- Location
- Leeds
Basically recruitment omakes diverted the path of history?
May The Invisible Hand Be With You - (Star Wars CK2-Style Quest)
- Thread starter Dr. Snark
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
-
- Tags
- star wars canon what canon tsundere dice ck2 quest actions have consequences all the credits all work and no play makes ciaran a dull girl best sister capitalism ho! despairing qm teetotaller society member gotta catch 'em all insanity looting off the rails sage dice approaching spicy sheev tsundere asajj
Nicholas Brooks
Redeemer and Destroyer
- Location
- United States
How's the Ascendancy making use of our WMD, by the way?
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Glassing planets with confirmed sightings of the post game caliber threat, probably.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The word "gleefully" comes to mind. A multi-system (bordering on galactic) level threat that could only at best be quarantined and contained can now be excised, with extreme prejudice.
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
As opposed to everything else that's diverted the path of history?
I wouldn't say that "gleeful" is the right word, but I can confirm that there are suddenly a lot less infected planets in the Unknown Regions (with plans already in motion to hit Mugg Fallow with a large enough fleet supporting the Devastation to make sure that it can be properly cleansed). Also, coincidentally, no one really wants to be on the Ascendancy's bad side anymore. Can't imagine why.
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Nicholas Brooks
Redeemer and Destroyer
- Location
- United States
Yes. Although I doubt he cares much about it now. With the Force Wound at the Temple, Windu and the other Councilors won't be trusting enough to let him advance anyway.
100 trillion as the population for the galaxy is an extremely sparse population for a galaxy that is larger than the one we live in - each star system would only have a few hundred people if such a population were spread out evenly. 500 quintillion - or perhaps even in the thousands of quintillions - is the more likely population range for the SWG - so millions of trillions or billions of trillions of people.
So likely, there's at most one Force User (of any kind) for every 1 quardrillion "normal" folks.
It's no wonder Han Solo thought the force was superstition. Unless someone lives on one of the dozen or so planets that Force Users are drawn to, the odds of meeting a Jedi, Sith or the like - or even meeting someone who's met one - are extremely unlikely. Especially because all the strong Force Users are mostly moving between the same nexus worlds all the time...
fasquardon
You make good points, so I finally bit the bullet and actually checked the wiki.
500 quintillion would certainly be accurate for a full galaxy, but a) the 'Unknown Regions' cover most of the western half of the galaxy, b) there is a very uneven population density across the galaxy, with much less population in the Deep Core and Outer Rim, and c) given the vagaries of hyperspace travel, most of the galaxy is still unexplored, as colonization occurred almost exclusively within narrow bands that were meticulously cleared for FTL travel.
Basically, the galaxy is much more populous than I estimated (I was off by several orders of magnitude) but much less populated than a fully inhabited space should be.
Given a 100 quadrillion galactic population, the 'Jedi per people' figure would be closer to 1 Jedi for every 1000 Earth-sized planets. Which is pretty bad, and definitely puts Han Solo's statement in context.
- Location
- Spain
Well to be a Jedi master you need to have at least one Padawan becoming a Knight.
And since Ashoka is still not a full-fledged knight Anakin still doesn´t qualify.
Actually considering the extra training she's gotten under Thrawn she could probably make Knight.
Nicholas Brooks
Redeemer and Destroyer
- Location
- United States
Speaking of Thrawn, do you think he's pleased with Ahsoka's tactical skills?
- Location
- Spain
Yes, but since she is technically still out of the order, and still undecided to return to the Coruscant Temple or going to Tython... I would say that she cannot be considered a Knight yet.
When she decides she'll probably be knighted either way.
(Omake) Cleanup on Kalee (Canon)
- Location
- United States, CA
Clean-up on Kalee
Sahltag ael Sumis wiped the sweat off his brow, the harsh sun a glaring change, albeit an unwelcome one, from a few days ago.
