Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[hector13]

Loving the avatar, Teneb.

[ATHATH]

Well, T-3 is pretty much just a skill monkey in the first game, but in the second game he is a combat god, for two reasons, both of them equipment that he can use. The first is his shock arm. It does a d6 of damage per level, capping at sixty, which is a lot, considering that by the end of the game, your jedi are only doing around 18 damage per stike (although they make around 4 attacks a turn), and half of those attacks miss. The thing that makes the shock arm so powerful is that it doesn't miss. It also has infinite uses, has decent range, and can be used every turn (you have to manually make T-3 use it though, because this AI thinks that it has limited ammo). The second part is a quest reward for a really easy quest from a shop keeper. It is a prototype shield that has infinite charges, and protects against most of the ranged damage types in the game. With a high enough repair or computer skill, you can also upgrade T-3's stats (I think it only upgrades his skill-monkey ones, though). The equipment might be able to be given to HK, but I'm pretty sure it can't. The only real downside with T-3 is that he can't be buffed and healed by most of your force powers, but I'd still use him over a third Jedi.

While I knew T3 in 2 was good, I was not aware it was that good. There is a better skill/crafting monkey in 2 though (at least in my opinion): Bao-Dur. But that game is still about... 5 planets(?) away, not counting Taris. So T3 is on bench duty unless I absolutely need to pass a repair/computer check.

Personally, I use the PC as a skill monkey, because some stuff can only be done with him. For instance, I think HK can only be repaired in this game with the PC, and T-3 can only be upgraded by the PC in the second game. I'm assuming that you're training repair and computers to get his full story.

[Teneb]

Well, T-3 is pretty much just a skill monkey in the first game, but in the second game he is a combat god, for two reasons, both of them equipment that he can use. The first is his shock arm. It does a d6 of damage per level, capping at sixty, which is a lot, considering that by the end of the game, your jedi are only doing around 18 damage per stike (although they make around 4 attacks a turn), and half of those attacks miss. The thing that makes the shock arm so powerful is that it doesn't miss. It also has infinite uses, has decent range, and can be used every turn (you have to manually make T-3 use it though, because this AI thinks that it has limited ammo). The second part is a quest reward for a really easy quest from a shop keeper. It is a prototype shield that has infinite charges, and protects against most of the ranged damage types in the game. With a high enough repair or computer skill, you can also upgrade T-3's stats (I think it only upgrades his skill-monkey ones, though). The equipment might be able to be given to HK, but I'm pretty sure it can't. The only real downside with T-3 is that he can't be buffed and healed by most of your force powers, but I'd still use him over a third Jedi.

While I knew T3 in 2 was good, I was not aware it was that good. There is a better skill/crafting monkey in 2 though (at least in my opinion): Bao-Dur. But that game is still about... 5 planets(?) away, not counting Taris. So T3 is on bench duty unless I absolutely need to pass a repair/computer check.

Personally, I use the PC as a skill monkey, because some stuff can only be done with him. For instance, I think HK can only be repaired in this game with the PC, and T-3 can only be upgraded by the PC in the second game. I'm assuming that you're training repair and computers to get his full story.

I am, but not for that. It's just so I can take whatever companions I want.

[Akura]

There's a reason that some people leave the main character at level one until they can take jedi levels (it's not a spoiler if everyone knew it was coming, right?).

Level two. You cannot leave the bridge of the Endar Spire until you level up - the game won't let you. Never mind that the ship is about to explode, Trask, but I do care about my future character development.

The traitorous clones took them by surprise and/or used shotguns. Many of them waited until their jedi were exhausted and out of mana force points and/or were in bacta tanks or something and/or were carrying remotely activated explosives to kill them. They planned this for a long time, and waited until the timing was near-perfect.

Yeah, in the situations where the clones didn't take them by surprise, they lost big. It took how many troopers to take down George Lucas' son? Hell, they had to send the entire 501st to deal with the Jedi Temple, with an exceptionally powerful Jedi(Vader) leading that particular charge.

[BFEL]

It took how many troopers to take down George Lucas' son?

