- namely, the mighty and near-extinct taozin.


Oracle (Lucrehulk):
N/A


Mandalorian Mansion:
[] Kyriemout Investments: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Reward: Clan Skirata strengthened
[] Corellia-Mandalore Pilot Training Initiative: Cost: 100 Upkeep: 50 Reward: Increased piloting capability of Mandalorian Guardians
[] Agricultural Revitalization: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 investment income
[] MandalMotors Investments: Cost: 250 Rewards: +50 income, dramatically increased output from MandalMotors
[] Planetary Shield: Cost: 200 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Planetary shields set up for Mandalore
[] System Defenses: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Rewards: Systemwide defenses set up around Mandalore
Shield and System Defenses, and the MandalMotors Investment, due to the three fleets in Neutral Space. Kyriemout because we can afford it (and it's long overdue), Pilot Training to help our Guardian Corps, and Agri. Revitalization if only for the PR benefits.


Lordran, Kiln:
[] Agriculture Expansion: Cost: 300 Rewards: +100 income, food situation on Kiln future-proofed
[] Industrial Expansion: Cost: 300 Upkeep: 150 Reward: Increased output of all factories
Agri. Expansion to preserve our 'security-through-obscurity', Industrial Expansion to drastically increase our droid production


La'Sombra (Asteroid Base):
N/A


Nar Shaddaa Property:
[] Casino Franchising: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 investment income
[] Currency Exchange: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 "trade" income
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Nar Shaddaa, Evocii Mandalorians
[] Sith Academy Reoccupation: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Reward: Increased recruitment rate for Apprentices
Guardian Corps to keep up with our other planets, Sith Academy because it's awesome, and the rest for ROI.


Castell Facility:
[] Salvage/Recycling Teams: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 salvage income
[] Aegis Security Expansion: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 Security income
Salvage is always helpful, and Aegis Security is good for income (and to support our coup attempt this turn).


Muunilist Mansion:
[] Mandalorian Guardians Financial Offices: Cost: 150 Reward: +50 investment income, financial offices for Mandalorian Guardians set up
[] Planetary Shield: Cost: 200 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Planetary shields set up for Muunilinst
[] System Defenses: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Rewards: Systemwide defenses set up around Muunilinst
Shield and System Defenses due to the three hostile fleets, Guardian Corps finances because we're going galactic.


Vectivus' Home:
N/A


Kashyyyk Facility:
[] Tarisian Ale Plant: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 income from exporting Tarisian Ale
[] Incom Expansion: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] KDY Expansion: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] CEC Expansion: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] Serv-O-Droid Expansion: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] Ecological Programs: Cost: 150 Reward: +75 investment income
[] Tradeport Construction: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 trade income
[] Exotic Creature Exports: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 trade income
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center:Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Kashyyyk, Mandalorian Wookiees
[] Planetary Shield: Cost: 200 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Planetary shields set up for Kashyyyk
Planetary Shield due to the rampaging fleets, everything else because it has great ROI.


Taris Property:
[] Promised Land Development:
-[] Karada Campus: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 Karada income
-[] Force Academy: Cost: 100 Upkeep: 50 Reward: Increased ability of Nekghoul teams
-[] Nekghoul Guide Contracts: Cost: 50 Upkeep: 25 Reward: Boost to Taris salvage roll
[] System Defenses:
-[] Rapid-Response Fleet: Cost: 300 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Rapid-response fleets set up in Tarisian space
-[] Reinforced Planetary Shields: Cost: 300 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Enhanced planetary shields set up over key locations
-[] KDY Ion Batteries: Cost: 300 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Ion cannon network set up across Taris
[] Private Retreat: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 investment income
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Taris
We're maxing out Taris's defenses -- those Ion Batteries don't come cheap, but they're effective against fleets and super-capital ships. Everything else because... well, it's Taris.


