Striges Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Lastly... yay, I started a Princess Bride kick! Have to try and work a parody of the duel conversation into a lightsaber battle sometime... ...There is something you do not know. ...Oh? ...(switches main sword hands) I am not left-handed! ...(ingites second lightsaber) I'm not left-handed either. I'm a maruader, I'm ambidextrous! (clash) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxKnight Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 ...There is something you do not know. ...Oh? ...(switches main sword hands) I am not left-handed! ...(ingites second lightsaber) I'm not left-handed either. I'm a maruader, I'm ambidextrous! (clash) ...So you are saying that you will put down your rock and I put down my sword and we kill each other like civilized people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrystanLaryssa Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 ...So you are saying that you will put down your rock and I put down my sword and we kill each other like "civilized" people? ...You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striges Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” On that note: Week of 4/4/2014 Passing On - “How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.” No one is truly immortal. Even those who have conquered aging and disease still have to deal with the inevitable dangers of combat and the perils of an adventuring life. What happens when death finally catches up with your character? Maybe a near miss gives her pause, an unwelcome reminder of mortality. Does he go out with a bang, a whimper, or quietly in his sleep? What happens to the ones left behind? This prompt courtesy of Mirdthestrill. (Quote courtesy Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan, at the risk of crossing fandom streams and interrupting The Princess Bride. It seems I picked the wrong movie to quote this week.) And, as ever, Night of the Living Prompt: Keep on using any prompt you like! Check out the list at http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=7250864&postcount=4734and http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=7250865&postcount=4735 (yes, we’re up to two full posts!). This week's featured NotLP: Seasons - In space there are no seasons. But in a galaxy of thousands of worlds, it's every possible season at once, and not just the four temperature-variation ones. Write about some of the seasons your characters have experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxKnight Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 “Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” "As yoooouuuu wwiiiisssshhhh!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthSillyMonkey Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Okay, so still trying to catch up on the stories and such, but so far, great great stuff guys (as always!) So today will be my last day posting it seems. My sub is up tomorrow and I'm not going to renew it. Not really enough time right now to play anywho. Just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to read my stuff, and all the supportive comments that kept me writing. This is easily the best forum community I've been a part of, and you can tell how awesome it is by all the new folks coming in. Keep up the great stories all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoshiRaphElan Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 @DarthSillyMonkey, so sorry to see you go. I'll try to post something in the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesaberisa Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Sorry to see you go, DSM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxKnight Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 (edited) I just want to pop in for the moment to say I've been reading all the non-spoiler material and it's great. I am sorry to say that I'm so far behind on commenting it would be hopeless to catch up. I'm working on a piece don't worry and I'll keep up now that we got a new prompt. Edit: Sorry to see you go DSM. You write great stories and I always look forward to your comments. Edited April 5, 2014 by LaxKnight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striges Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 We'll all miss your stories, DSM. Sorry to see you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxKnight Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Alright this piece is to go with the light and dark themes of the last few weeks. I took it literally here. I've made up a new species here. I mean, it's a big galaxy, that leaves lots of a lot of places undiscovered. This is also the return of the pink and daring Captain Penelope Lonestar. I hope you all enjoy it. Prompt: Discovery, Luminous Beings Are We, Forever Will It Dominate Your Destiny Title: The Glowing One Character(s): Penelope Lonestar (Zeltron Smuggler), Ralsa Caluso Word Count: 2666 Another day, another credit. Today Penelope realized that at this point in her life she transported more people than freight. It wasn’t much of a gap, but there none of the less. To say that she picked up an unusual passenger today would be an understatement. Her passenger had some very strange terms. The fare asked for the room with no windows along with being the closest to the center. They said that they needed the room to be as cold as allowable and for the lights to be dimmed. The only way Penelope can tell that Ralsa Caluso was female was from her voice somehow melodic over the robotic speaker. When she showed she was clad in a black spacesuit with glowing blue trim and a box life support console on her chest. The strangest thing was her helmet. It was a black visor dome helmet but her eyes and teeth glowed warm green, able to show her facial expressions. Sometimes black strands, most likely hair, would fall in front of her glowing features and she would have to do toss her head around to get it out of the way. Penelope hasn’t seen the woman ever since she got on board and went into hyperspace. She was always a social one and her Zeltron blood only bolstered it. She always talked with her passengers and they usually humored her by listening a little bit. That and bored with no alcohol to keep her occupied. She had to get up. She had talk to someone. Setting an alarm for when they get out of hyperspace, she got up from seat and left to seek the passenger. Penelope stood outside the door with an ear against the door. She couldn’t hear anything but she couldn’t tell if her sense of concentration was hers or the fares. She then knocked on the door. “Oh, yes? Is there something wrong on Captain?” a muffled voice said from the other side. It lacked the same metallic quality as before, meaning she wasn’t wearing her helmet. “Nothing’s wrong, nothing up. I was wondering since it will be awhile until we go into real space if you’re up for a chat.” “Oh yes, no problem at all. Actually I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I’ve got some questions for you. Oh close all of the viewports before you come in. And you might want to put on a coat or something. Rather chilly in here. For normal people anyway.” Penelope went to grab her black bantha leather jacket and went to a panel to make sure all of the viewports were closed, a puzzled look on her face, and put it on as she went back to the door. With the viewports closed, she knocked on the door again. “Alright, everything is closed. Can I come in now?” she asked. “Are the lights dimmed?” Ralsa asked. After she touched a panel to dim them, Penelope called, “Is there anything else I need to be aware of?” “Uh…I think that’s it. Hold on.” With a hiss of hydraulics and mechanics, the door parted. Instantly the chill of the room made her shiver. There to meet her were two glowing eyes and smile. There was a dim outline of the top of her torso while the bottom had the blue glowing trim of her suit. Ralsa stepped out of the cold darkness and revealed herself in the dim light. The first thing Penelope noticed that though her skin was black and the suit she wore was rolled down halfway. Her hair, a deep indigo, was cut around her jawline with cute, flappy ears jutting out of it. The whites of her eyes were replaced with an eerie green glow with starry blue irises. Her teeth matched the same color green along with her finger nails. A look of confusion spread across Penelope’s face. She has been to many parts of the galaxy, seen many things, met many people, but she has never seen anyone like Ralsa. The look was there long enough for Ralsa to catch it. “Is there something wrong?” she asked. Penelope’s pink skinned face grew a bit redder as she blushed with embarrassment. “Uh…just never seen you out of your suit,” she said trying to save face, “Just imagined you were a human or something. No offense but…I’ve never seen anyone like you before.” “Understandable. No one in the galaxy knew we even existed until a few months ago,” Ralsa said then gestured to enter the room, “Please take a seat.” The hot Zeltron hesitated to go into the cold room. Her vision hadn’t quite adjusted yet. She reached a hand out into the darkness as she tried to prevent herself from bumping into anything. The door closed behind Penelope, leaving no light to see. She moved around blindly as her hands panicked to find something to guide her around the room. “Oh so sorry,” Ralsa’s voice said from behind, “Keep forgetting you can’t see. Let me help you to a chair.” Glowing fingernails grabbed onto Penelope’s hand, pulling away from fear at first until she realized who the owner was. Another hand was on her back as Ralsa guided her through the darkness until her hand met a chair. Penelope grabbed it with both hands and tried to feel her way around the seat. “I’ll let you get seated while I turn on some lights to make you more comfortable,” the strange glowing being said as they disappeared once again. Penelope waited in her seat as the lights in the room began to slowly increase in luminosity until they reached a comfortable dim light. She could actually see things in the room now, like Ralsa’s luggage, memory chips, and some instruments