Mical, the Disciple (Minor increase to knowledge gained from Holocrons)
Claim the Telos Academy (-50 PP)
The Academy is much as you remembered. The hard gray stone still faintly stinks of the handmaidens, of shed blood and of worse things-- low ceilings still trap the sound, amplify it as well. The room which once held Atris' Sith Holocrons has been locked for the moment, but the greeting chamber is still open.
Your own holocrons have also been moved back to this place, into the chamber which the Disciple has selected as his own. The good news is, he should manage to make plenty of progress searching through them for their hidden secrets.
The bad news, he will be too busy to be actively deployed anytime soon. Oh, anything that happens nearby he might be capable of helping with-- but you can't both be studying and patrolling.
On an entirely different note, a number of new initiates have arrived at Dantooine-- aliens, freed from the Slave Markets and from the Exchange (who the Republic has finally started to crack down on, freed from the constant war and with the Jedi beginning to return to the Galaxy). With nothing tying them to their homes, they came with hope, and now will be trained as Jedi. Zeltrons, Rattataki, a handful of Zabraks-- and one from a species you don't know; blue-skinned and red-eyed, he calls his people the Chiss.
Results of the year:
+22 Initiates
-15 PP (After Negotiations)
+26 Dantooine (Now 315/500)
Telos Academy (Guardian Facility)(0/100)(7/7)
-70 Knowledge
The galaxy map is projected out onto the courtyard, the ten-thousand worlds of the Republic hanging out in front of you. Everywhere you see signs of a galaxy, slowly returning to a real, honest peace. Ships bearing supplies flowing through the Outer Rim, bringing relief to the many worlds which the Mandalorians and the Sith ravaged in their fury, prospectors searching for new veins of wealth, explorers once more exploring instead of hiding in fear.
The sun is rising, and the long night is ending. All of those things which lurked in the dark, which brought you such woe, have been destroyed; and the foe, the true foe, is finally set to reeling.
Onderon is recovering. Queen Talia has brought peace, hope, to her people. Wealth flows to it and in return the beasts, the animals necessary to restore scarred things, to bring life back to ravaged surfaces, flow to those places.
Telos is healing. It is a slow recovery, but it is so-- fed by Hutt fuel, yes, and with far too many sacrifices to Czerka-- but in the end you have won there. It will harbor life again, and the evil that has been done will be undone, insomuch as such things and their echoes can be undone.
Dantooine, too, is slowly forgetting when Malak ravaged it. The ruins are being rebuilt, and the damage done is being repaired. In the end, it will be what it is meant to be.
There are things in the dark-- the General warned you of this--but they must lick their wounds as surely as you must. Much effort they festooned on their patsy to weaken the Republic, and it has come to nothing-- the Republic still stands, still endures, has not broken, not yet. And in return?
They have brought Revan to their doorstep. They have brought the Exile to their doorstep.
They are not ready-- they could not be ready.
You have finally set out their routes-- the Jedi will know where to go.
Available Jedi:
Grandmaster Bao Dur
Councilor Atton Rand
Councilor Mira
Councilor Visas Marr
Councilor Brianna
Councilor Bastila Shan
Councilor Juhani
2 Padawans
Assign Jedi to these Patrol Routes:
[] The Core: To be honest, this is likely the safest part of the Galaxy. You'd be surprised if anything more threatening than a few gangsters show up here anytime soon, and not very threatening ones either. Still, whatever does happen here, the entire galaxy knows about it, so if you just want to fly the flag, so to speak, this would be a good place for it.
([] Assign Jedi to patrol, needs 4 Vigilance)
[] The Mid-Rim: Wealthier than the Outer Rim, but without the commiserate military force, a surprising amount of Jedi patrols have always been focused here, being pirate bait and all. This is likely where combat, if it takes place, will take place. Sending some real muscle out here would be a wise plan.
([] Assign Jedi to patrol, needs 6 Vigilance)
[] The Outer Rim: A sparsely populated collection of agri worlds, you don't see too much trouble coming here, if it weren't for the Mandalorians. On the other hand, this is likely to be where the majority of your apprentices come from for the time being, so perhaps those more in tune with the Force would be a wise plan.
([] Assign Jedi to patrol, needs 2 Vigilance)
There is one other thing, as well. The Supreme Chancellor has requested another meeting with one of the Jedi Council.
Who do you send?
[] Write-In (Whichever Jedi you send will not participate in first quarter events)
The passenger ship touches down, four struts lightly jostling as the vessel makes contact. Your fellow travelers side eye you as you walk out, clearly now unused to Jedi traveling among them. Their whispers follow you, as do their stares.
As you exit into the bustle of the Coruscant spaceport, you can feel the life around you-- feels its ebb, its flow. There is a peace here, though; Nar Shadda without the suffering, perhaps, or Dantooine in about a thousand-thousand years.
"Master Jedi!" You turn and see several of the Supreme Chancellor's own personal guards waiting for you. They are clad in strong armors, eschewing thick plates for more mobile materials, with blaster rifles slung over their backs and small officer's swords on their hips.
"We're here to escort you to the Supreme Chancellor's office."
"Why does she think I need an escort?"