What had been a frantic battle for the survival of Kalee had now become a series of long, boring patrols via walking. The Huk and Hssiss droids had scattered into the thick jungle, forcing the Kalee to send out warriors to hunt down each small group. But with each hour, fewer and fewer reports came in of small-scale battles breaking out. Soon, the entire invading force would be wiped out.
Sumis couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief at that. As much as the prospect of battle caused his hunter's blood to rise in anticipation, the decreased chance of death had a certain appeal to it as well.
But before he could truly relax, his small group of four needed to finish climbing this damn mountain. Huntmaster Preskotta's wiry voice, transmitted three hours past, told them to get to the top of the towering peak to spot any obvious signs of CIS forces. Apparently, nor orbitals could be spared, and nothing in-atmosphere cared enough to look at an area somewhat far away from any of the large battles or crash sites.
Speaking of crash sites...
He turned his head slightly back and raised his voice, "Hey Udianos, heard anything new about that Recusant that landed about fifty kliks away?"
The taller Kalee shook his head. "Nothing new. The invaders are still inside, though no one is particularly keen on getting in. Apparently, they're a nightmare to fight, so our friendly local Watchers might send some specialized people in."
A scoff from the heavy weapons member of the group followed that remark. "Come now, Udianos, you can't mean to tell me that our fellow Kaleesh aren't looking for a fight?" Tamait dae Norad'ha hefted her Z6 slightly for emphasis. "Surely it can't be that hard to fight a bunch of droids, much less ones with only half a ship that fell from vacuum."
Sumis heard the shrug in Udianos's voice. "It couldn't be that simple, or else someone would have already done it. Granted, it does seem pretty easy, the tight corridors should make it hard to dodge blades, but maybe I'm missing something."
"Not you, maybe," Tamait laughed, "Just the ones in charge who lack their warrior spirit!"
"Quiet down, we don't want to attract attention." This injection from Nahand oel Nahdow almost caused Sumis to close his eyes in exasperation.
"For the fifth time, Nahand", he grinded out, "We are walking up an exposed ridge. In the case of both the Huk-" four simultaneous spits "and the droids, their vision is better than their hearing. If they haven't seen us, they can't hear us."
"And what if they are buried underground?" The by-now famliar retort came.
"That's why you have the scanner, and you're in front." Seems like Tamait was just as tired of the game as they all were.
"It's another hour to the top, then we'll get all the equipment set up." Udianos stated. "Should be easy from there, with Qymaen's blessing."
A pause. "Ahhh, Udianos? The General is still alive."
"... And? If any has earned godhood in the halls of the ancestors it is him."
"He's right, you know." This from Nahand, adjusting a dial on the nearly comically large scanning device on his hip. "Some of the people say he's already ascended, but has left his mortal shell behind to continue fighting."
Sumis felt his right eye twitch. "That's not how that works. You die, then in the afterlife, and not before, do you ascend."
"Sorry Sumis, gotta agree with the others on this one. Our General is already divine, this is just confirmation." He could feel Tamait's nod of agreement in her words.
"And," Udianos added with a firm voice, "In the future all Kaleesh will be measured on the Grievous scale. And none of us will be more than a 0.8."
Another hour of this to go, Sumis realized. It almost made him wish for the Vulture Droids in the rain again. Almost.
(Credit to @Dark as Silver for the "0.8" quote).
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Small Nerd
Meganekko
- Location
- Out There
- Pronouns
- She/Her
No we didn't. We're still on Turn 29.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I mean, it's not his fault that we keep getting ridiculous rolls that produce insane results. Not to mention, we're playing on a galactic scale at this point and our actions have consequences on that scale that need to be worked out.
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- Location
- Canada
I do regret that I have but one like to give for this post. As it just seems...insufficient.
This is better.
- Location
- Leeds
I'm glad you liked it?
