#mysteries of kotet

[anchanted-one]

Koth Vortena Theories

I think it's well-known by now that I'm a massive Lana Beniko fan. But one character I don't talk much about as much, though I like him a lot as well, is Koth Vortena, arguably one of the biggest missed opportunities of SWTOR.

This is going to be a big post about Koth Vortena, unsung hero of Zakuul.

Apologies for the bad drawing.

So here's what little we know about Koth.

He's against harming civilians. To the point he'll walk away from leaders he finds too cruel and/or tyrannical. Sort of resolved in the game. His loyalty increases over time if you're Light, and evaporates if Dark.

Like most Zakuulans not in the know, he is a devotee of Valkorion. This is never resolved.

He has a conflict with Senya that goes nowhere. She cryptically tells you to keep an eye on him, as he has already betrayed one master. But this warning is only relevant in the most obvious way (see point 1). A Lightsider wouldn't have to worry at all. Not to mention, Senya is also a defector. So we don't know where her venom comes from. Her accusation that Koth abandoned his post flies in the face of her later statement that the Knights of Zakuul should've rebelled once Arcann slaughtered the Scions (who are way more legitimate targets than the civilians of Denon)

He is still loyal to Zakuul itself. If you are Lightsided (i.e. he stays with you past KOTFE) he is the only one who advocates for Zakuul. Even Arcann and Senya don't.

All of these paint a rather incomplete story.

I know KOTFEET got more rushed as time went on, but Koth's story is the one that stands as the most obviously abandoned.

The biggest nonresolution is his devotion to Valky. And by extension, the Eternal Empire's adherence to Valkorionism. The citizens of Zakuul still believe in Valk by the end of KOTET, and we have no reason to believe that they're any closer to figuring out the truth.

I recall that in cut content, there was a discarded accusation from Senya about his ambitions. We also know that KOTFEET was supposed to be a three-parter, with Arcann being the big bad for KOTFE, Vaylin for KOTET, and Valk for Part III (KOTIE? KOT Immortal Emperor?).

One theory I had was that Koth might have become a new host for Valkorion at the end of KOTET. Willingly or otherwise, perhaps depending on player choices. And that perhaps his eyes would be opened at the end of III, which would end in an Echoes of Oblivion-esque way.

The second theory is related to another piece of cut dialogue, this one from Vaylin. She tells Arcann "Thexan isn't our only sibling," or something similar. Now, the obvious implication is that the Player Character is this mysterious missing sibling, but after a quick look at this reddit post's summary, I had a different theory. A very tinfoily theory.

(Quick summary: this post compares the Imperial family to the Zakuulan pantheon. Valk is Izax, Senya is Scyva, Arcann is Esne, Vaylin is Tyth, and Thexan is Aivela. Which leaves Nahut, the god of apathy or the hated son)

Maybe that other sibling--or half-sibling, per my tinfoil hat theory--was Koth Vortena. I don't know if it was confirmed that it was the Outlander for sure, but this kinda clashes with the roleplaying aspect of the game. And the species. Our player character is definitely not a hybrid.

Maybe at some point, Valkorion had another mistress who bore him another son, but who got exiled with him for some unknown offense. Possibly, before the twins were born, as Koth appears to be a bit older than Arcann.

Reasons why I was thinking about this now.

He is the only other major Zakuulan we frequently interact with. While it still makes sense that he's an ordinary guy, it could've also meant that he was going to play a significant role in the future of Zakuul.

Senya's dislike of Koth would be a little more understandable if she always saw him as a threat to her own children's legitimacy, and couldn't let go of it even after all this time. It also goes with her accusation about his ambition. Koth might not know about his parentage, as his in-game reason for hating Senya totally makes sense. She was Arcann's loyal Knight who hunted him and his crew, and nearly killed them on at least a few occasions. But then, he might just as easily resent her for believing that she was the reason why his mother was cast aside, even if she had nothing to do with it.

Again, his unflinching loyalty to Zakuul no matter its inner darkness. His continued mission to keep it safe, even after KOTFEET. He is an excellent candidate for the new leader (emperor/king) of Zakuul, had it not been instead given to... who's that other guy? Doesn't matter.

This theory actually goes well with the 'Maybe Koth was meant to be Valkorion's new vessel' angle.

Combining both theories, here's what Koth's originally intended story might have been like, but got cut because it was seen as racist.

Despite the obvious problems in this story, I feel like this would've had a more complete arc for Koth, and allowed him to have a story of his own that wasn't relegated to the background.

Koth would become a contender for the Eternal Throne after proving his lineage.

He helps the Alliance overthrow Arcann and Vaylin, but perhaps in a more prominent leadership role. Zakuulans disaffected with Arcann would flock to his banner.

He is approached by Valkorion, who manages to escape the Outlander's body.

Koth accepts--perhaps reluctantly--to serve as his vessel. He is still loyal, after all. Perhaps he might request Valkorion not to destroy an Outlander he's grown fond of (and Lana.)

Inside Valkorion's psyche, he gets horrified, finally seeing the man for what he really is. The revitalized Immortal Emperor may be openly harsh and cruel, even to the people of Zakuul, which might be the reason why they also lose their faith in him. Or the Alliance could find proof revealing his true nature.

Inside his own head, Koth helps the Alliance (who at this time might include OL, Lana, Theron, Scourge, Kira, Satele, Marr, Revan, the Exile, the Tiralls, and maybe even others like Dramath) fight and slay Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion. He might survive, or not. If he does, he's the new Emperor of Zakuul, but with only a small portion its once endless fleet. (Perhaps the Alliance was forced to sacrifice the Gravestone to bring it to this state. But there are enough ships left that the Pub and Imp decide not to tangle with them)

I would like you guys' opinions on this!

[rikki-roses]

Fluffy February Day 2: That One Time...

