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Sorry to wimp out, but the game is a draw.

This game was rather affected by absences and in-out players. That is unfortunate but real-life rules over all- it is a certain amount of chance that we simply have to accept when playing on-line. We also saw a lot of new players coming into unfamiliar situations late in the plot, and I thank them for their patience in their 'Padawanship' in the game. No more kid golves, you are all in with the full plot now.

So, to look at each of the three plotlines in turn:

Belseraphon was a Light Side victory- even though the Jedi were not there very long. Julie played JUST long enough to alert the Miramar to the true intenions of the Dark Siders, starting the rebellion. On Nar Shadda- where one of the occasional inter-storyline linsk exitsed- the Jedi rescued the girl Latar whose hostage status kept the Miramar in check. Takuan found it dificult to deal with either problem- admittedly not an easy task, but the trick was to reserach Belseraphon's past and discover their Sith hatred in time- and so Belseraphon was lost to the Dark Siders.

Tartarus was a Dark Side victory. This was, of course, the story designed for the Jedi to hate. Played on (ostensibly) friendly ground with the only background bad guys to scared to take on Jedi, this was by far the mosy physically safe story for the Jedi yet, with the only threat coming from the easily teamed-up on Persis and the Dark Siders who should be too bust to stop and fight. However, this was also the most awkward story for the Jedi in a plot sense as they run head on into the most fearsome problem obscuring the Jedi- corrupt Republican bureaucracy. The Jedi did quickly cotton on the fact that they were being stonewalled by the locals but unfortunately were never quite able to solve the problem- a forcible solution not being acceptable. Hence they were slowed enough for the Dark Siders- relying on simple 'smash and grab' tactics- to get ahead. Combined with the problems of holidays in summer, the Dark Siders won this one comfortably. This more intellectual plotline for the Jedi could have been solved by investigation into the legal issues concerned, by beating T'Lo at his own game by exploting legal loopholes to get in, or by one person keeping T'Lo busy at the military section by trying to directly enter the cvivlian one, whilst another player simply broke in. However, any subversive approach by the Jedi required care to make sure they did not ACTUALLY impair the Republican investigation there, whenever due care was not taken I made it clear they had to stop and this is what slowed them down- a Jedi's natural interest in law and order. This is, for better or worse, the Republic you serve, and Jedi often have to adapt a pracitcal attitude to this sort of problem. Still, all done now!

Nar Shadda was the least confrontaitonal story- a fight being put in at the end with the Light Siders just to keep players amused, really- and was a draw as both sides got what they wanted from Ascar, who again proved adept at dealing happily with both sides without being accused of aiding the other. The Dark Siders got what they wanted slightly quicker, but took more damage in doing so. Suits the Dark Side just fine!

This was probably the most thoughtful story of all; for reference, here are some things that could have been tried that players who got stuck might have found helpful:

- Xeth could have visted Shareth. Mad as it may seem, Shareth KNEW where Ascar was and a brave Xeth could have tried to make a deal (being a Renegade and all). By the same extension, the Dark Siders could have gone to Shareth and offered to being in Xeth in return for information about Ascar! As it is, I do not think Dak knew how much Shareth would have paid for him to kill Xeth, which he nearly did...

- Ascar's objective on Nar Shadda would have become more obvious if anyone had tried to find out where the girl had come from. This would have kept the Jedi less confused about events.

- If the Jedi had obtained permisison from the Lamellan authorities to deal with outisde problems affecting the Civilian Area, then they could have started working 'for' Captain Pheron and gone in to the Civilian Area on the pretext that the Dark Siders were, by default, disrupting the Republican investigation.

- The Dark Siders decided to take the Smugglers head on, and this very nearly killed Galder. They could instead have dealt with the Smugglers, saying that they would take care of the Jedi poking their noses around if the Smugglers would tell them where Persis was. As it was, the Dark Siders declared war and so the smugglers aided the Jedi instead.

- On Belseraphon, there was a thematic clue with the planet looking like Yavin (albeit with a different coloured sky as it was basically base don the Narn homewprld from Babylon 5); all the big clues were in the library. I actually invented the Sith graveyard on the spot, so Takuan would not wonder around confused forever...

But that is hindsight for you- and writer, rather than player, hindsight at that; at home, I play games more than I run them and there is rarely a game in which I do not feel stupid about afterwards so never fear, none of you died in the end and most of you got what you wanted; for those that didn;t, there are always more chances!

Three stories this time, which makes this rather complex...

