#swtorpadawan writes

[swtorpadawan]

Chaos is a Ladder

Author’s Notes: The following story takes place on Hutta during Act III of the Class stories. I name-drop a lot of minor NPCs from the game, so I hope you’re into that sort of thing. Content warnings for references to off-camera extreme violence.

“Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them.” - Petyr Baelish, aka 'Littlefinger', HBO’s Game of Thrones, season 3, episode 6, "The Climb"

Loyalty on Hutta is a complicated thing. The woman who called herself Linh noted to herself in a detached moment of clarity, drawing her consciousness away from the nearby stench of death and the distant sounds of fighting.

Nominally, of course, everything on Hutta was controlled by the Hutts. Any attempts to wrest control of their adopted home world away from the Cartel over the centuries – either by the native Evocii or by the various rival crime lords and organizations that thrived on the nearby ‘Smuggler’s Moon’ of Nar Shaddaa – had been ruthlessly crushed.   

But in practice, the Hutt Cartel ruled Hutta solely through fear.

And it was an effective and even a pragmatic fear, one that allowed a relatively small number of Hutts to each rule over their own private fiefdom, with the backing of countless guards, servants and slaves, aided by any number of semi-independent mercenaries and bounty hunters, and supported by a culture that ensured that however much Hutts might quarrel, fight and rage against each other, they always seemed to band together the moment the status quo of their world was challenged; even if one Hutt did fall, another would simply take their place or absorb their territory, with predictable consequences.  

But it was still a control built on the foundation of fear nonetheless. Meaning that any loyalty anyone showed to the Hutts was an illusion, and that illusion was virtually everywhere.

Based on her own training and experiences, Linh had always suspected that the moment peoples’ fear of the Hutts was eclipsed by their fear of something else, those illusions would be dispelled, and those people would turn.

And that suspicion was now being confirmed as people were now turning on Suudaa Nem'ro, more popularly known as Nem’ro the Hutt, leader of the Nem’ro Clan and lord of the industrial town of Jiguuna.

It had all started less than an hour ago.

The unnamed Houk had shown up suddenly at the entrance of Nem’ro’s Palace, calling out the Hutt and bellowing a series of extraordinarily graphic and imaginative threats against Nem’ro’s person.

This had initially been little cause for concern to Linh and most of the other occupants of the palace at the time, who initially took this development for a rather convoluted suicide attempt. This Houk was clearly insane and was looking for a way to die.

Then Nem’ro’s guards had converged to intercept the intruder… and they had been the ones who started dying.

The amused indifference of the populace had turned to concern and then to fear.

Then the fear had turned to panic.

As the Houk made his way through the palace, killing anyone in his path in a merciless onslaught, everything had descended into chaos. Every second the Houk had spent viciously cleaving his way through defenders with his vibro-blade was a second where resistance seemed to melt away.

The panic had turned to rioting, as everyone’s immediate goals had shifted.

It wasn’t just the Houk’s doing, of course. Had all the guards, servants, hangers-on and guests in Nem’ro’s palace bravely united to stand against the assailant, they surely would have taken him down eventually.

Surely. Linh thought to herself in reassurance, even though she was not completely certain at all.

Many of the occupants of Nem’ro’s palace were perfectly willing enough to feign bravery when the odds were overwhelmingly in their favor and there was a chance for personal gain. But they were quick to turn and flee the moment that equation was in doubt.

No. This crisis was the result of people on Hutta fearing something else more than they feared a Hutt. The instant that happened, all bets were off. Tomorrow, or a year from now, a new equilibrium would inevitably reemerge, with some other Hutt in charge.

No one cared about that now.

The majority of these people simply wanted to survive today.

Far worse than these sheep were the many individuals in the palace and throughout Jiguuna who had instinctively started taking advantage of the chaos. Many saw the opportunity to finish old scores with a rival at a moment when they figured they could get away with it. One or two were petty enough to simply took the chance to mug some of the wealthier patrons of the lord of Jiguuna. A few even risked looting the treasures of the Hutt’s palace.

Fools. Linh thought to herself. She didn’t know how many of these opportunists had made it out of the palace, but she had to assume it wasn’t many. No amount of credits (or personal satisfaction) were worth your life.

Not when everything is falling into anarchy. Linh thought to herself.

She heard fighting – or rioting – in the distance. She counted herself lucky.

For her own part, by the time the intruder had stormed through the palace cantina, where Linh usually spent her days, she had wisely made herself scarce, slipping out into the streets of Jiguuna in the confusion as she gripped her hold-out blaster.

Linh was an observer. By training and inclination. Now she finally had a moment to reflect on what she had observed during her final moments in the palace. Most of it seemed irrelevant. Who was running. Who was fighting. Why was dying.

One thing she was certain of was that Nem’ro’s luck had finally run out.

At what seemed to have been the penultimate moment, only one of Nem’ro’s remaining lieutenants, Carnus, seemed willing to take up the challenge posed by his fellow Houk. The two had come to blows in the cantina, even while Nem’ro could be heard bellowing down the passageway in a panic for more of his guards to come to his side to defend his bulk, and offering outrageous rewards to whomever could end the threat to his life.

When even Carnus had fallen beneath the newcomer’s rampage, the writing on the wall had become clear: Nem’ro the Hutt was doomed. No one else would be willing to die for the Hutt. It was simply a matter of survival now, and who could run the fastest.

If the Lord of Jiguuna wasn’t already dead, he would be soon.

Still outside, cocooned in her moment of clarity, Linh realized that it was a fall that had been a long time coming. Things had seemed to be slowly deteriorating in Jiguuna for nearly two years.

It started with Karrels Javis. She decided.

He had been Nem’ro’s most capable and reliable lieutenant before he’d been killed. He was certainly capable of violence, but Javis had understood that violence was a tool and not philosophical approach to everyday life. He’d been pragmatic and reasonable, usually taking pains to avoid putting decisions to his boss when the Hutt’s temper was acting up.  

Officially, Javis had met his end by an assassination team sent by Nem’ro’s rival, Voontara Fa'athra.

(Linh knew better than to believe that story.)

Nem’ro’s reprisals against Fa'athra’s supporters had been unprecedented even by Hutt levels. Armed with a data file retrieved from Voontara Fa'athra’s palace by the so-called ‘Red Blade’, there had been a bloodbath in Jiguuna with dozens of Fa'athra’s supposed sympathizers in the town purged on Nem’ro’s orders.

Still. Linh thought to herself. Despite his cold-bloodedness, the Blade she’d briefly met, that supposed pirate – with his cool, emerald eyes and chiseled jawline – had been capable. Very capable. He was just the sort of person I could have used to get off Hutta, now.

Unfortunately, he was far from here, on some job or another that she couldn’t even imagine. 

It had taken weeks for the city to calm down.

Even after the dust had settled from the purges, and even after the victory celebrations Nem’ro had held when Fa’athra had fled Hutta in apparent defeat, there was a sullen air to the place. As if whatever little vitality Jiguuna could have claimed before had been sapped, and things were continuing purely on momentum.

Illustrating her point in fact, just a few weeks ago, Nem’ro had come down with a rare flesh-eating disease, placing the Hutt’s life – and his sizable bulk – in jeopardy. This development had led to considerable tension among the Hutt’s various lieutenants and supporters, as everyone jockeyed for position should Nem’ro ‘tragically’ pass away. There had been a number of killings, discreetly passed off as ‘isolated incidents’ by Nem’ro’s security, and Linh was fully convinced that there’d have been an outbreak of open infighting throughout the organization if it had lasted any longer.

Fortunately for what still counted for the status quo in Jiguuna – and for Nem’ro, personally – a Republic doctor had arrived one day at the palace before that came to pass, having heard of the Hutt’s plight. Linh had noted he’d been on ‘watch list’ for her true employer, as the man had previously worked for the Balmorran Resistance and had more recently been working with some upstart Jedi Knight running around the galaxy. This doctor apparently had enough pull to get an appointment with the Hutt, and within a few days, Nem’ro was on the road to recovery.

Even with Nem’ro cured, however, things had never quite gotten back to normal in Jiguuna. There was too much bad blood by then. Too much pressure on Nem’ro’s organization to produce refined fuel to cover his trade agreements with the Sith Empire. Too much lost inertia. Too many people with too many ‘what if’ thoughts.  

It had been a powder keg. And the attacking Houk had lit the wick.

Now she was outside the palace, and the only person on Hutta who knew that her real name wasn’t Linh and that she wasn’t just a small-time private fence with a pretty face working out of Nem’ro’s cantina was lying dead at her feet.

Lycus Mattle had (officially) been a freelance hired gun in Jiguuna, occasionally taking jobs with Nem’ro’s gang. An older mercenary, he was respected enough that the local ruffians usually gave him a wide berth. He usually made a place for himself just outside the palace at the bazaar, should anyone seek to hire him.

He had also been, like Linh, an operative of Imperial Intelligence, and a subject of the Sith Empire.

And now he was dead, with multiple blaster wounds having caught him in the chest.  

Linh also spotted a trio of slain Rodians lying nearby. She recalled them having visited the palace earlier that day, planning some scheme or another. Apparently when they had fled the carnage, they had decided that their best bet was to kill the lone, human gunman, take his weapons, and then to decide what to do next to get away from the carnage.

Lycus Mattle may have been old for being a supposed merc. (Truth, he was older still for being a field operative of Imperial Intelligence.) But he had taken all three of his attackers with him.

Linh found herself taking some small satisfaction from that fact. Over these last two years, the older agent had become a partner to her; part mentor, part confidante and part protector should anyone on Hutta ever give her too much trouble. She was glad he’d given better than he got.

But that didn’t change the reality that her only real ally – and her best chance of getting off Hutta alive – was now gone. Linh knew how to use her holdout blaster, and she’d received basic self-defense training. But she had no illusions as to how long she’d last in a deteriorating hellhole like Jiguuna, much less if she ran into that Houk.

She processed all of that as her fingertips gently lowered Lycus’ eyelids. 

“You were a good partner, Lycus.” She whispered to herself, unexpectedly finding herself wiping a tear from her eye. “The best.”

‘Lycus’ hadn’t been his real name, of course, any more than ‘Linh’ had been hers. But in the two years she’d been on Hutta, it had been the only name she’d ever known him by. She didn’t know his real name and it was unlikely she ever would. ‘Lycus’ would have to do.

Now he was rotting in a trench on Hutta, and she didn’t even have the time to bury him properly.

Fortunately for her, she didn’t need Lycus to be alive to help her out of this predicament.

Linh looked around the plaza again to make sure the coast was clear.

She needn’t have worried about being observed. The whole area seemed completely abandoned. People had either fled for cover or had decided now was as good a time as any to engage in violence elsewhere in the town. Nem’ro may have been a ruthless crime lord, but as had been the case in the palace, his authority had also been the only thing holding some people back.