Naboo Mansion:
[] Gungan Economic Development: Because they deserve to be under your (economic) control as well. It's for your greater good.
-[] Industry Investments: Cost: 150 Reward: +75 investment income
-[] Amphibious Tradeport: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 trade income
-[] Hydrostatic Bubble Engineering: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 investment income
[] Karada Medcenter: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 Karada income
[] High-Society Matchmaking: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] Porso Hill Base Reclamation: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 50 Reward: Porso Hill reclaimed as a secure location and production site
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Naboo, Mandalorian Gungans
[] Plasma-Fueled Planetary Shield: Cost: 200 Reward: Plasma-Fueled shield set up.
[] System Defenses: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Rewards: Systemwide defenses set up around Naboo
Shield and System Defenses due to rampaging fleets. I also picked up the Porso Hill Base to see what it might give us military-wise. Guardian Corps to match the rest of the galaxy, and because Mandalorian Gungans are hilarious (and super-effective for amphibious assault). The rest of the investments just give good ROI.


Cato Nemodia Mansion:
N/A


Ord Mantell Compound:
[] Expanded Shadowports: Cost: 150 Reward: +75 smuggling income
[] Fort Garnik Expansion:
-[] Arsenal: Cost: 100 Rewards: +25 military income, central arsenal set up for CNS
-[] Drydock: Cost: 150 Rewards: +50 military income, central drydock set up for CNS
-[] Barracks: Cost: 125 Rewards: +50 military income, barracks for CNS military set up
-[] Command & Control Facilities: Cost: 200 Reward: C&C facilites for CNS military set up
-[] Systemwide Defenses: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Rewards: Systemwide defenses set up around Ord Mantell
-[] Guardian Corps Barracks: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Barracks set up at Fort Garnik
Fort Garnik is the military center for the Neutral Space in the galactic north. At least, that's what was promised. Time to 'make it so'.


Dantooine Facilities:
N/A


Corellia Property:
[] Kas'as Chen'ru Den Excavation: Cost: 100 Reward: +25 salvage income, second roll for Corellia system set up
[] Drall Recruiting Office: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Reward: Learning bonus
Kas'as Chen'ru Den because salvage rolls are best, and Drall Recruiting because default bonuses are better.


Sullust Facility:
[] Large-scale Wiretaps: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 information income
[] Sullustan Recruitment Center: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 50 Rewards: Sullustans recruited, 10% bonus to smuggling income
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Sullust, Sullustan Mandalorians
Wiretaps because that's just who we are, Guardian Corps to keep pace with the rest of the galaxy.


Arkania Facility:
[] Large-scale Wiretaps: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 investment income
[] Karada Research Complex: Cost: 100 Rewards: +50 Karada income
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Arkania, Arkanian Mandalorians
Pretty much the same as Sullust; this is who we are.


Tibannopolis:
[] Shadowport: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 smuggling income
[] Tibanna Gas Weapons Factory: Cost: 200 Reward: +100 military income, increased potency of weaponry
Great income, and improves all of our forces' weapons.


Lorrd Property:
[] Guardian Corps Recruiting Center: Cost: 100 Reward: Guardian Corps recruiting center set up at Lorrd, Mandalorian Lorrdians
Keeps pace with our expansion through the rest of the galaxy


Chu'unthor:
[] Starfighter Complement: Cost: 150 Reward: Chu'unthor gains starfighter complement for defense
[] Karada Clinic: Cost: 100 Upkeep: 50 Reward: Increased survival rate for Agents/Abysswalkers
[] Archaeological Teams: Cost: 250 Upkeep: 100 Reward: Additional archaeology action
Starfighters for defense, archaeology teams for action economy.


Yavin Outpost:
[] Defense Grid: Cost: 50 Reward: Defenses set up for archaeology facilites
[] Orbital Trading Post: Cost: 200 Reward: +50 trade income, ability to expand station
[] Probe Droid Supply: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Reward: Boost to archaeology rolls
[] Ecological Exports: Cost: 100 Reward: +25 smuggling income, mass-produced grenade fruit
Orbital Trading Post unlocks all kinds of sweet upgrades, and the Probe Droids will help us unlock all the awesome things to be found on Yavin IV.