"Jedi!"
The barked voice interrupts the lot of you. You are whirling about the second it does, see the enemy on the maintenance walks above, with a far too large sniper. The blaster whines as every civilian begins to scramble for cover, or just to get out of there and to safety. A blue bolt whizzes through the air, screaming death aimed right for your head.
It's a good shot, to be honest-- but hardly HK good.
You know five ways to deal with this sort of situation.
Two harmlessly undo the bolt. One maims, the other kills.
The last deals with the root of the problem. For the first time in a decade, a lightsaber activates on Coruscant, and the gunman's eyes go wide as you knock the bolt towards him. It streaks back whence it came, and then a moment later hits the blaster. It explodes, sends him reeling over the edge. Reaching out with your mind you slow his fall.
There's still a damn loud thump when he hits. The second he touches ground Spaceport security are on him, binding his arms and his legs and dragging him away.
You turn off your lightsaber.
"For that."
"Indeed. Lead the way, then."
--
This time there is no wait. This time the door pops open the moment you enter the waiting room, and you are rushed in to the Supreme Chancellor's office with nary a word.
She has switched to a purple robe which pools on the floor under her. "Master Jedi, you have my greatest apologies for what just happened."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it Chancellor. I've gotten depressingly used to people trying to Kill me."
"I promised safety and security throughout the Republic. Instead, I can't even keep Coruscant safe from assassins. He wasn't the first either-- at least three have tried for my son, four for my husband."
"And how many for you, Madame Chancellor?"
"Less than I feared, more than I hoped." She steeples her fingers in front of her face. "Let me level with you, Master Jedi. I am going to go to war with Czerka, and with me will stand all the Republic. We have been on that course since they allied with the Sith, but what we found on Telos has rendered it inevitable. They tried to kill a world, and what's worse is that they thought to get away with it."
"As happy as I am to finally hear that the Republic is taking Czerka's corruption seriously, I have to ask-- why draw us in now, and not wait, and help keep it a secret longer?"
"Somebody already leaked it. It's part of why I called you, in fact-- I know the Jedi, and I know you, and neither will ally with Czerka." There's a brief pause as she gathers her thoughts. "I also know that Czerka has some sort of plan. A plan they cannot succeed at.
If this goes well, Bao-Dur, it could breathe new life, new hope for the Republic. Prove we aren't just treading water. But if we lose, all of that hope will become ash in our hands, and the Republic will die, so slowly it will not even know it is dying until it expires.
I know your Order is still weak. I won't order you to risk everything you have already built-- because there wil be a risk, even for you. Plenty of Malak's men have gone mercenary --they will know how to fight you.
But I will ask, Bao-Dur: help us. Please."
[] You won't let Czerka ruin everything, like they did on Telos. The Jedi are going to war. (150 PP, much Engagement, increase to all mission difficulty until war is over, missions revolve around attacking Czerka assets)
[] No. As much as you hate Czerka, you won't threaten everything, betray the General, by getting the last of the Jedi killed. The Republic can stand on its own.
Mission 1 (Atton Rand, Kador Shirot, and 5 Initiates, The Core, ) -Padawan Kador Shirot-
Admiral Onasi has managed to track down a stealth freighter which Czerka has been using to smuggle arms to its more contemptible mercenary operations. It's carrying slaves and prisoners, meaning blasting it out of the stars is not an option; and if they have an inkling that we're hunting them down, they will kill the hostages-- that's what the captain who was piloting it as it ran out of Coruscant's space said, anyway. It's running to the Deep Core-- and if it gets there, we will never find it again. That's the bad news.
The good news? They still think this is just the Republic gunning for them right now. They have no idea the Jedi are on their trail.
There's two of us Lightsaber ready, seven in total. Master Atton is putting together a plan, apparently it has something to do with "pulling a Peragus". He hasn't told me what he's trying for, though-- he's still scrounging around for a stealth field generator.
I only hope it doesn't end quite as explosively before all the prisoners are off the ship.
I'm willing to negotiate on after, though.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim) -Councilor Juhani-
There is a Czerka office on the world of Mutanda. It is a den of vice, of evil, of suffering. Weapons, drugs, slaves, all flow through it in equal measures-- its shiny facade a lie, a deception, hiding blood on the walls. For years, those with the gall to investigate have been slaughtered, often in grisly ways. They've used that evil, that wickedness, to make the whole planet too afraid of them to fight back.
Well it is the way of the Jedi to face their fear.
We are going to march on this office, no matter what the cost. And when we are over, the galaxy will know not to be afraid anymore.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim) -Councilor Bastila-
For the first time since the hunt for the Star Forge, I am going to Tatooine-- I do not know what it is about that dust-ball that seems to draw so much attention to it, but Czerka managed to get the last laugh out of all the failed investors: they actually managed to make the ore there worth something. It's still not the most profitable though--
No, the bigger issue is that they build blasters there, not good ones, but many of them. Taking that factory out of comission can only help the cause--pull the linchpin out from their strategy now, while they aren't expecting it. The plan is simple enough-- we sabotage the reactor, now, while the element of surprise is on our side.