The Battle of Kalee - Epilogue
Dr. Snark
Exactly As Planned...Probably
- Location
- Right where I want to be
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Kalee
"'This brutal and unprovoked attack was committed with a Separatist fleet, yes, but this was not a Separatist attack,'" Ciaran began to say to a visibly curious Ahsoka, bemused Anakin, and worried Obi-Wan. "'We were warned by a high-level source within the CIS government that Admiral Trench had gone rogue and was no longer responding to commands from the Separatist Council or Parliament. It was because of that warning that we were able to prepare for and defeat Trench's attack here on Kalee. It is not clear whose orders Trench was following, but we are confident they did not come from the Confederacy of Independent Systems.'" With that Ciaran grinned. "We take a strong stand, laying no blame on the CIS and using our media outlets to tamp down on the calls for war, while we dangle bait in front of Palpatine by revealing that we have allies and assets within the Separatist government. That way, he'll have to commit some of his agents to investigate the leak, while we plant evidence and lead them by the nose to the wrong conclusion."
"That's...are you sure it's wise to expose such valuable information?" Obi-Wan countered. "I for one wasn't even aware you had these connections."
"Ah, but that's the key factor in this whole thing," Ciaran explained, her grin becoming far more vicious. "Even though I'll be letting Palpatine know that I have a source, the way I'm revealing this information means that he's far more likely to overlook them."
"So...can you tell us who exactly this person is?" Ahsoka asked nervously. "It seems like they're pretty important..."
"They are, which is exactly why I can't do that," Ciaran said, folding her arms. "This isn't a trust issue or anything - the problem is that if I even mention their identity it could put them into incredible jeopardy. For now they're best acting as though everything is fine and they are a loyal member of the Separatists." She looked at each of the three Jedi in turn. "Anyway. Is that all you need to know?"
"I still have some doubts..." Obi-Wan said nervously.
"Master, it's probably the best that can be done in this situation," Anakin replied. "It's going to be difficult to explain away the hulks in orbit."
"That reminds me...you did say that you'd give us an explanation on where you've been," Obi-Wan said to Anakin, looking at him with visible concern. "I can certainly tell that it's changed you quite a bit..."
"Yeah...you're still...you, right, Skyguy?" Ahsoka asked, far more nervous. "I mean, it's not that you're different in a bad way, but-"
"I get it, Snips," Anakin said with a light smile on his face. "The short version is that back on Mortis, the Son showed me visions of a terrible future where I was..." He sighed. "I was a monster, corrupted by the Dark Side." He pointed at Obi-Wan. "In that future, I killed you. And Padme. And so, so many people...and when I saw them for myself I knew somewhere deep inside me that they were the truth."
"...You can't be serious..." Ahsoka muttered quietly, though Obi-Wan's face visibly fell as he heard Anakin speak.
"...I suppose that had that future come to pass, I would have been right when I said you would be the death of me," he bitterly noted.
"Master, you can't believe that he would do things like that!" Ahsoka shouted out.
"He's right, though," Anakin said, drawing attention back to him. "In hindsight...I was doomed to fall. Fortunately someone I knew decided to stick their nose in where it didn't belong."
"Hey, it worked," Ciaran said with a huff.
"Those visions were tormenting me for a while, but after the Temple Massacre...I couldn't stop running away from them anymore. So I decided to go on a bit of a journey to find myself. And eventually, I found myself looking in a mirror and..." He smiled, as though enjoying some joke that only he was privy to. "I started to realize who I really was - or more accurately, who I wasn't."
"And what is that, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked solemnly.
In response Anakin sighed. "...Not a Jedi - at least not a Jedi as the Order sees it." As everyone stared at him wide-eyed, he folded his arms. "How do I put this...I still believe in protecting the innocent, fighting for justice, and all of those things. That's never going to change. But...I can't see myself as a Master on the Council like you," he said, specifically focusing on Obi-Wan. "It's not just that I can be a bit..." He smirked. "Let's call it 'headstrong?'"