And that was gone now. She continued to hear the sounds of unrest in the distance. People were dying. But she didn’t have time to think about that.

Residing in the palace as she normally did, Linh could have been searched by Nem’ro’s security at any time. (Indeed, more than one visitor to the palace had found themselves wearing a slave collar for carrying around unauthorized contraband.) So it made sense for Lycus to keep their ‘sensitive equipment’.

Taking a deep breath, Linh carefully detached Lycus’ weapons harness and utility belt from his body and reached into his vest. A moment later, now holding his pass-key, Linh inserted it into her deceased partner’s holo-transmitter.

By itself, the equipment was mundane. Only a thorough inspection by a skilled engineer would have uncovered any anomalies in its manufacture.

Linh took off her necklace from inside her blouse and carefully snapped the pendant in two. She then held the now-exposed circuits against the power cell compartment of the holo-transmitter until they seamlessly slid into place, completing the circuit. After a few moments diode on the advice turned red.

Excellent. Linh smiled. The direct line was secure and would be all but untraceable.

“This is Infiltrator Ninety-nine.” Linh’s voice had changed, but she kept her voice low as she spoke into the transmitter. “Requesting immediate extraction. Confirmation Code Delta-Beta-Nine-Four. Please respond.”

With that, she exhaled. It was the first time in years that she’d used her own voice. An Imperial voice. It felt liberating, really.

A moment later, the holo display started to flicker.

She had expected a junior Watcher to pick up her communications signal at headquarters in Kaas City. Or perhaps – if the Watchers were hard-pressed with the war effort at the moment – a Minder or at least a Fixer. Following protocol, they would direct an Intelligence Asset Recovery Team to her aid, and get her off this cesspit of a world.

Instead, she saw only a rotating Imperial Insignia appear in the holo display, as an automated voice spoke.  

“Attention all personnel: By the order of the Dark Council, Imperial Intelligence has been dissolved. Any and all ongoing operations are hereby terminated. You are ordered to immediately report to Dromund Kaas for reassignment to the Imperial Military. Long live the Emperor.”  

The holo-display went dead.

Linh’s jaw dropped in shock.

No. she silently whispered to herself. Impossible. It couldn’t be true.

She attempted to toggle the call button again for a few futile moments.

Nothing.

Her free hand the nearby tent pole for support. If she hadn’t been crouched down, she’d probably have fallen over.

The implications of this announcement were staggering.

The Sith Empire was over a thousand years old. And Imperial Intelligence had been a part of it since the beginning, cleaning up the messes of the Sith and the Imperial military.

Oh, there had been purges of the service throughout that history. Usually due to some perceived operational failure or another. Occasionally a Minister of Intelligence would be “retired” and the powers that be would insist on “changes in personnel” to make way for the new regime.

But for the Empire to dissolve the service now at the peak of its war with the Galactic Republic…

Madness. She thought to herself. Without Imperial Intelligence, there would be chaos. Not just for the Empire, but with respect to her immediate situation.

Linh needed assistance just safely getting off Hutta, much less getting back to Dromund Kaas.

She’d been Informer-99 for the last three years. She had hoped to be promoted to ‘Minder’ someday, perhaps eventually serve as a station chief on some planet with a more enjoyable climate. (After spending so long on Hutta, Alderaan sounded positively divine.) 

All her career goals were gone now. Dead as Lycus.

Dead as Imperial Intelligence. She thought to herself.

She felt her breathing start to become more rapid as she continued to process.

And what sort of future could she expect if she even made it back to the Imperial capital?

A career in the Imperial Military would be a dead end for her, and a waste of her talents. At best, she’d be stranded in some subordinate clerical position in the Ministry of Logistics, running statistical reports and fetching caff for her superiors.

At worse, she’d be pressed into an auxiliary combat battalion where all her intelligence would be wasted, and she’d be killed off in some useless battle or another.

No. She stopped herself. At worse, I’ll be indentured directly to one of the Sith.

She shivered at the thought, remembering all the stories she’d heard at the academy.

Nothing could be worse than that.

Linh felt her grip on the comm device tighten further.

The Empire had abandoned her. It was no longer home.

She felt a sense of panic start to grow. And then the anger of the injustice of it all.

No. She stopped herself again. That was what her instructors at the academy had trained her not to do.

Unlike Sith, operatives did not have the luxury of giving into their anger. Angry agents made mistakes, as did agents in a state of despair.

If she was to survive, she had to think clearly. She had to remain calm.

She had to remember her training.

After a moment, she felt her breathing relax and her brain started to work again.

First things first. Linh decided to herself, following her training.

Dealing with the immediate situation had to be her priority.

She dropped the holo-communicator on the ground and rose to her feet. Pulling out her holdout blaster, she pointed it at the discarded device.

Then she fired twice.

In a flash, the only physical evidence connecting her to Imperial Intelligence on Hutta had been destroyed in a smoking wreck.

Linh exhaled a breath she didn’t know she’d been keeping.

It feels cathartic. She allowed herself a grim smirk.

Next order of business.

I can’t stay on Hutta. Linh concluded. She’d seen enough conflict among the Hutts to know that sooner or later, and probably sooner, the Cartel would move in to fill the gap left by Nem’ro’s sudden ‘absence’. Once that happened, anyone still around who had even been in the palace at the time of the attack would either be shot on sight or they’d find themselves indentured and sent to the gas mines.

The Hutts did not take betrayal well. By their logic, every resident of Jiguuna should have sacrificed themselves to save Nem’ro. To show clemency to Nem’ro’s surviving supporters would only encourage dissent and disloyalty in other Hutt courts and territories.  

She had to get away from the Houk, the Hutt Cartel and the Empire. If she were lucky, she and Lycus would be presumed dead in the paperwork. If not, she’d be a wanted renegade.

But first, she had to get off Hutta.

She had identified the problem. Now she needed to find a solution.

What are my assets? She continued following the steps of her training.

She regarded her holdout blaster.

Honestly, it had been no more than a deterrent in the Palace. Virtually anyone on Hutta would have outgunned her in a shootout, and if she did run into that Houk, it would count for nothing.

She had a few credits on her, but if people were already fleeing to the spaceport in a panic, she doubted those would be enough to get her anywhere.

Nothing drove up inflation like a life-or-death situation.

Thinking to herself, she dug through her hidden pockets and pulled out a thin piece of plastic.  Carefully unpeeling a label, she regarding the revealed card.

Her backup identity. Not her identity as ‘Linh’, small-time criminal on Hutta. Nor her ‘real name’ she’d been born with in the Empire. But a new one entirely.

Jheeg – the local Arcona fixer who Intelligence had once worked with – had been killed after several security failures involving that business with the agent impersonating the Red Blade. (Linh had privately suspected that Lycus himself had done the job on Jheeg, though she could never prove it and she knew better than to ask.) Jheeg had once provided her and Lycus with backup cover identities if they ever needed to suddenly flee the planet. (Lycus had insisted on the precaution; he never really talked about what he’d done for Imperial Intelligence before this assignment, but it was now clear to her that he had been jaded by his career and was aware of the possibility of a situation such as this arising.)

The identity was still valid; or at least it’d be valid enough in a pinch. It wouldn’t have fooled a review by Imperial Intelligence, she was sure. But if Intelligence no longer existed, it just might fool the Empire.

Regardless, she could build a new life for herself.

But all that would have to start with getting off Hutta.

Her training kicked in again:

Who are my allies?

Rex Geer might have been persuaded to help her. He’d bought her a drink or two at the cantina, and she’d considered taking things further to cement a potentially valuable contact. But Nem’ro’s top street lieutenant – who had led the defense against Fa’athra’s incursion during their conflict – had been one of those killed during the unrest from Nem’ro’s illness a few weeks past.

Stabbed in the back in a back-alley. Linh recalled to herself, with regret. Like as not, his own men had killed him just for the prospect of a promotion.

Oren Ward would have been another potential ally. The bounty hunter had fostered a ‘school-boy crush’ on her, Linh knew. But he and Burnok had departed Hutta months ago for greener pastures after Oren had recovered from his carbonite imprisonment at Fa’athra’s palace.

She tried to think of another protector-type who might still be alive and willing to help her. She came up empty.

It doesn’t look good. Linh admitted to herself, as she tried to reconsider the situation.

In truth, obtaining the services of a ‘hero gunman’ to defend her was a secondary concern, even if having such a champion would have been reassuring. By now, she was convinced that the Houk could have torn through anyone she could think of if he spotted her, possibly even a Sith or a Jedi.

What she really needed was someone with the credits and the connections to get her through the spaceport and off-planet. If it was already locked down by the Cartel’s people, she’d need someone with Nem’ro’s security codes to get off-planet.

She smiled grimly to herself as a stroke of inspiration came to her mind.   

Fortunately, Linh had realized that she knew of just the right person who could provide both.

Surprisingly, getting back into the palace had been a simple affair. Evidently, nearly everyone still capable of walking had already fled by now.

Linh knew she was taking a huge risk just coming back here, but she saw no other options. If her quarry was still alive, they’d be inside. As she made her way through the cantina, she tried not to pay any mind to the corpses she was stepping over. She’d known many of these people for the past two years, and while she personally found most of them unpleasant, she also knew that looking at their dead faces now could easily plunge her into a pit of despair.  

None of that would help her.

She made her way down the corridor, holdout blaster drawn and at the ready.

Remember your training. Linh reminded herself for what felt like the tenth time. She was no true field operative. She’d known from the start at the Academy that she never be a Cipher agent. But she knew how to navigate a dangerous building. Certainly, one that she’d lived at for two years.

She carefully snuck past the receiving chamber to the throne room. She could hear sounds from within that didn’t sound remotely human or sentient, for that matter. Not ‘fighting’ sounds exactly, but…

No. she continued on. I won’t think about that.

As she finally approached her destination, hoping against hope that her target was still inside, she nearly tripped over some wreckage on the floor. Looking down, she recognized it as the remains of P8-47, the astromech droid that frequently acted as one of Nem’ro’s messengers.

The droid had been sweet to her on occasion, and she’d once considered recruiting him as a source. She’d discarded the idea, however; he’d been frightfully loyal to Nem’ro.

Pity. Linh steeled herself from the discovery as she continued down the hall into the next chamber, peeking around the corner.

Two Twi’leks were standing within, with the larger male gripping the younger female’s wrist violently.

“The credits, girl!” Toth'lazhen hissed, slapping the beleaguered woman across the cheek as she cried out.

One of Nem’ro’s senior lieutenants, Toth'lazhen had risen to pre-eminence after the death of Karrels Javis. His reputation for brutality had endeared himself to the Hutt.