And this had NOTHING to do with nepotism. Nothing at all.

[SeriousConcentrate]

PTW

[Teneb]

Uploading the images for the update now, so expect it pretty soon. It may be the biggest yet, if nothing else in quantity of images. 88 in total not counting the portraits. I may end up editing it in this post if there are no replies until then.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

PART 14 - Darth Jawbone

Darth Malak’s Theme

Last time, we assaulted the Sith base and got the codes to finally leave Taris. But meanwhile, in orbit…









Saul Karath: Th… The entire planet, Lord Malak? But… there are billions of people on Taris! We’d be slaughtering countless innocent civilians. Not to mention our own men still on the surface.
: Your predecessor once made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral. Surely you are not so foolish as to make the same mistake?
Saul Karath: Of… of course not, Lord Malak. I will do as you command. But it will take several hours to position our fleet.
: Then I suggest you begin immediately. You are dismissed, Admiral.
Saul Karath: Yes, Lord Malak.


So here we have established that Malak is not only Evil but stupid, since if you are trying to conquer the galaxy you don’t wipe out a highly populated planet, and (especially!) do not kill your own men. Saul, on the hand, despite betraying Carth, knows his stuff. Unfortunately, Malak is a Mary Sue and as such can choke Saul with his mind.

Well, back to where we were.

Battle at Davik’s Estate


That’s Davik on the left.

: Watch yourself, Calo. You may be the newest kath hound in the pack, but you aren’t top dog yet!
Davik: Enough! I won’t have my top two men killing each other – that’s not good business. I’m sure Canderous has an explanation as to why he’s not working solo anymore.
: This is a special case, Davik. I ran into someone the Exchange might want to recruit. You may have heard something of their exploits already.
Davik: Ah, yes – now  I recognize your companion. The rider who won the big swoop race. Very impressive… as was your display in the rather heated battle afterwards.
: Brejik had to learn that double-crossers tend to end up dead!
Davik: An important lesson to learn, no doubt. In my line of business I’ve seen too many people suffer for not understanding it. With a recommendation from Canderous – and a thorough background check – you could become part of the Exchange. Many would kill to prove themselves worthy of this honor.
: Your offer intrigues me, Davik.
Davik: Come with me – I will give you a tour of my operations. I’m certain you’ll be most impressed.

Davik: The shields are completely impregnable. Nobody can get past them without the codes to try and steal my baby. Unfortunately, the Sith military blockade has grounded my vessel. The Ebon Hawk can outrun any vessel in the galaxy, but even she isn’t fast enough to avoid the auto-targeting laser cannons of the orbiting Sith fleet. I am, of course, working on acquiring the Sith departure codes so that I may come and go as I please. However, progress has been slow… but we should continue our tour.

Davik: These will be your accommodations. The slave quarters are just down the hall. If you need anything during your stay – food, a massage – fell free to call upon their services. If all goes well with your background check you will be invited to join the Exchange. I’d advise you to accept the offer when it comes – or suffer the dire consequences of refusal.
: I’m looking to working with you, Davik.
Davik: You will stay in these rooms as my guest for the next few days; I will not accept no for an answer. Feel free to visit the slave quarters at any time during your stay. I must warn you that if you are found anywhere outside the guest wing during your stay – or if you bother my other guests – my security forces will deal with you most harshly. I will return after the investigation into your background is complete. Until then, make yourself comfortable. Come, Calo, let use leave our guests in peace.


: No sense waiting around here, though. The sooner we get off Taris the better.

And with that, we are free to wander. But, of course, we need to interrogate Canderous before anything else. (The party for this is Canderous (mandatory) and Bastila (for buffs and unlocking doors with her lightsaber)).