SWTOR

Set during KOTET

Setra woke with a start as the Hope Everlasting's pre-flight systems kicked in. She looked at the clock on her bedside table - it was two in the morning. Far too early for Ceetoo or the maintenance crew to be doing any work. A quiet snore next to her told her that Theron was still asleep. Taking care not to wake him, she crawled out of bed and tiptoed to the cockpit. She didn't bother grabbing a weapon; she had a sneaking feeling that she knew who the mystery intruder was.

Her suspicion was confirmed when she found her nephew, Nico Kallig using the Force to turn on and use various ship systems as he sat in the pilot's chair. Setra and Theron were babysitting him for the week as Kiki and Andronikos had business to attend to on Dromund Kaas, and Nico was supposed to be asleep. Setra was impressed; they hadn't yet started training the seven year old how to use the Force on starship systems yet.

She knelt down next to the boy, quickly using the Force herself to turn off the systems that he'd activated as she wrapped an arm around him.

"Hey, buddy, don't you think it's a bit early for Force practice? Bedtime was at nine, remember?"

The little boy nodded, dwarfed by the pilot's seat - he was due for a growth spurt soon. "I wanted to see if I could, like Mommy did that one time on Florrum."

Setra gently guided the boy to the ship's kitchen. She remembered the incident; it was a few months prior, during what was supposed to be an easy relic excavation. It had just been the twins, Qyzen, and Nico on that trip, and Kiki's ship had technical issues that were beyond Setra's skills to fix with what they had on hand. Setra had just left on the Hope Everlasting when Kiki, in a stroke of genius, figured out how to fix the issue - it ended up being a jam in the engines that Setra had missed when running diagnostics.

"And that's totally understandable, bud. But maybe wait in the future, for me, Theron, or Qyzen to be awake for it, yeah?"

The boy nodded, contemplative. "But what if all three of you are in trouble, and Mommy and Daddy aren't around?"

Ah. There it is.

Setra gently pulled the boy into a hug. Then we get Aunt Lana or Miss Sana-Rae. You could even call Uncle Gaden-Ko and he'll come from Voss, remember? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you're seven and it's two in the morning. Now, how do you feel about waffles and a story before I put you back to bed? We got a shipment in of the toaster waffles with walnuts in them?"

Nico cheered up and nearly raced her to the kitchen; Midnight Pancakes was just as much a sacred tradition for him as it was Setra, and waffles were an acceptable substitution. She quickly got him situated with his waffles and a cup of sleepy tea, and was leaning against the wall watching when Theron stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kept his voice low, mouth close to her ear.

"Rough night, I take it? Kiki gets back day after tomorrow, yeah?"

Setra nodded slightly, keeping her voice equally low. "They're going to try and come in late tomorrow night; the girls caught a stomach bug. I was thinking a movie marathon tomorrow? Dawn of the Undead Living movies, shouldn't be too gory for him?"

Theron kissed her neck. "Sounds good, we haven't done a movie marathon with him recently. I'm not sure I've even seen those movies yet."

Setra turned around to kiss him properly, a cheeky grin forming. "Oho, we are going to have fun tomorrow then."

[omgkalyppso]

WIP Wednesday

Hello. I'll share 1300 words of a 4000 word wip that I posted some screenshots of the other day but deleted out of embarrassment. It's 4000 words of longing and it's a fic that's intended to have 3 parts / scenes / chapters? that end in smut, but so far it just feels very silly to me and I wonder whether I should even post it, but I do like it (or at least. can tolerate my own bullshit) after a second look. It's my swtor Imperial Agent oc Chri'dalto and Vector Hyllus and their first night sharing a bed after the kotet reunion (which I never played but watched on y/t) (I stopped playing mid kotfe).

I was tagged by @ghostwise! Thank you for thinking of me! I'll tag @bladesandstars, @the-eldritch-it-gay, @wild-moss-art, @lucius-the-sinful, @tadpole-apocalypse, @evilponds, @razrogue, @littleplasticrat and YOU.

I will mention that I also have at least part of my pre-fic notes included in this wip document as an admittance that I don't even fucking remember if Joiners / Vector sleeps. It has been a while since I played the game. We're on vibes.

.

A Joiner can reflect on the memories of a nest, and so sleep can often also bring a thousand-thousand dreams upon Killik such as Vector. When the nest limited Vector’s connections too them, he began having the same singular styles of nightmare — adrift. Alone.

In the ever expanding emptiness of the universe he watched as all life and creation slipped further and further away. The Song of the Universe muffled in the vastness of space. The warmth of connection, the knowledge of life, his senses, lied. His wife was gone, and one day he would be too, and the nest’s fate would be as mysterious and oppressive as the darkness at the edge of the galaxies.

Vector had rejoiced in his reconnection to the nest when questions and whispers had come through The Song that related to the destiny of his long-lost love. Meditation, community and hope had kept his dreams peaceful, vibrant, and whole.

It stood to reason that the first time he should rejoin his wife in bed for a night of repose should offer him the best sleep yet, but no. His mind was awash with questions and anxieties and the impatience of the nest, and he’d tried, with all the tact of a politician, to reassure them and council patience — perhaps he’d even succeeded, as their dreams which floated in and out of his perception were joyous and mundane, but somehow he was still having his nightmare. His Agent, his family and his nest, were slipping away, no matter how hard he clung to them.

.

Vector awoke with a start. He did not jolt upright, but he did kick a leg out in fear, as if he could have fought the darkness away from himself. The motion hadn’t really propelled him so far as his waking body could perceive, and yet still he was nearly sent into a panic by the unfamiliar sensation of a body around him, a hand squeezing his left wrist in response to his violent slip from sleep.

“Vector?” said that impossible voice at his neck, and Vector instantly bent his right arm so that he could squeeze at the hand holding onto him. His Agent. His wife. A safe bed and a blessed place to find himself, to be sure. How could he have mistaken their shared aura for anyone else?

