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Code Breakers

Author’s Notes: The following story serves as “Part Three” and the conclusion of my In the Shadow of the Hero Trilogy, a storyline that I began with Training Day and Incomplete and featuring my original character in Tyzen Pyne. As with those previous entries, it is part of my expanded Halcyon Legacy, and takes place on Odessen sometime between the Knights of the Fallen Empire and the Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions.

Tyzen Pyne hurried up the hill overlooking the Alliance base on Odessen, joining the many who had already made the trek.

Despite all the bustle and activity – and Tyzen’s lingering anxiety from running late to this gathering – it felt peaceful here.

The Force felt peaceful here.

Looking around, he was awed to see so many people having already assembled.

More than forty individuals were now gathered around the hilltop. Most of them were wearing brown robes of varying styles. Others wore the adaptable armor plating that had become popular during the various conflicts over the years. Others still wore more nondescript garb, clothing that - aside perhaps from the presence of a lightsaber clipped to their belts – would not give away their identities or allegiance.

Jedi. Tyzen marveled.

This was by far the most Jedi that he had seen in one place in years. Not since early in the Zakuulan Invasion, when he and other Padawans had been Knighted on Tython before being sent off to fight.

And to die.

Back before the Republic had given up any hope for victory against the Eternal Empire and before the Jedi Order had been shattered.

As had Tyzen.

And now he was here. On Odessen. Ready to take the fight back to the Zakuulans. Standing amongst the last group of Jedi in the galaxy who could make that claim.

Not for the first time that day, Tyzen thought of Liam Dentiri, his old Master, dead at the hands of some bounty hunter in the pay of Imperials on Tython years ago when the Sith Empire had attacked, prior to the Revanite Crisis.

What would he have thought of his former padawan now?

He was lucky to have learned about this gathering at all, given that his transport – actually a freighter piloted by a friendly smuggler – had only arrived on Odessen late last night, and he’d met only a handful of people in that time.

Fortunately for him, Sana-Rae, the Voss Mystic and leader of the Alliance’s Force Enclave, had kindly informed him of this meeting of all the Jedi who had joined the Alliance when he’d gone to meet her.   

Tyzen regarded the crowd, trying to see if he could recognize anyone in all the small clusters of Jedi congregating amongst themselves.

Although a diverse group by nature, one Jedi stood out to him immediately, her blue skin and red eyes giving her a distinct appearance.

He had never met Master Dazh Ranos, one of the exceedingly rare Chiss who had left their Ascendency to serve with the Jedi Order. But Tyzen had heard rumors about her back on Tython. Despite her achieving the rank of Master, it was said that the Chiss Jedi had never agreed with the Council’s policies and had eventually withdrawn to make her own place in the galaxy, journeying through the Outer Rim Territories and helping people wherever she could. Tyzen imagined that she had seen parts of the galaxy that had never seen a Jedi, especially at times when so many had been needed closer to the galaxy’s core.

He didn’t recognize the towering Ithorian Jedi standing at her side, but he’d already been told that his name was Choza Raabat. Serving as a Jedi Knight during the Cold War, Raabat had crashed on a distant planet in the Unknown Regions while leading a Republic patrol. Marooned for a decade, the Jedi had eventually returned to a galaxy turned upside down with the Order all but wiped out the Republic suffering through another defeat, this time at the hands of the ascendant Eternal Empire.  

Tyzen had heard that the Alliance Commander himself had personally recruited Choza to his cause while on a mission to destroy the Zakuulan Star Fortress above Alderaan some weeks ago. Since then, he – alongside Master Ranos – had taken up a de facto position of leadership among the Alliance Jedi.

That story hadn’t surprised him; Tyzen already had the impression that a great many people had joined the Alliance based on prior meetings with the famous Outlander.

Case in point was the next Jedi he recognized.

Mennaus was a Zabrak Jedi Knight just like Tyzen. The stoic man was only in his mid-thirties but he carried himself like a wizened Jedi Master with decades of experience, seeming to speak only when he had something to say, but doing so with an impressive gravity.

Tyzen had met Mennaus two years ago on Coruscant. Well beneath the surface, of course. Places like the Works were one of the few places left on the Republic capital where they could avoid detection from Zakuul and their dreaded Fortresses. Mennaus had impressed Tyzen with his bearing and resolve; the man seemed to have endured the difficult years in the Coruscanti underground surprisingly well. They had exchanged information, then spoken briefly about easier days back on Tython. Mennaus revealed that, years before on Tython, he had once been saved by a fellow Padawan during the Flesh Raider Uprising.

That same Padawan, nearly thirteen years later, now commanded the Alliance.     

As he recognized more individuals from the crowd, Tyzen looked around, trying to pick out the Alliance Commander. Sana-Rae had told him that it had been the Outlander himself who had called this meeting. Perhaps he was still making his way from the base.

Tyzen deeply regretted not being able to meet with the Commander since his arrival on Odessen the day before. There were things he wanted to say to him. And to ask him.

After all, he hadn’t seen Corellan Halcyon in seven years.   

Tyzen had only met Master Corellan twice before, but both encounters had left a profound impression on his life. He very much would have liked the chance to reintroduce himself to the man once known to the galaxy as the Hero of Tython.

He probably won’t even remember me. Tyzen reminded himself, regretfully.

To many Jedi of Tyzen’s generation, the last class of Jedi Knights to have come of age on Tython before ‘The Fall’, Corellan Halcyon, the venerated Hero of Tython, was the reason the words ‘I am a Jedi’ meant something.

Before Master Corellan had disappeared, presumed killed in action. Just before the Zakuulan Invasion had begun.

Tyzen hoped he had grown up somewhat since those earlier encounters with the famed Hero of Tython. Perhaps not that much taller; his body has stopped growing vertically around seventeen. He’d filled out a bit; his muscles developing and his shoulders growing wider and more confident. Still, overall his build had remained relatively lean and agile, as it had been when he’d been a Padawan.

But his eyes had seen more of the galaxy.

Perhaps too much.

True, Tyzen had not been present for The Fall when – despite a heroic effort and countless sacrifices – the Jedi and their Republic allies on Tython had broken. When Master Satele, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, had gone missing, apparently on some unsanctioned personal mission. The only members of the Council still active, Masters Ulannium and Gnost-Dural, had evacuated the Temple and the fabled Jedi home world, taking with them all the Jedi they could save and leading them into exile.

Denielle had gone with them.   

Denielle.

He’d tried not to think about her over the years. He’d also tried not to think about her smile. Her laugh. Her kindness. Her touch.

Above all, he’d tried not to think about the sensation of her soft lips pressed against his.

It had all been a mistake. He’d told himself after they’d ended it. The Masters had always preached against such “connections”. 

But Tyzen couldn’t deny their all too brief relationship had left a mark upon his soul. He still felt her absence from his life keenly, even after all this time.

It had been more than five years since he had seen her.

Not since that night on Tatooine when she’d departed off-world with the other Jedi from their combat group, fully understanding that her next battle would be on Tython.

Where the Order would either make good on their escape or face annihilation.

Their parting – he knew other people would have called it a breakup – had been somber. There had been no harsh words; just a regret and acceptance that both of them now felt compelled to follow different paths.

Tyzen understood that Denielle felt that the Jedi on Tython – already preparing to evacuate – needed her aid the most. After all, the fate of the Jedi Order would be decided there.

But there had been people on Tatooine – and countless other worlds – who would need the Jedi’s help. Who needed Tyzen’s help.

And he told himself that Corellan Halcyon wouldn’t have abandoned all those people.

So they had kissed one final time, before Denielle, tears in her eyes, had turned her back to him and left.

Tyzen’s plan to keep fighting on Tatooine had been futile, of course. Within a month, Algrunar, the only other Jedi who had stayed behind, had been killed and what counted for the local government on Tatooine had capitulated. When he’d realized that the people of Tatooine had only suffered more for his presence, Tyzen had finally been forced to flee as well, a local farmer named Galen Besk providing him with a way off-world.

By then, Denielle and the other Jedi had left Tyzen and the rest of the galaxy behind.

He could only hope that she was alright.

Not much later, he’d received a short message from Master Bela Kiwiiks. The encrypted communique had been routed through a secure relay and into his private drop account, no doubt to avoid detection by the Eternal Empire. The Togrutan Jedi had served on the Council for as long as Tyzen could remember, and he’d once helped her evacuate younglings from the Temple during the same battle where Liam Dentiri had met his end.

Master Kiwiiks confirmed to him that most of the surviving Jedi had successfully escaped off Tython and into exile, but that the Force had called on a different path.

Tyzen found that he wasn’t surprised. Master Kiwiiks was still highly regarded for her wisdom and compassion, but she’d be the first to admit that her days as a warrior were long past. He did not fault her for her for making such a choice.

She and her unnamed companions – he suspected they were again younglings, representing the future of the Jedi – were safe for the moment, and she was now caring for those who most needed it.

Tyzen again found that he wasn’t surprised. Master Kiwiiks was a natural caregiver. The council had selected her to oversee the well-being of the Order’s younglings in the first place for a good reason.

She’d somehow known that Tyzen hadn’t been with the Jedi who’d fled Tython and told him that if he needed sanctuary from the Zakuulans, she could offer it.

The offer did not surprise him. She’d always shown him such compassion. That she’d take a risk, however small, to offer him a safe-haven actually seemed natural for her.

When he had declined her offer, Tyzen’s own choice had surprised him a bit.

Fighting the Zakuulans on his own? Without the support of the Jedi? For a Republic that had all but surrendered?

Tyzen had been terrified.

But he knew he couldn’t give up. He had to keep fighting for those who couldn’t flee or protect themselves. If not on Tatooine, then on a hundred other worlds.

Because he knew that the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

In the dark days that followed, Tyzen helped whomever he could, whenever he could, however he could, while finding food and shelter wherever he could, all the while never staying in the same place for long.

The Eternal Empire’s pogrom against the Jedi had been vicious and even more devastating than what the Order of the Sith had faced. Clearly, Emperor Arcann had determined that if there was a threat of resistance against their rule, the Jedi would have been the most likely source for such a spark of hope for the galaxy.

Now on Odessen, as part of an Alliance led by a Jedi, Tyzen supposed that history had proven that assertion correct.

The so-called ‘Shadow Temple’ network, those Jedi who hadn’t withdrawn from the galaxy and who were now operating in an informal underground, had determined that the few Jedi still active and opposing Zakuul would live longer when they didn’t stay together for longer than was strictly necessary. Occasionally, he’d get word about another Jedi. Sometimes he would hear a bit of gossip that some other Jedi or another was still active and something of their activities.

More often, he’d hear that someone had been caught and killed.

Still, he’d worked with a few other Jedi off and on over the years. Unaw Aharo. Shigar Konshi. Attros Finn. A handful of others. He’d realized one day that most of these individuals were only a few years older than Tyzen himself.

There seemed to be so few of the old Masters still left.

It had been a hard life. And a lonely life.

But he had kept at it. Again, because he knew the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

Even his cousin, Karache, had eventually reached out to him. He hadn’t seen the Republic Special Forces soldier-turn-independent bounty hunter in more than a decade, but the older Zabrak had nevertheless offered him a place in his crew.

“The Jedi are long gone, Tyzen.” Karache Pyne had declared in his holo-message. “It’s everyone for themselves, out here. Why don’t you come with me? You’d be good in a fight. We can use you.”