Linh had been carefully studying Toth'lazhen for some time now as part of her duties to Imperial Intelligence. The Twi’lek lieutenant normally spoke in the perfect Huttese of his boss.

The fact that he was now speaking his native Twi'leki was telling. If nothing else, based on that fact alone, she’d know that Nem’ro was finished.

Linh had always assessed him as something of a fool and a brute. Today, she was seeing evidence to support that opinion.

Unfortunately, his present victim was the one she’d been seeking.

Juda was a young but highly intelligent green-skinned Twi’lek, unusually amiable for a resident of Nem’ro’s palace. For the past two years or so, she’d served as Nem’ro’s paymaster, taking over when his old accountant, an old human cyborg named Yalt, had made the mistake of going over to Fa’athra’s side.

(She did not want to think about the price Yalt had paid for that mistake. Juda had proven more reliable.)

Today, Linh had decided that Juda was her best chance of getting off Hutta.

Apparently, Toth'lazhen had decided the same thing.  

“Please.” Juda cried out, struggling against his grasp. “Let me go! I’m just trying to get out of here.”

Toth'lazhen slapped the girl again as she cried out. Linh noted a bruise forming beneath Juda’s eye.

“You can run once I have Nem’ro’s money.” He snarled.

Part of Linh’s mind, trained for ruthless pragmatism, related to Toth'lazhen’s position. He was self-interested individually willing to do whatever it took to get off Hutta alive.

The same applies to me. Linh admitted.

On the other hand, he had turned his back to the doorway. And something about the way he was abusing Juda did not sit well with the suddenly unemployed Imperial operative.

His mistake.

Linh scowled, as the major domo raised his hand to strike the weeping girl again. Any thought of negotiating with Toth'lazhen had fled her mind.  

The holdout blaster – set for silent mode – was relatively low-power. But she was less than five meters from the attacking Twi’lek, with more than enough time to put three rounds through his back.

If Toth'lazhen tried to scream out in pain, that scream was cutoff with the second round. The third was only for certainty’s sake.  

Juda blinked in surprise as her attacker fell dead to the floor, looking up at her erstwhile rescuer.

The two women’s eyes met. Much to Linh’s surprise, as she gazed into the Twi’lek’s violet irises, she felt herself gulp.

Was it the adrenaline? The fact that Toth'lazhen was the first person she’d ever killed with her own hand? The look of gratitude in Juda’s pretty, violet eyes?  

“Thank you.” The young Twi’lek whispered, falling back into her desk chair in relief. She held herself gingerly, slowly rocking back and forth.

Linh silently nodded, swallowing and lowering her blaster. Her throat felt dry. Whatever guilt she felt for killing the Twi’lek was being suppressed by the adrenaline still pumping through her veins.  

“Toth'lazhen would have killed me.” Juda said quietly continued, swallowing. “Or worse, he would have sold me off to slavers. Before he even got off planet. The moment he had as much of Nem’ro’s money as he could get his hands on. When he didn’t need me anymore. That’s why I didn’t give into him.”

She looked away, sniffing.

“I’d have been a loose end.”

Loose end. Linh thought to herself. She herself was now a loose end to the Empire, her years of training and service amounting to nothing. She was on her way down; she had to find a way up. Who better to…

Out of the corner of her consciousness, she spotted Juda eyeballing the still-drawn blaster.

Jarred back to the present, Linh put away her weapon, calmly.

“I’m not Toth'lazhen.” She offered reassuringly, glancing down at the dead lieutenant. “If you can help me get off planet, maybe I can help you, too.”

Juda nodded, glancing over at a satchel on her desk.

“I can do that. I was right about to run for it myself when Toth found me.”

Linh tried processing the young woman’s reaction. With the immediate threat removed, her practical intelligence seemed to shine though. She found it refreshing. Inspiring, even.

“You don’t have anyone else here on Hutta?” Linh asked.

That question seemed to strike a nerve. The Twi’lek flinched, closing her eyes in pain as her body rocked back and forth again.

“My mother… passed away a couple of months ago.” Juda’s lip trembled. “Nem’ro didn’t even give me the day off to go to her funeral.”

Linh recalled that she hadn’t seen a family member in years. She had no way of knowing if her parents or brothers were even still alive by now. Nevertheless, she felt a wellspring of sympathy bubbling within her for the young Twi’lek.

“I’m sorry.” She murmured awkwardly. She quickly decided to change the subject. “So. You had a plan to get out? Or just sneak past the Houk?”

Juda took a breath as she gathered herself, gazing down at Toth'lazhen’s corpse absent-mindedly.

“There’s an underground tunnel.” She explained. “It runs along the old gas pipes beneath the town. The entrance is hidden behind the bar in the corner.”

Juda pointed. Linh recalled there was hardly a room in the palace that didn’t have its own bar.

“It comes out west of the palace, near the spaceport. Nem’ro never thought he’d need a way out of his own palace, but Karrels knew he might.”

The Twi’lek smirked.

“He had me budget the construction as ‘palace defenses’. Poor guy just never had the chance to make it out when his time came.”

Linh smiled appreciatively.

“So. That tunnel gets us to the port. Any ideas about what happens next?”

Juda returned the smile, clearly emboldened by the praise. The attractive Twi’lek had drawn plenty of looks since she’d started working at the palace. It was a good bet that up until today, few had been foolish enough to make a move on Nem’ro’s paymaster, especially not after what happened to his previous accountant.

Neither of us work here anymore. Linh thought to herself.

“I know Mekks, the communications officer at the spaceport.” Juda assured her. “He knows how the Cartel operates, and how to make it look like someone shot their way out of there without getting anyone killed… in return for a sizable bribe, of course.”

“Of course.” Linh found herself smiling sincerely for the first time in what felt like days. Fear and bribery were the only things that turned the gears on Hutta. “Then we just need to find a ride off-world.”

Juda’s smile widened, as she reached in and pulled a datapad out of her satchel. Linh could see a stack of pads along with credit sticks and a few strips of flimsi. Clearly, the Twi’lek had been preparing for this trip well.   

“Nem’ro took possession of a small freighter last week.” Juda informed her. “Some smuggler who ditched his cargo from the Imperials.”

She bit her lip as she looked down at the records.

“I still have the access codes. And the license. By the time anyone checks, it’ll be legally ours.”

Linh let out an impressed whistle. This was more than she could have hoped for.  

“Sounds like a plan.” The former Imperial operative felt everything start to fall into place. She smiled again to Juda but found the Twi’lek’s smile had suddenly grown cautious.

“And after that?” Juda asked, uncertainly.

Linh paused, remembering her earlier considerations concerning her own future. Assess potential resources. Her instructors had taught her.

To Nem’ro, Juda had been a competent, unambitious underling who always did what she was told.

To Toth'lazhen, Juda had been nothing but a source of quick credits, to be used and disposed of.

But to Linh, she could be much more.

“You know.” She began. “Between my connections, your financial skills, and Nem’ro’s credits… I think we have enough to start our own ‘consulting’ business. Look around the galaxy. Lots of people are going to need ‘special assistance’ setting up new operations for themselves with all this fallout. Conflict brings chaos. We’ve both seen that here today. But it also brings opportunity to people who know how to seize it.”  

Even as she spoke, Linh felt herself gaining confidence in this plan of action. She’d need time to work out the details of course, but at least now she had a direction. Later, they could take on some hired muscle for security. Linh knew what to look for in a dependable mercenary so that she and Juda could avoid emergencies like this one in the future.

Linh finally extended an open hand towards the Twi’lek.

“Partners?” she asked.

Juda chewed her lip for a minute, regarding Linh and the offered hand.

The Twi’lek suddenly grasped Linh by the shoulders fiercely and leaned in. Juda’s lips met those of the former Informer of Imperial Intelligence, kissing her passionately. Linh felt her entire body go rigid with shock at the gesture.

It had been more than a year since she’d taken actual comfort in the touch of another, and Juda was certainly attractive. A warm feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach.

She felt her lips and then her hands start to respond on impulse, surrendering herself to the sensation.

Juda suddenly pulled away as the stricken Imperial tried to regain her breath.

“For luck.” She offered by way of explanation, giving Linh a dazzling smile. She finally took Linh’s hand, giving it a friendly shake.

“Partners.” She declared.

Linh could only catch herself against the desk as she regained her footing and blink.

Definitely more than just a source of quick credits. She confirmed to herself.

Juda, meanwhile, had ducked behind the bar with her satchel over her shoulder. Pushing a crate and a rug out of the way, the woman opened the hidden trap door down to the tunnel, then looked back over at Linh.

“Come on.” The Twi’lek smiled. “That Houk might come poking around any minute.”

Linh swallowed and moved to comply.

As she followed Juda through the trap door and down into the escape tunnel, she felt confident she was taking the first step towards her future.

Time to climb the ladder.

THE END?

Author’s Notes: There are any number of corrupt and even ‘evil’ powers within the SWTOR story. As much as we might loathe them, it’s fascinating for me to think that if any of them suddenly weren’t there, the vacuum would make room for something even worse.

Those of you who have played the Bounty Hunter class story too many times will know from the Companion cut-scene dialogue that Skadge killed Nem’ro the Hutt off-screen, a revenge killing for an earlier betrayal that landed Skadge on Belsavis in the first place. The idea of Skadge successfully rampaging his way through Nem’ro’s palace, where we spend so much time as an Imperial Agent / Bounty Hunter at the start of the story, was fascinating to me. (How many of the NPC’s we interacted with earlier actually survived???) Skadge is probably my least favorite character in SWTOR, but the idea of him being the star boogey-man of a grisly horror film, slaughtering dozens of people, that concept intrigues me.

Each class has an NPC on their starting planet that provides a mission directing the player-character to the trainer on-planet. Linh is the NPC on Hutta that directs Imperial Agents to the on-planet trainer, Lycus Mattle. With the many changes in the game over the years, those missions are largely redundant, worth only a smidgen of XP. But some of those cutscene interactions were memorable to me, including Linh’s. I decided I had to do something with her at some point.

This story was the result.

Juda is another fun character from the Bounty Hunter story. She’s Nem’ro’s paymaster on Hutta, and later unwittingly engages in some minor skullduggery during the Great Hunt. Fortunately, my own bounty hunter, Xadya, chose not to hold her indiscretions against her. (Mako would not have approved if Xadya had taken Juda out!)

As always, I love the idea that our characters leave a deep mark on the places they visit, for good and for ill. Gahraath Vaiken, my Cipher Nine in the Halcyon Legacy, was rather vicious when he started out as an Imperial Agent on Hutta, a bit too eager to demonstrate his own ruthlessness. He’d eventually mellow a good deal, but at the time, Linh was both physically attracted to him while simultaneously left with the impression of a cold-blooded killer who would easily dispose of her if it suited his mission.