“We are sorry to have woken you,” he said softly, tone shamed and throat dry.

The Agent didn’t respond, and Vector hoped she slept once more. He had been grateful that she had offered to share her bed, and did not now seek to have her regret their closeness, nor this embrace, because he was failing to let them rest.

He imagined rolling over onto his opposite side, upsetting the hold the Agent kept around him for the sake of being face to face, to observe her and her aura directly. To press his forehead to hers and …

And he realized that this was already what she had been doing, with the side of her face pressed to the back of his neck, her breath tickling across his skin, her proximity and perception inescapable.

They were close. Closer than he expected them to be. Even so …

He'd imagined two scenarios as the most likely for if the Agent sought to reassert their relationship: either they would want to take it slow and he would spend months courting her, or they would be as pent up as he was and they would be all sweat and passion. He wasn't prepared for gentle intimacy. To be held and … presumably expected not to touch, not to take it too far, not to fantasize about their scents and auras intermingling while their bodies rocked together in rapturous ecstasy.

The weight of their arm was more than enough to entice and feed Vector’s imagination. He pictured his wife's hand guiding his by the wrist to touch himself for her amusement. Or taking his hand and putting it in her hair to keep his body open to their groping fingers.

Vector carefully flexed his hand to watch his wife's grip spread and relax around his forearm. Her purple-black fingers could be gripping him elsewhere. They belonged in his mouth.

Vector briefly considered rolling off the bed to right himself, to rattle his brain and silence his cock. With luck he would be sleeping with his Cipher Nine for a long time now, with charm he might restore their sexual intimacy after a period of acceptable growth before he made a fool of himself also.

His aura fizzed like angry clouds and carbonated fluid, and with little patience for himself, Vector gently guided Cipher’s hand from his body and down to her side as he slipped from the bed. The refresher wasn’t far, and either a quick moment of personal maintenance would aid in quieting his mind and body for the night — especially while Cipher Nine’s scent clung to his skin as surely as her body protested being separated from him, or a far more restrained splash of cold water should discipline his imagination from it’s continuous hungry spirals.

He had taken but a step when he heard shifting in the sheets behind him and another worried beckoning of his name.

“Vector?”

With a deep breath, he angled himself as best he could, willing that the dark and his wife’s grogginess would spare him his embarrassment. He kept his hands at his sides, but knew his posture was anything but relaxed.

“Only going to the refresher, Cipher,” he said. At least his voice was regulated.

Cipher Nine extended her arm out across the space in her bed that he had occupied, her fingers grasping at empty air. She pouted, “Touch my hand.”

Her command given, she dropped her sleepy face into the pillows, and with a small sigh of amusement, Vector cautiously approached to do as was asked, letting her squeeze his palm in reassurance. She tilted her head to free her mouth from the prison of her bedding to grumble, “Kiss my forehead when you get back.”

He didn’t answer her then, satisfied to leave her presence while she was relaxed, and appeased, and grateful. He wished that he was much the same, and did not want to prolong their parting or risk her suspicion for the delay of his absence because of his own confused emotions. . Vector ran cold water on his fingers, and splashed it upon his face, willing himself into memories, both his own and from the shared bank of the nest. Ice cold water in chilling glaciers, fires ravaging all they consumed, the emptiness of isolation. However each memory brought with it, its twin. The relief of reunion, the smells of blood and blaster burns where Cipher Nine was at her most impressive, the nectar of life in a shared canteen first at her lips and then at his.

It took longer than he’d have liked to find comfort in his state of conduct, and returning to his wife’s chambers did little to alleviate his problems. He briefly wished he could bust into a swarm and touch her every possession, breathe and float upon every unoccupied space of shared air, cocoon her in warmth and the humming of wings. It was not a fantasy she’d share, he imagined, though the breadth her enthusiasm and support of his place in Killik society and the physiology that came with it remained a priceless and precious surprise every time he was reminded of it.

Instead he walked to the bed with the sure gait of a Killik, relishing in the hum of the ship and the song of the stars, and the beautiful aura of his sleeping love. Half a human but wholly a man, Vector sat close to his wife and extended his arm across her body to cage her beneath him, between his wrist and his body, where he could bend his elbow to lower himself to her level and kiss her head as requested.

Cipher Nine made a small noise of acknowledgment, slowly rolling over as Vector straightened his arm, assuring they had the space they needed for their horns between them. She may have just been tired, but her aura was … sharp, sluiced with discordant colors, and so with some concern, Vector asked, “How are you feeling?”

[chibikyo]

Soo - what is your Jedi Knight and Vowrawn's story? :)

The one shot was an AU of how I actually have things go post kotet, but I briefly summarized their relationship on this post

Kaosu and Vowrawn have a friends with benedits sort of thing during vanilla story and post Ilum, but ultimately I have her ending romance with Lord Scourge.

I do have most of the story mentioned written up, separated into four parts. I should start posting it, so i'm driven to finish the darn thing 😆

I'll add the link to this post once part 1 is posted

[thelealinhypehouse]

They are flirting~, im sorry Lana

Well Shae hot headed, very mysterious Malgus, Sall is so done with it.

Thats very in character for him. That answer was perfect.

That was very heartwarming conversation, i like it~

The meeting...damn the vision would goes to grand finale of the game with final decisions that shape your ending of the game.

and plz look at that jedi boi. Moon pilgrim fits for the Voss vibe and not showing in full armor. More friendly shaped : D

Game shamelessly telling us "Save Torian in KOTET if you want more lore" but i like that talk, Torian needed it, glad to lend an ear for him.

Overall: Nice patch, Voss quest little tiresome...expect the Cantina shift, i forgot to put my master chief outfit from Feast of Prosperity. : D. More important: I WANT MY DATES.

[greyias]

As always, Theron Shan is a master of disguise, and he and Peytzia were the most inconspicuous spies in all of KOTET.