By then, Tyzen desperately wanted to say yes. The years had taken a toll on him. Too many cold and hungry nights. Too many allies lost.

Too many friends lost.

Even worse, Tyzen had started to lose hope.

He turned his cousin down, again choosing to follow his own path. The path of the hero.

Because the Hero of Tython wouldn’t have given up.

And now, after nearly five years of fighting, running and hiding, Tyzen found himself here on Odessen. Ready to fight alongside the Hero of Tython.

As if on cue, Tyzen felt a sudden surge in the Force.

The light side of the Force had already felt strong atop this hill, in the presence of so many Jedi. It was peaceful and calming and soothed his wounded soul.

Now it was as if a blinding spotlight were being shown down on them all, even though it was late morning, and the sun was already high in the sky.

It was powerful and invigorating and inspirational.

Had Master Corellan Halcyon been concealing himself, somehow? Hiding behind some nearby bushes, or perhaps a tree a short distance away? Maybe he’d somehow hidden himself through the Force?

It didn’t matter. Tyzen decided. Regardless of where he’d been, he was suddenly there, standing at ease amidst the Jedi. From his confident stance and smile, he’d obviously been watching for some time now, choosing the moment to make his entrance.

Tyzen noted immediately that Corellan wasn’t wearing the distinctive brown Jedi robes or the adaptive body armor he had made famous during his years as the Hero of Tython. Instead he was clad in a new garment; this uniform was elaborate, predominantly white plating with black sleeves and trousers. The accoutrements had a distinctly… Zakuulan flavor, much to Tyzen’s surprise.

But even so, this was who Master Corellan Halcyon, the Hero of Tython, the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order and the champion of the known galaxy, had become.

And if anything, he had become an even greater hero. Just a few weeks ago, Master Corellan had defeated Emperor Arcann in orbit over Odessen, effectively toppling that tyrant from the Eternal Throne. Zakuul was now ruled by Arcann’s sister, Vaylin, who if anything was even more cruel and insane than her brother.

Everyone on Odessen seemed convinced that the Commander and his Alliance would now defeat Empress Vaylin and end the Eternal Empire that had plagued the galaxy for so many years.

Master Corellan himself looked to be in excellent health, despite the countless challenges he had faced. Tyzen had heard, of course, about the five years that he had spent imprisoned in carbonite, isolated from the rest of the galaxy. The reason why he’d been missing for so long. The reason why he’d missed the war. Why he hadn’t been there to save the Jedi, the Republic and the galaxy.

As difficult as the last few years had been for Tyzen, the younger Jedi couldn’t imagine losing so much time off his life.

Still, Corellan looked older. Not physically, exactly. But there was a look in his pale blue eyes that was somehow more… something.

“Thank you all for coming.” Corellan Halcyon formally began the gathering with a welcoming smile. It was the same expression Tyzen had once seen on countless Republic military recruitment posters during the war against the Sith Empire.

The ‘Hero of Tython’ smile.

Looking around, Tyzen could see that the other Jedi had been as startled by Corellan’s sudden appearance as he had been. After a moment of bustle, however, the gathered Jedi settled down to listen.

“I have three matters I wanted to speak with you all about today. Things you all have a right to hear directly from me. I wanted to do so in a place where we had relative privacy.”

His arms opened wide, as if taking in the scenery around them on the hilltop.

“I assure you all, I have seen to it that we may all speak freely here.”

The implication of his declaration was not lost on Tyzen. He recalled hearing that the Alliance’s Chief of Staff, Lana Beniko, was a Sith as well as having once served as the Empire’s Director of Sith Intelligence. Likewise, it was said that there were many other former spies in the Alliance from both the Republic and the Empire, as well as others who would have – until recently at least – had more than enough reason to ‘observe’ the Jedi.

Corellan Halcyon was staking his word that none of these elements would be a concern for them today.

“For the first matter, I’d like to formally thank all of you for making it to Odessen and joining the Alliance. Regardless of whether you were here on the day we laid ground on the base or if you’re only just now arriving, the fact that you were willing to endure such challenges and dangers just to reach this point is remarkable. I know full well that there are many we all would have wished to have with us today who did not make.”

He paused, a somber expression across his face.

Tyzen momentarily thought about the many Jedi had known who’d been killed over the years. He urgently suppressed the emotion as Corellan continued to speak.

“I also know the last several years must have been incredibly difficult for most of you. Both as Jedi and as people.”  

Corellan’s eyes drifted among the crowd, turning from Jedi to Jedi, catching several of them in his gaze before continuing on to the next. He finally caught Tyzen himself, and the young Zabrak felt a rush of excitement course through him.

“Likewise, that you would show such trust in me by coming here under such conditions honors me more than I can ever tell you. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express my gratitude for that, and I hope to prove myself worthy of it.”

Many of the assembled Jedi gave murmurs of assent and affirmation while others waited patiently. Tyzen distinctly picked up the words “We’re with you, Master Corellan.” from one of the younger Jedi.

Not trusting himself to speak, Tyzen found himself simply nodding. He could not think of anyone better suited to lead this fight against Zakuul than the Hero of Tython. Corellan Halcyon was surely the leader who would lead the Jedi back to glory. He would shatter the Eternal Empire’s grip on power and would usher in a new era of peace to the galaxy.

Nevertheless, Tyzen kept his peace, eager to hear more. Through the eddies of the Force around him, he noted that the words had been well-received and appreciated by the Jedi of the Alliance.

But everyone seemed to understand that this was all prelude to something much more important.

Tyzen hoped he knew what that was. Whether he knew it or not, Corellan Halcyon was now leading the largest active contingent of Jedi in the known galaxy.

Why shouldn’t he declare himself Grandmaster of the Order? Tyzen asked himself, speculating.

The Alliance Commander, after a moment’s pause, pressed on.

“The second matter I wanted to share with you was that we have two new additions to the Alliance who are arriving within in a few days: Leeha Narezz and Jomar Chul. For those who are unfamiliar with them, I can personally attest that both are veteran Jedi Knights of great ability and experience. I have no doubt that their arrival will greatly benefit the Alliance.”

Tyzen recognized the names. He had never met either of those Jedi, but they had been active during the last war against the Sith Empire. If he recalled correctly, Leeha was a famed droid engineer while Jomar had been one of the finest reconnaissance scouts and infiltration experts in the Order before the Eternal Empire’s invasion. Both were just a few years older than Master Corellan. 

More recently, he’d heard a rumor that they had served off and on with the Shadow Temple since the invasion these last few years, as had Tyzen.

Corellan paused again, letting another murmur pass through the assembled group before continuing. At some point, this Jedi hero, considered by many the greatest warrior in the galaxy, had learned the art of public speaking. Clearly, he was carefully weighing the mood of his audience.

“With their consent, I am informing you all ahead of their arrival that the two of them have been living openly in a romantic relationship and they have been for several years.”

Tyzen blinked as the resurgence of urgent murmuring resumed, with several of the Jedi present beginning to call out questions for the Alliance Commander. Inevitably, Tyzen himself could only think of his relationship with Denielle with regret.

She had made the choice she’d had to make, and so had he.

That didn’t mean it hurt less.

But for Leeha and Jomar, acknowledging such public breakings from the Jedi code would usually result in their dismissal from the Order.   

Corellan calmly waited for the assembled Jedi to digest his words, then held up a forestalling hand. He had clearly expected such a reaction.

Slowly, the crowd became calm.

“For the record, speaking strictly as the Alliance Commander, I meant what I said before. I have no concerns whatsoever about Leeha or Jomar’s ability to reliably serve as members of the Alliance.” He paused. “However, I know that many of you would have concerns about Jedi openly embracing such a… connection. I assure you, Leeha and Jomar are not oblivious to the implications of their relationship for the rest of you.”

There was another pause as the gathered Jedi seemed to collectively nod in understanding.

“As you know, the council is currently absent, and there is no other legitimate authority to govern such matters. Therefore, I leave it to you to decide whether or not they should be considered Jedi. Both Leeha and Jomar have assured me that they will accept whatever judgement you reach without complaint or appeal.”

“For my own part, I would not presume to interfere in your decision. I ask only that you accept them as fellow members of the Alliance, and to treat them with the respect and courtesy that entails. Whether they are Jedi or not is a matter for the Jedi alone to decide.”

These words, perhaps more from their phrasing than their sentiment, caused a stirring of confusion and unease amongst the gathered Jedi. Plainly, this was not what anyone had anticipated.

Tyzen couldn’t help himself. Boldly he stepped forward, raising his hand before calling out.

“Master Corellan! Can’t you just claim the authority to decide the issue?”

Corellan smiled at the questioner, a warm look of recognition catching his eyes.

“Tyzen. It’s been a long time.”

The young Zabrak suddenly felt his face flush, put on the spot amongst the assembled Jedi.

“I’m sorry.” Tyzen looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling younger than his years. It felt like he was a padawan again. “I didn’t think you’d remember me.”

He overheard a handful of chuckles as a ripple of amusement passed through the gathering.

Corellan’s calming smile just widened.

“Of course I remember you, Tyzen. I never forget anyone I’ve called a friend.”

He looked around.

“For the record, that same sentiment applies for all of you. Whether I knew you before you came to Odessen or if I’ve only met you today, as of now, I regard each one of you as a friend. With the trust you’ve offered me, I could do no less.”

Corellan’s hand pressed against his own chest.

“Regardless of what is decided today or how the war goes, each of you has done more than enough to lay claim to my friendship just by being here.”

“But Tyzen’s question actually leads me directly to the third subject I wanted to speak to you about.”

Corellan composed himself somberly. He clearly had their full attention.

“I have long believed that people should be judged not by what they call themselves, but rather their actions; for those are a reflection of who they are.” He began.

“In my mind, this is a simple creed. One that has served me well over the years and that has allowed me to achieve many accomplishments.”

“Since I returned to the galaxy, I have made many difficult decisions, and those have led me to this point. I do not regret most of these, but I have given many hours of reflection to my choices. And I’ve come to acknowledge the implications of those choices, both for myself and for my role as a Jedi.”

Tyzen felt a growing sense of anxiety in his belly.

“To that point, concerning own my path as the Commander of the Alliance, there are things that I realize that I must do.” Corellan glanced downward for a moment, then turned back up. “Things that, in good conscience, I’ve realized that I couldn’t perform as a Jedi.”

A faint breeze swept through the gathering.

“For this reason, and before all of you as witnesses, I formally resign as a member of the Jedi Order.”

If Corellan’s earlier statements had drawn a murmur of a response, this one built up a firestorm. Almost everyone started speaking all at once.

The Alliance Commander patiently waited out the storm. Whatever he called himself, however he saw himself, he was more than capable of facing such adversity with a calmness that would have shamed any Jedi Master.

After about a minute, Corellan again raised a forestalling hand, deftly cutting off further questions.

“I understand your concerns. Let me assure you that I have every hope that the Order will reform itself in time. Indeed, I expect that it will. Whatever mistakes may have been made over its history it remains my belief that the Jedi have – on balance – been a force for good. For order and justice, yes, but also for peace.”

That seemed to calm the emotions of the assembled Jedi. Still, they listened on tensely.

“However, it is clear to me that I am not the one to lead such a reformation, even if I possessed the wisdom to perform such a feat. The Alliance, the galaxy and perhaps the Force itself… well, as I have said, they require me to be someone else. Someone I’m already well on my way to becoming.”

