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[ATHATH]

*le bump*

[Teneb]

Spoiler: We’re back, lads! (click to show/hide)

PART 40 – Total Neutrality

Tatooine/The Ebon Hawk




I’m tired of these motherfucking Gizkas on my motherfucking spaceship. No dark side points for this. Yup.



Companion talk? Companion talk.

: Why did you leave the Jedi?
: Heh heh. Who said I left the Jedi?
: Are you saying you’re still a Jedi?
: Well, technically, I was only a Padawan… not that that makes a difference to most. But as for the order, itself… no, I never left it. It left *me*.
: What do you mean ‘it left you’?
: You know what I hate? Well… you know, lots of things, really. But I’m old and easily annoyed. But that’s beside the point. What I *really hate are how most people view the Jedi. Everyone thinks that the Jedi are perfect, that they can do no wrong. They think the Jedi Council is completely incapable of injustice.
: Let me guess: you disagree?
: Damn right I disagree. The Jedi are just as capable of injustice as anyone else. They may *try* harder, sure, but sometimes they get it wrong. And I’m not even talking about how some of us fall to the dark side. No, that’s plenty indication of our fallibility, but it’s something else entirely. No, I’m talking about how, more often than not, your average robe-wearing Jedi can try to do the right thing and still be completely *wrong*.
: Nobody can be right about everything.
: That’s true, but it’s not what I meant. I guess I’m not being clear, am I? Come to think of it, I don’t have to be clear. Someone my age is entitled to rambe, dammit! But for your sake I’ll try to explain. I’ll tell you a little tale about  Jedi Master I once knew. Hortath, I think. Or was it Hartoth? I could never get it straight…
: Go on, I’ll listen.
: Where was I, then? Oh. Oh, yes… Master Hortath. He was a kindly old Jedi who meant well, but the most near-sighted thing in the Core, I swear. He would walk into walls, knock over tables, mistake apprentices for rancor beasts… that sort of thing. And he was too proud to submit to proper treatment. Some used to counsel him and urged “Use the Force, Master Hortath. Allow the Force to see for you.” But he refused to believe that his eyes were failing. He simply squinted more and more as the years went on, the other Jedi resignedly passing it off as the amusing quirk of a compassionate old man.
: Go on.
: So one day a young Padawan meets Master Hortath in the courtyard and, not knowing of his blindness, asks him for directions to the Council. Quite sure of himself, Hortath gave the lad directions… which happened to lead back outside and away from the enclave. The Padawan is confused, naturally. He asks if Master Hortath is sure, and of course Master Hortath says that he is. The Padawan suggests that perhaps he should asks someone else… but the proud Hortath now feels insulted. He tells the Padawan to the route he prescribed and no other. Rather dejectedly, the Padawan did as he was told… and so ended up leaving the Jedi Order forever. It was decided that the boy’s fate was to leave the Order anyway… though whether that was out of respect for Hortath or because the boy went on to something else, well, we’ll never know.
: So… you knew this Master Hortath? Or the Padawan?
: No, no. Both of them were from before my time. Well before the Sith Wars, even.
: I don’t understand…

Note there is no other option at this point. You MUST be dumb.

: The tale is about blindness and I though the point was clear. At any rate, you think about it. You’re the one who asked why the Jedi left me, remember?

It’s a tale about the fact there are no glasses in the distant galaxy far far away.

: Now let’s get going. My feet are itching for a good run.



We are now officially over halfway through the game. It only took over a year!







Ugh, I hate taking these screenshots because I have to use the print screen button and manually cut it.

Meanwhile…

Darth Malak's Theme





Saul: Shall I hire another bounty hunter, Lord Malak?
: No mere bounty hunter can stand against a Jedi. I shall not make the same mistake again. My apprentice, Darth Bandon, shall take care of our young Jedi friend.





It’s been a while, but he was the dark jedi who killed exfiltrated Trask.





Also? Huge arsehole.





Darth Bandon: As you command, Master.

Tatooine/The Ebon Hawk








Are you ready for another “dream”?





: It is strange that anyone would have built a Star Map here; the entire surface of Manaan is covered by nothing but vast oceans.
: It looked like the Star Map was underwater.
: The ocean floor is vast and much of it is uncharted, even by the native Selkath. But how could Revan and Malak have found their way down?

Seriously? I understand it being hard for us to chart our own seafloor considering we are land creatures, but the damn Selkath are an amphibious, space-faring, high-tech species living in a planet with no land above sea level. You’d think they’d have mapped all but the deepest parts.

: No doubt things will become more clear once we discover the Star Map’s location.

Time to do The Rounds.


: Manaan’s an unusual place. Not for its water, mind you… it’s the kolto. Healing juice. Only place where it occurs in the galaxy.

And they eventually got screwed by the advent of bacta, which is basically a synthetic version of it.

: And that’s about all I got to say about that. Now let’s get going.
: What do you know about the Sith?
: Bad, bad men. Women, too, to be fair.
: You must know more than that.
: Oh, indeed. They make a fine sandwich, also. Heh heh heh. But don’t tell the Jedi Council I said that.
: You’re being elusive on purpose.
: *sigh* And just what gave you the impression that I know anything more about the Sith than you do?
: You did. You said you fought them.
: Oh… that’s right. Damn the ears of the young! I was expecting you to be your usual inattentive self when I mentioned that. So it’s true, yes, I fought plenty  of Sith. That was during the time of Exar Kun… oh, fourty years ago now? Has it been that long?
: Are these the same Sith we are fighting now?
: No, no, of course not. The Sith have come and gone for ages. They were not called Sith many thousands of years ago, perhaps, but the dark side was always present without a doubt. Oh, sure, occasionally the light side comes close to vanquishing the dark, but the dark always returns. The fact that Exar Kun was defeated didn’t mean the Sith would never return, as they obviously have now. Everyone knows that.
: So tell me what you know about the Sith.
: A Sith believes he commands the Force… but it is the dark side who commands him. You know this, there is little else I could truly add.
: Who is this Exar Kun?
: Ah. Exar was a Jedi who was… corrupted… by ghosts of the old SIth. Or so they say. He attempted to conquer the Republic and create a new Golden Age of the Sith.
: And he was killed?
: Better to say he was defeated… but essentially, yes. The victory did not come easily, however.
: What happened during the war with Exar Kun, then?
: That… is not a pleasant time to remember. After Exar Kun fell to the dark side, he attempted to recruit other Jedi to the cause. What surprised us… what took us completely unprepared… was how utterly successful he was. Many Jedi joined him and became Sith themselves. Why they did I… I will never truly know. But they did. Battle broke out through the order… pupil against master, we fought ourselves…
: That must have been difficult.
: Yes. More than difficult… next to impossible. How do you fight against someone you love? Bah. I dislike such memories. It leaves a taste in the mouth that… it is a sadness I thought I had put aside long ago. Ask me again about the war some other time. Just… not now. I would prefer to be by myself for now.

At this point I must note that for some time the LP went into hiatus as I dealt with many life stuffs. In fact, everything in this very update before this exact point was written months ago. I plan on going back to an actual schedule of sorts, however. The aim is one update per week (though more may happen if they are not dialogue-heavy!), barring further complications.

Since we were doing companion talks, let’s talk a bit to our old pal Canderous.

: Water worlds never had much of an appeal for us to conquer. They may put up a good fight in their own environment – no match for us, of course – but they don’t really have anything of value either. The thing this world is good for is a substance known as Kolto. Kolto is the single best healing substance in the galaxy. But the Mandalore are not as weak and fragile as your Republic and Sith warriors. When we enter battle, we carry weapons powerful enough to pulverize cities. Both in our wars, and in our own personal combats, there are no survivors. So Kolto does not hold the appeal it does for your peoples.

Time to grill Mission for the same thing.



Wow, didn’t even need to transcribe.

Onward, then, to Manaan, land of excessive vowels!

Manaan (Ahto City)


We’ll be changing party members pretty frequently here.




Republic Soldier: The senators work for the good of the whole galaxy, not for individual gain!
Sith Soldier: Ha! Don’t make me laugh, you gutless simp! It’s the destiny of weak-minded fools like you to be ruled over by the strong, like we Sith!
Republic Soldier: I’m warning you! Don’t push me, or you’ll get just what you’re asking for!
Sith Soldier: Try it. Just try it. I’d love to see you throw the first punch. And with all the cameras around the Selkath would be all over you inside of 30 seconds. You break their laws, you pay the price, Republic scum. But I can see you’re not man enough to back up your words anyway. If you ever feel like relieving yourself of your worthless existence, feel free to come by our enclave here. We have many, many ways to fulfill your wish.



BioWare’s writing may sometimes veer all over the place in terms of quality, especially for the minor, nameless characters. But this, right here is excellent writing. It tells you everything you need to know about what is going on in the planet and what to expect. In short, we’ve just landed in Space Switzerland, if Switzerland was oceans instead of mountains. Oh, and they have monopoly on the only fast means of healing someone, as told to us by Canderous. I like Manaan. It’s neutral like we’re supposed to be!