-- Mission 1 (Atton Rand, Kador Shirot, and 5 Initiates, The Core, ) -Padawan Kador Shirot-
I am typing on a datapad as we speak. Master Rand's plan was simple-- we had the Initiates pretend to be fellow Czerka employees, and lure in the Profits by offering to fuel them back up and get them some supplies. Meanwhile, we'd deposit ourselves on the enemy vessel, and manage to place one of us in position to secure the prisoners before they could be killed while the other worked to claim the ship.
It worked. The captain was nervous, paranoid even, but no amount of paranoia can cover up the sloppy security of real idiocy. So we managed to get aboard while the ships were clamped together-- there was a time I accidentally brushed into someone, but I managed to make his blaster "misfire" before he put two and two together.
I've managed to locate the prisoners-- all I need to do now is signal Master Rand, and he can get started.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim) -Master Juhani-
It is not, I expect, the first time that cheaply filigreed lobby has had a stun grenade tossed into it from the skylight.
It is probably not the first time a lightsaber has been activated inside of it, either.
It is probably the first time both have happened simultaneously.
Security was strong, but it was not prepared for an assault by three Jedi Masters. I alone managed to put down three of the droids before they had drawn their blasters, even as the scum which walk through it on a daily basis tried to peel the front doors open. How unfortunate for them that Master Marr had it pinned shut with the Force, even as she and Brianna were also helping to cut through security, as the fire whirled around them and through them and as the world became chaos.
No, they did not get to run. They are going to prison for this. The lobby is secure, only the second floor remains in Czerka's hands-- it's essentially one giant office, a gaudy thing of lights and windows staring out over the plains, the space of the chief executive, who you may hear ranting in the background. It's been a nonstop cavalcade of how he's too powerful, too rich, too big to fail. His office door is made of the material they use for starship hulls-- it really is inconvenient, fighting the rich.
Perhaps. We shall see.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim) -Councilor Bastila-
Breda and Mira both wanted to make this much harder than it had to be. They wanted to rain death from above on the security, try slowly sniping our way in, or even just a full frontal assault.
Instead, we used a mindtrick to get inside through the maintenance entrance. Admittedly, less flashy, but fewer people dead. Now we are going to find that reactor, and then we are leaving.
-- Mission 1 (Atton Rand, Kador Shirot, and 5 Initiates, The Core, ) -Padawan Kador Shirot-
The instant I gave the signal, Master Atton activated his lightsaber.
He gave them one chance to surrender.
Only one was smart enough.
Trying to shoot someone with a lightsaber is bad enough on planet, on a straight plane on a sunny day when they're charging at you. When they appear out of nowhere, lightsaber at the ready, and starts flipping about, it becomes a nightmare.
About half of them peeled towards the prisoners, trying to use them as hostages, while the rest tried to kill Master Rand. They saw me, and started blasting. While I am no Atton Rand, I think after about the third or fourth time I sent one of their disruptor blasts back, they realized I was not particularly easier pickings.
And it had decided these men needed to leave this plane.
Pinched between Atton and I, they were soon enough dispatched-- until the only the Captain remained, blown out of the fighting when one of us turned the Force on him, and slammed him into the bulkhead.
He pulled a grenade of some sort from his vest. Before he could react, Atton had managed to pin his- the Captain's-- hand shut around the thing as it went off, muffling the blast a bit.
Atton is keeping him alive, the Initiates have returned and are piloting the ship back, meanwhile I am checking on the prisoners, trying to distract them from the events of the past hours.
(+25 PP)
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim) -Master Juhani-
It was tough enough to stop a lightsaber. But even the toughest material cannot account for the mistakes of the designer-- say, leaving the override in the lobby. Or perhaps he hated his boss? Who can tell.
In any case, he is now in Mutanda Security custody. His advocates are already attempting to get him out of it. They could manage the smuggling, maybe reduce the murder to indifferent malice, possibly even reduce the unlawful imprisonment through bribing enough of the victims to induce chaos.
I expect they will not manage to argue against the tax evasion which he has spent most of his adult life committing. Nor the charge against desecrating a grave-- he had Jedi artifacts from the grave of the first Knight to try and arrest him in his office as a twisted trophy.
(+5 Knowledge, +10 PP)
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim) -Councilor Bastila-
We were, unfortunately, detected by the security teams and forced to hustle through the halls. Eventually, we made it, but Breda pushed us in--literally, she used the Force to toss us and then sealed the door.
We went to work and after a frankly puzzling security system, a sort of tower of electricity-- I've included a sketch with my report-- we managed to set the thing to blow.
We couldn't hear anything through the doors, but I expected to exit a scene of carnage. At best, the security team hacked apart, which still was not a happy idea in my mind-- at worst, a new member of the Order slain.
Instead, Breda was managing a Stasis Field-- every single security figure was sheathed in purple glow and could not move. It was something Revan would have done, I think.
In any case, the factory has been undone. Czerka should find arming its agents much more difficult, from now on.
(+15 PP)
Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and 5 Initiates, The Core) -Councilor Atton Rand-
Turns out there are some secret Czerka hyperspace routes in the navicomputer on the freighter we captured-- looks like they lead to rest-stops for Czerka ships. The Republic's sending us, and a whole cruiser to claim them.
