(Author's Note: As if this "Vremya" series wasn't complicated enough, here's Part 11, "Complications". Rev7 gets a cameo here because he was the first one to respond with "SMERSH" to the question I posed in my "Smert' Shpionam" thread. Congratulations, Rev7, and to all, "Bon appetit!" :))
There were four of us aboard the Ebon Hawk--four brave (some would say foolhardy) souls who dared to take on the True Sith. Would this become our greatest achievement, the pinnacle of what we would do to change the course of galactic history? Or were we just chasing shadows, illusions based upon what Kreia had said and upon the popular mythology of the times? Either way, we were risking our lives because none of us knew what lay beyond the Outer Rim of charted space. Besides, we were not the most experienced team of explorers, and our moral fortitude was, at best, shaky:
Rodion and I were a pair of conflicted murderers, running from the law.
Jolee was an irascible ex-Jedi who far preferred self-exile to the Order.
Basta was a drunk, a "recovering alcoholic" in some people's terminology.
And, of course, T3-M4 was an incredibly useful but incredibly old utility droid.
No one in their right mind would have picked us to counter such a threat, but then again the Force picks whom it will, and it seemed to have chosen us. Why? As a Jedi I had been taught not to question the wisdom of the Force or of the Jedi Masters, but I had since learned that this was a sure path to disaster. Question everything was my mantra now, even in the face of so dire an enemy as the True Sith. Questions kept me alive, kept me sane. If it weren't for my tendency to fall into a holovid reporter's mindset ("Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?"), I would have fallen into a trap long ago, whether physical or mental, that I would not have foreseen. That was why my mind kept probing the aspect of the Force that guided destinies--our destinies. Were we truly meant for some higher purpose, or were we merely pawns in an endless game of balance, as my former Master had posited?
"So, where are we going next?" Jolee Bindo, furrowing his white eyebrow and cocking his head to the left, gazed at me quizzically. He pronounced "where are" as one word, lending an impatient yet nonchalant drawl to his voice.
"I--don't know," I said truthfully, leading Jolee's shoulders to vibrate slightly with laughter. "Honestly, we've been trying to search for Revan, but we don't know where to look." I was getting a little tired of Jolee and his old man's impertinence, but I knew if I went even a little too far, I'd betray myself.
"Why don't I make a suggestion, child?" Jolee asked, his kind eyes taking all the ego-wounding sting out of the final word. "The last place Revan was found, or even heard from before he went for the Star Forge, is a planet called Lehon. You three may remember it as the Unknown World, but it has since been given a name. The Elder Rakata dwell there, and if I recall correctly, they were very grateful that Revan eliminated a rival tribe of warrior Rakata led by 'The One'. If the Elders are still at their temple, that might mean we'd get a warm reception if we say we're looking for Revan."
"Or at least a neutral one," chimed in Basta with that ever-wise gaze. For the first time, it seemed as if her eyes had returned to their natural state: not glazed over due to the effects of alcohol, but clear, blue, and very alert. "We ought to do as Jolee says and search Lehon for any sign of the former Dark Lord. Of course, if we find nothing, we can continue on our way into the Unknown Regions, but it would be foolish not to survey the Unknown World." That said, T3-M4 set coordinates for the tropical planet on our galaxy map. It took us much longer than I had thought it would to reach it, but then again, my distance estimation when it comes to remote planets is hazy.
When we landed, Jolee, Rodion, Basta and I found that Lehon had recently been hit with what was probably a hurricane--one of significant strength. Palm fronds and branches were littered across the beach, as were coconuts and small-to-enormous piles of seaweed. The air smelled of salt and fish. After clearing away some of the debris with our swords and lightsabers so we could make our way through the jungle, I felt a frisson of nervous energy. Just a touch in the Force, a ripple across my consciousness, a tiny breeze.
"Someone is coming," I said, although any outside observer would have noticed there was no one around but the trees. Was I crazy after all?
"Coming? I'm already here!" snapped a voice near my ear, revealing itself as that of a tall man clad in black, his high-powered Eriadu Stealth Unit turning off. "Halt in the name of the law, the Republic, and the Jedi Order! My name's Rev, Jedi Shadow Operative, and I'm wondering what you're doing here."
