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[Gantolandon]

Spoiler: Rant with even bigger spoiler (click to show/hide)

This really pissed me off when I played KOTOR as a goody-goody character. It makes every single thing you did on the surface of Taris meaningless. Saving an alien? Never mind that, he's dead. Giving away the cure for rakghoul disease? Heh, sucker, you should probably give it to Davik - in either case everyone is dead.

On the other hand, playing as an evil character is especially difficult on Korriban, where the Sith are so mind-numbingly moronic that associating with them hurts almost physically...

[Servant Corps]

Spoiler: Rant with even bigger spoiler (click to show/hide)

This really pissed me off when I played KOTOR as a goody-goody character. It makes every single thing you did on the surface of Taris meaningless. Saving an alien? Never mind that, he's dead. Giving away the cure for rakghoul disease? Heh, sucker, you should probably give it to Davik - in either case everyone is dead.

On the other hand, playing as an evil character is especially difficult on Korriban, where the Sith are so mind-numbingly moronic that associating with them hurts almost physically...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

That's why I like TSL, for all its faults. It protrayed a 'not completey stupid evil'. It also succeded in making me hate myself when I get the Evil ending; while KOTOR's evil ending just seemed so...happy.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Star Wars: Episode Negative MCXXXVIII: (Swoop) Racer

...Anyone else remember "Episode I: Racer"?  It was actually kind of fun.  Wish I could still find a copy of it... ah, well, the swoop racing in this game is fun too.

Spoiler: Swoop Race (click to show/hide)

Alright, back down to the Lower City to get this prototype accelerator to the Beks.  We should have a straight path-



Oh, this guy.  We're wandering around with Mission and Zaalbar, so as you might expect, he's not too happy.

Gorton: "You have brought aliens to the Upper City!  They are a blight upon Taris - they take our jobs and our homes, and spread their filth throughout our world."

"No more filth than you're spreading, crazy man."

"Yeah!  You tell him, Big Z!"

Gorton: "This beast just growled at me!  It is a savage creature that will hurt someone!  How dare you brazenly parade about the Upper City with such alien scum at your side!  I, Gorton Colu, founder of the Anti-Alien League, will not stand for this!"

"I keep whatever company I want!"

Gorton: "You are like all the rest!  You will not see the truth!  On the day of reckoning you will suffer with the rest of the Mexican alien lovers!"



Showing this fellow our papers lets us go past... again.  Off to the Bek base!



Gadon: "I was beginning to wonder if you would make it.  The race is tomorrow, and my mechanics need time to install the prototype into the swoop engine of our bike."

"Okay, I lived up to my end of the deal.  Now you better come through!"

Gadon: "Don't worry, I'm a man of my word.  I promised you could ride in the swoop race under the Hidden Bek banner, and I'm still going to let you do that.  And I'm even going to go one better - I'm going to let you ride the swoop bike with the prototype accelerator installed on it.  Without it, you won't stand a chance."

Zaerdra: "Gadon!  You can't be serious!  We need one of our best riders on that bike!  We can't let some rookie take the prototype engine into the race."

"Zaerdra's right, Gadon.  One of your own riders should get that swoop bike."

Gadon: "I have to be honest with you - there's a reason I'm letting you take the prototype engine.  The accelerator isn't stable; there's a good chance it could explode during the race.  I can't ask one of my own riders to take the risk - they'll be running unmodified swoops in the race.  You'll be the only one using the prototype.  If you can complete the track before the accelerator overheats then you'll win for the Beks.  If you die, then one of my other riders could still come through for me."

That's not very reassuring.

"Sounds like you've got all your bases covered."

Gadon: "You don't get to be leader of a swoop gang if you don't know how to work all the angles."



Right.  Relax.  After you talked about the engine exploding.



Here we go...



I'll skip the expository bits about how to swoop race for now, and get to that when we actually start, well, racing.



Well, let's get to it.



Our Jedi is in that cage.  We'll be getting to her soon enough.



"What happened to the rider you lost?"

Announcer: "Same as usual - he was pushing himself beyond his limits and he hit some debris on the track.  The deflectors kept him from crashing, but the force of the impact jarred him from his swoop.  Don't worry... they scraped what was left of him off the track already.  Just remember to hang on and you should be okay.  You can hit the track whenever you're ready."

"What's the time to beat?"

Announcer: "Well, Redros has the best time so far: 0:38:43.  Good, but not the best I've ever seen.  I don't know if it will stand up."

