SWRPF Archive [AU Tatooine] The Desert That Shall Not Be Named

IC: Siri Tachi

She was moving. That's the first thing Siri became aware of. The second thing was pain. Her head was pounding awfully hard. "Ugh", she groaned. She heard muffled words she couldnt make out, but that wasnt what worried her. It was the tone of the voice. A robotical deep voice. It was at that moment she remembered what had happened. She was fighting Vader and he smacked her head with his lightsaber.

Putting aside her feelings of annoyance, she was puzzled. "Why didnt he kill me?", she thought to herself. The answer she came up with left her cold. "He's going to use me to lure Ben and the others out", she thought. Putting up her mental shields even tighter, she managed to sit up. Glaring at the Dark Lord driving the speeder, she finally spoke, "Do you actually believe your plan will work?".

TAG: Vader, Vos

 

IC:C-3P0

["Chewbacca?"]

"No that particularly angry wookiee is definitely not Chewbacca. Captain Solo is over there. He's been injured. If that were truly Chewbacca, he would have been at Captain Solo's side."

He then turned to the assassin droid who said

Objection: There is a great difference in ?obsolete? and ?inimitable,? protocol droid. Definition: ?inimitable? is incapable of being imitated or copied; surpassing imitation; matchless, much like the asphyxiating face of a meat bag while the throat is squeezed between cold metal extremities making all sorts of satisfying noises and expressions of helplessness.

"The HK 40 series all had the same programming. Indeed so did my own series as did my counterparts. We are all imitable. In your case, a more advanced model, the HK-50 series was the first to replace you. As I've explained before, the top model as of my time is the IG and YVH series."

?Query: Did you say 2 millennia? Suggestion: your flawed pacifistic meat bag programming has possibly interfered with your chronometer, protocol droid.?

Offended, Threepio moved from behind the protection of Artoo, his right hand raised in an attempt at pointing.

"Now see here!" Threepio said, "My chronometer is perfectly fine. If your programming were not so outdated, you would have Observed that the beings on this word seem to have come from different places in time and history. The odds of it happening are approximately six billion seven hundred thousand two-hundred forty to one. However, I have seen far larger odds beaten many times since my creation. Further, the fact that everyone claims to be from a different place in time supports this theory. My counterpart here looks like he came from a time older than my own and you look ancient compared to droids in my time."

Tag: Artoo, HK-47, others

OOC: Let's see how much worse Threepio can make things

 

OOC: I googled batgrenades to see what they can do, and what do you know, this game, with your entry Minch, is on the first results page!



IC: Qui-Gon Jinn
~Jabba?s stronghold~


Qui-Gon gasped. The impact with the wall had hammered the breath right out of him and he thought he had felt something crack inside.

Through a daze of pain he looked at the Sith, desperately holding on to his lightsaber, expecting an immediate attack? but its attention was elsewhere.

It was gazing upward.

*No! Anakin, Ben? the babies!*

He stood, awkward, still fighting to get enough breath in his lungs, just as the Sith blew away the ceiling grid, creating an opening to the hall above them.

That had to take a lot of strength. He should attack it right now.

Qui-Gon let the Force flow through him and launched himself at the Sith, through more smoke that suddenly appeared. The Sith turned to him, blade held in both hands, ready to strike, when two explosions rocked the cave, throwing the Sith off balance and halting Qui-Gon?s flight with a shockwave of heat.

Hand out to deflect the worst of it, Qui-Gon landed on his feet and immediately went through with his attack.

His blade met the red one of his dark opponent, the impact hard and he felt ribs shift inside. It almost made him lose his grip on his saber.

This being had almost defeated him once already and it seemed it would completely defeat him later on in his life? the life he no longer led. So he didn?t think he would be able to hold out against him for long. But then, he didn?t have to, just long enough to give Ben a chance to get the children and the princess to safety.

And Batman was somewhere as well.

The red lightsaber descended on him again and he quickly brought up his own to catch it. This time the impact drove him backwards, the next ones as well, until he stood with his back against the rock wall, using it to brace himself.

The red Zabrak in front of him grinned, sensing the end, his tattooed face radiating satisfaction. Qui-Gon knew it was right, his end had indeed come. And maybe it should, after all, wasn?t this his destiny?

