Whoa...what is going on? How long have I been out?
[Thanks for the help, Redwing!]
Well time appears to be frozen, then my son Vidar suddenly appears. So far we can move around but nobody else can. We can also move items with an effort.
Where is Flax?
((@Deac: No problem ^_^
And go read the Continuity Outline topic again...))
Rwos: He's stuck in some sort of tri-winged TIE just outside this ship...moon. I think he would have been the only one of us to escape...if...
*comms Flax again* Flax? Can you fly? Eh...your fighter, I mean?
*Flax fires his burner.*
Flax: Yeah, but it seems sort of sluggish, like walking though a bog.
*Deac suddenly becomes alert and kneels*
It's like before...do they want me to be Starkiller again?
Rwos: *somehow startled by the idea* Do you think...
"Well, no. Sorry to dissapoint you. But I'm sure you'll settle for being a Dark Lord of the Sith?"
*Rwos and the others whirled to face the voice behind them. A creature stood there that certainly didn't belong on an Imperial Star Destroyer.
It looked like a small dinosaur crossed with a human. It had clawed raptor feet and a five-foot tall upright body, balanced by a long tail. Its flesh was dark, almost jet-black, rimmed with green. On top of its body perched a confusingly humanoid face with large, intelligent, mocking reptilian eyes. The creature gave a parody of a sigh.*
"So how do you feel, everybody? Deac? Termand? Odin? Vidar? Oh wait...we're missing a few here, aren't we?'
*The creature snapped his fingers. Flax appeared out of nowhere next to Deac. On the other side, Starr and Cracken materialized.*
"There we go! Much better. We've got Deac Starkiller, a pansy Jedi with delusions of grandeur....or rather, a mass-mudering Dark Lord about to finish the Sith army's takeover of the galaxy. Next we have Flax Talkin, a petty commander who thinks he can combine military power with Jedi power...or rather, the last, tired general of the Old Republic with repressed Force sensitivity and a few weeks from killing himself rather than submit to an enemy that far overwhelms him. Next is Termand Rwos, a contradiction in himself: cautious and intelligent, yet absurdly stupid and gullible at the same time. You don't even belong here...and guess what? You never did stay. You came and left without a ripple...just like you intended."
Rwos: What...are you talking about?
*Creature* "Don't interrupt me, I'm not finished yet! Next in line we have six Aesir. How does it feel to have obliterated 80% of the galaxy's known intelligence life, Vidar? And Odin, how do you call yourself a hero when you set up the universe for annihilation? But don't worry! None of that ever happened. Neither of you, or your flunkies either, ever existed.
And lastly...we have the two current Dark Lords of the Sith. Cracken, son of Palpatine, the pretender to a benevolent despot. Do we see a contradiction here? And his apprentice Starr Hailfire; say Starr, have you had a single thought of your own volition since age six? No? Didn't think so. But..surprise! Neither of you exist anymore, either.
And here's a real mind-bender: It's all your fault."
*groups of people run around the roon in circles*
okay, no point in that. :D but thought it would be funny...
((OOS: Everybody else is all frozen in time...so that would be kinda hard ;)))
Odin: YOu managed to target 80% of the galaxy? Very good son. Who ever said anything about being a hero. It was fortold that my death would beacon the end of the galaxy. My loyal subjects follow that prophecy. Besides if we don't exist then nothing was done and this won't matter either.
*punches Starr*
That was for being disrespectful, be happy I don't let my men indulge themselves.
Now Lizzie what do you want.
*stunned by Odin's punch, Starr quickly recovers* Disrespect!! *ignites his saber and lunges for Odin, only to be stopped by an invisible wall now separating Cracken from the others. The creature looks estatic*
"Wonderful! Wonderful! I just love the old Aesir. Such arrogance! To believe that one insignificant creature's death could herald the end of the entire galaxy? Delighfully audacious!" *cackles with delight* "I suppose to properly proceed I'll have to tell you about the glorious New Reality.