Mom always said I should have been a pirate.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, Brianna, and 1 Initiate Mid-Rim) -Initiate Kozen Vahl-
Uh...hello, hi, Grandmaster Bao-Dur? I uh. I told Visas and Brianna about the Facility. It's where the Exchange ships off the slaves they take from the Outer Rim, and where Czerka buys most of theirs. They took me there, after I got caught in a raid.
Now we have to find it again.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Councilor Mira-
Senator Zpahk of Hephasta has introduced a bill to, in essence, buy the loyalty of the Outer Rim Worlds from Czerka. Much of their untouchability stems from the economic power they wield in the Outer Rim-- they are vital to the prosperity of ten-thousand worlds still reeling from the Mandalorian Wars, and the Jedi Civil War, and the Dark Wars. His plan is... well, it goes over my head, but if you'd like I can include a copy of the bill.
Our job is to keep him safe. --
Mission 1 -Councilor Atton Rand-
This is both exactly what we thought it would be, and nothing at all like we expected. I figured it would be a few fuel refineries and a jumped up cantina, it was closer to a damn armory-- with surprisingly heavy firepower, to boot.
While the Virtue plays whack-a-slaver with its ion cannons, we will be going down to capture some samples of the weaponry, to try and figure out where, exactly, it's coming from. They've got a few auto-cannons, a turret or two, but nothing too scary.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, Brianna, and 1 Initiate Mid-Rim) -Initiate Kozen Vahl-
It was right where I left it all along. The Facility is built on the remnants of Taris, heavily shielded to protect from the residual radiation and Rakghouls.
But we have a problem. They told me to stay with the ship, and that they'd be back before sundown--that, was five hours ago, and I'm getting worried.
Kriff it, I'm taking a blaster and I'm looking for them. If I die, sorry.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Councilor Mira-
This isn't even me trying to be funny-- I think Czerka is trying to bore us into a false sense of security. So far, all they've sent is one assassin, dressed as the delivery guy, supposedly for the senator's kids.
Only problem-- all his kids moved out last month.
Now I have no problem believing Czerka is actually, genuinely, a bunch of idiots-- but at the same time, I have no problem believing we're just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I--
[RECORDING ENDS]
-- Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and 5 Initiates, The Core) -Councilor Atton Rand-
Now, we could have done this back when we were still trying to find the Old Council. With actual air support?
Well, it wasn't exactly the hardest fight of our lives. The kid got whizzed in the shoulder, but that honestly just kind of pissed him off. We got the samples, and then we blew the place straight to hell. If only everything was so straightforward.
Oh, and one other thing. We found a holocron-- yeah, apparently the exec who negotiated that alliance with Malak was given one as a gift. The Holocron was Master Homonix Rectonia's.
(+15 PP, Holocron of Homonix Rectonia)
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, Brianna, and 1 Initiate Mid-Rim) -Initiate Kozen Vahl-
So I found them. They weren't in trouble, per-se, they were in a hostage situation-- the damned slaver had a few victims dangling over the rancor pit, meanwhile Master Marr had her lightsaber right over the slaver's brat's heart.
They were so busy yelling at each other that nobody noticed as I snuck in, or as I took up position, or as I took the shot. Or, well, the Jedi might have, I suppose. But the slaver definitely didn't
She'll live-- but she'll always, always remember what happened here. And so will everybody else.
(+5 PP)
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Councilor Mira-
It was a trap. The senator was never the real target-- or at least, not the primary one. The delivery guy was just so they could sneak in a damn EMP generator, and take out our lightsabers-- didn't work, for reasons I don't have the time to explain-- but did still take out the house's security.
About five seconds later, one of Malak's old squads busts in through the door-- at least thirty of them, with slug throwers and really obnoxious white noise generators-- nobody could've concentrated well enough to use the Force and block their shots.
So I didn't use the Force. Instead, I used my rocket launcher.
And the Exile said it doesn't fit a Jedi, hah!
Let's just I don't think they expected one of us to start shooting back-- or, for that matter, that it would be with such heavy weaponry. Lemme tell you, nobody's half as bold when half their squad gets blown up as before that happens!
The Senator's fine, we're fine, everything's fine. Well, okay, the floor of his study is...a little less than fine-- but, you know. He's a senator, I'd really hope he can afford new flooring, right?
(+15 PP, Senator alright)
While many Jedi, and even initiates, are currently battling Czerka, Mical is still busy at work, studying and learning, and of course, teaching. On Telos, nestled in the Polar Academy, he still works tirelessly, applying half-remembered lessons from his first stay on Dantooine, attempting to reclaim or reforge the secrets of your order.