"Cocky," Ahsoka pointed out.
"Reckless," Obi-Wan added.
"Hot-headed would also be good too," Ciaran finished with a smirk.
"Definitely not 'serene' or 'peaceful' though," Anakin replied after a light chuckle. "Look at me. I'm just not meant to be a part of the Jedi Order. How many times have I been told to stop being so reckless, to rein in my emotions, to actually act like a Jedi? I've lost count at this point." His eyes fell before he faced Obi-Wan. "Don't misunderstand me. I'm still so grateful for what you taught me and being your Padawan was one of the best times of my life." Then Ahsoka. "And I couldn't have asked for a better Padawan. But even with all of that I am not a Knight of the Order."
"So what does that make you?"
Everyone turned to look at Ciaran, whose eyes had locked onto Anakin. "If you aren't going to be a part of the Order, then what are you?"
"Right now, I'm an exile who just wants to fight for the people he cares about and the galaxy he wants to protect," Anakin replied without hesitation. "I'll worry about what I actually am when I have the luxury of knowing that Palpatine is dead."
"Um...you still didn't explain how you know about him..." Ahsoka pointed out.
"I saw his face and heard his voice in those visions," Anakin explained with a shrug. "Both were distorted, but not enough for me to not recognize him."
"Normally I would dismiss that out of hand by virtue of how absolutely insane that sounds, but if it's connected to Mortis I'm prepared to believe anything." Obi-Wan said before sighing resignedly. "That reminds me though...you haven't heard about the state of the Coruscant Order yet, have you?"
"...What happened?" Anakin quietly asked.
"A Wound in the Force has formed in the Temple."
Anakin's eyes widened as Obi-Wan grimly continued. "We've already learned that everyone still there has already begun to be affected by it, and right now Ahsoka and I plan on trying to find Master Yoda - he's been going missing, and if we manage to find him we have a chance at sealing the Wound and preventing its effects from spreading any further."
"You're sure that will work!?"
"...It's our last hope," Obi-Wan said. "With his wisdom and hopefully what he has learned on his journeys we may have a chance. The rest of the Council is..." Obi-Wan went silent at that.
"I understand," Anakin replied before looking between the three people in front of him. "And now that we're done with the reunion, I have to say that there's a couple more stops I have to make before I can get back into things." He smiled warmly. "Don't worry though - it's not going to cause me to go off the radar this time. If you need me, just call, okay?"
"If I need your help, then the situation has probably gone too far out of control as it is," Obi-Wan said jokingly.
"He's right," Ahsoka added before smiling. "Still, it's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back," Anakin said.
------------
Ausez, Karada Medical Center
Inside one of the bacta tanks in Ausez's Karada Medical Center, Qymaen floated peacefully as he slowly recovered from the injuries he sustained during the fierce battle that nearly took his life. Surrounding it were his eight Izvoshra, standing guard and ensuring that their General would recover safely. To the tank's side, Ronderu's mask gently hung off of a makeshift hanger, still visibly beaten up and untreated.
The room was silent before the door opened to admit Ciaran, and as she entered the Izvoshra stood at attention and saluted her, which Ciaran almost offhandedly responded to. As she approached she asked "How is he?" to no one in particular.
"Qymaen is recovering peacefully," one reported - Ciaran wasn't really sure which as she stared at the tank. "Much as we are sure that he would be eagerly welcomed into the ranks of our gods, he is still clinging to life."
"We will not leave his side, <Savior.>"
Ciaran continued to stare at the tank before she looked at the mask. "...Is that really the mask of Ronderu?"
"It is. We all recognized it - it seems that her will was able to carry that mask to Qymaen when he needed it most."
"...I suppose so..." Ciaran muttered, staring at it.
"...Do you sense something yourself?"
"...Not right now, no. And at the time I was too occupied to notice anything but the battle raging around me," Ciaran offhandedly replied. "But I've certainly got no reason to doubt that Ronderu was behind this somehow. I've certainly seen stranger things happen in the galaxy..."