: Do you know anything about this world?
: *grunt* Yeah, I know about Taris. I wasted the last two years in this rat-hole working for Davik. I suppose an accurate way to describe this place would be a ‘cesspool’ or ‘dump’. You got the rich people on top, the poor being crushed underneath, and people like me trying to make a living doing the crushing. It’s not exactly what you’d call spiritually fulfilling work, but it gets the bills paid. And on Taris, money can go a long way to making things easier. You have anything else you want to ask?
: I was wondering if you had any interesting stories.
: You want to hear tales of my exploits? Of the wars I’ve seen and fought, the enemies I’ve seen die by my hand? Heh, sure, I’ll humor you. My name’s Canderous of the Mandalorian clan Ordo. I’ve been fighting across the galaxy for 40 of your years. For my people it’s honor and glory of battle that rules us. It’s through combat that we prove our worth, gain renown and make our fortunes.
: Is that why you work as a mercenary?
: Times have changed now. The Mandalore clans have been scattered across the Outer Rim, the Republic is in decline and the Sith Empire rises to take its place. The clans as they were aren’t a threat, but the galaxy still fears us. Ha! People think we war out of spite, or bloodlust. They don’t understand, and fear that. We only wanted the challenge of the battle, and glory from it – win or lose. And we lost. But now I have no real challenges. Crushing Davik’s enemies and the pathetic gangs in the Lower City of Taris could not be considered the most glorious of tasks. When I think of the battles I’ve fought… the thousands I’ve killed… the worlds I’ve burned… I weep for my past. We’ll never speak of this again. We’ve got work to do, so let’s get to it.

Don’t expect to see much about the Mandalorian wars in this game. Sure, there are references now and then, but the main focus is the whole Jedi vs Sith thing. The second game features the war (and consequences of it) much more heavily. Furthermore, Canderous is pretty old for his type of character, which is to say, mechanically, a tank and, thematically, a mercenary. He is, at least, 55 years old. Usually old characters tend to be wizards or the equivalent.


These are the slave quarters. Other than ordering a massage (that has no effect, or even animation) and being mean to the slaves, it is pretty much there to establish Davik as Evil. I forgot to bring Mission for this, despite the difficulty that would’ve resulted, because she actually has a scene here (in which she stares a bit too long at the male slave).

If you remember, Davik told us not to bother the other guests. So let’s do just that.

: Sorry, wrong room.
Rodian: Get out. No bother me more!

We can also go inside Daviks’s trophy room. Inside is his trophy collection.




Inside the chest is a datapad.

This datapad contains a record of Calo Nord’s trophy kills… sentient and otherwise.

The last entry is an account of a recent Rancor hunt.

“What the Rancor lacked in intelligence it made up for in size, strength and ferocity. Conventional blasters were all but useless against its impenetrable hide, and I was forced to resort to more unorthodox methods to bring the beast down. Some well placed mines near a watering hole were the first step, their explosions herding the creature into a dead-end canyone [sic] where I lay in wait, perched among the rocks.

As soon as the Rancor was below me, I dropped down onto its massive neck. It reared back, bucking and clawing in an effort to dislodge me, but I had the perfect position.

Unable to shake me, the monster opened its mouth in an outrageous howl, and I was able to flip several frag grenades down its gaping maw.

The explosion blew me clear of the shredded corpse, but luckily the head was still intact. If I take it to Taris, I’m sure Davik will mount it in his trophy room along with the other heads I have collected for him.

Davik’s also expressed interest in hiring me. I may take him up on his offer, even though I still have to claim the greatest hunting trophy of all: a pearl from one of the Krayt Dragons of Tatooine.”

Big deal, we killed a Rancor too. With far less drama and explosives too!



Guest: Hey, baby – wait! I wasn’t actually going – DAMNIT! Okay, great. You just scared off my date for the night, so you better explain yourself before I lose my temper and call the guards!
: [Persuade] Sorry I wrecked your night. Here’s 50 credits for the inconvenience.
Guest: [Success] Okay, I guess it was an honest mistake. Give me the credits and I’ll forget this ever happened. You better pay more attention to where you’re going. Opening the wrong door around here can get you killed. Now get out of here and don’t bother me again!


And now we finally leave the guest wing. As Davik promised, we’d be shot on sight in here, but it’s impossible to proceed otherwise.




And now we start doing our thing again.




In fact, from now I’ll cut down a few of these screenshots, so whenever I remotely kill someone, it’ll be something like the next one. We can also gas Ourselves, but that would be silly.