But the Sith suddenly turned away from him, his lightsaber slashing upwards, just in time to deflect a laserbolt coming from above. Another bolt followed and another, a whole volley of them, forcing him back, away from Qui-Gon, back to the trapdoor with the gaping hole in it.

Qui-Gon straightened himself away from the wall, following the Sith?s retreat with his eyes, wondering what it should do next. It was at the trapdoor now and dove through it, the laser bolts trying to follow him. Some of them hit the door, some the rock just above it, but many managed to go through the hole.

The trapdoor shuddered and Qui-Gon felt a tremor through the Force. He looked up, searching for its source. There, above the trapdoor he noticed something odd in the rock. He reached for it through the Force. Yes, there it was, hidden cracks, all through the rock, probably dating from the time when the trapdoor had been installed. They had widened under the power of the laser bolts.

Qui-Gon looked up, seeing two security droids and their blasters, Batman beside them. How he had gotten back up, Qui-Gon had no idea.

?Keep them shooting at the wall above the door,? he yelled. He turned his own attention back there as well and concentrated, gathering the Force into him. He brought his hand up and let the Force out in one concentrated beam, as powerful as he could make it, focusing it completely on what he had felt was the weakest point in the rock.

The wall above the gate trembled, groaned, and then collapsed, bringing down a portion of the ceiling behind the trapdoor with it. Qui-Gon turned away and huddled against the wall, hoping he was safe at his spot, but knowing he had nothing left over to protect himself with if he wasn?t.

He was. When the rumbling stopped and he looked up, a pile of rubble filled the cave where once the exit had been. Carefully he probed it. Rock, all he felt wa

 

IC: as R2-D2
Outside House in Mos Eisly

"Now see here!" Threepio said, "My chronometer is perfectly fine. If your programming were not so outdated, you would have Observed that the beings on this word seem to have come from different places in time and history. The odds of it happening are approximately six billion seven hundred thousand two-hundred forty to one. However, I have seen far larger odds beaten many times since my creation. Further, the fact that everyone claims to be from a different place in time supports this theory. My counterpart here looks like he came from a time older than my own and you look ancient compared to droids in my time."

Artoo can only shake his head back and forth. Why did Threepio the only droid he knew who was so deadset on their programming.

He tried teaching him to lie every now and then. And it appears he wasn't even listening.

"BEEEP BOOP BRAAAP! BOOOP BOOOOWP!" Threepio didn't need to translate that Artoo was indignant. ["Threepio, would you please be quiet? Or would you like to be dseactivated by an "obsolete" droid?!"]


TAG: Threepio, HK, all in house

 

OOC to everyone: to give some characters the chance to get back into the game, some of us have been working the passing of the time into in the Mos Eisley part of the story; it's approaching darkness in that one now. I hope that doesn't inconvienience anyone else, but we've built it in slowly and hope that other storylines will be able to let time elapse as well.

---

[b]IC: Mission Vao and Zaalbar[/b]
~House in Mos Eisley~


Mission?s mouth fell open as she saw the little Ewok suddenly make a dash for the door and disappear outside.

?Big Z?.? she started.

[I?ve seen it,] Zaalbar growled, his annoyance clear. [Of all the stupid?. I better go after him, you are needed here, Mission.] Zaalbar nodded at the boy, who was dragging himself to a chair and set down heavily in it, and at the man who still lay unconscious on the couch.

[Don?t worry, I won?t go far.]

?Okay. But be careful, it?s starting to get really dark outside.?

[I always am!]

?Sure,? she snorted. She grabbed the med kit ? and she was getting utterly tired of the frakking thing ? and went to Boba.

Boba was fast asleep, leaning on the table in front of him, mouth open, breathing heavily and drooling next to his hands.

Mission looked at the peaceful sight with envy, realizing she would love to do the same. After some decent meal of course, which, with her luck, wouldn?t come until first meal the next day.

She looked around for a dirt free cloth, grabbed another canteen of water and carefully started to clean the wound, making sure she wouldn?t wake the boy. It would be nice to have it all done while he was still asleep.

In between she looked anxiously at the man on the couch. Shouldn?t he wake up by now?


