- Location
- Too Deep in the Midnight Sea
I think some found the elaborate charade she put up entertaining.
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
- Location
- Leeds
Yeah nothing really sells a good "I'm going to kill you if keep this shit up" joke as an elaborate charade.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I've said a couple of times in the past that we really need to get all the principals in a room (Ciaran, Thrawn, Grievous, Satine, Jango, Padme, Bail, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yularen, Seti, and Dooku) and talk about What Comes After. It's quite likely that the CNS will probably end up absorbing the CIS and what remains of the Republic after Palpatine is gone, but we definitely need to get everyone in a room to hash it out. I wouldn't mind having people like Cheriss, Galen, Ahsoka and Mon Mothma there, either, but those core twelve I think are essential to any discussion and planning of the future.
I find it highly unlikely that Ciaran would want to claim so visible a role, more likely that she'd prefer the role she has now--a public face of charity and goodwill that is a polite tip of a very shady iceberg sprawling the galaxy. If we survive this whole thing, I'd guess that someone like Bail, Padme, Satine or Mon Mothma would become the executive figure of whatever system is established in the aftermath.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
We continue moving closer and closer to the one lifetime that was Riphath's favorite in the non-canon "hundreds of lifetimes" Omake (explained away as aftereffects of a drinking contest) with head of state Amidala and Darra working with him and understanding his work with the Watchers.
In vino, veritas indeed.
A fun reminder that the reason people willingly put up with her mischievous trickster bit is because whenever she stops it everyone is suddenly and forcibly reminded "Oh right she's Darth Traya and probably one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy"
- Location
- Leeds
Just to remind people of my position here:
The bit that needs to be argued is why that was funny not why Ciaran is terrifying.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
A clever last line about walking away from one's own funeral combined with the recency effect might get people to hit that button.
Side note: Should the Jedi ever turn on her, I'm pretty sure her "Bullshit Bonus Boss" music is this.
Last edited:
NexysDhyArchen
Throne Breaker
One of the more terrifying thoughts Thrawn has to have had after that is that, even had he developed true Force Precognition, Ciaran could still blindside and kill him. Her Shatterpoint abilities mean even being predicted and defeated won't stop her.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
At that point you get into Xanatos Gambits and the related tropes.
Of note, OTL Sidious is a master of those, particularly the "Jedi plan" of the novelization. Send disposable minion to cause havoc on the other side of the galaxy. If they win, they've eliminated some of your enemies. If they lose, they're gone. But either way, you've forced the heroes to move over there for a bit so you can move a bit more freely where you are.
Of note, OTL Sidious is a master of those, particularly the "Jedi plan" of the novelization. Send disposable minion to cause havoc on the other side of the galaxy. If they win, they've eliminated some of your enemies. If they lose, they're gone. But either way, you've forced the heroes to move over there for a bit so you can move a bit more freely where you are.
- Location
- Australia
@Dr. Snark when's the next update?
I feel I should point out that bugging the QM about updates, especially when your post includes nothing else, is generally considered rather rude.
- Location
- Australia
This would be the only game I follow where that's considered rude so I'll dispute the generality of that, but I'll make sure not to do so again for this game.
... Which quests do you do? Basically all the ones I've taken part in have seen it as impolite at best.
- Location
- Australia
Embers in the Dusk, Now You Feel Like Number None, Best in Life - Imperial Knight Quest, Warhammer Fantasy: A Dynasty of Dynamic Alcoholism, and Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties. In Dynasty of Dynamic Alcoholism it is in fact rude, I forgot about that game when I made my post. In Divided Loyalties it's a moot issue, because it's on a very regular schedule. In Embers in the Dusk the GM's outright said it's fine since it stops him from procrastinating.
Last edited:
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Well, I have two thought-through but unwritten Rip and Darra omakes. That aside, anything else I have would depend on what @Dr. Snark comes up with.
Ah, I see. I've read the story updates for about half of those, but the only one I've actually been reading the discussion of is Divided Loyalties (in fact, I'm trying to catch up on it right now -- I'm still 70 pages behind).