Gassing droids work because… I don’t know.


I also unlock all doors, download the map, etc.

We can’t go straight to Ebon Hawk (even I wanted to), since, as Davik so helpfully informed us, we need to get the codes he used to secure the ship.




: So now that you’re free there’s the matter of a reward…
Hudrow: I used to be the pilot of the Ebon Hawk – Davik’s flagship. I know the codes to disable the security system protecting it. I’ll load them into your datapad now. You can use those codes to seal the Ebon Hawk right out of its hangar. Sell it to the highest bidder, ransom it back to Davik – whatever you do you’ll make thousands!
: Okay, you’re free to go now.
Hudrow: It won’t be long until Davik figures out I’m free. I have to get out of this base before that happens.

: We’ve got what we came for. We should get going.

One last room to clear before the hangar itself.





Calo Nord: I’ll take care of them, Davik. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time!
Davik: Make it quick, Calo. The Sith mean business. If we don’t get to our ships and find somewhere safe, the bombs they’re dropping will kill us all.

So I forgot to actually take shots of the fight. It’s against both Davik and Calo and serves as the final boss fight of Taris. As you can expect, they’re respectably tough. Extremely tough, in fact. I had trouble with it, and as you know I’m not holding back on the levels. Calo has high damage and low health, while Davik is the other way around (relatively speaking, they are both pretty strong). An easy way to beat it is to ignore Davik and focus on Calo, as the fight ends when he dies. I pity the player that attempts this fight at level 2 (the lowest you could be right now, as confirmed by Akura that Trask simply won’t let you leave the Endar Spire bridge without leveling up).







And so dies Calo Nord, in a cutscene. We can’t loot him though, but that is not too much of a problem considering we can loot Davik instead. And had some good loot on him. Most of it goes on Canderous.



: [Board the Ebon Hawk]

It has the added benefit of making Canderous look absurd.

The Leviathan

Meanwhile, on the Leviathan…





Saul: The city is in ruins.
: Resume the bombardment, Commander. Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy.

And so the Leviathan opens fire yet again on Taris, ravaging the surface.












It seems that while the codes we stole from the Sith base were enough to prevent the automatic weapons to target us, we still attracted the attention of a squadron of fighters.

I’d like to apologize for the slight variation in screenshot sizes for the pre-rendered cutscenes. It is that way because I cannot take the screenshots in-game, as it runs the movies on a different program (with abysmal resolution) instead of in-engine. It also resists all and any attempts to actually register screenshots or recordings. Instead, I need to use Bink Video Player to manually open the movies from the game files (and boy, am I glad they are easily available in the game directory) and then manually screencap my entire screen, followed by manually cutting out the actual shot.




: Quickly, to the gun turrets! You have to hold the Sith fighters off until we get those hyperspace coordinates punched in.







And so we are forced into a minigame that I dislike. In short, we control the turret and need to destroy the fighters before they do the same to us. Except the fighters often fly behind the Ebon Hawk and you can only move the turret within a small area. Oh, and did I mention you need to lead the shots while at it and that the fighters are quite fast?









And so we finally leave Taris behind… after about 4 and a half hours spent in the game. It sure feels like it was a lot longer thanks to transcribing everything.

[ATHATH]

What happened to the slaves? Is even the most goody-goody, never-tell-me-the-odds PC forced to leave them behind, and not take them with him (or her)?

[Teneb]

What happened to the slaves? Is even the most goody-goody, never-tell-me-the-odds PC forced to leave them behind, and not take them with him (or her)?

Pretty much. You just get no option at all for that.

[BFEL]

You just get no option at all for that.

Or for hundreds of other things that seem like common sense additions.

Imagine what the game would be like if you could betray Canderous and tell Davik you had the codes etc.

Ah, tis unfortunate that Vidya has such limitations

[Teneb]

You just get no option at all for that.

Or for hundreds of other things that seem like common sense additions.

Imagine what the game would be like if you could betray Canderous and tell Davik you had the codes etc.