"The Jedi were killed off long ago. When the Sith, the army of fallen Jedi, came to the Old Republic, they found little resistance of consequence. They are currently within months of total control of the galaxy, lead by---guess---Dark Lord of the Sith Deac Starkiller himself. Beautiful, isn't it?
"Poor Flax is weeks from suicide. Neither Cracken nor Starr exist. The Aesir are nothing more than savages quarantined on their backwards planet that no one really cares about.
"The Sith have mass-warped millions of non-sentient species into their private army of nearly unstoppable savage animals. Millions more people are being wiped out every day in the bloody planet-hopping fight for the core. And the Republic isn't so great either---their latent xenophobia has kicked in, and hundreds of entire intelligent races are being exterminated every day; and it wastes valuable resources to go directly to the planets of 'primitives' and exterminate them for taking up more valuable resources. Those few that escape annihilation become races of slaves. It's all quite wonderful!
"But what do I want, you ask? Sadly...I am here to offer you the chance to undo it all." *spreads his hand wide and smiles a hideous smile* "I want to help."
*Cracken tries to speak, but no sound.... damned thing silenced him. and he was going about some alternate future.... and him, being a POOR SUCCESOR TO HIS FATHER! this burned him, more than anything. he as BETTER than that stupid man. more intelligent, more pandering to the people for show. all for show, that's what he really learned. give people a good show, and they'll fall right into your hands..... he sighed. *
"But what do I want, you ask? Sadly...I am here to offer you the chance to undo it all." *spreads his hand wide and smiles a hideous smile* "I want to help."
*What?! help? how could he help? there was an alterior motive, he knew....some about this creature didn't feel right... something... elusive....*
*Deac explodes in anger*
Dark Lord of the Sith?! I suppose Syrnl's the Angel of Redemption then?! And what the hell are you?! A refugee from a poor holo-flick?! Help?! By the gods, I don't know what you want, but you will never alter the past. It cannot be done.... *Deac then remembers all the time's it his been done to him *....easily...
*the creature laughs* "Oh, it can be done, and easily. However, my master the great and powerful Craynoir is bound by the same rules that bind your gods the Aeges in their cosmic chess game to affect the fates of the galaxy. Nothing you primitive apes would know about, or even be aware of...except you two, Termand and Deac. If only your friend Corzip was here, the time-jumping trio would be complete. But the point of this...is a device called the Time Matrix."
*Rwos takes a startles step forward* That's a myth. No such device ever existed...
"Oh, it existed. It exists. It was found by the changeling apprentice of Reletha Darkstar, Deac's very own niece. How did he find it? Why, because of Odin's son's little blunder; he destroyed the system it was hidden on. Ironic, eh?'
Starr *suddenly finding himself able to speak again*: What---does this have to do with any "new reality"?
"Well, this Darkstar, who uses the name Ken'atra Sorack, has used the Time Matrix. He has traveled backward in time and is changing historical events. He has rewritten the past in an effort to save his family from the Aesir's lovely Holocaust and bring about a victory for the forces of the Dark Side. Along with magnifying the evil that flows in undercurrents in the established Republic. None of these other yous that exist in this reality are aware that life is any different. Not that half of you even exist! It's quite glorious!"
((I assume the future you have changed was were Odin did die..., since no systems were yet destroyed, and no blunder as far as the aesir are concerned.))
Odin:So we are left alone. Obviously we don't care about the rest of the galaxy. We like our solitude. So why should we help you? In other words what is in it for us?
Also if you say our lives, please not, that living is not a major concern for us. Oh, and how insignificant is a person who's death will bring the end of the universe?
Katani Chass slowly awoke, shaking the cobwebs from his brain. He'd had another of the nightmares again. In this one, he'd been traveling toward the Crimson Star, weapons primed and feeling great. He was bearing down upon that dreadful Deac Starkiller, ready to kill him, when it jumped to hyperspace and left him alone with that strange alien fleet. They'd launched those terrible warheads, and waited. Then everything had gone white. He'd woken up again.
