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

[BurnNote]

For old times sake

Padmé entered Ciaran's Coruscant mansion with a certain amount of apprehension. Not that she didn't look forward to seeing her dear friend again (or Anakin, it was an even chance for either), the war had kept them both busy and made these get-togethers regrettably rare. But the atmosphere of the place was strange, charged with a feeling she couldn't quite identify.

Ciaran's personal droid welcomed her at the entrance, and led her deeper into the house, towards one of the smaller rooms. The door opened, and she found Ciaran standing behind the counter. Not strange by itself, she occasionally did that, and she had a surprising talent for mixing drinks, not to mention foisting them on other people (Padmé could attest to that). But she wasn't mixing anything, she was cleaning glasses with a stained rag, and that was unheard of. She had a rich woman's disinterest in chores that Padmé, in all honesty, shared.

The second shock was Ciaran's clothing. It was... rugged. Well no, it was atrocious, and if it ever had any colour, it was now washed out and replaced with a dirty gray, except for sown-in patches of dirty brown.

The third shock of the evening was the lack of a greeting beyond a nod and a subdued smile. Normally an evening started with innuendo (non-verbal, perhaps) and went from there. Now, Ciaran just turned back to her 'cleaning', and Padmé cautiously made her way to the counter.

Ciaran packed away her rag, and then placed a glass with some unidentifiable fluid before her. It smelled like alcohol. It definitely smelled like alcohol. She took a careful sip, under the assumption that Ciaran had easier ways to assassinate her.

Yep, definitely alcohol. Perhaps there were trace amounts of other chemicals, but Padmé wouldn't be able to tell without a specialized lab. It felt like the sort of thing you'd get in an underhive cantina, she could almost smell the deathstick smoke. A short sniff told her that she could actually smell it, coming from Ciaran.

Her expression at the smell produced a small smile from Ciaran. Which was a relieve, a Ciaran that wouldn't take joy in other people's discomfort was a sign of the end times. Still, what was going on?

"I came to Corsucant to renew my liquor license. Apparently the things are only good for a few years, and only the original applicant can renew them. Not that it was honestly worth my time, but I was feeling... nostalgic? Melancholic? I felt the need to revisit that place."

Wonderful, that explained everything in the least helpful way. Honestly kind of a relieve, at least they were back in familiar territory with that.

"You own a cantina?"

"Oh several, and dozens of restaurants, but that one is special. It was the first. Not just the first cantina, the first business I ever owned. It's been about fifteen years now. I spent several years as the barkeeper down there."

"In the underhive? Weren't you only about fifteen back then?"

"Yes, and I believe I was fourteen when I took ownership of the place."

"Oh."


It was a part of Ciaran she'd never really seen, and couldn't really understand. Her parents were wealthy and influential, and even poverty on Naboo was middleclass in most other places. Somehow, she'd always assumed it'd been the same for Ciaran. She played the role of the socialite too well.


"So what now?"

"You drink, and I amuse myself by watching you drink. The stuff needs to be gone, and I have had enough of it to last me a lifetime."

Padmé was sure there was more to it, and also sure that it was important to Ciaran.

She lifted the drink. The second taste was just as bad as the first.

Third wasn't better.

Neither was the fourth.

By the fifth, her taste buds had given up, and it wasn't actually that bad.

The second cup was better, even if it was still awful.

At some point, she started talking. The atmosphere just demanded it. When did the music start?

Ciaran was a good listener.

The rest of the evening was lost in a gradual haze.

-**********************-

She woke with a pounding headache, draped across Ciaran in her upstairs bedroom.

That little bit of normalcy was a welcome relief after yesterdays weirdness.

"Hey Ciaran, what are you going to do with the cantina", she murmured very, very quietly.

"Hand it off to some underling. Already signed the papers", Ciaran answered, just as quiet. Ciaran was always considerate in these moments.

'And that said a lot about her', Padmé thought.



AN: I have decided that maxed boni is a worthy goal, and I have put my powers behind it.

 

[Panory]

Spoiler: Martial Adviser's Current Attitude

You'd think that having Thrawn and Grievous around would reassure your military advisors, except now they're worried that you're going to be doing even more audacious things to profit from the war.

Spoiler: Current Martial Advisers

Martial Advisor Xruk: A Gand and former bounty hunter. All in all there is likely much to know about him but nearly nothing one actually does know about him aside from the fact that he has a great tendency towards violence and also tends towards sadistic glee when he is told to train your minions.

"To make a man a great soldier, you must first completely destroy his old self. Fortunately for you I am very good at that."


Martial Advisor OOM-9: The former Commander of the Trade Federation's Droid army during the Invasion of Naboo. Stolen and slightly reprogrammed by your men.

"Roger, roger."

Seems legit.

A Totally In-Character Meeting​

"Thank you for your input Uncle Borvo. I'll be sure to take it into account when looking at the Abyss Watcher's actions this coming quarter." said Ciaran, looking at the spreadsheets she and Borvo had been going over for the past few hours while making a finger gun with her free hand. If it weren't so damn satisfying to see numbers go up and just spend time with her advisers, Ciaran would probably dread these meeting with her advisers.

"Think nothing of it." said Borvo, intentionally ignoring Ciaran's pun. "That PR-1 droid of yours has been a real help too ever since you got him that accounting update. Give my compliments to whoever designed those routines."

"Will do. Speaking of…" Ciaran turned to the protocol droid that shadowed her most days. "PR-1, what's next on the schedule."

"The meeting with your martial advisers begins in twenty minutes, Lady Ciaran." said PR-1. "Shall I get you some refreshments in the meantime?"

"If you would be so kind, thank you." Ciaran closed the spreadsheets and pulled up a tactical map of the galaxy, outlining relevant factions and disputed territories. "Hmm… that Wesker rat is a problem better dealt with sooner rather than later. Perhaps Grievous can lead the assault, seems like it would be right up his alley…"

The time passed in similar fashion, with Ciaran drawing up a general plan to run past her advisers. They'd probably veto some of the more audacious proposals, which was a real shame. Ciaran would have loved to see Dooku's face when he found out the Abyss Watchers had conquered Null. Maybe she could justify it by citing the benefits of such a diverse set of flora and fauna. Worth a shot.

"Lady Ciaran, we need to talk." said Xruk as he and OOM-9 entered the meeting room.

"You're right about that. Galvin has been introducing me to some of his bounty hunter friends, and I was thinking of hiring them to kidnap Sev'rance Tann for us. That would free up forces to terrorize Skako into joining the CNS. Then I can convince Thrawn to convince Jango to convince Satine to tax the hell out of the Techno Union for us." explained Ciaran excitedly, circling relevant systems on the map as she talked.

"That's exactly what we wanted to talk to you about. This convoluted plans just to make some quick credits." said Xruk.

"What are you talking about Xruk?" asked Ciaran. "This involves several layers of deception and separation. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, it's a long con."

Xruk sighed and turned to OOM-9. "Do it."

"Roger, roger. Initializing intervention protocol. Friends and allies, please enter the room." Thrawn and Grievous walked through the doors and took their seats. "Beginning lockdown." The security features of the room activated on command, shuttering the doors and windows until the release code was given, trapping them all inside. "Lady Ciaran, we are here to assist you."

"An intervention? What is this all about?" asked Ciaran.

"Xruk and OOM-9 have brought it to our attention that you may have been growing overconfident in our abilities." said Thrawn, gesturing to himself and Grievous. He glanced at the map, still covered in expanded borders and circled systems. "Looking at the evidence, I'm forced to conclude he may have a point. We are skilled. We are not panaceas to the problems of war."

"I don't treat you like that." insisted Ciaran.