I don't think we've ever talked to Bail or Mon Mothma at all and several of the others don't have a true idea of our influence or actions and being at the table would be the same as becoming more visible then we would want. I would say a better idea would be to have an in house meeting with the abyss watchers including Thrawn and Borvo to figure out what plans we would want to support and then present the possible plans to a third party that would like them with say Thrawn passing something to Ahsoka or that one vice chancellor well we talk to Padme or Satine and Jango brings something up with Dooku. Then we run the hotel and catering during the conference well they debate our ideas to decide which wins.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Bail and Mon have both had interactions with Ciaran -- and, even if Mon and Bail were concerns (which I don't believe they are) they are both people who trust and rely on Padmé's judgment; if we have her involved/on board, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "they're like to do all in all as Padmé does." In fact, a glance at the Abyss Watchers' informational post at the front page (bottom of the post) shows that all of the named people have interacted with Ciaran, know that she's a major player on the Galactic field (look specifically at Ciaran's "Bringer of Peace" trait) and most of them are specifically working with us against Palpatine. None of these are stupid people, or people under the impression that "galaxy-renowned philanthropist, negotiator of peace and professional gadfly" is all Ciaran is.
What hasn't happened is getting them all in a room at once, on the same page, and talking about What Comes After. And that's really what needs to happen -- not because it's narratively more interesting/satisfying than a bunch of backroom document slippage (though since this is a story, that does factor in) but because, quite frankly, that's how these things are done. Think of the major events, the founding documents in your nation's history. Was that passed around like a hot potato between different parties until something amenable to all involved came out? Or did the important people, major players, brilliant minds and public figures get into a room and hammer things out together? I'm just saying, there's a reason that we have Constitutional Conventions and not Constitutional Email Chains.
The reason I named these people is because they are (almost*) all the major players, whose cooperation/involvement will be necessary for the legitimacy of any post-Palpatine future:
- Padmé, Yularen and Seti are all principal (and, but for Seti, principled) leaders in various areas of the Republic, and if all of them are on board, it cements the legitimacy of the successor state with Republic citizens and servants. Having Bail Organa and Mon Mothma involved isn't essential, but advisable -- the more legitimising faces/factors, the better.
- Satine, Jango and Grievous are also principal leaders, in the CNS and of their member worlds. (that 2/3 are also Abyss allies/operatives is, y'know, a plus.)
- Dooku is the public face and the de facto sole remaining leader of the Confederacy -- his member worlds will follow his lead, especially once Sidious is removed and is no longer propping them up.
- Obi-Wan and Anakin are well-known & loved by the Republic citizenry and well-respected by the Jedi Order (each of them in different, often contradictory corners) and while they don't command the Order, by and large the membership trusts & respects at least one of them. Ahsoka Tano, while no longer in the Order, still has friends and allies there, and has considerable respect among former Jedi and Republic servicemen. Really, the only bigger gets we could hope for than these Jedi would be Windu or Yoda.
- Thrawn, while not a representative or agent of a major faction (in this context) is far too intelligent, perceptive & insightful to not have at the table to offer input or advice. Likewise, though to a lesser extent, with Cheriss Sair and Galen Erso -- they would hardly detract from the conversation, and likely have insights that nobody else at the table would.
(Omake) Conversations With Dead People Pt. 3 (Canon)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
As requested, so delivered.
Conversations with Dead People
Part III
Home
A long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith was an invaluable resource, one of which Lady Ciaran had made excellent use. Now, after stalling for a time with Ciaran by giving her further Makashi lessons (if she really intended to face his Master, she desperately needed it) Dooku found it to be his moment to try and make use of this resource. He entered a conference room of sorts, in which two men were waiting for him, one an utterly unremarkable and unmemorable humanoid, the other …
"Welcome to my Home, my lord," said Darth Vectivus, a phantom of the Force that offered a wan, yet unthreatening smile. "It is an unexpected pleasure, but an appreciated one."
It took Dooku a moment to recover his wits. But only a small one. "Appreciated? Do you mean to tell me that a Sith specter gets lonely?"
"I could hardly feel lonely these days given the Abyss Watcher presence here. No, it's the intelligent conversation. Whenever Lady Ciaran is away, I find it to be … lacking." After a moment, the phantom turned. "No offence meant, Number Two."
"None was inferred, sir."
Dooku raised a hesitant eyebrow. "Your … aide?"
Vectivus wiggled his spectral hand back and forth. "For lack of a better term, yes. My state of existence preserves my intellect, but," he passed his hand through the table and back again, "the trade-off included my ability to materially affect anything. So Number Two handles the necessary physical details for me."
"He seems very unperturbed by serving a Force ghost," Dooku observed placidly.
"He seems very unperturbed by much of anything," Vectivus replied. "I should know; Lady Ciaran decided to test the limits of his calm once, when she didn't have any of her friends or employees around to harass. She did not detect a limit before she lost interest, which I did not previously think possible."
"Your aide not having a limit?"
The smile turned wry. "Ciaran losing interest in bothering someone." The thought was so alien to Dooku's mind that he barely noticed the sentence's continuance. "Number Two," Vectivus turned to regard the man, "I don't believe you'll be necessary during this little get-together." With a nod, the man departed, and closed the door behind him.