Ah, tis unfortunate that Vidya has such limitations

I think what would happen if we betrayed Canderous is that we'd get shot in the head by Canderous. After all, the main character has no mary sue powers and Canderous is Davik's right-hand man. Also, they'd all die under the Sith bombardment, because who else is going to man the cannon if not the hero? (KotOR 1 has a lot of parallels to the movies, especially the original trilogy. I actually don't like that too much, since they could've been so much more original (as shown in 2)

[Akura]

So here we have established that Malak is not only Evil but stupid, since if you are trying to conquer the galaxy you don’t wipe out a highly populated planet, and (especially!) do not kill your own men.

And worse still, the bombardment was a complete and total failure, entirely missing the one person it intended to kill.

I’d like to apologize for the slight variation in screenshot sizes for the pre-rendered cutscenes. It is that way because I cannot take the screenshots in-game, as it runs the movies on a different program (with abysmal resolution) instead of in-engine. It also resists all and any attempts to actually register screenshots or recordings.

...And crashes almost constantly whenever I try to play. Turning videos off occasionally helps, though.

[Teneb]

So here we have established that Malak is not only Evil but stupid, since if you are trying to conquer the galaxy you don’t wipe out a highly populated planet, and (especially!) do not kill your own men.

And worse still, the bombardment was a complete and total failure, entirely missing the one person it intended to kill.

I’d like to apologize for the slight variation in screenshot sizes for the pre-rendered cutscenes. It is that way because I cannot take the screenshots in-game, as it runs the movies on a different program (with abysmal resolution) instead of in-engine. It also resists all and any attempts to actually register screenshots or recordings.

...And crashes almost constantly whenever I try to play. Turning videos off occasionally helps, though.

The crashes can be fixed by tweaking the options. Unless, of course, you crash before getting to the menu, in which case you are out of luck. You need to turn off the soft shadows and frame buffer.

[Teneb]

Update is out. Remember that you can click on most images to expand them.

Spoiler: Too many Jedi (click to show/hide)

PART 15 - Netdecking

The Jedi Academy



: Even the Sith would think twice before attacking Dantooine. There are many Jedi here, including several of the most powerful Masters of the Order. There is great strength within this place.
: I think Carth has a point. We should keep moving.
: We can’t just keep running; Malak will find us eventually. We need to regroup; we need a plan. We can get supplies here and recuperate. The Academy is a place of mental and spiritual healing; something we could all use after what we’ve been through.
: Maybe you’re right. It isn’t easy to witness the annihilation of an entire planet. I know Mission must be taking it pretty hard.
: She will find a way to come to terms with her griefs. She is stronger than she appears. We just need to give her time. Now I must go speak to the Council. I need their advice on… recent developments. After I have met with them I will meet you outside the ship.








And so we arrive in Dantooine, where horrible, horrible things will happen to us.



: I’m sorry, Carth, but I cannot tell you. All I ask is that you trust in the Force and the wisdom of the Council.
: Well, I don’t like being left out of the loop, but I’m not looking to get you in any trouble with the Jedi Masters. We’ll do things your way for a while.
: Come, they are expecting us. I will lead you to the Council chambers.
[Until you have talked with the Jedi Council, you will be unable to switch characters in and out of the party.]

What that means is that we’re solo for now.


Bastila will run to the Council in a nice little touch, while Carth will loiter around for a while.


: Go ahead.
Lur Arka Sulas: I represent a human citizen of Dantooine by the name of Rundil ot Sulem. His ranch has had considerable difficulty with Mandalorian raiders for many years. His young daughter was kidnapped by those raiders many years ago and has not been returned. Might you have news of her? Her name is Sasha.
: Sorry, I have no idea who you’re talking about.
Lur Arka Sulas: Ah, that is too bad. I shall have to continue my search.
: Are problems with Mandalorains common on Dantooine?
Lur Arka Sulas: I understand they are, though I know little of the history behind this conflict. Someone native to this planet could tell you more.
: Isn’t this something the local authorities should handle?
Lur Arka Sulas: Dantooine has little in the way of local authorities, sentient. I asked the Jedi of the enclave to intervene, but they have far more pressing concerns to attend to. As is often the way on this planet, if a citizen wishes to accomplish something, they must seek to do it themselves.
: Is there anything of interest on Dantooine that you can tell me about?
Lur Arka Sulas: There is no large urban center on Dantooine, if that is what interests you. I find the variety and number of natural habitats to be most intriguing, however. If you get the change, I would urge you to explore the planet’s ranges in more detail. They are quite beautiful.
: I’ll keep my eye out for your girl.
Lur Arka Sulas: I would appreciate that, sentient.