"Your solution to the problem Black Sun was literally to just give Grievous a ship and tell him the location of all known Black Sun bases." said OOM-9. "While ultimately effective, this strategy was far from optimal or efficient."

Before Ciara could defend herself, Xruk continued. "And when telling me of the events, I believe your approach to Death Watch was, and I quote, 'Thrawn can handle himself'."

"Well he did." huffed Ciaran.

Xruk sighed. "Ciaran, we're not telling you to stop with these crazy plans for profit and power, and we don't fault you for trying them so often. From Naboo to Kamino, you've always come out on top when you try them. But one of these days you won't, and we're worried everything you've built will come crashing down when that happens. Take some time and consolidate what you have."

Ciaran stood with finality. "You are all trusted friends and confidantes, but I am insulted you think I am that stupid. I am fully aware that my plans involve obscene amounts of risk, but in every circumstance I have weighed the risk against the reward and never found the latter lacking. I do not take blind risks, and I'm sure you will all remember times I have dropped a plan at your urging for being too dangerous, risky, or complicated."

"I'm sorry for doubting you, it's just that your recent plans have been even more risky than usual. Even the relatively safe plans are more dangerous than anything we've tackled in the past." explained Xruk.

"There is a very good reason for that. Despite how fragile my accomplishments may be, I cannot afford to take time to consolidate them. Because the minute I stop taking insane risks, the enemy can predict me. And if they can predict me, they can and will crush me without a second thought. So then, who's up for kidnapping and interrogating Count Dooku? We'll lure him in by invading Null…"

The doors to the intervention did not lift for several more hours. When they did, OOM-9 found himself on the business end of an angry PR-1.

"You buffoon! Lady Ciaran's tea has grown cold, and your meeting has gone on far too long! Her schedule is a mess now, a mess!" screamed the protocol droid as he chased OOM-9 around the room smacking him on the head with a tea kettle. "I'd make you fix these mistakes if I didn't know you'd merely manage to misconstrue matters more!"

AN: Seriously, why are our advisers worried? We've been doing this since Naboo. Anyways, is this good enough to justify a plus ten under the new standard of quality?

 

[BurnNote]

Snips and Thrawn play games together

"Stop doing that."

"What?"

"Using the force to cheat."

"I'm not cheating, I'm just altering the rules."

"That's generally considered cheating."

"Oh, what do they know. Really, you should be grateful."

"I should be grateful for your cheating."

"Innovative rule application, please. Consider it training when for when you're up against force sensitives. And you're still winning two-thirds of the time. You're just peeved I've gotten better. And this way, I can tell Skyguy I'm training."

"A fair point, I suppose. Very well, I will consent to these new rules. As long as you don't resort to poisoning me or something like that."

"Lady Ciaran did suggest that."

Snips and Thrawn play more games together

"I lost."

"Oh yeah."

"For the fifteenth time today."

"Uhu."

"That is more than I have ever lost, in total."

"Sounds about right."

"How did that happen?!"

"Maybe you're just really, really bad at this?"

"No. You actually poisoned me, didn't you."

"Lady Ciaran was very helpful in picking out subtle and harmless one. I'm kind of amazed a philanthropist knows so much about poison. Probably from all the nasty people that tried to poison her. Don't worry, I'll treasure the pictures forever!"

"Of course she would install cameras. Very well, are you up for another game?"

"Yeah! I get white this time."


Snips and Skyguy play together

"I lost."

"Oh yeah."

"I lost to my padawan."

"Uhu. You're gonna pay up? You promised."

"Yes, I'll start you on the advanced forms. But how the hell did I lose to my padawan?"

"Maybe I'm just that good?"

"No."

"Rude."

"Don't get me wrong, you're pretty great. You're my padawan, after all. But you're not me either. So by the force, how did I lose to my padawan?"

"Well, if you're gonna be like that, I'm just going to visit Thrawn. Lady Ciaran promised me she'd give me some tips."

"It's her fault, isn't it?"

"Nooooooooomaybe? Ok, maaaybe a little bit. Just a little."

"What. Did. She. DO?"

"Calm down! Sheez. Nothing really. She just gave me a little bit of advice in respect to Thrawn, and I applied it here."

"What did you do?"

"I maaay have poisoned you, just a little."

...

"Hey Skyguy, are you ok there? Yeah? Uhm, I'll just go I guess. You can find me at Lady Ciaran's house. Remember we have a session tomorrow."

"Never should have let her on the same planet as that woman."

Snips and a Jedi Master play a game

"I lost."

"Uhu. Been hearing that a lot lately. Please, let me hear it some more."

"I made sure to watch for your 'unorthodox tactics'. So what did you do?"

"Dude, gimme some respect here. I don't need that for you. I've had weekly sessions with a total genius for years, and you haven't thought outside a rather tiny box in a looong while. So next time, try to be a little less insulting. Arrogance is unbecoming of a Jedi."



AN: A series of connected bits about the possible effects of associating with Thrawn and why Anakin maybe had a point in trying to keep Ciaran away from his padawan. At least as far as the Jedi are concerned.

Also, because I apperantly was unclear: She basically spike their drinks. The effect isn't particulary strong, just enough to give her an edge (the surprise helps just as much).

 

[Panory]

Total War​

Thrawn's patrol of CNS space was rather routine, with not even an errant pirate ship coming up on their scanners. In order to assuage his boredom, Thrawn had taken the opportunity to study Kaleesh art some more, a task aided by the fact that the Abyss Watchers employed many Kaleesh warriors. Any question he had could be asked aloud for an answer.

"If you don't mind Lieutenant, what purpose do these coins serve? I've seen them several times in other pieces, but I'm still not entirely certain what purpose they serve. At first I thought them some sort of funeral rite, but numerous depictions of the dead do not feature them." asked Thrawn.

"They are used for duels. One of them will be flipped at the person you wish to duel. The winner places the coin on the deceased afterwards, heads up if the fight was honorable, tails up if it was not. Those with the heads of the fallen are given a seat of honor in the afterlife, while those who turned their backs are condemned to shame for all eternity." explained the Kaleesh warrior, equally as glad for the break in monotony.

"Fascinating." said Thrawn, turning the holographic copy of the coin over and over to look at the three severed Kaleesh heads on one side and the scarred back of a Kaleesh warrior on the other. "Thank you for your insight. I shall have to reexamine other pieces in light of this information."

"Sir, we're detecting a CIS fleet!What are your orders?" Thrawn shelved the matter of the dueling coins and focused on the task at hand. It was unlikely the CIS would be idiotic enough to attack the CNS and draw them into the war as enemies. Likewise, the Republic wasn't underhanded enough to frame the CIS for such an infraction. Such a plan would be seen as an unnecessary risk. So attacking preemptively wasn't the type of plan Thrawn would need to pursue. Which left diplomacy.

"Open a communication line to the CIS flagship." said Thrawn. "Let's see why they've encroached on our space, shall we?"

The hologram that was pulled up was one of a fellow Chiss. Leaving their own territory was rare for the Chiss, and Thrawn knew of only one other besides himself. "Ah, Sev'rance'tann. What brings you into CNS space?" asked Thrawn, using the correct Chiss pronunciation of her name.

"Mitth'raw'nuruodo." said Tann in kind. "My ships and I were shipping supplies to the Null system. I'm sure you can see why that would require traversal through CNS space."

Null was a relatively unpopulated system sandwiched between the CNS on three sides and the Republic on the other, only affiliated with the CIS by virtue of being owned by Count Dooku himself. The supplies were likely meant to support the defense of the planet, which had been turned into a battleground by the Republic and CIS for bragging rights more than any tactical value. Letting the supplies go unhindered would likely prolong the conflict, but stopping them would shatter any illusion of neutrality.