“I can promise you all that I will do everything in my power not to pressure any of you into doing anything to compromise your own values.” Corellan paused. “It is the same promise I make to everyone who will join us. But I’ve seen far too many leaders – including more than one Jedi – attempt to force their own beliefs on those who followed them. In my experience, that’s led to hypocrisy at best, disaster at worst.”

Corellan’s hands spread wide again, emphasizing the gathering.

“I will not force my beliefs on anyone else, least of all any of you.” He concluded. “I will ask that people follow me, and the Alliance will have a set a procedures and protocols, but that will be as far as it goes. While I lead it, this Alliance will reflect my values, not be a reflection of any dogma I may follow.”

Master Dazh Ranos stepped forward.

“Master Corellan… Commander… forgive me, but I must ask. Is it possible that… someone else is influencing this decision?”

Tyzen blinked in alarm. He had heard the rumor that some remnant of the Sith Emperor – that evil called Valkorion by the Zakuulans – now resided within the consciousness of his greatest enemy in Corellan Halcyon.

He’d rejected the rumor at the time he’d heard it out of hand, but now he wondered if there wasn’t some truth in it.

Rather than rebuking the suggestion out of hand, Corellan simply smiled patiently.

“I understand your question, Master Ranos. In point of fact, yes. It is certainly possible that that is the case.” He paused. “But no. I assure you that I have meditated on this matter for some time, and I can confidently tell you that this is my choice, alone.”

A green-skinned Twi’lek Jedi Knight named Shiri’ah stepped forward, drawing the commander’s attention.

“Then… you don’t think you’re becoming a Sith?” she asked.

“No.” Corellan shook his head sharply, letting out a slight chuckle. “I can claim more experience in dealing with the Sith than nearly any Jedi living and I can confidently tell you that my own path does not involve embracing the dark side.”

Tyzen remembered watching the Commander fight those Imperial Commandoes on Tython years before, when they had been about to slaughter Tyzen and a room full of young Padawans. The Hero of Tython had fought with an intensity that might have shamed any Sith.

But… it hadn’t been passionate. In hindsight, it had felt almost detached. As if it had been someone else doing it all.

Somehow, Tyzen sensed that Corellan Halcyon might have spoken more but had thought better of it.

Corellan paused, looking around at any of the faces that still met his.

“As I imagine that some of you may have doubts to that, I would be willing to be examined by any or all of you to confirm it.”

A long moment of silence fell over the gathering as no one volunteered. The crowd of Jedi seemed mollified by his words. Tyzen remembered that surge in the Force when Corellan had first made his presence known; he could not reconcile that with the feeling he had experienced from any Dark-Sider – Sith or Zakuulan – he had encountered.

After a few seconds, the Alliance Commander seemed to accept their reaction as tacit assent.

“So to properly answer Tyzen’s question, this is why I cannot weigh in on the subject of Leeha Narezz and Jomar Chul remaining as part of the Order. As I have, in effect, broken with the Order and the Code, it would be a terrible conflict of interest for me to interfere.”

Choza Raabat steepled his fingers together.

“I must ask, Commander, what if one or more of our number breaks from the order as a branch breaks away from a tree?”

Corellan nodded gravely.

“I understand the concern of a potential schism within the Order, Choza. For the record, I sincerely hope it does not come to that. But if a Jedi serving in the Alliance chooses to leave the Order or is dismissed by whatever leadership structure you form amongst yourselves, then that is the business of the Jedi, and not myself or the Alliance leadership.”

“Likewise, if anyone here believes that remaining with the Alliance would compromise their own values, they are free to leave. I would not begrudge them their beliefs.”

He paused, letting the implications sink in.

“As I said before, the Alliance has its own rules that I ask all its members to follow. So long as an individual is willing to abide by those rules, they will have a place here, regardless of what the call themselves.”

Choza Raabat said nothing to this but bowed his head in acknowledgement after a moment.

So it went.

The Alliance Commander spent another thirty minutes patiently answering questions. Some were quite heated. Others were insightful. Regardless, Corellan answered all of them calmly. Gradually, the questions grew less philosophical and more technical. He had clearly been prepared for this as well.

Tyzen could not have imagined Satele Shan or one of the other Masters on Tython giving the ‘rank and file’ that amount of latitude to challenge them. Yet Corellan Halcyon had withstood it all at his own insistence, holding up stoically.

Finally, after seemingly everyone had had their fill, he adjourned the meeting.

“Thank you all again. I hope my answers have brought a sense of purpose, but barring that, I hope I have brought clarity. The purpose of the Alliance is to defeat the Eternal Empire and bring peace to the galaxy, and as far as I am concerned, it always will be.”  

“I hope you will choose to stay. More than that, though, I hope you will understand and respect my choices. If not today, then in time.”

He crossed his arm across his chest and bowed at the waist.

“Thank you.”

With that, the meeting ended.

As the Jedi began to make their way down the hill and back towards the base, Corellan remained behind, exchanging a few parting words with individuals, most of whom seemed surprisingly optimistic. Despite the difficulties ahead of the Jedi of the Alliance, not to mention the challenge of facing the Eternal Empire, Tyzen somehow didn’t think any of the Jedi would be leaving the Alliance.

The young Zabrak hoped that he would be joining them, soon.

Both in returning to the base and in embracing their apparent sense of optimism.

But first, there was something he had to do.

Finally, he and Corellan were the last two individuals on the hill.

Corellan turned to Tyzen and smiled.

“Somehow, I knew it would be you.”

Tyzen swallowed, approaching the former Jedi Master.

“I was just wondering if I should quit the Jedi, too.”

The older human blinked down at him in confusion.

“Why would you want to do that?”

Tyzen took a deep breath and then he told Corellan everything.

Everything he’d experienced since they’d last met on Tython. About Denielle. About receiving his Knighthood. About the war against Zakuul. About staying behind and continuing to fight in the shadows while most of the surviving Jedi went into exile. About the dark years that followed.

About his fear that the darkness of the war had changed something inside of him.

About fighting for so long and so hard that Tyzen had started to question whether he was still fit to call himself a Jedi.

Corellan merely listened patiently, letting Tyzen get it all off his chest.

“… so now I don’t know if I should leave the Jedi, too.” He concluded.

Having finished, the young Zabrak was surprised to realize that he’d only been talking for about five minutes.

He’d been certain it would have taken hours to relay all his troubles. That they could be summed up so briefly was startling.

Now finished, the young Jedi Knight looked up at the Alliance Commander, hoping for wisdom and guidance. Corellan Halcyon was quietly going over what the younger Zabrak had told him.

After all, he’d been so helpful to him before, back on Tython.

After a long moment, the former Jedi Master exhaled, then spoke.

“That was an awful lot, Tyzen.” Corellan admitted. “I don’t blame you for having doubts, and I doubt anyone else could either.”

He paused, carefully regarding his younger companion.

“You do understand that I can’t tell you what you should do?” Corellan finally said.

Tyzen felt his shoulders drop in disappointment.

“Are you sure? I was hoping you could tell me what I should do next.”

Corellan chuckled, then padded his shoulder affectionately.

“For me, it was different. I had to break from the Jedi. If I hadn’t… well, I’ve seen what happened to Jedi who didn’t know the difference between following the Jedi path and following their own.”

“I couldn’t let that happen with myself.”

The Commander looked up at the sky.

“If I hadn’t made this choice, I think that the conflict within me, the same conflict that lies within all of us… it would have consumed me. Like it did Revan.”

Tyzen blinked, startled at this revelation. He’d heard stories about Yavin from before the invasion. He couldn’t imagine what that had been like for Corellan, and he certainly didn’t want to ask.

“You think you would have fallen to the dark side?”

Corellan tilted his head in assent, giving a sort of half-nod.

“Or worse.”

He then reached out, grasping the Zabrak’s shoulder again and turning him away from the base. Both the uncertain young Jedi and the older Alliance Commander looked out at the horizon.

“Tyzen, during the war against the Sith, I saw so many Jedi doing terrible things in the name of victory, or of the Order, or of the Republic, or in the name of the Force, itself. All while still claiming to be acting as Jedi.”

He stopped and exhaled, his arm dropping back to his side.

“I can’t do that. I had to break free of it, even knowing how badly that’s gone for so many other Jedi. I need to succeed where they failed, and trust that the people around me will help me stay the course.”

Corellan turned towards him again and regarded Tyzen somberly.

“Truly, I do not expect anyone to follow me down such a path. And I certainly have no intention of asking anyone. As a concept, the ‘Grey Jedi’ seem perfectly reasonable. Even admirable.”

He exhaled.

“As a collective group with a collective belief system? Every iteration has ended in disaster. That’s why so many incarnations of it fail, either due to internal or external pressures.”

“So with the Force as my witness, I assure you I have no intention of starting a schism. The Alliance is already too close to being a cult of personality without me making it any worse.”

Tyzen made a face at that observation uncertainly as Corellan just chuckled at his puzzlement.

“Anyway, you’re too young for these kinds of philosophical conversations.”

The Zabrak bristled.

“I’m almost the same age you were when you beat the Emperor’s Voice on Dromund Kaas.”

Corellan stopped himself and looked downward at the grass, letting out a slow exhale, plainly having realized the truth in Tyzen’s statement.

“Well. So that’s what growing old feels like.” The Alliance Commander smiled wryly to himself.

Tyzen felt his face flush, embarrassed to think he might have offended Corellan.

“I’m sorry. I meant – “

“I know what you meant.” He reached out again and patted Tyzen’s shoulder, calmly. “That’s just something everyone has to get used to, I think.”

He turned back to his young companion.

“So. After all that metaphysical discussion, what is it you’re really asking me?” Corellan pressed. “You can say ‘I am a Jedi’ or ‘I am not a Jedi’, and I won’t try to stop you either way.”

The Zabrak bit his lip.

“I guess I’m asking you… who am I?” Tyzen asked.

Corellan smiled at that.

“Who do you want to be?”

The young Zabrak paused. He knew the answer, he’d known the answer for years, but it was still hard to say. Swallowing, he forced the words out.

“I wanted to be you.” Tyzen finally murmured. “For the longest time, more than anything else in the galaxy. I wanted to be just like you.”

Corellan’s eyes widened, truly startled for the first time that Tyzen could remember.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize that you felt that way back then. If I had, I would have said…” he exhaled then spread his arms apart, as if lost. “Something.”

Tyzen bit his tongue and looked away, not trusting himself to speak. He felt himself start to breathe heavily.

Corellan placed a hand on his shoulder.

“For whatever its worth, I looked up to my heroes, too, Tyzen.” he offered. “Sagottoh Panaka. Nowan Ko Detizu. Orgus Din. Satele Shan.” He paused. “Revan.”

A comfortable silence settled in between them. In the distance, some native bird let out a caw, possibly to signal to its fellows that it had found some fresh kill to scavenge and feed upon.  

“Each of my mentors, my heroes… well, they all disappointed me in different ways.” Corellan gazed down at the ground. “It wasn’t their fault, mind you. It’s just that the reality of who they were didn’t quite match my impressions of who they were.”

He shrugged.

“Impressions that might have been fantasies.”

“But I don’t blame them for any of that now. Not anymore, anyway. Our mentors, our heroes, are people, with merits and flaws the same as anyone else.”