"We're from Czerka," said Rodion coolly. "This place has superb potential."
"Don't lie," I shot back quickly, and then "Tysyacha Dvyx, exiled Jedi, part of a small survey team that's looking for the whereabouts of Darth Revan. We're not formally officiated with the Republic, but we're definitely not Sith."
"I believe you," said the Shadow, "although Revan no longer bears that title anymore. Why are you searching for him?"
"Honestly, sir, you'll think I'm crazy, but I think he can help us fight the True Sith." Rodion's jaw clenched (with either fear or fury, I couldn't tell), Jolee snorted, and Basta's mouth fell open in a classic gesture that fine ladies make when someone spills dark red poma juice on a pristine white carpet.
"The True Sith, eh? Haven't they already been fought and killed?"
"We don't think so." The less I said, the better, I decided with a rueful sniff.
"I'll--let you go on your way, although my personal opinion is that all of you are on a wild bantha chase. I'm searching for Sith remnants, too, but these are all artifacts and holocrons. Some living members of the Sith might be hiding out here, too, and that's whom I'm here to find. Good day, spacers."
"Wait--are you the man we're looking for? Your name is Rev."
The Shadow Operative, after a moment, burst into fits of laughter and left us.
"Way to go, Captain," grumbled Jolee. "That was no way to handle things."
"What was I supposed to do?" I hissed hotly. "Lie? Not to a Jedi Shadow!"
"Perhaps not lie," suggested Basta, "but there is such a thing as what I call 'expedient fibbing'. Sometimes the truth is better off not being heard by some people. The True Sith are nothing but a figment of your former Master's imagination, or that's what they have been so far. What tangible proof have we located? None. Until we have some, even a broken holocron or component of an ancient lightsaber, not very many will believe us. At least you tried."
Yes, at least I tried, I thought miserably, thinking "trying" pointless. What mattered here was doing, finding and locating, not scaring and shocking passersby into howls of mirth with wild theories about the True Sith. Basta was right: we needed real proof, and sooner rather than later.
I sighed. Why did this mission have to have so many complications already?!
Russian Language Trivia Question (the one who answers this gets to be a CHARACTER, not just a cameo, and not only that, his/her character will be pivotal to the plot!)
What is wrong with this sentence?
"I'm standing between the second and third house." [English translation]
"Ya stoyu mezhdu vtoroi i tretii dom." [Russian translation in English letters]
"Я стою между второй и третий дом." [Russian translation in Cyrillic/Russian letters]
(Hint: Vtoroi is wrong, as are tretii and dom, but what should I have put?)
If you plan to involve Rev7 in any romantic trysts I should let you know that Rev7 does not know what love is.
If you plan to involve Rev7 in any romantic trysts I should let you know that Rev7 does not know what sexual intercourse is.
Fix't :D
_EW_
We'll compromise and say both.
If you plan to involve Rev7 in any romantic trysts I should let you know that Rev7 does not know what love is.
I respond with this. (
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zpz4dQpqgbE) Not my favorite genre though. ;)
Fix't :D
:indif:
We'll compromise and say both.
:lol: Real funny. :|
Я= I
стою = I cost (I think that this is wrong :giveup: )
между =between
второй=the second
и=and
третий=the third
дом= the house
I'm not sure, this might take some time...:(
Oh, and thanks Tysy. :)
Very funny.
3. Flaming
You cannot, in any way, insult (or "flame") someone else on the board. People may not be insulted just because their opinion differs from yours. Flaming includes calling people names, insulting them, or saying offensive things to them.
Just want to make that known. :)
"Stoyu" can also mean "I stand," and you've made a handsome start on the sentence. :)
вспомогательный глагол= should
I know that it should be "Я стою между вторым и третьим домом." I just don't know why....
Very funny.
Just want to make that known. :)sir/ma'am i will have you know i am a professional internet lawyer and a world-famous irl cardiologist and your amateurish attempt at "schooling" me in internet law has merely made me nostalgic for my first year internet law classes. in addition i will have you know that our group has been stockpiling evidence of your ignorance of love for some time now.