[b]TAG: Han, Boba, anyone who comes into the house/room[/b]



[hr]


[b]IC: Zaalbar[/b]
~Street in Mos Eisley~

When Zaalbar stepped outside, it was only in time to see the Ewok run around the corner at what looked like full speed. Zaalbar shook his head, worried, because the little being still cradled his arm and he didn?t think that could be good. And with dark almost on them, who knew what would happen in this strange place? But he wasn?t leaving Mission, not here. And certainly not while she was taking care of two others.

Behind him he heard the strange golden droid and the assassin droid bicker. If it was only those two, he would have gone straight back into the house. But that third droid had the look of an astromech droid, even if he had an odd shape Zaalbar had never encountered before. It might be worth asking that one a few questions.

He turned and walked purposefully toward the little droid, who stood listening to a long diatribe of the golden one.

[Hello, little one,] he asked it as soon as the golden droid fell silent and the new one had beeped something at him, [can you tell me more about this place?]


[b]TAG: R2-D2, C-3PO, HK-47, everyone else around[/b]

 

IC: as R2-D2
Outside House in Mos Eisly

Artoo turned to his backside when he heard several words, almost sounding like growls and woofs, directed at him, coming face to face with a tall and lanky wookie.

Now that his phooreceptors were on him though, Threepio seemed to be right. It was certainly not Chewbacca, depite looking similar.

The wookie spoke to him now. [Hello, little one,] he asked it as soon as the golden droid fell silent and the new one had beeped something at him, [can you tell me more about this place?]

He hoped Threepio wasn't too busy to give a translation. "BEEP BOOP BRRRRAP!" ["This is Tatooine, but now how I remember it."]

Artoo then thought of something. "BEEP BOOOP?" ["Say, you don't know where that smuggler is, do you?"]


TAG: Zaalbar, Threepio, HK, any in Mos Eisly

 

IC Darth Vader:

Night had come, but Guermessa had not yet risen. Ghomrassen, however, was giving enough light that the headlamps remained unlit. Not that I would have needed them to navigate through any obstacles in my path. I had no particular destination in mind at the moment, since I knew that some of this Jedi?s friends would be coming; she would have had time to send a warning to at least one of her brethren. I could only hope for multiple Jedi. Killing one at a time was not very productive.

She was awake, and was obviously trying to understand her predicament. It could not be very hard for her to figure out. Finally, she spoke. "Do you actually believe your plan will work?"

?Do you mean the plan where the Jedi die? ? I did not even turn my head. I just let the words come, and if the wind took them before she could hear, so be it.?That one seemed to work quite well once before, so why change it?? I paused for a moment. ?Did you have another suggestion??

TAG: Siri

 

IC: Deena Shan

House of Mos Eisley

Deena stepped in the house, after having a brief moment with Ronin the Bantha. She looked around. Didn't look like much people were here. Was that good? It didn't matter.

The young woman went over to Mission, and smiled. "Hi. Um... how's everything so far? I kinda heard arguments and saw the little Ewok run off outside."

Things were getting a little weird... but at least she had Han, Ronin, and these guys.

Tag: Mission, Han, Boba, any around or in the House of Mos Eisley

 

IC: Mission Vao
~House in Mos Eisley~


It was quickly getting chillier and Mission was glad she had found some blankets. She was just in the process of putting one over Boba, when someone came inside. Someone not Zaalbar. This person didn?t need to duck to get through the door. She hastily grabbed her blaster, but put it down again when she saw who entered. It was the blond woman who knew the wounded man and had told them his name.

The woman walked toward her and Boba, and smiled. "Hi. Um... how's everything so far? I kinda heard arguments and saw the little Ewok run off outside."

Mission shrugged. Now the woman came inside, when she was all done with the nursing. ?Everything?s fine, except for the Ewok. I don?t think he wants anyone to take care of his arm, which is kinda stupid when you see how it obviously hurts him. I hope Big Z can convince him to come back.?

She picked up another blanket to put over the wounded man, when suddenly an idea occurred to her and she turned back to the woman.

?Hey, can you cook? Big Z found food in the cantina?.? She pointed at the bag Zaalbar had put on a small side table. ?Knowing him it?s probably all meat, but there?s some nice looking stuff over there in a cupboard as well. I eh? I?d do it myself, but?.? She made a vague gesture toward her two remaining patients, trying to gloss over the fact that they both were fast asleep and didn?t need her at the moment.