“But what’s important was that in the end, I learned from each of them. And with time, I learned to become myself.”

“Now it’s easier in that regard. I’ve learned to respect and appreciate them in a new light. Not as my role-models, but as actual people.”

He stretched his neck. It was a strangely normal thing to do coming from a man who Tyzen regarded as anything but normal.

“Like them, I’m a person. A simple man trying to make his way in the universe. That is all.”

He turned back to Tyzen.

“Did you really think that I would think any less of you? For either going with the others who fled Tython, or finding sanctuary someplace else?”

“I… no.” Tyzen swallowed. He was ashamed. Ashamed for feeling weak. Ashamed for feeling uncertain. “I guess not.”

He looked Corellan Halcyon in the eyes.

“I guess… I was worried that I would think less of myself.”  

Corellan nodded in understanding.

“That’s the first lesson. Now here’s the second: After everything you’ve been through, now that you have a chance to breath, have you been true to yourself, Tyzen?” Corellan asked the young Zabrak. “Have you been true to who you want to be?”

Tyzen opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself. His old Jedi training started to kick in as he chewed over the Alliance Commander’s query, looking within himself for a sense of peace.

He thought about Denielle, and their painful parting.

He thought about every time he’d had to fight his way out of a dangerous situation in the last six years.

He thought about every night he’d spent on a cold street or cave, with a hunger in his belly.

Finally, he thought about the choice of coming to Odessen to join the Alliance.

“I think I have… in the end.” Tyzen finally answered. “It took me awhile, though.”

“Good.” Corellan smiled. “In the long run, you need to be the kind of person you’d respect, even while recognizing your mistakes. Recognizing the good and the bad.”

He looked down towards the base.

“They come from all over.” He mused. “Republic. Empire. Jedi. Sith. Voss. Independents of every stripe. Even Knights of Zakuul, believe it or not. So many differences! And yet… they keep coming.”

Corellan Halcyon smiled faintly. It was a simple gesture that, to Tyzen, radiated hope.

“With the Alliance, I hope to build a place where everyone who joins us can contribute while still being true to themselves.”

He turned his smile onto Tyzen, a look of hope in his pale blue eyes.

“I look forward to meeting the person you are becoming.”

With that, he turned and began his walk back down to the base.

Tyzen watched him depart in silence.

Tyzen could remember that time – in what felt like a lifetime ago – when he had all but worshipped Corellan Halcyon. When he had wanted nothing more than to be the Hero of Tython.

Now, a little older and a little wiser, he didn’t look at this man that way anymore.

But he respected him, perhaps now more than ever. He realized that here was a man who had made his choices and then accepted the consequences.

Tyzen no longer wanted Corellan’s life.

But he could still continue to learn from that life.

He had learned much from being in the shadow of the Hero of Tython.

As he started walking down the hill, he realized that it was now time for Tyzen Pyne to learn how to be himself.

END

Author’s Notes: Parts of this story probably fall under the ‘Unreliable Narrator’ trope. Tyzen isn’t dishonest, but he doesn’t necessarily see everything clearly. I’ll let you judge what parts those might be.

Tyzen, Corellan, Denielle, Karache, Sagottoh, Nowan Ko, Shiri’ah and Ulannium Kaarz are all original characters of mine. All other characters named in this story are actual NPCs from the game, some of whom are rather obscure. (As is my way.) Feel free to ask me about them or look them up yourself on Wookiepedia, if you like. Shiri’ah was previously introduced in my Adas Legacy, but she now gets a supporting role in my Halcyon Legacy.

There are a number of references in the game story to a Jedi purge of sorts carried out by the Eternal Empire during the five-year jump in Knights of the Fallen Empire. It’s a fascinating subject that hasn’t been fully explored.

Any similarities between Tyzen and a certain red-headed Jedi purge survivor from a recent video game franchise are… purely unintentional.  

The Corellan Halcyon that appears here is one who saw Jaric Kaedan, Nomen Karr and Jun Seros make terrible, tone-deaf decisions during the Second Great Galactic War.

For the record, spoilers here, Ranos and the other Alliance Jedi decide that it is not their place to expel Leeha and Jomar from the Order. By the time the Alliance makes contact with the Jedi on Ossus, no one thinks it’s worth the trouble.

Liam Dentiri, a quest-giver on Tython and a boss in the Assault on Tython Flashpoint, was killed in my canon by Xadya, my bounty hunter in the Halcyon Legacy. Since Xadya would also go on to join the Eternal Alliance, Tyzen may find himself challenged in ways he couldn’t have imagined.   

I’d like to incorporate Tyzen into some future stories, though maybe not as a featured character.

I watched a lot of history documentaries during the pandemic and a few of them involved religious schisms throughout history. I found them both fascinating and somewhat depressing. (Spoilers: When it comes to religion, there are no “good guys”. Just times when one group might be worse than another.) But it got me thinking about the “Grey Jedi” in Star Wars, who are incredibly popular in the fandom, but always seem to come up short.  

I still like the character of Bela Kiwiiks from the Jedi Knight story. I don’t know how many of you ever read the Star Wars: Dark Times comic series from Dark Horse, but her situation in my story is rather similar to Master K'Kruhk’s in that tale. It is well established that the Jedi don’t put all their eggs “in one basket” when it comes to their Padawans and younglings, as they have many enclaves all over the galaxy. Kiwiiks was returning a group of younglings from such an enclave to Tython when she was cutoff by the Eternal Fleet. Deciding that the younglings needed her more than the Ossus Jedi would, she took her charges into hiding, much as K’kruhk does during the time of the Galactic Empire.

Karache’s line to Tyzen is a reference Han’s line on Yavin to Luke in Episode IV. Naturally, Corellan later delivers a line to Tyzen that was directly pulled from Jango Fett in Episode II. I love my little Easter Eggs.

Corellan’s outfit during the events of this chapter is known as the “Ruthless Scion Armor Set” from the Cartel Market. He would later change it again, but this is what he wore for most of Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne expansions.

I was originally going to mention Ashara Zavros in this piece, but the tangent that summoned got out of hand.

Although I wasn’t reading the Expanded Universe novels at the time, Luke’s speech to the Jedi Order in Dark Nest III: The Swarm War always resonated with me. It’s important for one’s followers to know where their leader stands, and Corellan is attempting to do the same here. (Though obviously, Corellan takes a very different approach.)

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you.

Tagging!

@distressed-gizka @rikki-roses @eorzeashan @grandninjamasterren @space-unicorn-dot @mysterious-cuchulainn-x @iacyper9 @sullustangin @stars-ephemeral @taina-eny @brainmonkeyscartwheeling-blog @nebulis-ceartais @raven-of-domain-kwaadthe-raven-of-highever @nekorinnie @fandomfangirl23 @abbee-normal

[baraste-legacy]

Wiredraw was one among this band of fine SWTOR fanartists, fanficcers and RPers whose antics I used to watch from afar during SWTOR's heyday: @asceticcyan, @damarlegacy, @thegarbagechute, @ezroad, @miss-madwell, @awkwardtimezone, @heychief (are they back? 🤔), @amarearts, @lisjonok, and so, so many more, my comfort food and inspiration in times of growing stress.

A few of these incredible people aren't around on Tumblr anymore, quite probably out of frustration after having to purge their blogs in every successive wave of censorship, or maybe simply having outgrown it.

The thing about Wiredraw is that much of her distinctive art still survives the shutdown of her Tumblr, as reblogs by her peers and other admirers. Normally, as a fan art hoarder and compulsive reblogger 😅😓, I'd rather have the artist be reachable (via links to their Tumblr or any alternative) so that people can enjoy more of their art and commission them if they sell their wares, but in her case the only available links are her old DeviantArt (last updated in 2015) and a Twitter that hasn't been updated in a year and a half (and whose content doesn't have to do with any of this anyway, so, it might not be the best idea to link it).

Given things, I think I'm going to reblog her art whenever I find it, because I'd hate it if it would disappear out of sheer social media entropy. I saw @swtorpadawan collect a whole lot of it already, and I was hesitating because of the lack of contact data, but I know I'd regret not joining in.

If anyone still keeps in touch with Wiredraw, it would be great if they could ask her if this is okay with her. And tell her that we miss her and her OCs 🙂.

This is SWTORpadawan's EXTENSIVE collection so far (which I'm oh-so-going to raid and reblog 😅), and this is what I got at the moment, myself. Expect a ton more.

[mercurypilgrim]

I posted 654 times in 2022

21 posts created (3%)

633 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 323 of my posts in 2022

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Longest Tag: 101 characters

#i've not rewatched it in years but i am 99% sure i could pull a full presentation on it out of my ass

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Greedfall really is just 'Hats: The Game', huh

12 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

#4

Doc/Jedi Knight

8/10

I'm in the apparent minority that likes Doc, so I was always going to be in favour of Doc/JK.

I'm a sucker for the 'playboy with a heart of gold' trope, so it's no surprise really

A relationship build of bickering and banter?

Top tier

- - - -

My JK/Doc

"And then Kira said that she doesn't like guys with facial hair! That disrespects the moustache!"

Beryon chuckled, taking a swig of his beer.

The Jedi was a decent drinking buddy and a better friend, once Doc had gotten to know him.

Coarse, grumpy and prone to bouts of touchy sarcasm, Beryon V'lante was an acquired taste that Doc knew most people never acquired.

"Well, I for one think it's a glorious moustache." The Jedi assured him, and Doc waved his beer in the air as he gestured.

"Thank you! Wait-" He narrowed his eyes. "You can't even see it!"

The miraluka started to laugh, and Doc took a grumpy drink.

"I can sense it's majesty in the Force," the Jedi assured him, teasing. He wiggled his fingers in the air while he said it.

When he'd stopped laughing, he shrugged.

"Besides, I've kissed enough men to know that a moustache is the least weird thing you can come across."

Doc knew Beryon didn't adhere to the Jedi rule of 'please try and be celibate', and he couldn't help but wonder about that.

"Kisses with beards can be fun, anyway." He waved a hand. "Don't listen to Kira."

Doc had no intention of listening to Kira, not on this particular subject anyway.

Still, it might have even been the beer, but now he was curious.

"What's it like, then?" He asked, cracking open another bottle. "Kissing someone with a beard, I mean."

The Jedi looked surprised at his question.

"Well, I dunno how to describe it, really? Prickly?"

Doc frowned.

"That doesn't sound nice at all."

Beryon hummed.

"It's not bad, I just can't explain why it isn't." He admitted, amused. He ran a hand over his own stubbled jaw.

He gave Doc a wicked grin.

See the full post

13 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#3

@ Ven if you could pick a dish to magically know how to cook properly what would it be

Ven stares at you for a moment, not having anticipated your question.

He opens his mouth to speak, closes it again, frowns, and then thinks some more.

"Klemon tart because I want want be able to eat it whenever I want. Wait- the wedding meal from Warm Hearts, Cold Space because that sounded amazing- wait, no. ... Can I change my answer?"

After you nod in bemusement, he continues.

He looks very pleased with himself, impatiently brushing an errant curl from his eyes. The stream of consciousness you received a moment ago seems immediately forgotten.

"Chiss toasted salad, because it's Malavai's favourite." He says proudly, pleased with himself for deciding. "I have absolutely no idea how one toasts a salad, or why anyone would want to, but he likes it for some reason. I want to be able to make his favourite thing perfectly, and he would be so surprised."