"I want to race one of my heats."

Announcer: "Okay, let's get you out on the track."



Video:  Tarisian Season Opener, heat #1


Alright.  While Episode I's pod racing was something of a hybrid of Ben-Hur and Formula 1, swoop racing is pretty much drag racing.  Only with some obstacles and such.  The way to win isn't all that difficult:

1.  Hold down the left mouse button as soon as the green light comes on.

2.  Let off the button and hold down again once the display on the bottom reaches the end, to "shift gears".

3.  Steer left and right to avoid debris and hit accelerator panels.

I rather flubbed this run; I was slow in shifting, missed a whole buch of panels, and hit one of the debris pieces.  I can do far better.  Of course, this is all good, since...



...the game automatically gives Redros here a better time, no matter how well you do.  It actually pays a bit to mess up the first time, since that makes things a bit easier for the second run.



...You aren't helping, announcer.  Let's do this.


Video:  Tarisian Season Opener, heat #2

This one went a lot better.  It wasn't perfect, but the shifting was on time, no debris was hit, and I got a good number of panels.  That should be...



Oh yes.  We've got this one.



Hazar celebrates by committing suicide.



Brejik: "Your swoop bike was using a prototype accelerator - clearly an unfair advantage!  Because of this Hidden Bek treachary I'm withdrawing the Vulkar's share of the victory prize!"

Announcer: "You can't do this, Brejik!  You know the rules: nobody's allowed to withdraw a victory prize after the race.  It goes against all our most sacred traditions!"

Brejik: "You old fool!  Your traditions are nothing to me - I am the wave of the future!  If I want to withdraw the prize and sell this woman on the slave market myself, nobody can stop me!"



Here we go.  Wait... that's the woman from the dream.



Brejik: "Vulkars - to me!  Kill this woman!  Kill the swoop rider!  Kill them all!"



Oh, here we go.



This actually isn't too tough of a fight, even without Bastila's help.  She does help some, though.



"My name's Hazar Denolo.  I'm here to save you."

"Save me?  Is that what you were trying to accomplish by riding in that swoop race?  Well, as far as rescues go this is a pretty poor example.  In case you hadn't noticed, I managed to free myself from that neural restraint collar without your help.  In fact, it's more accurate to say that I saved you!  Brejik and his Vulkars would have left you for dead if I hadn't stepped into that fight.  You're lucky I was there to get you out of this mess!"

"We don't have time for this.  Carth is waiting for us."

"Carth Onasi is alive?  Finally, some good news!  Carth is one of the Republic's best soldiers.  He's proved himself a hero a dozen times over!  And he sent you here to save me?  Maybe I misjudged you.  Carth wouldn't have sent you if he wasn't confident in your... abilities.  Forgive me - despite my Jedi training, I still tend to act a bit rashly sometimes.  Please, take me to Carth right away.  Between the three of us I'm sure we can figure out some way to get off this planet before the Sith realize we're here."





Suddenly - there's that vision again.  But this time Bastila has brought some friends.



And she's facing another enemy:



Darth Revan, the late Dark Lord of the Sith.



Huh.  So... apparently, he got blown up by that ship in the background?



LATER:

After a much-needed clothing change for Bastila, we've finally got all three survivors of the Endar Spire together.



"We were trying to find you, remember?"

"I see.  Now that I'm back in charge of this mission, perhaps we can start doing things properly.  Hopefully our escape from Taris will go more smoothly than when you "rescued" me from Brejik."

"I know you're new at this, Bastila, but a leader doesn't berate her troops just because things aren't going as planned.  Don't let your ego get in the way of the real issues here."

"That hardly strikes me as an appropriate way of addressing your commander, Carth.  I am a member of the Jedi Order and this is my mission.  Don't forget that!  My Battle Meditation ability has served the Republic many times in this war, and it will serve us well here I am sure."

"Your talents might win us a few battles, but that doesn't make you a good leader!  A good leader would at least listen to the advice of those who have seen more combat than she ever will!"

"Both of you settle down!  This isn't helping."



"I think we'll need some help getting off Taris.  Maybe if we ask around one of the locals can help us out.  We should probably start by asking around in the cantinas."

Sounds like a plan.  But before we can get going...

[

Bastila actually asks us if something's wrong, instead of us badgering her for information like we did with poor Carth.

"A vision?  A vision of what?"

"Of you.  Fighting a dark Jedi.  Revan, I guess."