"By all means, continue your delivery. Though my fleet will escort you through our territory. It wouldn't do for your fleet to be attacked by pirates while we're hosting you." said Thrawn. Neither side wanted a conflict here and now, but the difference was that Thrawn could afford one.

"I would be delighted by the additional safety. With all these supplies, we're hardly fit for battle at the moment." It was a bald faced lie and they both knew it, but appearance needed to be maintained.

"If you'd be willing, I would offer you an invitation to spend the journey through CNS space aboard out ship. It would be nice to hear what has happened in Chiss space since my departure, and I'm fairly certain you left after me." Frankly, Thrawn didn't care overmuch about what was happening at home since he still kept in regular contact with his brother, but it was a decent excuse to get Sev'rance Tann in front of his. Any information he could gather on her would be invaluable in case a conflict with the CIS did occur.

"But of course. It will be nice to reminisce. So few understand the ways of the Chiss." agreed Tann.

Which is how Thrawn found himself sitting opposite the CIS general, playing perhaps the most closely matched game of chess he'd had since finding the old Zeltron game. Tann had picked up on the strategies of the game quickly, and the two had been trading pieces evenly for a while now. While neither was truly at ease, both Chiss were glad for some way to kill time.

"So why does a son of the Eighth Ruling Family of Csilla leave his home to join some mercenary group?" asked Sev'rance, moving her rook out of harm's way.

"Numerous personal reasons, but the experience has never been dull or repugnant enough to turn me away." Said Thrawn and his bishop ran diagonally along the board, threatening one of her pawns. "I would ask the same question of you. Eighth Ruling Family of not, it is rare for a Chiss to integrate with the galaxy at large."

"The CIS movement stirred my heart with their ideals of freedom, and my mind with promises of power." One of those was an obvious lie. "Perhaps you should join the CIS Mitth'raw'nuruodo." Tann reacted to his set-up, positioning another pawn to take his bishop when it struck.

"I appreciate the offer, but the health benefits here are second to none. No other option really when thinking about myself. What is the dental plan like with the CIS?" joked Thrawn. He had right to be merry. By moving her pawn, Tann had left her rook exposed to Thrawn's other bishop, which swiftly removed the tower figure from the board.

"Perhaps it looks good when thinking only of yourself. But what of your brother?" Tann's twisted look of anger left no question as to the nature of the threat. Her pawn on the other side of the board moved into position to take Thrawn's bishop if he tried to withdraw.

"Have you ever heard of the third man to bear the title of Mand'alor?" asked Thrawn, catching Tann somewhat off guard by changing topics completely. The pieces on the board began to move independently of their conversation. "Sher Mand'alor same after the Second Mand'alor and is incidently the first man to hold the office whose name had not been lost to time. The First Mand'alor was aggressively expansionist, and the Second Mand'alor was more cautious and consolidated what the First gained."

Tann grimaced as another of her pieces was removed from the board. "What's the point of this?"

"Tactics, general, tactics. You see, Sher Mand'alor was the first of his office to enjoy war for the sake of war. He took an almost sadistic pleasure in breaking the opponent's will so completely that his foes would surrender, knowing full well that he would have them publicly executed. Even death was preferable to his tactics. His writings called the strategy 'Total War' and while I'm appreciative of him for keeping such an updated diary, his tactics were brutal."

"Sounds like a man to envy." said Tann.

"His tactics are actually awful. Burning any supplies the enemy leaves behind, interrogating captives publicly, etcetera. It was meant to inspire fear in the survivors more than actually kill them, and it was just as likely to make them fight all the harder, especially at first. Very little real world application. I would never use such tactics against a regular opponent. But an enemy? Someone who had personally earned my ire? The type of person for whom death is too good without first experiencing endless despair? That is the situation in which I would employ total war." said Thrawn.

"And do you have such an enemy?" said Tann, now cowed somewhat.

"Not yet. Believe me, they would know if I were to employ total war. Because it would be a slow process. Even if not absolutely necessary, I would strike down everything they hold dear, every ally they had ever had, until they were all alone in this galaxy with nowhere to run." said Thrawn menacingly. "It appears we've reached a stalemate." Tann looked down at the board, finally seeming to realize that her king was the only piece she had left. While the king was not in checkmate, any move Tann would make would result in being placed in check. The game was not over, but could never progress past her turn.

"And it appears we've reached the edge of CNS space. Thank you for the game." Thrawn said, standing up. As Tann stood up as well, Thrawn leaned in close and whispered into her ear menacingly. "I trust you've learned something today."


AN: Chiss chess! And Thrawn shows Tann why threatening his brother isn't just a bad idea, it's the worst possible idea you could conceive. Speaking of Tann, apparently her name doesn't follow Chiss naming conventions, so I just chose to interpret Sev'rance Tann as someone not familiar with Chiss naming conventions assuming that she had two separate names instead of one name with three breaks and her just rolling with it. Thrawn of course recognizes the mispronunciation.

 

[Panory]

Chain of Command
​

When he had first been hired by Ciaran to work for the Abyss Watchers, Tyro Torwin was motivated by credits. Credits needed to rebuild the Arcblade Fleet, but cold hard credits nonetheless. But time passed, and the Arcblade Fleet recovered. Tyro no longer needed to send credits to rebuild his homefleet, though he still did to this day. He had found new motivation in his students though once Ciaran had assigned him to their training.

His motivations nowadays were twofold. Pride in his work was one, because he did see his students as his work. If he were less than the best, the Force-using agents of the Abyss Watchers would be substandard, and it would reflect poorly on him. The second way his students motivated him was fear. His talk with Darth Vectivus had alleviated the fear somewhat, but he was still terrified that one of his students would surpass him with unbridled natural talent. Statistically, it made sense that such a thing would happen eventually.

But Tyro didn't want that day to come for a long time. He was the most experienced, still living Force user in the Abyss Watchers, and he'd be damned before someone took that title from him. So he made the time to train himself, something he had given up on back when he had still been a member of the Arcblade Fleet of Blazing Chains pirates. He had been the best at what he did, and saw no one who could challenge him in his field.

Now his horizons had been expanded. What he had discovered and thought advanced tricks of the Blazing Chains style were revealed to be rudimentary tricks most Jedi learned as padawans, and what he had mastered as a youngster was rarely utilized by anyone. Tyro was trying to integrate other styles to complement the Blazing Chains style, as he had taught himself how to sense life with the Force so many years ago.

His current attention was on the Buried Presence technique. He could use it already of course, but getting good enough at the technique to use it in combat was something else entirely. Hiding himself while still affecting his shots with the Force had been simple, but masking his use of the Force on the shots themselves was an entirely different beast. He thought he had it mostly down pat, though with no one to truly practice against he would never be sure.

He was winding down with some of the basics, shooting a dozen or so targets behind cover with his eyes closed, when his practice was interrupted. "So, you're the one in charge of training the Abyss Watcher's in the ways of the Force?"

Tyro opened his eyes to see the Sith assassin Lady Ciaran had taken in. "Indeed I am. Tyro Torwin, what can I do for you?"

"I hear you practice the Blazing Chains style, making use of a blaster rather than a lightsaber. I want to see if such a thing is worthy of anything but contempt." she said, taking out two unlit lightsabers. It appeared that she wanted a fight.

Tyro sighed as he drew his two blaster pistols. "Alright, if you insist!" he said, opening fire on the last word and putting some distance between them as Asajj was taken off guard. Still, for being caught flat footed she managed to deflect or dodge every shot with her two crimson lightsabers. After a second though, she regained her composure and started pushing forward.