Thyferra Facility:
[] Aegis Security Facility: Cost: 75 Reward: +25 income, defenses established
[] Large-Scale Wiretaps: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 Information income
[] Covert Karada Research Complex: Cost: 300 Reward: Facility covertly built for the purpose of reverse-engineering bacta
[] Smugglers Den: Cost: 100 Reward: +50 smuggling income
Aegis Security and wiretaps for obvious reasons, and a Karada Complex to hopefully unlock our work with the native Vratix


Mustafar Facility:
[] Aegis Security Facility: Cost: 75 Reward: +25 income, defenses established
[] Large-scale Wiretaps: Cost: 50 Reward: +25 Information income
[] Svivreni Crystal Mines: Cost: 150 Rewards: +50 mining income, secondary source of lightsaber crystals gained
[] Blackguard Enclave: Cost: 150 Upkeep: 75 Rewards: Blackguard enclaves set up, boost to Blackguard rolls
[] Salvage/Archaeology Teams: Cost: 100 Reward: +25 Salvage income, per turn roll for other benefits
Aegis Security, wiretaps, and salvage by default; Blackguard Enclave because that will be awesome, and Svivreni Mines for those lightsaber crystals.
 
@Publicola I would recommend Bouthwathi over Empress for new base location as I am expecting the Bothans to provide an intrigue bonus or some other boost to our intrigue actions in some manner and getting a default bonus is always nice.
 
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(Omake) Knight Time (Canon)
  • Threadmarks
    • Knight Time
    ​
    I returned to Tython on the Nuffin Doin', a freighter crafted by a people called the Nuffin. Look, I wouldn't have believed it myself except I saw their paperwork to join the CNS and the dossier on the species.

    Sapient humanoids noted for their gentle nature and focus on cleanliness. Shipwrights known for making a light freighter.

    The holo appeared mostly human, with one exception. No nose.

    People without noses. How do they smell? Given their cultural focus on cleanliness, probably not too bad.

    I'd named the ship Nuffin Doin'. How could I not? It was, after all, designed and constructed by the Nuffin, their craft, of their doing.

    Okay, and because the pun was too good to pass up.

    I returned, naturally, with more medical supplies, this time that I'd purchased myself. What point was there in making all this Walker money if I wasn't going to do something good with it?

    It had a pair of gun turrets on it that used the ship's IFF and an AX-108's auto-targeting module to cover for the fact that it was just me in the ship. These were in the space that some other freighters made by Nuffin might use pulse rockets, but I wanted to be able to travel through highly public areas without anybody blinking twice.

    It wasn't the strongest, fastest, toughest, or scariest ship...but it would get me out of whatever trouble I got myself into.

    I crossed through to Tython space. "Ground control, this is Captain Riphath Althean of the Nuffin Doin' requesting clearance to land. Had to replace the old ship after the accident."

    "Glad to hear from you, Riphath. Thought the crash might have scared you off," Ground Control replied. "Head for bay 8."

    Oh, one other thing. The hull was made partially out of pyronium. For those of you who skipped materials science class, pyronium absorbs electromagnetic energy and changes colors when it does so. Which means the color scheme changes under stress. In empty space, it tends toward a pinkish color.

    I consider it a fair trade for the fact that my ship tends to bleed the energy off any blaster fire or sensor pings it catches.

    As I landed on Tython, the nose of the Nuffin Doin' rotated through all the different colors of the visible spectrum multiple times. That was never going to get old.

    I landed and there was something of a crowd around docking bay 8. A hover-pallet for the supplies I brought. I'd come a long way from talking my way past Jedi Customs Guardians, that was for sure.

    I looked at my ship, the pyronium in the hull settling on a maroon color. Almost as soon as my feet hit the ground, what looked like an undergrad and was probably a Padawan passed me a note on flimsiplast.

    Come to the Council Chamber Anteroom. There is much to discuss.

    -Master Rogan

    The youth had a nasty gash down his arm from AT-TE shrapnel. I'd treated him in the past. "How's your arm...Padawan Malreaux?"

    "Getting better all the time, Doc. Shouldn't be long before I can get back to my training properly. I was told I needed to find you and then disappear. One of those training things my Master's teaching me."