that looked to be of scientific nature. “Is that better?” the glowing being asked by the door panel. “Yes, much better. I can actually see now,” Penelope said with some sarcasm. As Ralsa took her seat across from Penelope at the table, the Zeltron asked, “So…This may sound rude but…what are you? You see in the dark?” “No it’s okay. We call ourselves Wavarians from planet Yuran,” she said with an enthusiastic smile, “I and my people can see into the infrared spectrum of light along with visible light. We can’t see purple though.” Ralsa then grabbed a data pad and began typing into it. “Now as I said before, I have some questions for you. You see my people are relatively new to the galaxy,” she explained, “We just managed to launch our first manned rocket into space when some Republic emissary stumbled upon us. I am a scientist and I have been sent by my government to explore the galaxy and collect data on everything I find to bring it back for study. I chose this vessel to transport me because I have yet to meet a member of your species so I wish to inquire you about various traits, attributes, biology, and anything else of importance about your species if that is okay with you.” When she realized what Ralsa was asking Penelope’s eyes grew wide with shock. Pressure began building around her as she was suddenly overwhelmed with the burden of being the spokesperson for her entire species. “You don’t have to if you want,” Ralsa said when she saw the reaction she got, “You don’t have to answer them if they make you feel uncomfortable…” “No, no, it’s fine,” Penelope interrupted, trying to calm herself down, “I’m no scientist but I can tell you a few things.” “Oh good!” she said giddy with joy, “Now some of these questions may be strange or invasive but I can assure you this is all for science. If any of these questions make you feel uncomfortable we can pass them. Ready?” With a deep calming breath, Penelope closed her eyes and then slowly let it out. Her eyes opened with newly found vigor. “Alright let’s get on with it.” Ralsa fiddled with her data pad a bit before she activated a recording device to start. “This is Doctor Ralsa Caluso, Day 167 after space launch, conducting another species interview today with a Zeltron female. Miss you are being recorded for scientific and information gathering purposes. I will be asking you questions about your species on various attributes, traits, and other miscellaneous information. Any information you give out will be used for scientific purposes. You may choose to leave out any information if you think it is too personal or invasive. We will end the session when I am finished with my questioning, time no longer permits more, or at your say. Speak if you understand what I said and want to continue with interview,” she said. “I understand,” Penelope said. “Okay then we will proceed. Are you willing to give your name or remain anonymous?” “My name is Penelope Lonestar.” “Age?” “27” “Height and Weight?” “One point seven meters, fifty six point seven kilograms.” “Is that average for your species?” “Little light, little short but not by much.” “It should be observed that Captain Lonestar is humanoid in figure and possesses light pink skin along with navy blue hair and eyes. Have you altered your body in any way?” “Uh…No.” “Do you consider Zeltron to be Near Human or simply humanoid?” “Near Human.” “What makes Zeltron different from humans physically?” “Our skin comes in various shades of red from light pink to very dark red. I say a man once whose skin was light enough to seem almost human though his skin still had a reddish tint. As for hair same light pink to dark red but can also be shades of blue, brown, or black. Eyes have similar colors to humans but with red also.” “Anything else?” “Zeltron emit pheromones that attract different people and species of the opposite gender to us to make us seem more attractive, though even without it as a whole Zeltron look attractive anyhow. Zeltron also possess limited telepathy that allows us to influence other people’s emotions along with read and feel theirs. We also have two livers and high metabolisms.” “Very interesting. How potent is are the pheromones?” “Ranges with mood and individual I guess.” “Can you control how much you emit?” “Maybe. I don’t know. Never done it.” “That’s okay. Now what planet does the Zeltron originate?” “Zeltros.” “Were you born there or lived there?” “I’ve been there once but I was born on Corellia.” “What would you describe as Zeltron culture?” Some of the questions were strange indeed but Penelope had to think on this one. She bit her lip in contemplation. “Uh…I can’t really speak on that. Everyone’s different, you know, and I’ve only been to Zeltros once so I really can’t speak on the species’ behalf on culture.” Undeterred, Ralsa continued with, “Can you give me your impression or guess then?” Even in the dim light it was easy to see the bold and confident Penelope squirm in her seat. “Well…the galaxy generally considers us lazy, thrill seeking partiers who love to have a good time and…love. Like make love,” she said then went on the defensive, “I mean sure we like love love but…you know what I’m not like that, I mean sure everyone loves to have a good time and party, you know, but I work for a living. I’m official cantina brawl champ in seven subsectors in Hutt Space. They give me free drinks in every bar and cantina on Nar Shaddaa! That’s an accomplishment!” The hot pink Zeltron was out of her seat and pounded a fist on the table to emphasize the point. Ralsa simply tapped notes on her data pad as Penelope fumed for a moment. See no hostile reaction or accusations against her claim, she managed to calm down and sit back in her seat. Ralsa looked up and then said, “Is there anything else you would like to add?” “Uh, not really.” “Alright then today’s session is over. Thank you for your participation.” With that Ralsa shut off the recorder on her data pad. “I might have more questions later but can’t think of anything else at the moment. You did well. Thank you for doing this,” she said. “Yeah, no problem,” Penelope replied, obviously relieve that it was over. There was an awkward silence for a moment as Ralsa continued on her work, seemingly forgetting about the pink captain. Penelope then broke the silence and said, “I’ve got a question.” That caused Ralsa to look up and put down her data pad. “Is there something I can help you with?” “I’m not sure if you know the answer to this but…why do you glow?” Penelope asked. Instead of some sort of defensiveness that Penelope was expecting instead her question was met with excitement. “I’ll be happy to tell you!” Ralsa said, “You see, unlike most planets that rotate on an axis, Yuran does not. It’s like Ryloth where one side always faces the sun while the other side is always in the dark. We are actually making an agreement with the Twi’leks to settle on Ryloth because unlike them, who live mostly in the ‘twlight zone’ of the planet, we live in the darkside. Because there is no light, we see in infrared and developed the ability to glow to help us see. Since there is no sunlight, it is pretty cold so we’ve adapted to living underground.” Penelope was perplexed by this. Things were beginning to come together. No light, the cold, it made it feel like home. However one thing didn’t make sense. “So why the suit? You can obviously breathe our air and see regular light. Sure most places will be a little warm but it can’t be that bad,” she said. Ralsa then leaned forward in a serious manner. “The suit is necessary for my survival. You see, there is no sunlight that reaches us. It is because of this we are extremely sensitive to ultraviolet radiation,” she let that sink in for a moment then said, “Essentially, if I show any bit of skin in the sun, I will instantly catch on fire and burn to a crisp.” Penelope shook her head in disbelief. It seemed silly. How could life go on without sun after all? Didn’t make sense. However from the way the glowing woman said it made her think twice. “Seriously?” was all she could say. “Seriously.” “Wow. That sucks.” That got a chuckle out of Ralsa. “Yeah, it kinda does,” she said. She was putting on a brave face but Penelope wasn’t fooled. Past that forced smile was a sorrow few could put into words. Of one who spent their entire life in darkness, one who sought the light, but can never step into it for it meant her death. She had to change the mood for Ralsa’s was getting to her. She got out of her chair and had her arms outstretched for a hug. “No thanks,” was the quick reply. “Aw come on. You know you want one. I won’t take no for an answer,” she said teasingly. With a huff of defeat, the scientist waved her forward. Instantly the Zeltron was on her. Penelope’s embraced was tight and strong, almost crushing, as she rocked a bit side to side. With nothing else she can do, Ralsa hugged her back. After a moment they both released each other. “There. Feel better?” Penelope asked. “Actually I do. Thank you,” Ralsa said with a glowing grin then said, “I should get back to me work. You’ve been a great help.” “You know where to find me if you need anything,” Penelope said. She walked out the room and back to her chair in the cockpit. Today was most definitely an interesting day but all in all it was another day, another credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitar Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 @ DSM, Sorry to see you go hon, your stories are going to be missed. A lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striges Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Poor Penelope, being the spokesperson for an entire species. Talk about pressure. I like the idea of a species that needs environmental suits not for the things we ordinarily think of, like incompatable atmospheres, but incompatable frequencies of light. Interesting thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKHadeed Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 @Darth Silly Monkey: You seem like a decent man. I hate to have t... I mean. I'm sorry to see you go. I have no idea where that came from. @Aluarin: I can tell that one was hard work to write. You handled the subject with delicacy, which is nice. It's good that you got a bit more distance in your writing this time around, and it was very helpful in following the action and plans of the characters. @Frauzet: I like your take on the ritual. It's very interesting to 'see' through the sith's eyes, regarding how he's shaping it and the disruption. @Bendu: Looking forward to your first short! I think your take on connections is very interesting. You might want to back off on that, though, and give us a little more about the character first, though. That's just my take, and it's a limit of doing things in chunks. We always want to skip ahead to the juicy bits. @LaxKnight: That was fun! It's zippy and delightful. I like your idea for the alien, and your atypical Zeltron. It's also really interesting to see the perspective of a new arrival to the Star Wars species list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marissalf Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 @DSM, Aww, this makes me sad. I hate to see ya go! Your stories are always hilarious. (And I'm not entirely certain this isn't just one of Fenn'rys' schemes... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKHadeed Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 So anyway, I wrote a depressing disjointed thing about a near death experience and Angie learning absolutely nothing of value from it! It took us both by surprise when the Force-twisted creature plummeted from the ceiling. I must have heard something; I can't remember what. Anyway, I grabbed Zeedor around the waist and hurled him to the side. Then it hit me. I had a vague sense of movement, and when I turned my head, I could see my leg twisted at an impossible angle on the other side of its mouth. It all happened so fast. Everything felt achingly clear, but all I can recall are fragments, like beads on a necklace. First, I don't remember any pain, but I knew my leg was broken, and I was bleeding badly. I knew I was in the monster's mouth, and it was whipping me around. I could feel wetness and warmth where I was injured. I knew I had to get loose, but I couldn't get my arms in position. I remember hearing a blaster firing repeatedly, and that must have been me. I can't remember how I got my gun or shooting it, just hearing the familiar whine and pop of the trigger. I could hear my breath echoing too loudly in the helmet, and I could hear crunches and ripping noises. And I could tell the sound was from inside my armor. I heard the shrill hiss of Zeedor's lightsaber starting up behind it all. One of my hands finally responded to me, and I jammed it into the huge creature's eye. And then, I think, I blacked out. The next thing I remember is screaming when the Sith ripped the force-creature's mouth off of me. I couldn't stop, even though I wanted to take a deep breath. I could feel tears stinging the corners of my eyes and I wanted so badly to breath, but it hurt so bad. I couldn't help but bawl and on top of all of that, I was ashamed that the kid was seeing me chewed up and helpless. I passed out again. This time, I remember waking up a little. I couldn't open my eyes, and when I tried to raise my hand to see if anything was in front of my eyes, I couldn't move it, either. I couldn't even hear anything, which scared me. In my job, ears keep you alive. The only thing around me was a dark, dull hissing. I thought I could make out words in it, but when I tried to follow them and make them into a real sound, I fell back into the black again. The next time I came to, I was on my back, straightened out. I could feel the cold stone underneath me, which was a relief. Something as familiar as discomfort felt reassuring. I wondered how badly my armor had been ruined. I don't remember worrying about what the attack had done to my body. I still couldn't feel much. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything again, but the slight pressure across my cheeks told me that was because there was a cloth over my eyes. I opened my mouth and tried to speak. It took me a while to get my tongue sorted out, and instead I just sort of groaned, which was not particularly eloquent. “Stay still, Ms. Irons,” Zeedor growled from somewhere near to me. “You've lost a great deal of blood.” He sounded exhausted, which was so alien I immediately panicked and tried to sit up. At which point, the pain kicked in with a vengeance. It felt like every beat of my heart, every twitch of muscle, every breath, was pouring molten thermite through my veins. I couldn't even manage to scream. I think I whimpered. Somehow, Zeedor was there, pushing me back down. My breath huffed and caught in my throat, and every heave of my chest was a pathetic, loathsome whimper. “I said stay still. I am trying to mend your body enough so that we may travel to a proper medical facility. One with painkillers.” I tried to come up with something flippant through the agony, but I couldn't focus. I could feel tears pooling in my eyes again, and I hated the heat of them, the pressure, and I hated Zeedor for being there. I tried to fall back into the black again, to let the pain carry me away to the other side of it and blessed unconsciousness, but I couldn't. I was trapped in a broken body. My tendons burned. I didn't think I could sustain the constant buzzing in my bones. I know at some point, I must have passed out for the last time. I know that because the next thing I felt was blessedly cold blankets wrapped around me. And not much else. Everything felt warm and distant, like riding the far edge of a whiskey buzz. It was hard to think, and I couldn't remember where I was. It was too quiet for my ship. I could hear a few alarms and then footsteps. I almost didn't recognize the voice. It was too soft and young, shorn of the usual arrogance. “You're going to be all right, Angharad,” he whispered. I half sat up, turning to the kid. The usual haughty expression was on his face, and his voice sounded as coldly amused as ever when he spoke. “Of course, that's thanks to my considerable power as a healer. If it wasn't for my skill, I'd have to figure out to whom I should send your possessions.” I laughed. Somewhat to my surprise, it didn't hurt. “You'd have been in real trouble then, boss. I'm not sure you could manage that one.” He raised an eyebrow at me, the one not puckered by slave tattoos, and steepled his fingers. “Finding anyone to give my things to, I mean.” I let myself sink back into the bed, which felt really nice. He didn't add anything, and I kept talking. Maybe it was the drugs, or some vestigial fear, or maybe I just wanted to chat. I don't know. “I... I have a sister.” I closed my eyes, feeling the sheer weight of my body. I felt wrong outside of my armor. I felt heavier than I ever do suited up. Though part of that was certainly the drugs. “At least, I think I do. We send messages, every now and then, when something comes up. She talks to our mom, and I haven't heard anything about Mom dying, so I guess she's still alive. And then there's Rosa. I owe her a lot of drinks, so I guess some of my credits should go for that.” I wanted to stop talking, but it felt kind of good. I'm not chatty normally. Oh, I can gossip and do surface stuff fine, but I don't do feelings. Or past. Or my work. This was hitting two out of the big three. “I guess what's left of my savings once my debts are paid off should probably go to my sister. She's got a different name, but Rosa could track her down for you. She's a good agent. One of the best. And Kitzi would make sure Mom got a share. I guess you could keep the ship, since all your things are there anyway. You'd have to learn to fly it properly, though.” I opened my eyes, studying Zeedor's face. He seemed bemused. “What?” I growled. “I'm sorry. All I got out of that is that you have a sister named Kitzi,” he answered. Full disclosure time... I'm planning on writing a Johnny Dollar mockup for my next entry. I also apologize for the joke at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenduKundalini Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) @Darth Silly Monkey: Damn, I totally relate, I just postponed my unsubscription but it's probably gonna happen sometime in the near future... plus it's so weird to have to pay to participate in a forum. Especially when dedicating hours to feed it (20+ in my case) is time you are not actually playing (what we're paying for). Take care @Bendu: Looking forward to your first short! I think your take on connections is very interesting. You might want to back off on that, though, and give us a little more about the character first, though. That's just my take, and it's a limit of doing things in chunks. We always want to skip ahead to the juicy bits. Thanks AKH. Not sure what you mean? Chunks? As for writing on different posts? I'm a fan of your bounty hunter Very lively scenes, full of humor & wit, love it. Anyway, thanks for your feedback... I'm a bit disheartened that I have had a full *zero* replies in a week until now. After two nights spent writing it, that's just not worth it. Edited April 7, 2014 by BenduKundalini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKHadeed Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Yeah, I mean different posts. We're going to be broken up by how the forums work. If you're feeling gloomy about your lack of comments, I'd suggest looking at other peoples' threads. A lot of people read, but don't leave a comment. Heaven knows I'm guilty of that often enough. And, while you're looking at their lack of comments, maybe leave a few of your own on their writing. I wouldn't have known you were reading the Angie and Zeedor stories up until your lively scenes comment! And, like most writing, fanfiction is for you. It's for you to hammer out some kinks in your writing and dustbunnies in your brain! Don't get discouraged by lack of comments; after all, it's not like you're being paid by the smileyface. Read over what you've done and if you like it and think it's cool, glorious success is yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomiSotto Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) (Waves) Sorry, I've been preoccupied and MIA. Missed my chance to say