(Which he absolutely was. But like I said, he’s softened a good bit by the end of the class story.)

Virtually every name I dropped within this story is an actual NPC from the missions on Hutta. (And some of you may also have picked up on an appearance by a certain unnamed mustached field medic companion from another of the class stories. 🤓)

The ‘Informers’ title is, in fact, a specific canon designation within the old Imperial Intelligence organization, much like Ciphers, Watchers, Minders and Fixers. They aren’t mentioned in the game itself; they do come up in The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance novel where Ula Vii is presented as an example. Something we don’t talk about enough is the impact the dissolution of Imperial Intelligence would have on the Empire and the greater galaxy, especially at the peak of the war. You’re literally talking about hundreds or thousands of agents and operatives either completely cutoff from the Empire without recourse or suddenly pressed into the service of the Sith or to an Imperial Military that treats them like cannon-fodder. (Remember how Cipher Nine was treated on Corellia?) The fallout from that sudden absence would be profound for the Empire, as well. Imperial Intelligence literally existed for centuries, and nature abhors a vacuum.

No wonder Marr had to establish Sith Intelligence a few years later. Their entire system would have been in a perpetual state of collapse without it.

I tweaked the layout of the palace a little bit for narrative reasons. It’s significantly larger here, which makes sense given how many people seem to live there.  

The Informer-Ninety-Nine moniker is an Easter Egg reference to “Get Smart”. (A show waaaay before my time. I’m old, but not that old.) It just tickled me, so I tossed that in.

 The ‘For luck’ kiss is an obvious homage to the scene from Episode IV: A New Hope. (Don’t worry – Juda and Linh aren’t related. 😉 ) Further, Juda’s line about a smuggler’s freighter was a Han Solo & Jabba reference.  

Tagging @oolathurman , as they once mentioned she loved the character of Juda.

Also tagging!

@a-master-procrastinator @anchanted-one @distressed-gizka @eorzeashan @justiceforc3po @kemendin @magicallulu7 @nikkeisimmer @sadiebwrites @the-cloudwatcher @the-raven-of-highever @tishinada @zabrakghoul @swtorhub

#swtor fanfiction #swtorpadawan writes #swtor #swtor fanfic #chaos is a ladder #my writing #writeblr #long post #linh #juda #nemo'ro #suudaa nem'ro #skadge #carnus #the red blade #oc: gahraath vaiken #fa'athra #voontara fa'athra #lycus mattle #imperial intelligence #toth'lazhen #doc #archiban froderick kimble #karrels javis #jheeg #game of thrones #rex geer #oren ward #yalt #nal hutta

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

A Servant of The Circle

The lovely characters Teeanah Malvern and Chria Malcar belong to @swtorpadawan​‘s Adas Legacy which I have managed to sneak my character Kelsa Kine into.

This amazing artwork of Kelsa and Teeanah was done by @theoasiswinds​

More works in the Adas Legacy by myself and @swtorpadawan​ can be found at the bottom of my writing master list (here)

-

After choosing to stay on the paradise world of Ulgrotha, Kelsa Kine has been eager to prove herself to the world’s leader and her personal savior, Teeanah Malvern. In the hopes of joining Teeanah’s inner circle, Kelsa has undergone extensive physical and mental training to show her worth.

Over a year on Ulgrotha had brought about a dramatic change in Kelsa. When she first arrived, she had been a husk of a person. Two years of forced labor and having her midi-chlorian rich genetic material harvested by the Hutts had left her weak, scarred and afraid. Even after her wounds had healed, her mind and body remained fragile. But after months of tender care and physical training, she had gained a new confidence in herself and her abilities which she never had even when her family was still alive. More than that, she had found her drive and desire to not just survive but to live.

Ulgrotha was a paradise and its leader, Teeanah Malvern, was her savior. Everything she had and was, were all thanks to her. This second chance at life, a life away from the cruelties and suffering of the wider galaxy, was all because of Teeanah and Kelsa wanted- needed to show her gratitude.

So, Kelsa trained.

She trained and trained as hard as she could in the hopes that she might one day be good enough to protect and defend Teeanah and everything she had built. Many days a week were spent practicing lightsaber combat with Shiri’ah and Kira. Even more time was spent with Chria Malcar undergoing abbreviated Imperial Black Ops training. She built muscle and endurance, learned how to protect and not just kill. And from the broken husk came a sharpened blade.

Unfortunately, the blade was still flawed. She still had the occasional nightmare of her time as a slave. And if anyone touched the back of her neck, she would flinch away without fail.

But it seemed that Chria had a plan to work on that. At least that is what Kelsa thought as she awoke to find herself chained up in a forest.

Her arms ached from being pulled up over her head. She wondered briefly how long she had hung there to cause that amount of pain.

Not expecting it to really do her much good, Kelsa tugged on the chains but only caused the metal shackles to dig into her wrists. The main chain, which seemed to be connected to a branch somewhere above her, did nothing more than sway in response to her actions.

As the shackles dug into her skin, the scars on her back and neck twinged painfully as her mind recalled all the tortures that Smiley had put her through.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” an all too familiar voice called out from behind her.

Quickly doing her best to bury her old memories, Kelsa focused in on Chria Malcar’s voice. This was undoubtedly another test and she would be damned if she was going to start failing now.

Chria silently stepped into view and began to circle her student. So far, Kelsa was doing quite well. She had wondered if the chains would trigger her old trauma and while it seemed that they had, Kelsa apparently had the mental fortitude to push past it. Good. But she would soon see if it was good enough.

“We are currently three weeks travel away from the estate. You must escape and make it back before the three week mark. Take longer than that and you fail.”

Kelsa nodded in understanding while trying to avoid digging the metal shackles further into her skin. Three weeks was a long trek, especially when she didn’t have a map or any idea of where she was in relation to Teeanah’s estate or equipment of any kind. But she would figure it out. She had to figure it out.

Chria hummed approvingly at the determined look on Kelsa’s face. She really was a fine student with a flexible mind that allowed her to find creative solutions to the scenarios Chria put her through. Teeanah always did attract good talent.

Beginning her walk back to her speeder, Chria paused behind Kelsa. “Oh, I almost forgot. A final detail.”

Kelsa rolled her eyes. She knew damn well that Chria hadn’t forgotten anything but was just waiting to throw her off balance. Her mouth opened to snidely comment on her blatant transparency when she felt the metal touch her neck.

She froze.

No.

No, no, no!

Not again!

Please not again!

As the collar’s teeth sunk into her skin, she felt as if all the color had vanished from the world.

She could still see and yet it felt as if she had gone blind.

To her horror, all of her senses still worked but had suddenly become dull and sluggish.

“No Force.”

Kelsa jerked in her chains at the voice. Her grey eyes which had glazed over in terror were now wide and darting about, trying to find who had spoken.

“You say that you want to stay on Ulgrotha, that you want to protect Teeanah. Prove that you can. Prove that you can escape from captivity to reach her. Prove that you can overcome your past for her.”

Chria grabbed Kelsa by the chin, forcing her to focus and look her in the eye. “There are two keys to that collar. I have one and Teeanah has the other. Find us. Find her. And we will see if you’re worthy of defending her.”

With that, Chria released her student and walked away.

Kelsa merely hung there in her chains. Her mind had fogged over with fear as memories of her slavery and of being used as a lab rat flooded her thoughts.

Trying to ground herself, a natural instinct by now, proved impossible. The metal digging into her neck and wrists were too familiar. The ache in her arms was too familiar. The sense of loneliness and isolation were too familiar.

Stars, where was she?

Hadn’t she been on Ulgrotha?

But the vibrant colors of the paradise she had come to know and love had vanished. Her world had dissolved into a dull and desolate landscape, just like the spice mine camps.

Focus! A small yet steady voice barked from the back of her mind.

Unable to fully ground herself, she simply tried to take in everything she could. Shadows of a cold, cruel and sadistic smile filled her vision and laughter filled her ears but amidst the laughter, she also heard something else. What was it?

Engines.

She could hear engines powering up and flying away. That was important. She didn’t quite know why but knew it was significant.

Three weeks and counting, the same steady voice noted.

Three weeks.

Find us. Find her.

Find her.

Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes as the scars that littered her body all seemed to burn with half remembered pain. But she fought them. The world was wrong. She could tell that the things she was seeing and feeling were wrong but she also knew that there was someone that could make it right, Teeanah. Teeanah could always make things right.

Find her.

Find her!

-

It had been almost three weeks since Chria had left her student in the wilds, suffering severe traumatic flashbacks. She was curious if Kelsa had managed to ground herself in that time or if she was still struggling with what was real and what was memory. Well, she would see soon enough.

Taking a seat just outside the estate grounds, Chria waited for Kelsa. The tracker she had placed in the force collar showed that she should make it back tonight, an impressive pace especially for someone struggling with reality. Many of her old Black Ops colleagues couldn’t have made the trek in Kelsa’s condition.

Movement caught her eye and she raised her macrobinoculars.

And there she was.

Kelsa apparently had the presence of mind to actually craft a makeshift pack which she used to carry the chains that were still connected to her wrists as well as some snares, small game and other crudely crafted supplies. Color Chria impressed. Even in the midst of reality distorting panic, Kelsa’s training still managed to shine through. She might have to share a drink with her student and commend her one day.

When Kelsa finally reached Chria, the former Black Ops soldier glanced at her chrono before humming in approval. “Two weeks and three days. Impressive.”

Kelsa seemed to hear the words yet did not react to them. Instead, she sank to her knees, head bowed, and raised her shackled wrists in a silent plea.

The corner of Chria’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Well at least Kelsa seemed to understand her place in the pecking order. Good.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t understand Kelsa’s appeal. Even now, she could appreciate her broad muscled shoulders and the way that the moonlight made her skin glisten with sweat. In her younger days she might have even enjoyed using her as a pleasant diversion on shore leave. But times had changed. Teeanah was what mattered now. And as long as Kelsa understood that it was Chria that knew Teeanah and how to protect her best, then they would continue to get along just fine.

Reaching out, she finally obliged her student’s plea and unlocked her shackles.

It looked as if Kelsa might cry in relief as her chaffed and bruised wrists were finally free. Her trembling hands gently rubbed at her wrists before slowly raising up to her neck. “Please…”

Chria noted that she couldn’t bring herself to actually touch the force collar. Hm, they might have to work on that at a later date. But for now, Kelsa had accomplished her task and Chria respected her for it. Few could overcome that amount of trauma and still successfully obey orders.

“You’ve done well, passed every test I’ve given you. Continue to follow my orders and you may very well have a future here.”

Those words seemed to actually reach Kelsa. Her grey eyes, though still slightly glazed over with traumatic memories, were wide and hopeful. She looked at Chria as if she was some kind of great savior. Perhaps in her mind she was, she had trained her and given her a multitude of new skills after all.