: Why do the Sith upset you so much?
Republic Soldier: These damn Sith are everywhere on Manaan, pushing us Republic citizens around, trying to goad us into breaking the law somewhere.
: Breaking the law?
Republic Soldier: The Selkath want to maintain their neutrality in this war we’re fighting with the Sith and they enforce it VERY strictly. So we have to sit here and let the Sith insult us and we can’t raise a hand against them otherwise the Republic will face severe kolto export restrictions. That could lose us the war altogether.

The Republic should be giving their soldiers crash courses in shit-talking, then.

: Why are the Sith on Manaan?
Republic Soldier: Well, for the kolto, of course. Really, that’s the only reason anyone would want to be here. It’s the only reason the Selkath built Ahto City in the first place: to export kolto.

We can ask what is kolto, but how about we not be idiots?

: The Republic and Sith both stay here?
Republic Soldier: The Selkath think that by staying neutral they can play both sides, selling kolto to everyone that needs it, and making themselves too valuable to be worth conquering. Well, that, and they threatened to destroy the only natural source of kolto on the planet if anyone tries to attack them. But I think they’re underestimating the lengths the Sith will go to get what they want… They’re probably planning something already.
: Tell me about Ahto City.
Republic Soldier: Um… It’s big. Real big. Actually it’s pretty much the only real city on the entire world. The only place for us air-breathers anyway. Manaan is a water world – which you may have noticed on your way down to land here – inhabited natively by a species of fish-people called the Selkath. They built this city to cater to us off-worlders and as a base of operations to export kolto, which is the only real thing they have to trade here.
: Never mind, I must go.
Republic Soldier: Of course. If you have any other questions you should probably see Roland Wann, he’s the Republic diplomat here. He’s by the Republic enclave near the visitor residences. If you don’t know where that is, go north from here, then south past the port official and the first courtyard, east into the second courtyard, and then north then east again. You got that?

Of course not. But it’s not like this is one of the latest BioWare rpgs with big, wide areas.

Republic Soldier: Have a pleasant stay, Master Jedi.

This is also a major plot point here. In fact, if there is one conversation in this entire planet you want to actually pay attention to, it’s this nameless dude right here. I can actually redact a lot of what will be said later because of this awesome mook.

And on that note, we’ll wrap up here.

Yup, this is back. Will see it to the end. Hopefully before I get my licentiate degree, considering I started this LP about a month into history university and now I am halfway through.

EDIT: Forgot music links.

[Teneb]

Guess what, I am bored and as such two updated in a row.

Spoiler: Fish Stick (click to show/hide)

PART 41 – Law School

Manaan (Ahto City)


This is the obligatory dock merchant. Nothing special going on with him.



: Exotic species? What sorts of exotic species?
Nubassa: Anything non-sentient and non-carnivorous will do, though creatures that are easy to manage are preferred. Is that understood?
: Why would you want to buy animals?
Nubassa: Ah, good question. The Selkath have little exposure to life from other planets, you see. But our government hopes to change that. We are setting up a zoological compound for visitation by the public, and are hoping to stock it with non-offensive foreign creatures of all types. The only problem right now is actually procuring the exotic species we need. Selkath import restrictions are quite prohibitive, to say the least.
: So you want to smuggle them in?
Nubassa: I would not use such a harsh word, off-worlder. Let us say that I am interested in engaging in private trade. That is allowed, according to our laws. Finding off-worlders that deal in such trade is most difficult, however. I have become quite desperate. Might you have what I seek?
: No, I don’t have anything for you.
Nubassa: Well, if you come across something potentially interesting, please remember me. My name is Numbassa. I hope to see you again!

This fellow is the alternate solution to the Gizka sidequest. You can just dump them on them, but you’ll need to persuade or force persuade to do it.

By the way, I should point out a bit of cut content: at this point, Deadeye Duncan from Taris would show up. He’d express surprise you escaped and tell of how he himself escaped too. He’ll also confess he has been posing as the Mysterious Stranger (you) in arenas around the galaxy to make himself some cash, and ask if you have a problem with that. Alas, it was cut.

At any rate, we can go into the Sith docking bay, but the only thing of note is that we get an automated message saying how cameras are deactivated there due to it being a private dock.




: Who are you?
Jolan: My name is Jolan. Just a travelling Pazaak player with no special story to tell. Are you interested in a game?

He’s our enabler.



: What are the rules, exactly?
Port Officer: The single most important law on Manaan is very simple. Kolto smuggling is punishable by death. If you’re carrying any unprocessed kolto, you better have a permit. The other rule is also very simple – keep the peace. Here on Manaan we maintain a careful neutrality, and we react very harshly to people who jeopardize our neutral status. Any confrontations between the Sith and Republic are dealt swiftly and decisively. Is this understood.
: I understand.
Port Officer: There is a docking fee of 100 credits. You will have to pay this fee each time you dock on Manaan, or you will not be permitted into Ahto City.
: Very well. Here is the docking fee.
Port Officer: The Manaan board of trade and tourism thanks you, off-worlder. Here is a visitor guide and map to the city. Refer to it should you have any questions. The gates of Ahto city are now open to you. You may come and go as you please, so long as you do not leave the planet. If you do, you will have to pay the docking fee once more.

We will be coming and going a bit, but money should never be a problem in this game. Especially since the Pazaak player is strategically located right before this guy.


I AM THE LAW

We can mingle with random nameless npcs, sith included, but they rarely say anything interesting. So let’s randomly wander around as if I am not looking for something. Note that I have no party members.




: Who are you?
Elora: My name is Elora. My husband Sunry and Jolee are old friends. Now Sunry needs Jolee’s help.
: I shall tell Jolee immediately.
Elora: Please, I beg you to bring Jolee to speak to me about my husband. Sunry’s life depends on it!

A quick trip to the party menu…



Elora: I didn’t. Nobody knew where you were, not even Sunry! But I heard the Selkath mention you and your friends. The Force has brought you to help us!
: Why? Whatever could be the matter, my dear?
Elora: It’s horrible, Jolee! Sunry has been arrested! The Sith have accused him of murder!
: Murder? But how…
Elora: It’s all a mistake, Jolee! Sunry isn’t a murderer – someone is trying to frame him.
: Calm down, ELora. Where’s Sunry now?
Elora: Sunry’s being held at the Selkath courts. They won’t let anyone in to see him. Please, go to the courts, talk to the Judges. Maybe the Selkath will listen to you.
: Don’t worry, Elora. We’ll get to the bottom of this and help Sunry… somehow.

Yup. Companion quest initiated.

Walking a bit further, we run into this:

Mercenary: That’s an awful lot of money… is there something you’re not telling me?
Officer: Don’t be so suspicious. The Republic is generous, we pay our mercenaries well.
Mercenary: Makes sense, I guess. Alright,  I’m in. When do I start?
Officer: Just show up at the Republic Embassy tomorrow and speak to our Representative there. I’m sure he’ll have some task he wants you to start on right away.

We can actually talk to the officer. Well, okay, the game calls him Republic Negotiator, but who cares?


: Why are you hiring mercenaries?
Officer: In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a war on. If we don’t hire these mercs, the Sith will. Now excuse me, I have to continue my recruitments.

Since we’re on Jolee’s quest for GREAT JUSTICE, we need to go to court.


Sith: If the Republic soldiers were more capable, they would not have suffered such serious injuries. Are my soldiers to be punished simply because they won a fair fight?
Republic: I hardly call six against three a fair fight! The Sith are cowards who attack only when they have the advantage of numbers!
Judge Shelkar: I am aware of the Republic’s indignation. However, witness reports clearly state your Republic soldiers were as willing to engage in violence as the Sith in this case.
Republic: They were provoked, you honor! The Sith goaded them into this fight!
Judge Shelkar: Taunts and threats are not sufficient provocation in the eyes of this court. Words can be ignored – which is what your men should have done. I find both the Republic and the Sith to be equally at fault for this breach of the peace. I should throw all parties involved into the Ahto City jail. But since no Selkath were harmed in this conflict I will show mercy and levy a fine of ten thousand credits to both sides. The court is dismissed, though I warn you that further disturbances will not be viewed with such leniency.




And you wonder why I go neutral. Let’s talk to the judge.



Got to talk to him again to continue Jolee’s quest.


Judge Shelkar : Is there something you wish to bring to my attention.
: How do you know I was from the Republic?
Judge Shelkar : Your ship registry is originally from the Republic world of Transel. Therefore you are a Republic citizen. Or are you saying you STOLE your ship?
: No, no… perfectly legitimate.
Judge Shelkar : I see. Is there more you need?
: I would like to investigate the murder case involving Sunry.
Judge Shelkar : That is acceptable, I believe. In Manaan legal tradition the defendant can have an Arbiter who tries to prove his innocence in court.

Do we get to yell “OBJECTION!”?

Judge Shelkar : The Arbiter is a neutral party that can investigate and present evidence in the trial, and argue on the defendant’s behalf. As you are a Jedi, I believe you could fulfill this role adequately. I suppose you’re Sunry’s only hope. We have to at least try to help him. So be it! You are now appointed Arbiter in the case of Sunry vs The Sith Empire. Your name and position have been recorded in our files. I will now inform you of the pertinent facts in this case. You have a limited amount of time in which to investigate and organize a defense of your client, and I adivse you to use it wisely.

This last part is bovine feces. There is no timer.