Plot one was Belseraphon, the home of the Order of Miramar, the deadly assassin warriors. Despite being an elite Order, this is on a Star Wars scale so there are millions of them. With a primitive seeming facade, the Miramar actually have access to highly sophisticated- and deadly- technology. During the final Sith War, the Sith thought it would be nice to use these guys as expendable troops (the idea of using HUGE numbers of inferior troops, like droids or Clonetroopers, is one I am assuming the Sith do not think of until the time of the films), and so took advantage of the Miramar's love of family life by taking hostages from their womanfolk to force them to co-operate. However, the Sith were under a lot of pressure at the time and the attempt was rather half-hearted. The Sith slew a LOT of Miramar but lost some of their own number and eventually gave up the idea as a bad deal- leaving only as vast hatred from the Miramar who also developed techniques for fighting Jedi.

Kuylen, working in the Jedi Archives, knew this story well and it soon occurred to him after his fall that these would make a great army for him to control- and this time to do it right. He sent his deputy Alik Saar and Edna to Belseraphon to trick the Order, seize the Grandmaster's daughter and force them to work for him- their first objective to steal the Astrolabe on Malastare. However, the Order only reacted well to somone of military bearing, so Kuylen had to leave Malastare halfway through Episode III to give them their Orders personally- which is why Kuylen disappeared in Episode III and the Order turned up shortly afterwards.

During Episode III the Prelate Nayler of the Miramar began to suspect that their captors were not just evil Jedi, as the Miramar saw them, but MAYBE Sith- the marks on the Astrolabe seemed suspicious to him. Kuylen had wisely not told the Miramar of his objective of ressurecting the Sith but, secretive as ever, had not told Saar of this little problem. Fear of the Sith is the only thing that would overcome the Order's fear of Latara, the Grandmaster's daughter, dying, and cause rebellion- not that the Miramar are moral people... they just REALLY hate the Sith!

Saar is a intensly paranoid man, but in this case this served him well as he sensed the coming problem with the Order. When Edna left, Saar requested that someone equally force senstive be sent to replace her and feel out the problem in more detail- so Kuylen sent Takuan. Meanwhile, Lance and Sieri went to Belseraphon for the Jedi to find out just WHY the Order was working for Kuylen (seeing how expensive it is to hire Miramar).

In theory then, the Jedi should be encouraging the Miramar to rebel, and Takuan trying to prevent it. Takuan quickly acquaints himself with Saar and feels the discontent of the Miramar- even finding a stored recording of the features of the Astrolabe, which the Miramar are taking interest in, but fails to make the link.

The Jedi land in the intensly hostile jungles of Belseraphon, and are quickly beset by many beasts. There Nayler's men rescue/capture them, and Sieri negotiates with him, confirming that Kuylen's men are indeed trying to ressurect the Sith. Takuan attempts to spy on this meeting but is nearly killed by the beasts in the jungle and nearly killed again when Nayler's men try to silence him. Takuan discovers the graves of some Sith in the jungle during his flight and begins to suspect the truth but a bit late. Saar rescues him but the rebellion is already starting- and when Latara is rescued from Kuylen on Nar Shadda (see below) Belseraphon's fate is sealed. Saar tried to delay things long enough for him to counter the problem but there is little he can do; Takuan and Saar are eventually forced to flee as the planet rises against them, eventually making a close shave hyperpsace escape. The Jedi, their job done, have already left.

Plot two was Tartarus, Persis' home. Tartarus is part of the Lamellan sector, an unpleasant moon with no Lamellans on, full instead of smugglers and criminals from humanity and the Nar Shadda-stlye races. Tartarus is the centre of the most blatant and enormous smuggling operation which is costing the Republic untold billions of credits; it is also a vicious operation, evil and ruthless, and is running inside the Republic not far from Malastare! An enormous Republican Investigation is trying to close the operation down but it is bogged down in legal trouble- the main reason for this being that the Lamellans themselves are the organisers of the whole thing and are benefitting nicely. As the investigation can hardly proceed without the Lamellans being a part of it, they- especially their main lawyer, T'Lo Nebb- are carefully making sure that the investigationw ill never finish. Various legal challenges have meant that no Republicans can enter Tatrtarus other than a small military sector there, lest they impede the impartiality of the investigation. In the meantime, the smuggling continues unabated.

Persis flees here from Malastare, with the Astrolabe, knowing he will be sfaer with his friends there and that the Jedi will find it a right pain to get to him. For the Dark Siders, he sets traps to weaken and then destroy them. Both Jedi and Dark Siders come to Tartarus for the same reason- to get Persis (and in the Dark Siders case, to kill him stone dead) and get the Astrolabe. Mah and Marcus are sent by the Jedi, Chion, Rura and Galder by the Dark Siders, the Dark Siders also joined by the new face Jolanta- who to everyone's dismay, is Krisha's sister. Kuylen has convinced Jolanta that it is yerssot who killed Krisha, and her hatred has brought her to Kuylen's side. By coincidence, yerssot joins the story midway- as the Dark Siders also gain the new player Rah, a Brigand.