Twenty years after the Galactic Holocaust, the destruction of 80% of the Galaxy's inhabitants, Katani Chass was a hero. Well, sort of. The Conqueror had lived up to it's bill of being indestructible, surviving the wash of explosions that had wracked the Galaxy. He'd stood alone, amidst destruction untold. He'd battled the Star... many of them. Each explosion had been a battle, one for sanity. When the mind control had gone out, he'd found out that things were far more vivid than he thought them to be. The outside universe didn't compare now that he could truly see... and his thirst for death was no more. And so, when the stars had all exploded, when things had all gone, he'd found himself unplugged. He was in a recovery center on Coruscant, the only untouched major planet. He'd spent the next 19 years recovering, both from the mind control, and from the shock of exploding stars. And so, when he'd finally been given a clean bill of mental health, he'd headed off to the Senate building, to see if he could be given a reparation job.
When he arrived, they told him that there was much he could do, but since he was seen as a hero by the surviving peoples everywhere, they wanted to keep that image. So they'd revealed a secret that very few knew. After the Galactic Holocaust, they hadn't destryoed all weapons like the Conqueror, although some had been. But his, on the other hand, had been mothballed, in case he was able to recover. And he had.
They then informed him of the death sentence imposed upon the Aesir, and how it had never been carried out, as they were too powerful. They needed someone to go and exterminate them, and since he'd been brainwashed before, they trusted him to complete that mission now. He was more than happy to oblige.
So that was how he'd gotten here. He'd taken to falling asleep during hyperspace trips... a habit he wanted to break, but couldn't. Again he'd dreamt, again a habit he wanted to break. But now, he was ready to pull out of hyperspace, and into another system, looking for more Aesir to eliminate. All he'd run into so far had been a few border patrols, nothing major. They had of course, all died.
As he entered the system, he made a quick scan. Nothing particularly exciting just the novatic sun, and dust where a planet used to be. Well, except for what appeared to be a ship within the dust... a shimmering globe just taller than a man. He headed closer to investigate.
*the creature laughs again, maliciously*
"Hate to burst your bubble, silly Aesir...but you were killed. In one second from now. And the galaxy lasted twenty years before the Darkstar discovered the Time Matrix and began his journey backwards.
"There is nothing in it for you. Nothing but the prize of continued existence. If you do not help, the Aesir will stay savage, underdeveloped barbarians, likely on the way to extermination or transformation to a slave race in a reality where you never existed." *hideous grin* "And if you don't help, I'm perfectly fine with that. I don't want you to help. The Aeges are the ones who required your presence, not my great and powerful master Craynoir. If it was my decision, Cracken and his flunky would be the only ones sent. But rules are rules..."
((This post is being posted on behalf of Death (
http://www.lucasforums.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=5924), who will be playing Reletha's apprentice. :D She couldn't log in for some reason and she had to leave for a week---so I'm posting her intro post for her. I've only changed one word---'exhilirates' to 'accelerates' ;)))
*Ken'atra Sorack is studying his technical readings in his small spaceship. A strand of black hair keeps dangling in front of his face and he moves it and traps it behind one of his pointy ears. He appears to be mostly human with very pale skin, but a few minor details here and there quickly destroy that assumption. First off he has vampire teeth and his eyes are a crimson red that change color with the light. His ear, as mentioned before, are pointy but barely visible because of his shoulder length hair..
If inspected more closely one can note just a hint of horns jutting out from underneath his hairline. Why he chose this form he doesn't really know, it just struck his fancy at the moment, but the pesky hair might need to go soon. It keeps getting in the way. The only thing that stays constant is a small gold locket that he always keeps around his neck. In it is a picture of the family that was so dear to him until they were ripped forever from his life. Well, he's here to change that.* ....
If I don't die of boredom first... *As if on cue a light starts to blink and he excitedly looks at the instruments* Could it be? *his eyes sparkle with joy and they seem to turn almost black and he starts to plot. His ship accelerates towards an object on his screen and his eyes narrow as he chuckles* Finally...time to collect my prize.
