#SHADDA

[arabicfornerds]

How do you pronounce Allah correctly? The word Allah (الله) is a special word in many ways. Especially the pronunciation can be tricky if you don't know the rules. Here is how it works. https://arabic-for-nerds.com/islam/pronunciation-allah/?feed_id=4906

[eclec-tech]

You can't use the term "seedy underbelly" around writers.

It will intrigue, not repel. You'll come back an hour later and we'll be scratching that underbelly to see what kinds of leg twitches and tail wags we can make it do.

[echofive]

Commissioned pictures of my client's Star Wars OCs, I absolutely enjoyed drawing both!

[the-stars-are-warring]

Atrocious Hair Spotted!! Thrilled to discover this is a hairstyle that people just... have in the GFFA not something the GAR came up with.

[wvyld]

fic outline up to what will be SI chapter I finale thing, which is the. if I was splitting it into books, the end of the first one would be there? it currently has 48 scenes — with 8 of (currently) 13 sections (of very unequal size) more or less outlined scene by scene. I'm placing my bets at the final version of this part being around 80 scenes total, maybe a little more?

[zs-starwars]

Me: Surely it hasn't been that long since I've played- oh.

[viperlass]

I feel the sudden and overwhelming urge to yap about blorbos, so you're all gonna be my not so captive audience as I proceed to talk about my headcanons for the fate of all my SWTOR OCs post-war with Zakuul; the story the public knows vs what actually happened.

Akari Belavir, aka "The Empire's Wrath"

Killed by Emperor Arcann in a one on one lightsaber duel.

[She heard the distant calls the ones who named her Wrath and set out to find them. With the guidance of the Servants, she found Zakuul and led a sizeable army of sith to cut her way into the Spire, even going as far as making it to the prison where the Outlander was stored, but Arcann was already there waiting for her, and he made sure his father had one less weapon at his disposal.]

-

Violet Mirdelli, aka "Darth Imperius"

Mysteriously vanished without a trace after Darth Marr's memorial service. No meaningful evidence as to what happened to her is known, and each theory is crazier than the last, but most choose to believe that she was assassinated by High Justice Vaylin.

[Having grown disillusioned with the Empire long before she even ascended to the Dark Council, Violet once believed that she could use her power and status to change the Empire from within. However, after Marr's death, she lost all hope of this happening. She then cut herself off from the Force and quietly faded away from the eyes of the galaxy, choosing to live a simple life.]

-

Shira Cadera

Killed in battle alongside Mandalore the Vindicated, bringing an entire legion of Skytroopers down along with her.

[After a brutal campaign against Zakuul in the outer rim, Mandalore's war party was low on men, supplies, and morale. They were mere hours away from withdrawing when their camp was ambushed by Zakuulans. Much to the protestation of her crew- especially her husband- Shira followed Mandalore in aiding the counterattack to buy time for the rest of their people to get away safely. Thanks to their efforts, every single Mandalorian ship escaped the planet safely.]

-

Iris "Legate" Avanna

Initially believed to be assassinated by a squad of elite Zakuulan Exarchs, Iris was presumed to be dead for many years until she suddenly reappeared shortly after the destruction of the Eternal Fleet by Zildrog and resumed her work with Imperial Intelligence. Following her efforts to greatly reduce the number of lives lost by the Empire in the aftermath of the disastrous failure of their plan to destroy Corellia's shipyards, she was hand-picked by Emperor Vowrawn to be the new Minister of Intelligence.

[Shortly after the Republic and the Empire capitulated to Zakuul, Iris decided to go underground, faking her death so thoroughly that even her own crew didn't know she was still alive. Once believed to be dead, she began to wage her own war from the shadows- not representing any one faction, but acting in accordance with her own ideals. Here, she worked alongside many different people from all over the galaxy, including Lana Beniko (now exiled from her position as Minister of Intelligence), Ardun Kothe, and Shara Jenn. It was also during this time that she met (and fell in love with) SIS Agent Theron Shan. However, after the Eternal Fleet was destroyed, she chose to return to her deep cover work as a double agent for the Republic]

-

Colonel Alexis Jorgan

Killed in action on a covert operation against Zakuul.