Judge Shelkar : Sunry was seen leaving a hotel, leaving behind a dead Sith woman – Elassa Huros. He has been charged with murder and is being held in the Ahto City prison facilities. Due to his crippled status he is being kept in a solitary holding cell. Witness claimed to have seen the killing and are being detained at the hotel in question pending the trial. The manager of the hotel has now been informed of your appointment. Elassa was found dead of a blaster wound with an incriminating Republic medal clutched in her hand. This information has been uploaded to your datapad. It would be wise to review all information before the trial starts. You may questions Sunry or the witnesses. The evidence in this case is heavily stacked against Mr. Sunry. I believe it will take some doing to absolve him of guilt. Yes… but it almost seems to heavily stacked, doesn’t it? Very suspicious. You may also interview the judges here, including myself, to get an idea of the pertinent factors in this case. Since this is also your first case, and you are an off-worlder, I feel compelled to add “good luck” as my final missive.

Since he told us to interview the judges, himself included, let us do that.


: What do you think of Sunry?
Judge Jhosa: Sunry is a former Republic officer who is highly regarded by your people. He is admired by your people here on Manaan, and even seems to maintain some sort of relations with them still. If he is as capable as some of the Republic citizens still believe him to be, he is certainly capable of actions that would result in this murder.
: Is there anything suspicious about this case?
Judge Jhosa: Well I have often wondered, if Sunry were so innocent, why was he seen fleeing the scene of the crime? Why would he have been running if he had not committed the crime himself, or was at least aware of what had occurred? This case seems fairly simple and obvious to me. You Republic types stick together, however, and I assume you will go to lengths to defend him.
: What do you think of the Republic and the Sith Empire?
Judge Jhosa: Both empires are at fault for this current conflict. The Republic in the past for laying the foundations upon which the Sith Empire grew. And the Sith now, obviously, for starting the war. But no matter the wrongs that had been done in the past, the Sith now have no cause for renewing hostilities. It almost seems as if they just want to conquer everything!

You don’t say.

Judge Jhosa: I believe the Republic has every right to defend itself and drive the Sith back where they came from. Unfortunately for them… and perhaps for us… they do not seem to be doing too good a job of it.

Next fish judge:

: What do you think of Sunry?
Judge Naleshekan: Sunry was a Republic soldier, a hero even. Do you think his Republic masters would let someone so valuable go so easily? I think not.  I think Sunry maintains his contacts with the Republic and seeks to escalate the situation here.
: Is there anything suspicious about this case?
Judge Naleshekan: I find this case to be fairly straightforward. Sunry is from the Republic, Elassa from the Sith. The great empires battling now live out their conflict through their minion too.
: What do you think of the Republic and the Sith Empire?
Judge Naleshekan: I do not buy into the Republic line that this is some epic battle of the ‘good’ Republic agains the ‘evil’ Sith Empire. The Sith empire is merely an expansionistic power, much like the Republic was early in its history. It is simply the turning of history, where the old is swept away by the better new.

Back to middle fish:

: I have questions about the trial.
Judge Shelkar : You have the right, Arbiter, to ask me questions regarding the case.
: What do you think of Sunry?
Judge Shelkar : Sunry is known to us a hero of the Republic in your perpetual conflicts with the Sith Empire. While he may have been severely injured in the line of duty, I personally hold him in quite high regard.
: Speaking of that injury, has it been taken into consideration, your honor?
Judge Shelkar : In no way does his disability hamper him, though. Rest assured that my personal regard for Sunry will not affect my judgment. While emotion may rule your Senate, the cold hard hand of the law rules here on Manaan.
: Is there anything suspicious about this case?
Judge Shelkar : Yes, there is something that has been bothering me: the medal that was found clutched in the Sith’s hand. I find it most odd that such a blatantly incriminating piece of evidence would be left at the scene of the crime. We have analyzed the evidence and it does not appear to be a replica, but I still have my doubts. In the midst of the crime, Sunry could well have lost it. I have seen much more improbable things happen in my tenure to the courts. Hmmm. Simply because it was real does not mean Sunry would have overlooked it being in Elassa’s hand.
: What do you think of the Republic and the Sith Empire.
Judge Shelkar : The governing bodies of both states seek to keep an amiable relationship with our world in order to facilitate the exporting of kolto. I do not delude myself into thinking that either of your states holds any great love for us, but we are necessary so you will let us hold our autonomy. I try not to concern myself with intragalactic policy. I find it stretches the letter of the law too much for my tastes.
: I have no more questions for now.
Judge Shelkar : Very well. When you feel you have gathered enough evidence, you may speak to the warden in charge of the prison where Sunry is being held. He will bring Sunry to us and the trial will begin.

Next fishman:

: What do you think of Sunry?
Judge Kota : Sunry was a great warrior in his time. He fought for the Republic against the Sith aggression and proved valorous. I have great respect for his accomplishments and find it tragic that he finds himself in his current condition. If the Republic had more individuals like him right now, I do not believe the Sith would be so great a problem for your people.
: Is there anything suspicious about this case?
Judge Kota : I find it questionable that a man with such a reputable past as Sunry would murder a Sith woman. Especially not from behind. But knowing the Sith, there was probably some deception involved. They seek to do the same thing to us here. There has been much pressure by the Sith on our government – and even on the judges themselves – to deliver a guilty verdict on this case. But the letter of the law is absolute, and we will not be compromised for Sith power-games.
: What do you think of the Republic and the Sith Empire?
Judge Kota : I find this great battle being waged across the galaxy both disturbing and, ultimately, tragic. For all its faults, your tottering Republic has benefitted the vast majority of the galaxy for millennia. To see it fall into ruin in such a short time… I do not like the Sith, that I make no effort to hide. I will even admit that if given the option, I would rule that we should join the Republic. But I must remain impartial and rule on this case as the law requires.
: I have no more questions for now.
Judge Kota : If there is anything else you require, feel free to inquire with me.

And now, the last fish:

: What do you think of Sunry?
Judge Duula : I find the idea that some half-human cripple could murder someone as obviously competent as the Sith Elassa questionable at best. A man who can barely walk killed a Sith warrior in her prime? Preposterous! But I wouldn’t put it past the Republic to try and arrange such circumstances to see her dead. The Sith are much more straight forward about their intentions.
: Is there anything suspicious about this case?
Judge Duula : I find it presumptuous to assume that the cripple Sunry could kill Elassa. I think there must have been another there who killed her. Perhaps one of the ‘witnessess’. I do not know the reason for the medal clutched in Elassa’s hand either, but it may have been that she fought them off even as she died. I think this may be the work of some Republic conspiracy and I am not afraid to say so! If the only means I have of hurting the Republic is through Sunry, then so be it!

What is this impartiality of you speak of?

: What do you think of the Republic and the Sith Empire?
Judge Duula : I think the Republic is an institution in sore need of change. It has gone on too long and the Sith are the fresh wind of change blowing across the galaxy. I do not believe in the false stories of the evils of the Sith Empire. They are nothing compared to the oppression and stagnation that the Republic represents at its core. If I was given the power to decide, Manaan would join with the Sith, forcing the Republic to accept the new face of the future. But sadly, it would appear that I am wiser and more farsighted than my immediate superiors. I am relegated to civil judicial matters. I will judge this case. And I will find Sunry as guilty as he is charged to be.
: Nice to meet an impartial judge, for a change.
Judge Duula : Impartiality is one thing. Blindness is another entirely.
: You said it, not I.
: I have no more questions for now.
Judge Duula : Do not bring frivilous[sic] topics to discuss. I deal only with trail information.

And we’ll end on that. Damn verbose fish taking up update space.

[Teneb]

Spoiler: Rub a feather on their body or something (click to show/hide)

PART 42 – Murderer’s Code

Today in Law and Order of the Old Republic, we are tasked with clearing Sunry’s good name. We also become Actual Criminals.

We already interviewed the certainly unbiased judges. So let’s talk to the wife.

Elora: Sunry is... he’s a cripple. There’s no way he could have overpowered that Sith woman like they claim.
: That’s true… I’d forgotten about that. Let’s not forget that he would have had to have been considerably older than the Sith woman.
: Are you saying someone your age couldn’t overpower a woman?

By the way, this is the ONLY answer we can pick. I’m not one to see misogyny in everything, but this here is pretty hard to see as anything but, even if unintentional.

: Hmph. I’m a Jedi… and one who was living alone in the Shadowlands until recently. That keeps you in shape, damn it! We’re talking about Sunry, here.
Elora: And there’s no way he would do something so dishonorable as hit her from behind. Sunry’s a decorated war hero! He’s a hero of the Republic!

I don’t think these people know how war works.

: Don’t worry Elora. I’ll save him.
Elora: Find the real evidence, that’s all I ask. The real evidence will prove Sunry didn’t do this.

We can talk to the jail guard and not be told to piss off now, too.

Guard: If you wish to begin your trial, you must make the request with the warden. It shall then be passed on to the judges.


Perfectly humane prison.