((edit, OOS: In case this is confusing, the above (and superthrawn's post) is taking place 20 years into the future, in the normal reality where everyone got killed. (:( ;)) )))
*Strangely, a hawk flys into the area and lands on Deac' shoulder, and crows into his ear, then flies away*
Farewell, Blade Father....
All right, how do we stop this madness?
((Superthrawn a couple problems.
The Aesir are now dead. They destroyed their home world, in the holocaust. Those off planet, would have either killed themsleves, or died in the explosions of other stars. Only a few Aesir survived since they were chosen in a prophecy.
Coruscant would not have remained untouched. Look at the character of the Aesir. If their lord was going to die then basically everyone was to die. They wouldn't have left the most populated planet untouched. Especially if they were in the system at the time.
As such, to keep your post more or less correct.
With the Star leaving the system at the last second, the Aesir attacked the planet. Given the advanced weapons, Coruscant was devistated, but left intact.
What your character has destoryed were empty ships, the crews already dead. The gov. would obviously not know that the Aesir are not dead, so they would still send you on your mission.
The remaining Aesir are now far our of reach of any power in the galaxy, and if we go with this time line they have a very important role still to play. Also believe it or not the Aesir are actually not evil.))
((forgot to post a response to redwings post))
Like I said, we do not care about death. The Aesir, will kill themselves before they become slaves.
Now you just want my enemies, which makes you my enemy. You still haven't told of us of your mission. So I will not agree with something I do not know. I might agree, if the galaxy can be saved, and your two friends are drawn and quatered. But first the mission?
Originally posted by Admiral
((Superthrawn a couple problems.
The Aesir are now dead. They destroyed their home world, in the holocaust. Those off planet, would have either killed themsleves, or died in the explosions of other stars. Only a few Aesir survived since they were chosen in a prophecy.
Coruscant would not have remained untouched. Look at the character of the Aesir. If their lord was going to die then basically everyone was to die. They wouldn't have left the most populated planet untouched. Especially if they were in the system at the time.
As such, to keep your post more or less correct.
With the Star leaving the system at the last second, the Aesir attacked the planet. Given the advanced weapons, Coruscant was devistated, but left intact.
What your character has destoryed were empty ships, the crews already dead. The gov. would obviously not know that the Aesir are not dead, so they would still send you on your mission.
The remaining Aesir are now far our of reach of any power in the galaxy, and if we go with this time line they have a very important role still to play. Also believe it or not the Aesir are actually not evil.))
((Coruscant was untouched in this reality. Explanation: A remaining Jedi on Coruscant pulled a Dorsk 81 and flung the fleet away via the Force, killing himself (and perhaps most of the Aesir) in the process. My original explanation involved a somewhat different image of the Aesir, but the above is a nice canon explanation for it that still fits with the Aesir, keeping the mistaken death sentence.
As for the Aesir 'scouts' being destroyed, presumably the advanced technology of their ships kept them in such good condition that Katani thought they were 'live'.))
Originally posted by Redwing
((Coruscant was untouched in this reality. Explanation: A remaining Jedi on Coruscant pulled a Dorsk 81 and flung the fleet away via the Force, killing himself (and perhaps most of the Aesir) in the process. My original explanation involved a somewhat different image of the Aesir, but the above is a nice canon explanation for it that still fits with the Aesir, keeping the mistaken death sentence.
As for the Aesir 'scouts' being destroyed, presumably the advanced technology of their ships kept them in such good condition that Katani thought they were 'live'.))
((I like that explanation as it fits better with Superthrawns post, so combine the two and we get:
The Aesir are pushed out of system, with most of their ships damaged. To that end they follow the prophecy and all but the chosen destory themselves.
Like I said, the ships were there, but the crew were dead. So to keep with the loyalty of the Aesir.
However Coruscant can't remain completly untouched. They imported much of their food, and other surrplies. So eventually famine would strike and many would die.))
OOS: Admiral, that's an issue I intend to discuss in my new spinoff RPG Postlude to Holocaust on RSRP. Check it out for details, but I was planning to get to that point.