Happy birthday, Jayde!

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear @mjaydziarand, happy birthday to you!”

(This is all @greyias‘s fault. ;) )

Patreon || Feed the Jawa’s coffee addiction || Commission Information

[vorn-legacy]

Bioware, the one trick pony

TAtC got spoilered for me. Not too bothered by that so much. Except oh my goodness, can their writers not seriously get their stuff together and have NEW IDEAS maybe that don't involve the exact same narrative devices recycled again and again and again with each iteration making the previous seem less impactful to the point where we no longer care about any of it.

Also... It would appear that returning companions have everything to do with striking/reluctant actors and nothing to do with story. So then... How is it possible to have such a good and successful product, based in an unparalleled setting, and handle it so badly? Repeatedly??

[lonewolfel]

SWTOR Secret Santa

A gift to @queen-scribbles from your secret santa. I used your Theron romance, Voss, and your Jedi Consular Vica Nerai. I hope you enjoy.

@chokit-pyrus

Rating: Gen (talk about destruction, injury, and death but this is all in the background)

Characters: Vica Nerai (Jedi Consular and Commander for the sake of this story), Theron Shan, Nadia, Senya, Valkorion, Koth (mentioned), Arcann (mentioned)

Relationship: Vica/Theron

Note: This is a missing scene. It takes place after Chapter 1 of KOTET. There is also a flashback and talking of the Jedi Consular story. 

Voss had burned.

Vica remembered what Voss had looked like before. The colors and the people. So much of it now destroyed in the crossfire of Vaylin gunning for her family.

Theron walked towards the Jedi. He placed an arm around her. Vica gave him a weak smile. The smile then faded.

"How's Senya?" Vica asked. Theron looked away.

"She's stable but still not great. Whatever the Voss do for healing took a lot out of her." Theron said. Vica looked at the ground and nodded. She knew exactly what the Voss did. The same that she had done for Gaiden Ko all those years. A transfer of life for another.  

Vica remembered that time...the first time.

Vica and Nadia stepped off of the shuttle onto the surface of Voss.

"Wow, Voss is so beautiful," Nadia said. Vica had to agree. Voss's flora and species had such a wide variety of colors than so many other planets. Different than the constant silver or Coruscant or the various shades of green and brown of Tython. The species were so brightly colored. It truly was a sight to behold.

"It is. Voss is strong with the Force." Vica said.

"I feel it, Master," Nadia said. It was odd in a way that Vica had never felt. It was strong in the Force like Tython, but yet it wasn't.

It wasn't like Tython. The Force didn't feel light like that. Nor did it feel like the oppressive darkness of the dark side. This was balance. Neither the dark nor the light hold sway over the planet.

As they explored the planet they learned it wasn't the case for the entire planet. But for now, it seemed so balanced to the two Jedi.

"Come on, Nadia let's go meet Ambassador Sophia Farash," Vica said

"Ok, Master," Nadia said with a slight bow. 

Now it had all changed. She was no longer searching for Children of the Emperor or allies for the Republic. Now she had been called here to help them. Not seek their aid.

She had to make a choice today. She didn't know if she made the right choice.

She wanted to believe Senya that Arcann can be redeemed and saved, but doubt clawed at her. What if she saved Arcann to only condemn the rest of the galaxy.

Theron wrapped his arm around her. This broke Vica out of her thoughts.

"Do you think that I did the right thing?" Vica asked. She looked at Theron.

"I don't know," Theron responds. "we can't dwell on the past. We can only focus on the future." Vica lightly hit his shoulders.

"When did you get so wise?" Vica asked

"I have my moments," Theron said. The couple stood up and walked towards the shuttle. In the shuttle was an unconscious Senya. Vica would have healed her if it wasn't for Valkorion. She didn't want to risk it.

Vica didn't know what Valkorion's plan was. That scared her. The Children of the Emperor's purpose had always been so clear. Sabotage the Republic and bring the Empire to a win. The Emperor was clear. He wanted death and destruction. To ensure his immortality.

Valkorion was another story. He was a mystery to Vica. She wanted to apply what she thought of the Sith Emperor. That Valkorion was cruel only wanting destruction and death. Leave only Zakuul and their worship of him as a god alone in the galaxy.

Yet that didn't fit him completely. Hearing how Senya and Koth had described him didn't fit that image. According to Senya, he had once been kind and compassionate. They had loved each other and it hadn't been for power. Koth had described him as a benevolent ruler who wanted what was best for his people.

Now Valkorion was in Vica's head. He wanted the Jedi to take the Zakuulan throne, but that didn't fit her image of him. No, he had to have been plotting something. His presence was cold and dark in her mind. She wondered if this was what Syo Bakarn had felt like the First Son.

Vica heard Valkorion's laugh in her head. She pushed it down and focused on the unconscious woman.

Senya would be fine. Vica had learned that from experience from the last time that she had been on Voss. While Senya was worse off, Vica wasn't too concerned. Unlike most of her friends. Theron had a look of concern as he looked at the unconscious older woman. She knew that Senya just needed resting to heal. The Voss life exchange healing took a lot of energy. Vica didn't know how long it would be before Senya would awake. She hoped that it would be soon. That the knight of Zakuul will help them find her wayward son before he does any more damage. If he does...

"Vica," Theron said. He broke the Jedi out of her thoughts. Vica turned towards the spy. He looked at her in concern.

"I'm fine," Vica said waving off his concern. She was as fine as she ever was going to be at the moment. Everything had changed so quickly this past year. Vica had found out that she had a sister for crying out loud. She had missed five years of her life. Most of her friends were gone. Theron had been her rock. She loves him.

Theron didn't seem to believe her. Though he didn't call her out on it. That may have been the fact it would have been hypocritical for him to say it. As such he just shrugged and stood up straighter.