75 Knowledge->15 Points of research to be distributed as you please. Tier 1
Training Doctrines- The methods by which you train new Jedi-- how and to what purpose. (Mutually exclusive) Many Students, One Teacher (0/5)- There aren't enough of you for you to teach only one student each. For the moment, at least, you need to be training multiples. (Bonus to recruitment Quantity)
Infrastructure- Recruitment, lost or abandoned Temple Worlds such as Ossus or Jedha, and other miscellany representing your Order's most important resources. Ossus (2/15)- Examine the world of Ossus, determine if it is now safe for habitation, and reclaim the Temple. (Open Ossus to Expansion)
Tier 2
One Student, One Teacher (Tier 2 Training Doctrine)-One Master, one Padawan. One to offer wisdom, the other to seek it. Learning From the Past (0/10)- Your masters have achieved wonderful things, even with your relative newness as Jedi. Telling your students of them will give them a goal to aspire to. (Padawans gain experience more quickly) Old Friends (0/10)- Inevitably, Jedi make connections--friends--allies, outside of the order. These connections can be a great aid in negotiations, one which their apprentices can rely on. (+1 Diplomacy) Broad Applications (0/10)- The closer connection between a single student and a single teacher allows them to help students shore up weaker skills, and develop greater ones. (+1 Skill)
Combat-The Sith, the true Sith, are waiting for you out in the dark. It will require battle to save the galaxy from their evil. Force Combat II (0/10)- While the Dark Side is a more combative thing, a solid base in telekinesis and other universal applications can allow you to do battle with less trained Dark Siders wielding only the Force. (May apply Wisdom bonus in combat against Dark Acolytes) Fighting Basics (0/10)- A strong base in lightsaber fighting will serve as the foundation of your Order's approach to battle. You can get fancy later. (+1 Combat) Armored Warfare (0/10)- You have a few suits of the heavier Jal Shey and Zeison Sha armor that do not overly restrict Jedi from drawing on the Force-- perhaps studying them will allow you to make your own? (+1 Vitality from improved defense)
Holocrons- Repositories of knowledge, they contain philosophical teachings, practical knowledge and history. In mechanical terms, studying them will grant you both raw Knowledge, and a bonus to parts of the technology tree.
Currently, you may study one (1) of these Holocrons-- true study of their deeper mysteries requires devotion, and more importantly, an absurd amount of Mical's time. Please select one: -Holocron of Arca Jeth
-Holocron of Arren Kae
-Holocron of Karn Degarr
-Holocron of Homonix Rectonia
Last edited:
3948 Q2 Research Results+ Recruitment and Progress
[X] Plan: More Knights Sooner
-[X] Learning From the Past (0/10) x10
-[X] Broad Applications (0/10) x5
-[X] Holocron of Arca Jeth
--
The Arkanian speaks with a voice like glass through a grinder, projected to you from lifetimes past. "This requires a bit more conditioning than usual, but you should find it an effective modification to the standard Makashi, making it more effective against blaster fire. Observe."
A green lightsaber springs to life, gripped in a single, gnarled hand-- and a moment later, training remotes spring to life as well, and begin firing. The moves follows through with still rely on the precision of Form Two, the grace, but it works well enough, though not returning the bolts to sender. After a moment, the remotes stop and his lightsaber deactivate. "I would still suggest transitioning to Soresu or Shien, but if you lack the necessary skill, this will allow you to survive, if not strike back-- an impasse, but also a good opportunity to use Form 0. Now then, I have also considered the opposite situation-- a wielder of Soresu faced with a lightsaber opponent, and have several suggestions..."
(+5 Combat Basics, +10 Knowledge, 1/3 of the way through unique lessons)
--
The Jedi have done well. You have stolen a Czerka vessel, freeing many captives and gaining actionable intelligence from the ship; you have arrested men who have claimed untouchability in earlier crimes, who have murdered the innocent; you have destroyed Czerka's primary weapon's factory in the Outer Rim, ripped the beating heart from their in house security.
Most importantly, you have saved Senator Zpahk. He is perhaps the smartest man in the Senate, and he has proved it with this bill.
To understand it, is simple enough. Czerka gained space to operate by making themselves, seemingly, necessary for the rebuilding after the Mandalorian and Dark Wars. But there's a keyword in that sentence: seemingly.
The bill strips that away by proving they are, at best, replaceable middle-men. In some cases, he has reduced the Republic Navy to glorified courier service, moving necessary supplies from one half of the galaxy to the other; in some cases, he has rewarded those loyal to the Republic by stripping Czerka of those contracts and placing them in the care of those loyalists (you expect the Ithorian wealth is going to swell like a balloon with all those contracts); and in others he has simply proposed creating whole new Republic Bureaucracies to deal with the problem.
The first time he proposed the bill, and in the times since, it failed to pass because Czerka threatened key senators, scared them into voting against the bill, or at least not with it.
And then Mira blew up half-a-damn mercenary team, and proved they were not invulnerable. Now, even the mildly corrupt and majorly corrupt senators have turned against former Czerka patrons-- it turns out even they were not amused by the threats to friends and family and themselves, and so have they pulled out the knives. The politicos are willing to let such bygones be bygones, so long as those questionable alliances remain in the past.
(Czerka Morale: 90%)
The Chancellor was engaging in some hyperbole when she called this a war-- the term "pest control" comes to mind. Czerka once knew how to deal with Jedi in their business, and in some way they still do, having hired Malak's goons-- against the Old Order, the Senator would have died, and you would have been very embarrassed.