-----------
Ronderu? Are you there?
...
I am sorry, Ronderu.
I was a fool. I was blinded by my grief, so convinced that others had to share in it that I nearly lost sight of everything that I held dear.
I know it was an arrogant wish for me to at least see your body one last time, and I still do not understand why the gods denied my wish then. Perhaps they tried to teach me a lesson, or were trying to tell me that I had to move on. However...I could not. How could I? How could I overcome the pain of losing you like that?
So I fought and killed again and again and still it never faded. No matter how many I struck down it changed nothing. I was still grieving. I could not move on.
And then we were saved. It was nothing short of a miracle for us.
I have no illusions about why she was so eager to help us. I fully understand that she did it out of her own self-interest. She understood what we are the moment she laid eyes on us; we were warriors, and she needed our strength for her own ends. After everything she did for our people though...how could I refuse to aid her? How could any of us?
So again I fought and killed, this time in her name. Sometimes it would be in glorious battles. Other times it would be prey that would be hunted in the dark. Sometimes I knew why I did what I did. Sometimes I did not. It did not matter - fighting for her was the logical way to return the favor she had granted our people.
And it was not as though I was a tool this whole time, Ronderu. She respects me. She trusts in my judgement and is willing to heed my counsel. I am treated as a warrior, a leader, and an equal. I would be a fool to spurn such things.
But more than that...as I journeyed through the stars, my pain began to fade ever so slowly. I did not realize it until I saw that she had given Kalee something I did not realize it had been missing until I saw it with my own eyes:
Hope.
...I dearly wish you could see it for yourself, Ronderu. Kalee is so beautiful now. We have become united. Our people have hope for the future.
...
...
...Thank you, Ronderu. I was ready to die for that hope, fool that I was. You reminded me that I still have much to live for.
I would ask for your forgiveness in making you wait for me a while longer, but I already know how you would respond.
-----------
Kalee Orbit
"This is Admiral Maarisa Zsinj, captain of the Pride of the Core." Her declaration was punctuated by the massive Mandator arriving in the Kalee system with a quartet of Venators jumping in formation around it. "Perhaps someone here would be willing to explain the massive debris field that seems to be made up of Separatist ships?"
"Greetings, Admiral," Thrawn coolly replied from the bridge of the Oracle. "I certainly believe we have some explaining to do..." he said as he went over the script Ciaran had provided him in his mind...
(Fallout from the Battle of Kalee will be detailed during the Turn 30 prologue and may be affected by how the vote on using Paponoida's network goes)
AN: This time the delays were primarily brought to you by a chaotic last week (in a good way though, if that makes sense) and the fact that Ace Combat 7 came out two weeks ago and Kingdom Hearts III hit this past Tuesday. I maaaaaay have been waiting for those games to come out for literally years. Those coming out in such quick succession didn't help.
I know this was a bit on the short side, but there's some very important decisions coming up. You're going to want to think about just how you want to use that propaganda network that basically fell into your lap very carefully. I'm dead serious. A propaganda war is bar none the biggest way you could threaten Palpatine directly right now...
Also I expect that the Vectivus Corner will be up much sooner than later, don't worry.
"'This brutal and unprovoked attack was committed with a Separatist fleet, yes, but this was not a Separatist attack,'" Ciaran began to say to a visibly curious Ahsoka, bemused Anakin, and worried Obi-Wan. "'We were warned by a high-level source within the CIS government that Admiral Trench had gone rogue and was no longer responding to commands from the Separatist Council or Parliament. It was because of that warning that we were able to prepare for and defeat Trench's attack here on Kalee. It is not clear whose orders Trench was following, but we are confident they did not come from the Confederacy of Independent Systems.'" With that Ciaran grinned. "We take a strong stand, laying no blame on the CIS and using our media outlets to tamp down on the calls for war, while we dangle bait in front of Palpatine by revealing that we have allies and assets within the Separatist government. That way, he'll have to commit some of his agents to investigate the leak, while we plant evidence and lead them by the nose to the wrong conclusion."