[During the second naval engagement between the Republic and Eternal Fleet over Coruscant, Havoc Squad was sent on a top secret mission to infiltrate the flagship. At first, the operation was going off without a hitch. However, once they gained control of the bridge, a self-destruct sequence was triggered. Enemy reinforcements slowed down the retreating Havoc Squad at every turn, so in order to buy her squad some time, Alexis acted as a diversion, drawing attention away from the others to allow them to escape before the shit detonated.]

-

Korra Deropolis

Shot down by the Zakuulan Star Fortress over Nar Shadda in a daring mission to smuggle humanitarian aid and relief onto the planet.

[Though her run to Nar Shadda was initially to bring humanitarian aid to the planet, she actually landed on the surface without a hitch. It wasn't until she had a chance encounter with Koth Vortena that she was pursued by Zakuul Knights after covering him from the knight on his trail, Senya Tirall. The knights tagged her ship, and as soon as she left the atmosphere, the Star Fortress blasted her to pieces.]

-

Barsen'thor Dealla Tallus

Killed by High Justice Vaylin in an attack against a hidden enclave of jedi. However, despite the fight between Dealla and Vaylin being well documented, and Vaylin being the only to emerge alive, the rest of her crew adamantly insists that she is still alive.

[Though she did survive her fight with Vaylin, she was extremely wounded, and despite numerous attempts to reunite with her crew, she ultimately failed, and instead chose to flee to the now abandoned Tython, hoping that the planet might guide her through these trying times just as it did for the jedi after the Sacking of Coruscant. However, after months of research and exploration planet, she suddenly fell into a comatose-like state deep inside a cave in the Tythonian Wilds, where she remains to this day.]

-

Battlemaster Kya Kavella (later Beniko)

Imprisoned in carbonite by Arcann for five years until she would eventually be freed by Lana Beniko.

[Following the failed expedition spearheaded by Darth Marr, Kya and the sith lord found themselves imprisoned in Zakuul. They were brought before Emperor Valkorion, and after he killed Darth Marr, Kya attacked with help from Arcann and killed Valkorion. After she passed out, she was frozen in carbonite.]

[catohphm]

In SWTOR I've just finished all the planet and class story content for Nar Shadda on my light side Sith Warrior toon Fernie Aldwin. It was a beautiful story arc altogether!

Through careful spycraft, altruism, patience and the teachings of Revan and Kel'eth Ur, Fernie did a big dent in different groups of wrong-doers in the courses of his missions. He saw to the removal of the ruthless, traitorous and dishonorable Sith warlord Rashari, corrupt officials, a slaver and groups of dangerous extremists and criminal gangs. Not only that, he got the chance to work together with a Republic military unit to pursue the Sith warlord and make sure he didn't escape justice for his crimes. Fernie also got to stick it to the Hutt gangsters somewhat. There was even some Indiana-Jones esque archaeological stuff with another group of Revan followers and recovering an ancient relic related to him too. All this work while bringing some semblance of stability to the area.

This is the point in time where I feel Fernie has discovered himself as a Sith revolutionary aiming to reform the Empire, especially when he worked with the Republic troopers to stop Lord Rathari. It also sets the stage for when he finally gets to meet Normen Karr's padawan who can sense the true nature of people, good or bad.

Finally here is a screenshot of Fernie in the Nar Shadda battler set for Sith warrior toons. It is an Imperial armor set but it has some pirate/smuggle influences in it too which I think fits him amazingly!

Many thanks to my friend @lanabenikosdoormat for her support

[ladysaytenn]

He'll get his rent when he fixes that Damnaged Door.

Another battle theme for @quinnkdev's BLANKSWORD! What no it hasn't been a while I posted the last track back in...oh. Well better late than never!

Album art by @kitet-frogspond.

Transcription below the cut:

Rent! Reeent! …That's right we did hear from a couple of viewers (Where's my money!?) …who said they located those Disgusting Blood-Sucking Parasites (Where's my money!? Money! Money! Money!)

Money! Money! Money! Money! …Break your fucking head with a ratchet!

Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money!

Rent! Rent! Money! Money! Money! Money! Rent! Rent! Money! Money! Money! Money! Rent! Money! Money! Money! Money! Rent! Money! Money! Money! Money! Rent! RRRent! Rent Money! Money! Money! Money! Rent! Money! Rent Money! …Shadda fuck up!