But you are not the Old Order, and as immersed as you are in the Force, nearly every one of you knows how to fight without it-- and those that didn't are quickly picking it up. Atton, Mira, Handmaiden, they all know how to fight as soldiers-- and you, you picked up war against Mandalorians-- your first taste of combat was in the press against their boarders, your first kill your vibroblade biting deep into a man's gut and pulling it all out.
Czerka's thugs, meanwhile, have picked up cheap ambuscade, intimidation, and veiled threats to people who can't risk it-- in short, an undisciplined mob of Exchange men, ex-Cartel, and gutter scabs. Even Malak's men can not turn that into an army to go toe-to-toe with the Republic's finest-- but, there are other strategies they seem to be trying.
They slit the throat of the Security Commissioner on Axxila, managed to bribe various local governments into releasing their men, and have managed to snag a few alliances with other various criminal organizations, mostly through blackmail. They haven't done much damage to you, you punched them in the gut before they could, but there were losses. And the Republic...is too fragile for many of those, even in this faux-war.
(Republic Morale: 98%)
In that last quarter, you allowed your Jedi to patrol on their own cognizance, searching for opportunities to hurt Czerka, or missions from the Republic.
You could do that again, or you could have them focus on particular work.
[] Maintain Own Cognizance (Keep on Keeping on, as they say.)
-Or-
Assign Routes to Particular missions:
[] (Write-In) Protect against Czerka Activity (Keep your people safe)
[] (Write-In) Damage Czerka Assets (Break their stuff, free their slaves, and hear the lamentations of their stock-holders)
[] (Write-In) Investigate Czerka's Plan (This whole thing started because Czerka had some sort of aggressive plan, on their end at least. Figure out what it was)
Finally, you have some news. Firstly, the Rodian you recruited last year has made the leap to Padawan-- not the most powerful, no, but he trusts in the Force with a surprising ferocity, and he learns quickly. His name is Zez Kyrido.
(+1 Padawan, -1 Initiate)
Finally, three Force Sensitives were found from among the Republic's military and agreed to training.
(+3 Initiates)
-- For your aid, here is an example vote :
[V] (Outer Rim) Protect against Czerka Activity (Keep your people safe)
[V] (Mid Rim) Damage Czerka Assets (Break their stuff, free their slaves, and hear the lamentations of their stock-holders)
[V] (The Core) Investigate Czerka's Plan (This whole thing started because Czerka had some sort of aggressive plan, on their end at least. Figure out what it was)
You can have every patrol route doing the same thing, to clarify. Or 2-and-1.
Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Master Bao-Dur-
What began this whole mess was simple enough-- Republic agents, laced throughout Czerka's organization, reported an increased movement of raw materiel and ships to Czerka depots-- and then Czerka tried to kill said agents. But what they were doing with said materiel, what they thought was so important that they'd kill men for it, remains unknown.
Fortunately for all of us, I have sort of a habit of breaking into Czerka facilities-- admittedly, they were usually on the Rim, but. Czerka is Czerka, and they won't put a red credit into anything "extraneous"-- including security. Got to have more money for Exec severance packages after all.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
- Councilor Visas Marr-
Czerka has taken the lazy route-- they've placed a bounty, a large one, on just about every senator who is rallying worlds against them-- planning a whirling storm to hide their moves until it is too late for us. They plan on drowning the senators under a tide of trash hunters, either to drown or to be so weakened that they have no chance against follow up attacks.
The good news is, according to Mira, only real idiots would try at this point-- those are some very bad odds of walking away. The bad news, of course, is that an unfortunate percent of the galaxy labors under that title.
We can't be everywhere at once, of course-- but if we trust in the Force, I think we can be where we are needed, when we are needed.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Padawan Breda Sunguard-
One of Czerka's bigger income streams is laundering money for the Underworld-- the Exchange, the Hutts, The Syndicates, you name it, they'll get it cleaned of any possible connection in return for a flat cut. I should know-- it's how the Sith got their money, too.
Now, they can't exactly use the big galactic banks and system for it-- that's the sort of thing that tends to set off alarm bells. No, they use hard currency-- physical credits, and a lot of them. And I just so happen to have heard a few rumors about where they kept the Sith currency-- and, I'll bet, where they've already transitioned to a new customer. We're going to hit Czerka in the only thing they really care about-- their wallet. --
Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Master Bao-Dur-
On a little world called Ord Valar, there's an old Pius Dea armory-- a factory, still capable of pumping out blasters and battledroids. They're both too ancient to be of any use to any modern military-- but for Czerka, which has never seen a corner it didn't want cut?
Well, it's an enticing prospect.
Which is exactly how I knew they'd be there. They're not fit for modern battle in the least-- but they can, absolutely, drown planetary security. Or four Jedi, for that matter. But I'd be willing to bet there's information there, plans within plans. So we need to get that information, and soon.
The best plan we have so far is dressing up in the security uniform and breaking in-- not exactly the most detailed plan, but it's the best we've got so far.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
- Councilor Visas Marr-
Like I said, there are a lot of idiots out there. The good news is, they seem to be slowly leapfrogging their way towards mostly hardened targets-- only a few senators on more peaceful planets are in really risk-- So I've split us up.