    I smiled, looking over towards the Council chamber. "Well, kid…" I started, turning to look back towards him.

    Naturally, he was already gone. "You've sure got the disappear thing down pat."

    I realized something as I was walking across Tython's surface. I could sense the planet, the strength of it. Something I probably didn't notice in all the fuss after the bacta bath and the whole dying thing.

    It felt like walking in sunshine, instead of looking at it through a window. The Force was alive here.

    I found Darra waiting for me in the anteroom. She gave me a smile and opened the door. Master Rogan and the other masters on the Tython Jedi Council were waiting for me.

    "Before you stands the man who mere months ago I said was emblematic of our ideals. In the months since I made that declaration, he has undergone the trials of a Jedi Knight," Rogan began.

    "He traveled for one month through the wilds of this planet, where the flame tygahs, acid spiders, and hook hawks all tested his skill and courage," he said, to the murmured acquiescence of the Council.

    Granted, those things were scary, but it's amazing what a good blaster can do in conjunction with everything else.

    "He faced the worst sort of Trial of the Flesh imaginable. He literally died at another's hands and was brought back through the skill of our healing team. Skill which he added to and increased. Indeed, the supplies he brought with him were used in the saving of his life."

    I note you're grazing over the fact that it was an accident and who it was that did it, Rogan, but when you say it that way it sounds impressive.

    "We have recordings of his Trial of the Spirit, where he chose to serve others rather than himself."

    If you're talking about the thing I think you are, I was actually developing the resolve to do the only good thing I could think of at a really rough time.

    "As for his trial of insight? His insight into many different matters has been of great value, his medical insights in particular. He has passed the Trials. Would anyone gainsay me in this?" Rogan asked, looking at me as much as anyone.

    Uh. Well. I'd sooner not go through more and getting my struggles recognized is nice, yes.

    "Then it is the privilege of this Council to bestow upon you the rank of Jedi Knight, equal with that of your Luwoban," Rogan concluded. "There is always plenty of work to be done, and plenty of sorrow, but on this day we celebrate."

    I stood, frozen in the center of the Council Chamber.

    "Go on," Rogan stated, waving me out. "I've got apprentices learning in the Healing Halls today. I imagine there's someone you want to celebrate with anyway," he offered with a smile.

    Still stunned, I walked back out of the chamber and saw the look of satisfaction on Darra's face. "It's about time they recognized what I've seen all along; that you're my partner, and partners can be different but they should be equal. Also, I'm pretty sure they're going to have us go investigate more of those temples dotting the landscape. They're letting us have the memory of today to help sustain us through that journey."

    I rolled my eyes. "Great. More hook hawks."

    "Tomorrow. Today? Today, Riphath...good memories," Darra said, a certain look in her eyes as we walked out of the Council Hall.

    Indeed, the memories I have of the rest of that day I count among my favorites. They are and will remain mine.

    A/N: In point of fact, the Nuffin freighter, the Nuffin, and pyronium all are things in Star Wars. I also don't apologize for the pun.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Void Stalker said:
    @Publicola I would recommend Bouthwathi over Empress for new base location as I am expecting the Bothans to provide an intrigue bonus or some other boost to our intrigue actions in some manner and getting a default bonus is always nice.
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    I considered it, but I honestly don't know what we could do thereY Never mind, I just checked the wiki (this page, and this one) and there seem to be a number of interesting elements and potential upgrades besides the obvious 'Bothan Recruitment Center'.

    Barondoctor said:
    A/N: In point of fact, the Nuffin freighter, the Nuffin, and pyronium all are things in Star Wars. I also don't apologize for the pun.
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    :rofl: We should totally get Galen Erso to research pyronium. Nothing says 'serious science' like rainbow metal!
     
    Publicola said:
    Part of me agrees with you, but honestly, I've been dying to grab those Shard engineers, especially since I'm pretty sure it'll give us an extra Learning action (we've been stuck at 2 actions for several years now, both in-quest and real-world).
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    I seriously, seriously doubt this. Wookie engineers didn't get us this. Shard engineers won't either. I don't think the unlikely chance of a bonus Learning action that not even the Arkanians gave is worth the opportunities gained from other Free Actions.

