I mean, I'm all for grand romantic gestures, but now ya boi Ani's set the bar way too high. How's he supposed to continually top that for their anniversaries-- take her out for a spin in the Sun Crusher?
100 percent chance Plaugius mentions he just so happens to be an licensed marriage official. He decided to get the title on a whim but it looks like it payed off!
Cue Borea looking at him incredulously as he starts going down the long, long list of bureaucratic positions he can technically fill.
Really interesting things going on with Anakin being drawn towards passion and the dark and Borea being drawn towards light and love with their relationship, really feels like it could go either way.
Also, keep in mind that Anakin's been baring his soul to Jabitha for almost a decade, and she's still actively lying to him about the most important, all-consuming element of her life. Let me just say this: when he does find out, he'll shit absolute bricks.
Also, keep in mind that Anakin's been baring his soul to Jabitha for almost a decade, and she's still actively lying to him about the most important, all-consuming element of her life. Let me just say this: when he does find out, he'll shit absolute bricks.
Not since the Vong destroyed his lightsaber as "blasphemous," but yes. Once. The heat from the plasma blade alters the flavor of the champagne, which a true gourmet like Plagueis can't abide.
Not since the Vong destroyed his lightsaber as "blasphemous," but yes. Once. The heat from the plasma blade alters the flavor of the champagne, which a true gourmand like Plagueis can't abide.
Edited. Though to be fair, I don't see much of a distinction there. A glutton really likes food to the point of obsession; a gourmet has reasons he really likes food to the point of obsession. A gourmet is just a glutton with a master's degree.
"Coruscanti Justice of the Peace, biomedical waste disposal technician, galactic-certified distillery inspector, galactic-certified brewery inspector, galactic-certified vineyard inspector..."
Also, keep in mind that Anakin's been baring his soul to Jabitha for almost a decade, and she's still actively lying to him about the most important, all-consuming element of her life. Let me just say this: when he does find out, he'll shit absolute bricks.
And Plagues will come outta nowhere and state he is also a licensed and practicing psychologist and marriage councilor. Well, he has been a psychologist for awhile but once his apprentice started getting serious about her love life he just felt he needed to be prepared.
And Plagues will come outta nowhere and state he is also a licensed and practicing psychologist and marriage councilor. Well, he has been a psychologist for awhile but once his apprentice started getting serious about her love life he just felt he needed to be prepared.
PLAGUEIS: "FourDee has also recently updated his obstetric analysis subroutines, and Dr. Zan Arbor is on-call should... the need arise."
11-4D: "I shall be here if you require me, Mrs. Skywalker."
ZAN ARBOR: *looks up from datapad* "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm not an ob-gyn specialist, but I know quite a bit. And I'm the only other woman in this mad science wonderland, so, y'know... feel free to stop in sometime."
BOREA: "Uh... thank you, everyone, but really, that's unnecessary. Anakin and I aren't planning on... any of that yet. Kids, I mean. Besides, with the war going on, we barely see each other as it is. I'm fine, really."
*Borea leaves*
ZAN ARBOR: "Should I tell her about the blood test?"
PLAGUEIS: "No. If she cannot sense something as obvious as that inside her, then she deserves to be startled. But make sure she takes her vitamins regardless."
2. (of people or things) [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move somewhere in large numbers, one after the other.
--People streamed across the bridge.
--The refugees streamed north to the border.
I love the idea that Plagues freaks out Anakin and Borea with how fucking nice and supportive he acts around them once he realizes the Chosen One is here to stay. That plus Plagues canonically knows every jedi and sith art so he can totally teach Anakin how to be an awesome Jedi while making Borea an awesome Sith.
Heh. He comments to the two newly weds that he didn't really think this was how the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force, but it works.
Plus he would act ULTRA SMUG when Anakin mentions offhand he teaches Jedi arts better than Jedi Masters.
"I am the greatest Sith and a better Jedi than the actual Jedi! This calls for a drink or twelve."
"The suppression of the media-- or their misdirection, if outright suppression is impossible-- is the basis of every civilized order. Even those, like the Republic, that claim to value freedom of expression understand this, and quietly censor those opinions dangerous to the stability and legitimacy of the state. Oppression is an inevitability, for the strong will always eventually rule. The only difference is whether this oppression is done in the open or from the shadows.