He gives you a delighted, sly grin.

"He would accuse me of getting a delivery from the restaurant he likes, but it would have been me!"

He cackles as if he's planned a vicious practical joke, and not his lover's favourite meal.

Seemingly distracted from the actual point of the question, he calls up the holonet on his datapad and begins looking at recipes.

"I can't magically know, but I've got the holonet and that's basically the same thing, right?" He asks you, turning back to his searching before you can answer. He shoves the datapad in your face, barely an inch from your nose. As you reorientate yourself, you see a recipe page.

"Do you think this would be too hard?" He asks earnestly, a crease between his brows. He's quite forgotten the original question, now excited and fixed on surprising his lover.

You're not entirely sure how to answer him, especially when he takes your silence as dissent.

"Awesome," he breathes, beaming. "Hey, do you want to go and get ingredients with me?"

13 notes - Posted January 1, 2022

#2

I wonder if a lot of 'discourse' arises simply because of people's complete inability to separate fiction from real life.

"Reading X makes you a bad person because it's bad!"

"Reading mysteries with detectives in them is copaganda and you're bad for liking them!"

"Writing fanfiction about X is just as bad as doing it in real life!"

Yes, of course there are arguments for subtle social shifts from literature, but the stark complaints presented on Tumblr tend to run along the lines that there is no difference between media and real life. Reading about X is exactly the same as committing the act, or that consuming X media means you have been brainwashed utterly and completely by it's themes.

Is this fanfiction on AO3 with 38 views really causing the collapse of society as we know it, or shall we give most people a bit more credit when it comes to digesting media

19 notes - Posted September 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Lord scrounge/Jedi Knight

10/10 absolutely iconic

Love me some Sith/Jedi

LS Jedi, Grey, or DS Jedi, it's all good stuff

The angst over having *gasp* feelings?

Even more angst over the fact that Scourge can't return said feelings at the beginning?

The bickering?

The found family dynamics?

Just

*chefs kiss*

- - - -

My JK snd Scourge and their uh, interesting dynamic:

Beryon wasn't a man used to laziness.

If he was awake, he should be doing things, and there was always stuff to be working on.

If there wasn't, it meant he'd missed something.

So, coming in dead tired after a successful mission and wanting to do nothing more than sleep, while not unusual, wasn't something he felt he should actually be indulging in.

T7, damn him, had just given a cheery whistle and headed off to his spot, no worse for wear.

Scourge's presence had filled their little apartment on Odessen, and Beryon felt himself relax the moment it brushed against his senses.

He dragged himself in, and felt Scourge's attention shift to him.

"Well," the other man said, amused. The deep rumble of his voice was soothing. "Look what the droid dragged in."

Beryon flipped him off.

He heard Scourge chuckle, and something being set aside.

"Come here."

Scourge's voice always gave him shivers.

Beryon was tired though, and not in the mood for anything fun.

"Scourge, I just want-"

"I just want to greet you properly." The Sith assured, and Beryon didn't believe him for a moment. Nevertheless, he gave a gusty sigh and headed over, dragging his feet.

Getting close, he braced a hand against the back of the sofa and leaned down to give his lover a kiss hello.

Strong arms wrapped around him and pulled, and he found himself being bundled up against a solid chest, bracketed in by Scourge's arms.

He struggled, spitting curses at his Sith, who just chuckled warmly.

See the full post

29 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sullustangin]

I posted 4,004 times in 2022

That's 1,920 more posts than 2021!

401 posts created (10%)

3,603 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@grandninjamasterren

@sullustangin

@swtorpadawan

@imjustusingthistolikeartists

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I tagged 1,419 of my posts in 2022

#swtor - 440 posts

#smuggler oc - 205 posts

#theron shan - 201 posts

#swtor fan fiction - 185 posts

#theron shan x smuggler - 128 posts

#personal - 106 posts

#q continuum - 98 posts

#lana beniko - 43 posts

#kotor - 40 posts

#star wars - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 127 characters

#...she got it inscribed on a ring and all my mom said was “should have waited for the theatre major to come home from college.”

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Since I completed Ziost again, I’ve been thinking about its writing. I know KotXX gets grief, but at the same time Ziost leaves us with an incorporeal, planet-gobbling emperor. How the hell do you fight that? Lana and Theron both have their failings on Ziost but there really nothing they can do to stop the enemy. Everything is in vain, which does give Ziost its sorrow and desperation….….

but it also offers no way out. There is no other solution beyond a deus ex machina such as the Eternal Empire. Yes, Lana screws up by letting an agent of Saresh climb to her side. Yes, Theron gambles on a black op that totally wouldn’t have been greenlit. But… they fail because the enemy is undefeatable.  It does not matter how competent or incompetent Lana or Theron are.  Ziost was dead the second the Emperor left Yavin, and the storyline failed to give any solution other than Revan’s idea to make the guy manifest.  No breadcrumbs no theories, no tech, nothing.  We just get left with Lana and Theron trying to stick it out (or being pressured to resign by the player). 

How could anyone predict or combat an entirely mind controlled planet? The people who resist are highly trained, disciplined, or damn lucky; there’s no way to predict who the Emperor could or could not control. Does this make Ziost’s feelings that much more Intense and powerful?

Yes, but now the Emperor is as OP as the player is with the Eternal Fleet. It’s the same dead end, just on the end boss, not the player.  The one positive thing I would say about Ziost and the planet eating emperor is that it made us feel something.  Unless you were into Theron, Nathema probably didn’t hit the same buttons for you (and I say this as a Theron fangirl).  Still, a dead end is a dead end, regardless of the feels.  I wish the SWTOR writers hadn’t written themselves in a corner -- multiple times.

60 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

#4

Thanks to @caffeinatedrogue for bringing this to life!  It is amazing in every detail; thank you for your beautiful work.

25 ATC/3628 BBY:  Alliance Commander  Captain Eva Corolastor in evening wear and her husband Theron Shan in his formal Republic SIS uniform for her coronation (sorry, Lana) the two-year anniversary celebration of the liberation of the galaxy from the Eternal Empire.

Ever since @commanderlurker gave me the “why are you blushing” prompt, the idea that SIS has a dress uniform (and Theron kept his) has taken up residence.  This is eventually going to be a short chaptered fic, and I have a couple of bits written, but when the opportunity came up to commission @caffeinatedrogue.... I got impatient.  :D  Couldn’t pass it up. 

Connected fics (eventually will be one chaptered fic, at some point):

“All I did was look at you, why are you blushing”  -- @commanderlurker ‘s prompt, archived on AO3

The sorta sequel, wherein SIS gets roped into doing security for event:  A Better Work Life Balance, archived on AO3.

65 notes - Posted June 9, 2022

#3

I noticed a certain commonality between the SWTOR trooper and KOTOR dialogue choices:

1. Yes (with enthusiasm)

2. Yes (reluctantly)

3. War crime

72 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

#2

KOTOR Social Media

silly post incoming

Based on the ‘tumblr users are burned out gifted students’ trope, Bastila is CLEARLY the tumblr user on the Ebon Hawk, but only after she got fed up arguing with (wrong) people on Twitter.  (She still argues with people on Twitter, but on a new handle.) 

Mission is on Tiktok and Youtube, doing urban exploration and makeover videos.  Somehow, Zaalbar stars in both.

Juhani is on Instagram.  She likes the filters and captioning system.  She makes it a point to tag the Jedi Council on everything, with lots of emojis.  That said, she has a secret tumblr where she obsesses over Bastila’s posts and vents her angst and frustration about her gender identity, sexuality, status as an alien minority, and injustices in the Republic. 

Canderous is on Tindr, Grindr, Fetlife, Ashley Madison, Hinge... the list goes on.  He has the general attitude of  ~unzips~ “There’s your content!” .

Jolee Bindo is on Facebook, and every person he’s ever met is his friend.He reposts low-quality memes that make him laugh.  He semi-regularly writes massive storytime posts that seem to be one very elaborate run-on sentence.  He has no idea how to tag anyone or how to make anything “friends only”.  He also has a MySpace account from ‘back in the day.’

Carth is on LinkedIn.  He checks it once every six months, if that.  He seriously doesn’t get any of this. He changed his profile picture for the first time since Dustil was born and was utterly bewildered by the excessive amount of likes and comments.  

HK-47 and T3 are clearly on Reddit.

Revan has all of the above, somehow, from OG Revan, Amnesia Identity, and Revan the Remix.  In what order and in what combinations, I leave up to your headcanon for your own personal Revan

81 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Holy. Shit.

Ok, for those not clued into US politics or not watching the news right now, Trump got raided by the FBI.   You’re gonna love why. 

It is a felony to take historical documentation and paperwork from the White House.  There are specific rules/guidelines, but most of the stuff from each administration goes to the National Archive, including and especially classified docs.

So, it’s not January 6.  It’s not the tax evasion.  It’s not the money laundering.

It’s because he stole history from the nerds in the National Archives that the FBI raided his house. 

Since we’re all loving on our favorite archaeologist/historian this week, an appropriate comparison:  This is like Talos Drellik bringing down the Empire because someone on the Dark Council took some holocron off planet.

5,088 notes - Posted August 8, 2022

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[domnorian]

I posted 541 times in 2022

That's 285 more posts than 2021!

115 posts created (21%)

426 posts reblogged (79%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dinofur

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@m00nymcmoon

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I tagged 210 of my posts in 2022

#my art - 73 posts

#dc comics - 72 posts

#superboy - 34 posts

#conner kent - 31 posts

#kon el - 31 posts

#lex luthor - 27 posts

#conner luthor - 26 posts

#swtor oc - 20 posts

#superman - 19 posts

#zakharen - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#red version was actually my brother's because yeah basic sexism from my family he got that game and i had to wait a year later for yellow

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

1,345 notes - Posted January 10, 2022

#4

Conner getting his ass kicked by Slobo

I just love those two

1,382 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

#3

10c for jason todd, 10f for bart allen, 10g for cassie sandsmark, and 10h for bernard dowd? thanks :) !!

Again, thanks for the challenge! :D

See the full post

1,416 notes - Posted May 7, 2022

#2

Lex: I got daddy issues!

Lex: *points to Connor*

Lex: You get daddy issues too!

2,690 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

*after the whole "Connor is Lex and Supes kid*

News: Superman is Lex Luthor's baby daddy!?

Lex: Connor, what is "mpreg"???

Connor: *looks directly into the camera*

See the full post

2,840 notes - Posted November 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[izmagicallulu]

Jedi Knight Ocs

I was bored and decided to draw other people’s Knight Oc along with mine. Sorry if I massed up their designs, but I hope this will make your day better!

The oc’s names and their creators in order.

❁Chrysander - @shynmighty

𑁍Caspian - @kemendin

☼Yulizzia - @fenrisprime2003

✺Corellan - @swtorpadawan

❀Melind - @beniko

✪Kailani - My Oc.

-

Side note: Reblogs are Appreciate, but please do not repost my art. 

[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.

[jjjwhovian]

Okay, since I last made this post I’ve actually came up with some headcanons on the unassigned Dark Council Members, as well as the ones from LONG before the events of the game and even some original Sith cause I think they’d make sense.

First off is good old Nyriss from the Revan Novel. It’s said she was proficient in Sith sorcery and an expert in rituals, so I think the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge would suit her perfectly.