: Elora sent me, Sunry. I’m here to get you out of this mess. The courts went and made us Arbiters for your case.
Sunry: Just like old times, eh Jolee? You come swooping in out of nowhere to save my tail from the fire.
: You saved my wrinkled butt more than a few times as well, friend, if I recall. But there’ll be time for catching up later. Right now we need to focus on the case.
Sunry: The case is a complete frame-up. Anyone looking at the evidence could see that – or so I thought. But the Selkath seem to think, well that there’s enough to go to trial. There aren’t any witnesses. All the evidence against me is circumstantial… and completely flawed.
: Let’s go over the evidence.
Sunry: Well I was at the hotel, I admit. And I did meet Elassa there that night. But it’s not what you think! I… I was working with Republic Intelligence. We were pretending to feed information to the Sith while I turned Elassa into a double agent working for us. It was going well, too… Until she turned up dead… Hm… maybe the Sith found out I was turning her and had her eliminated… But let’s look at the facts they’ve given: Elassa was brutally killed. Think about that – she was a Sith, trained in battle, and I’m just a crippled old man! My war injuries make it difficult for me to walk even to hold things[sic]. See how my hands are shaking! How could I kill a Sith warrior at close quarters? I ask you! Further: They say they found my Hero’s Cross at the crime scene. Would I leave my war medal behind if I killed someone? Even I’m not that stupid. Obviously the Sith planted the Cross. And what about the lack of forensic evidence? Skin and hair samples, clothing fibers – why isn’t there anything like that in the crime scene? Sounds like an obvious frame-up to me. I hope you can see how the Sith are manipulating the Selkath, and probably even you, to set up against me! We need to get this over with quickly and clear my name.

Okay, that was a handful.

: I need to investigate the case some more. Any ideas where I should look?
Sunry: I guess you could interview witnesses at the hotel where they murder happened. The Selkath already did that, but the fish folk don’t have much rapport with off-worlders. Maybe one of them was holding something back. But I think you’d be better off investigating the Sith themselves. Maybe you could find some proof they planted evidence to frame me – though that might mean figuring out a way into the Sith Embassy.
: There’s a few things we have to clear up.
Sunry: Go ahead, ask… ask what you need to. I’ve got nothing to hide.
: The judges said that you left after the shot was fired.
Sunry: How would they know? They weren’t there! I heard some of the witnesses said that too, but I swear she was alive when I left! I wonder if the Sith have been putting pressure on people to convict me… it wouldn’t surprise me at all. They’ve hat it in for me since the war… You should ask everyone about that… they might admit to helping the Sith under pressure.
: I’ll be going now.
Sunry: Very well. I suppose there is still much you must do before the trial. Once you’ve gotten enough evidence to go to trial just tell the warden we’re ready. The sooner I get out of this cell the better.

There’s also another prisoner here.




Let’s walk around a bit.





Republic Trooper: Save your empty threats, Sith scum! Malak isn’t stupid enough to attack the core worlds – not with the entire Republic fleet waiting for him!
Sith Trooper: You’re a fool! When the Sith descend on Coruscant, our numbers will block out the sun itself! The galactic senators will collapse trembling in fear, and beg for mercy at Malak’s feet!
Republic Trooper: You underestimate the Republic’s resolve! We’ll die before we surrender Coruscant!
Sith Trooper: That can be arranged. Remember what happened to Taris – Malak could do the same to the Core worlds!
Republic Trooper: He wouldn’t dare!
Sith Trooper: Now it is you who underestimate our resolve.

Proving that the Republic sucks at trash-talking.

Now it is very important to ditch your party.



You have a name. That is ALL that matters.

: That’s a rather strange greeting.
Hulas: These are strange times. The Sith and the Republic battle to control the galaxy, but their war destroys what they both seek to possess. The war sows fear and confusion, people are lost. They want guidance, direction. They have questions, and they want answers. That is why I am here… I too seek answers.
: Answers? Answers to what?
Hulas: The Republic. The Sith. The war. Everything. Nothing. Answers are always hardest to find when the questions are unclear. Yet that does not stop us from searching.
: Who are you?
Hulas: A name? There is power in names, yet in the end a name alone means less than nothing. I am Hulas, a traveler from the world of Duro. And what is your name, human?
: My name is Deth Sord.
Hulas: Deth Sord. Now we know something about each other… but really, we still know nothing. What do you want with me, human?
: Senni Vek gave me a message to see you.
Hulas: Senni did not think you would come, but I knew better, Deth Sord. It is good that you have come alone, for if you ever come with others I will not speak to you of these things. I am Hulas of the Genoharadan – a secret society of bounty hunters. For a thousand generations we have existed, but always hidden beneath an impenetrable, veil.
: I’ve never heard of you.

Again no choice aside from being dumb, despite the fact the Hulas here just told us he’s part of illuminati assassins.

Hulas: Few ever have. We are shadow, darkness and night. We are less than a whisper or a thought. We have managed to keep our existence a secret far longer than most could ever imagine. If you are ever foolish enough to tell anyone about this meeting or the Genoharadan’s existence, they would not believe you. They would probably think you were paranoid, or mentally unstable. Not even those closest to you can know we have approached you. If you ever speak to me around any of your companions,  I will not discuss the Genoharadan. Do you understand, Deth Sord?
: I understand.
Hulas: I believe you speak the truth, Deth Sord. But remember this: if you ever betray us, this opportunity will be lost forever. Few among the galaxy have ever heard of the Genoharadan. They never see us, never know we are there. They do not even know we exist. If you do not follow our rules, we will vanish and you will be like all the others. You will never see us again. We will be nothing but a figment of your imagination.

Alright man, I get. Sheesh.

Hulas: But if you swear to keep the secrets of our order, you will learn of a forbidden society known only to a handful through the galaxy.
: I will preserve the secrecy of your order.

This is a completionist run, after all (despite me failing a quest on Kashyyyk).

Hulas: Excellent, Deth Sord. We have high hopes for you within the guild… if you prove yourself worthy. Listen closely and I will give you a first glimpse into our secret world.

The writers must be making up for how little the character name is used with this guy.

Hulas: We Genoharadan are an ancient guild of elite bounty hunters. For thousands of years we have been at work through the galaxy, eliminating our targets in near total secrecy.
: How does anybody hire you if nobody knows you exist?
Hulas: In the highest corridors of powers a handful of people know we exist, and how to contact us. Of course, these people are smart enough to keep this knowledge a carefully guarded secret.

Nobody knows we exist! We are super secret! Except those people, they know.

Hulas: And on very rare occasions, where we are seeking new clients, one of our guild-masters will approach a powerful political figure and offer our services when the time is ripe.
: What does this have to do with me?

Dumb. So dumb.

Hulas: By killing Calo Nord, you have shown you have great potential. The Genoharadan could use someone like you, if you are willing. And your work for us could be of great aid to the Republic.
: Why would the Genoharadan protect the Republic?
Hulas: The Genoharadan have a vested interest in preserving the Republic. It is the perfect cover for our work. We operate behind the scenes, manipulating events through subtle machinations. Do you think the Republic has persisted for 15000 years by mere accident? If not for our influence – distasteful as our methods may be to some – the Republic would have collapsed long ago! We understand the bureaucracy of the Republic, we have learned how to alter the course of political events under the existing regime.  We have no with to see the Republic fall.
: This is a little hard to believe.
Hulas: That is one of the reasons our existence has remained secret for so long. Nobody wants to believe in a secret society manipulating and controlling events on a grand scale. Rumors and hints of our existence are dismissed as paranoid fantasies. But we do exist, Deth Sord. And we have come to ask you to join us.
: What’s in this for me?
Hulas: As I said earlier, your efforts here will help the Republic. And by aiding us you will earn the right to join an exclusive organization with the power to alter the very course of galactic history. And of course there is the simplest reason of all: the Genoharadan reward their agents very, very well.
: Okay, what do I have to do to join?
Hulas: As you can imagine, joining the Genoharadan is not a simple process. To begin, we will need proof of your loyalty and your competence. When you feel you are ready, I will give you a task: a target who must be eliminated. Of course you will have to come alone whenever you wish to discuss Genoharadan business.

This is already two damn MSWord pages of Assassin’s Creed fanfi- wait, did this come out before or after AC1?
*checks*

Okay, nevermind. AC1 was released in 2007, and this game in 2003.

I feel old.

: I am ready to prove myself worthy of the Genoharadan.
Hulas: Killing Calo Nord was an impressive display of your skills, but there is more to the Genoharadan than mere killing. To preserve the secrecy of our order our agents must be discrete. You must be able to find and eliminate a target without drawing undo attention. You can never mention your assignments to others - not even your closest allies. Also, you cannot ask people for information about your target. You must complete your mission using only the information I will provide.
: I understand. Who is my target?
Hulas: We will begin with something simple. Our first mission is to eliminate either of two targets: a Gran slaver named Zuulan Sentar or a Rodian anti-Republic terrorist named Lorgal.
: Tell me about Zuulan Sentar.
Hulas: Zuulan was acommon inter-galactic slaver who tried to kidnap the daughter of a Coruscant Senator. He failed and the girl was recovered, but Zuulan himself escaped. He will probably try another similar kidnapping soon. If he succeeds, he might ransom his victim in exchange for dangerous political secrets that could threaten the Republic itself. The Genohardan want to eliminate him before this happens. Our latest information places Zuulan on Dantooine – he often sells illicit goods to the wealthy settlers of that world. His land speeder was spotted near one of the settler’s estates on Dantooine. Zuulan rarely strays far from his speeder in case he needs to make a quick escape. You should look for him there.
: Tell me about Lorgal.
Hulas: Lorgal is a radical who wants to destroy the Republic through terrorist acts. He is responsible for over two dozen bombings, leaving hundreds of civilians dead. He was recently captured and is being held prisoner in the Republic base here on Manaan awaiting transport to Coruscant for trial – and a chance to publicly voice his radical beliefs. We do not want to give him that chance. You must find a way to kill him before he leaves for Coruscant, but you must be subtle. It must look like an accident or an unexplainable death. The Republic would be glad to get rid of Lorgal, so they won’t investigate his death closely. As long as he isn’t struck down by a weapon in his cell, the Genoharadan will be satisfied.
: Is there anything else?
Hulas: Remember – tell no one about this. If there are others with you when you confront Zuulan or Lorgal, make it seem as if you are acting on behalf of the Republic, not the Genoharadan. That is all for now. Return to me when Lorgal or Zuulan is dead and I will reward you. If you wish to complete both missions, feel free. You will be suitably rewarded for each.