By keeping a tight hand over the most widely-trusted channels of information, the Sith can mold and guide the beliefs of the general populace. Aside from money and social influence, the most powerful hold we have over the press is over the politically-savvy class of 'public intellectuals,' through the dark side of the Force. Wise Jedi have said that the Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. In typical Jedi fashion, they understand this truth, but lack the courage to make full use of it."
--Datafile #78782, Darth Plagueis' Holocron
Studio 4, Core Broadcasting Corporation, Nayli, Chandrila, 11.8 years following Battle of Naboo
[The following is an audio transcript of the award-winning HoloNet news show "Answer the Galaxy," first broadcast live on 15:10:980. Specifically, a transcript of the roundtable discussion segment following the mid-program commercial break. The host, three-time Tilari Prize-winning anchorwoman KOIRU TANO, and her three guests, financier-philanthropist HEGO DAMASK II, Antarian Rangers Public Relations Officer AREN FOLEE, and Senator VOX CHUN (S, Telos IV), were discussing the implications of the then-pending addenda to the Senate budget debates. The episode became one of the highest-rated political news roundtables of the year, particularly following Folee's arrest following her outburst on-feed.]
TANO: "Welcome to Answer the Galaxy, I'm your host, Koiru Tano. For those of you just tuning in, today on our roundtable segment we're addressing the latest fight between Chancellor Dooku and the Senate over military defense spending. The Sauroist Faction has refused to sign off on the Loyalist Circle's proposed budget unless significant elements of the proposed Medical Observation for Jedi Act are added to the bill in a separate provision. The changes would create new regulations for the Jedi Order, including mandatory medical analysis chips for all Jedi Generals and other front-line Jedi combatants. The Jedi have denounced the bill as an unnecessary restriction, and Chancellor Dooku has stated today that if MOJA is incorporated into next year's budget, he will veto it. However, the Senate and military are split on the issue, and the debate seems like it will continue for some time. Here with me tonight I have three guests. The first will be familiar to regular viewers: Hego Damask, Magister of Damask Holdings and the Hego Damask Foundation. Welcome back, Magister."
DAMASK: "A pleasure as always, Ms. Tano. I'm very glad to be here."
TANO: "And on the Magister's left is a first-time guest on Answer the Galaxy. An Antarian Ranger and veteran of the Yinchorri Uprising, Aren Folee is the paramilitary group's public relations officer and an ardent supporter of the Jedi's place in the war effort. Welcome to the show."
FOLEE: "Good evening."
TANO: "And our final guest tonight is Senator Vox Chun of Telos IV, one of the writers of MOJA and the bill's loudest proponent on the Senate floor. Senator Chun was one of Chancellor Sauro's closest allies, and believes that not only is MOJA a much-needed reform, but the culmination of the late Chancellor's life's work. Welcome, Senator."
CHUN: "Thank you for having me on."
TANO: "Now Senator Chun, you've come straight from the Senate floor, so to speak, and have an insider's perspective on the whole MOJA debate. So I hope none of the other guests will mind if I give you the floor first. Could you just give our audience a quick rundown of the controversy and the bill itself? What exactly you and the Sauroists hope to accomplish by holding the budget hostage?"
CHUN: "Well first off, Koiru, I take issue with your contention that we're 'holding the budget hostage;' that implies that what we're doing is illegitimate or undemocratic. On the contrary, what you're seeing right now in the Senate is the kind of give-and-take compromising, the nerf-trading, that's the very cornerstone of our democracy. It's certainly frustrating at times, but checks and balances like these are what keep one faction from dominating the legislative process, like the Loyalists are threatening to do. We all agree that continuing the war against the RLF has to take priority. But that doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye to the problems the Jedi are having prosecuting the war effort. The Order needs to be subject to greater oversight. That's what we hope to do by adding some of MOJA's provisions to the new budget bill."
TANO: "And what provisions from MOJA have you proposed to include?"
CHUN: "Increased oversight from the Senate Judicial Committee, for one. A revocation of the Order's prior claim on all veins of cortosis ore in Republic Space. A return to some of Chancellor Sauro's regulations that Farr and Dooku repealed. Requiring all Jedi Generals to wear body cameras while in combat zones, though we're willing to negotiate on that one. And most importantly, a law requiring all Jedi combatants to be tagged with medical chips for tracking and real-time medical analysis."
DAMASK: "And you're certain that the mandatory tracking medchips are the most important provision."