Gorgos, who commissioned the Spires of Victory before being murdered by her Apprentice, was a little harder for me to figure out. Originally I thought she’d make the most sense with Sphere of Technology but that seat would have already been occupied by either Mekhist or Hades I think. Eventually I decided to put her in Sphere of Biotic Science before being replaced by Acharon.

Speaking of Acharon, since I don’t recall anyone named succeeding him after he died on Corellia, I headcanon he was replaced by an original character of mine, a female Zabrak dubbed Darth Occlus (no relation to Zinkaea/Nox).

Centuries ago there was a Sith named Lokess who convinced the rest of the Dark Council to try and overthrow the Emperor. Spoiler alert, it went poorly. I imagine her to be with Sphere of Defence of the Empire because I think it’d be neat if she was the ancient predecessor to Marr, who was also one of the first among his Council to stand against the Emperor and pay the price for it.

Also around the 4000 BBY period there were two Sith, Victun and Qalar, who competed in a Kaggath against each other which led to quite a bit of destruction, ended in a draw and the rest of the Council to execute both of their dumbasses. The reasoning I came up for this is that Victun, in charge of Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy, was in the middle of establishing connections with a newly discovered race (details to be filled out later cause I can’t be arsed rn) but Qalar, in charge of Sphere of Military Offence and believing them to be a threat, launched attacks and exterminated a lot of innocent people, ruining any kind of possible agreements.

More on Expansion and Diplomacy, nearer to the timeline we all know and love, there was a Sith named Vax who died but persisted as a ghost, manipulating her son named Arrid who replaced her. I decided to put them with this Sphere before the Council discovered Arrid was a puppet, had him killed and Ravage replaced him.

I mentioned this before in this post but I headcanon Zhorrid was murdered the newly minted Emperors Wrath, Vanzeth, in the middle of a meeting because he was…not very impressed by the now obselte Sphere of Imperial Intelligence and the mentally unstable Sith in charge of it. The Council then rebuilt this Pyramid and placed some fresh blood in charge, leading to Darth Wraithe, a cunning female Pau’an, and the new Sphere of Sith Intelligence (originally I was worried this would conflict with Lana’s role but I think it would be a similar deal to the old “Councilor supervising Minister” relationship, difference is they’re both Sith).

Now something that’s been thinking on for a bit now. I love Marr, everyone loves Marr, he does so much for the Empire. But I can’t help but feel most of the Council wouldn’t be all for him essentially holding three whole seats, I’d reckon some would be paranoid that he’s trying to take more power for himself. So I headcanon they have a meeting addressing this, ending with Marr still working closely with the Imperial Military but having to find Sith to occupy the two missing seats. Eventually Darth Fatalis, a female Pureblood, and Darth Carnagon, a human male, are chosen to lead the Sphere of Military Offence and the Sphere of Military Strategy respectively, all three working closely together for a more unified army.

Ekkage, Baras’ sister, used to lead the Sphere of Mysteries before she was imprisoned (I feel this would fit her for some reason) and replaced by Rictus, the oldest member who founded the Dread Executioners, died not too long after the events of Oricon and was replaced by a much younger human male named Darth Imperius (again no relation to Zinkaea/Nox).

Now for Aruk, he tried to weed out the Revanites but that’s all we know really. I imagine he died in between the events of Ilum and Makeb, perhaps relating to the Revanites or something else entirely, and his replacement was Soverus, the one who stayed behind in Korriban Incursion, as I think this loyal Sith would be a great match for the Sphere of Sith Philosophy. Unfortunately he died and I’ve yet to think of a replacement.

And that’s it. That’s quite a lot looking at this but I’ve yet to figure out spots for Howl, Igrol, Sajar and Xedrix.

I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with this, help me get this over with 😫.

Unknown Speheres of Dark Council Members

We all know these guys. Infighting, backstabbing and political bullshit involving evil old men (mostly).

I absolutely love these guys!

But there some characters, in game and other media, that have been Council members but we don’t know what Spheres they belong to.

Such as Soverus, Ekkage, Sajar, Howl, Vax, Arrid, Gorgos, her unnamed apprentice, Lokess, Victunt, Igrol, Qalat, Xedrix and Nyriss.

Some of these are ancient, well before the events of SWTOR even began, but being who I am I decided to take up the daunting task of deciding what area these peeps specialised in.

So far the only ones I’ve decided upon is Ekkage being in the Sphere of Mysteries before Rictus and Soverus being in the Sphere of Sith Philosophy after Aruk died (last one doesn’t actually happen, my own headcanon considering we never see Aruk).

So I’m interested, what Sphere do y’all think the undesignated ones were in charge of?

[theniveanlegacy]

OC Prompt Game

I just made this up, bear with me. Use this generator, which I got from this post, and put in the name of your OC and their significant other. Generate a prompt and reblog with the prompt, or write something if you feel like it. Idk, rules. Point is - prompts.

Here’s mine:

He would absolutely do that. In fact, you can’t prove he hasn’t done that.

(Lana can attest, he absolutely has done that)

Tagging: @katethegreyjedi, @sleepswithvillains, @shabre-legacy, @shanfamilydrama, @actualanxiousswampwitch, @swtorpadawan, @thebreadtree, @darth-bagel

[kemendin]

Follower Meme: Caspian Serapis

Class: Jedi Guardian Weapons: Single lightsaber (Rakata tech hilt, gold core blade fading out to green) Distinguishing Features: Striking contrast of silver hair and dark skin, Rakata tech implants on his left hand

Selection line: - "I’m here. Where to?” - “Let me guess - you need something sliced.” - “So are we just going to stand here, or are we going to get something done?”

Battle Lines: - “I’m giving you another chance - back off, now!” - "I don’t want to hurt you!” - “Stay behind me, I’ll hold them off!”

Exiting Battle: - “Everyone alright? Besides these guys, I mean.” - “I wish it hadn’t come to that.” - “Let’s move.”

KO’d/Low Health: - “You’ll have to do a lot better than that to bring me down!” - "I’ll be fine - urgh - maybe not -” - “Whatever happens... don’t give up....”

Resurrected: - “Shit, that one hurt....” - “Glad you came back for me.” - “Well, I’ve had worse. At least my hand’s still functional.”

Misc. Click Lines: - “I used to slice into the Jedi security cams when I was a Padawan. Not as boring to watch as you might think....” - "Did you need something?” - “Let’s go find some ancient alien tech and poke it. I need more data for my research project.”

Planets: - Coruscant: “You ever wonder how many ordinary people’s lives would be improved if the politicians here paid as much attention to their citizens as they do to gilding their apartment-sized ‘freshers?” - Nar Shaddaa: “They say if you can see the sky on Nar Shaddaa and not just the underside of the next building, you’re privileged, but let’s be honest, the sky isn’t much of a view either.” - Tatooine: "Can you even imagine what might be buried under all this sand?” - Alderaan: “All this crisp, fresh, snowy air, and the place still reeks of politics.” - Hoth: “At least if I freeze my arse to death it’ll be well-preserved when they find me.” - Quesh: “Is breathing optional here?” - Belsavis: “This place is insane. And I don’t just mean the whole ‘secret prison full of maniacs’ bit. The technology.... can we stay for a while?” - Corellia: “I was born here. This was my home until the Jedi found me. Seeing it like this... damn. It’s just another war zone now.” - Rishi: “Why do I feel like we’re standing out just a bit too much for comfort?”

Gifts: - Love (Technology): “Where did you get this? This is incredible!” - Favorite (Cultural Artifact): “You know what I like, hmm?” - Like (Luxury): “Haven’t seen one of these in a while. Thanks.” - Indifferent: “And I’m supposed to do... what, with this?”

Likes: Ancient technology, acts of mercy, asking questions Dislikes: Abuse of power, inaction, authority figures

Not really tagged by anyone, I just saw @swtorpadawan​ reblogging theirs and went ‘ooh yes I need to do this!’

[fluffyfebruary]

Below the cut is a taglist -- no pressure to participate but we'd love to have you! We'd also appreciate a reblog out to your fandom.

@falloutglow @randomwordsandstormydays @minuteminx @anonymouscosmos @gold-and-rubies @deacons-wig @commander-krios @gingerbreton @chokit-pyrus  @its-sixxers @bathfinder @swtorhub  @electricshoebox @adventuresofmeghatron @arthur-morgan-is-trans @emiratexaaron @bluegrasskitty @starlightcleric @gaslightgallows @mr-jaybird @vagabond-pinky @flufftober @a-go-ni-a @swtorpadawan @baraste-legacy @shabre-legacy @vexa-legacy @ladylilithprime @autobot2001 @endlesstwanted @buckybarnesss @luxuriousmalfoy @xandriagreat @rosieposiepuddingnpie @sofya-fanfics @fanarts-manga @iammyownsaviour @critter-of-habit @companionwolf @cassandrasdreamworlds @vivifriend @nanoseven @rydykg @green-fifteen @rizzamacka-whump

Fluffy February 2024 Prompts

Welcome to Fluffy February 2024!  In our fourth year, we want to spread fluff and good feelings throughout all of February. The guidelines for submissions/content are here.

We are using the one prompt-a-day format. As in previous years, no one is obliged to write/draw/create every single day -- do as many as you want!  2024 is a LEAP YEAR so we have an extra day of fluff to celebrate!

You are totally free to reinterpret the prompt in a different way.  Please tag @fluffyfebruary​​ so we can reblog your creations!

Soooo here we go!  Happy creating!!

Snow

2. Eavesdrop

3. Entertain

4. Learn

5. Planet

6. Fire

7. Recovery

8. Smile

9. Storm

10. Care

11. Quest

12. Discipline

13. Splurge

14. Free space!

15. Craft

16. Spontaneous

17. Pleasure

18. Pain

19. Shadow

20. Partners

21. Reward

22. Sacrifice

23. Dance

24. Apology

25. Kiss

26. Rain

27. Protect

28. Shy

29. Fresh

[raven-of-domain-kwaad]

Get to know the blogger

Got tagged by @blitzindite for this one. Thanks Oliver!

I’ll give some no pressure tags to @starknstarwars, @swtorpadawan, @sleepswithvillains, @a-master-procrastinator @palepinkycat and anyone else that sees this and wants to give it a go.

1. Why did you choose your url?

I wanted to make a Star Wars blog and I also wanted to show that I was a big fan of the old pre-mouse EU. So I took my favorite EU character, Tahiri Veila, and played around with her experiences to make my url. During the New Jedi Order book series, Tahiri was experimented on by Yuuzhan Vong and an artificial personality, Riina of Domain Kwaad, was created in her mind. I simply replaced the name Riina with my own internet handle Raven and got Raven of Domain Kwaad.

2. Any sideblogs?

This is technically a sideblog actually.

Main is @the-raven-of-highever which is mainly Dragon Age stuff

I also have @ssv-raven which is a mess of Mass Effect, sci-fi, fantasy and other assorted nonsense

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

I think it was 2014 when I first got onto tumblr

4. Why did you originally start your blog?

Originally I made my main for the Assassin’s Creed fandom. Oh boy was I obsessed with AC. Fell hard in love with the Kenway family and Ratonhnhaké:ton / Connor in particular. I was sad when the tumblr fandom just sort of fizzled away and died after being such a fun and big group that I really liked.

5. Why did you choose your icon?

@palepinkycat gave me that incredible piece of my OC Amarra Kine for my birthday and I was immediately head over heels in love with how it looked. I just had to make it my icon so I could always admire it.