Except that just then the man moved. Mission saw him lift his hand and run it through his tousled, dark hair. "I-I hate this place," he grumbled under his breath.

?See?? she told the woman, unable to hide a note of triumph. No way could they expect her to cook now! She clearly had other things to do.

She grabbed the water container still standing on the table beside Boba?s head and hurried to the couch. ?Don?t move too much,? she scolded in advance, just in case he got any ideas. ?You?ll get the bandage all undone and then I have to redo the whole thing. Here, I have some water for you.?


TAG: Deena, Han, Boba, anyone in and around the house

 

IC: Siri Tachi

Clearly, trying to reason with a sith wasnt the way to go, ?Do you mean the plan where the Jedi die?" he replied not even looking at her. ?That one seemed to work quite well once before, so why change it? Did you have another suggestion??. Letting out a sigh, Siri replied, "Clearly it didnt work well enough since the sith were defeated once again, in case you havent been filled in on the turn of events of your future".

Looking straight at the sith, she continued, "Yes, i suggest you put aside your animosity and work together with the rest of us. You were here the last time we found ourselves stuck in some time warp like we are now, and you cooperated then..." her voice trailed off. Vader turned out to be the one of the murderers last time around, but he didnt need to know that. Maybe the sith could be reasoned with.

"You're in as much danger as all of us if the nebulans are behind this again, believe me... they turned out to be a lot more trouble and powerful than you or your Master", Siri added. "I dont like you, but we all need to put our animosity aside and focus on escaping this place before it's too late... we can resume our difference in beliefs later".

Looking intently at the sith, Siri waited. She didnt have much hope that her plea would work, but it was worth a try.

TAG: Vader

 

IC Darth Vader:

In answer to my query, the Jedi sighed, then said, "Clearly it didnt work well enough since the sith were defeated once again, in case you havent been filled in on the turn of events of your future"

How laughable, that she would attempt to ensnare me with such a pathetic lie. No such thing had happened. Certainly, I could believe that Sidious would be defeated at some future point, especially if I played a hand in it, but the philosophy of the Sith itself would not be destroyed so easily, for that would require my own death, and that would be a long time coming if I had anything to do with it. I would not let go of the Force so easily.

The Jedi continued. "Yes, i suggest you put aside your animosity and work together with the rest of us. You were here the last time we found ourselves stuck in some time warp like we are now, and you cooperated then..."

Ah yes, the Nebulans. That word kept reappearing everywhere. Did such beings even exist? I had no way to know for sure, though something was happening here. ?I cooperated with Jedi, you say? For what reason? What could the Jedi have possibly offered me??

The Jedi still spoke behind me. "You're in as much danger as all of us if the nebulans are behind this again, believe me... they turned out to be a lot more trouble and powerful than you or your Master." She certainly wasn?t helping her case at the moment by slandering me. "I dont like you, but we all need to put our animosity aside and focus on escaping this place before it's too late... we can resume our difference in beliefs later"

I still did not turn in her direction while I responded. ?What do you Jedi have to offer? What powers does your group possess that would make you stronger than a single Sith?? I waited for a moment, anticipating her response, then continued. ?If one were to accept the premise that these Nebulans even really exist in the first place, that is.?

TAG: Siri

 

IC: as Galen Marek


As he could tell, one of the twin suns of Tatooine was now setting, the sky still not yet pitch dark. They must've been on speeders for quite a while.

No specific destination was said, but, now, he could feel them.

One he didn't know of course, but the other, he knew all too well.

He looked at Jar Jar behind him. "We're close. I can feel them." However, he was somewhat worried, an emotion that was still somewhat new. He worried for himself, Juno, and to a point, the Sith and Vader.

And now he was worried for the Senator. What exactly could he do to defend himself? "Are you sure about coming here?"

The Jedi in front of him better have a plan. For he certainly did not, as did the Gungan probably.

But, he wagered, the Jedi probably didn't have one either.