We'll have to fight apart, but in this storm, the bounty hunters will not hear the silence of a knife until it is much too late for them.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Padawan Breda Sunguard-
There is not one bit of sophistication to this plan-- we are going to assault this warehouse, all out, and burn it to the ground, then leave, and watch the fireworks.
The only problem is, yes, the plan is straightforward...but I get the feeling it won't be easy.
-- Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Master Bao-Dur-
Child's play. These droids might be dangerous, but Czerka's only managed to get the factory running for about two months now-- a lot, but not terrible-- and the organic security teams are easy to slip by, provided you've got some kind of stealthy way to take down force fields, like a repulsor arm, for example. We've been making our way through the factory, setting up taps on dataports and mines on support structures, copying everything as we do, getting all the data, and all the coordinates, that we can find.
I can tell you right now...how should I put this? We might find intelligence in the Core, but more of it would be on the Outer Rim. I can tell you right now though, whatever Czerka's planning, it's big, and it involves a whole lot of abandoned Pius Dea infrastructure from the crusades. Looking at the financials, they've been purchasing archaeological sites, "obsolete" droid factories, armories, everything. Not nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with the Republic though, strange.
We're going to finish with these taps, then blow up the factory. In the chaos, it shouldn't be difficult to escape.
(+20 PP, Intel)
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
- Councilor Visas Marr-
They were many, but far from strong. These bounty hunters were prepared for Alderannian security, not for me to appear from the shadows. The fire was fierce, admittedly, but in some ways that made it easier-- a number of them ended up caught by their own blaster bolts. If it's embarrassing for a Jedi to be cut down in a hail of blaster fire, it must be more embarrassing to be killed by your own blaster bolt.
The same pretty well applies for Chandrila and Hosnia, where they were managing something in their not-even wave tactics until Juhani and Brianna arrived, and managed to rally the defenders. A few of them had heavier equipment, though, and that concerns me.
Still, we won, and they lost.
(+10 PP, Disarm Czerka attack in Mid-Rim, prevent Morale loss)
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim)
-Padawan Breda Sunguard-
Damn it! They moved the money-- they knew we were coming, and they set a trap.
More damn Malak mercenaries-- we beat them, but uh, well. They disarmed me-- and I don't just mean I need a new lightsaber. I mean I really hope Bao-Dur still remembers how to make arms.
(Event Failed)
Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Councilor Atton Rand-
So, we found some coordinates for something that looks an awful lot like a Czerka weaons cache that they haven't popped open for some reason. Now, Bao-Dur wasn't wrong when he said probably weren't going to find more intelligence on Czerka here, but hell with it-- we might, and more importantly I could use a new blaster.
What? Yes, Kador, I am aware bolts can be blocked back at people, but let me tell you-- they're still a pretty good distraction, and it helps when we go undercover.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
- Councilor Brianna-
More bounty hunters. A clan of wookiees, trying to get back their people still enslaved. Czerka has promised them their people's absolute freedom, in return for helping fight this war for them. We need to stop them, but there are alternatives to fighting.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, and Breda, Outer Rim) -Councilor Mira-
We dropped Breda off on Telos, to be taken care of by Mical-- who didn't say a single damn word to us when we did. I can't tell if he's madder at us for letting his Padawan get hurt, or at Czerka, for daring to hurt his student.
The good news is we have a few leads on a different credit warehouse that Czerka's been laundering its money in. The bad news is we have to go-- now-- before they manage to evacuate this one, too.
-- Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Councilor Atton Rand-
Well, no blasters, but we found a few other things that might be helpful. There was a small datacore left when we got here-- it's just an asteroid mining facility, pretty rare in this part of the galaxy.
It still doesn't tell us a lot-- we aren't that fortunate-- but it looks like it might have a few funny little things for us to learn; honestly, I'm mostly hoping we crack it open before the Republic gets here for the look on their faces.
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
- Councilor Brianna-
I have contacted the Wookiees, and for the moment they have agreed to a ceasfire. They have given us a week to find some other method of freeing their enslaves kin-- and no, Czerka will not simply allow the bounty hunters to buy them back. It is for cruelty's sake alone that they have done this thing, I think, whatever absurd explanation they have offered to the wookiees.
It will be difficult, but I feel that perhaps our Order's heart will rest on proving that we can do all the things Jedi can do, negotiations included, not simply cutting down the foe.
-- Mission 3 (Bastila and Mira, Outer Rim) -Councilor Mira-
Again! They knew we were coming again! We managed to arrive early enough that they haven't left yet, but two Jedi isn't exactly the sort of thing that can manage to blockade a whole damn starport-- I can literally see them sticking the credits into ships-- Bastila and I are doing all we can, but these fu--
Wait a second, what is that?
-- Mission 1 (Kador, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, and Zez, The Core) -Councilor Atton Rand-
So, we still couldn't tell you exactly what Czerka's plan is, but it apparently involves a lot of companies, because according to this they've been investing in just about every exploratory mission they can get their hands on. Outward Vision? Few billion--yes, that's with a B-- credits. Varnal and Sons trade co? Few hundred thousands, mostly in raw goods rather than traceable currencies of any sort. West Unknown Corp? Sithspit, they're the biggest investor there, if "only" a plurality.