GOOD DAY SIR/MA'AM
Lucky Rev7... This story is... different. What a wierd title... :/
Off-topic Edit: Indeed, Rev7. Jmac's whole 'You don't know what love is Rev7' joke is getting really old. It isn't funny anymore.
I'm not trying to 'school' you jmac. I find it offensive that you (as well as others) think that/say that. :) However, that is off topic.
If you can tell me why, you win the contest...and are you right? ;)
that you (as well as others) think that/say that. :)sir/ma'am, we know that.
I looked it over, and I know that "Я стою между вторым и третьим домом" this is wrong. "домом" is 'by the house', and "третьим" is 'by the third'. Difficult question for us non-Russians.
"Я стою между вторым и третьим домом" this is wrong.
Eh? *giggle*
Aha... So It is Russian then? Time to go to all those translator sites I have saved in favorites...
Trust me, it is pretty hard to use translators. That is what I am doing...:dozey:
So... I really have no idea how Russian works, as it seems confusing, but what I've gotten is: 'I cost between the second and third house.'
Hey, KingCheez, you get bonus points for the стоячий! Thanks for the clarification, and now for the tricky part...why on earth would второй and третий get such weird endings here? I mean, come on, вторым?!? There is no ы or м in второй anyway, or ь in третий...
*hee hee hee hee hee hee* *runs away giggling* *this is getting interesting!*
I am confused... What do you mean by: Hey, KingCheez, you get bonus points for the standing! Thanks for the clarification, and now for the tricky part... why on earth would the second and the third get such weird endings here? I mean, come on, the second?!? There is no ы or m in the second anyway, or ь in the third...
Does it take away the 'by'?
"Я стоячий между второй и третий домом"?
Um...sorry, I'm asking Rev7 and y'all some questions about Russian grammar. By the way, Rev7 is on the right track...he should look up "instrumental case"...:)
(Critical error: Cannot view youtube due to annoying parental internet blocking filter. Page viewing process incomplete. Rerouting...) This is completely a guess at meaning of the title, but, could it mean: 'At what cost do I stand?'
Hold up--the official title of my story is "Complications", and the "I stand..." sentence is a separate "Russian Language Trivia Question" to see who gets to be a permanent character in my big series of fics that I'm writing. Mne ochen' zhal' (Sorry) for the confusion! :)
Um...sorry, I'm asking Rev7 and y'all some questions about Russian grammar. By the way, Rev7 is on the right track...he should look up "instrumental case"...:)
The "й" has something to do with it being literal. For example,
"Anna writes with a pen" ("Анна пишет с ручкой"), which means that "pen" is something sitting beside her and writing -- she is writing with a pen (as in with David).
:giveup:
Я написал письмо ручкой. (ya napisal pis'mo ruchkoi)
the inflection of the noun indicates its instrumental role -- the nominative ручка changes its ending to become ручкой. Modern English, lacking an instrumental case, might use a preposition (usually with) to express the same meaning:
(By the way, Rev7, it turns out that...вы правы! :)) It turns out that между, "between", uses the same grammatical case as "by". Congratulations on your big win! :D
I had fun with this. :D
Thanks for the lesson Tysy, it was really fun. I knew nothing about the Russian language, but now I do. :)
I still do not understand anything about Russian... Eh. I'm more interested in the story anyways...
For anyone else interested in being a cameo or character, here is my second Russian Language Trivia Question:
The Russian word четыре means "four", as in the number 4. How would you say четыре IF you were trying to say something like "with four people"? (Hint: с четыр_____ людьми)
This is probably wrong, but: с четырьмя человеками
OMG!!!! You are so right!!! Too bad you're not interested in the story, Arcesious...XD
Cool... The translator site I'm using seems to have worked... :D
I don't want to give away the location of my secret weapon of translation, Rev7... :xp:
Very funny.
Just want to make that known. :)
You've got to be kidding. :¬:
Giving us a warning?
_EW_
I don't want to give away the location of my secret weapon of translation, Rev7... :xp:
Having had to ask Tys for translations of phrases I need maybe I should ask if it gives roman translations.