"Where to Commander?" Theron asked

"Home," Vica said without thinking. Though it fit. Her ship had once been her home, but now it was just an empty piece of metal. Theron leaned down and kissed her before moving to the cockpit.

Voss had burned, but Vica would do anything to ensure that no other planet faced Voss’s fate. 

[sullustangin]

The Expendables

A brief ditty about three kill options (and I kept it under 1500 words!). 

Post-KotET

“All right. You go get your stuff, and I’ll keep an eye on the ship.”

Arcann nodded, silently, as he opened the shuttle door and jumped out onto the landing pad on top of the palace at the heart of Zakuul.

Annnnd that left Koth, with Senya, waiting.  “You aren’t going with him?”

Senya looked out of the viewport at the traffic that moved below them.  “I took my possessions with me when I left his father.  There’s nothing for me here.”

“Ok.”  Koth drummed his fingers on the dashboard.  It wasn’t out of nerves -- not anymore.  He was impatient.  He didn’t want to be here.  He loved Zakuul.. but his home wasn’t on this planet.  Wasn’t anywhere yet, to be honest.  He was only here because Lana asked him to do her a favor. 

Both Koth and Senya knew what that favor really was. 

“Maybe you can help hurry him along? Grab a bag, make a suggestion...?”  Koth gestured toward the door.

Senya shook her head.  “He needs his privacy.  The Alliance has watched him very closely since he arrived -- which I understand!” Senya said a bit quicker and louder than necessary.  “I just want to give him a few moments alone with his thoughts.”  She cast a look at the door that led down into the residence.  “You know, they’re turning this place into a museum.  And a mall.”

Koth leaned back in his seat.  “Well, finally gives people a chance to see what their taxes paid for over the last few centuries.”

Senya sat on the edge of her seat, constantly looking over at where her son had disappeared.  

Koth sighed, loudly.

“Could you --?”

“You just don’t want to catch him getting his girlie holo collection.”

Senya huffed, then withdrew slightly.  “I-I-I don’t know if he has girlie holos... or boy-ie holos.  I left before he ... went through those changes.”  Senya’s shame was laced through the sentence.  She was never going to forgive herself for leaving, was she.

“Well, he clearly likes girls, at least, since that’s why I’m here.”  Koth looked over at Senya.  “You let Arcann try to ask the Captain out or something, and now I’m here because Lana doesn’t want Spy Guy letting Arcann accidentally, mysteriously fall off a building.”

Senya pressed her lips together before replying.  “War -- conflict makes and breaks relationships.  I didn’t know how permanent --”

“Woman, your son threw his kinda sorta girlfriend into a freezer for five years.  He didn’t get over it. And now you let Arcann make a move?  You’re lucky Theron kept that to himself instead of telling the Wookiee.  You wanna see paternal panic?  Lord.”  Bowdaar was awesome, and Koth would have him serving on the Gravestone if he didn’t know the big guy wouldn’t stand being parted from Eva, his captain. 

Senya closed her eyes, and for a split second, Koth thought he’d made her cry and that was soooo NOT HIS INTENT.  Koth’s internal panic was quelled when she spoke, more tired and frustrated than tearful.  “It was the first time he expressed any positive interest in anyone that wasn’t me or his siblings.  So many years since he... Since he wasn’t trying to get revenge or best a rival in combat or play politics.  Maybe he was too awkward and came on too strong -- but I didn’t want to discourage that the first positive impulse he’d had in over ten years.”  

Koth tipped his forehead forward to rest on the piloting controls of the shuttle. He’d spent years blaming Arcann for the downfall of Zakuul. Knowing that it was the old emperor playing everyone made him hate Arcann less, but... it was honestly mindblowing to watch the guy hit ‘reply all’ to a Odessen holonet announcement to ask about how to do laundry. It proved how disconnected Arcann had been from reality all these years. 

(Lana made Koth help, once she knew via securiy holo that he’d literally been sitting next to Arcann as he’d done it.)

Arcann needed a friend to clean out his old apartment.  Well, the Force, Providence, the Galaxy, Lana -- they all moved in mysterious ways that had led Koth here. 

He unbuckled his seatbelt.

**

Koth found Arcann standing in the remains of a bedroom.  It had been blasted to shreds, the contents of every chest, every drawer scattered everywhere.  A fire had kindled on the bed for awhile before dying out.  Koth let out a low whistle, which caught Arcann’s attention.  “Vaylin redecorated in my absence.”

Koth stifled a laugh.  Arcann had a dry wit that came out when he wasn’t brooding or being clueless about normal people life. “She leave you anything?”

“A few things.”  Arcann held up an old carved box.

Koth recognized it as one of those multi-dimensional chess sets that only the richest people could afford.  “Anything I can do to help?”  Koth offered.

Arcann motioned around the room.  “If you find something not broken, let me know.”  The former ruler turned his scarred side in Koth’s direction.  “That might only be yourself.” 

A dry wit with a heavy dose of self-hate. 

The two men sifted through the remains of the room.  Koth managed to find one or two datapads that escaped Vaylin’s wrath.  Arcann pulled some clothes out of his closet -- all whites and blacks.  Maybe they could get the smoke damage out back at base. 

As Koth straightened up and cracked his back, he heard Arcann say, “She let me live because it infuriated my father.”

“Huh?”

“He told her to kill me.  So many times.  Even as she took the throne -- you know what she said to him?”

Koth hadn’t asked anyone what happened at the time.  He just sat in the ship, gazing down at Zakuul as all the lights blinked back on as people emerged from hiding and the darkness.

“She told him she’d give the throne back to me, just to spite him, if he didn’t shut his mouth.”

Koth smiled openly now.  “That sounds like Eva, all right.”  His grin waned slightly as he saw Arcann standing there, torn between laughing and ... not laughing at all.  “Well, at least you know she hates you less than your old man.”

“I’m alive because of her spite.  It... it hadn’t occurred to me that wasn’t the best basis for... companionship.. until after...” 