Now, I like colonies as much as the next guy-- but I sure don't trust anything Czerka might be inolved in, I'll tell you that.
(Intel, +5PP)
-- Mission 2 (Juhani, Visas Marr, and Brianna, Mid-Rim)
-Councilor Brianna-
We have come up with something, yes, and all we had to do was stop and listen for a moment. If one calms their mind, and truly listens, you can hear many things in the Force-- the fall of rain on a newly born world precipitating a new horizon, new life and new adventures; the song of the ocean as it carves out new niches, new lands to explore, new countries to find; and, most importantly, the sorrow of a son ripped from his mother.
And one can follow that string from its resting point...to its source.
We arrived at the starport just as the Burden was landing, about to disembark its captives; about four hundred wookiee slaves.
We fought our way on to the vessel and claimed it, and found exactly what we needed-- a navicomputer. It should map out all the routes which these Czerka slavers follow, where they meet, where they congregate, in their filth and in their cruelty-- and of course, not a one will expect that the Burden has been claimed by the wookiees until it is much too late for them.
As promised, the wookiees have left-- they have a job to do, and Czerka is about to have the worst few months of their lives.
(+20 PP, Republic Morale loss reduced)
-- Mission 3 (Bastila, Mira, Mical, Outer Rim) -Councilor Mira-
Kreia respected maybe two people on the Ebon Hawke-- the Exile, and maybe Mical, and I'm starting to see why.
When he found out what these men had done to Breda, he reacted about the same way she would have if someone hurt Meetra.
Namely, absolute and utter violence. His first move was a stasis field that damn well got everyone in the warehouse without a lightsaber, and then the next thing I know, he's tossing crates like candy. Credits and blood are mingling as they shatter, whole squads just evaporating-- I realize me and Bastila have that whole "Silent Knife" thing going on in a fight, but there are days I sort of wish I could just fight people with my brain like he does.
Right, anyway! At this point the two of us were no longer frozen in place-- so we started getting to work, and so did he, tuning on his lightsaber and helping us cut through them.
In the end, we managed to destroy the warehouse-- we gave the credits to the planetary government, always a good way to make friends, and then contacted Admiral Onasi to let him know where some weapons he might like could be located.
Mical claimed the yacht, supposedly so he could help his Padawan the next time she needs aid, rather than being forced to sit, helplessly, on another world.
(+20 PP, -5 Czerka Morale)
Telos' academy is nearly silent except for the steady drone of its power generators. Mical and his students rest in Atris' former study, emptied now of Sith Holocrons, replaced with Jedi texts and holocrons. All of the students of the Telos Academy are gathered there, save one.
"There is no emotion, there is peace." He begins the chant, as they reach out, outside of themselves.
"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."
"There is no passion, there is serenity."
"There is no chaos, there is harmony."
"There is no death, there is the Force."
--
Her quarters are no different, no more comfortable than anyone else's-- a simple bed, a small footlocker, and a side desk.
Silent but not meditative, Breda regards her new prosthetic-- a much more subtle thing that of Bao-Dur. All metal, if still a little ungainly. She lets the fury go, and then breathes in. The Force begins to move through her, different than before-- more silent, less ferocious. She needs a new weapon, and she needs it now-- the Order is too shortstaffed for anyone to be slacking off.
The blue crystal, born of Dantooine, begins to levitate, held aloft by her mind. A feminine voice, older than her, than Master Mical, than perhaps any of these new Jedi, begins to speak--
"The crystal is the heart of the blade."
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the Heart.
All are intertwined.
The Crystal.
The Blade.
The Jedi.
You are one."
The lightsaber springs to life, blue fire shining in the cold poles. She practices a few swings with it, one handed, before letting the light dim and die and clipping the hilt to her belt.
Engagement Milestone: 50 Engagement: 70
+30 PP for Milestone, +15 for Bao-Dur, +310 For Mission Results (Including bonus for joining fight against Czerka), 15 from last year Available PP: 370
Reclaim Coruscant Temple (225 PP)
Recruitment Drive-- Recruit 2d5 Initiates (30 PP)
Introduce a new Battlemaster, to coordinate with the Republic Army and Navy in case of War (40 PP)
Claim Tojora (150 PP)
Request Republic aid expanding Dantooine. (20 PP)
Send a Jedi with a Republic archeological expedition(15 PP)
Expand Telos Academy with Republic help. (10 PP)
Agree to supplement Republic patrols in the Colonies (+5 PP, Gain Colonies Patrol Route)
Request a Republic Colonization Ship, for use in establishing Enclaves (40 PP)
Ask the Dantooine Planetary Museum to return the Jedi Artifacts they purchased from Salvagers (150 PP)
Reestablish Jedi Scoutmaster (Head of recruitment) (50 PP)
Deploy Jedi Liaison to University of Alderaan (20 PP)
Deploy Jedi Liaison to University of Coruscant (20 PP)
Deploy Jedi Liaison to Corellia University (20 PP)
Request Republic Guard in Dantooine Praxeum (40 PP)
Destroy the Sith Holocrons, now, as the Republic requests you do (+30 PP)