That was long winded. Extremely so. Still, we are now part of a secret murder cult! I will, obviously, kill both targets. This conversation was 62 screenshots transcribed, if you are curious.

I will also be wrapping the update now since this is a nice stopping point.[/i]

I have a felling updates with huge walls of text and nothing worth placing a screenshot of tend to be a bit boring.

[Teneb]

Let it be known that the monkey defeated me. Turns out I was lied to and there is no backup way to get the glands. Also the game is a buggy as hell and I hate Kashyyyk.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

Maybe you could spawn one if on PC?

[Teneb]

Maybe you could spawn one if on PC?

So. Funny story (not). I actually found a list with almost all item codes in the game. Guess which item is not on that list.

Just. Fuck the space monkeys.

[Culise]

Regarding space monkeys, you're running the Genoharadan quests?  I haven't played in years and I haven't done their quests (I'm a bit too much the Light Sider), but...

Spoiler: Genoharadan quest spoiler (click to show/hide)

...apparently, reading around, one of their assassination quests culminates in a monkey circus where the target, a shapeshifter, tries to conceal himself in a pack of tachs, and you have to find him by killing them until you get the right one.  If true, that might give you another chance.  Other sources say that Kashyyyk is the only source, though, so that might be a false hope.

[somemildmanneredidiot]

There closest thing I have for a solution is a save game editor. Hypothetically, you could use it to make a new game, jump to Kashyyyk, get the monkey glands, hit all the flags for where you are currently, and then warp to where you are now in game.

[Teneb]

Regarding space monkeys, you're running the Genoharadan quests?  I haven't played in years and I haven't done their quests (I'm a bit too much the Light Sider), but...

Spoiler: Genoharadan quest spoiler (click to show/hide)

...apparently, reading around, one of their assassination quests culminates in a monkey circus where the target, a shapeshifter, tries to conceal himself in a pack of tachs, and you have to find him by killing them until you get the right one.  If true, that might give you another chance.  Other sources say that Kashyyyk is the only source, though, so that might be a false hope.

It is a false hope. They don't drop it. It was the backup I was talking about.

I will probably be doing a second, cheat-assisted (to speed it up as much as possible), run of the game to show off the romances. I'll just cover that quest then.

[Teneb]

And you though I had forgotten. But it is still saturday here, thus preventing me from breaking my "at least once a week" promise!

Spoiler: Pazaaks of the Old Republic (click to show/hide)

PART 43 – World of Spycraft

Manaan (Ahto City)

Last time we joined a murder club.



There’s also this guy.


: Why are you just standing here in a corner?

His parents gave him a stupid name and he is trying to justify it, okay?

Shady Rodian: I am here for my own reasons. Those who know of me and wish to do business, know I can be found here. You will either do business with me or leave.
: Business?

It clearly must be something highly illegal. Like drugs.

Shady Rodian: I trade and sell Pazaak Cards for those that have interest. If you have interest, then we can do business. Otherwise, leave.

Close enough.

I forgot if I actually bought anything off him, but it matters little. Let’s go to the murder scene.




: Tell me what you saw the night of the murder.

I actually thought about making all these images monochrome and typing it up as if it was a film noir story, but GIMP wasn’t playing nice.

Ignus: The Sith woman Elassa rented a room in the hotel. An hour or two later Sunry comes in and goes to her room. A couple hours later I hear a blaster shot and see Sunry running. He can’t run good ‘cause he’s a cripple, but still he was going pretty fast. I would swear he started after the shot though.
: Are you sure?
Ignus: Yeah, I’m pretty damn sure he left after the shot went off.
: Could it have gone off after he left?
Ignus: No, I don’t think so. I mean, it’s possible, just barely, but I wouldn’t say that to the court.
: [Force Persuade] You will testify Sunry left before the shot.

This is what lawyers do, right?

Ignus: [Success] Yeah. I’ll tell the court Sunry left before the shot went off.
: Hmm… I guess this is what they call working the system. Not that I’m objecting. I just hope the Selkath don’t find out about it.
Ignus: Now, was there anything else you wanted?
: What do you know about Sunry and Elassa?
Ignus: Elassa used to rent rooms here every week or so. Then Sunry would come by a couple hours later and stay all night. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on.

Hardcore spycraft?

: Who are the witnesses in the hotel?
Ignus: There were only two other people in the hotel when it happened. One was a Rodian named Gluupor. Seems like a really dirty, shifty type. Normally I don’t let his kind in here – I’m a reputable business man, you know! – but there weren’t many people here, so I decided to take a chance. The other is a regular named Firith Me. He’s a Pazaak player. Probably an addict, but he claims he’s big in some circles.

Pazaak can ruin your life. It says so on the news!

Ignus: Don’t know anything about him other than that.
: I have no more questions for now.
Ignus: Well, OK. If you need anything else I’m going to be right here.

Let’s check on the witnesses then.


Firith Me: I told the damn fish everything I knew, what more do you want from me?
: What do you know about Sunry and Elassa?

We don’t even have the option to introduce ourselves as the Arbiter. Just ‘TELL ME ABOUT THE MURDER’.

Firith Me: Sunry I only heard of once or twice in passing. Some sort of old-time war hero against the Sith. Seen him around in the hotel too. Going to Elassa’s room always of course. Kept the rest of the building up half the night with their damn antics usually!

The advancement of spycraft demands sacrifices!

: You mean Sunry was having a relationship with Elassa?

It was purely professional!

Firith Me: I’m not saying anything like that. What they did in that room, in private, is their business. And there isn’t any rule against Sith and Republic seeing each other for personal reasons. Although if you think her Sith Master didn’t know, heh, you must be fooling yourself.
: Sith Master?
Firith Me: Uh… well Elassa was a Sith… so of course she’d have to have someone above her… yeah. I didn’t see anything!
: [Force Persuade] You know you want to tell me.
Firith Me: [Success] You know, I think I could trust you. Heck, I don’t know why I shouldn’t tell you. Well… one time… I saw Elassa coming in wearing this big cloak. I was on my way to my room and she normally wears stuff like that so I didn’t pay her too much attention. But this time I accidentally brushed up against her – accidentally of course! – and her cloak fell open… Now I don’t have no qualms about the Sith! I leave them alone and they leave me alone. And seeing as how Elassa had a Sith lightsaber under her cloak, I’m not going to poke that hornet’s nest.
: She was a Dark Jedi?
Firith Me: Seems so… But I’m not getting myself in any further with the Sith. I know how ruthless they are. Now that’s all I’m going to tell you. I’ll testify it to the court, but you aren’t going to get anything else out of me.

He means it, too. But still, the plot thickens…

Next up…


: Do you know about a Star Map?

Worth a shot.

Gluupor: Gluupor not know what you talking about. But then again, Gluupor not very bright.
: I have questions about the murder of Elassa.
Gluupor: Gluupor tells everything to Selkath. You not know? Gluupor have no reason not to say. Gluupor tell everything. Everything about murder, everything about Sith lady’s room.
: Why were you at the hotel?
Gluupor: Gluupor stay at hotel. Gluupor not very rich – hotel much too rich for Gluupor to live at – but Gluupor save for weeks and have enough to stay here for a few days. Using Gluupor’s chance to live better for a while.
: What did you see?
Gluupor: Gluupor not see murder, oh no. Gluupor did see Republic guy… the cripple… Sunry his name, Gluupor thinks. Gluupor see Sunry running away from scene of crime. Gluupor see nothing else. Nothing else at all. Especially not in Sith lady’s room!
: What about Elassa’s room?
Gluupor: Gluupor just curious… just curious to see what had happened. Gluupor have no reason to go into room… no one pay Gluupor to do it.
: [Force Persuade] You want to tell me who paid you and for what.

Look, this doesn’t give points either way, but I’m neutral and I don’t want to save scum the persuade rolls.

Gluupor: [Success] Gluupor want to tell you. Gluupor want to tell you Sith paid him money to plant medal on body. Gluupor want to tell you this because you are Gluupor’s friend. Good friend… maybe give Gluupor money? Maybe not…
: I’ll ask more questions later.
Gluupor: Gluupor answer later too, then. Selkath not let Gluupor leave while trial still on…

When I try to leave, this happens:


Yes. *hushed*

: What do you mean?
Man: This murder is much more complicated than it may first appear. Sunry and Elassa are proxies for their governments and both sides want the other to fail.