As you may have guessed, Dantooine is yet another one-biome planet so common in sci-fi and especially Star Wars. City and desert (I use that liberally, so frozen-over or volcanic also count) planets get a break from me because those are actually pretty possible, from my limited understanding of things.



Crattis Yurkal: Allow me to introduce myself. I am Crattis Yurkal, proprietor of the general store here on Dantooine. Not much to look at now, I’ll admit, but I’m in on the ground floor! I mean, look at this planet – majestic fields, rolling plains, wide open terra firma. Elbow room – that’s what people want. Once word gets out, we’ll have settlers from the galactic core just dying to come here. And guess who’ll be waiting for them? Not that blasted Czerka Corp. that’s for sure! Not this time, no sir! This time, it’ll be Crattis Yurkal who makes the big bucks! But listen to me… You didn’t come here to listen to my ramblings on the evils of Czerka Corp., I’ll bet! What can I do for you?
: What do you have against the Czerka Corporation?
Crattis Yurkal: Don’t get me started on Czerka Corp.! They’ve got a monopoly on half the galaxy already, and they do everything they can to keep anyone else from getting a foothold in their territory: extortion, bribing officials and government diplomats. Not to mention driving up prices on essentials like food and water on distant colonies. I’ve heard stories of them letting people starve to death because they couldn’t afford their jacked-up prices! And since they’ve thrown themselves in with the Sith, things have only gotten worse.
: Worse? How has it gotten worse?
Crattis Yurkal: The Sith are tangled up in an expensive war with the Republic. They need supplies, equipment, resources. There’s lots of opportunities for a company with no morals, like Czerka Corp., to make some major profits. Malak has given them exclusive trading rights wherever the Sith have control. It’s bad enough they’re helping to finance the Sith war effort, but I’ve heard rumors of even worse stuff. Slaving, pillaging planets of their resources, indigenous species. The Sith and Czerka Corp. seem like a perfect match to me. Ah, listen to me going on… You didn’t come here to listen to my ramblings on the evils of Czerka Corp., I’ll bet! What can I do for you?

So, Czerka. While we’ll be seeing them soon in this game, they really only play a major part (and in a way that is less Disney Evil and more in line with how most big corporations, especially those with looser morals, operate) in the second game. I have no idea why this guy keeps saying Czerka Corp. instead of just Czerka, which seems to be the normal use as we’ll end up seeing.

: I’d like to see what you have for sale.
Crattis Yurkal: Excellent. As always, my selecting is somewhat limited. Czerka Corp. has a monopoly on some of the suppliers. But I’m sure you’ll find all my inventory is of the highest quality… and I’ve got a few special items you won’t find anywhere else!

He has a basic stock, with regular stuff like medpacks. I replenish the stock and move on.


That is the protocol droid talking, not the highlighted guy.


Karal Karr: My protocol droids are not programmed to interact with customers, so should you desire assistance I can aid you.
: Let me see what you have in stock.
Karal Karr: Explore my stock at your convenience. Settler families have purchased all my droids, but I have many upgrades and other wares for purchase.

Karal sells droid parts. I… can’t remember if I actually bought anything he had on offer.


Deesra: I have not heard of any new apprentices being accepted being training recently. What brings you to this place, if I may ask?
: I came here with Bastila.
Deesra: Yes, of course. I should have known. I have only heard a little of how she escaped the destruction of Taris. Tell me, did she save you from that planet as well?
: She didn’t save me. We worked together to escape Taris.
Deesra: Oh, I see. Well, I meant no offense of course. In any case, it is good to have her back here on Dantooine again. We were afraid Malak had captured her. I hope you enjoy your time here on Dantooine. May the Force be with you?