But that short time had given Tyro the chance to put some distance between them. He stopped firing headlong, using the Force to turn his shots at the last second to strike at different angles. Most impressively, Asajj didn't even slow down, deflecting his shots into the ground without even looking at them, likely using the Force to see a split second into the future and predict his attacks. Tyro had never had a talent for foresight with the Force, but damn if he didn't envy it.

As she was drawing nearer, Tyro threw the blaster in his left hand at her. She weaved out of the way effortlessly, and deflected the shot he fired remotely from behind her, spinning to cut the blaster in half and destroy it. Tyro took advantage of her facing the other way and leapt forward. If she wanted to predict his shots, he'd just give her no time to react.

Asajj completed her spin and found herself staring straight down the barrel of Tyro's remaining blaster. He fired, missing as her head barely shifted to the side enough to dodge it. He dropped the blaster then, looking down at the lightsaber inches from his chest.

"It appears blasters aren't any match for a lightsaber, even with the Force." said Asajj.

Tyro let out a short, barking laugh in response. "Perhaps you should look behind you before you jump the gun with all your gloating." Asajj looked behind her, and saw Tyro's last shot hovering in the air directly behind her. Tyro's empty right hand swept to the side, and the blaster bolt went hurtling to the right as well. Tyro stepped to the side of her still lit lightsaber and walked past her. "I start training the next class of acolytes in the Blazing Chain techniques tomorrow. If you ask nicely, maybe I'll let you sit in."


AN: At this point I'm motivated to hit the omake cap so we don't need to use an action giving something personal attention and can finally learn Blazing Chains. Until then though, I'll just keep portraying Tyro Torwin and his style of using the Force in the most badass way possible to make the option as appealing to everyone else as it is to me. C'mon people, telepathic guns!

 

[Panory]

Less Hookers and Blow Than Expected​

"I have no idea how you talked me into this." complained Larana as she entered The Orb of Phantasticora alongside her cousin. "I have no idea why you talked me into this."

Galvin was wearing one of his 'good' outfits, which meant he was even more of an eyesore for those who could see the visible spectrum. "I just have that kind of charisma cuz. And as for why, I needed a wingman."

"First of all, I'm not a man. Second of all, I have no intention of helping you cheat on your girlfriend." lectured Larana.

"Well most of the guys I know from work either want me dead or would probably get violent by the end of the night. Ciaran is always busy, so that leaves you as my backup. As for Cheriss, as I have said before, nobody can tie down Galvin Thorn." he said, pointing to himself proudly. "Now then, Ciaran made mention of a recently opened nightclub in addition to the casino. And if there's one thing my life as a scoundrel has taught me, it's that Nar Shaddaa plus nightclub equals lots of hookers and blow."

Larana sighed and hurried after her cousin. The Zeltron mercenary had already moved from the casino section to the nightclub area. Despite her own past experiences with nightclubs and Galvin's enthusiastic descriptions on the trip to Nar Shaddaa, the Orb of Phantasticora was actually pretty fancy looking. Which made sense considering who had built the place now that she thought about it.

Galvin however, was too distracted by the patrons to really notice that the establishment was far more upscale than he thought. The Zeltron mercenary had already approached a group of women laughing over something or other and struck up a conversation, albeit in his own unique way.

"Say, are the person who hired me as a bodyguard?" Galvin asked the Iridonian woman dining with her friends.

The group fell silent and turned to look at Galvin. "No, I don't think I hired any bodyguards. Now if you'll excuse us."

"Strange, I was hired as a bodyguard by someone, and was told that my charge would be the most beautiful person in the Ord of Phantasticora. Who else could it be but you?" asked Galvin, raising an eyebrow seductively.

To Larana's shock, the line actually worked, and the Galvin was greeted by flattered giggles and an invitation to join them. It wasn't long before he had the entire group enraptured by tales of his exploits across the galaxy, most either highly sensationalized or outright fake. And they were somehow working. Out of duty to Cheriss, and most of all to get back at her cousin for dragging her out to Nar Shaddaa just to ditch her for the first thing with long legs and big breasts.

"I had the scoundrel at the end of his rope, both metaphorically and literally. Then he told me something. Something that changed me forever. Silas Cata told me that he was my grandfather, and I could tell it was true. While I was stunned by the revelation, he managed to slip away by jumping off the tower into his waiting ship." said Galvin remorsefully as he bowed his head in silence. The three women at the table began to express sympathy for his familial conflict of interests.

"Hey cuz." said Larana as she walked up behind him, using his own little nickname for her. "Gramps told me to keep you faithful to your girlfriend, so let's get a move on with story time here." Galvin's red skin paled to an adorable shade of pink as Larana aborted any chance he might have had with the Iridonian and her friends.

"Dammit, even when they're not the ones I'm seducing, my cousins forbid me a lovelife." Grumbled Galvin under his breath. "Ladies, we shall have to continue this another time." He said that, but the look on their faces told a different story should he attempt to seduce any of them again.

"So what now?" asked Larana as they walked away. "Do I watch you get drunk and gamble away your most recent paycheck?"

"You know what? No. If I can't frequent my cousin's establishments without having any chance at romance shot down, I'll just go make my own nightclub. With hookers! And blow!" said Galvin, turning for the exit. "In fact, forget the nightclub!"


AN: Mostly just Galvin fluff. Ciaran described the nightclub to him before we decided to go in a different direction.

 

[Killerflood]

A/N: Here's part 2 to the Origins Series. It starts off with the same POV as the guy in "Leave Your Sanity At The Edge" but ends with Ciaran's. I hope you all like it!

---

"And before he can even finish Dar shuts him down with, 'I'm sorry, but I don't remember asking you for a single kriffin' thing.' "

"Really?"

"You should have been there. Koonel's face went redder than a Zeltron hooker with a blush."

"Don't Zeltrons blush blue?"

"Not if you … uh well … I wouldn't —"

"Alright you two, we're here. Martem, Schult, stay behind me. You can head to the bar first but after that I'm expecting you two to take a booth in shooting distance of whoever I'm talking to."

"You can count on us Cünuel!"

I pause at Martem's enthusiasm. He's new to being an enforcer and honestly I don't see him as someone able to enforce anything. Naive, a joker, I was surprised that Dar chose him to be an enforcer to begin with. At least Schult looked intimidating even if he can barely aim. As I look at the boy's, and I quote, "lady-killer smile" and then over towards the Kel Dor gunman who can't hit anything worth a damn, I begin to think that maybe Koonel actually had a few good points. All thoughts of Koonel actually being smart go out the window when I remember that he was chomping at the bit to attack the Blue Sentinels, a neighboring gang twice our size.

I remember back when things worked well, or at least well enough for an undercity criminal gang. Dar actually had a few good ideas before taking the reigns, but then he let the power get to his head. Now he's lazy and his ideas have dried up. Koonel used to be chums with him too but now it's only a matter of when he attempts to kill Dar and not if. I'm only 23 right now but the way things are going I might not make it to 24.

What happened to the Abyss Watchers?

I shake my head at the stupid question.

A better question would be, what hasn't happened to us?

I turn back towards the cantina my mysterious "helper" asked me to come to. Yesterday I received a tip that Koonel was about to do something really idiotic. I was lucky enough to find him and a few others before he could place a few makeshift charges inside an air vent. The moron didn't seem to understand that even C-Sec couldn't ignore an explosion that had the potential to destabilize part of a building. If that had happened, I don't know where else I would be able to go. I walk through and look around to try to find the person who fits Martem's description. For once the usual vagueness works for me. There shouldn't be many who would match "blind seer chick."