The Light Siders are told immediately by the Republican Captain Pheron that they cannot enter the Civilian Sector on Tartarus. Contacting the authorities for assistance, they are sent none other than T'Lo Nebb, who then uses the law to slow them down in every way possible. T'Lo and the Lamellans don't give a toss about the Dark Siders and how many they kill- the smugglers are replaceable and the Dark Siders will move on. They only thing they care about is that the Jedi do not expose the smugglers operation so they want them kept out. It takes a while for a translation unit to arrive so they can even understand T'lo! T'Lo fatally slows the Jedi investigation so they can achieve nothing- their entry to the Civilian Sector is so bound by rules that they will never find anything in time.

Jolanta (already there, alongside Rura) sabotages the base's power systems, giving an opportunity for Galder to land near the military area dome. The Dark Siders then wait their chance before smashing straight through the transfer point to the Civilian Sector, fighting inconclusive duels with the Jedi first. However, Galder leaves his ship parked outside, and soon after Yerssot's arrival (yerss having established a direct communications link between the players and the Supreme Chancellor's office first) the ship is seized and lost to him.

The Dark Siders get the location of the smuggler's underground base from a smuggler in a bar whom Jolanta then kills without a second thought. They descend into the sewers (blatantly unused) and into the base- pausing only whilst Galder gets badly injured after waling straight through the trip-bomb security there.

The Jedi's investigation is far slower with T'Lo slowing them every step of the way, even after finding the dead body, and only a meetinbg with a Republican lawyer finally tips them off to the location of the base. With a grim ineivtability, Marcus is injured by the same security that injured Galder.

Galder and Jolanta make a bit of a hash-up inside the complex, delaying often to fight smugglers, blowing up mono-rail carriages and getting Galder hurt again. This delay allows the Jedi to make up time somewhat, but by the time all players reach the enormous main hangar in the centre of it all, the Dark Siders are still ahead. Galder breaks triumphantly into Persis' ship and immediately takes a fatasl dose of radiation from the hot cell he fins in there, having walked into Persis's trap. The hangar, with a hazardous materials emergency system built in, sounds alarms as the whole area seals off. A few moments later, both sides are seperated in seperate sealed-off areas, and an enraged Galder is slowly dying.

Here the Dark Siders get another lead, The Light Siders cut their way back into the hangar buit have to delay as they get the other people inside to safety deeper in the complex. The Dark Siders simply threaten to kill anyone who causes trouble and cut through at once, Chion, Rura and Jolanta go to steal a new ship whilst Rah and Galder go to kill Persis. They head down to the bowels of the complex, and are beset by more of Persis's traps, before a badly wounded and impaired Galder is attacked by him. Persis comes within an ace of killing Galder before Rah turns up to the rescue, and in a long, hard fight, Persis is overcome and killed, and the Dark Siders triumphantly take the Astrolabe.

The oh-so-subtle Chion and Jolanta combination overload a reactor on a ship to blow apart the hangar security, also blowing up most of the hangar. In this fiery confusion both sides finally meet as the Dark Siders prepare to board a ship and make their escape. The Light SIders are in clumsyhazmat suitys; Chion is resistant to radiation and the players have taken a rsiky no-suit approach- the Light Siders are in no position to fight., The Dark Siders escape in a stolen ship with the Astrolabe, though not without the Light Siders getting a trace on their escape vector first.

Phew! Almost done!

Plot 3 was on Nar Shadda, the oh-so-hated home moon of Hutt space. And I was determined to make this planet as horrible and hateful as possible- I believe I succeeded!

This is where Ascar has come, fleeing the vengeful Dark Siders and the Jedi who 'want a word' with him. Ascar knows the location of the Mausoleum, and the Jedi must prevent Kuylen himself- who has come to Nar Shadda- from getting that information from him. Gundark and Xeth take this misison, later joined by new players Kosta and Vincent. Kuylen also introduces new Dark Side players Allor, Dak and Wraith, them taking this misison as their milk run to gain his approval.

Ascar's plan here is very simple. He intends to actually go into Republican custody where neither Light nor Dark Sider can get at him; his lawyers can then sort out a good deal for him. But obviously getitng arrested by the Jedi kind of defeats the point for him. He arranges to be picked up directly by the Senate instead. Senator Riordan, tied to Ascar by his love of gambling, is the one he chooses to do the job, and to entice him to come out to Nar Shadda and do it, Ascar offers him the gift of a girl who comes from a planet known for it's 'courtesan' class. because he will have to buy this girl on the slave market, Ascar had to come to Hutt Space where that was legal.

Ascar's route through this day was as follows:

First he went to a major gambling syndicate and paid them a large amount of money to placate their anger at him having screwd them over at the pod race in Episode III where Ascar ruined the odds by secretly entering two force-sensitives!