Key in hand, Chria finally released one of the locks on the force collar.

Hearing the click of the first lock, Kelsa let out a relieved sigh before bowing her head once more. “Thank you,” she murmured reverently.

Chria merely nodded before motioning to the estate. “Get yourself cleaned up. Clothes are waiting for you. When you’re ready, come find me and Teeanah.”

-

The world had become a grey blur for Kelsa. If asked, she would not be able to recall the details of her trek to the estate, only that she had somehow made it back.

In fact, the first thing she truly remembered was being on her knees and having her shackles removed.

It had been such a relief to have her wrists freed of the unforgiving metal. As the chains fell away it felt as if a haze had lifted from her eyes. The world was still dull and grey but it had cleared somewhat and let her think clearly for the first time in weeks.

Seeing the person responsible, Kelsa could do nothing but bow and thank Chria from the bottom of her heart.

“Get yourself cleaned up. Clothes are waiting for you. When you’re ready, come find me and Teeanah.”

Find us.

Find her.

Find her!

Kelsa followed her orders and returned to her room in the estate.

A part of her wanted to rush. To clean and dress herself as fast as possible in order to finally see Teeanah. But she couldn’t rush. She had to make sure that she was presentable enough to be in Teeanah’s presence. She had to show that she had worth and was worthy of staying on Ulgrotha and defending her savior.

So, despite the desperate urge to move quickly, Kelsa took her time. Every bit of dirt and sweat was removed from her body. Every small cut and scrape were cared for. She combed her hair and ensured that there was not so much as a stray bit of dust on the finely tailored black suit and deep crimson undershirt that had been left out for her.

When she was finally satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and went in search of Chria and Teeanah.

Without the Force and Teeanah’s beautiful force signature to guide her, it took a few tries, but she eventually found the correct room where the pair waited for her.

Chria nodded to Kelsa in acknowledgement while Teeanah just gave her a simple yet dazzling smile. And somehow, that smile sent Kelsa’s heart aflutter and mind ablaze with desire in spite of the collar actively clouding her mind and senses.

“Kneel,” Chria commanded from her position beside Teeanah.

Without any hesitation, Kelsa sank to her knees, head bowed down in submission.

It felt wrong, lowering her gaze, exposing herself to possible dangers. But this was Chria and Teeanah. They stood above her in all ways with the power to fill her life with agony or bliss. She had accepted this. It was a dynamic that made sense to her. All she could do now was wait and see what they intended.

A small pressure on the back of her neck made her tense but she maintained her position, hoping that she had proven herself.

With a small click, the teeth of the collar retracted from her neck and she gasped.

Color flooded back into the world, nearly blinding her with their vibrant beauty. Sounds pressed in on her ears as if she were hearing the world for the first time. She could smell the perfume that Teeanah wore and allowed herself a moment to just breath it in.

A gentle but firm finger guided her chin upward and when her grey eyes met Teeanah’s beautiful brown eyes, Kelsa thought she might cry. She could sense Teeanah again, glowing like a star through the force. It was like looking upon a god.

Unable to look away, Kelsa watched as Teeanah came forward a pressed a soft kiss upon her brow.

“You have done so well, Kelsa.”

Teeanah’s melodious voice seemed to envelope Kelsa in warmth and she never wanted to leave that comfort.

“Such devotion deserves to be rewarded.”

She sat back in her chair and Kelsa had the sudden urge to move forward to maintain their proximity for as long as possible. But she remained where she was. It was not her place to act so selfishly before her savior.

“So, my dear, what reward would you ask of me?”

Kelsa nearly recoiled at that. She would never. Could never ask for something from someone so obviously her better.

No. This was not about what Teeanah might grant her. This was about what Kelsa could offer of herself.

She bowed her head once more in reverence. “Please. Allow me to serve you. In any way you see fit. Allow me to defend you and everything you have built. Allow me to be a servant of The Circle and its Center.”

With her head bowed, she could not see the expression on Teeanah’s face but she could sense the spike in her emotions as she made her request. She could only hope that she would be granted the honor of serving her savior.

After several seconds, during which Kelsa believed Teeanah and Chria exchanged a few whispered words, Teeanah stood, beckoning for Kelsa to do likewise.

She obeyed and stood, drinking in the sight of Teeanah smiling at her with such affection. It warmed her heart like nothing ever had before and she realized that if she were to perish here and now, she would consider it all worth it to have seen that smile once again.

Without ever looking away and with her incredible smile still on her face, Teeanah motioned to the doorway. “I will require an escort to my chambers.”

A quick glance at Chria confirmed that she meant Kelsa.

Pride, relief and gratitude filled Kelsa and she could not keep from bowing her head once more before escorting Teeanah to her chambers.

To her surprise, Teeanah had her come in rather than stand guard by the door. She stood there in her chambers for several moments, taking in the layout and potential areas of danger all while Teeanah removed shoes and some small pieces of jewelry.

“Do you mind, my dear?” Teeanah’s voice broke Kelsa out of her mental preparations for defending the rooms from attack.

Returning her gaze and full attention to Teeanah, Kelsa suddenly felt her face heat up.

Teeanah had turned around with her back to her and was motioning to the zipper on the back of her evening gown

Desire coiled tightly in Kelsa’s gut but she beat down those feelings and nodded. “Of course.”

She stepped forward and carefully, as if handling something delicate of immense value, unzipped the dress.

Shrugging her shoulders, Teeanah let the dress fall and pool at her feet, exposing her strong back and perfect skin.

Kelsa’s mouth had gone dry. She had never before seen anyone so beautiful both physically and through the force. It truly was like looking upon a god. A perfect being that she was simply lucky to have met.

Without thinking, her hand reached out and she gently brushed her fingers along Teeanah’s shoulders. “You’re so beautiful,” she murmured as if in a trance.

Teeanah hummed lightly and leaned back into the touch, giving Kelsa permission to explore further.

Mustering her courage, Kelsa continued to gently trace her way from Teeanah’s shoulders down the center of her back, delighting in the faint shiver it caused.

Stars, how had an orphaned Sith like her been so lucky as to cross paths with a woman like this? She had no idea but she thanked the universe for it all the same.

Her slight pause allowed Teeanah the chance to slowly turn around and face her, still with that dazzlingly warm smile on her face. She reached out and gently cupped the side of Kelsa’s face, rubbing her thumb across her cheek.

“My beautiful Knight. I can feel you holding back.”

Kelsa tried to open her mouth in protest but Teeanah placed a finger over her lips.

“Shhh… I know how devoted you are to me, Kelsa. And I know that you sometimes believe you must deny yourself in a misguided belief that you do not deserve to enjoy life. But you do. You deserve to live happily and to enjoy the time you have.”

Tears formed in Kelsa’s eyes and her throat suddenly felt tight. It had been so long since someone had cared about her.

Wiping away a tear that slipped from Kelsa’s eye, Teeanah continued on. “I am thankful that you have chosen to remain here and that you have chosen to help me. Know that I will call on you for assistance but not tonight. Tonight, is about you, Kelsa. Tonight, I want you to feel alive. So, please, do as your heart desires my Knight.”

She stood there for a moment, just gazing into Teeanah’s eyes. Do what she desired? Everything she could possibly want she already had. Food, a roof over her head and even friends had all been granted to her thanks to being on Ulgrotha.

Her eyes drifted down to Teeanah’s lips, a lovely shade of red that contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

What she desired.

Returning her gaze to Teeanha’s eyes, Kelsa searched her face for any reservations or hint that this was not something she also wanted. She found nothing but warm reassurance.

What she desired.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to Teeanah’s.

#swtor fanfiction #my writing #the adas legacy #swtorpadawan #oc: kelsa kine #other's oc: chria malcar #other's oc: teeanah malvern #oh no! kelsa don't drink the kool-aid! #also i got super carried away with this #like one day i was just struggling with the whole thing and then suddenly i'm 3000 words in and wondering wtf just happened?

[mysterious-cuchulainn-x]

Tagged by @swtorpadawan to do this Greek tragic heroes uquiz for my OCs - Thanks!

Miraathis Riskav / Diaola Ziveri: Achilles

Sith Inquisitor: Male zabrak, aspirational LS, vengeful

Jedi Knight: Female twi’lek, firmly LS, protective

best of the greeks, eager for honor, and quick to rage: you could easily live content and easy until you're gray-haired, but glory and fame call for you just beyond the horizon. you are not prone to self-reflection and trip into the same pits of wrath at bruised pride over and over. are you truly ready to sacrifice everything so that your name will be immortalized? is your fury what you want to be remembered for?

(Interesting that these two got the same hero, given how different their attitudes and answers were/are.)

Talryn Starlighter: Patroclus

Jedi Consular: Female Kiffar-Arkanian, LS, unyielding compassion

clever patroclus, beloved patroclus, poor patroclus: you do fall into madness, nor vanity, nor hubris. not, that is, for your own sake. love for that golden-haired man, sorrow for your countrymen; it is for his name that you don his armor, and for the dying greeks that you ride into battle. every piece of you is willingly given away, even if after you are gone there are wicked things done in your name.

(This feels oddly appropriate for the Act 1 Consular in particular, even if “figure of terrible inspiration in battle” fits Talryn least of all these four.)

Lysandra Vael: Orestes

Sith Warrior: Female human, DS/neutral, honor + glory

you are your father's son and your mother's equal. morality and justice guide your hands through every act, no matter how vile, so that society may be preserved—even if you must sacrifice yourself. what is your flesh flayed by the kindly ones over your father being avenged? matricide, when sparing your mother would lose her respect for you? there is peace at the end, orestes, but the journey to it is dark and terrible.

(Once again, appropriate; she would do worse things than murder her own parental figures for the sake of honor and tradition/justice. And, like Orestes, character growth and changing circumstances may yet save her from fate’s requital.)

No-pressure tags for @starknstarwars​, @ftmshepard​

#swtor ocs #swtorpadawan #oc: miraathis riskav #oc: lysandra vael #oc: talryn starlighter #oc: diaola ziveri #oops i've never tagged dia before #i need to write my things

[dingoat]

Writing Patterns Tag Game

Tagged by @cinlat ! Thank you! Wow it was fun going back on all these bits of writing hahaha, the RP has definitely been going on all this time but to get to ten actual posted pieces I had to travel quite a long way back. Definitely makes me want to actually set down more of the ideas and musings I let float around in my head. @storyknitter @queen-scribbles @mimabeann @vespertine-legacy @tehriel @swtorpadawan @greencrusader13 if any of you folk feel inclined to play along please do!

Rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern!

Void-touched - Five never bothered with mirrors these days.

Five Years - He was as infuriating as he’d ever been.