Smash the system? Stick it to the Man?

Man: You can see the journey, heh, by the footprints. You understand, yes?
: Um… I think so… kinda…
Man: Hmm, dear dear. I’m saying they both had something to do with it! They’ve both kept their hands in this from the start! If you want to get to the bottom of this murder, you might seek information from both the Sith and the Republic, likely in their Embassies.
: They’d just give it to me?
Man: No, of course not! You think state secrets are for sale on the common market? You would have to be, heh, devious to get what you want. Heed my advice, Jedi, and you may yet find the truths in this murder.

We will never, heh, see this random man again. Seriously. He comes out of nowhere and then is never relevant again.

Anyway, he has a point. To the embassy!




: Why are your soldiers loading so much kolto.

Yeah, we can ask this incredibly stupid question despite its answer being explained a thousand times already. Hell, he even explains it, instead of doing the sensible thing and not telling strategic information to random murderhobos who walk in. I almost didn’t include this, but holy shit do the writers love these useless questions.

Roland Wann: Kolto is a precious resource – it’s healing powers are near miraculous. During times of war, kolto becomes even more valuable. As long as we have the permits, we will continue to harvest kolto and ship it to our Republic soldiers battling against the Sith. Of course, the Sith ejoy the very same privileges.

Why do I transcribe these, then? Well, I need to pad out the update, is why.

Roland Wann: If there was some way we could gain an edge over the Sith in our kolto supply… But the Selkath are fiercely protective of their neutrality in this conflict. They do not want to grant either side an advantage.

We can also ask the ambassador guy about the city itself, but he politely tells us that this is not his job. Further, I just noticed nearly all the dialogue options for the protagonist are questions. It’s like his/her dialogue is nothing but a way to coax forth exposition. Grumble grumble.

: I’m investigating the Surny case.
Roland Wann: I don’t know much about the facts of the case, but I find it hard to believe. I never met Sunry, but he’s a hero of the Republic – not a murderer.

I’m pretty sure being a hero of the Republic, like Carth, involves killing the enemies of the Republic. Like the Sith.

Roland Wann: The so called evidence against him is an obvious frame up – it has to be! The Sith must have plotted Sunry’s downfall to embarrass and discredit the Republic!
: That’s one possibility.
Roland Wann: If you want to solve this mess, I would focus on the Sith. That, or check out the murder scene at the hotel. Talk to the other guests – maybe they know something.
: I am on a mission from the Jedi Council, perhaps you can help me with it.

Ah, right, the plot. Almost forgot that was a thing.

Roland Wann: Uh… of course, of course, I will do whatever I can. But I am only a simple diplomatic representative of the Republic. I doubt I can be of any use to the Jedi Council.
: I seek a Star Map, the remnant of an ancient and forgotten race.
Roland Wann: An ancient and forgotten race… and you think it may be here on Manaan? Hm…
: You know something?
Roland Wann: Well… perhaps. But if you want to get information about that, you’ll have to do something for me first.
: What do you want me to do?
Roland Wann: We were using a submersible reconnaissance droid in the ocean surrounding Ahto City and it was… damaged. It took a data recording of the outside of the city before being driven off by the firaxan sharks. But while it was returning to the surface it encountered difficulties and was disabled. Its automatic systems floated it to the surface, but we could not retrieve it in time. The Sith were applying subtle pressure to the Selkath authorities for some reason we have not determined, and were able to delay us long enough that they could retrieve the droid before we did. The droid’s data centers are heavily encrypted, so it will take the Sith several days, we believe, to get its data. It was captured 12 hours ago. It is imperative that we get it back![/i
: Where is the droid?
Roland Wann: It is heavily guarded, we are sure, in the Sith Embassy here on Manaan. Since we have no remaining soldiers to spare, and certainly not our elite ones, we have no one capable of entering the Sith base and retrieving it. That is what we would ask you to do.
: How do I get in the Sith base?
Roland Wann: There are several leads we have been working on to get into the Sith base. Any of them should work for you, although it might be wise to concentrate your efforts on just one.

Fuck that, we’re doing all of them.

Roland Wann: The first method that’s possible is to help us interrogate a Sith prisoner we managed to catch after he tried to infiltrate our base. He is being held just inside our enclave. We think he may be able to give us the passcode that the Sith gave their informers to enter the base. He has proven most resilient so far…
: Interrogating the prisoner sounds good.
Roland Wann: Good. It’s a logical place to start. But you should also hear about the other options available to you. We managed to pick up a crate of blank Sith data cards the type they use for passcards.[sic] The encryption system to unlock them is very difficult however, but if you are more skilled than our technicians, you may be able to gain access that way.
: Decrypting the passcard sounds good.
Roland Wann: Good. It is a very intelligent and skilled individual who can crack the matrices of a Sith encryption system. But there is one last method you should know about in case all other options fail. The Sith have go the Selkath to give them exclusive use of one of the main hangar bays. Visiting Sith masters use this bay to land, then take a speeder over the water to an external entrance to the Sith enclave. The luckless spy we mentioned earlier has a passcard to that hangar on him. While it is surely well guarded, it may prove to be the most direct route. Here is the card. The Sith base itself is very heavily guarded. If they become aware of your presence, I fear you would be quickly outnumbered and killed. Here is the passcard to get you inside our facility. You should find all you need to get started in there. You can choose whichever of the methods you want as long as you get in the base and get the data recordings back. Which method do you think you would like to try first?
: I think I’ll interrogate the prisoner.
Roland Wann: Good call, just make sure you don’t push him too hard or we might lose him. I wish you luck in your task. Should you retrieve the data recording from the droid, return it here to me and we can see about getting you that information.

And we’ll end on that.

[Teneb]

Unfortunately couldn't keep to the schedule due to having to type out a lot of stuff, which left little time or energy for this.

I also noticed that HK's portrait is missing from a few updates. I'll go back and fix that.

Spoiler: Tech Support (click to show/hide)

PART 44 – 2016ing

Manaan (Ahto City)

Shit, let’s torture some spies. And get no dark side points!




Officer: He’s a Sith spy we picked up a little while ago snooping outside trying to get in. We thought he was suspicious and brought him inside when the Selkath weren’t looking. But it seems the Sith have done a pretty good job of conditioning this guy, and we haven’t been able to break him yet.
: What was he doing out there?
Officer: We’re not sure exactly… if you can convince him to talk, we should be able to find that all out.
: What did they do to him?
Officer: The Sith protect their really important spies with some sort of mental Force feedback system. They can turn their minds in on themselves so Force compulsions won’t affect them. Combine this with conventional training to resist interrogation and it sometimes takes months to get them to tell what they know. Do you want to interrogate him now?
: Yes.
Officer: While the training the SIth gave him will protect from most normal interrogation techniques, and also from Force persuasion, we have found a few hooks you might find useful. He was with another man when he was first spotted. We think it was another spy, but we didn’t  manage to catch him.

Yes, let’s talk about all this right next to the prisoner. Also, I am pretty sure those cells violate every single war convention there is.

Officer: We also seized some personal documents he had on him when he was captured. It would seem that he’s married to a woman named Tela. We checked this in our computers  and it seems to hold up. We’ve sent a couple agents to investigate, but it may be a while.
: What do I have to work with?
Officer: What we have here is your standard issue truth serum. It should make him spill his guts in no time. BUT, there is a catch...
: A catch?
Officer: Because of his conditioning, he’s able to resist it at small doses. But if you give him too much, his body realizes what you’re trying to do and shuts his mind down completely. If you do that, you’ll have to inject him with an antidote that neutralizes the truth serum. Unfortunately, that too, has a drawback.
: I detect a pattern here…
Officer: It causes short term memory loss. This may work to your advantage, because you can try the same tactic over and over again. But if you use it too much, he may forget everything we want to know. Shall we get started then?
: Yes.
Officer: Hey you! Wake up! Someone wants to talk to you.

See, the problem here was that because the cell is so stupid, they can’t have the sleeping prisoner be, you know, lying on the floor. Has to be standing. The cell looks more like a torture implement where the prisoner can’t sleep because they’ll touch the energy barrier.


: Interrogate him.

No, there is no pair of square brackets to indicate this is an action or whatever. [sic] and all that.

Spy: Wh... What do you want?
: Maybe we should do something about Tela.
Spy: T… Tela? How did you find out about her?
: [Persuade] Talk or something may happen to her.
Spy: [Success] No! Please don’t hurt her! Please…
: [Persuade] We could make life easy for both of you here in the Republic.
Spy: [Failure] You think bribes will work? You must be dumber than I thought to think that a Sith would join the losing side just for credits!
: [Persuade/Lie] We have her already. She may be spared if you talk.
Spy: [Failure] Ha!  You couldn’t have her! You’re bluffing, Jedi scum!
: Let’s try something else.
Spy: Wh... What do you want?
: We know about your companion.
Spy: What… what companion?
: [Persuade/Lie] Perhaps we would give you back to the Sith, but keep him.
Officer: Of course they would never believe we let you go so easily. But they would all too happily believe you betrayed them.

Why the hell is the protagonist needed for this? This nameless interrogator knows what he’s doing.