Money! Money! Money! Money!

Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money!

Rent!

Rent!

Rent! Rent!

Ren… …TIME FOR A FUCKING DIRTNAP YOU SHITFUCK!

Blood-Sucking Parasites Blood-Sucking Parasites Blood-Sucking Parasites Blood-Sucking Parasites

[serstolas]

Last Line Written

thank you for the tag @serensama.

no pressure tagging @mythals-whore, @nyx-de-riva, and @zombiefishgirl

Neve frowned. “Nar Shadda’s almost as bad as Corrosaunt." She sighed. “But the Empire might not think to head there, at least at first.”

[dameronswife-2]

Summary: Poe makes a trip to Nar Shadda to recruit Nim to the Resistance Word Count: 1,085 Warnings: none apply, except maybe some suggestiveness (flirting and also nar shaddaa is like that) 🫶💜 just finally got a proper fic written out for my new self insert!

~⟡⟡⟡~

Nar Shaddaa was a migraine waiting to happen as far as Poe was concerned; the Smuggler’s Moon was a sprawling city blitzed out with more neon advertisements than Hosnian Prime or Coruscant could dream of, except what Nar Shaddaa had to offer was usually more lewd, evidenced by the third suggestive outline of a Twi’lek woman swaying her hips tantalizingly that he passed.

He really couldn’t believe that this was where Nim Antilles had settled down.

Except, as he shouldered into the cantina Snap said she frequented most, he could believe it. A long time ago, before he ever deserted the navy, Nim had admitted she didn’t just want to live a life as a stunt pilot or a racer, but Poe had seen a thirst for adventure in her eyes that he was all too familiar with, too.

And when you were a pilot, there were only so many legitimate career paths you could make. 

Sneaking into Hutt territory — as little sway as they held nowadays — wasn’t high on the Resistance’s priority list, but when Leia assigned him to go looking for Skywalker, Poe had thought back to the youngest Antilles child. Who better to help find a lost Jedi, than another lost Jedi?

Nim was in the very back of the cantina, pressed up against a back nook like her life depended on it, a bright pink drink in front of her. It didn’t look like she’d touched it at all, so as Poe dropped down in the seat in front of her, he snagged the drink and took a sip, appreciating the brief start of her body before she relaxed slightly at the realization of who he was.

“So,” Poe began, apropos of nothing, “swoop racing, huh?”

The lights of the cantina reflected and bounced off Nim’s dark brown eyes as they narrowed at him, clearly anticipating him to point out the self hypocrisy, but when Poe didn’t say anything further, she leaned forward in her seat. “It pays the bills,” Nim replied guardedly. Poe doubted it paid for much of anything, expensive as Nar Shaddaa could be, especially if you didn’t want to find yourself entangled with any of its numerous gangs. Then, continuing in a mimicry of his tone, “So, the Resistance, huh?”

“Snap comm you before I got here?”

She rolled her eyes. “I keep tabs on my family, and keeping tabs on Snap Wexley usually involves keeping tabs on you. Not that you’re doing a very good job of staying anonymous.” Nim leaned forward abruptly, eyes glittering with curiosity and glee. “You know, you’ve got a reputation on this planet.”

Oh boy. Poe took another much needed sip of his stolen drink. “Yeah?”

“Something about taking down a criminal syndicate at the age of seventeen?” Nim asked. And it didn’t hurt, her bringing it up, because she asked it in a way that made Poe feel like they were sharing an inside joke. It helped that she then smiled and added, “You know most people were just doing their studies at seventeen.”

“You weren’t.” She graduated earlier than most, before throwing herself at the New Republic Flight Academy.

“Neither were you, evidently,” Nim retorted, swiping the glass from his hand with a look of annoyance. “So why are you here, Poe Dameron?”

Poe settled back against his seat. “The Resistance.”

Nim’s face screwed up quizzically. “Organa could’ve sent Snap to ask me to join. Why send you?”

“My pretty face?”

“Poe.”

He held his hands up in supplication. “Okay, okay -” pausing, Poe glanced around. The din of the bar would cover the sound of their conversation, but he still felt uncomfortably exposed. Lowering his voice, he continued, “Leia assigned me to a top secret mission.”