"He needn't have left," Dooku said, thankful as he was for the unsettlingly stoic man's absence.
Vectivus shook his head. "It took most people weeks if not months to become comfortable in his presence, let alone ignoring it as if it were part of the furniture, as he wished. And I don't believe you require additional discomfort at this time."
"I don't find myself to be especially discomfited."
"Physically? Perhaps not," the specter allowed. "However, I can sense the turmoil beneath your calm veneer even without using the Force. I cannot imagine this to be an easy or pleasant experience for you."
Dooku blinked. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
Amusement spread across Vectivus' face. "Indeed you do not. There are a great many things you do not understand, my lord, and that has plagued you all your life, hasn't it?"
Dooku became very still. "I don't take your meaning."
"Don't you? You could not find the answers in your Order or in your ancestry, and when you left one Order to look in another, comprehension still eluded you. You are smart enough to know when you do not know something, yet incapable of believing that you don't know where or how to find the information you desire. It pains you far beyond any physical harm to conceive that Dooku, Jedi Master, Count of Serenno and Dark Lord of the Sith, could need help. And because of that pain, you have found nothing. Yet you could not live with your own failure, and where did that bring you? Here. To me.
"Or am I wrong?" the phantom stared impassively.
Dooku was silent for a moment. Then, "That is the second time in as many days that a Force ghost has presumed to know me better than I know myself," he growled. "What leads you to believe you know the first thing about me?"
"I have asked our mutual apprentice for information about you in the past, and I am an intelligent man with more time on his hands than most any other soul in the galaxy. I have had plenty of time to think about what she told me," Vectivus finished pointedly. "And I think I know what you are trying to find the answer to."
"Pray tell."
Vectivus merely arched an eyebrow. "Now what kind of mysterious specter would I be if I simply gave you the answers you're looking for?"
Dooku ground his teeth. "A helpful one."
Vectivus let out a barking laugh. "You clearly haven't spent enough time around Ciaran if you think it would be that easy to find out what you want to know."
"Or you've spent too much time around her," Dooku huffed. "I don't need this." He turned towards the door.
"You need it more than anyone I have ever met," Vectivus appeared in front of him, "and I have been alive a good deal longer than you, and dead for longer than that. Even now, with answers in reach, you cling to your ego as if it were your entire identity. Does that sound like a person that does not need to be taken down a peg or two?"
Dooku bristled. "It isn't 'ego' to be disinterested in leading questions and needling answers. It's knowing that if I want or need those, I can simply talk to a physician."
"At your age you probably should be regardless, but that's hardly the point."
"This isn't what I came here for. This isn't what I need." Dooku made again to leave.
The specter wasn't having it. "And you think that you'll find what you need in your lonely castle under Sidious' thumb?"
He stopped.
"You've walked away from your Order, forsaken your oaths, to try and find what you need, and when you couldn't do that you turned to a man you didn't understand and hoped he would help you find it. Did that work out for you?"
Dooku was silent for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he whispered, "no."
"So why would walking away and turning to Sidious work out for you this time?" Dooku recognised the question as rhetorical. "Sit down," Vectivus gestured at a chair. "You're an old man, and not meant for standing on your feet all day. Having been an old man once myself, I won't think less of you for being in a seat."
The pause held for a long moment, before Dooku took the chair. "Thank you." Even if the specter had been around Ciaran too long (and Vectivus clearly had) it never cost anything to be polite.
"In the interest of politeness," Dooku only just managed to keep his self-satisfied smirk internal, "and curiosity on my part, why do you think you're here?"
"I believe I am here to align myself more firmly with Lady Ciaran. I received advice from someone I trust," and he could only say as much because he knew Qui-Gon would never conceivably be able to hear of it, "that she, and her shadow advisor, if you'll forgive the pun, could be of use in my mission."
Vectivus gently drifted about the room. "I assure you that every conceivable pun about my existence, and a few that were not, has already been voiced by our mutual apprentice. Often. If it offended me, she would not have free reign of my Home. So, to better understand what it is you seek from us, what is this mission of yours?"
"To save the galaxy."
"…well, you certainly don't lack for Sith ambition. Save it how?"
This, Dooku was more comfortable with. "The Republic is hopelessly, irretrievably corrupt. It is poisoned by greed and cowardice, collapsing under its own bureaucratic weight and held aloft only by one man making himself the sole pillar of the system. It cannot be fixed or reformed. It is time to start over."