Spy: [Success] Alright! Alright! I’ll tell you what you want to know.
Officer: What’s the passcode to the Sith base?
Spy: It… It’s… zeta 245698 alpha… just… no more.
Officer: Good. With this pass, you should be able to get into the Sith base without trouble. Just don’t delay too long, or they might learn that he’s been captured.

With that out of the way, let’s kill an asshole for some creed or whatnot.


: Liberator? You’re nothing but a murderer!
Lorgal: Kill a million people with a mighty star cruiser and you are a war hero. Kill a hundred with a thermal detonator and you are a terrorist.

He does have a point. Not the point that he’s trying to make, but still. But let’s ignore such moral conflicts.

: It’s not the same! You kill civilians and children!

I was serious about the Anakin thing.

Lorgal: You are obviously blind to the Republic chains shackled around your neck. You cannot see me for the hero I am; you think I am nothing but a criminal who deserves death. There are many who want me dead, including the guards in this room. But the Republic doesn’t kill prisoners without a trial. That is why I am protected. This energy cage keeps me safe from blaster and blade. The Republic will keep me alive for transfer to Coruscant, and then all the galaxy will witness my trial! You cannot touch me in here, human! No conventional weapon can penetrate this cage. Nothing can stop me from spreading my manifesto during my trial!
: I’ve got better things to do than argue with prisoners.
Lorgal: Yes, leave me. You are a tool of the Republic, a slave who cannot even see your own chains. But do not fear: someday I – or someone like me – will destroy the Republic and free you all.








Aw yeah. Dark side points.

Remember how I said we’re doing all three methods? We could actually storm the Sith base right now. But let’s be redundant.



Tech: This is our main computer room here. We’ve got the box of passcards we got from the Sith, but haven’t been able to break their encryption yet. We have been able to decode the numeric system they use, but there are holes in our terminal sequence patterns.

This guy is a huge moron and how the hell did he even manage to get this job. I am not a mathematician and still found this so easy it was painful.

: Terminal sequences.
Tech: The strings of numbers that end the code sequences. If we could complete those strings, we would have the key to their encryption system. The encryption system is composed of 6 ‘matrices’. Each is based on a mathematical method. The holes we’re missing are the final number in each of the strings.

Did you just tell them you have a theoretical degree in computer science?

Tech: Most are simple, but the final two matrices seem to be much more difficult. The second-last matrix has a pattern looping back on itself, or something, and the last is divided into smaller subparts. Maybe the pattern for that is within each subpart…

This is incredibly dumb. You will see. I am not abridging this shit because you need to understand how moronic this is.

Tech: But I have to admit, all this is a bit over my head. I haven’t even been able to slice past the first matrix and I’ve been at this for hours.

The Republic is doomed.

Tech: I’ve ruined a dozen cards already… But the good thing is we have a whole box of them, so you don’t have to worry about running out any time soon. Since Roland said you were cleared, you can use the computer freely. I’ll be here if you have any questions.

Fuck off.





Let’s snoop around first.



Those are some expensive options. But they’re not worth it. The middle one, though…

Terminal: ACCESSING DATA ARCHIVE…. SUCCESS. DOWNLOADING SUNRY INCIDENT ARCHIVE… SUCCESS. [The computer screen switches to a fish-eye view from some sort of small surveillance device on a wall. As she walks farther into the room, he softly closes the door, pulls a blaster, and shoots her in the back. This must be some sort of secret recording of Sunry murdering Elassa.]

And that, kids, is how you kill Lightsaber Sues Jedi/Sith. We can’t tell this to Jolee, though. Why? No idea.

So let’s decrypt the passcard instead.


Are you ready for some hardcore hacking? Then prepare yourselves, because…



That is not what we’re doing. So, as you can see, THIS is why I spent the entirety of the dialogue with the technician ranting about him being an idiot. It is just: here is a pattern, choose on this list what completes the pattern.

This is not hard. At all.

If you are following this LP as some sort of walkthrough (why would you do that to yourself?), the answers are: 22, 18, 64, 2, 6, 7.

The only reason I could think of for anyone considering this is hard is either not knowing how to do logarithms, or not having a decent grasp in English (which raises the question of how the hell they got this far in).

Anyway, card reprogrammed.



Piss off.

With this done, let’s not use either of those options and go for the “you are a fuck-up” option instead.

But, before that, need to show off what Manaan has to offer and pick up the remaining quests. It’s actually important you do so before going into the Sith base.

There are two unvisited shops around. When we walk into the first…

Tyvark: For the Sith – a month’s pay! But since you are a member of the Republic, I will charge you a week’s salary.
Soldier: Thanks, Tyvark. Catch you next week…

Oh hey, blatant discrimination! What the hell is the guy buying anyway?


Tyvark: I admire you for accepting this position. I have no doubt Sunry has been framed by the Sith.

Uh…

Tyvark: If there is anything I can do to aid your investigation, I will be happy to help.

Being a general goods merchant, he sells basic stuff like medpacks.

It’s also time for a completely random fashion change. Clearly, we are not patriotic enough with our blue robe.



Much better.

I then head to the city’s east end. I’ll spare you the five screenshots of empty hallways.


: This is a public street.
Sith: Hiding behind Selkath laws – typical Republic cowardice.



Yortal: Yes, I have a fine piece right here. A little dented, but still serviceable. And a real bargain at that price.
Soldier: I thought this garbage was free! You actually sell this junk? You fish are a strange breed.

I suppose the shopkeeper was supposed to be a Selkath initially and no one bothered to double check the dialogue.

Yortal: Get out of my store! I’m sick of you Sith and your stupid jokes! I’ve got real customers to worry about – I don’t need you coming in here and making fun of my inventory every day!
Soldier: Don’t worry, junkman, when I want garbage I’ll be back!

He sells droid parts. I buy some. I’ll spare you the dialogue.

Further ahead is the Sith base.


Very well guarded. We are not going this way.



We are going this way.


Mercenary: Your offer is pretty good. But I’ve heard some nasty things about you Sith. Is it true you bombed Taris into dust?
Negotiator: This is war. In war certain distasteful acts cannot be avoided. But ask yourself this – when we win this war, would you rather be against the Sith, or with us?
Mercenary: You make a good point. And I’ve never turned down a job that pays up front.
Negotiator: Excellent. Report to the Sith Embassy tomorrow for your assignment.

Finally, let’s go to the bar cantina.



Which I will explore in the next update.

[Akura]

Spoiler: Note about that expensive terminal (click to show/hide)

Even using a save editor to give myself a shitton of spikes and increasing the skill to the point where the option was basically free, it still does nothing. I think there was another terminal on the planet somewhere with the option of overloading the city's power grid, but that does nothing as well. Too bad, they really missed a shot to put something hilarious for people who would pull that kind of stunt.

[Teneb]

Welcome back to the best Let's Play in the history of Let's Plays. The best Let's Play maybe... ever!

Spoiler: Rambling and some screenshots (click to show/hide)

It's been... two years. Two damn years. Teneb, what are you doing with yourself? Why are we here? Only to suffer?

Anyway. So, what has happened since then? Well, the reasons the LP died were the following: my HDD at the time got corrupted and had to be replaced and I was going mad transcribing every little bit of dialogue. While I can't guarantee my hardware will continue to function, I have discovered the wonders of an online script of the game. So that's nice.

This here bonus update covers some of the stuff I did on the way where this LP stopped (it took me 12 hours to get to Manaan in this new run, 2 horrible ones on Kashyyyk; and I'll still return there one last time because of the Assassin's Creed questline!) that I found besides the original, plus some stuff I probably didn't cover with companion quests. There may be some repeated stuff, because I am not reading all 44 parts of my LP in minute detail to find out.

Aside from that, I've grown to hate Kashyyyk even more. Why? Because I found out you can skip on a ton of alignment points in each main quest of the planets, thus making it easier to be neutral. Except Kashyyyk. You want another reason to hate Kashyyyk? Every single other planet lets you warp back and forth to the Ebon Hawk. Except Kashyyyk. Fuck that place. May it get attacked by droids. It is a planet we can afford to lose.

What else? Well, maybe you want to play this game too, only to find it crashes or has huge graphical glithces. There is a way though: in the graphical options, disable grass, frame buffer effects, and v-sync. You may also need to go to game folder itself and rename to movie folder to something else (in my case I was crashing whenever I got a movie this time around).



Here we have Deth Sord II at the very end of Taris. This Deth Sord has an optimized build that included not levelling past 5 until he got his jedi class, which, this time around, was Sentinel because the AI loves to stunlock you and Sentinels don't give a damn about that. Also note the perfect grey background. So lovely. Too bad Kashyyyk ruined it.

Skipping ahead, I managed to trigger Canderous' quest while still in Dantooine, which is something I think did not happen at all in the course of the original LP run. So let's watch that.



: Do you know him, Canderous?
: He… he was a warrior under my command up to the battle of Althir. But I thought…
: (Jagi) You thought I was dead, didn't you! You thought all of us that you had sent on that attack had perished! You sent us to die in a foolish attack while you directed your forces elsewhere! You broke from the battle plan and let us die for it, so that you could have the 'honor' of being the first to the enemy commander!
: Is this true, Canderous?
: I… I did what was prudent at the time. If I had not done it, the battle would have…



: I have spent years tracking you down since the clans were banished, and I will not rest until I have had my vengeance!
: What are you going to do?