As luck would have it, the first person my eyes first land on happens to be a young female humanoid who's blindfolded —

Check.

— and looking right at me …

… I don't know about seer but I can at least check off creepy as well.

When she raises a single eyebrow I nod at her and then make my way towards her booth. By the time I slide into it I'm getting some really weird vibes from this girl. A smirk has grown onto her face but what really gets me is that whatever accounts for her gaze followed me from the entrance to when I sat down. I wait for her to start talking but she seems fit to only take small sips from her drink.

I allow my mind to drift off and try to figure out if I know this girl. If she's a regular of the cantina I wouldn't know since I never come here unless I'm dragged by others. Some sort of hooker is out considering her simple appearance and the fact that I consider hookers a waste of credits.

Who could this girl be? Is she some sort of inform —

An information broker. My eyes widen slightly and then immediately narrow when it finally comes to me. Near the beginning of Dar's reign he gave a one off mention of some "blind bitch" he got his info from when asked how he knew things. This must be her although it's best to find out for sure.

"So how're the mind games going?"

She finishes her sip and then smiles, "Fairly well, I think."

My right eye twitches.

I will not lose. I will not lose. I will not lose.

"That's a neat blindfold you have. I didn't know that they made transparent ones."

"Nope."

The girl giggles and then slowly raises both hands to take it off. I eye her warily as she hands it to me. Her dirty blonde bangs are long enough to cover her closed eyes. I take the piece of cloth and look at it. It feels like a simple fiber cloth-strip. My gaze goes from it, to her smirk, and then back again. I sigh and lift the strip to my own eyes.

I can't see a thing.

I fiddle with it and move it around to different positions.

Nope. Still nothing.

I growl and throw it back onto the table. The girl's infuriating smile is twice as wide as her normal smirk. It's obvious she's trying hard not to laugh while putting the blindfold back on. Scratching the back of my head, I surrender.

"Alright, I lose. Who are you? Are you some sort of informant for Dar Mo?"

The girl's smile tightens and drops back to a smirk.

"I wouldn't say informant. If you mean someone he paid to get a few pieces of trivia here and there? Then yes, but I do not work for Dar Mo."

"Who then?"

"Myself."

"Really now?"

I lean back, skeptical. It's rare for someone dealing with the underworld to be a loner. You either die young, get drawn in with a gang, or you become a victim. Information brokers have their own set of special problems to add to it all like not having their services "permanently contracted." I would immediately call bullshit if it wasn't for how calm she appears. This isn't to mention that her damned smirk has gotten larger.

"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I asked you to meet me because I have a proposition."

I cross my arms and tilt my head.

"You should count yourself lucky I had nothing to do today, so I'll bite."

"Cünuel Barnas, an Abyss Watcher. Fairly laid back, you're known to keep to the shadows and do your best to stay out of the way; nevertheless, you're one of the personal enforcers for Dar Mo and the one Watcher who is able to keep the others in line. You're a young career criminal who's traveled from gang to gang, the old Mound-Makers for example. Even though you became a Watcher just before Dar took over, you're still considered one of the top members. Aside from inertia and the few others actually competent, I would say you're the key factor keeping the Watchers from imploding. Now that I've accurately described who you are and where you come from, are you willing to seriously consider what I have to offer?"

A chill crept up my spine. How she came to get all that doesn't matter. What matters is that someone knowing that much about me isn't good at all. Not being known makes it easier to hide and to continue living. I now know that I've stayed with the Watchers too long. I'm going to have to leave, but first I need to deal with this girl. I forgo any subtlety and blatantly turn around to look for Martem and Schult. I see them passed out and being dragged outside. My eyes are wide now.

Did those bastards drink themselves stupid or did this girl poison them!?

I curse myself for leaving my blaster on the one day it would be needed. I thought my backup would be all that was necessary. I slowly turn back around to see the girl's smirk gone with a serious expression replacing it. My mind races as to how I'm going to get out of this.

"What do you want?"

"I want your approval."

My thoughts that were racing before crash into a metal blast door. The word that tumbles out of my mouth sounds completely dead.

"What."

Her smirk is back which I manage to take as a good sign.

"The Abyss Watchers are going to devolve soon with or without you. The power void created will be filled by the drug dealing Darkwraiths or the Blue Sentinels with their prostitution rings. I don't want either of them because it would mean having to leave this Cantina. I've grown to like it. In order to keep the Watchers in place they need to shape up but neither Dar Mo or Koonel will be able to do that. You could but you refuse to make a scene. You're that rare soul who doesn't want the power available but is in the position to be able to take it with ease. I can use that.

"Like I said before, currently you're the linchpin of the Abyss Watchers. Without you, infighting would tear the gang apart. Small but not insignificant internal groups that are wary of you right now would be free to act against each other with you gone. The spark to light that match will be whenever Koonel makes his move. I'm not wanting that and to keep that from happening I need you to stay with them for a little while longer."

By the time the girl finishes my throat is dry.

"You're wanting to take control of the Abyss Watchers."

"Yes."

I should feel like laughing. I should be able to roll my eyes and walk away from this girl with too few cards short of a full sabacc deck. I can't though and I don't know why. Somehow, I feel that this blind girl staring straight at me is somehow a large enough threat to be taken seriously. I lick my lips.

"What could you possibly give me in exchange?"

"Safety? Stability? Credits? If you back me, then I can ensure that you don't have to keep running away. Or if you still feel like doing it once I'm in power, I'll promise you that you'll be able to walk away completely free and with my blessing. I'll also give you a nice farewell gift if you let me know beforehand."

"Your typical gang leader only gives one type of farewell gift and it's not something I ever want to be given."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not your typically incompetent thug then isn't it?

Silence permeates the booth. The bustle of the cantina rumbles against my skull.

Forget those two, I should have gotten a drink.

"Aren't you tired of running away and hiding?"

My eyes jerk to the soft sound of the girl's voice. Her smirk is gone but she doesn't seem impatient either. Her smile could almost be considered soft.

"It looks like you have a good thing here. You're safe from your fellow gang-mates and leader and you're doing your job well enough to be paid more than the others. I'm not going to take that away from you. In fact, I would do my best to ensure that you're able to keep that standard of living and maybe even more. I'm not asking for you to take the reins and the extra dangers that come with it. All I ask is for your backing."

Another moment passes in thought before I sigh and slump into my seat.

"What do you need me to do?"

Her smirk comes back with full force.

"I need three months of your time. One month will allow me to get rid of Dar and Koonel. Once they're dealt with, I will need your full backing when it comes to the other members. Two months more will allow me to consolidate the gang. You'll be free after that with a thousand credits even if you choose to leave. Throughout all that you'll continue your enforcement duties like normal. I'll even give you information on low hanging fruit around here so long as you give me a quarter of whatever my information lands you. Credits, material, anything. Do we have a deal?"

I narrow my eyes.

"A thousand credits down here in three months?"

Her smirk grows to its largest size yet.

"Do you have any idea how much a cantina can make down here? This low down bar given a spruce-up and the right clientele could make that easily."

I raise an eyebrow and look around. Glancing back I whisper, "You own this place?"

She shakes her head and explains.

"I don't but, Cünuel? I have plans and the information and money to start them. All I need is the muscle and … "

Her smirk turns into a genuine smile.

"And the ability to enforce them. Are you in?"

---

As soon as I sense the exit door covering Cünuel's back, I slide back deep into the seat.

I sigh, "I actually did it."

My blood is coursing fast through my veins and I nearly fear that my heart would decide now is a great time to stop and rest. I could have died today. I didn't expect the one person I decided to hinge my plans on would be that twitchy. I understand that the longer living criminals tend to have a survival instinct but his almost crosses the line into paranoia.