“So you came to Nar Shaddaa full of classified information?”

“I came to you full of classified information,” Poe corrected. “‘Cause I think you could help me, and Leia agrees.”

Nim appraised him for a minute. “You don’t mean with my skills as a pilot.”

Poe smiled apologetically. “Afraid not.”

She huffed a sigh and slumped backwards. “You do remember I have had next to no training, right? I’ve read the texts Luke gave me, but I’m not a Jedi. If you need someone to swing a lightsaber, it’s not going to be me.”

“I don’t need someone to swing a lightsaber,” Poe assured her. “I just need someone who understands the Jedi - and understands Luke.”

Nim lifted her gaze back up to him, the puzzle pieces falling together. “Poe, reading a handful of his Jedi texts doesn’t make me an expert on Luke Skywalker. If you want an expert on Luke Skywalker, look for that friend of Snap’s — Jessika. She’s got a special interest in the guy. Or ask my dad, he fought in a war with Luke. What value am I to the Resistance, or for the search for Skywalker?”

Poe went quiet for a minute. When he spoke again, his tone was quiet but serious. “Everyone has value. Even if you don’t see it or even if you don’t believe me. And I know you Nim, I know you’re someone who doesn’t like turning her back on people in need.” He gave a little shrug. “I think we need you, so I came to ask.”

Her face softened. “That was a very nonanswer,” she said, but there was no acidity behind it.

Poe smiled. “But it was the truth.”

“Leia could’ve sent Snap to say all of that.”

“Like I said. Pretty face.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a lot more than a pretty face.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “When are you heading out?”

“A couple days,” Poe answered. “I figured I’d give you time to think on it.”

Nim’s lips quirked up into a smile, the edges of it cutting into her soft cheeks. “Not gonna apply the pressure to get me to join?”

“What use is that?” Poe asked genuinely.

She shrugged. “It’s how most things work here.”

“Well…it’s not how I operate. And it isn’t how the Resistance operates either.”

Nim rolled her glass between her hands, eyes flitting up past Poe and to the rest of the cantina behind them. Even from across the table, Poe could hear how loudly she was thinking — considering, analyzing. And his heart leapt when he saw resolve bloom behind her eyes. She drained her glass, and sat it down on the table. “Hope you have room for two in your X-Wing, flyboy.”

Poe grinned. “You know it.”

[arabicfornerds]

How good is JAIS, the Arabic ChatGPT? "Jais" is an Arabic language AI and is celebrated in the media as the Arabic ChatGPT. But how good is Jais? A practical test. https://arabic-for-nerds.com/tools/jais-arabic-chatgpt/?feed_id=4674

[voidendron]

New character! Sort of.

I've been trying to figure out someone to replace Vik in Havoc Squad for literal years with very little luck (my Havoc CO is Balmorran, so wouldn't have been willing to deal with Vik) - until I started thinking about this guy

This is Tarivim Rihn - or "Tari" - Havoc's demolitions guy

*he started out as a merc, but eventually wanted to actively help Balmorra, so that's where Havoc recruited him from

*many years prior, he spent some time on Nar Shadda taking odd jobs here and there. had a drunken one-night-stand with a Sith who'd hired him to take care of a rival of hers.

unbeknownst to Tari, that fling resulted in twins who he has no idea exist

*looks on the older side, but still barely middle-aged by Sephi standards

*deaf in one ear due to exposion-related injury. has a hearing implant. implant also functions as a comm device

*missing eye on the same side. has an ocular implant to support socket, but doesnt bother with acrylic eye; nerve damage prevents cybernetic replacement

*can seem a bit gruff, but actually rather friendly. kind of the "grandpa" of the squad

[chaoticstrata]

Belated WIP Wednesday - SWTOR Edition

Here's the start of my Aketho/Theron revamp. Hopfully ya'll like it. :)

-------

Nar Shadda. 

One of Aketho’s least favorite places in the galaxy. It was loud, filthy, and smelled to high heaven. Every time he visited left him feeling like he needed to wash off a layer of grim on his skin. Not to mention the harsh lighting never failed to give him a raging headache the moment he stepped out of his ship. Granted most places would do that if he didn’t wear his specialized contacts--the joys of being a Chiss outside of the Ascendency. But even those lenses couldn’t seem to stop the neon illumination of the Smugglar’s Moon souring his day.