((You're right Admiral. I meant physically untouched, not unharmed. And we need to transfer this discussion to the appropriate place.
Oh, and note that the lizard creature takes the idea of the end of the galaxy far more straightforwardly than the Aesir, which is why he thinks you are so arrogant. That, and he likes needling))
*The creature cocks its head towards the mysterious hawk, chortling* "Did I hear a bird chirping?"
Rwos: Why would you help us if you like what's happening?
"It's all part of a deal. My master, the great and glorious Craynoir, and the meddling nitwit "gods" the Aeges, creators of the Avatar nuisances, have a deal. Neither of them really approve of a not-quite-sane Darkstar posessing the most powerful device in galactic history."
Rwos: So...you think this Time Matrix could endanger the "great and glorious Craynoir" himself?
*the creature laughs* "Don't be a fool. Nothing threatens great Craynoir. However...one doesn't want mere baboons blundering about with Time Matrices, does one? Oh, sure, it's all fun and games when they end up causing genocidial wars or engendering mass race hatred, but who knows what other damage a fool with such power may do?"
Rwos: Why can't the 'Great Craynoir' just freeze time and take the Matrix himself?
"Mighty talky, are we now? Mm, well...rules are rules. Neither of our masters can directly interfere in that way. Thus---"
Starr: You mentioned a deal.
"Yes. A deal. And here it is. The lot of you, minus the Erinhajer, will be allowed to follow the Time Matrix. The Aeges back Deac, Odin, Vidar, Flax, Termand. My master Craynoir backs you and your master Cracken. The two groups of you will each try to get to the Time Matrix first. And whichever of you gets it can either attempt to save your reality, put everything back where it should be - or try to shape it to your own choice.
"The Darkstar set off on his journey one week ago. You will be translated forward to that point and then the quanta that make up your atoms will be...tuned. Yes, that's a good word for simple minds to comprehend. You'll be fine-tuned at the subatomic level to resonate with the movements of the Time Matrix as it travels through time. Your memories and personalities will, of course, be buffered. Protected against changes."
Rwos: Resulting in what effect?
"Resulting in the effect that, like an echo, you will follow the Time Matrix. It plucks the chords of time and you reverberate." *the creature stops and shakes his head in apparent admiration of his own words. "Brilliantly explained, eh?"
Rwos: ...And...
"And if the two Sith here get the Matrix - Craynoir wins. You and your friends get it - the Aeges win."
Rwos: Are you insane?!? If you think we're going to risk the fate of the whole galaxy on beating two---
*the creature laughs* "You aren't going to risk the fate of the galaxy, little fool. That's already been done! And you're right, there is a little fairness issue. Two Sith versus five 'heroes'? Thus, all your abilities will be dimmed. In 'fairness', you won't be able to engage in a telekinetic Force battle over the Time Matrix, or see who's faster with Force speed. And as for you, Termand---" *Rwos' teleporter appears in the creature's hand, and he 'pockets' it in a nonexistent pocket* "No cheating allowed."
*An oversized holographic timer appears around the creature's wrist* "You all have to decide. Two minutes. Ticktock, ticktock. Then time restarts, and all goes back to what it should be. Tick. Tock."
*The creature is gone as suddenly as he appeared. Flax and Cracken have a sensation as if binders were falling from their mouths*
((OOS: My explanation as to why you didn't reply directly to the creature :D))
Edit: Grammar
*The creature ddissapeared, leaving Cracken in a dull silence. he nods to Starr, and they drop quietly into the backgroud.*
My apprentice, do you remember what i said about opporitunity?
Starr:when ever opporitunaty strikes, take it?
Yes, this is it. we do as the creature asks, except we use the Time Matrix to go to the battle of Endor, where my father will die, but I will rise on Coruscant. The Empire will still be maintained, and teh Star activated.... yes....... we will go along with this.
*Cracken approaches the main group, involved in thier conversation*
We have decided to go after this Time Matrix. I wish you men the best of "luck".
I will always stop a Darkstar. I'll play your game, win, and blow you back to the hells.
Let's do this.