If his followers hadn't decided on some sick form of drinking contest when they did … I don't know.

I breathe in and out for a minute to calm down. What I just accomplished had to have been the most nerve wracking thing I've done yet. If I had pushed too hard, then he would have attacked me even without a gun. If I didn't push hard enough, then he would have taken this to Dar and I would have done what Cünuel wished he could have been able to do.

I finally calm down and finish my drink in one gulp. Climbing out of my seat and slinking back to where I rent a spot in the Cantina's old decrepit storehouse, I remember something Gramps said to me after a near disaster.

"Remember this. 'Great rewards don't come without great risks.' "

 

[Publicola]

This medium is classified SECRET Abyss Watchers property. Protect it from unauthorized transmission or disclosure in compliance with applicable protocols and directives.

Click to shrink...

RA 167/762​

SECRET

ABYSS WATCHERS: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
LH-3210 ORACLE​

15:2:31​

PRELIMINARY REPORT FOR:

Var Zheen, CSO
Cheriss Sair, CRO
Lady Ciaran​

SUBJECT: Materials Analysis for Cortosis and Derivative Alloys

ABSTRACT: 'Cortosis' is suitable for far more than merely lightsaber proofing, and restricting its use exclusively for anti-Force operations would be a tremendous waste of potential. If secured in sufficient quantities, cortosis-based products would have a wide array of military and economic applications

CONTENTS:

PART I: PURE CORTOSIS

ANALYSIS: The three most important properties of quad-refined '95-plus pure' cortosis ore (henceforth 'cortosis') are its ability to redirect electromagnetic energy, heat resistance, and extreme fragility.

The first of these is easily the most distinctive quality: when exposed to a very strong magnetic field (e.g., those used to contain the plasma field of a lightsaber), cortosis redirects and distorts the magnetic field, generating a destructive feedback loop that will almost certainly cause the field to collapse, and possibly inflict serious damage to the emitters.

The second notable property lies in the material's resistance to thermal energy. This appears to be an extension of the first: heat is somehow distributed far more widely through the material, drastically increasing the energy required to affect a single point. Combined with a remarkably high melting point, this renders cortosis extremely resistant to efforts to warp, melt, or burn through it.

The final notable property is far less encouraging: unalloyed cortosis is extraordinarily brittle and prone to shattering. It is only slightly harder to damage or destroy by kinetic force than porcelain or standard silicate glass, a most undesirable quality for armor or weaponry.

ESTABLISHED USES: These are known applications of pure cortosis, already demonstrated to work as intended.

Lightsaber-disrupting shields: though far too brittle to be used as general armor, a shield designed to block and disrupt a lightsaber is perhaps the most obvious use of the material. This would require only a slab of cortosis, a strap to secure it, and some training.

Lightsaber-disrupting blade: cortosis can be honed to a respectable cutting edge and serve as an effective assassination weapon. Though even light armor would render such a blade all but useless, few Force Users utilize such basic precautions, trusting in the Force to ensure their safety. In addition, as most Force Users will instinctively parry an attack rather than dodge, this would allow the cortosis blade to pass through their saber for a clean killing blow. While a pure cortosis blade would likely shatter in short order, this may be a viable niche weapon.

Lightsaber-disrupting armor segments: a full suit of armor would be impractical, but cortosis may feasibly used for armor segments such as gauntlets or chest pieces. If used correctly, the wearer would induce their opponent to strike the cortosis armor to create an opening.
​

EXTRAPOLATED USES: These are applications of known properties of pure cortosis, and extremely likely to work as intended with minimal R&D.

Composite armor layer: cortosis could be sandwiched between layers of more traditional armor. A lightsaber strike would burn through the first layer of armor, but short out upon reaching the cortosis layer. One possible concern would be the cortosis conducting and trapping the heat of the lightsaber strike, but this is expected to be a manageable problem.

Lightsaber-disrupting chaff: a cloud of finely-ground cortosis particles could be employed to disrupt an enemy's lightsaber, especially if they are wary of striking armored targets. One possible concern would be that the cloud would affect every lightsaber weapon in its field, friend or foe. Another concern would be that a 'Force push' might disperse or repel the cloud. Nevertheless, this may be an effective surprise tactic.

Composite blade layer: cortosis could be coated over part of a weapon's striking surface. While a pure cortosis blade would be of limited functionality, a partial coat could enable the weapon to disable a lightsaber attack while retaining its normal use.
​

THEORETICAL USES: These are applications of pure cortosis that appear feasible, but would require significant R&D to develop into usable products.

Blaster-disrupting chaff: in theory, a sufficiently dense cloud of cortosis particles should be able to disrupt blaster bolts or other energy weapons. While this is sure to be expensive, such use would give a force armed with slug-throwers, grenade launchers, and other projectile weapons a clear edge. Initial testing of this has been quite promising.

Sensor disruption: in theory, adding trace amounts of cortosis particles to a standard smoke should render the smoke opaque to most sensors, as pure cortosis should scramble all returning signals. A sufficiently powerful sensor might overcome the interference, but the threshold would be high enough to rule out most if not all personal-portable sensors from detecting through it.

Thermal mesh implants: in theory, applying a cortosis mesh as subdermal implants should render an individual extremely resistant to blaster fire. The nearby fatty tissue would cushion the cortosis from the kinetic impact of blaster fire, while the heat could be redirected to a dedicated heat sink. This application is quite ambitious, but promising -- such an enhanced individual would be invulnerable to most forms of energy weapon.

High-performance heat sinks: due to its ability to redirect and resist thermal eneergy, pure cortosis could be used for extraordinarily effective heat sinks. Preliminary models indicate that a heatsink designed to take full advantage of the material would outperform any existing design of similar weight and volume, which could then be used for super-compact energy generators or heavy turbolaser weapons. However, the high cost and natural fragility of the material, as well as its tendency of disrupting electromagnetic fields, would greatly limit such applications.
​

PART II: CORTOSIS ALLOYS

ANALYSIS: When pure cortosis is alloyed with durasteel, it results in a material characterized by a nano-scale honeycomb lattice. This 'cortosis alloy' loses most of its original ability to redirect electromagnetic energy, though the alloy enhances both physical resilience and thermal resistance.

Due to changes at the atomic and molecular level, cortosis alloys are no longer capable of 'shorting' out lightsaber weapons in such a distinctive manner. The alloy's conductivity is sufficient, however, to reduce the concentration and thus penetrating power of lightsaber and similar weapons.

The effect on ion weaponry has been inconsistent so far: the cortosis alloy either entirely negates the ion bolt, or amplifies and focuses the effect seemingly at random. More analysis is needed in this matter.

Due largely to the nano-scale lattices, cortosis alloys remove most of the crippling fragility of pure cortosis. The honeycomb structure is vulnerable to sufficiently grave kinetic shock, and a strike powerful to shatter the lattice would effective render the impact site standard-gauge durasteel.

Finally, the alloy actually improves on pure cortosis's resistance to thermal energy. The honeycomb structure distributes heat and serves to hold melted durasteel in place. The threshold for burning or piercing through the alloy is so high, that it would be more energy-effective to simply vaporize the material in its entirety.

ESTABLISHED USES: These are known applications of cortosis alloys, already demonstrated to work as intended

Lightsaber-resistant blade: due to interactions with the magnetic field, a weapon of cortosis alloy would repel a lightsaber blade, enable its wielder to engage a lightsaber-equipped enemy for quite some time before losing its effectiveness. Of course, attempting to engage a Force User in melee combat is usually regarded as suicide, even with a specialized weapon, but a number of our more skilled combatants would likely seek to take advantage of such a weapon. This is perhaps the simplest application of cortosis alloys.