good-bye... (sigh). BenduKundalini , yep, FF is just a way to inject the game with emotional content and personalize the experience. I've always loved the topical short-stories sharing. It teaches a lot about focus, have a way to be quickly invested into the other person's game-world and is lots of fun! Thank you everyone who gave me props on Riggs', I find it hard to keep him coherent in my mind, because the game's presentation imo is two tiered, the self-effacing wing-man to the male PC, and a rock the female PC can lean against (or clean the dirt off her boots on...). One of the oddest splits I have seen. Maybe that's why I enjoy playing around with the concept, even if I was sore in the beginning at Bio. After all, I was expecting to play Solo in skirts and romance someone Skavak-like. @LaxKnight An enjoyable and clever way to introduce a couple of species. It reminded me a short story I have read recently by whatever reason. It is always fun to play with new cultural and species aspects, and I could sure see you doing just that. It is a great presentation on the both sides of the light and dark, using the verse to the max. Yay! @AKHadeed Ha! An interesting pace here, step by step, ladder-like battle, hurt building up. I have enjoyed it, and came to appreciate the way you string ‘next time’, ‘next thing’, and ‘remember’ to achieve the effect. The character portrayal is very precise. Very easy to see Zeedor, and I didn’t feel hard-done by the joke at the end at all! Ease of reading: In the first paragraph: I had a vague sense of movement, and when I turned my head, I could see my leg twisted at an impossible angle on the other side of its mouth. This one was hard for me to read, and made sense in context later on, but not immediately. Edited April 7, 2014 by DomiSotto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaurin Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) I've been busy with my 8 year old son starting baseball this weekend combined with the warm weather providing for work and play outdoors. I'm behind on my reading and writing, but will hopefully have time to get both caught up so I can post a story, some comments, and update the Index. However, two things I wanted to address now: @DarthSillyMonkey: I am going to miss you terribly! I've enjoyed your stories and your fun commentary......*sniff* You've been a great addition to the SWTOR fanfic community. @ BenduKundalini: I'm a bit disheartened that I have had a full *zero* replies in a week until now. After two nights spent writing it, that's just not worth it.Please don't be discouraged with lack of comments. As was previously mentioned, the individual threads don't get nearly as many comments as this thread does. I personally have two separate story threads, one of which is quite lengthy, and have gotten very few comments. I take heart in the number of views each thread has received and hope that not all of those were accidental clicks. I know I'm guilty of reading a story thread without commenting, something I really need to work on when I find the time. Also, AKHadeed had a very good point, writing fanfic is for you first and foremost, at least for me it is, and if there's even at least one other person that gets as much enjoyment out of your story as you do.......it's totally worth it! I hope this helps you because I hate to think of anyone being discouraged to create and share their work. Edited April 7, 2014 by alaurin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenduKundalini Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. Well, I do believe this is a place for sharing. Otherwise just having our writings sitting in a folder in "my documents" in our computers would do the job, wouldn't it? I started commenting right away, last week, then was taken up by my own writing, and well, was waiting for anyone to reciprocate before commenting again. Then again yes - the satisfaction of having created something is grand. But I chose this medium, a forum, to try and write again after eons of oblivion to that craft, precisely because it's alive. Plus I know very well my propensity to hit the "edit" button without end, as I know there's someone on the receiving end. Plus, busy week, even for reading. Even though I've been reading in my bed on the smartphone (not a good idea for replying ahah, at least on my piece of junk). Concerning chunks I edited it like that precisely for convenience. For a latecomer like me it's actually very confusing to see different chapters of a lot of different characters from different writers scattered on various pages. I don't stick to one poster and check his post on page 482, then 481 etc, then rinse and repeat for another poster's stuff. What I do is I read page 482 fully then page 481 (and starting from page 1 would be daunting!) At first it's a bit confusing, keeping track of who's who. For instance I loved a comment by a female bounty hunter of "looking at the face in the mirror until it submits" iwhen she wakes up, but have a hard time telling if it's Angie or Lesaberisa's hunter. On the other hand those are small, manageable chunks so a "daily episode" is probably less tiresome to read than a gazillion words at once. And my stuff quickly became one monster of a post. At first I had posted my story in one single post and then opted to break it into neat, smaller pieces so someone could read one chapter and leave another for later. Actually, I had hesitated to post my story right here in the weekly challenge. But given I strayed from the original prompt I thought it wouldn't be cool from me to squeeze it in without paying heed to your codes. I now see it would have benefitted from the thread's creative and social momentum, plus straying from the prompts is ok as I found out since last week... As a side note, I rolled a new char yesterday, a marauder, and was thinking of Ciner and Ru when Overseer Tremell's daughter showed up. I'll take 5 to read your latest bits now. Edited April 7, 2014 by BenduKundalini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striges Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 @AKHadeed: Disjointed, perhaps, but I think that reflects Angie as narrator. She's suddenly and grieviously injured. The brain is not always logical--or even coherent--under such circumstances. I know you apologized for the slightly silly ending, but I liked it. Angie thinking she's telling an entire tale, but between drugs and damage only a few words get out. @BenduKundalini: I can only echo Alaurin, DomiSotto, and AKHadeed. Individual threads generally get fewer comments than stories in this thread. There are a lot of lurkers around, and even regulars don't always leave comments. Like Alaurin, I look at views to give me a better idea of whether people are looking at my threads than just relying on comments. Also, even though the game has been out for a while now, some people still avoid spoilers for certain class stories. I myself want avoid spoilers (where possible) for Consular and Knight acts 2 and 3 until I get through both of them. I level slow. I really appreciate spoiler warnings. That's not to say you shouldn't continue your own thread, or that you should restrict posting to this thread hoping for feedback. Everyone who shares here wants to hear how others likes their stories. But as both Alaurin and AKHadeed said, continue writing because you enjoy it, because no one else can tell the story in your head, and because you hope someone else likes reading your work as much as you did writing it. As far as keeping individual writer's stories straight, Alaurin maintains a master index of all the SFC contributor's stories in a chronological (timeline) order. Individual authors are listed alphabetically. The links are in her signature. If you find a character you like but caught it in the middle of an arc, check it out so you can read the entire arc in intended order even if it was published piecemeal. That's also a good reminder to contributors. Please list the characters in your story at the start of your post, especially the original ones, before getting on to the actual story. At close on 500 pages, this thread can be a bit labyrinthine for a new reader to navigate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaurin Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) 1.) Index is up to date, but I had to shift things around a little again, so please, if you have the time, check to see if your stuff is all there as it should be. The shift affected the M authors in particular, but it's always good for anyone to check......wouldn't be the first time I've made a mistake. If you do find an error, please message me and I'll fix it as soon as I can. 2.) A big thank you to everyone who commented on this latest series for JK Ros.....it was difficult writing that dark stuff and I'm glad to hear that people enjoyed it. 3.) I'm caught up on my reading so here's some commentary: (hopefully I didn't miss anyone) @frauzet: bad timing indeed!! It was a nice way to tie in Tremel's daughter. You totally left me on pins and needles at the end there, but I loved it!!! @LaxKnight: I have to echo an earlier comment, from Striges I believe, we think about needing protective gear for combat, everyday elements of nature, radiation and differing atmospheres, but I would've never considered frequencies of light.....nicely done on that. Also, I can see where it would be both an honor and a curse to be the spokesperson for an entire species. @AKHadeed: I really think Angharad and Zeedor make a fun pair. I really like the concern/affection they seem to grudgingly have for one another. Also, I hear you on the depressing near death/actual death stuff. I've been working on a piece for this week's prompt and I think I've went through half a box of Kleenex writing it. I took a break from it to finish Ros's stuff and now dread having to read through it again for editing! 