Koth read Arcann like a damn holonovel -- captains knew how to do that for the safety of their ship, getting a quick assessment in just a few glances.  “You went back after she gave you the brush off.  And she got meaner about it.  Told you--”

“Agent Shan’s presence in her ship after hours also bolstered the fact she hadn’t spared me out of any affection.” 

Koth cringed. “Arcann, you gotta give up on her or else she will kill you.  Or he will. Or Bowdaar.  Or the rest of her crew, now that they’re back with her.  She’s got a lot of people who aren’t afraid of going to jail for her.” 

And Koth was one of them, if he was honest.  Technically, he’d go to jail for Lana after Lana killed someone for her. 

Arcann exhaled through his nose.  “She didn’t kill me at the ball, so I assumed she --”  His throat bobbed as he stared around his old room one last time, balling up the smoke-infested garments and tucking them under his arm.  “I only knew love and hate.  There was no mercy.  There was never an in-between.  Nobody was permitted to live unless they were a stalwart ...Nothing was neutral or grey.  There was just white and black.”  He looked down at his clothes.  “I have much to learn.”

Arcann dropped the white and black clothes.  As he started to let the chess set slip from his hands, Koth darted over, easily intercepting the small chest before it hit the floor.  “Hey, the wardrobe needs an update.  But... you’ll find someone good to play with on Odessen, someday.”  Koth grasped the chest one-handed and braced it against his chest to make sure he didn’t drop it.  “For now, you’ll have to settle for teaching my impatient self.”

Arcann smiled, slightly. 

[rainofaugustsith]

One thing about the Imperial Agent and Shadow of Revan/Ziost: the romance with Lana is adorbs on the other seven classes, IMHO. On the Agent? It's kind of clear that Lana doesn't trust Cipher Nine as far as she can throw her and it shows up in a lot of the Agent-specific conversations. It makes the romance a little awkward - and is probably one reason that both of my Brynns have flirted with Major Anri and not done the Lana romance. It just doesn't seem to fit, exactly. In KOTFE and KOTET Brynn 2.0 and Lana have a really good friendship and working relationship but again - the romance just doesn't seem to fit them. Here's what Lana says to the Wrath and the Bounty Hunter in the first cantina convo, vs. what she says to Cipher Nine.

Lana (to Auyrini, Bounty Hunter): You're of great importance to the Empire, yet you exist outside of it, Hunter...I can't think of anyone better suited to be on my side right now. Lana (to Viri, Sith Warrior): I'm far from weak, but I'm only one Sith. Whatever's coming, I can't stop it alone, Wrath. And to the Agent:

Lana (to Brynn, Imperial Agent): Someone like you, Commander - most would never trust you. But you're practically the only one I trust right now. Help me unravel this mystery. Here's Lana waxing poetic about staying on Rishi.

Lana: I've never met a people quite like the Rishii. Pragmatic, accommodating, reasonable - if it wasn't for the weather, I'd consider staying. The answer all characters gave was the same: "I could see making a home here." She responds really warmly to the Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor and Bounty Hunter who agree they'd like to stay. To the Sith she says this, and she's pretty flirty:

Lana (to Viri): Really. New seat of the Empire, maybe. But to the Agent...ouch. This is not a flirt.

Lana (to Cipher Nine): Really. Hardly a hub of galactic secrets, current circumstances aside.

To be fair I understand why Lana would have been very suspicious of Cipher Nine- their entire deal is that they deceive and go undercover and try to gain others' trust. But it's sad in terms of the romance.

[tiredassmage]

Current biggest crisis is I’ve decided my Jedi Knight is the long-lost sister of my Cipher Nine and I (a) still haven’t decided if she’s The Jedi Knight PC because I haven’t finished the damn class story, but I’m leaning Absolutely Fuckin’ Yes for Extra Emotional seeming likely based on what I’ve seen of it so far and also

(b) for Biggest Problem with this so far is that I’m 3/4′s of the way through writing them meeting and actually discovering this for the first time in the version where Nine/Tyr is the Commander and she survives and joins the Alliance and... I have no fucking clue where to put this on the timeline.

In the middle of KOTFE/KOTET? As the result of maybe like an Alliance Alert? (Wouldn’t be necessarily that he recruited her personally so much as she joined up other ways and then they have a Talk)

Or do I put this later after Jedi Under Siege and Ossus? Do I give them the additional problem of Tyr, for all the LOOKS a loyal Imperial, talking to his now possibly rogue Jedi Knight Republic sister joining an Alliance seemingly joined hand in hand with the Empire??? Do I have them try to unpack all of this on their first meeting? (As I write this, the answer is currently “no” so far in the fic bc hooo boy, she doesn’t want to open a can of galactic worms with the Alliance Commander on their first private meeting, she has PERSONAL questions (which is already a problem for her ex-Cipher unwittingly long-lost brother))

And also I’ve already written - in comparison to what I usually write - a boatload of things between Tyr and Theron all right around Nathema/the Incident of Joining and Double Agenting the Empire bc Fuck the Empire and I’ve made no mention of this Ever in Any of them which like tbf it wouldn’t be major bc this would still be Fresh and New with how I’m going now and not exactly a relevant thought on his head bc hehe boyfriend brain (they’re utterly useless around each other ffs how do they do anything they’re super competent spy bfs and also super head empty no thoughts all at once) bUT

Anyway, the TLDR is I’m having a crisis about when the siblings figure out they’re actually siblings because sweet blessed stars in the Ilum sky, Cipher Commander Tyr already had enough shit going on in his head about loyalty and his past and how fucked up this galaxy was BEFORE I decided to make him Worse and give him a sister he was too young to remember when they were separated by an Imperial attack. :)))

Gently puts a sticker on Cipher Nine’s forehead, this bitch can fit SO much trauma in there.

I do this because I love him. And therefore I am a Menace.