    There are a lot of other appealing options that we could spend our Free Action on, but this is my hill -- Shard engineers are to me, what Blazing Chain is to Panory and Disciples of Twilight is to Barondoctor.
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    You kinda played this card already with the Chu'unthor. Not that the Chu'unthor wasn't worthwhile, but so were Blazing Chains and so will the Disciples of Twilight. Shards will probably be open next turn barring another random occurrence for a CNS action. Given all the other options on the table, you're essentially asking for the Free Action to be spent on the Shards. As neat as Shards are, it really isn't worth it.
     
    We really should be doing more to attack Palpatine's support. Rather than spend our free action on the Shards Encased In Iron, I'd much rather spend it on attacking Palpatine's support structure by doing Anti-Slaver Actions against the Senex-Juvex Slavers.

    We attack slavery, potentially tarnish Sheev's reputation, and generally weaken his support. What's not to like?

    We're otherwise continuing to leave Palpatine too much of a support base to attack us from.
     
    Stealthy said:
    Wookie engineers didn't get us this. Shard engineers won't either. I don't think the unlikely chance of a bonus Learning action that not even the Arkanians gave is worth the opportunities gained from other Free Actions.
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    Fair point, but those Wookiees gave us a discount on all base purchases and upgrades -- saving us hundreds credits each turn (between Wookiee Engineers and the Mining Guild, we're saving 1328 credits this turn alone). Those Arkanian researchers didn't give us an action, but our work with them did give us two separate +5 Learning default bonuses. So both of those examples may not have boosted our action economy, but they still offered significant benefits.

    The reason I suspect that Shard Engineers will give us extra learning actions, is because our Head of Research is herself a Shard (Cheriss) and it would fit for Cheriss to lead her own research team. Plus it's the one action category where extra Actions have been few and far between, so I've come to suspect that Dr. Snark intended for the Shard engineers to be the avenue for that third action (and that's why we didn't get extra actions for the Arkanians, for instance).

    Stealthy said:
    Shards will probably be open next turn barring another random occurrence for a CNS action.
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    I don't doubt they'll be open. I'm just convinced that there will always be a random occurrence for a CNS action. I've been trying to recruit those Shard engineers pretty much since the beginning.

    Turn 23: I wanted Shard Engineers, but fixing the Mandalorian PR problem and setting up the 'integration bureau' took precedence.
    Turn 24: I wanted Shard Engineers, but sending the mission to Qiilura (to recruit the Gurlanin spies) took precedence.
    Turn 25: I wanted Shard Engineers, but reaching out to the Bothan Spynet took precedence
    Turn 26: I wanted Shard Engineers, but Dr. Snark gave obvious hints that doom would ensue if we didn't consolidate the Northern Outer Rim, so we did.
    Turn 27: I wanted Shard Engineers, but we had to deal with the Temple protests by evacuating the Jedi younglings from Coruscant
    Turn 28: I wanted Shard Engineers, but we needed to deal with the aftermath of the Temple bombing, and put out the fires of the 'Jedi Reform Acts'
    Turn 29: I want Shard Engineers, but Honoghr has a humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed right away.