"This is... strange.  Such visions are often a sign of Force sensitivity."

"Are you saying I can use the Force?"

"I... I'm not sure.  It may be that you have some connection to the Force.  It would not be unheard of.  When we first met, your natural talent may have fed off my own Force abilities.  It is possible that in the excitement of the battle's aftermath the Force allowed you to witness one of my more intense memories."

"This isn't the first time I had a vision."

"The Force is complicated; even I with all my training cannot fully understand it yet.  This is a matter best left to the wise Masters of the Jedi Council.  Once we escape Taris we can seek out the guidance of the Council, if you wish.  They will understand the significance of your vision... if there is any.  However, I think it would be best if we all stayed focused on the task at hand right now.  We can't afford any distractions; we need to find a way off Taris.

Once again, I've already played through the next update.  Next time:  Partaking in a distraction from finding a way off Taris!

[Acanthus117]

Hehe, Bastila's outfit in the swoop racing place was funny.


Also, I'm liking this LP, Judas!

[Zaranthan]

Needs more gold bikini.

[inteuniso]

Once again, I've already played through the next update.  Next time:  Partaking in a distraction from finding a way off Taris!

Does that mean... PAZAAK?

[Judas Maccabeus]

inteuniso:  No, although there's a bit of Pazaak in there.



Tarisian Gladiators, Or, The Only Thing That Could Make This Better Is Giant Cotton Swabs

Spoiler: Back to the cantina (click to show/hide)

Oh, hello.  As soon as we walk out of the apartment, this Twi'lek asks for our attention.

Twi'lek: "Me?  I want nothing.  I am only a runner.  I work for the man who hired me.  I have a message from Canderous Ordo.  He says to meet him in the cantina."

"Canderous?  Isn't he that Mandalorian that works for Davik?"

Twi'lek: "Yes, that's the one.  Given his connections, you can see why it would be wise to attend this meeting.  Canderous didn't say why he wanted to meet you.  He only said he had an offer you couldn't refuse.  Given his connections, you can see why it would be foolish to ignore his request."

"Okay, I got the message.  You can go now."

Twi'lek: "I would advise you not to put this meeting off for too long, human.  Mandalorians are known for many things, but patience is not one of them."

Hmmm... Davik wants us?  That could be a very good thing or a very bad thing, but considering how we've shown ourselves to be useful to him (what with all those bounties and all), it may well be the former.  And if we can convince him that we can help smuggle things off-world, we can get off-world...

I was planning on going over to the Upper City cantina anyway, so... one stop shopping, I suppose, only the only real shopping we'll be doing is at the very beginning.



The purchase?  One Pazaak deck.



I even get a chance to show you how terrible I am at this game without the inevitable loss of money that comes with it.

Pazaak is, essentially, the Star Wars version of Blackjack, with a couple twists.  The goal is to get to 20 or closer to 20 than your opponent without going over.  You take one card in a turn until you decide to stop.  You also get a 10-card "sidedeck" you can select from the cards you own, of which four are randomly selected at the beginning of the game, that you can add in (only once in each match) to modify your score.  In general, you want minus, or, better, plus-minus cards that go both ways, for when you inevitably go over.



Then again, the opponent almost always seems to get a 20, so the whole how to win thing is rather academic since you'll lose anyway.

Anyway, let's find Canderous.



Yeah, what is he talking about?  I messed that first run up horribly, and the second wasn't quite perfect either.

"My name's Canderous Ordo.  I work for Davik Kang and the Exchange; the hours aren't great, but they promised me a fortune to work for them and I have nothing better to do.  Mandalorian mercs like me are in high demand.  But lately Davik hasn't been paying me what he promised.  I don't like getting cheated, so I figure it's time for me to break the Sith quarantine and get off this backwater planet."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I've got a plan to escape Taris, but I can't do it alone.  I need someone I know can get the job done to help me.  That's where you come in."

"You don't need to ally yourself with this... person.  We should move on while we can."



Break into a Sith base?  You're right, you would have to be crazy to do that, unless you have a very good reason.

"What's in this for me?"

"Here's the deal: you bring me those launch codes and I can provide the vehicle to get off the planet - Davik's flagship, the Ebon Hawk!"

"How are you going to manage that?"

"Uh-uh.  Not yet.  First, you bring me the launch codes.  Then I'll tell you the rest of my plan."

You... you don't have a plan yet, do you?