Oh, and (c) the unrelated issue is I also want to write about Tyr’s other relationships with like, the OG IA crew bc they’re a bunch of fucking misfits all sharing the same sliver of confined space together and how they all didn’t eat each other is actually probably the galaxy’s biggest mystery that it’ll never know about bc if the galaxy knew that much about Cipher Nine I think Tyr would simply Fade Away out of existence it’s already so alarming to him that he’s just the Commander now and people know about it like for all most of them know he’s just Some Fuckin’ Guy that pissed off the actual Emperor and somehow also managed to own his ass about it and by the stars themselves that’s all they should know please help him who thought any of this was a good idea

[badsithnocookie]

Legendary Items are Earpieces and Implants that have a Legendary bonus on them. This bonus can only appear on these items. Previously, you would see these types of bonuses when you collected set bonuses, which were previously gained by collecting two, four, or six pieces of specific armor.

Starting in 7.0, you now only gain these bonuses on Legendary Items and not sets. By having these appear on single item slots, you will have greater customization of the bonuses you receive. We will be able to provide a broader range of options, including some older fan favorites. When we get closer to testing out Legendary Items, we will be asking the community about their favorite set bonuses from previous game updates, and incorporating many of them into the initial 7.0 batch of Legendaries. More on that to come!

How do Legendary Items work?

Players will be able to equip two Legendary Items at a time. Each piece of Legendary gear will have a unique effect that will enhance and improve various playstyles, and affect your stats in the same manner that gear does today. Implants will have a greater focus on utility improvements, while Earpieces will be more skewed towards improving Combat Style power and effectiveness. No more needing to stack multiple pieces of gear in order to get a set bonus’s effect since it will be rolled into a single Legendary Item!

These items will be obtained at a lower item rating (non-max level) and can be upgraded to higher levels. Essentially, you can increase a Legendary’s item rating over time as they do not need to be replaced like current gear does.  

We want players to be able to experience a variety of Legendary Items, so they won't be inherently difficult to obtain. While you may get them at a lower item rating than some of your other gear, you will have the ability to increase a Legendary Item’s Rating directly.

What about current gear?

Set bonuses as they stand today will be gradually phased out. If you are a returning player, you will find that your current set bonuses will be deactivated upon reaching level 76. Note the stats on those pieces of gear will still be applied to your character, only the set bonuses will cease functioning at that time. Rather than having to collect up to six pieces of armor for a Legendary affix, you can focus on obtaining one or two. Being freed from the restriction of set bonuses will also allow you the freedom to mix and match armor to your heart’s content, allowing you to customize your characters more than ever before and without losing the effects and abilities you were accustomed to having previously.

from today’s newspiece on lots gearing

man i am just. i mean i have been 1000% over set bonuses not functioning over a certain level since it was introduced in onslaught (and this is not even getting into set bonuses nominally the same as in previous expacs but not stacking in kotet), as much as i will also concede that it’s the only way to tackle the issue of ‘players keeping or mixing older set bonuses with new gear’ Thing that i know happened in prior expacs

(set bonus being tied to the shell rather than the armouring also plays a part in this, in as much as it means that you are kneecapping yourself if you use an older set bonus even without it mysteriously deactivating once you’re at level n)

i don’t hate the idea of a piece of gear being something you upgrade over time - it actually ‘feels’ marginally less sisyphean than most mmo-adjacent gearing (not dissimilar, on the surface, to infusion in d2 - prior to all this gear sunset nonsense anyway). ofc, this just means that higher levels of upgrade will require exponentially more grind, but, again, mmo gearing.

[sunderedazem]

Star Wars (SWTOR) fic drop!

Title: Crescent Moon Rising

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Theron Shan/Lana Beniko/Jedi Knight OC (eventual)

Summary:

The Force works in mysterious ways - this is a fact that both Jedi and Sith alike know. It ties together the galaxy, patient and waiting, forever warring with itself, light and dark clashing at every turn. Yet as Valkorion's power grows and he continues to consume, leaving the empty shells of planets in his wake, pitting light against dark so he can feed off the fallout, the Force moves with him, around him, and through him. Its fragile webbing trembles, shatterpoints fracturing the future into splinters with every passing movement - and all at once, the net falls into place, and in a single moment the long path forward shifts.

Without realizing it, the void makes his own undoing.

And so, years later, a young Padawan takes his first steps down the road of fate.

(OC-centric, Character-development-driven fic)

Major Additional Tags: Choose Not to Warn, Canon-typical Violence (probably?), Angst, Disillusionment fic (aka a Jedi discovers that the Republic is corrupt and his childhood hopes and views of what he's fighting for are slowly shattered into bits), Canon divergence after KOTET/KOTFE

Fic link in Replies!

[azems-familiar]

Bored KOTOR? Okay.

Which one sidequest do you think could use a overhaul?

hmmmm so i'll preface this with saying that in my single completed playthrough i didn't do most of the sidequests, and it's been a hot minute, so i don't remember them all - also most of the companion quests should be fleshed out, but i haven't done all of them.

but honestly? i think it'd be really fun for the GenoHaradan quest chain to get an overhaul and made actually more a) impactful b) a mystery, like. show more how they're tied into things? it's implied that they've been secretly keeping the Republic in power for centuries, iirc, and yet all the game does with that is have you kill a couple bosses and the guy go "oh cool i'm in charge now thanks and you'll never see me again" like. come on, missed opportunity much? i really loved what they did with the GH in kotet in swtor tbh and i have some Thoughts about that

oh! also that one quest on Manaan where it's finding the missing selkath kids, there was so much potential there but it felt sort of wasted? like iirc you just talk to them? and you can decide whether to encourage them to be Sith or not?

.....okay to be fair i think about half the game needs an overhaul for dark side options to be. actually subtle things that make sense instead of just sadism or money grabbing, but that's not actually the question you asked, and i've gone off on a tangent now oops.