"I assure you that I have heard your Confederacy pitch, and I am unmoved by it. The Republic you describe is, but for your master's consolidation, point for point the same Republic I lived under long before any of you. It is the same Republic that Revan nearly overthrew. It has survived for thousands of years regardless of dilletante Sith Lords attempts to bring it down. What makes this so different?"
Dooku tilted his head. "None of those dilletantes made themselves the unifying figure and sole political power in the Republic. Feel about him as you will, but he's far smarter than any Sith Lord that has attempted to overthrow the galaxy before."
Vectivus nodded. "Point taken. But that still doesn't answer the question: how do you intend to save the galaxy?"
"Starting over."
"Yes, I have heard that statement before. I am dead, not deaf." Vectivus offered a pointed, if neutral gaze from the head of the table opposite Dooku before he went back to floating about. "Leaving aside for the moment that you would be starting over with the same bureaucrats answering to the same man, is overthrowing the Republic really your mission, your goal?"
"Making a better world, better worlds, a better galaxy, is my goal."
"And you don't see that goal and your present course as diametrically opposed?"
It brought him short. "…I didn't used to. I thought that with my help, my Master and I could reshape the galaxy as we saw fit."
"And you don't see your vision and his as diametrically opposed?"
That answer came far more easily. "I do now. He cares not for the marginalized worlds I wanted to champion. He cares not for the people who suffer while the elite – Senators, businessmen, and Jedi alike – sat in ivory towers and got fat and complacent. He cares not for the betterment of the galaxy. He cares for nothing but power, and he would burn the entire galaxy, planet by planet, down to the ground and then destroy the ground too if it meant he would be Emperor of the ashes."
"And this is not you. Not what you wanted."
Dooku shook his head vigorously, disgust for his Master evident in the motion. "No."
Vectivus stopped moving around the room, and 'sat' next to him. "Then what do you want?"
Well. That was the point, wasn't it. What did he want, really? "…I…" Being at a loss for words was a foreign, profoundly unpleasant sensation for him.
"Take your time, my lord."
Honesty, real unfiltered honesty was hard, after a lifetime of suppressing it. It took a vexing amount of time and effort to voice it all. "I never wanted to fight the Republic or conquer the galaxy. I wanted to fix it. I wanted to be recognized and celebrated for my part, I admit. But rule is the Sith's dream, it is Sidious' dream, not mine. All I've ever wanted was to make it better, the way I know it can be." He looked at his hands, wrinkled and liver-spotted, firmly holding one another on the table. To look anywhere else would be too much right now. "And…yes, some admiration would have been nice. Not the fawning the Nemoidians do, bootlicking practically embedded in their DNA, not false praise from the Geonosians, condescension dripping from every buzz and click. Honest admiration from intellectual, powerful peers. Just a little, just once."
"You have that in Lady Ciaran."
That got him to look away, up to the specter's face. "…you think so?"
"Let's not pretend that she is not every inch as intelligent or ambitious as us, or that she is not quickly surpassing us in power."
"…those are true, but also not what I meant."
"I understood what you meant. And yes," Vectivus nodded firmly. "Ever the consummate politician, she'll couch or dodge or evade or faff about if confronted directly about it, but it is profoundly obvious. Besides her, well, obvious personality quirks, she is a polite, respectful and considerate ally. But there are few of her allies she genuinely admires. You are among them."
"I suppose I had never really considered it. Only that she would use me for her purposes, as I have others for my own."
"She can do both. She is a talented woman. But clinging to such ego will do you no good, and help you not a whit in your goals."
"You think I should let go of my ego altogether?"
"Hardly. Where would any of the people in my Home be if they had dismissed their ego? No, I think it is time that you let off the mantle you've spent so long trying to wear." The point approached, and Dooku knew it. "You are not the savior of the galaxy. You are not the champion of the Republic. You are not the leader of the Confederation. You are not a Master of the Jedi Order. You are not Tyranus, Dark Lord of the Sith. What are you?" For perhaps the first time in his long years, he felt at peace with himself. He was truly serene.
And he was ready. "I am Dooku. And that is enough."
Two people leaned against a wall, with a third standing nearby, looking down the hall towards the conference room. "They've been in there for a long time," Ciaran noted.
"This is accurate," Number Two replied.
"How many hours did you spend trying to find a personality in him?" Asajj side-eyed her.
"More than I'd like to admit. But you shouldn't talk about him like he isn't here," Ciaran half-attempted politeness as she gestured at the man across the hall.
"There isn't anything there to be here, Ciaran," Asajj returned.
"Is politeness an unknown language to you?"
"Yes," came the immediate reply.