Further in…

: Are you a Jedi?
Belaya: My name is Belaya. Have come here to further my learning in the ways of the Force. Many Jedi come here to train under Master Zhar. Any who belong to the Order should surely know this. You must be neglecting your studies, Padawan.
: I believe you are mistaken. I am not a Padawan. I am Deth Sord. I came here with Bastila.
Belaya: Bastila? I have heard of her. They say she has mastered the art of Battle Meditation, remarkable in one so young. Though I have heard she has a foolish pride in her own talents.

As annoying as this Jedi is, I like her already.

Belaya: But as for you… you claim you are not a Padawan? I find this hard to believe. The Force is strong within you. I can feel its presence. If this is some type of jest, it is in very poor taste. The Jedi Order is not a subject for jokes.
: I am telling you the truth.
Belaya: Please forgive the abruptness with which I first greeted you. It was harsh and perhaps unfair. My Master often warns me I must learn to control my emotions. I see I have much left to learn. I wish you a pleasant stay here on Dantooine. May the Force be with you.

The council can wait right?



: Who are you?
Sol’aa: I am Sol’aa and, to be perfectly blunt, my business is my own. I do offer you, though, the company of my time for a game or two of Pazaak. Do you care for a hand?
: Not right now.
Sol’aa: Ah well, come back if you ever feel up to a game.
: Do you have any cards to sell?
Sol’aa: As a matter of fact, I do. If you see any you like, I am willing to part with them for a small sum.

This guy serves as both our main source of money grinding and also sells cardboard crack cards so we can netdeck improve our sidedeck. I buy some cards, but I still got plenty of credits from grinding back on Taris.



This guy is part of a sidequest we’ll be seeing soon enough. He’s got nothing for us now, though.

While we were wasting time, Carth moved to just outside the council chambers.



From left to right they are: Jedi Sue Bastila, Dorak, Vandar Tokare, Vrook Lamar and Zhar Lestin. And yes, Vandar is from the same species as Yoda, though he doesn’t have the… unique syntax.






The scene focuses on each of them as Zhar introduces them. It’s also good for a close-up of their models.

: Isn’t the Jedi Council on Coruscant?
Zhar: Yes, the High Council of the Jedi Order is on Coruscant, but we are the Council in charge of the training facility here on Dantooine.
: What do you want from me?
Zhar: Bastila tells us you are strong in the Force. We are considering you for Jedi training.
: I don’t know if I’m ready for this.
Zhar: Don’t worry. I am confident in your abilities to learn.
Vrook: Master Zhar speaks out of turn, perhaps. We need indisputable proof of your strong affinity to the Force before we would even consider accepting you for training.
: Proof? Surely the entire Council can feel the strength of the Force within this man… and I have already retold to you the events that took place on Taris…
Vrook: Perhaps it was simple luck.
Zhar: We both know there is no luck. There is only the Force. We all feel the power in Bastila’s companion, though it is wild and untamed. Now that this power has begun to manifest itself, can we safely ignore it?
Vrook: The Jedi training is long and difficult, even when working with a young and open mind. Teaching a child is hard. How much harder will it be for an adult to learn the ways of the Jedi?
: I am willing to try my best.
Dorak: Traditionally the Jedi do not accept adults for training, though there are rare exceptions in the history of our Order. But you are a special case.
Vandar: I agree with Master Dorak. Many of our own pupils are leaving the Jedi order to follow the Sith teachings, we need recruits to stand against Malak! With Revan dead…
Vrook: Are you certain Revan is truly dead? What if we undertake to train this one, and the Dark Lord should return?
Vandar: We should discuss this matter more fully in private. Bastila, you and your companion must go. This is a matter for the Council alone.
: As you wish, Master Vandar. We shall return to the Ebon Hawk and leave you to your deliberations.

And so we cut to a cinematic…








Meet Malak’s jaw.