"Getting in won't be easy: the Sith base is protected by an encrypted security system.  It would take a top of the line astromech droid to slice through it.  Lucky for you I know just the place to get a droid like that.  Davik was having one custom build by Janice Nall.  Just tell her Canderous sent you and she'll sell you the droid.  Then you can use it to get the launch codes from the Sith base."

"Won't Davik get mad if I take his droid?"

"Davik paid for the droid, but I'm the guy he put in charge of the mission.  He won't care how I come up with those codes.  Normally I'd do this myself, but everyone knows who I work for.  If I broke into the Sith base, they'd send an army down on Davik's estate to get those codes back.  That's why I need you."

"Okay, Canderous - you've got a deal."

"I don't sense any deception from him, which is surprising.  This may be exactly what we need."

"I'm going to wait in Jayvar's cantina.  You come find me when you've got those launch codes and I'll make sure we both get off this rock."

Alright, we've got our plan.  Now...



... to completely ignore that while we make some money in the dueling ring.

"Let's do it."



This battle isn't any more difficult than the one against Deadeye Duncan.  Just a little bit of slicing, dicing, julienning, and maybe a bit of crinkle-cutting later:



Wooo!



Yeah, yeah.



You bet I am!  Let's get to this.



Our opponent, another blaster user.



We've kind of outleveled most of these fights, so the results aren't really in doubt.



Ice here seems to agree.  We'll be getting more out of her later.



Marl can actually take a decent amount of punishment, no cutting him apart in one or two rounds.



He isn't doing too much damage, though, so all good.



The fight ends as they all have so far.



Good luck, Marl.  You seem to have enjoyed your life.



Oh, yeah.  Championship bout time.



Hazar... the camera... over here... never mind.



Twitch does his share of damage, but it's nothing medpacks can't handle.



And, finally, Hazar becomes the dueling champion of Taris!



But didn't Bendak say he'd fight us if we became champion?



Bendak: "But I only fight in death matches, and not too many people are willing to step into the ring knowing they won't ever come out.  How 'bout you, Stranger?  You think you got what it takes?"

"You're on, Bendak!  Name the time and place!"

Bendak: "Finally - fresh meat!  Ajuur will set it all up; go talk to him.  It will take some time to arrange, so no point sticking around here until then.  I'll be back when it's time for you to die."

Yes.  Yes he did.  And he's as good as his word, apparently.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Spoiler: Bendak Starkiller Fight (click to show/hide)

Sounds like a good idea.  Let's see what the Tarisian population has to say about this.



Kebla Yurt takes it as an opportunity to sell things.



This won't actually help us in the fight, but it's useful to have anyway.  Nobody else has anything interesting to say, so:



"I'm ready!"

Ajuur: "Good.  Excellent.  High wagering means lots of credits for the winner on this match.  Come see me after the figh to collect your credits - if you're still alive."

We get Dark Side points for doing this, incidentally (because, you know, death match and all, even if Bendak is a Mandalorian and thus has nothing against dying in a glorious fight), but not too many.



Announcer: "And who would be crazy enough to step into the ring with such a lethal legend?  Who would be mad enough to face almost certain death merely for your enjoyment?"



Announcer: "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for... LET THE DEATH MATCH BEGIN!"



This is definitely a tough fight.  Bendak hits hard and can take a lot of hits himself.  He also starts by tossing some quite damaging grenades in Hazar's direction, which require some good reflexes to avoid (I don't have good reflexes).



(That's not a lightsaber he's holding, by the way, his sword just glows like that most of the time.)



It takes quite a few medpacks to keep our health up, but that gives us just enough of an edge...



...to whittle him down and kill him.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

"I know, I know - I'm a living legend.  Now, what about my cut?"

Ajuur: "You've done well, Stranger.  I'm pleased.  Very pleased.  Here are your credits.  Plus, I'll give you Bendak's blaster pistol as bonus as a sign of my appreciation."

[Persuade] "I think I deserve a little extra for putting my life on the line."

Ajuur: [Success] "Very well, Stranger.  I like you, and this was a special fight.  Biggest purse I've ever handled!  I'll give you a little bonus this one time only.  Everyone will be talking about you now, Stranger.  They're all going to know you were the one who killed Bendak Starkiller.  You're famous now."

Just how famous?





I told you Ice would have more to say.

Ice: "As a little girl I used to dream of meeting him one day.  When I finally did, the guy was a complete slime ball.  Made me realize I had to be cold and ruthless to survive, like him.  And now he's dead.  There's probably a lesson in there somewhere.  Something for me to think about, at least.  Congratulations again, Stranger... and goodbye."