"That's...are you sure it's wise to expose such valuable information?" Obi-Wan countered. "I for one wasn't even aware you had these connections."
"Ah, but that's the key factor in this whole thing," Ciaran explained, her grin becoming far more vicious. "Even though I'll be letting Palpatine know that I have a source, the way I'm revealing this information means that he's far more likely to overlook them."
"So...can you tell us who exactly this person is?" Ahsoka asked nervously. "It seems like they're pretty important..."
"They are, which is exactly why I can't do that," Ciaran said, folding her arms. "This isn't a trust issue or anything - the problem is that if I even mention their identity it could put them into incredible jeopardy. For now they're best acting as though everything is fine and they are a loyal member of the Separatists." She looked at each of the three Jedi in turn. "Anyway. Is that all you need to know?"
"I still have some doubts..." Obi-Wan said nervously.
"Master, it's probably the best that can be done in this situation," Anakin replied. "It's going to be difficult to explain away the hulks in orbit."
"That reminds me...you did say that you'd give us an explanation on where you've been," Obi-Wan said to Anakin, looking at him with visible concern. "I can certainly tell that it's changed you quite a bit..."
"Yeah...you're still...you, right, Skyguy?" Ahsoka asked, far more nervous. "I mean, it's not that you're different in a bad way, but-"
"I get it, Snips," Anakin said with a light smile on his face. "The short version is that back on Mortis, the Son showed me visions of a terrible future where I was..." He sighed. "I was a monster, corrupted by the Dark Side." He pointed at Obi-Wan. "In that future, I killed you. And Padme. And so, so many people...and when I saw them for myself I knew somewhere deep inside me that they were the truth."
"...You can't be serious..." Ahsoka muttered quietly, though Obi-Wan's face visibly fell as he heard Anakin speak.
"...I suppose that had that future come to pass, I would have been right when I said you would be the death of me," he bitterly noted.
"Master, you can't believe that he would do things like that!" Ahsoka shouted out.
"He's right, though," Anakin said, drawing attention back to him. "In hindsight...I was doomed to fall. Fortunately someone I knew decided to stick their nose in where it didn't belong."
"Hey, it worked," Ciaran said with a huff.
"Those visions were tormenting me for a while, but after the Temple Massacre...I couldn't stop running away from them anymore. So I decided to go on a bit of a journey to find myself. And eventually, I found myself looking in a mirror and..." He smiled, as though enjoying some joke that only he was privy to. "I started to realize who I really was - or more accurately, who I wasn't."
"And what is that, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked solemnly.
In response Anakin sighed. "...Not a Jedi - at least not a Jedi as the Order sees it." As everyone stared at him wide-eyed, he folded his arms. "How do I put this...I still believe in protecting the innocent, fighting for justice, and all of those things. That's never going to change. But...I can't see myself as a Master on the Council like you," he said, specifically focusing on Obi-Wan. "It's not just that I can be a bit..." He smirked. "Let's call it 'headstrong?'"
"Cocky," Ahsoka pointed out.
"Reckless," Obi-Wan added.
"Hot-headed would also be good too," Ciaran finished with a smirk.
"Definitely not 'serene' or 'peaceful' though," Anakin replied after a light chuckle. "Look at me. I'm just not meant to be a part of the Jedi Order. How many times have I been told to stop being so reckless, to rein in my emotions, to actually act like a Jedi? I've lost count at this point." His eyes fell before he faced Obi-Wan. "Don't misunderstand me. I'm still so grateful for what you taught me and being your Padawan was one of the best times of my life." Then Ahsoka. "And I couldn't have asked for a better Padawan. But even with all of that I am not a Knight of the Order."