Prompt: Six Repressed Memories - The night before, they’d stayed up late, conspiring in the fort in whispers that were too loud, overstimulated and giddy for the day to come.

Prompt: Repressed Memory for the Best Girl - The moon was bright and her belly was full, and best of all the pain had stopped, she’d found the source and shut it down and now everything was still and peaceful.

Artificial - Libby had wanted to hike Mount Marvellous for as long as she could remember, and she was beside herself when she finally had the opportunity to book a tour and be guided up the mountainside after years of training and research.

Prompt: Kiss, as a promise - “I don’t want to go.”

Prompt: "You could have died." - The days had been leisurely and indulgent, but with time came room for doubts and misgivings to creep in, giving a sour edge to the otherwise thoroughly pleasant experience of exploring the late Darth Vesstriss’ private estate.

Prompt: Protect - “Fynta. Hey. Hey is that you?”

Epilogue II - His bright blue eyes were the last things she saw before the lake swallowed her.

Prompt: "I'm only here to establish an alibi." - “WHOOOOAAAA–!!” Three voices hollered out in chorus as the out of town competitor, a burly selonian with jagged patterns bleached into her dark fur, was sent skidding across the ring.

#tag game #writing tag game #actually pleasantly surprised by the variety in my openings #I think something I can pick up from this #is that prompts make me way more productive #and I know it's the psychology acting there #I could pick up a prompt list and roll a d20 and go for it #but it's just not the same as that initial human interaction? #that teeny tiny show of interest? #but that's probably also why #putting out prompt lists all the time makes me feel like I'm begging/being annoying #which tends to stay my hand 99% of the time #and I really should just #put out there #give as much as I hope to receive #and let the wild flow of the internet take its course #anyway #THIS WAS REAL FUN I still love all these stories so much? #ty <3

[imperial-topaz2003]

SWTOR Headcanon Project, The Forsaken

So, to finally get back in the swing of things. I came up with a fun headcanon project that I'm really into so far. Credit to @swtorpadawan 's Unforgiven headcanon and @raven-of-domain-kwaad 's love for Lord Loyat (and all the shit Ryscha Kine goes through) inspiring this, as well as @serenofroses and @voidendron for getting me into headcanon writing.

Now let's get into it! 'Forsaken' is a codename for a Jedi Strike Team (and eventual found family) underneath the SIS (a bit like the Sixth Line, but not as...religiously militant) that's comprised of 'misfits' within the Jedi Order. I'm still working on the formation, but so far, this is what I got for the main cast.

Artek Sefyr, the Hero of Tython and leader of the Forsaken. After breaking free from the Emperor's influence, Artek frequently tapped into the Dark Side to face against the Emperor during Chapter 3 of the class story. This led to him not being promoted to Master and getting taken off of the front lines, which he was not happy about. However, the SIS took notice of his physical prowess and leadership abilities, offering him an opportunity to put his skills to use in this Jedi Strike Team. Artek easily accepted the role.

Praven, my beloved. Anyway, Praven is here for a somewhat different reason. While part of him has felt somewhat out of place in the Jedi Order, that's not why he joined the Forsaken. Rather, it's his concern over Artek's decline into the Dark Side, worried he'll end up just like Angral. Because of his cool-headed disposition and honorable side, Praven acts as the second-in-command for the team.

Bengel Morr was more or less the first member recruited after Artek. While he had been redeemed following his defeat, he was still very guilt-ridden after the Flesh Raider Uprising he caused. He joined the team as a way to atone for his past mistakes.

Nalen Raloch, formerly seduced with power, now looking to restore his status as a protector of the people. Also tends to butt heads with Bengel up above.

Ako Domi, the former hero of Sullust, now hoping to restore his status as a heroic figure once again.

Loyat here is the newest of the Forsaken. After being defeated by Artek on Ilum, she abandoned the ways of the Sith, later joining Artek in killing her lover/abuser Darth Arho. She's actually a pretty nice gal, but really struggles with her emotions.

Sajar rounds out the team, more or less acting as their 'seer' for lack of a better word. Definitely the most reluctant to violence on the team in fear of relapsing into his old ways. And that's all I have so far. I might add in some more, and I do have a few ideas for non-force sensitive auxiliaries (including Watcher One and Agent Galen), but I can explain those later. For now, what do you folks think?

#swtor #swtor headcanon #jedi knight #artek sefyr #lord praven #praven #bengel morr #nalen raloch #ako domi #lord loyat #loyat #sajar #the forsaken

[luchadorbard]

Get to know you better (A Tag game!)

Thank you @swtorpadawan for the tag!

3 Ships

Canon ship: Very recent but I am a big fan of Lorthremar and Thalyssira from World of Warcraft.

OC ship: Now I just want to say I love all my OC ships equally but the one I've written the most about is my Jedi Consular and Lana Beniko. I find my writing comes a lot easier for those two.

Ship of the week: The Overwatch ship Ouiyaw (Ashe and Widowmaker) has been getting much of my attention.

First ship: Showing my age like a whole lot of folks but it would have to be Justice League: Unlimited. Batman and Wonder Woman

Last song: Sabaton's Winged Hussars (COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE)

Currently reading

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

Ciaphas Cain: Duty Calls by Sandy Mitchell

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Dune by Frank Herbert

Frontier Corps by Joe Kasssabian

Last film: Avatar: The Way of Water directed by James Cameron. I'm a big James Cameron fan and I think he's earned his title as King of the Blockbuster several times over at this point.

Craving: The Iranian version of the middle eastern confectionery treat Halva. I have to fight my lizard brain to impulse buy/make some every chance I get.

A important but gentle reminder that this a -no pressure- tag game for fun!

@tryingtowritestuff24

@full-on-sam

@that-chibi-writer

@infinnative

@faeriecinna

@cosmo-lexies

@patternwelded-quill

#tag game #info post #reading

[gothamcityneedsme]

Tell us about Tavon!

@swtorpadawan Oh, sure! :D It's fun to talk about ocs.

I have a bunch of swtor ocs, as most people do, but Tavon is the main one. He's an imperial agent, obviously.

He was born on Csilla, joined the CEDF as soon as he came of age, and years into his military experience, he was selected as a candidate to join Imperial Intelligence. He accepted the offer, and generally that's where his story 'starts'. I like alternate universes so I have a lot of different ideas where things go from there, but I do generally accept the vanilla agent storyline as his main.

Tavon is a character very concerned with his sense of loyalty--to him, once he was transferred to the Empire, he devoted his loyalty to them as well. He still thinks of himself as Chiss, but it becomes a secondary identity to him, where 'Empire' becomes primary. This leads to...a LOT of conflict, as he's both taken advantage of, taken for granted, and just in general disregarded. It takes years though, before he is broken down enough to consider other options, and eventually his loyalty fades enough that he focuses on a more neutral position (he has been wronged by the Republic as well, so would never join them either). His loyalty shifts to being a bit more self-motivated and guided, and tbh he really fits well into the Alliance, as leader or just as an npc figure.

Abilities-wise ingame he's a sniper, but I write him with some operative tendencies as well (and perhaps a little vanguard--I haven't multiclassed him yet but I've considered vanguard). I do take operative stealthing into account when writing him, though, as it suits an agent. I also like the idea of him using holodisguises and having several false identities to slip into when needed. He's someone who lies easily and well, but is almost strangely honest when off the job. If he's not in an identity or doing a mission, he tends to not lie, he compartmentalizes very well (this can also be a bad thing--his greatest fear is losing himself in one of his identities and forgetting who he is or why he does what he does).

There's a LOT more, he's connected to the web of characters I've made, both Imperial and Republic, but I'll stop it there I think, haha.

#shitpost #i am soooo bad at character bios lol #but hopefully this gives you a decent idea! #Tavon #I FORGOT TO PUT IT IN HIS CHARACTER TAG LOL

[kemendin]

Tagged by @thalion71​, cheers!

Most hits: Alright, well, it was One Final Act for like, a year - until last week, so now because there are some horny people out there the award goes to Need, my Cas/Scourge first time smut-with-a-side-of-feelings (but mostly smut). Cas may or may not have a pureblood ridges kink. Needless to say (haha get it ;D), this is explicit.

Most kudos: Not gonna count the ones that were blatantly hit by the AO3 kudos bot, so organic kudos award goes to Cover Your Crystal Eyes (as it should, in my humble opinion). While Need may be first smut, this one is actually Cas’ and Scourge’s first night together, and remains my personal favourite - a balanced blend of romance, tenderness, angst, and character exploration, with a little humour thrown in.

Most comments: Unsurprisingly, this remains One Final Act - my version of the Quinncident, with a theatre/drama motif and a love confession twist. My first time writing Quinn - and from his POV, no less - and somehow I have yet to top this one.

Most bookmarks: A tie between Need and One Final Act. No surprise there.

Most words: Although it’s not entirely posted yet (one more week till the final update, folks!) the award still goes to Fall On Me, With All Your Light. The events of Objective Meridian blended with Kira and Scourge (finally) showing up again, which then leads into Cas and Scourge (FINALLY) admitting their feelings for each other while still on Corellia. Slow burn, so many emotions, really proud of all the different ‘light’ imagery I’ve woven in, pls read. Making tooka eyes at you.

Fewest words: Loyalty, a response to a tumblr prompt that features Damaskh musing about the Imperial Agent companions. While this isn’t ‘canon’ anymore since he’s not actually Cipher Nine, I still like it as a brief character study.

And for tagsies I’m gonna prod @tiredassmage​, @pentacass​, @swtorpadawan​, @totally-not-deacon​ (and anyone else who wants to toot their own writing horn, please do!)

#kem answers #kem writes #i'm sorry but Need having the most hits just cracks me up so much #i am NOT a smut writer normally #anyway yes i like being proud of my fics #okay you know what i totally mixed uo my numbers when i was looking at the kudos #but i’m not changing it now xD

[ainyan]

WIP Tag Game!

Make a new post and post your latest line from your WIP & tag as many people as there are words.

Hythlodaeus began to protest Hades’ sharp words - then they realized that Mnemosyne was smiling.

Tagged by: @spotofmummery

Tagging: @eorzeashan, @lunaria-galanoux, @starscytheskies, @starrysnowdrop, @sasslett, @violet-stormbringer, @mimble-sparklepudding, @msviolacea, @autumnslance, @swtorpadawan, @tiredassmage, @kaerwyn-silvermoon, @briar-ffxiv, @ae-fond-seeker

I need to learn to write shorter sentences XD

#tagged #tagging #wip game

[sunderedazem]

Last Line Tag

tagged by: @fireolin (thank you, Fi!)

Rules: Write the latest line from your wip (or post where you last  left off in your art) and tag as many people as there are words in the  line. Make a new post, don’t reblog.