(i don't actually know how many of the sidequests i'm going to include in my novelization - i'm definitely going to be working in some of the companion ones, but we'll have to see. i need to replay the game as i go along)

[jeswii]

KotFE/KotET Headcanon Time!

@pauletta-00​ put out these questions and I was interested in answering even if I’m a little late. 

1. Who is your Outlander? How did they end up frozen for 5 years? Why did you make them the Outlander?

My main Outlander is Kel’raldo, LS Jedi Consular, who I swear at some point I’ll start putting out stories about her but I did want to finish writing it first. Freezing stayed pretty close to cannon after you deny Valkorion’s offer. I made them the Outlander because I really love the Consular story and the dynamic with her and Lana in a relationship.

2. What happened to the rest of the classes?

Oof, this is going to take a moment. 

First the characters that aren’t in the story and just assumed dead but I don’t have a plan: the Agent and Smuggler. 

In this world the Bounty Hunter (Igen’tabok) is her father and he’s kicking just fine but they don’t get along well. 

The Sith Inquisitor (Chaivo) and Kel’raldo met when they were both slaves on Nar Shaddaa and during the five years she goes into hiding to watch after her family after being extremely injured in battle.

The Sith Warrior (Jarrden Beniko) is Lana’s brother in this story and he goes underground after Ziost and turns to working in the shadows. He joins up with the Alliance when Vette does in Profit and Plunder.

The Jedi Knight (Diyu) and Kel’raldo have been training together since they were children and he was one of the first people when she met when she joined the order. He stayed with the Jedi for a while but after realizing for once he couldn’t one man army himself through this war he started to re-evaluate his stance. He goes lone wolf for a while but joins the alliance very early on.

The Trooper (Meliant Cophir aka Cop) stayed with Havoc and shows back up with Aric during Disavowed. Her, Diyu and Kel’raldo were all friends and worked a few missions together here and there before kotfe happened.

3. What about the companions?

Most of the companions follow the cannon returns, maybe with slight alterations. All except Tharan and Zenith. Both of them went hunting for Kel’raldo after Nadia started to get a weird feeling about it but couldn’t go on her own. They end up with Igen’tabok to track her down and join the alliance while it’s still under construction.

4/5. If applicable how do characters react if the Alliance joins the opposite faction? How do they react to being saboteur?

Kel’raldo joins back with the Republic as soon as she can on Iokath so no betrayals and saboteur-ing. Igen’tabok left before this happened, but Jarrden leaves after. Chaivo stays with the Alliance, but she has her reasons that will be a *mystery* for now.

6. How would your characters react if one of their companions is exiled or dead because of the Outlander’s choices?

The Vette/Torian choice doesn’t happen in this version of the story but other characters do end up dead. Kel’raldo reacts very deeply to almost every soldier she looses under her command as Commander, and it does lead to some conflict with other classes.

7. If you have something written, link it.

I haven’t published much about Kel’raldo but I did put out this one WIP where Lana and Kel’raldo sing karaoke. Find it here.

[greyias]

SO! I finally downloaded today’s patch -- and so we got a cutscene--except not really, lol.

This is a “hidden” mission of sorts. You’ll need a pair of macrobinoculars from the Shroud storyline, and head off to the overlook on Odessen, where after two years we finally were able to afford some spackle and fix that nasty crack Vaylin put into the wall back during KOTET.

And... honestly, it’s ten whole seconds of cutscene. Let me just put them together for you guys.

MYYYYYSERYYYYYYY

WHOOOO COULD IT BEEEEEEE

IT’S SOO--

Okay, it’s not really that much of a surprise if you like, looked at the Jedipedia stuff for this patch at all, you know exactly who those two figures are. And I did. And like, the mask didn’t properly phase through on the 3D model on one. And like. It kind of had the name of their voiceset on one. So, like, yeah. I know who our tall buff friendo is, and who his petite little masked buddy is too. And I also have a fairly decent idea of what they’ve been up to, and because I’ve seen some other stuff float around the past year-ish or so, both on livestreams and varous Q&As, etc.

But like.

I’m laughing because--what the HECK GUYS--I mean, mysterious observerrrrrs

It’s been like seven years since I last saw you, and you’re just gonna... creep on us from afar. And then like, POOF out of existence the moment I head up to my fancy conference room to get a better look? ROOD. Grey kicked someone out of the Alliance because they made a bad joke about one of you jesters being dead!

Also, you learned to pack up camp quick. Like. REALLY quick.

As an aside-- can you imagine how this conversation later went down with Lana and Theron.

Outlander: Hey guys, something really weird happened today.

Lana/Theron: Uh huh. Sure.

Outlander: I was out looking over the valley, contemplating life’s existence as I do.

Lana/Theron: *not looking up from their respective datapads* Mmhmm.

Outlander: And I saw this thing.

Lana: ...thing?

Outlander: So I got out my fancy spy goggles I stole from the Shroud--

Theron: I’M THE PROFESSIONAL SPY--where are MY fancy spy goggles? :( :( :( :(

Outlander: And there were these two masked figures just camping out. Kind of creeping on us from afar.

Theron: WHAT?

Lana: WHAT KIND OF MASKS? Were they snake masks?

Theron: OH NO I’VE DONE MY TIME

Lana: WE SHOULD PUT THE ENTIRE BASE ON LOCKDOWN

Theron: AND REVIEW ALL FOOTAGE--

Outlander: But I haven’t finished. ANYWAY. So I RANNNNN all the way up to the conference room--

Theron: I’ll order everyone to do biometric scans, we can’t be too careful.

Lana: There’s no time for that, we should just interrogate everyone--

Outlander: But when I got to the window to look again--THEY WERE GONE! ...hey, are you guys listening to me?

Theron/Lana: *in full red alert mode -- definitely not listening*

Outlander: Anyway it was really weird. Just thought you should know.