"So what does that make you?"
Everyone turned to look at Ciaran, whose eyes had locked onto Anakin. "If you aren't going to be a part of the Order, then what are you?"
"Right now, I'm an exile who just wants to fight for the people he cares about and the galaxy he wants to protect," Anakin replied without hesitation. "I'll worry about what I actually am when I have the luxury of knowing that Palpatine is dead."
"Um...you still didn't explain how you know about him..." Ahsoka pointed out.
"I saw his face and heard his voice in those visions," Anakin explained with a shrug. "Both were distorted, but not enough for me to not recognize him."
"Normally I would dismiss that out of hand by virtue of how absolutely insane that sounds, but if it's connected to Mortis I'm prepared to believe anything." Obi-Wan said before sighing resignedly. "That reminds me though...you haven't heard about the state of the Coruscant Order yet, have you?"
"...What happened?" Anakin quietly asked.
"A Wound in the Force has formed in the Temple."
Anakin's eyes widened as Obi-Wan grimly continued. "We've already learned that everyone still there has already begun to be affected by it, and right now Ahsoka and I plan on trying to find Master Yoda - he's been going missing, and if we manage to find him we have a chance at sealing the Wound and preventing its effects from spreading any further."
"You're sure that will work!?"
"...It's our last hope," Obi-Wan said. "With his wisdom and hopefully what he has learned on his journeys we may have a chance. The rest of the Council is..." Obi-Wan went silent at that.
"I understand," Anakin replied before looking between the three people in front of him. "And now that we're done with the reunion, I have to say that there's a couple more stops I have to make before I can get back into things." He smiled warmly. "Don't worry though - it's not going to cause me to go off the radar this time. If you need me, just call, okay?"
"If I need your help, then the situation has probably gone too far out of control as it is," Obi-Wan said jokingly.
"He's right," Ahsoka added before smiling. "Still, it's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back," Anakin said.
------------
Ausez, Karada Medical Center
Inside one of the bacta tanks in Ausez's Karada Medical Center, Qymaen floated peacefully as he slowly recovered from the injuries he sustained during the fierce battle that nearly took his life. Surrounding it were his eight Izvoshra, standing guard and ensuring that their General would recover safely. To the tank's side, Ronderu's mask gently hung off of a makeshift hanger, still visibly beaten up and untreated.
The room was silent before the door opened to admit Ciaran, and as she entered the Izvoshra stood at attention and saluted her, which Ciaran almost offhandedly responded to. As she approached she asked "How is he?" to no one in particular.
"Qymaen is recovering peacefully," one reported - Ciaran wasn't really sure which as she stared at the tank. "Much as we are sure that he would be eagerly welcomed into the ranks of our gods, he is still clinging to life."
"We will not leave his side, <Savior.>"
Ciaran continued to stare at the tank before she looked at the mask. "...Is that really the mask of Ronderu?"
"It is. We all recognized it - it seems that her will was able to carry that mask to Qymaen when he needed it most."
"...I suppose so..." Ciaran muttered, staring at it.
"...Do you sense something yourself?"
"...Not right now, no. And at the time I was too occupied to notice anything but the battle raging around me," Ciaran offhandedly replied. "But I've certainly got no reason to doubt that Ronderu was behind this somehow. I've certainly seen stranger things happen in the galaxy..."
-----------
Ronderu? Are you there?
...
I am sorry, Ronderu.
I was a fool. I was blinded by my grief, so convinced that others had to share in it that I nearly lost sight of everything that I held dear.
I know it was an arrogant wish for me to at least see your body one last time, and I still do not understand why the gods denied my wish then. Perhaps they tried to teach me a lesson, or were trying to tell me that I had to move on. However...I could not. How could I? How could I overcome the pain of losing you like that?
So I fought and killed again and again and still it never faded. No matter how many I struck down it changed nothing. I was still grieving. I could not move on.
And then we were saved. It was nothing short of a miracle for us.