No-Pressure Tags: @borealtwilight @swtorpadawan @magicallulu7 @fenrisprime2003 @sullustangin @sith-shenanigans and anyone else who wants to join in!

Last Line Origin: Crescent Moon Rising (SWTOR)

"I don’t believe I’ll have trouble in combat, given what I’ve experienced thus far, so…the other likely option would be that I’ve run into the dark side, and only a Jedi could help me with that."

The speaker is Corrain - and this line specifically is a setup to introduce my consular, Kalvonût.

#last line tag #crescent moon rising #moonrise legacy #swtor snippet #swtor #tag game #FI! THANK U!

[serenofroses]

Can you give us a list of characters you've rewritten extensively? 🤓

As I mentioned in the post's note, I only focused on: Kritanta and Darth Vowrawn, Jazz and Tau Idair and Ania with Darth Marr and/or Darth Jadus only.

Since these are my main characters and ships. I don't want to focus on too many characters all at once if I'm honest. When I'm in bad mental state, I think about any of my main ocs and their love interests or with their family. I don't write as much as I liked to because I don't have much fanfics.

I said I wanted to rewrite my old snippets because I wasn't satisfied with my writing style and wanted to make it better no thanks to insecurity combined with perfectionist. My writing may never be as good as anyone else. :/

edit: I cannot stress this enough that my swtor verse are very canon divergence heavy with my own interpretation of canon npcs. but seems I get an impression you don't paid much attention to my pinned post or my headcanon musing on this blog. @swtorpadawan

#seren ramble posts #i am getting an impression that you dont really paid much attention to my pinned post or the headcanons I mused abpit on this blog #idk why you sent me this question?

[swtorpadawan]

What fic should SWTORpadawan write next?

@raven-of-domain-kwaad @taraum @grandninjamasterren @kemendin @pentacass @sullustangin @anchanted-one @starknstarwars @queen-scribbles @wondrouswendy

#swtorpadawan writes

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

For Amélie Biava - When you met Amarra, you were Imperial Intelligence and she was a powerful Sith Lord, with little if any restrictions on how she could treat you. With such a disproportionate power dynamic, how did things wind up going the way they did for you?

OC Interview

Thanks for asking @swtorpadawan!

Amélie leans back in her seat and chuckles darkly.

“Yeah that’s a fair question. I sometimes ask myself how I managed to swing it with the damned Wrath of all people. Talk about out of my league and a huge threat to my life.”

She hums faintly and gently thumbs at the polished band of black metal on her finger.

“I fully admit that I didn’t trust her when we were first properly introduced. I mean it’s like you were saying, Sith can do what they want and the Wrath? She sits outside of the Sith hierarchy and answer to no one but the Emperor. She even has enough authority to challenge the Dark Council. So really what chance did I have if I wanted off her ship?”

Her eyes become hard, clearly recalling stories of others that suffered at the hands of mad Sith but she shakes her head before continuing on.

“Now with any kind of relationship it takes all parties involved to make it work but I will say that she did most of the initial heavy lifting to try and reach out to me. Just looking at her crew spoke volumes about her. How many Sith do you know that have a free twi’lek with more tech skills than a Fixer, a Black Ops squad on perpetual standby, a former Jedi apprentice that happily engages in philosophical and political debates with her new master and a sadistic assassin droid? Hm... actually forget the droid. Lots of Sith would probably have an HK unit if they could. But the others? You won’t find many Sith that actually have a crew like that who are all loyal and don’t just trust but love the Sith that they follow.”

She sighs and stares wistfully off at nothing.

“You hear old stories of noble Sith and their cherished followers. Old Korribani and Ziosti legends of Sith protectors defending those that they love. Most of those stories are lost to time and Republic purges but the romanticism of those tales endure... Of all the Sith in the Empire, I've found that Amarra embodies those old tales more than anyone I’ve ever seen. She cares about those under her command and that apparently extended to me.”

A genuine smile spreads across her face, reaching her eyes and even causing her body to relax. Her deep sense of gratitude is very clear.

“So, like I was saying, once I was finally out of the kolto tank, she reached out to me. I've often wonder if she could sense that I didn't trust her and that made her reach out. Whatever the reason, she offered to find me a doc to clone me a new hand after I lost mine on Corellia. She also gave me the chance to transfer to any command I wanted. I could write my own ticket and go anywhere I wanted. She didn’t even know me at the time, just wanted to help out another Imperial citizen.”

Her eyes return to her wedding band and she cannot stop smiling.

“After looking at my options and taking a serious look at her file- which can I just say, was damned impressive? Defeated a well known Jedi Master before being named a Lord, took out the Republic War Trust, killed a Dark Councilor, won the initial battle for Corellia and personally ended a coup led by her former Master. And never once did she ever act out of personal gain. She had no interest in personal power and only wanted to serve the Empire. What an ideal,” she says with what could only be described as hearts in her eyes.

“So, I chose to stay on and became her official pilot and unofficial liaison to what was left of Imperial Intelligence before Sith Intel got set up. I worked hard getting her whatever information I could, because I felt she was the best chance the Empire had for moving forward. She took notice and made sure that my actions were always commended. Got a promotion thanks to my work and she eventually started trusting me with more responsibilities, even putting me in charge of her own personal spy network she took from her old master."

She pauses then and her face scrunches faintly as if in sympathy, likely due to truly understanding just how stressful a position like Keeper's had been, managing so many agents.

"So, truth? I got lucky. I could have died at the hands of my captors on Corellia, honestly that's probably what was supposed to happen, knowing the last two Keepers. But I was lucky because she found me. If I had been found by anyone else in the Empire, I probably would have been court martialed for being on an unsanctioned intelligence operation. But she got to me first. And I must say, I am eternally thankful that she did."

#oc: amélie biava #cipher agent #amélie x amarra #yeah amélie was definitely wary of amarra at first and honestly resigned that she was effectively dead #but amarra's actions her crew and a deep dive into the file imp intel had on her got amélie to come around and give her a chance #also yeah no broonmark for amarra #i never thought he fit very well in the sith warrior story and he definitely doesn't fit well with amarra #so he died on hoth as amarra didn't trust his unquenchable bloodlust

[mysterious-cuchulainn-x]

Nine (?) People You Want to Know Better

Thanks @lykegenia for the tag!

Last Song: If singing to myself counts, it was either Stan Rogers' "Free in the Harbour" or David Rovics' "Saint Patrick's Battalion." Listening only, either something by the Great Big Sea—a great, although now retired, Newfoundland folk-rock band—or the song "Phoenix" (no, not that one) that someone made a Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files AMV for.

Currently Watching: Waiting for the next episodes of Unlimited Blade Works Abridged and Fate/Apocrabridged (both arguably better than their source material) and slowly working my way through Star Trek: Enterprise.

Currently Reading: Depending on my physical location, either The Dawn Watch, a personal and global biography of seaman-novelist Joseph Conrad, or The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a lightly fantastical mystery set in late nineteenth-century London. The novel that still hangs around in my head a good deal is Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow, about a Russian nobleman sentenced to house arrest in a Moscow hotel's attic, and one of the most enveloping pieces of writing I've encountered.

Current Obsession: I bounce back and forth between a few, but at the moment I'm mostly preoccupied by Dragon Age: Origins and the Fate series—mainly the original visual novel, Fate/stay night, and the mobile game, which at least offers ample opportunities to practice rewriting interesting concepts. Fate/Zero did Diarmuid Ua Duibhne unspeakably dirty and I have an ongoing WIP (plus several more fic concepts) dedicated to correcting that, while my BioWare brain time is frequently devoted to making sense of their lackadaisical worldbuilding—sometimes within the bounds of canon, and sometimes by assaulting canon head-on—often at the cost of actually (re)writing the fic that's all theoretically about writing.

Tagging: @swtorpadawan @the-raven-of-highever @trekking-through-life @starknstarwars @ftmshepard if anyone wants to join in on this!

#tag gane

[dingoat]

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote and tag as many people as there are words. (Tagged by @askshivanulegacy!)

Her eyes, sky blue, sorrowful and indignant, meet Tana's openly as she dips her muzzle. "Yes."

I technically should have just given the ‘yes’ I guess, but where’s the fun in that? Have a line of RP and yes that’s Ahuska being sad and indignant.

I’m gonna tag some names but like. No pressure, I don’t want this to be a callout for folks who might not be actively writing much at all at the moment! @koboldgirl @cinlat @keldae @kaosstar @swtorpadawan @tishinada @greencrusader13 @ashenbun @vespertine-legacy @queen-scribbles @storyknitter @greyias @mimabeann 

#tag game #show me what you got #I was just saying this morning #how much I want to do some more writing #I need to go through my unanswered prompts #I've just been #so busy and tired uggh

[sullustangin]

SWTOR Alliance Commander Ask Game

Tagged by @starknstarwars​​ -- thank you!!

Tagging:  @swtorpadawan​​ (legacy of your choice), @consularmain​​, @admiralprawn​​, @starlightcleric​​, @shabre-legacy​​, @morphineage​​,  @vexa-legacy​​ --- no pressure!

1) Who’s your Alliance Commander? What class are they? Alignment? Random other facts you wanna share?

Eva Corolastor is the Alliance Commander in my universe.  She’s actually the second or third character I played through; my initial chars were.... I wouldn’t trust them to run a lemonade stand, honestly.... it’s like asking Guss Tuno to be the Alliance commander.  They were too chaotic and the KotXX expansions were just not working with them.

Eva is a gunslinger smuggler with a concealment operative subclass.  She finished her class story at DS 1.5-2.  Thereafter, she inhabits that grey space among DS 1, Neutral, and LS 1. 

2) What’s a reason or two you like that this character is your Commander?

Eva initially leveraged Voidfleet as the balance of power in the galaxy and made the Hutts her rival.  She offered a viable alternative to other established organizations in the galaxy.  She did run a criminal empire before being popsicled.  In terms of ability and experience, heading a revolutionary faction isn’t a bad fit.

3) What’s a reason or two you don’t like about them being Commander?

Well, I did this to myself; I’m writing the post-Yavin through Ziost and Eternal Fleet section as a tragedy worthy of the label ‘space opera.’  In order for the character to be Commander, everything they knew had to be lost. 

In the particular case of the smuggler, none of their companions are actually story-required pick-ups, like Gault or T7 or Kaliyo or Aric.  They only come back in story alerts.

As a result, I despise the fact that there is no ‘canon’ to play off of for the smuggler class after the cut scene with Corso at Eternal Fleet.  Nothing.  You can choose to recruit Bowdaar, Guss, Risha, Corso, and Akaavi.  Or not.  That’s it. 

4) Why did this character of all your OCs become Commander?