About the only thing you'd be famous for, Deadeye.



... I'm not sure this is the sort of reputation we want to cultivate.  I can only imagine Bastila facepalming behind Hazar here.



Kebra is also happy to have us in her shop.  And speaking of Bastila...



"We were looking for you."

"Yes, I realize that of course.  But surely there was more to it than a simple search.  I doubt there were flashing signs pointing you in my direction; yet somehow you found me.  You also avoided detection by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained sponsorship for the race and became the Taris swoop champion.  That's quite a resume."

"I had a lot of help: Carth, Mission, Zaalbar."

"Your modesty is admirable.  But though others helped, you were the catalyst for these events.  When you were chosen to join this mission, I doubt any of us expected this much from you.  A Jedi could have done such things, of course.  But only by drawing heavily upon the Force.

"I think you're underestimating us non-Jedi."



"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm sorry; I've overstepped my authority.  I'm speaking of things that are best left to the Jedi Council.  For now let's just accept the fact that you are... gifted.  Hopefully between your abilities, my Jedi training and the skills of our companions we can find a way off this planet."




A Digression
(Skip ahead to the next screenshot if you don't want to read boring analysis)

There's a theory in traditional historiography (particularly that of the 19th century) known as the "Great Man"* theory.  The idea is that the course of history is defined by the actions of certain people who had major influence:  kings, generals, religious leaders, explorers, and such.  Social and economic factors are only secondary in this view, and are more effected by the actions of Great Men than affect them.  It's older than modern times, of course; ancient "history" often took the form of epics and folk stories about important people.

Star Wars seems to like this view.  What brings down the Galactic Republic?  It isn't the long social decline and bureaucratic bloating that is mentioned in the movies, but instead the machniations of Darth Sidious.  Equally, the Empire is defeated not by mass action but by heroic efforts by a few people.  It's a part of the tradition of the heroic epic; since Joseph Campbell was writing about those in The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and Lucas directly worked from that in making the movies, it's almost inevitable that the whole concept became ingrained within the Star Wars universe.

Role playing games also tend to call upon this idea, particularly single-player ones; you generally have the player controlling a single character (or a few characters) who performs actions and makes decisions that make the plot happen as it does.  RPGs evolved out of the fantasy genre,** of course, something that also developed out of the old heroic epic.  So when you put the two together, it's pretty much inevitable that the "Great Man" aesthetic would dominate.  That's what Bastila is musing about up there, the fact that you are apparently the one that is needed to get things done.  The sequel gets even more explicit about it and, as usual for that game's very philosophical tone, goes deep into the implications of the whole idea.  But that is a story for another time.

(I'm a bit of a materialist historian and thus don't much like the theory being used in actual history, but in a story, it does certainly make things more interesting - which may explain the original theory's appeal - and in a game very much makes things more fun.)

*Technically, the person doesn't have to be male; Joan of Arc or Elizabeth I would be "Great Men" under this theory.
**It should be noted that Star Wars is one of those works that blurs the line between soft science fiction and high fantasy.  The Force works more like magic than an energy source, people run around with swords, and you have an Emperor and other pseudo-medieval trappings.  Seriously, you could take the plot without alterations and stick it into a generic medieval setting and it would work; just ask Christopher Paolini.






Carth gets Bendak's pistol, of course, he's definitely the best-suited for it.



Back at the apartment, let's see what Big Z has to say about himself.

"I will honor my life debt, but I don't feel we share more than that.  Mission may say more, but I will not."

"Then I will leave you be."

[ "Thank you."

The answer is "nothing".  Don't worry, we'll be getting more information about him eventually.  Now, it's time to go down to Zax and turn in the bounty on Bendak Starkiller.



Also, for what is probably my favourite inter-party member conversation in the game.

"I am not stuck up.  I merely have the years of training to give me the wisdom and understanding to see how childish such an act would be."

"Childish?  Is that a crack about my age?  You ain't much older than me, miss high and mighty!  Just 'cause you're some Jedi doesn't mean you can be a prissy little..."



"What the -?? Hey, that wasn't funny!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mission.  Come now, we have to get going.  Please do try to be less clumsy in the future."

I didn't know about the Force Slapstick power, but I'll have to ask Bastila how it's done sometime.

Also, I did turn in the bounty, even though Fraps refused to take the screenshots.  It was the same as all the other bounty turn-ins, anyway.