: In the dune seas of Tatooine, I will be waiting for you. I have spread the news of the challenge since I learned you had landed on this world. All the surviving Mandalorian clans know of what I do here, and that we shall meet on Tatooine to settle this debt of vengeance once and for all. If you fail to meet me there, you shall be stripped of all honor and forever cast out of our society! It will be you and me alone in the dune seas of Tatooine: a final battle that can only end in death. I shall be waiting for you there, Canderous.

Well, that was something, wasn't it? And looks like our boy Canderous isn't as honourable as he keeps going on about. Here's what he's got to say about the matter:



: What happened out there? Why is Jagi so mad at you?
: This is between me and Jagi. You don't have to get involved. If you're lucky, he might spill something before I spread him in a paste over the dunes.

Now this update is a bit weird, so we're going to skip right ahead to Jagi's Challenge, out in Tatooine's Dune Sea.

Or we would, except I was an absolute fool and forgot to screenshot it. So have the transcript with these nice mugshots and some descriptions instead.

As you approach the very middle of the Dune Sea, if you have Canderous with you Jagi will appear with two rodian thugs.
: (Jagi) Ah so you managed to come after all. I see you brought friends.
: You brought some of your own as well.
: Ha! Indeed I did. I foresaw that you might need help so I arranged a distraction.
: You talk too much and do little.
: Big words from such a small human. But I know why he brought you here, and you shall regret his choice!
: Enough of this talk, Jagi! Let us do what we came here to do.
: Let's do it, Canderous.
: And you shall all die!

And battle ensues, in which Jagi gets absolutely wrecked. There is a way to talk both of them down, but that is not the Neutral way.

Trying to talk to Canderous after this results in a small dialogue:
: This thing with Jagi... I... I don't know. Give me some time and I'll be able to sort this out on my own.

Canderous will now refuse to speak of this until we hit the mandatory plot twist. So that's enough of that. What else did we do? Well... there's the Bastilla romance. Yup. That's a thing alright. But me, being an utter pooplord, also forgot to screenshot all of it. Which is fine, because I'd need to post/transcribe pretty much EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION WITH BASTILLA!

And we're not doing that. Nope. No way. So let's skip ahead to the saucy stuff, shall we?



: You have been patient with me, haven't you? I suppose you deserve an answer. But you have to understand how difficult this is for me to say.
: Yes, I think so.
: With all my training, I should be able to control myself better than this. But you're not anything like I expected. You're not like any man I've ever met before. I find myself watching you when I don't mean to. I'm thinking about you when I don't want to. It isn't supposed to be like this!
: What are you trying to say, exactly?
: Every time I try to call on all my teachings to calm myself, they fail me. You have such power, such passion! I don't know if it's due to the bond between us, but I'm drawn to you.
: Are you interested in me or in my ability to use the Force?
: The Force is a part of you, as is your power. But that's not what attracted me to you. It's more than that. Maybe it's the bond we share. It gives us a certain... intimacy.

Such smooth dialogue. I know this was still sort of early BioWare, but still. By the way, this is the one option at this point that progresses the much-dreaded Romance. Yeah.



: But Malak must be stopped, my own feelings are nothing when compared to that. Yet I know this could affect the sake of our mission if it is not resolved - I can't let that happen!
: If you have something to say, just say it!
: I think... I think we should have some privacy for this. Come with me.


Okay, this is the point where I am legaly obliged to tell you that if you are considered a minor in your country, you need to stop reading this LP. Stuff is gonna get smutty. Ok?

Last chance.



Don't say I didn't warn you.


: In some ways you make me feel weak, like I am caught up in the wake of our destiny. But at the same time, you make me feel stronger, more alive.
: And I feel more alive when I'm with you.
: I realize now these feelings are part of the bond we share. The Jedi Council surely realized this; they knew my loyalty to the doctrines of our Order would be tested on this mission. By facing and overcoming my feelings for you I have learned a valuable lesson about control and the dangers of emotion. This is an important step in understanding the Force. I'm sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear. But I felt it was important you know our... infatuation... was nothing more than a result of our powerful bond.
: You're rationalizing, Bastila. You're just scared to face the truth!
: You're the one who can't face the truth! Malak has to be stopped. How can I do that if I let myself be blinded by my feelings for you?
: I'm going to stop Malak, Bastila. But I want to do it with you at my side.
: You... you mean it, don't you? But how can I be sure you aren't making a mistake. I... I have to resist. I have to be strong for both of us.
: You know I'm right, Bastila.
: But I don't... I mean, I can't... Malak will...

Okay kids, this is it. The finalest chance to avoid the police from breaking down your door because you were looking at smut before adulthood.

: Shut up and kiss me, you babbling fool.
: Oh, my!


Yup.

That's right.

Scandalous, innit? A kiss?! Absolutely torrid. Some might say it just fades into a scene jump-cut because of budget reasons or because of the engine, but no. We know the truth: we must preserve the purity of our kids, who play these newfangled video-games, oh yes.




You're damn right it was a mistake.

In fact, let's jump to something completely unrelated. Something like the fact that there's a special scene if you do Tatooine before Kashyyyk. That's right. One whole special scene.

What could it be about?!



: (Komad Fortuna) I have not been here long, but I can already see I will not be as welcome here as I had hoped.
: Why did you leave your home on Tatooine?
: It was a hard decision, but I felt I had no other choice. I had done a disservice to the apex predator of that world. It was time to go. I have come here to seek even greater prey than what we faced on Tatooine, but the climate here is politically cold, and I don't know if I will be allowed to hunt.
: Whose permission are you looking for?
: An astute question. Czerka Corporation seems in control here, but they don't care if I wander the Shadowlands, so long as I have paid their docking fee. Instead, I hope to gain the trust of the native Wookiee population. I'm not here to just kill the biggest thing I can find; I want to understand how they hunt.
: What are you doing to gain their trust?
: Very little. I'm sure they have had enough of off-worlders like the Czerka claiming good intentions. I will simply try to stay out of their way. I have heard of an off-worlder that has gained respect by living in the Shadowlands for some years. Perhaps I will attempt the same. It could just be hunter tales, though.
: I have to leave. Goodbye.
: Farewell. Perhaps we will meet again. A great hunt on this world would be glorious.

It's a nice little cameo, as far as those things go. Also some foreshadowing of Jolee. We never see Komad again in Kashyyyk after he walks off. Probably was swallowed by the pit of horribleness that is that forested rock.

But what else, dear hypothetical reader, what else could I show you after such wonders as Canderous' Unseen Duel, the Censored Kiss, and Komad Fortuna's Glorious Return?

Well.

There is one thing.

One wee little thing.



: I'm not giving you the gland until I see some credits!
: (Griff) Sorry, like I said before I don't have any credits on me. And Greeta won't lend me any. It's like he doesn't trust me to pay him back or something. But you come through on this and I promise you'll get a huge payday down the road. Two... no! Three thousand credits! How's that sound?
: Here's the tach gland. Take it.
: Come to papa you sweet simian organ! It may not look like much, but once I turn this into a bottle of Tarisian ale it'll end up being worth a fortune!

He has an extra line if Mission is present.

: Thanks, Mission. You won't regret helping me out with this!


: Hey, sis, no need to worry about that. I've turned over a new leaf. From now on I'm going to stay out of trouble and do things right. And once we've cornered the market on Tarisian ale good things will be heading my way. Then I'll make it up to you, Mission. Just wait - you'll see!

Uh huh.

: You know, once we synthesize this and start brewing Tarisian ale in mass quantities we're going to be looking for some investors. You give me a couple hundred credits and I can get you in on the ground floor. You'll get a return of... oh, at least twenty times your investment!
: You already promised me a few thousand credits.
: Hey, don't worry, you'll get your credits as soon as we start mass producing that Tarisian ale. I just wanted to know if you were interested in an even bigger payoff.

Let's be an absolute imbecile for the hell of it.

: Okay, here's 200 credits.
: Wise move. I can see you really understand how business works: now, when you see your chance, you jump at it! Heh, that's my motto. I better get started on brewing that ale. Meet me back here later and I'll have a downpayment on what I owe you.

He walks out at this point. But if you leave and come back, you'll find... well, certainly not him. So let's talk to his former boss.


: I don't like the sound of this.
: (Greeta) He told me to tell you that he made a mistake brewing the Tarisian ale. It didn't work out right for some reason.
: I'm not surprised. Anything else?
: He told me the tach gland was ruined. And he said he wasn't going to stick around and have to face his Exchange contact.
: You mean he's gone?
: He hopped on board the last shuttle. I don't know where he was heading, but I can't say I'm sorry he's gone. He was one of the worst employees I ever had. He was always on a break, he mixed up orders and I think he might have been stealing from me.
: Good riddance!
: People like Griff, they know how to disappear when they get in too deep. You won't hear from him again any time soon. Waste of time to even bother looking for him.
: Damn it, Griff - won't you ever learn? How can my own flesh and blood be so stupid!
: There was one last thing. He said to tell his sister goodbye. And to tell her he's sorry.

And so ends that ballad of Griff, greatest deadbeat you ever saw. And this recap.