Of course, there was also the fact that the worst day of his life happened on this moon. Finding out he was brainwashed and could be controlled with a single word certainly wasn’t a fond memory.

Amusingly enough, he was waiting for the very man who had ‘shown’ him that truth--although Aketho would have appreciated finding out another way. Ardun reached out to him for a mission, and while he didn’t give details over the holo, Aketho knew it was some sort of undercover ops. 

Swirling his brandy, Aketho lounged back in the dark corner of the casino’s bar, scanning the room for his contact. Ruby red eyes finally landed on the young human man he noticed sitting at the bar--stylish red jacket, well kept tawny brown hair, warm eyes, and cybernetics framing on the left side of his brow. He certainly cut a handsome figure, and to the casual observer, he would be just another patron looking to relax for the evening. Aketho, however, could see those warm eyes surveying the room with a sharp, observant gaze that slowly took in their surroundings. He was looking for potential signs of trouble.

Aketho knew the other man had already clocked him, although they certainly tried to hide that they did--the double-take didn’t help. The agent chuckled into his drink and continued to watch…until Ardun finally arrived a few moments later. The former Jedi made no move or sign that he saw Aketho, but he knew the older man could sense him. His eyes followed as Ardun casually made his way up the stairs to the VIP lounges where they planned to meet. 

Giving it several minutes to not raise suspicion, Aketho was about to stand when he noticed the young man at the bar set down some credits before making his way up the same set of stairs. A well shaped eyebrow rose as his eyes followed the man’s assent. Well now, either that was a coincidence, or he was getting a partner for this mission. Finishing the rest of his drink, he got up a few minutes later and followed them both to the upper floors. 

He silently counted his steps as he approached the private room and punched in the code given. As he crossed the threshold he noticed Ardun’s amused look. Aketho was about to ask when he felt the barrel of a blaster pressed to his temple. Casually he glanced in the wielder’s direction and was met with a set of beautiful hazel eyes glaring at him like he was evil incarnent. 

Aketho cocked a brow and grin as he looked back at the former Jedi. “Friend of your’s, Ardun?” he asked in amusement.

“He is,” Ardun chuckled before jestering toward Aketho, “Theron, this is the agent I was telling you about.”

There was a long pause before the blaster was pulled away. Aketho looked over at his ‘assailant’ again, who was giving the old Jedi an incredulous stare before glancing in the Chiss’s direction before back again.

“You’re telling me he’s the infamous Cipher Nine?” Theron asked, pointing at said Cipher.

“I don’t know if I want to be offended or flattered by that.”

[alfredsmanor]

Up The Narrow Stair

Darth Vader followed his wife, miraculously alive, up the steep and narrow stairs of the grotty Nar Shadda apartment block where she and Vader’s children (and until yesterday, Kenobi, ugh) lived. 

Vader’s sheer weight made the metal stairs sway alarmingly, and he grabbed the Dark Side to keep the thing stable, even as he carefully made sure to keep an eye on his wife and skip the same bad stairs she did. 

They went in through the exterior door, a low tech design that pivoted on hinges, and through Padme’s apartment. And then they were through the small apartment and out the other door, into an internal hallway. Padme knocked on a door across the hall and one door down, and was greeted by a human man in a Corellian vest over a white shirt and dark trousers. “I’m here to take back my twins, with my apologies for inflicting them on you on such short notice.”

The man looked over his shoulder and yelled “Iason, Korda, Setaré’s back!” Then he did a very obvious double take when he noticed the 6’8” cyborg looming behind her. “That isn’t Ben!” 

Padmé actually laughed at that, and Vader joined her, albeit silently, since his vocoder was incapable of rendering the sound. “No, I am not Ben”, Vader said. He attempted to modulate his voice so that the entire apartment block wouldn’t hear him, but he might not have succeeded.

“This is my husband, the twin’s father. His name is Ani”, added Padmé. 

This is a completely different AU from my previous drabble. Vader is wearing his canon armor, but painted white as a (bad) disguise.

Edit: this drabble is now a fic.

[theswrp-blog]

https://discord.com/invite/9jKgxaKrce