The Voidhound was a true neutral in the galaxy. She favored no one in terms of the deals she made.  Her top concern was Voidfleet.  She had turned on the Republic after Corellia, and while she worked publicly to evac civilians off Makeb, she also kept the Imps there supplied and kept a hand in the isotope-5 there.  She hadn’t played favorites before.  She worked with Theron Shan and Lana Beniko to defeat a doomsday cult of Revanites.  The coalition on Yavin was a success, in part because Eva as the Voidfleet rep presented herself as a neutral option between the two major factions.  That’s a buffer for internecine conflict.

Nearly all of the other major heroes were partisan; the Force Users were loyal to their governments, as was Major Damas Quo, leader of Havoc Squad.  Cipher Nine became a Revanite.  The Grand Champion was a neutral operator after Corellia, but... Gronn distinctly lacks the organizational skills for this.

Jokingly, Eva is the Commander because Lana is perverse, writing smuggler fan fic in her free time, or just seriously has something wrong with her. Theron might have cooked up the idea of making Eva and the crew of Virtue’s Thief pirates on Rishi, but Lana thought making them cannibals was funny and a good intimidation factor.  When it came to organizing an Alliance, Lana picked the Voidhound.  Why? It would be the greatest con in the galaxy to convince all of these diverse and greatly oppositional forces to get behind the same figure : a criminal who plagued them all, yet had popular support from common people because she succeeded where their own governments failed them.

5) Who did they side with? Did they stay loyal or go saboteur? Or maybe you headcanon they defect properly?

In my headcanon, Eva kept the Alliance a separate entity from the Republic.  During Onslaught, Voidfleet became an extension of the Alliance -- or more accurately, the Alliance became an extension of Voidfleet.  They tend to favor trade with the Republic due to a shared value of ‘no slavery.’

Eva did appreciate Chancellor Rans’ offer, especially when it came to offering citizenship to Lana and others, but she had promised herself she’d never do a government job again.  Unless it’s her own government.  She is more friendly to the Pub, but hey, the Empire pays its bills....

6) Are there any NPC’s from the class stories you’d like to see/HC join the Alliance? Ex: Master Timmns, Ardun Kothe, Watcher One, etc.

I definitely would like to see some of the planetary characters we meet in vanilla again, such as Numen Brock from Balmorra and Alilia from Hoth. From the smuggler storyline, Rogun the Butcher (even though it would screw up my plottings.....). I think a very interesting option would be Jaxo from the Trooper storyline -- we don’t see her death on screen.  I think there’s a plotline out there for her, whether she gets done up like Shepard in Mass Effect or she found her own way off and enjoyed the liberty of being dead for a bit. 

In terms of what I plotted, I actually have this really sad piece where Eva meets the kids she saved on Ord Mantell in the intro to the smug story.  They’re old enough to enlist now...and there’s still a war to fight.  Aren’t we supposed to suffer so our kids have a better future? 

Some future. 

7) How’s your OC feeling about the current Malgus situation?

“Should have killed him awhile ago.  Keeping him on Fleet is dumb, but at least they’re not making me babysit him on Odessen..... god, keeping him on Fleet is dumb.”  Malgus might have some interesting ideas, but it always devolves into “my way or the highway” and he starts shooting.  Eva doesn’t like that. 

8) Are any of your other OC’s part of the Alliance? If yes what do they do for the Alliance? Do they get along with your Commander?

Ramesses (Sith Warr) does emerge at some point during KotFE/KotET in time to save Vette while Eva saves Torian against Vaylin.  (It’s a shitty, unnecessary choice, and I stand by that opinion; I fix it in my universe so the entire Smug and BH crews get happy endings).  

Fria (Consular) emerges after Nathema.  I’m actually planning on her dealing with the Jedi stuff that Eva seriously doesn’t give a kriff about anymore. Well, she never did, but now with the Pub asking for help ... Fria can liaise with them.  I actually have plotted that while Eva deals with the situation on Manaan with Arn and Theron, Fria, Tau, and Lana deal with Elom at the same time, rather than consecutively as we see depicted in the game.

Then we find out Arcann is missing. Ruh roh.

9) How does your OC feel about Odessen? (Bonus: how do you feel about it)

Eva likes Odessen more after Virtue’s Thief is repaired and she can leave it.  Before that point, it’s a bit of a gilded cage.  Still, she does find the nature stuff interesting and the weather. 

Once the Alliance is legit and not a rebel faction, Eva doesn’t prefer to live there.  Great place for vacation, but Eva likes urban amenities and amusements... so eventually, Eva and Theron get an apartment on Coruscant  -- nice school district (I have an upcoming fic about that!).

Me Personally:  I would like to have Space: Civilization or SimCity 3600 BBY where we get to plan out Odessen’s development long term.  Total pipe dream, but I think it would make for a good mini-game and it would determine whether it remains a nature preserve and secret base or it become an ecumenopolis like Coruscant or something in between.

10) How does your Commander feel about being the Commander?

Eva initially agrees with Lana; this is a massive con.  She arrives at Odessen physically and mentally unfit for the job.  Then..it’s a different rodeo compared to what she did with Voidfleet.  It’s one thing to be the great spoiler, the irritating fly to be swapped at, the jester who makes a fool out of the establishments -- it’s another thing to be the dominant government in the galaxy.  Eva never liked the period between the taking of the Eternal Throne and its destruction during Nathema.  She feared becoming as corrupt or as oppressive as the Empire and the Republic -- absolute power corrupts, absolutely. 

The Alliance, as we enter Onslaught, increasingly becomes more like the pre-Eternal Fleet influence of the Hutt Cartel.  The Hutts will always survive, but they get corralled to Hutta and its immediate neighbors.  Eva conquered a planet with soft power during my Rishi fic -- she formally began to do that again once Zakuul left the Alliance and the Eternal Fleet was destroyed. 

11) Favorite place in the Alliance base?

Outside of her ship?  The cantina.  She does like to go on adventures with Theron, whenever he decides to get away from computer screens, so she does camp, see rivers, climb mountains -- but that’s more due to the company than the activities. 

12) Favorite mission in KotFE?

Hands down, Chapter 13: Profit and Plunder. THIS is what Eva and Risha did when not smuggling.  Remember the King’s Ransom in smug vanilla?  This is Eva’s element.  (And everyone loves a good heist story).  This is when Eva starts to feel like herself again nearly seven months after being defrosted -- not just physically, but ‘herself’, Eva Corolastor, smuggler.

Personally, Eva knew Gronn’s crew, and ol’ Gault was on that crew.  Watching the domestic drama of Gault and Hylo was better than the holos that week.  As a bonus, Eva found Vette, Risha’s childhood friend.  She’d do almost anything to reunite them....

13) Favorite mission in KotET?

Chapter 6:  The Dragon’s Maw.  Eva and Theron, undercover at a fancy party?  Yes, please.  Again, this is a heist/under cover mission fic ready to happen.  It shows both sets of skills at work, and I enjoyed seeing the Zakuul resistance. There’s also the twist of Arcann joining you if you spared him.

14) Least favorite mission in either? Why?

The Voss Walker stands out in my mind as ‘not fun.’  I’m also not a huge fan of Iokath, even before it became the first op after KotET itself.  Eva is one of those droids rights people, but ... fucking SCORPIO, man, you know?  I’ve played Iokath both ways with offing Scorp and letting her go merge with Iokath... and I still don’t know what my canon choice is on that matter.  Eva having pro- droid principles (which exist because I watched Star Trek TNG as a kid and loved Data) really complicate the matter. 

15) Is your Commander successful because they’re skilled? Or are they perhaps just really lucky?

Eva is a professional gambler.  Always has been.  It’s a measure of both. 

16) From our OC’s point of view, SoR -> KotET wasn’t a fun experience, did they develop any fears as a result?

Not really; all her old ones just came true.  Loss of Crew?  Check. betrayal?  Check.  Ship partially destroyed?  Check.  Physically unable to live as she did before?  Check (she does eventually recover, but then there’s natural aging - you can’t be 25 forever).  By Nathema, the worst has already happened to her. 

So what’s next?

17) AU time! If your Commander wasn’t Commander, which of your other OCs would have likely taken their place?

The only non-Eva Outlander alternative scenario I really created was one where Marr became the Outlander.  In that scenario, none of my OCs join the Alliance, including Eva; they’re either dead or innately opposed to Imperials.  Eva herself decides to do Voidfleet full-time; if she joins the Alliance, then what happens if the Alliance is crushed?  There needs to be multiple lines of resistance.  That’s ... a very dark alternative universe I actively decided not to write beyond maybe a one-shot that skims the broad outlines of 16 ATC through 26ish ATC.

I think the most viable character that I’m working with (but haven’t created a scenario for yet) at the moment is Kallig.  Kallig is a LS Inq, but not super LS.  He’s very principled but also very nuanced; he has some quirks that would probably make people go “LS?  Reallly!?”

18) Who’s someone your Commander hopes they never have to deal with again?

Darmas Pollaran.  Theron makes sure she doesn’t deal with him again.

The disgraced Chancellor Saresh.  There’s a bit of an unholy alliance that eliminates the problem for Eva.

19) Does your Commander hold on to/still use any titles they earned before KotET?

Eva never, ever accepts the Commander title.  She is always referred to as Captain.  ‘Commander’ is arbitrary.  It’s a rebel government’s posturing at legitimacy.  Eva is and always has been the captain of her own starship.  Nobody can take that away from here; as long as Virtue’s Thief exists, Eva is the Captain of that ship.  Who owns and flies a star ship?  The Captain.

Theron presenting her with the ship in Chapter 9 of KotFE gives resolution to more than just one internal crisis. 

Lana was pissed when she ripped the little name plate off the door on the executive suite and replaced it with a handwritten note that redirected them to Virtue’s Thief.

20) Share something, anything at all, you want about your Commander that you’ve not really gotten the chance to share before but really want to.

The quarters marked as “commander’s quarters” in the base map we have in-game... was never intended to be Eva’s quarters.  The massive executive suite upstairs was planned to be where Eva lived and worked, with a security team between her and most of the daily business.  That’s how Lana planned it, as a Sith adviser. 

Eva despised it immediately; she didn’t want to live in a place that required a map to figure out where the bathroom was.  She strolled down to the smuggler’s den, saw a room of a good size, and asked Len to move a cot in for her.  “That’s a broom closet, Eva,” Lana pointed out.  But that’s where Eva stayed for two weeks, until Theron arrived with her ship.  All of her living stuff immediately migrated onto the ship. 

The room off the smuggler’s den is now exclusively the Captain’s office.  Eva does business there, in order to keep Virtue’s Thief as her retreat and the place where she and Theron are together as a couple, out of the public eye. 

#swtor #alliance commander ask game #swtor headcanon #theron shan #lana beniko #odessen #kotfe #kotet #onslaught #legacy of the sith #oc: eva corolastor