He’s also huge, while Revan is suspiciously silent. Probably because Malak is an idiot who can’t shut up.








Can you guess where the plot will take us next, reader?


: Well, Bastila did mention that you should go to the Council chambers before she left. It is no doubt urgent, so you shouldn’t keep them waiting.
: Did she say anything else?
: No, she didn’t. She didn’t seem well, as I recall… and for that matter neither do you. Are you alright?
: I had a rough night… Let’s go.
: You got it.

Unlike last time, we can actually take a party with us, so let’s see what each of them has to say. Well, except T3, who is still bland as ever, and Zaalbar, who will only open up after we go through his personal story, and we’re still a way off from that.

First up is Mission.

: [Speak to Mission.]
: Huh? Oh… sorry. I was thinking about Taris. I still can’t believe it’s gone! I mean, I grew up there and now it’s… it’s… it’s just gone!
: I’m sorry… I don’t know what to say.
: I don’t really think there’s anything you can say. I just have to find some way to deal with it, I guess. It’ll take some time. Look, I’m not saying I can’t go on or anything like that. It’s just… it’s a shock, you know? I mean, I knew the Sith were evil and all, but the reality of it kind of slaps you in the face. But I suppose that’s why we need to stop Malak, right? The more time I spend dwelling on Taris the more chance some other planet will get wiped out. I guess that’s what it comes down to. So don’t worry about me; I’ll be okay. And if you need my help against Malak or the Sith, I’ll be there for you!

So, to reinforce what we all know: Malak is Evil.

: Do you know anything about the planet we’re on?
[i: I’m not the one you should ask about Dantooine. I didn’t even know there was a Jedi Academy here; I always thought it was just a bunch of settlers and farmers! Sorry I can’t be more help, you know? Is there anything else I can do for you?
: I want to talk to you about your brother.
: I’m sorry for the way I acted before. It’s just that when it comes to Lena I tend to get a little worked up.
: What did she do to you?
: My brother and I had a good thing going. Sure, Griff had his run-ins with the law on Taris. But we got by okay. Until Lena came and ruined everything. She was a dancer at the cantina where my brother used to go play Pazaak. Griff could be a real smooth talker, and it wasn’t long before the two of them were dating. But Lena was used to dating rich Tarisian nobles – guys with mountains of credits. Griff could never give her the kind of lifestyle she was used to, no matter how hard he worked.
: Did Lena dump him?
: I thought Lena would brush Griff off when she saw how poor he was, but for some reason she stuck around. I guess she saw the potential for a big payday down the road.
: So what happened?
: After they’d been together for a few months, Griff told me he was leaving Taris. He and Lena were going to try and make their fortune off-world. He promised as soon as he made enough credits he’d come back and get me and we’d all live like royalty. That was two years ago – I haven’t seen him since! I don’t even know where he went!
: Maybe something happened to him.
: Oh, I know what’s happened! As soon as she got him off Taris Lena sunk her claws into Griff but good! She twisted him around her little finger and made him forget all about me! I know I’ll probably never see Griff again. But part of the reason I came with you was the hope that I could find out what happened to my brother. Don’t worry – I won’t let my search for Griff get in the way of what we’re doing. Let’s just get back to the task at hand.

Carth’s turn.

: Do you know anything about this place?
: Dantooine’s a boring place. It’s all plains and herders and small settlements. Perfect for the Jedi to lose themselves in, I guess. That’s all I can think of, at any rate.

And finally Canderous.

: Do you know anything about this world?
: From what we saw from space this world doesn’t have a lot of people. I couldn’t really have found much work here anyway, I so I never had an interest. It looks like a farm world. The Republic has thousands of these places – ones that get by farming crops and hunting herds of native beasts. But I might have underestimated this place. It seems to be more than I had thought.

And so we wrap up this update.

[Akura]

And yes, Vandar is from the same species as Yoda, though he doesn’t have the… unique syntax.

Thank God G*d the Force.

Meet Malak’s jaw.

I always wondered how he lost that jaw. Maybe his master got tired of his mouth and bitch-slapped him with a lightsaber.