Love you Pinky! Thank you so so so much for the gift and all of your amazing artwork for the fandom!

6. Why did you choose your header?

That was another @palepinkycat piece actually and my very first commission. It is of my OC sisters Ryscha and Amarra Kine. They are the main focus of my SWTOR canon so I figured it was appropriate to put them up there as my header.

7. What is your post with the most notes?

This one which I made as a joke after the Echoes of Oblivion trailer came out. Just a silly bit about how Knights and Warriors must be very sick of the Emperor by that point.

8. How many mutuals do you have?

Not a clue. I know I have a number of SWTOR mutuals though

9. How many followers do you have?

115... now excuse me as I go and listen to the song of the same name from CoD Black Ops Zombies lol

10. How many blogs do you follow?

200 but a lot of those haven’t posted in years. Lots of old Assassin’s Creed, Overwatch and trans fem blogs that got lost or just stopped posting after the various fandoms died and the porn ban cracked down on people.

11. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Lol this is tumblr buddy. Of course I have

12. How many times do you use tumblr a day?

Uh... lots. Though in my defense it is my only form of social media. Never had a facebook, twitter or anything else and it is probably going to stay that way.

13. Have you ever fought another blog?

Nope. Is that a thing people do? It sounds exhausting.

14. How do you feel about “need to reblog” posts?

You know how after watching commercials you are filled with the desire to actively avoid the product being advertised? Yeah that is generally what happens to me with those “need to reblog” things. Like buddy I have come to tumblr to unplug from all the atrocities that are happening in the world. You telling me I need to focus on this makes me want to actively ignore it.

15. Do you like tag games?

I do! They are fun and I enjoy reading the answers that other people give.

16. Do you like ask games?

Definitely. I don’t always answer the asks in a timely manner but I do love writing about my OCs

17. Which of your mutuals do you think are tumblr famous?

Not a clue. Got some mutuals that seem to be well established and appreciated members of the SWTOR fandom but no one appears to be tumblr famous.

18. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Funny story. My partner and I actually met because we were tumblr mutuals. We were both in the Mass Effect fandom and just started DMing each other about our OCs. Started playing Mass Effect 3 online matches together and eventually decided to try out a long distant relationship. It worked and we’ve been living together for five ish years now.

Don’t currently have any crushes on any mutuals but my partner and I are poly so who knows what may happen in the future lol

[darth-atarah]

WIP ask meme

Tagged by @sullustangin ! Thank you!

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. (You can make your own post or reblog this one!) This isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? DnD campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!! 

Alright so unfinished fics are literally ALL I have and a good 90% of them is about the same pairing, but SURE here we go hehe

SWTOR:

Victory

Epistulae - Those Five Years

Warning

Family meeting

Games

As If They Could Be More

(No pressure!!) @swtorpadawan @ayresis @queen-scribbles @yarpell @keldae @walk-ng-d-saster

[sullustangin]

Darth Marr and Satele Shan:  Names and Priorities

I’ve reached the point in my Yavin fic that I’m starting to use Marr’s POV on occasion.  One of the things I’ve been chewing on (likely to the annoyance of others) has been the Marr-Satele-Theron dynamic during the Yavin 4 op.  It’s clear that Satele and Marr have put aside differences and have become friends (as much as a Force ghost and a self-exiled Jedi Master can be friends) by Chapter 12 of KotFE. 

I give credit to @swtorpadawan for posting about Satele on Yavin 4 a few months ago and being willing to have continued discourse about the post -- thank you.  In comments and reblogs, there’s been discussion about how to interpret Satele’s references to Theron during the op and her motivations for why she does this. 

This is a spin-off of that post, since I’ll be focusing more on the dynamic between Marr and the Shans instead of Theron and Satele. 

During the Yavin op, Theron is consistently referred to as Theron, not as Agent Shan or as Shan.  The issue of his last name is avoided.   A few people (including me) have the headcanon that ‘Shan’ is a common name in the galaxy, like Smith or Patel or Garcia would be on our world; two people named Shan does not a family connection make, necessarily.  It would explain why Theron doesn’t have a code name (though he jokingly? complains about it on first meeting). 

And yet, Satele avoids using the name in reference to Theron.  So does Marr.  And Theron doesn’t insist on being referred to by his last name, even though his peer, Lana Beniko, is referred to as ‘Beniko’ by Marr. (Satele never addresses Lana using her name.)

Why the dance? 

Honestly, when I try to reverse-engineer dev!logic, in terms of the game design for Yavin 4, I’d guess it was done to help the player differentiate between Grand Master Shan and Agent Shan.  And maybe that’s all it is: calling Theron “Theron” just keeps the player from getting confused, especially if the player isn’t a Jedi and doesn’t know Satele; and/or skipped the Forged Alliances quests and thus doesn’t know Theron.

Within the universe, however, what’s an explanation a player can come up with?

The Spies in Question

Theron’s name was broadcast across the galaxy as a wanted man for killing Colonel Darok.  He was to be apprehended on sight, but Theron was a spy; spy agencies to this day rarely let any images of their active duty agents be circulated, even if they do go rogue or defect to the other side.  Theron’s image in direct connection to his name and job as SIS agent would be on a need-to-know basis.  This has led me to headcanon that Director Trant was well-aware of Theron going off the grid; in fact, he aided and abetted it.

Lana, on the other hand, was a known member of the Sphere of Military Offense.  She commanded troops on Hoth.  She had a known face, and there was an Imperial bounty contract on her head, per Theron at Manaan.  If anything, Lana was in as much danger as Jakarro; someone could try to claim the bounty on her head, since the bounties weren’t lifted til the end of the Yavin op.

And yet, Theron’s name was the unspeakable one. 

Satele and Theron

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I feel that the dynamic between Theron and Satele is not that of son and mother; both of them have gotten past that decision.  Rather, it’s more similar to a child who was given up for adoption looking for some sort of acknowledgement from his birth family -- it’s not love.  It’s not approval.  It’s.... complicated.  Acknowledgement of existence.  Acknowledgement that the decision had impact on Theron well beyond his first year of life.  Acknowledgement that Satele hurt Jace. 

I’ve interpreted Theron’s bristling at the use of the term “my agent” to be more directed at the possessiveness of the word, yet how far apart they still are, despite the biological connections.  Technically, Yavin 4 was the first time they worked on an op together.  This was their first professional collaboration.  They haven’t seen each other socially, they can’t talk about their issues/relationship/whatever.....and they have to save the galaxy together.

Giving up Theron doesn’t mean Satele felt nothing. She privately struggles with what she did and how it turned out -- still does, based on 6.2.   However, she, like Jace and Theron, believe in serving the cause at great personal cost.  Seeing Theron beat to hell after Rishi bothered her -- it would bother anyone with any sense of compassion (which she does have).  Theron got the beatdown he did because he was taken by the Revanites.  Revan attempted to convince Theron to join him on Yavin 4 by invoking the idea that they are flesh and blood -- family.

Pretty sure Revan wasn’t talking about the Malcom side.  Satele knew that.  Was there a sense of protectiveness for Theron because of what happened immediately before Yavin 4?  I think so, yes, but it’s not motherly.

Theron’s experience on Rishi probably made Satele hyperaware that if Theron was of interest to the Revanites, then the Empire would doubly interested in Theron if they knew that he was not only an heir of Revan, but that the Grand Master of the Jedi Order was his biological mother.   Referring to him as “my agent” may be Satele’s way to avoid using any part of his name on Yavin 4.

I’m willing to bet, regardless of any efforts to ignore or conceal Theron’s name, that Marr quickly figured out that the agent who managed to outfox Revan, resist torture, get Marr’s attention, and unravel an intergalactic conspiracy was something special to the Republic.  Odds were that this agent had acted against the Empire.

Marr would be interested.

The History of Darth Marr and Satele Shan

Prior to Yavin 4, Marr and Satele had most recently squabbled over Makeb in the Hutt Cartel expansion through their various operatives.  When Marr saw Satele on the Imp side Battle of Rishi, he bowed.  He respected her and she respected him.  I didn’t get any other impression from their interactions. They saw each other as equals, though on rival sides; that creates tension, since a fight between them would be a draw or mutually assured destruction.  It’s highly likely they fought against each other in the previous Galactic War (which I’ll talk about below). 

Marr was born in 3702 BBY, Satele in 3699 BBY.  They’re about the same age, and they ascended almost equally quickly when the Sith returned in 3681 -- Satele is 18, Marr is 21.  I have spoken about how Satele and Jace (who seems to be somewhere between 16 and 20 in the trailer) were essentially just kids when the conflict started.  So was Marr.

The big difference, in terms of how their characters are constructed, is that we have the end product of Marr.  Period.  We don’t know what his name was before he took on the name ‘Darth Marr.’  We know nothing about his family, his relationships, his struggles.  As Marr said later to the player in KotFE, he wanted to be a symbol to the Empire.  Marr did not let himself be just a man.

Darth Marr is not the singular leader of the Sith.  Marr is the head of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire for decades, and as of the Battle of Corellia and the death of Darth Decimus, he also becomes the head of the Sphere of Military Strategy.  With 2 of Military Spheres in his grasp, Marr was the de facto leader of the armed forces of the Sith Empire.  The Sphere of Military Offense passed from Baras to Arho and then to Arkous after Ilum.  When Arkous is killed by the player’s character, there is no indication as to who was the next head; that Sphere is never spoken of again in-game.  We may assume Marr took hold of that.  Either way, he has become the de facto leader of the Sith Empire.  His voice, his robes and mask -- immediately recognizable to the whole galaxy.

The creators of content for SWTOR took the opposite approach to Satele. We can read about how her mother Tasiele was forced into exile when Satele was still a child.  We meet Satele at 18 in a SWTOR trailer during the first Sith incursion at Korriban.  We see her in comics fighting against the Empire.  We see her at the Battle of Alderaan against Malgus.  In Annihilation,we see bits and pieces of her falling in love with Jace Malcom and hoping she doesn’t get too attached... until a pair of permanent complications occur in 3667 BBY:   Jace was severely maimed in the Battle of Alderaan, and Satele got pregnant.  Jace’s injuries made him a much harder person than the soldier Satele met in 3681 BBY; he scared her with his hatred of the Empire. 

I’ll take a moment here to say that Satele wasn’t dumb or naive when she made the decision about Theron.  Satele was at least 32 years old, possibly 33 by the time Theron was born in 3666 BBY. She wasn’t a teen having a knee-jerk “oh noes, he’s evil” moment.  She had been in a constant state of war for 15 years when she got pregnant.   It’s in that context that Satele was concerned that Jace’s hatred could drag their child to the Dark Side... but also, Satele’s love for her child would make it impossible for her to serve the Republic without a second thought.  She couldn’t fight and die for the Republic if she was always preoccupied with coming home to her baby.

So she let Theron go.  She had other adventures.  She was at the Treaty of Coruscant.  Satele founded Tython.  She became the Grand Master of her order.

We don’t get any of that pathos or glory with Marr.   Marr IS.  Marr is the Empire. He is the best of them.  He has been, is, and will be. 