Lightsaber-resistant armor: while it would not provide significant protection against most other forms of attack, armor of cortosis alloy would provide a great deal of protection against lightsabers, allowing even the modest thicking of a B1 battledroid's armor to resist several strikes from a lightsaber. This is perhaps the most common application of cortosis alloys.

Lightsaber-resistant plating: though it would provide no additional resistance to other forms of demolition (explosive charges, etc.), wall plating or blast-doors of cortosis alloy would be far more capable of containing and capturing lightsaber-equipped individuals. In addition, such plating would also resist most forms of plasma-based cutting tools.
​

EXTRAPOLATED USES: These are applications of known properties of cortosis alloys, and extremely likely to work as intended with minimal R&D.

Heat-resistant armor layer: any composite armor design that could shield a layer of cortosis alloy from kinetic shock would benefit from greatly increased resistance to burn-through. The main concernw ould be shielding the alloy from any and all kinetic attacks, as relatively little shock could disrupt the lattice required for maximally-effective heat resistance.

Heat shields: while the vulnerability to kinetic shock makes it a challenging material to fashion as armor, a heat shield of cortosis alloy would require a far thinner layer than conventional materials. However, the increased cost would make this practical only in niche applications, such as low-profile insertion pods or other high-performance uses.
​

THEORETICAL USES: These are applications of cortosis alloys that appear feasible, but would require significant R&D to develop into usable products.

High-performance heat sinks: in theory, cortosis alloys should have far broader applications for use as heat sinks than pure cortosis -- the alloy would be cheaper, more durable, on only slightly less expensive. It would still be expensive, and somewhat prone to losing thermal conductivity if damaged. However, it would still outperform almost any heat sink of similar mass. The min concern would be finding the best material to alloy cortosis with, as well as manipulating the 'honeycomb' lattice to maximize conduction while minimizing heat retention.

Ion-proof armor: the strange and inconsistent reaction of cortosis alloys to ion bolts has hinted that it may be possible to find a mixture that harmlessly redirects any ion blasts from around the subject, providing complete protection from personally portable (or larger) ion weapons while only requiring a very thin layer of armor.

Compact high-capacity cables: similar in theory to ion-proofing, though in the opposite direction. It a cortosis alloy could be found that could reliably channel electricity, it would allow for a far greater energy-transfer-to-volume ratio than anything else on the market. Combined with its tremendous heat resistance, and we would very likely be able to corner the high-end conduit market almost overnight.
​

CONCLUSIONS: See 'Abstract'.​

REPORT PREPARED BY:

Irits Kejorn

Lead Researcher, Exotic Materials
Abyss Watchers: Research & Development​

This medium is classified SECRET Abyss Watchers property. Protect it from unauthorized transmission or disclosure in compliance with applicable protocols and directives.

Click to shrink...

A/N: Full credit goes to @random_npc.

 

[Panory]

Padawans
​

Kygeetu san Torrgh was in awe as she walked through the halls of the Abyss Watcher's base on Coruscant. She had dreamed of being a member of Lady Ciaran's organization for years now, and while she had been training for some time, it had never felt as real as it did this moment. Master Tyro didn't allow his trainees off of The Oracle until they were proficient enough with Buried Presence to avoid detection, and she hadn't been at that level the last time the ship had docked at Coruscant. But she had brushed up on the technique when she heard The Oracle was homeward bound.

Nothing out of the ordinary was particularly happening in the base, but just being what it was made it the most appealing place on Coruscant to Kygeetu. As far as she was concerned, this was practically a holy site. Which is why Kygeetu became incensed when she saw a Jedi walking through the halls. Master Tyro had drilled it into their heads that while Jedi weren't enemies per se, they often snooped around too much, and should be avoided or deterred. It was why he made them master the Buried Presence, so that no Jedi would be able to sense their training in the Force.

"Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing here?" asked Kygeetu as she stormed up to the Togruta. She was a Padawan judging by the bead thing on her head that was meant to emulate a braid of hair for species that didn't grow any. Kygeetu was thankful the Abyss Watchers didn't have any crazy policy like that.

"Oh, I was just heading to meet with Thrawn." said the Padawan, blinking owlishly and answering instinctively. Kygeetu's sudden approach and questioning had obviously caught her off guard. "I didn't know Lady Ciaran was close with any other Jedi though. I'm surprised we haven't run into each other before."

"What?" Now it was Kygeetu's turn to be stunned. "What makes you think I'm a Jedi?"

"You've obviously been trained with the Force. I can sense it. And you're pretty clearly not a Sith." joked Ahsoka. "But Lady Ciaran doesn't really like Jedi hanging around. Even I'm only allowed in the spaces between the entrance and the rec room."

Fuck. Kygeetu had been so taken in with the experience of being in Abyss Watcher's HQ that she hadn't even noticed that she wasn't suppressing her connection to the Force. And justifying it in retrospect, she hadn't thought there would be any Jedi just wandering around. Kygeetu realized that the girl was staring at her oddly, and she hurried to come up with any excuse that wouldn't out the entire organization. "Oh, uh, well, Lady Ciaran is very close with Master Tyro."

The internal screaming abated somewhat as the Jedi seemed to accept her response. "Huh, I've never heard of Master Tyro. I don't think Master Skywalker's ever mentioned him either."

"He doesn't come back to Coruscant often. And he's very old. We've been training in solitude for… years now." said Kygeetu, gesturing vaguely as she tried to guess an appropriate timeframe.

"Well I'm Ahsoka Tano, Master Skywalker's Padawan. It's nice to meet you." said Ahsoka, extending her hand.

Kygeetu shook it, feeling like her façade would crack at any second. "Kygeetu san Torrgh. It's a pleasure."

"I gotta say, I'm glad Master Skywalker doesn't do any crazy training like that. Just the thought of training in seclusion like that…" shuddered Ahsoka. "Though he seems to think experience is the best teacher, so we spend a lot of time away from the temple anyways on the front lines. It's important work, but you start to miss home, you know?"

"It's been so long since I've even been on Coruscant. I don't even really think of the temple as home." said Kygeetu, her admittedly limited diplomatic training pushing her into asserting something that wasn't technically a lie.

"I can't even imagine a home other than the Jedi Temple. I can't even imagine the kind of training you'd have to do for that long." said Ahsoka sympathetically. "What were you training that whole time?"

"Just some Force techniques is all. Advanced application of basic principles. Like using the Force to move blaster bolts around and stuff. Simple in theory, difficult in practice." said Kygeetu. There was no way she'd be able to make up something that would have convincingly taken such a long time to learn, so she settled for exaggerating the difficulty of the Blazing Chains.

"That does sound pretty tough. I've never even considered the possibility. Doesn't really seem worth the time when you can just knock stuff away with a lightsaber." said Ahsoka, tapping her own lightsaber for emphasis.

"A lightsaber can only be in one place at a time. The Force is everywhere at once." Said Kygeetu, defending the style taught to her by the Abyss Watchers with the same rhetoric Master Tyro used when some idiot had made a similar objection early on in their class.

"I suppose that's true." said Ahsoka, thinking about Kygeetu's words more deeply than the Kaleesh had intended her to. "I guess that's sort of what Master Yoda was talking about when he brought up the Force. 'Skill with a lightsaber make not a Jedi, but knowledge of the Force' and all that." said Ahsoka, imitating what Kygeetu could only assume was Master Yoda's voice.

Knowing absolutely nothing about Jedi teachers, Kygeetu decided to just butter him up. "He certainly is wise." The statement was either true enough, vague enough, or both for Ahsoka to have nothing left to really say about it.