4.) I have the conclusion of Ros's time on the Emperor's Fortress and it ended up being longer than anticipated so I split it into 2 parts. Hope it's worth the length and the wait. *in case there's any confusion or anyone wants to catch up, here are the previous parts dealing with Ros's time on the Emperor's Fortress: A Flicker of Light A Spark of Hope A Dark Reunion Innocence Lost Unbreakable Now for the new stuff! Part 1 (Tumblr followers got the first look at this last night.) Title: Free Your Mind Prompt: Luminous Beings We Are, Alternate States of Mind Character: Roslynd-JK, Kira, Doc, Rusk, T7, Lord Scourge Setting: Emperor’s Fortress, after Unbreakable Spoilers: JK Act 2 finale/Act 3 beginning The two force apparitions just quietly watched the young woman sitting on the bed, rocking gently back and forth as she sobbed. Neither had the words to comfort her, so they just stood nearby and waited until she was ready. They could feel the emotions pouring off her…..guilt, shame, anger, disgust, sadness, and most of all worry. Finally, Jonah couldn’t stand it anymore and approached his daughter. “Roslynd,” he whispered gently, “We’ll get through this, I promise.” “I don’t know if I can get past what I did,” Ros shook her head sadly as she stood and began furiously pacing, “I hurt Rusk so badly and….” “It wasn’t you,” Orgus tried to comfort her. “It doesn’t matter!” Ros cried, “I was there…..in my mind, helpless. I saw it all, heard it all, felt it all…..every cruel insult, every slice of my saber…..all of it. I was going to tie him to the bed and force him to……stars, I can’t even f*cking say it, it makes me sick.” “He’s okay, sweetheart,” Jonah told his daughter, “Orgus and I checked in on him. His injuries were tended to and…..” “What about his mind?” Ros countered, “Imperials tried to rape Mallay that day they attacked our house and kill you. Lissa and I stopped him before he hurt her physically, but her mind was a different story.” “I know, and you have no idea how terrible I felt for everything that happened that day,” Jonah sighed. “We don’t blame you, Dad,” Ros shook her head, “I shouldn’t have even mentioned it, but it hurts me that I almost did that to someone after seeing what happened to Mallay. I might not have been in control, but that almost makes me feel worse…….like I could’ve fought the Emperor off harder. Kira and Rusk had to suffer because I wasn’t strong enough!” “The Emperor isn’t one that is easily fought off, my friend,” Orgus pointed out, “There’s no way you could’ve prevented what happened. You’re doing everything you can to free yourself, but building up enough strength takes time.” “I’m not waiting any longer,” Ros snapped, feeling anger surge inside her, “I can’t let that monster back in again. It’s bad enough that I wasn’t strong enough to stop Kira and Rusk from getting hurt once, I’ll be damned if I let it happen again. This ends now!” “Then we fight,” Jonah offered, recognizing the passionate fury building in his daughter, “Use that hurt and anger to fight with everything you have!” “Those emotions are the path to the Dark Side, Jonah,” Orgus warned, “The Jedi don’t…..” “Don’t give me that, Orgus,” Jonah argued, “You know as well as I that my daughter isn’t going to be the same Jedi after this. She’s a good person and if her righteous fury gives her the strength to break free once and for all, so be it. It’s not like she’s using these emotions to wreak havoc on innocents.” “Then she’s the one who needs to decide, and quickly,” Orgus relented as the smoky darkness began seeping into the room, “We’re out of time.” Ros felt the darkness creeping toward her, it’s swirling smoky headiness whispering promises of power and passion. Then she recalled what she did to Rusk and righteous fury surged through her, near blinding in its intensity, “No more!” she declared, blinding light flaring around her, “You can’t have me! I’m stronger than you and I’m not alone!” The Light grew stronger, crushing the darkness in its path, “I won’t cower in the corner anymore! I won’t be your puppet any longer! I will not hurt anyone else because I’m better than that…..better than you…..and you’re done!” “We’re here, my friend,” Orgus added his strength in the Light to his former student. “Thank you, Master,” Ros gritted, focusing with all her might at pushing the darkness further out. “We need your strength too, Jonah,” Orgus called out, “We need to force him out fast and hard enough to weaken him so he doesn’t have time to recover.” “What do I do?” “Concentrate on the Light, everything good and pure in your heart and imagine it flowing inside you,” Orgus instructed, “Then push it out towards the darkness with all your strength.” “Pathetic fools!” the darkness roared, “You dare try and fight me?! This child is mine now!” “I will never be yours again!” Ros shouted, letting herself gain strength from her emotions for the first time, and she pushed out with all her might at the darkness trying to overtake her. The combined Light from her, her father, and Orgus exploded and with a scream, the darkness vanished. Ros stumbled as she felt a piercing pain lance through her head. She pressed her hands to her temples, trying to ease the pressure, then after a moment, it was gone. She felt strange, disorientated, like a fog had been lifted. She looked around the cold chamber trying to get her bearings, not recognizing anything at all. “What’s going on?”she muttered, “Where am I?” “You don’t remember?” a quiet voice came from behind her, “How is that, Orgus?” “Dad? Master Orgus?” Ros whispered in shock as she spotted the two force apparitions in the room. “Her conscious mind doesn’t remember yet,” Orgus surmised, “It’ll come back to her eventually, but we don’t have time to get into that right now…..suffice to say, when the Emperor took her over, her true self was hidden in her sub-consciousness.” “The Emperor was in my mind!” Ros cried, then tried to focus on the last thing she remembered, “Wait, we fought the Emperor……he was stronger than we’d even imagined. The others fell……I kept pressing towards him……” “And you finally fell as well,” Jonah finished, “Then he took over the minds of the other Masters and tried to take yours over as well, but you fought him off. It drained him, but he finally took hold of you.” “It drained you as well, my friend,” Orgus told her, “Your father and I came to you when we could, but only were able to get through during those brief times the Emperor left your mind to rest……" “Someone’s coming,” Ros interrupted, hearing footsteps approaching in the distance. “It must be the Overseer,” Orgus explained, “Quickly, get dressed and put your cloak on. Try not to let him see your eyes.” “Why?” Ros asked, dressing in the strange black robes and leggings she found in the trunk next to the bed. “They’re back to their normal color now,” Jonah answered, “They were orange.” “Orange!” Ros hissed, “Like Dark side force user orange?!” “I’m afraid so,” Orgus sighed, “but further explanation will have to wait until you and the others are safe. For now, just go along with Overseer Chaskar. Most likely he’s going to take you to Kira, Doc, or Rusk.” Ros was struggling to keep herself together, but trusted her old Master. So she took several deep, calming breaths to focus, something her twin taught her to do back during their days on Dantooine, and finished dressing as fast as she could. She found a couple of lightsabers in the bottom of the trunk and hooked them to her belt. She was donning on the cloak just as the door to her room opened. “Where’s my favorite student?” a middle aged Sith in black robes grinned as he entered her room, “Are you ready for today’s activities?” “Absolutely, Overseer,” Ros answered, keeping her head bowed and her tone light. “You alright, my dear? You sound tired.” “A little,” Ros nodded, “but I’m ready to go.” “You’ve been such a wonderful student that I forget you’re still new to Dark side force use,” Chaskar smiled at his student, “We won’t be long in here and you can rest up this afternoon.” “Sounds good,” Ros replied as they left the room. “He’s taking you to Kira,” Orgus’ voice whispered in her head, “Once the guards are gone and the door’s shut, you’ll have to kill him. Do it fast before he can raise any alarms, then free Kira and the others. Their rooms are in the same area, separate corridors forming a square, then take the outer corridor in Kira’s section to the hangers.” “There’s nothing more we can do for you, sweetheart,” Jonah told his daughter, “Just remember that nothing you did under the Emperor’s control is your fault……you are a good soul and I love you very much. Don’t ever forget that.” “One more thing,” Orgus added, his voice fading, “The Emperor’s Wrath is an ally.” ****** Kira was sitting quietly on her bed giving a halfhearted attempt at meditating. She still had some aches and a little soreness in a few places, but she’d recovered from the torture device for the most part…..physically at least. Mentally getting over what had happened over the past three days would take much longer. Kira knew her best friend still lingered in the dark sided being the Emperor made her into, but it was horrifying to see how well she’d embraced the dark side. Images were burned into her memory forever…..those glowing orange eyes, the hint of cruelty in her usually bubbly façade. Ros leaning over her as she writhed in pain, laughing at her screams……..Ros in a skimpy outfit seducing Doc, who gave in without a fight……..and worst of all, Ros trying to seduce Rusk and turning to torture when he refused to give in, shocking him, choking him, cutting away his armor, then pinning him down to the bed so she could have her way with the ‘alien filth.’ She’d grown close to Rusk and Doc during their shared confinement and knew they would be reeling from these past three days as she was. She was mad at Doc for not even trying to reach their friend before caving, but she also knew he paid the price for it. Ros’s parting words to the medic must’ve hit a nerve as well as her physical retribution to being less than pleased with their tryst because he’d barely spoken since. As for Rusk, the stoic military Chagrian refused to let Ros break him and just stood, enduring her punishment without a sound other than his attempts to reach their friend trapped inside. He paid dearly for his stubbornness, but gave in when it came down to Ros intending to rape him. However, Rusk still had some fight left in him and took control of the situation. He became the aggressor so Ros wouldn’t have the memory of taking him by force, something Kira knew must’ve been very difficult for the very private man since they were always being watched. Kira glanced over at the monitor, wishing they weren’t separated because she had a bad feeling Rusk wouldn’t survive another encounter and wanted to protect her new friend. He was currently lying on his bed, naked from the waist up, but hardly any of his pale blue skin could be seen through the multitude of bandages covering him. After Ros had left Rusk’s room, Doc demanded that the guards let him go treat Rusk’s injuries to no avail and ended up giving Lord Scourge instructions over the monitor. Kira asked Doc if Rusk would be okay, the medic assured her he’d do best he could with what they had available, but that Rusk really needed to be in a kolto tank. Kira wasn’t sure what to think about the Emperor’s Wrath. Strangely enough, he seemed to be helping them in small ways he could. Scourge had come in to her room after Ros had finished torturing her. She was weak, helpless, and lying in her own filth when he entered with T7 and a cleaning droid. She tried to gather her strength to fight, but was completely drained and braced herself for whatever the huge crimson Pureblood was about to do to her. The last thing she ever expected from him was kindness, but that’s what she got. He carefully removed her restraints, trying to avoid touching her aching, painfully sensitive body as much as possible. Then he carried her to the shower and washed her off as gently as one would bathe an infant. He even took time to shampoo her hair, then wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed. After he helped her dress, she finally asked why he was helping her. He simply said he hoped she’d get the answer to that soon. Then he encouraged her to rest and gather her strength, warning her she’d need it soon. She was so deep in thought, she failed to sense anyone approaching. The door to her room opening startled her and she looked up to see guards entering her room. Kira didn’t even try to fight them off, knowing Rusk would pay the price……a price that would easily kill him in his current state, and allowed them to strap her to the restraining table again. She fought off the fear creeping up her spine as painful memories of the last time she was in this position surfaced. All too soon, the overseer arrived with Ros right behind him. He instructed the guards to leave and as he did, Ros looked up to catch her eye and for the first time since they’d been captured, hope surged in Kira. Her friend was back, plainly evident in her brilliant silver eyes. Kira barely had time to register that fact when Ros acted, igniting one of her sabers and beheading the overseer. “Wow,” Kira raised a brow at her friend, “A bit drastic, don’t you think?” “No choice,” Ros retorted as she began working to free Kira, “It had to be fast……couldn’t risk him making a sound or raising an alarm.” Ros noticed Kira flinch when she touched her and a pang of guilt shot through her as she contemplated what she did to her friend to cause that reaction. Kira noticed the look of guilt cross Ros’s face, “It’s alright…..I didn’t mean to…..” “It’s not alright, Kira,” Ros shook her head as she removed the last of the restraints, “I may not remember what I did, but I know it wasn’t good. However, this isn’t the time to discuss it. I have no idea how long we’ll have before alarms are raised.” “I’m more than ready to leave this place behind,” Kira agreed, “and thanks to the camera feeds, the others should be ready as well,” she pointed to the monitors, surprised to see static, “Uh-oh, that can’t be good. The feeds aren’t working.” “Maybe someone on the outside is giving us a fighting chance,” Ros proposed, “I’m assuming the feed to this room is out as well, so hopefully no one saw me kill the overseer and free you.” “We’d better not wait around to find out,” Kira replied, “Do you know where the others are?” “No, but Master Orgus and my father do,” Ros smiled at Kira’s obvious confusion, “Long story….I’ll tell you all about it once we’re safe.” “I’m holding you to that!” ***** Doc had been sitting quietly on his bed, reading random things on his datapad, a futile attempt to distract his mind from everything that had happened over the past three days. At first, he’d been racked with guilt over what he did with Ros. He hadn’t really considered that it was her first time when he gave into her seduction without a fight. As a result, he wasn’t that careful and he was the only one who enjoyed the experience……something the dark sided Ros had punished him for. His fingers gingerly touched his still tender throat, a shiver ran down his spine as the memory surfaced again. He felt shame on so many levels, but first and foremost, he felt bad for taking her virginity, wishing he’d at least tried to reach her before giving in and vowed to make it up to her someday…..if they survived. However, after seeing what she did to Rusk, who had tried again and again to reach her, Doc didn’t feel so bad. All Rusk got for his efforts was a body riddled with cuts, burns, and even a few fractures. In the end, Ros had her way with him and he’d be lucky to survive another day. Doc was smart enough not to point that out to the others though, knowing they weren’t too happy with him. Voices coming from the monitor caught Doc’s attention and he looked over to see guards strapping Kira down to the table. He walked over to lend his support in trying to reach Ros and noticed Rusk still asleep on his bed on his half of the screen, having been heavily dosed by Lord Scourge late last night. Doc turned his attention back to Kira’s feed just in time to see Ros enter the room. He was just about to call out to them when he saw her saber light up and sever the overseer’s head from his body. “Rusk!” Doc shouted as Ros began working at freeing Kira, “Wake up, dammit! Stuff’s happening! Come on, man……wake up!” Doc saw the Chagrian open his eyes and turn his head towards the monitor just as they lost the feed. Hoping that was a good sign, Doc began donning on his leathers to gear up for combat. Unfortunately, he had no blaster, but there were a couple of knives hidden in his medkit. He hooked them in his belt and was packing his datapad and what was left of his medical supplies into his backpack when the door to his cell opened. ***** Through his connection to the Emperor, Scourge felt the shift in the force and rushed to his quarters, knowing exactly what caused it. He quickly brought up the feed to Kira’s room and saw the overseer lying dead on the floor and Roslynd freeing Kira from her restraints. Since he was in charge of the Jedi’s crew, he had access to the camera controls from his monitor and Scourge quickly killed the camera feeds from all three rooms. He grabbed the duffle he had packed and ready, strapping it to his back before bolting out the door, the little astromech hot on his heels. No alarms had been raised yet, but he knew that was just a matter of time and he raced down the hallway leading to Doc’s room. Working fast, he unlocked the door and hurried in. “Grab whatever you need,” he instructed, “We’re leaving now!” “What’s going on?” Doc demanded, gesturing at the monitor still showing static. “No time to explain, we need to move quickly.” “I saw what happened on the feed,” Doc nodded, deciding to trust the huge Pureblood who’d helped Kira and Rusk, “I’m ready to go, but I don’t know if Rusk is. I tried to wake him, but he’s pretty out.” “I figured as much,” Scourge replied as they left the room, “The Sergeant was in rough shape when I checked in on him late last night so I gave him another dose to keep him from thrashing too much in his sleep.” They hurried down the corridor, so far free of guards, and turned down another before Scourge stopped outside another door. All was still quiet but they knew it wouldn’t last and the huge Pureblood quickly punched in the code to Rusk’s door. “The little droid and I’ll stand guard out here,” Scourge instructed as the door opened, “You get in there and help him…..and hurry, it’s only a matter of time before someone realizes what’s going on and sounds the alarm!” “I think we’re too late for that,” Doc hollered over the sudden blare of warning sirens that echoed throughout the space station. Part 2 Title: An Unlikely Ally Prompt: Allies Character: Roslynd-JK, Kira, Doc, Rusk, and Scourge Setting: Emperor’s Fortress, Defender, immediately following Free Your Mind and just before A Damaged Soul. Spoilers: JK Act 2 finale/Act 3 beginning, spoilers for the SW:TOR Revan novel, and companion spoilers for Scourge “Dammit,” Ros cursed as her and Kira raced down a long corridor where they hoped Doc was being held. Warning alarms were blaring throughout the space station, “I was hoping we’d have more time before our escape was discovered.” “Yeah, that guard really picked a bad time to check in on us,” Kira snorted, “Bad for him too considering he’s dead.” “Bad for us that he got out a call before he died,” Ros added as they approached Doc’s room, “At least he wasn’t able to give out any details.” “No, but screaming ‘sound the alarm’ did the trick though,” Kira smirked, then raised a brow at her friend, “You sure you know where you’re going because I’m not seeing any rooms.” “Crap, I think we should’ve went left out of your room, not right,” Ros replied, “Orgus and my father were only with me long enough to get to you, but they said your rooms were in separate corridors forming a square…….so one of them should be down that one ahead.” “Why am I not surprised?” Kira snickered at her friend, famous for having a poor sense of direction. “Well, it’s not like I was given a map of the place,” Ros hissed as they rounded the corner, “There’s a room up ahead.” “That can’t be good,” Kira pointed at the open door. Sure enough, the room was empty, “Looks like it was Doc’s room.” “Let’s keep going and find Rusk’s room,” Ros decided, rushing out of the room, “If he’s there, you two can make your way to the hangers and I’ll try to find Doc.” “Wait,” Kira whispered a moment later as they approached the end of the corridor, “I think I hear something around the corner.” ***** He was floating in and out of consciousness, a sea of pain flooding his body. He’d open his eyes for a moment, trying to get a handle on what was happening before the drug induced fog would pull him back under. A man had shouted his name…..it sounded both familiar and urgent so he opened his eyes, trying to focus as he finally got his leaden body to cooperate and turn toward the source, but seeing nothing but monitors showing static when he was successful. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain and tried to clear his hazy thoughts. It was Doc shouting……said I needed to wake up……stuff was happening. Instinct made him trust that the medic had a reason for wanting him to get up despite his injuries and the drugs making it nearly impossible to do so. Rusk gritted his teeth and forced his protesting body to sit up. His movements were dull and sluggish, but he finally managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed, bracing himself against the pain and dizziness. He reached into his trunk to grab his spare cortosis gear, which would have to be enough since his plating was destroyed beyond repair. He managed to get his legs into the bottoms and finally stood so he could pull them up, willing himself not to lose consciousness as alarms suddenly started going off. Clumsy fingers worked frantically at the fasteners as black spots flooded his vision, no, no, NO…..stay alert, soldier! He’d barely even registered that someone entered the room as he fought off the drug’s effects. A strong arm grabbed his just as he felt his legs giving way. “Easy there, buddy,” Doc grunted as he sat Rusk back down on the bed and helped him get the top half of the cortosis on. “What’s going on?” Rusk rasped, seeing Scourge in the doorway. “We’re busting out of here,” Doc answered, digging an adrenaline stim out of his backpack, “Okay, Rusk, this is what’s going to happen……I’m going to give you a something to counteract the drugs Scourge gave you last night. It’ll help you stay awake, but it’s also going to counter the painkillers, so you’re gonna hurt like hell.” “Do it,” Rusk nodded, “I can handle it.” “We need to hurry,” Scourge called out, igniting his saber as they heard someone coming down the hallway. Luckily the stim was fast acting and Rusk felt his head clear almost instantly, but true to Doc’s word, his pain intensified greatly. With Doc’s help, he got to his feet and tried to block out the agony shooting through every part of his body, just hold on a little longer, soldier……..you’re no quitter! Doc was just helping Rusk to the door when they heard T7 beeping frantically. They hurried into the hallway just in time to see Ros and Kira approach Lord Scourge, the former with both her sabers ignited, the latter holding up both hands and calmly stating that he meant no harm. “Care to explain what you’re doing, then?” Ros glared suspiciously at the huge Pureblood. “I will once we’re on your ship,” Scourge promised, going down on one knee, “For now, you have my word that I’m here to assist and have an urgent matter to discuss with you and your Jedi Council. You’ll just have to trust that because you won’t be able to make it out of here without my help.” “He helped us before, Ros,” Kira told her friend, knowing time was of the essence. “He sprung me before the alarms even went off,” Doc added, then gestured at the tall Chagrian he was helping support, “and he patched Rusk up yesterday when the guards wouldn’t let me do it.” Lord Scourge=good to T7//Lord Scourge=not bad for Sith “Master Orgus told me to trust you,” Ros nodded at Scourge, “He hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so let’s get going. I hope you have an idea for getting us out of here.” “We need to get to the hangers, your ship is ready for takeoff,” Scourge replied, getting back up, “Follow me, quickly and be ready to fight.” Scourge barely got that last sentence out when a guard unit rounded the corner from Kira’s corridor, blocking their route to the hangers. Scourge and Ros leapt at the large group of guards in front of them, their slashing red blades full of deadly promise. T7 joined them, firing plasma bolts and shocking any that tried to make it past them to the unarmed trio they were protecting. A second group came up from behind and Doc pulled out his knives, sinking one deep into the gut of the guard closing in on Kira. Kira threw them back several feet with a powerful force blast as Rusk grabbed the rifle off a corpse covered in burn slashes that landed next to him, and began picking them off that second group. The guards weren’t stupid however, and quickly spotted that Rusk was the only one capable of fighting at range at the moment. They kept their distance, focusing their fire on the military man. With no plating to absorb the blaster bolts, Rusk braced himself for the burning sting of several blaster bolts as the unit open fired. They never came, a bubble of force energy absorbing them. Having no idea how long Kira’s force shield would last, Rusk fired the rifle in rapid succession, his accuracy hindered a little due to his injuries. He managed to pick off most of the unit before the first blaster bolt tore past the shield, lancing through his arm. The disciplined soldier shrugged it off, never missing a beat and continued to fire at the remaining guards until a second plasma bolt caught him in the thigh. That was enough to down him and the guards advanced. Kira was too weak at that point to blast them back, but Rusk managed to get to his, grabbing the knife from the dead guard’s gut as Doc fought one off a few feet away. Rusk launched himself at a second guard attacking an unarmed Kira, quickly slitting the man’s throat. The remaining advanced on him, vibro swords raised, but never made it as figure clad in black leapt between them, her twin red sabers making quick work of them both. Doc and Kira supported Rusk as they continued on to the hanger, Ros and Scourge leading the way. They encountered another group of guards in the corridor to the hanger, but it was small and easily taken care of. Scourge keyed in his code and the hanger door opened, revealing the Defender ready for takeoff as Scourge promised. Their new ally closed the door behind them and stabbed the control panel with his lightsaber, ensuring no one else would be coming in after them. Then they finally boarded the ship, Ros and Scourge heading for the cockpit as Doc and Kira took Rusk to the medbay. A few minutes later, Ros was easing them out of the hanger and Scourge gave his clearance code to the flight commander in charge of the station. As soon as they were given the all clear, Ros plotted their course for Tython and piloted them to the nearest hyperlane, making the jump to hyperspace once they got there ten minutes later. Ros immediately got up and headed down to the med bay to see if Doc needed help with Rusk. The young Jedi wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her when she entered the room. The pale blue Chagrian was clad in his boxers and his body was covered in a multitude of lacerations, burns, and bruises. The worst being an angry looking slash that began at his chest and ran the length of his muscular abdomen, disappearing below the waist of his boxers. His careful movements and clenched jaw spoke of the agony he was clearly in. “By the stars!” Ros blanched, her face reflecting the horrified shock she felt, “Fideltin, what happened to you?!” “It’s nothing, Master Jedi,” he replied before anyone else could, “I’ll be fine.” Ros knew he was lying to her, none of them were able to look her in the eye, It was me……I did that to him! “Come on, buddy,” Doc muttered, guiding Rusk to the tank, “Let’s get you settled in and sedated. Kira or Ros, get his other side……..that leg isn’t going to support his weight climbing in.” Ros climbed up on the platform and leaned over to wrap Rusk’s arm around her shoulders. Between her and Doc, they were able to help Rusk climb into the tank and Doc hit the switch to finish filling it with the thick heavy fluid. Just as it reached his chin, Ros realized something and quickly reached under his arms, wrapping hers around him and pulled him up to her. “Doc,” she shouted, straining to hold Rusk’s head above the fluid and keep herself from falling in, “You forgot to put a mask on him!” “Well, isn’t this an interesting sight,” Lord Scourge called out from the doorway, an amused look on his face, “I didn’t know Jedi were so forward.” Ros felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she realized it looked like she was throwing herself at her crewmate, “Oh for force sake, I’ve already got one pervert on this ship……I don’t need another!” “Hey now,” Doc countered, “I wasn’t the one drooling over Holo pics of Chase McKinney on the flight to Hoth.” “He has such a nice bod though,” Kira let out a dreamy sigh. “and a fantastic a…..uh, nevermind,” Ros grinned sheepishly. Despite everything that had happened over the past few weeks, Kira couldn’t help but let out a giggle at her friend’s embarrassment and even Doc had to smile, “You can let go, Ros, I didn’t forget anything. Rusk doesn’t need a mask.” “It’s true, Master Jedi,” Rusk confirmed as he gripped the side of the tank to hold himself up a little higher, a rare smile curving his lips as he averted his gaze from Ros’s attributes, “My species can breathe underwater.” “Oh don’t I just feel stupid,” Ros blushed as she let go of her injured friend, “Uh…..sorry about that.” “It’s alright…..I think we all needed a good laugh,” Rusk murmured before letting go of the tank and letting himself submerge completely. Doc sealed the tank, made sure the monitors were all working properly, then released a painkiller, a sedative, and an antibiotic into Rusk’s systems and within seconds, his eyes were closed and his body was relaxed, floating in the tank. Doc checked the rest of them over, patching up a few wounds he, Kira, Ros, and Scourge sustained during the escape. After that, they went to the rec room, which also served as a conference area where they could bring each other up to speed. Ros went first, explaining how her father and Master Orgus showed up and helped free her mind from the Emperor. She told them she had no memory