"…okay, I opened the door for that one."
"Practically held the door open for me," Asajj nodded.
"Master Dooku is emerging," Number Two spoke.
Both of them stopped bantering to look down the hall. If he hadn't said as much, they would hardly have noticed Dooku's exit. His Force presence felt far more similar to theirs now than it had when he arrived, and the air about him suggested that a massive weight had been lifted from him. As he approached them, Number Two simply passed by him, returning to his master, and Asajj began to make herself scarce. "No, Asajj, please. We have much to talk about, and a great deal I have to make amends for, and I would like to speak about it with you, if you are willing." His former apprentice paused for a long time, before giving what to Ciaran felt like a very reluctant nod. Unmoving from her deliberately casual pose on the wall, Ciaran reached out-
Will you be alright?
I'm always alright.
For a Sith, you are a terrible liar.
To you, I am a terrible liar. To everyone else…
Asajj?
Yes. I will be okay. This has been coming for a long time, and I need this. Perhaps as much as he does.
I can help you avoid him if you want.
I think this is more important than playing with the rancor again.
I can help you kill him if you want.
While I would appreciate the help, I know you need him alive.
Not like I need you.
…I appreciate how honestly you mean that. It means a lot. But I don't think I need him dead…right now.
You change your mind, I'm there.
I know. The exchange, lasting mere moments, ended with a smile so small and so soft that Ciaran almost missed it. Asajj gave her former master a less reluctant glance than before, and then she moved down the hall to a different room for their talk.
Before he made to follow, Dooku looked over. "Lady Ciaran, if you have not already, begin putting together a list of people. Your best minds, your best leaders, people that can be trusted. Then start gathering them. The time has come for us all to talk about what comes after the Republic dies."
Unthinkingly abandoning her casual pose, Ciaran stood far more alert. "It doesn't sound like you're suggesting an intellectually stimulating dinner party."
She was nearly bowled over when Dooku let out a warm chuckle. "If that is how you wish to preface the gathering, by all means do so." Then the amused warmth faded. "But know that it is not something to consider or engage with idly, as if it were far off."
"You bring bad news, don't you." It wasn't a question as she crossed her arms in front of her.
As he walked away to follow Asajj and leave Ciaran with her own thoughts in the deep silence of the hall (and Number Two's 'company') he pronounced half-over his shoulder, "I bring you grave news, my lady. The war has begun to end."
-fin-
Well. This took forever to write. And it didn't used to be nearly 3k words jesus christ what did I dooo.
Finding a balance between two old men, with wry senses of humor, loads of Dark Side energy and cutting insight, made it tricky as shit to not just write them, but distinguish them from each other. I found it helped a lot to imagine Darth Vectivus, played in this film by Charles Dance, as drier and a bit more willing to poke the bear (bit more like Tywin Lannister, lbr, because he is the best character in television history do not @ me he just is) and Dooku, at this point in the arc, as more introspective and yet still a little defensive, like a crab losing its shell.
Also: I won't stop shipping it and nothing you say or do will make me.
Finding a balance between two old men, with wry senses of humor, loads of Dark Side energy and cutting insight, made it tricky as shit to not just write them, but distinguish them from each other. I found it helped a lot to imagine Darth Vectivus, played in this film by Charles Dance, as drier and a bit more willing to poke the bear (bit more like Tywin Lannister, lbr, because he is the best character in television history do not @ me he just is) and Dooku, at this point in the arc, as more introspective and yet still a little defensive, like a crab losing its shell.
Also: I won't stop shipping it and nothing you say or do will make me.
Last edited:
Really does.
- Location
- Florida, US
Very nice and the characterizations really come through. One question. It's been a long time since I saw eps 2 & 3, but Dooku to me seemed like one of those people who never use contractions. Do not, rather than don't etc. I guess I've been writing between various people who do that and those that don't that it just kinda sprung out at me.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yeah, he actually does, but sparingly. It's damned difficult to keep that in mind. Little moments like "Your sabers, please--we don't want to make a mess". Mostly it is non-contractions,but not exclusively. The most difficult thing is remembering "okay, he talks a lot like Tywin Lannister, but the other one actually is Tywin Lannister, so not too much of that for Dooku..."
- Location
- Middle of Nowhere
Well as far as the CIS knows, Ventress is dead, so it still technically counts.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
See, I gave it a brief try, but I couldn't get Ciaran the memelord out of my head.
Ciaran: Two years ago, I lost my dear sister Asajj
Asajj [from the next room]: QUIT TELLING EVERYONE I'M DEAD
Ciaran: Sometimes I can still hear her voice