"Yeah, he really is. Well it was nice meeting you Kygeetu, but I'll be running late for my meeting with Thrawn if I don't get a move on. I've never really been late before, but something tells me he values punctuality." said Ahsoka, moving past and waving.

"Same." Kygeetu breathed a sigh of relief as soon as Ahsoka had turned the corner. Somehow she had managed to not blow the secret of an entire organization of Force users. Beating herself up for letting her guard down in the first place, Kygeetu suppressed her connection to the Force until she would have appeared to not even have the potential to be trained in it and slinked back to The Oracle in shame. As long as she never saw Ahsoka Tano again, nothing would come of this fiasco.


AN: Originally this was Kygeetu's disbelief upon seeing Ciaran suck at Blazing Chains and deciding that Ciaran's flaws only make her more perfect. Then I realized there wasn't much actually there.

 

[Panory]

Miscommunication​

"And you're sure of this?" asked Obi-wan.

"Absolutely Master Kenobi." affirmed the clone commander through the hologram projector. "They were bending blaster bolts. I almost didn't believe it, but they wiped out those clankers like it was nothing. Any idea what it might have been?"

"That sounds like the Blazing Chain pirates. But they've never ventured that far out of the Unexplored Regions. And their specialty is ship to ship combat." Said Obi-wan, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "I shall look into this. In the meantime, just continue doing your best Cody."

"Of course sir." replied the clone before terminating the call, leaving Obi-wan alone with his thoughts.

"What would Blazing Chains pirates be doing so far into the Mid-Rim?" Obi-wan asked himself, staring at the map of the galaxy in front of him.

"What's troubling you Master Kenobi?" Obi-wan turned to see Ahsoka joining him at the map table.

"Ah, Ahsoka. I'm trying to think what Blazing Chains pirates are doing in the Mid-Rim. They almost never leave their territory in the Unexplored Regions, and only ever for raids on the fringe of mapped sectors of the galaxy." said Obi-wan, pointing to the appropriate parts of the map. "And unless they've changed their tactics drastically, they board and capture enemy ships to add to their fleets. They have no business on a battlefield."

"Maybe they're after something specific, and our battle just happens to be in their way?" suggested Ahsoka. "It's hard to predict someone's actions unless you know about them. What are the Blazing Chains pirates?"

"It's certainly possible. We don't know much about the Blazing Chains pirates except how to fight them." admitted Obi-wan. "They're a collection of pirate fleets that use the Force, and that's pretty much all I can remember learning of them. It's likely the Archives have more information."

"Pirates with the Force?" asked Ahsoka. "I thought the Jedi and the Sith were the only groups trained in the Force."

"Oh no, the Force is everywhere, and many planets developed their understanding of it separately. Many faded, or were eliminated by the Sith, or joined the Jedi Order at some point over the years, but many still persist to some extent, like the Green Jedi of Correllia, and all use the Force differently." said Obi-wan. "If I remember correctly, the Blazing Chains pirates use the Force to control blaster bolts. They're feared for their marksmanship, though a good lightsaber makes short work of them."

"Control blaster bolts? That sounds a lot like what Master Tyro uses." said Ahsoka, remembering her meeting with the enigmatic Jedi's Kaleesh Padawan.

"Master who?" Obi-wan turned his head to Ahsoka in confusion. In all his years in the Jedi Order, he had never even heard of such a man. And someone who used the Blazing Chains seemed memorable from that description alone.

"Master Tyro. I ran into his Padawan a few days ago." explained Ahsoka. "Apparently they've been off-planet training in solitude for years and only recently returned. Kygeetu never called it Blazing Chains, but she did mention using the Force to control blaster bolts. It sounded interesting."

"Indeed." muttered Obi-wan, deep in thought. "Ahsoka, what can you tell me about this Master Tyro. I'd like to meet him."

Ahsoka shrugged helplessly. "Not much. He's old, he hasn't been to Coruscant in forever, and he apparently knows Lady Ciaran."

Obi-wan gave a heavy sigh. "Of course he does. I suppose I shall have to ask her if I want to know more. Thank you Ahsoka."

"No problem." said Ahsoka casually. "Do you think if I asked Master Tyro, he'd teach me some tricks? Because controlling blaster bolts seems really useful."

"I'll be sure to ask when I find him." laughed Obi-wan. He turned to leave, dreading his coming meeting with Lady Ciaran.

XXX​

"Why Master Kenobi, how rare for you to seek me out." said Lady Ciaran, speaking loudly enough that Obi-wan could hear her through the door. The protocol droid outside opened the door for him, and he showed himself in.

"Lady Ciaran." he said, bowing slightly to be polite. She wasn't wrong, he usually wouldn't go out of his way to be teased about his past romances, which Ciaran seemed to have latched onto like a Rancor devouring prey. "It's business I'm afraid."

"I'm surprised Master Yoda decided to trust you with this." she said seriously. "I would have thought I impressed upon him the need for absolute secrecy. You may tell him it will be ready soon."

Obi-wan blinked several times, taken aback by the information. Master Yoda was dealing with Lady Ciaran in secret? Whatever that was, it seemed above his paygrade, and certainly not why he was here. "No, no I'm here for something else completely."

"Oh. Well then, forget you heard anything. I'd hate to have to kill you." said Ciaran with a gentle smile that was more unnerving than reassuring. "Well what have you sought me out for, hmm?"

"I was told you were in contact with a Master Tyro. I need to ask him some questions." said Obi-wan.

"I'm surprised you know of him. He's a rather reclusive man." said Ciaran. She was obviously fishing for more information, but Obi-wan needed answers, so he'd play her game.

"Ahsoka encountered his padawan the other day, which is how I found out about him, and more importantly his connection to both the Blazing Chains pirates and you." elaborated Obi-wan. "I was hoping he'd be able to tell me more about the Blazing Chains pirates. They were spotted deep in the Mid-Rim, and I'm curious as to why."

Ciaran tilted her head slightly as if confused, before grinning like a cat that had caught itself a bird. "Ah, that Master Tyro. Well I'm afraid you've just missed him. He's left the planet again, and not even I know when he'll return again. I'll be sure to inform him that you've been searching for him, and to tell you when he journeys back to Coruscant."

"It's strange. Most Jedi think of the Temple as home. I've not known many Jedi to wander off for so long like that, and stay for such a short period of time when they do return." said Obi-wan.

"Well, he is very serious about his studies of the Force. It's part of what makes him so interesting to talk to. He told me he's found that the hustle bustle of worlds like Coruscant interfere with his connection to the Force, so he tries to avoid them as much as possible." said Ciaran, nodding sagely.

"Well he certainly sounds interesting." said Obi-wan, digesting this new information about the mysterious Master Tyro.

"Interesting?" asked Ciaran with a tone Obi-wan knew all too well. "Should I mention to Siri that you're trying to get close to someone else? And another Jedi at that? Why, I wonder how she'd react to such a scandal."

Obi-wan audibly groaned. "I'll be taking my leave now. Thank you for your time." he said, trying to maintain some veneer of professional diplomacy.

"Any time." said Ciaran with a casual shrug. "I always enjoy getting new tidbits of gossip to share with Satine. She has so many interesting stories of your time together." Obi-wan winced as he walked out of the door and headed back to the Temple. With Master Tyro being a bust, he'd have to dive into the Archives to see if any Jedi Masters of the past had decided to learn more about the Blazing Chains pirates than just how to repel their boarders and shoot down their ships.




AN: That Master Yoda thing was purely Ciaran messing with Obi-wan. She got the reaction she wanted. Also:

Spoiler: Soon