Lets see, the galaxy is destroyed, so why. Maybe we will find some good ale.
((OOS: "why not", Admiral? If not correct me))
I'm not sure this is a good idea. How do we know we're being told everything that's going on here? And how exactly are we going to fix the past? I mean, exactly...? Does one of you have a complete history of this galaxy stored in his head? How are we going to fix history if we don't know how it's broken? And how are we going to interfere just enough to stop this Holocaust from happening, and keep our history intact at the same time? And that's if we manage to get the Time Matrix in the first place...!
We're not invincible, you know. Just look at where we are...
What's the alternative? Dark Lord Starkiller destroying all? Only humans existing? No more episodes of Star Trek?!
((no it is why, he got side tracked with thoughts of ale. Um, non of your characters wonder what the holocaust is? Odin, Vidar, and Cracken would know but that would be it.))
Well we get this time matrix go back to when the Star was being built. We destroy it then and there. With that done there would be no holocaust, as such there would be no finding of the time matrix. I assume that the Aeges would fix the time loop....
The creature said we would be protected against changes. That isn't the point. The point is, how do we know when the Star began to be built? You know, the moon's been there for a long time. How are we supposed to destroy a moon on our own steam? And don't say "The Force"; you heard what that creature said...
*looks suspiciously at Odin and Vidar*
What was this "Holocaust" he was talking about? 80% of the galaxy's intelligent life?
Oh, did I forget to mention that if I die, the galaxy is doomed? It was prophised a long time ago that my death, would bring an end to our galaxy. Apparently I've died. Only I haven't, so accordinly not the entire galaxy is destroyed. My people call this Ragnorak.
Simple way to stop the star from becoming active. Destroy the system. Not very hard for my people. Of course I would evacuate the people if ir was right to do so.
((OOS: Where on earth is Battledog? :confused: *stall stall*))
*Rwos stares at Odin in bewilderment, then shock*
You mean to say that your race is really trying to destroy the entire galaxy when you die? To fulfill some "prophecy" from "a long time ago"? Are you completely insane?
Watch your mouth boy. You talk of what you do not know of.
We are not trying to destroy this galaxy. However we are prepared to do this. All life will be removed in a blink of the eye. This has escaped the attention of the rest of the galaxy but a final conflict with evil is brewing. I left Asgard to investigate this, only to be told of the Crismon Star. I'm no longer sure we shouldn't give the galaxy a giant wake up call now.
Calm it-we're all fighting on the same side here.
Look, we all want the same thing here. You want the past fixed, i want the past fixed. the last thing i need is some Jedi wanna be *glares at Deac* to go mucking around and destroy my existance, or some hell bent prophetic no-force users destroying the galaxy *Glares at Odin*
so, with that out of the way, i say we all just get along for about however long it takes us to fix whatever we need, then go back hating eachother and me trying to kill all of you. horrifically. k? I think that's best. whatever disputes you now hold with your brothers in arms can wait. in fact, i think *takes out small Holoplanner* after we're done here...... i can hold off killing you all for... at least a week. that should give you all time to sort it all out.
*motions* shall we get going?
((The Aesir can use the force, the only thing is that they are neither Jedi nor Sith. Also I'll say this now. Wed. I have to have surgery so I may be out for an undetermined period of time (at least a few days).))
That is fine by me, oh and please remember that I will kill you before this is over.
((OOS: Well, when the Matrix jumps, you won't all end up in the same place. You could be maybe half a mile apart even. It's random in that way.
So we'll assume Battledog said yes (since he seems to be on vacation ;)) and he just ended up in a different place then us. Same with Admiral's characters.))
*Starr glares at Rwos* And for the trouble you've caused me, alien, I'm going to kill you personally.
*Rwos just looks at him warily* Whatever. Obviously, we don't have much of a choice. But I want one thing first. I want to know exactly where the Darkstar is going, and what he is intending to do there. *yells* In other words, you stupid lizard, I want to know what is going on here!
But he was yelling it to a large creature that seemed to be made entirely of stone.
To Be Continued