If anyone has anything else they want to do on Taris, now is the time.  Once I get in the Sith Base we're on the fast track to getting off this planet, and the game doesn't let you come back here.

(Not that there's much left TO do.)

[Rilder]

Excellent.  Keep up the good work!

[Servant Corps]

What brings down the Galactic Republic?  It isn't the long social decline and bureaucratic bloating that is mentioned in the movies, but instead the machniations of Darth Sidious.

The original script for Star Wars had the hero named Starkiller, and the enemy being either a corrupt Emperor (and not the Empire, the Jedi loves the Empire), an Evil Empire that destroyed the Good Empire, or:

The Republic Galactica is dead - ruthless trader barons have replaced democracy with the First Galactic Empire. The Jedi knights were the guardians of peace in the galaxy for more than a thousand years, but now they are all but extinct, destroyed by the Emperor's agents: the Dark Lords of the Sith. The Jedi and the Sith are both users of "the Force of Others", an energy field which controls one's actions, yet obeys one's commands. Two sides of the Force are always present: a positive side, which the Jedi store in themselves, and a negative side (called the Bogan), which is used by the Sith. Either side can be amplified using a "Kiber Crystal", but all known crystals have fallen in the hands of the Dark Lords. However, Rebel Armies have won a crushing victory over the Imperial Starfleet, and the Emperor - afraid of losing control of the Outland systems - has sent his most ferocious Dark Lord to find and destroy the rebels.

Once there was a holy man called the Skywalker who discovered an energy field which could influence the destiny of all living things. Known as "the force of others", it consists of a good half (the Ashla), which the Skywalker came to know, and an evil part (the Bogan) which he was able to resist. His powers grew strong, helping him to found the Republic Galactica, but since the Bogan can bring much suffering in the hands of someone weak, he entrusted his secret only to his twelve children. For many thousand years, the descendants of the Skywalker (known as the Jedi Bendu of the Ashla) served the force of others and brought peace to the galaxy. As the Republic grew, however, the Great Senate became corrupted, and the Jedi who interfered were denounced as traitors. Wars and terrorism increased to the point where citizens welcomed a police state, and the tyrannical First Galactic Empire was born. A Jedi named Darklighter fell victim to the Bogan, teaching its evil ways to a pirate clan known as the Black Knights of the Sith, who became Imperial servants and hunted down and killed most of the Jedi. Now, a growing rebel Alliance led by the Starkiller (a surviving Jedi) has won a crucial victory over the Imperial fleet, but the Bogan is very strong, weakening the old Jedi. However, according to the prophecies, a saviour shall come - known as "the son of the suns".

http://starwarz.com/starkiller/writings/development_jan.htm


..Oh, and didn't Kreia said the Republic will fall, a fall that will last for millenia?

[Acanthus117]

Starkiller got Pwn'd.

[CJ1145]

Say that to his face.

[Acanthus117]

HE GOT PWN'D-

*gets slashed TWICE. IN TEH FACE*

[Judas Maccabeus]

The early drafts of Star Wars (or The Journal of the Whills, or Adventures of the Starkiller, or any name it went through) had all sorts of different things, like the main characters being Mace Windy and his padawaan C.J. Thorpe, or Luke's father being alive and well and not Darth Vader, or poor Montross who never made it into the final story... in any case, it's all not part of the finished story, and therefore not all that relevant.

..Oh, and didn't Kreia said the Republic will fall, a fall that will last for millenia?

Kreia said a lot of things, she wasn't necessarily right about everything.  In any case, it was more of a series of sudden falls and recoveries, until finally the last fall was a complete one.  You could probably find socioeconomic forces behind all of them, but that's not what the movies/books/comics/games tend to focus on (just like, in actual history, the Great Man theory downplays actual socioeconomic forces in favour of the actions of certain people)...

[Servant Corps]

in any case, it's all not part of the finished story, and therefore not all that relevant.

But I can't. It showcased the frailty of the Star Wars universe if it could be so easily modified.

Kreia said a lot of things, she wasn't necessarily right about everything.  In any case, it was more of a series of sudden falls and recoveries, until finally the last fall was a complete one.

True. But, see, when she said, "last for millennia", that doesn't have to refer to Palpatine. I don't think the Republic has stopped falling...it was, after all, resurrected after ROTJ, and it is now currently a remnant fighting with/against an Empire run by Arnold Schwarzenegger.