CHUN: "And... I'm certain that the mandatory tracking medchips are the most important provision. No question. Absolutely crucial, in fact."
FOLEE: "I don't see how any of those things will make the Jedi more effective, Senator. It sounds like more unnecessary bureaucracy-- a waste of the Senate's time and the taxpayer's money, all to satisfy the irrational bigotries of a man who's been dead for almost two years. Especially those implanted medical chips. Not that I don't see the use-- hell, I've taken enough blasterfire to make me wish the Rangers had the money for that kind of diagnostic tech-- but requiring them is an obvious invasion of the individual Jedi's privacy."
CHUN: "We make the Jedi submit to minor medical procedures all the time. Implanting the medchip in the upper arm is no different than being vaccinated against an exotic illness before travelling."
FOLEE: "I was talking about the tracking and positioning function, actually. Once activated, these chips would allow the Jedi to be tracked remotely by Republic Intelligence. That is a massive violation of privacy, and it speaks incredibly poorly to the amount of trust you and your people have in the Jedi."
CHUN: "How can we trust them, when all these incidents keep cropping up in which the Jedi prove they cannot be trusted to restrain their own people? Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth is still holed up on Kalee, gone completely native and attacking both sides. That's undeniable now. And while Padawan Skywalker may have the Jedi and the Republic Navy protecting him from facing charges, the fact remains that he deserted his post to launch an independent campaign against the RLF in Bothan Space without letting anyone, even his own mentor, know if he was alive or dead. That's an entire battlegroup, dropping out of contact for months. Both of these incidents could have been avoided if we were simply kept better informed of the movements and health of individual Jedi Generals. These reforms are drastic, I grant you, but they have been a long time in coming."
FOLEE: "They're totally uncalled for, and worse still, unnecessary. The actions of Master C'Baoth and Skywalker-- now a full Jedi Knight, for the record-- speak to a deficiency. But it's a deficiency in how the Order is looking after the mental health of its members. It's been almost a thousand years since any Jedi has been exposed to the horrors of war, we shouldn't be surprised they haven't fully adapted yet. Our Jedi Generals need psychiatrists and medical staff, not Republic Intelligence wasting resources tagging them like animals!"
CHUN: "The Senate has no authority over the Jedi's internal affairs, so I'm afraid that'll have to wait until--"
TANO: "Excuse me, I'm going to cut in for a moment here, to let our other guest speak. Magister, you've been awfully quiet. Any thoughts?"
DAMASK: "Sadly, I feel I have little to add to this debate. Senator Chun and his colleagues have done an ample job of stating their case, and while I take issue with their rhetoric, their reasoning appears sound to me. That said, I also agree with Ms. Folee that we must show our esteemed Jedi much more respect. Whether the regulations will have the desired effect is not a question I feel I can answer profitably. However, it is Chancellor Dooku's threat of veto that concerns me the most. Let's put aside the fact that it would just send the budget back to the Senate to be fought over yet again, and focus instead how these actions would affect his public image. Now, I have said many times that I have known Chancellor Dooku for many years. I have the utmost respect for his skills as a peacemaker and political thinker-- to say nothing of the man's personal integrity. But think of how this veto would look to the average galactic citizen. The Chancellor, a Jedi himself, vetoing legislation that would place the Jedi under greater scrutiny? He would appear to be using the Chancery to reinforce the privileges of the Jedi Order, a serious conflict of interest. In my opinion, the Chancellor should recuse himself from using his veto and let the Senate debate freely."
FOLEE: "But you forget that in the Chancellor's case this wouldn't be a conflict of interest at all. As interim Chancellor he's temporarily abandoned his position as a Jedi, meaning he wouldn't be subject to MOJA until he left office."
DAMASK: "Yes, you and I understand that, but what about the average Republic citizen, who could easily go his or her whole life without ever meeting a Jedi, and knowing them only from their reputation--which, you must remember, is far from unblemished? To him or her it doesn't look like an honorable man doing the best he can in an impossible situation. It looks like an unelected religious fanatic protecting the privileges of his sect. Surely such an appearance should be avoided?"
FOLEE: "Well, yes, but--"
CHUN: "The Jedi have shown that they require greater oversight than previous administrations have been willing to impose on them. Chancellor Sauro had the vision to see that the regulations we're proposing were necessary. Perhaps if he hadn't died in the Senate Bombing things would have been different, but as it stands all we can do is remain true to his vision."