    EDIT: I literally went back to check, and yup, I mention Shard engineers each and every turn since Turn 23.
    Publicola said:
    I really want to recruit the Shard engineers. However, fixing the Mandalorian PR problem is more important, and I've been pushing for an auto-recruitment process for a while. Those two take priority, at least for now.
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    Publicola said:
    As for our CNS action, it came down to either the Shards or the Bothans. Most of the thread discussion seemed to favor the Bothans, which is why I picked it, but take a second look at the Shards. They're sentient crystals, who have an intuitive understanding of electronics and computing technology. That covers a lot on the Learning side of things, and would have amazing synergy with our droid-related actions this turn. Plus, Talesan Fry's codebreaker should give us a nice Intrigue bonus as compensation, so the Bothans aren't as urgent. All the same, I won't change this unless I hear from people they'd prefer Shards.
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    Publicola said:
    First, the CNS action. I really want to recruit the Iron Knights and/or Shard engineers. Except... @Dr. Snark kinda hinted that we should pick 'Northern Outer Rim' unless we want to see our key worlds like Muunilist and Mandalore come under threat, so... yeah. We'll probably do that.
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    Publicola said:
    Dammit, no Shard engineers again! But it's clear that we need to keep an eye on that Temple protest thing, so that one is definitely locked.
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    Publicola said:
    As for our CNS action, as tempted as I am by the 'Techno Union' worlds, I really want to recruit those Shard engineers to work with Cheriss and help out our research.
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    Publicola said:
    For our CNS action, as much as I desperately want those Shard engineers (they're been 'runner up' and 'honorable mention' for more than a year now :() the obvious pick is obvious. We need to counter Palpatine's legal attack on the Jedi.
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    I'm not blaming anyone but myself -- I've been the one drawing up the plan each turn. But the pattern is obvious: Shard engineers have always been a close second place, and some other action has always taken priority over it. It's been two years within the quest, and one and a half years in real life. I am standing my ground on this one.

    Stealthy said:
    Given all the other options on the table, you're essentially asking for the Free Action to be spent on the Shards. As neat as Shards are, it really isn't worth it.
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    You're right that I'm asking for the free action to go to Shard engineers. Let's look at the other options on the table (we don't have the hero support for anything other than guaranteed successes):

    [] Between the Light and Dark: Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Contact with chosen organization established
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    We could spend it on contacting another Force sect (Tython Jedi, most likely).
    [] Jedi, Leader, General, Spy: Chance of Success: 70% Reward: Arligan Zey subverted
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    Or we could recruit the Jedi commander of the clone commando squads.
    [] Medical "Battlefleet": Chance of Success: 80% Cost: 200 Reward: Medical "battlefleet" built
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    Or build that medical battlefleet in anticipation of the three hostile fleets in Neutral Space.
    [] The Swoop Bikes Will Fly Again: Send invitations far and wide for the grand reopening and help put it back on the map. And hey, you never know who might end up signing up for it... Chance of Success: 70% Cost: 100 Reward: GSRC reopened, potential for other rewards
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    This one seems minor, but might be a way to draw Anakin Skywalker back out of his odyssey.
    [] Test The Waters: Chance of Success: 60% Cost: 250 Reward: Potential threats in underworld located and terminated
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    Or deal with other competitors in the galactic underworld before Palpatine can use them against us.
    [] The Secrets of the Corellian Jedi: Chance of Success: 30% Reward: Corellian Jedi records investigated
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    Now this is truly tempting. We'd need to move Asajj to provide hero support, but we'd end up with 97% odds (and 67% chance of crit) and unlock a visit to the Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan. What do people think of this -- replacing Shard Engineers with Corellian Secrets and moving Asajj away from the Mother Talzin action?
    [] Materials Research: Chance of Success: 70% Cost: 50 Reward: Selected material analyzed for usage in weapons/armor
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    Or we could continue our research in cortosis or some other material.

    Sceptic said:
    We really should be doing more to attack Palpatine's support. Rather than spend our free action on the Shards Encased In Iron, I'd much rather spend it on attacking Palpatine's support structure by doing Anti-Slaver Actions against the Senex-Juvex Slavers. We attack slavery, potentially tarnish Sheev's reputation, and generally weaken his support. What's not to like?
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    I'm interested, but I'm much prefer to pick multiple actions that have synergy. In a later turn we can spend our military action on anti-slavery (against Senex-Juvex), spend an Intrigue action or two attacking Palpatine's base of support ('grassroots' and strike at COMPNOR), plus tie it in to a Personal action to recruit Anakin Skywalker (especially appealling to his background as a slave). Basically, once Anakin returns, that's the time to strike, but not sooner.


    Pretty much the only replacement action I'd consider would be the 'Corellian Jedi' one (I want that Valley of the Jedi interlude). But that would mean moving Asajj away, after a near consensus that we should send her with Ciaran to take care of Mother Talzin. Thoughts?
     
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