I have no illusions about why she was so eager to help us. I fully understand that she did it out of her own self-interest. She understood what we are the moment she laid eyes on us; we were warriors, and she needed our strength for her own ends. After everything she did for our people though...how could I refuse to aid her? How could any of us?
So again I fought and killed, this time in her name. Sometimes it would be in glorious battles. Other times it would be prey that would be hunted in the dark. Sometimes I knew why I did what I did. Sometimes I did not. It did not matter - fighting for her was the logical way to return the favor she had granted our people.
And it was not as though I was a tool this whole time, Ronderu. She respects me. She trusts in my judgement and is willing to heed my counsel. I am treated as a warrior, a leader, and an equal. I would be a fool to spurn such things.
But more than that...as I journeyed through the stars, my pain began to fade ever so slowly. I did not realize it until I saw that she had given Kalee something I did not realize it had been missing until I saw it with my own eyes:
Hope.
...I dearly wish you could see it for yourself, Ronderu. Kalee is so beautiful now. We have become united. Our people have hope for the future.
...
...
...Thank you, Ronderu. I was ready to die for that hope, fool that I was. You reminded me that I still have much to live for.
I would ask for your forgiveness in making you wait for me a while longer, but I already know how you would respond.
-----------
Kalee Orbit
"This is Admiral Maarisa Zsinj, captain of the Pride of the Core." Her declaration was punctuated by the massive Mandator arriving in the Kalee system with a quartet of Venators jumping in formation around it. "Perhaps someone here would be willing to explain the massive debris field that seems to be made up of Separatist ships?"
"Greetings, Admiral," Thrawn coolly replied from the bridge of the Oracle. "I certainly believe we have some explaining to do..." he said as he went over the script Ciaran had provided him in his mind...
(Fallout from the Battle of Kalee will be detailed during the Turn 30 prologue and may be affected by how the vote on using Paponoida's network goes)
AN: This time the delays were primarily brought to you by a chaotic last week (in a good way though, if that makes sense) and the fact that Ace Combat 7 came out two weeks ago and Kingdom Hearts III hit this past Tuesday. I maaaaaay have been waiting for those games to come out for literally years. Those coming out in such quick succession didn't help.
I know this was a bit on the short side, but there's some very important decisions coming up. You're going to want to think about just how you want to use that propaganda network that basically fell into your lap very carefully. I'm dead serious. A propaganda war is bar none the biggest way you could threaten Palpatine directly right now...
Also I expect that the Vectivus Corner will be up much sooner than later, don't worry.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Mmm, Anakin has really gotten hold of himself. I like it.
- Location
- Leeds
On propaganda:
We need to have two stages prepared.
First is the ground work. slow, low key propaganda that gets people thinking, while not directly threating Palpatine or his assets yet. sow a few rumors, point out some details that people would overlook normally then move to have them dismissed and removed from the regular news. ectt. basically set things up so that when we go to phase two, people will be inclined to listen and believe us, at least enough to pause and think.
Second is a plan to go active. dump everything we can about Palpatines plans that we can(and want) to the public, spin it in a way that sees him in a negative light, and generally everything we want to do with to bring him down. This part goes into effect once we launch the attack. It needs to be prepared beforehand, since when things go down, it will happen quickly.
We need to have two stages prepared.
First is the ground work. slow, low key propaganda that gets people thinking, while not directly threating Palpatine or his assets yet. sow a few rumors, point out some details that people would overlook normally then move to have them dismissed and removed from the regular news. ectt. basically set things up so that when we go to phase two, people will be inclined to listen and believe us, at least enough to pause and think.
Second is a plan to go active. dump everything we can about Palpatines plans that we can(and want) to the public, spin it in a way that sees him in a negative light, and generally everything we want to do with to bring him down. This part goes into effect once we launch the attack. It needs to be prepared beforehand, since when things go down, it will happen quickly.