FOLEE: "How can you sit there and say things like that, Senator? After all the Jedi have sacrificed for the Republic-- for all of us!-- and you treat them like they're some sort of dangerous menace? What gives you the right to judge them by the actions of a few? MOJA is a betrayal of the founding principles of the Republic, and no friend of democracy or the Jedi should support it."
DAMASK: "You are angry, Ms. Folee."
FOLEE: "N-no... yes! Yes! I-- I AM angry! Damn straight I'm angry! Why shouldn't I be angry, when this soft-handed bureaucrat sits there in judgement of the best thing to ever happen to the galaxy!? He should be on his kriffing knees, thanking the Jedi that they--"
TANO: "That's enough, Ms. Folee, let's all just calm dow--"
FOLEE: "NO! No! I'm not taking this shit anymore-- Chun, you smug little... no, you... GAAH!"
[sounds of scuffle]
DAMASK: "Oh, goodness."
CHUN: [garbled, possibly "help, help"]
TANO: "Security! Quick, security! For the love of..."
[sounds of scuffle, inarticulate shouting]
CHUN: [desperate gasping for air]
DAMASK: "Hm. A shame. What a pity."
TANO: "Well-- ah, thank you all for, ah, coming in today, but we'll have to end it there. When we come back, financial news: Morsh Karriol comes on to discuss the Trade Federation filing for bankruptcy, and what this may mean for your portfolio! Answer the Galaxy will return after these messages."
[outro]
[recording ends]
[Aren Folee was arrested by Chandrilan law enforcement for assault, battery, and making terroristic threats. She pled guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison, although she was released on parole twenty months later. She has declined to comment on the incident. The budget with the stated MOJA provisions (minus the body cameras amendment) passed in the Senate two months later. Supreme Chancellor Dooku, despite threats, did not use his veto.]
NOTES: So once again we return to the set of Answer the Galaxy with Koiru Tano, where a whole bunch of stuff is going on all at once, some more subtle than others. If you like doing close readings of text, then this is the chapter for you. New update will be out sometime this week. Now for the notes:
Regarding the fate of Senator Vox Chun: Fate Denied readers will be amused to know that when it comes to getting beaten up by women, the space-apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
While we're on the subject of Jedi and medicine, Chancellor Dooku's been complaining of a lot of stress-related migraines lately.
Chandrila's a very peaceful and enlightened world, so presumably they give very lenient sentences, especially for those without any previous history of violent outbursts. Hopefully the Rangers will take Aren Folee back, though I doubt she'll be their PR officer much longer after this mess.
The changes would create new regulations for the Jedi Order, including mandatory medical analysis chips for all Jedi Generals and other front-line Jedi combatants.
CHUN: "Increased oversight from the Senate Judicial Committee, for one. A revocation of the Order's prior claim on all veins of cortosis ore in Republic Space. A return to some of Chancellor Sauro's regulations that Farr and Dooku repealed. Requiring all Jedi Generals to wear body cameras while in combat zones, though we're willing to negotiate on that one. And most importantly, a law requiring all Jedi combatants to be tagged with medical chips for tracking and real-time medical analysis."
DAMASK: "And you're certain that the mandatory tracking medchips are the most important provision."
CHUN: "And... I'm certain that the mandatory tracking medchips are the most important provision. No question. Absolutely crucial, in fact."
FOLEE: "N-no... yes! Yes! I-- I AM angry! Damn straight I'm angry! Why shouldn't I be angry, when this soft-handed bureaucrat sits there in judgement of the best thing to ever happen to the galaxy!? He should be on his kriffing knees, thanking the Jedi that they--"
TANO: "That's enough, Ms. Folee, let's all just calm dow--"
FOLEE: "NO! No! I'm not taking this shit anymore-- Chun, you smug little... no, you... GAAH!"
DAMASK: "Oh, goodness."
CHUN: [garbled, possibly "help, help"]
TANO: "Security! Quick, security! For the love of..."
I have at least one more Answer the Galaxy (with your host, Koiru Tano) chapter coming up soon. I don't know why, but Plagueis is extremely fun to write as a news show talking head.
I have at least one more Answer the Galaxy (with your host, Koiru Tano) chapter coming up soon. I don't know why, but Plagueis is extremely fun to write as a news show talking head.