The odds are pretty good that Marr and Satele met each other in combat, directly or indirectly. The bow on Imp side Rishi is a big thing for me that points to that.  Also, look at their responsibilities during the last war.  Marr was responsible for not only defending Korriban and what would become the Imperial core, but also any gains the Sith made over time against the Republic.  That’s the job of the Sphere of Defense of the Empire; taking planets was somebody else’s rodeo, not Marr’s.  His job was to defend... something the Imperial people living on these planets would love him for.  He was their protector against brutish Republic troops and their systemic corruption. 

Satele was responsible for winning those territories back; we see her on counter-strikes against the Sith.  Satele is cast as the liberator of people imperiled by the spreading Sith Empire, not a conqueror taking new territory.  Marr probably had to defend against Satele at least once in their careers, possibly multiple times.  If she was absent from the front lines for any period of time, Marr would have noticed; he had to anticipate the next move of Republic counterstrikes as part of his job. 

And indeed, Satele was absent for an extended period.  How long Satele was absent from the battlefield due to her pregnancy, we don’t know. Satele did continue her battlefield duties for “months” after she found out.  The only information we have about post-partum Satele is that she stopped visiting Baby Theron at 6 months old, according to Lost Suns.  I don’t think she could just skip off at random while in command, so I think she probably was off the battlefield at least 10 months (last 4 months of her pregnancy, 6 months post-partum), possibly as long as 18 months, since Gnost-Dural reports she was assigned to duty with the Republic Navy at some point in 3665 BBY.  She did give birth on a random planet in a cave, so she didn’t exactly have the best medical care immediately.  Maybe there were complications. Maybe she did show early. We don’t know.

Regardless of the timeline, Marr would have been paying attention.  Marr would have noticed when Satele Shan stopped fighting for the Republic.  Where was she?  What was she doing?  Was this part of a greater plot by the Republic?  What were they planning?  And when Satele did return, he may well have wondered what she had been up to.  But no matter; she had returned.  Marr had to be ready.

There’s no obvious indication in the game as to when Marr figures out Satele and Theron are mother and son.  He makes no comment to indicate that he knew before Rishi.  Based on Marr’s dialogue in game on the Imperial side, he heavily suggests that he knows who Theron is by the time Iven, the former commandant of the Imperial Guard, is taken into custody and it’s time to interrogate him. Satele objects to Marr’s plans to torture Iven.  “And what do you think your agent has done in the Republic’s name?” is Marr’s response. 

The delivery of ‘your agent’ is indicative that Marr knows.

Theron himself stated at the end of the Imp side romance that if he was indeed recruited by the player to join the Empire, people would be suspicious that he’d be working for his mother.  That would have to include Darth Marr. 

Personally, I would guess that the after-action reports from Lana and Theron would have some clues for Marr.  However, once Theron had healed up from the Rishi events, Marr may well have taken one look at Theron standing next to Satele, and then had an epiphany so immense it gave him a headache that Lana felt across the compound.  There’s the answer.  That’s why she disappeared for almost two years, twenty-nine years ago. Theron Shan.

(According to Jace in Annihilation, Theron has some similar features to his mother. He doesn’t specify which ones.)

The Lie of Omission

A lie of omission is permitting an inaccuracy or a falsehood to continue to circulate without correction, even though the person knows the truth. (In contrast, a lie of commission is when you actively make something up or contribute to the lie -- you commit the act lying.)  Marr signals he knows who Theron is by the time Iven is retrieved from the Imperial Guard training facility on Yavin, but he never says the name Theron Shan out loud.   It’s simply “the agent” “your agent” or “Theron.”  But not Agent Shan.

The use of “Theron” in the Pubside story is most eyebrow-raising.  

Marr calls people by their titles. Marr always keeps professional distance.  Underlings are uniformly referred to by their titles.  Lana doesn’t like titles, so Marr doesn’t refer to her as Lord Beniko or Darth whatever;  it’s just Beniko.

Calling someone by their first name is highly irregular.  He does not refer to Satele as such until 6.2 (and that might be the Socratic Problem of Marr in the player’s memory rather than the real Marr).  It’s always Grand Master or Grand Master Shan. In a unique instance in the game, Marr calls Theron by his given name when he finds the Imperial Guard’s buildings in ruins during the Pubside story:  “But given the destruction Theron describes, it’s mostly likely a distress call.”  This is before the Pub operative annoys Marr by going to the Imperial Guard facility by themselves; it’s not said in anger or in irritation.  It’s said under ‘normal’ circumstances (if circumstances on Yavin are normal at all). 

But why?  Why not “Agent Shan”?  That would differentiate him from Grand Master Shan.  Just referring to the pair as Grand Master and Agent would work too; how many Grand Masters and SIS Agents are running around on Yavin 4?  Why is Marr avoiding attention to the man’s last name?

And why doesn’t Marr hop on this and use it to the Empire’s advantage?

Pragmatism and Prioritization

Marr is not a Jedi.  Marr doesn’t do things for the greater good.  He does things for the Sith Empire and for the people of the Sith Empire.  Offing Theron Shan?  Definitely on the agenda.  So is killing Satele, eventually.

But not now.  Not on Yavin 4.

Marr is probably the person closest to knowing what Revan is going to try to do in order to make the Emperor take physical form again so he can kill him.  It’s going to involve a lot of dead people.  That can easily happen; up until this tiny fragile cease fire between Marr and Satele, the Empire and the Republic have been engaged in a hot war. When they first make camp on Yavin, there is a real possibility they’ll frag each other regularly.  This is why players have to do daily quests, in theory -- to build good will between the factions. 

My partner is a military nerd and a Star Wars nerd.  He watched both version of the Battle of Rishi.  His conclusion:  based on the ships we see, Marr had more than twice the number of troops that Satele did (I put the numbers in my Yavin 4 fic).  The Imperial troops, at Marr’s word, probably could wipe out the Republic forces on Yavin 4, pack up, and head back to Dromund Kaas in time for tea.

But they won’t.  Marr wouldn’t permit it.

He knows how dangerous the Emperor is, and if he does let his troops kill the Pubs, they feed him. There also appears to be some sort of weird mystical thing going on with Revan’s bloodline.  Revan knew highly personal information about Theron (and Theron says so when the player opens the temple later on); somehow, Theron was able to use that connection to get Revan to give up Yavin 4 and secure an invite there at the end of the Rishi op.

Marr knows about this.  Marr doesn’t know what Revan would do if Marr did kill Theron or Satele, plus there’s the more predictable possibility that the Republic would respond to the death of Satele Shan thanks to the Jedi feeling it through the Force.  Chancellor Saresh would not let that opportunity pass by, even if it did feed the Emperor; we saw that at Ziost. 

Grand Master Shan is a public figure.  Her name and her power is obvious to everyone in the Yavin camp.  Theron, however, is everything his mother is not.  He is a spy.  His face is not known to the general public.  His work is secret, his exact abilities unknown.

Sure, the last name is common enough....

But Theron and Satele have never worked together before.  They’ve never operated in such close proximity before.  Yavin 4 would be the first time all the pieces could fall into place to someone observant.  Marr is many things, but one of the things he really gets annoyed about in regard to the Sith is their arrogance.  They get such fat heads that they can’t see obvious danger or they overlook aliens and non-Force Sensitives to their own detriment. 

Marr isn’t arrogant.

He doesn’t think he’s the only one who can see a family similarity or sense some connection between them.  Saying someone’s name is a powerful thing; we get upset when someone screws up our name.  It’s how our attention is attracted.  Shared last names of interesting people attract attention.  Attention leads to distraction away from the primary goal of stopping Revan and the Emperor.

That’s something Marr doesn’t want to deal with right now.  Revan and Emperor now.  The Shans later.  He avoids referring to Theron as “Shan” so as to reduce any chance that some young Sith will attempt to make their bones killing Theron, since that would spell doom for the Empire, whether through Revan’s anger or the Republic’s revenge.  It would also help empower the Sith Emperor to retake physical form, which is the last thing Marr wants him to do. 

Exposing the Grand Master as having a secret son would remove an ally from the field for Marr; Marr doesn’t want to destroy his assets before he’s used them to their full ability.  There’s no point in burning Satele Shan on Yavin 4 before Revan is dealt with. 

...And Marr respects her.  It’s a cheap way to win against a rival he knows to be his equal.

Marr wants to end Revan and the Emperor now, in that order, to defend the people of the Empire.  He’ll worry about the Shans later.  Marr will let Theron’s last name be overlooked and unmentioned, if only because it makes his job as Defender of the Empire less complicated for a few months.

**

Thanks again to @swtorpadawan​ and also @inyri​ @shabre-legacy​ @theniveanlegacy​ for discussing the original post about Satele and Theron and making me think about this.  

Headcanon Postface:

This last bit is purely my headcanon ideas about Marr, so you can leave here if you so desire. I’m placing them here rather than making a separate post and having to link back to this one. 

As I’ve described previously, we have the finished product of Darth Marr, with none of the personal insight that was provided for Satele Shan.  Who’s under the mask?  Nobody knows, really.  His first comic book adventure takes place in 3678, when he’s about 24 years old.  There’s nothing about his life beforehand that would let the player wonder how his past life affected his current decisions.  Marr ultimately would do the best he could for the Empire, regardless, but knowing if he ever hesitated, ever had second thought, had a regret -- that would make him mortal. 

And Marr is an icon, not a man, in the grander SWTOR universe, per the writers. That’s the point driven home to the player.  So that leaves it to fan fic to take off the mask or not. 

In “The Planter of Trees and Other Tales from Yavin 4,” Marr comes to this conclusion about the Shans’ relationship after observing two Shan chins.  He then alludes to understanding Satele’s decision to conceal Theron’s existence.

After Marr had gained his seat on the Dark Council (late 3680s, early 3670s), a lot of Sith families wanted him to add to their prestige. The man needed a legacy; he needed heirs.  Marr had already set himself on his path, however; he understood that it was better to be an icon.  If Marr was a normal man, he would be weakened by family connections, love, protectiveness, concern for his personal future.  Instead, Marr’s devotion to the Empire was unmatched and pure.  In the public’s eye, he was the great defender. He was the perfect Sith.

Marr never did have a public wife or a political marriage. His private life -- better secured than Imperial state secrets -- produced a  daughter that did not inherit her talents from her Force-Using parent.  Marr had been relieved that his daughter was not like him.  It meant she would never be pressured to come into public life. It meant she was free of the burden of his legacy. 

Lately, I’ve considered that, regardless of having access to the Force or not, a child of Marr was always in danger of becoming a pawn.  She was something Marr’s enemies could use against him, if they ever found out about her; being Force-Null simply meant that others could not detect her as easily. That may have also have been a concern of Satele in regard to Theron, especially as she rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order.  As soon as Marr could let his daughter fly away from Dromund Kaas, he did.  She was free. 

She died shortly before the Sack of Coruscant.  Marr did not go to her. The Empire had to matter more.  That doesn’t mean he didn’t love her.  He just never could prioritize her over the Empire. 

In my fic universe, Marr understands Satele’s choices.  He can keep his mouth shut.  For now. 

Theron is far more dangerous to the rival faction than Marr’s daughter ever was, however; he is an active player in the war, while she... just got caught in the middle, in the end....

Revan and Emperor now.  Shans later.

**

[swtorpadawan]

When you’ve been out of town for awhile, and you come back and your roommate has some crazy sh*t going on....

[theoasiswinds]

Get to Know Me

I was tagged by  the lovely @swtorpadawan

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Relationship Status: married

Favorite colour :baby pink

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