Then he went to a Fixer- a man who introduces people to other people- named Androni, who put Ascar in touch with Arazi, a famous slaver who can get Ascar the girl he wishes (such girls are NOT normally slaves, this one had been captured by pirates, and she was VERY expensive). Ascar then meets with Arazi in a hotel room to do the deal, and then finally proceeds to the arranged meeting point with the Senator to hand over the girl and give himself up.

Both sides find it hard going to get into Ascar's routine, even with the Dark Siders getting the limited help of Shareth the Hutt and her deputy Li Milano, whom Allor does a favour for. The Light Siders get more information from Androni, who wants little trouble, and the Dark Siders get a LITTLE help from Arazi. Both sides are hassled throughout the day by the bounty Hunter Balek- taking advantage of the fact they are not in Republican space to take a shot at Gundark as well as the Dark Siders, as Gundark is also marked for death. Xeth is being hassled by Li Milano throughout the day, who wants the traitor to Shareth off this world ASAP.

Eventually, the Jedi trace Ascar to the hotel, a few minutes after Kuylen got there, his agents having tipped him off. Kuylen totally outfights both Xeth and Gundark- who have trouble working together in a fight- and would have killed them had Li and an army of battle droids not intervened, trying to seize Xeth. Kuylen instead quickly fights to safety taking Ascar with him. The Light Siders capture Milano who as the price for his freedom gets them access to Kuylen's ship.

The Dark Siders are led to an ambush by Ascar but after fighting clear of it finally get a deal done with him, and Ascar hands over the location of the Mausoleum. The Light Siders are attacked by highly sophisitctaed assasin droids at Kuylen's ship, but fight clear of it having not only disabled his hyperdrive, but also having rescued the girl Latara, affecting the Belseraphon plotline above.

The Light Siders finally get Ascar's new location- in custody with the Senator- from Arazi as he is leaving. Dak and Wraith turn up to fight the Jedi at this point and duel with Xeth and Kosta whilst Gundark and Vincent go to see Ascar. Gundark is amazed to see the Senator and dobule amazed when she works out what has happened. In conversation with Ascar- who smoothly lies about having helped the Dark Siders- she does at least get the Mausoleum's location as well. Ascar will return to Coruscant with the Senator, out of the Jedi's reach.

The duelling goes badly for the Jedi, with Xeth being run through, but the intervention of Nar Shadda security saves their lives.

Both sides on all three places leave at last- those on Nar Shadda VERY happy to have done so- and the plot moves onwards, as the Jedi prepare to chase the Dark Siders all the way to the final confrontation- at the Mausoleum of Demnos.

FINALLY done... yayy!

Ush, I would like to take this moment to say: You did INDEED make Nar Shaddaa THE most HATEFUL place in the universe!

Remind me to add "Nar Shaddaa bartenders" to my "Things I Hate" list... Ugh...

force ability for me

awh, welll...should've figured out a lot of things earlier

I'd like a raise in Force ability, as well, please.

Di I get to raise even though I didn't do much this last game?

Hmm... I don't think so, Lance. I would be tempted to, but seriously, these guys went through a LOT of hassle this game, they deserve a distinctive reward.

You are still ahead of the newbies though.

Ok, couldn't hurt to ask.

I think I'll take an advance in Force ability this time. I'll need it.

Can I raise? I'm only new so I dont know if I did enough. If yes, Then I'll raise my force ability.

Yes you can, and noted

Exellent. Thanx.

But you didn't.

I should have seen all those damned traps. Pay attention to my danger sense more, I suppose...

Well, experience is the best teacher. Galder is going to not only be a great warrior, but a great PARANOID warrior. He'll stop and check doors before entering bases and make sure that boxes aren't full of radiation...

General Skills please!

Same here!

Ha, we won, didn't we Dak?

*high fives the reptile*

Yeah, we won, but I still hate the annoying b@$t@rd$...

Hmm...the Light Siders apparently have no say in this thread. We can rag on them all we want.

Let the Drak Side RULE!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!!

The dark side WILL concour all!

Force please

Okay, we're getting too enthusiastic...

well I seem to be the only one going for combat skills

Dark Side spelling is slipping too... I know I make mistakes all the time but that is during HUGE posts...

Don't worry- Galder is breaking the habit of a lifetime

you won't, only reason you got the labe is because we had Nebb with us

hehe

I can't decide which I hated more, being stuck on that damn volcano or being galvanting around Nar Shadda. GRRRR....

Nice summary Ush. Good game !

I think I chose Force Ability last time. I think I'll pick up on General Skills this time.

Yes, bizarre isn't it?

Yeah, Galder-who-has-been-possessed-by-Demnos... oops...

*Deep voice*

"Muahahahahahaha! You will all bow to me! Muahahahahahahahaha!!!"

-- Galder terrorizing nations and Jedi

okie, don't go overboard guys