of what she did during the time under the Emperor’s control but from what she’d gathered from Master Orgus, she’d been present in her subconscious and her memory would return eventually. Kira and Doc exchanged a look before Kira explained that she, Doc, and Rusk were kept in a holding cell together until those last few days. She admitted that she’d tried to escape that first day and Rusk was punished for it. She also told her friend that Lord Scourge had been helpful during their confinement, but was purposely vague on the details. She didn’t see the need to burden her friend since her memories would eventually return soon enough. Lord Scourge turned to Kira when it was his turn to speak, “You were born in the Empire and training to be Sith as a child. What do you know about the Emperor’s Wrath?” “Rumors mostly,” Kira answered, “Things the older students liked to tell the younger ones to scare them.” “Like what?” Scourge pressed. “Well, that you’re the Emperor’s boogeyman,” Kira smirked, then her smile faded, “Some said the Emperor made you immortal and that you were over three hundred years old.” “Actually, that’s not too far from the truth,” Scourge admitted quietly, “I don’t know about being a ‘boogeyman’ but I am…..or was the Emperor’s primary enforcer.” “Are you saying you really are immortal?” Ros choked. “Yes,” Scourge nodded, “and I paid a high price for my immortality. However, that’s not important right now.” “I know Sith like to be all powerful and stuff, but honestly, who would want to live forever?” Kira mused, Ros nodding her agreement. “There are many that would love to live forever,” Scourge sighed, “I wasn’t one of them. However, it became a necessity after a vision I had centuries ago……a vision of the Jedi that would defeat the Emperor for good.” “Then why are you here,” Ros asked, “Why did you help us escape? Are you hoping to find this Jedi? You think we’ll lead you to him or her so you can rid the one who could destroy your master?” “No,” Scourge stated, “I already found the Jedi from my vision and I don’t want to get rid of her. I want to help her succeed.” “Okay, you lost me now,” Doc spoke up, “Aren’t you the personal enforcer of the Emperor? Doesn’t it contradict your position a little to help this Jedi defeat him?” “My vision only showed me the Jedi’s face,” Scourge explained, “No name, no timeframe…..just a face that is burned into my memory,” then he turned to Ros, “The vision showed me your face.” “You must’ve made a mistake,” Ros shook her head sadly, “I failed to defeat the Emperor.” “But you did manage to escape his control,” Scourge countered, “and he had to fight you constantly for it. In fact, when he originally took over your mind, the effort cost him so much that he had you sedated for nearly two days so he could rest.” “Suppose you’re right and Ros is this Jedi from your vision,” Kira narrowed her blue eyes at the Pureblood, “Why do you want to see the Emperor defeated? You’re Sith……don’t you believe in his supreme control and worship the ground he treads on?” “I did….in the beginning. Then I saw something more horrible than any of you can possibly imagine. I saw a world completely dead, no signs of life, no force, a complete void of all existence. It was the Emperor’s homeworld, Nathema, after he’d performed a ritual to absorb all of the existing force on the planet.” “Why?” Ros whispered. “Absolute power and immortality,” Scourge answered, “However, it wasn’t enough for him and he planned to repeat it. To make a long story short, I teamed up with Revan, who’d turned back to the light at that point, and the Exile, Meetra Surik. The three of us planned out assault on the Emperor, but the just before my attack, two visions came to me. The first was of our attack…..it would fail miserably and the three of us would die. Then the second one came, the one of you defeating him. I was conflicted and force visions were new to me. We attacked and I made a decision……I betrayed Revan and the Exile, stabbing her in the back quite literally. The Emperor dealt with Reven, to this day I’m not sure what happened to him, and was both punished and rewarded with the newly created position as the Emperor’s Wrath, which included an alchemical version of his ritual for immortality.” “How was that a punishment?” Kira asked, “I mean no planet was wiped out for you.” “Let’s just say it was a very painful process to endure and I lost more than my mortality that day,” Scourge answered, “its not important. The position had its perks, but I had to constantly guard my thoughts. If the Emperor got a hint of what I had planned, I have no doubt he would make me pay dearly for it. So I carried out his justice, ever vigilant over the years that turned into decades, then centuries, always secretly searching for the Jedi from my vision……until that day few months ago when I was sent to Quesh.” “I remembered you staring at me,” Ros nodded, “You acted strange, but left without further incident.” “The Emperor knew the Jedi were planning on assaulting his fortress,” Scourge told them, “and I was certain you would be with them. I was right, but it didn’t end as I’d expected. However, I saw the toll it took on the Emperor to control you and knew you were the one who’d be his downfall. I began preparing immediately, making sure the ship was left intact and ready to go. I kept an eye on your crewmates, kept the little droid with me, and waited. Through my connection to the Emperor, I felt the shift in the Force when you regained control of your mind, then saw you freeing Kira. I killed the camera feeds and you know the rest.” “You said the Emperor planned to repeat this ritual……did he?” “Not at that time. As it turns out, the source I’d heard that from didn’t know everything. The Emperor did intend to perform the ritual again…….in the future and on a much larger scale.” “Do you mean….” Ros began, her silver eyes wide with horror as understanding dawned. “The whole galaxy will be wiped out,” Scourge confirmed. “Why would he do that? He would be destroyed as well!” Kira cried. “He’s driven mad with power and thinks nothing will destroy him…..it’s all a game, a sick twisted game, just like the one he played with all of you.” “He needs to be stopped, now more than ever and hopefully the Council will back us,” Ros stated, stifling a yawn as she stood, “For now, I suggest we all rest while we can. I get the feeling we’re in for many trials ahead.” No one argued as they all were exhausted, both mentally and physically. “One thing I’m curious about,” Scourge paused on the way to the door, “Who’s Chase McKinney?” “Ever watch As the Chrono Turns?” Kira asked, flashing him a cheeky grin as Ros let out a snort of laughter at the thought of the Emperor’s Wrath watching soap operas. Author’s Note: I hope no one minded the light hearted moments towards the end, but I figured Ros and company earned a couple of laughs before having to deal with the emotional aftermath of their time in captivity. Chase McKinney is a made up actor who women all across the galaxy swoon over…..picture him as you will for now. As the Chrono Turns is a soap opera I made up……I’m sure you’ll see it come up again. Edited April 10, 2014 by alaurin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striges Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) I hate avoiding JK spoilers. Going to have a lot to catch up on when I finish my knight. (edit to add)I really appreciate you keeping the index up to date. It's a difficult and mostly thankless job, but it makes catching up in this thread so much easier for new or returning (or forgetful) readers. Thanks so much. Edited April 10, 2014 by Striges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoshiRaphElan Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 @alaurin, I like your two stories here. You write Doc great even though you don't like him, and you write Rusk even better! Prompt - Snatched from the Jaws of Defeat Title - Almost Too Late Class - Jedi Consular No spoilers Gareb's lightsaber flashed and he pulled farther back down the narrow corridor of the Imperial base. He'd been assigned by the Jedi Council to capture a holocron the Sith had stolen from a Jedi excavation site on Ilum, and he'd walked right into an ambush. Beside him, Tharan's blaster flashed–once, twice, three times. Imperial troops fell with each shot; Tharan had become far more proficient a fighter since he'd joined Gareb so long ago, despite his repeated protests of being a pacifist. Dressed in a mesh combat suit with red shoulder pads, Tharan looked more soldier than scientist, and Gareb had to admit it was an impressive sight. "There are too many!" Tharan said. A blaster bolt came flying, and Gareb batted it away. He quickly sent a Force blast down the hall, knocking the lead Imperial from his feet. The blaster shots kept coming and Gareb proficiently deflected them into the floor or back at the shooters. "Felix!" Gareb called over his comlink. "Felix, do you read?" "I read you, Jedi," Felix replied. "We need a pickup, now! I've got the holocron but the Imperials are advancing." "We're coming in," Felix replied. "Meet you at the front door." Gareb and Tharan continued to back toward the gates of the Imperial base. Gareb turned at the last moment and slashed the gate open. He and Tharan quickly ran outside. Imperial troopers poured out after them, their rifles firing. Tharan quickly deployed Holiday, and the Imperial troopers frowned in confusion at the sudden appearance of the dancing apparition. "Lower the ramp!" Gareb called. "Lowering," Felix called. The ship touched down and the ramp began to descend. Tharan shot one of the Imperials down and deactivated Holiday. Gareb was now at the foot of the ramp, and he quickly sent a Force wave at the Imperials to knock them over. Then he and Tharan ran aboard the ship. "Take off, Felix," Gareb said. He let out a sigh of relief. "Well...that was close." "Too close," Tharan said with a theatrical sigh. "I think they actually singed my goatee." "Oh, Tharan," Holiday gushed, "it just makes you look more roguish." Gareb groaned and sat back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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