TAG: Jar Jar, Quinlan, Vader, Siri, any

 

IC: Ben Kenobi

After a few tense moments, suddenly the darkness went away. Lightsaber still at hand, Ben reached out with the Force: his Master was alive and it appeared the sith was gone. Relief flooded him. He looked at Batman, and that's when his comlink came alive, ?Ben? Batman? If you know a way to get me out of here, I?d be grateful.? Pulling out his own, Ben asked "Are you badly injured or can i interest you in a little climb?", he added, while looking at Batman's gadget.

"If he cant climb, we're gonna have to find a way down there. I'm sure there has to be a door somewhere, but i'm not sure how stable things are down there after the explosion...", Ben commented to Batman.

TAG: Qui-Gon, Batman, Leia, Anakin

IC: Siri Tachi

The night was quickly arriving, but even if she couldnt see Vader's 'face', Siri was perfectly capable of sensing some of his emotions. He wasnt as sure about things as he appeared to be. ?I cooperated with Jedi, you say? For what reason? What could the Jedi have possibly offered me??, he added. "Let's say the Nebulans were a thread for all of us, so we all united to survive... it was the only way. We offered you a chance to get out alive", Siri added surely.

?What do you Jedi have to offer? What powers does your group possess that would make you stronger than a single Sith?? , Vader asked. ?If one were to accept the premise that these Nebulans even really exist in the first place, that is.? Letting out a sight, Siri answered as honestly as she was capable of, "They exist, that i can assure you. I'm not telling u lies and you know it. The big question is if you can put aside ur hatred long enough to believe me ". Looking straight at the dark figure, she added, "We have insight into the Nebulans that you dont. We know their game, and we can come in handy if they decide to show themselves... that's what we can offer".

Letting out a deep sigh, Siri waited. Both for Vader and Quinlan, who hopefully was on his way to help.

TAG: Vader, Quinlan, Galen and oh lord, Jar Jar

 

OOC: Just a reminder, in one of Vader's previous posts, I had already said that the main moon had come up, but the second had not yet risen, so, night has already fallen on Vader and Siri, and by extension, soon enough, on Jar Jar/Galen/Vos.

IC Jar Jar Binks:

After Jar Jar mentioned how dangerous it was to walk around with lightsabers, the Jedi said, "Because of Order 66, I suppose?" After a moment, he continued. "Well, I'm not exactly a Jedi, Senator. As for my name? Galen Marek. Now hold on." He started the speeder and followed after the other Jedi.

Jar Jar had looked down at the mention of Order 66, as if he personally were responsible for its devastation, then looked up at the Jedi?s back. ?Not Jedi? Wif Jedi weapon??

The Jedi turned his head around to look at Jar Jar behind him. "We're close. I can feel them. Are you sure about coming here?"

Of course not. He had no desire to face this most dangerous representative of the Empire?s power. ?Isa doen wut Isa must!?

TAG: Vos, Galen

 

IC Darth Vader:

When I asked her how the Jedi had managed to make me join with them, she said, "Let's say the Nebulans were a thread for all of us, so we all united to survive... it was the only way. We offered you a chance to get out alive"

?From what I heard, no one got out alive, so you?ll have to do better than that.? Both moons were up by now, so the landscape ahead was lit like a stage. ?Perhaps try not to let everyone get killed this time??

She had a ready answer about these Nebulans as well. "They exist, that i can assure you. I'm not telling u lies and you know it. The big question is if you can put aside ur hatred long enough to believe me. We have insight into the Nebulans that you dont. We know their game, and we can come in handy if they decide to show themselves... that's what we can offer"

?Indeed. Why don?t we discuss it with your friends when they come?? The other members of her Order were close now. ?I would certainly be interested in hearing what they have to say.?

TAG: Siri

 

IC HK-47
Outside House in Mos Eisly

The rust-colored assassin droid allowed himself a moment of enjoyment and put together an image of himself lifting a pistol level with the golden protocol droid?s AA-1 VerboBrain and pulling the trigger.

Could this droid possibly be from the future? Did that mean the blue twi?lek and wookie were from a point in the past before they had been found by his old master? The assassin droid would need more proof?it was just too likely this protocol had gone ?crazy? as the meatbags would say.

"BEEEP BOOP BRAAAP! BOOOP BOOOOWP!" Threepio didn't need to translate that Artoo was indignant. ["Threepio, would you please be quiet? Or would you like to be deactivated by an "obsolete" droid?!"]

At least this strange utility droid seemed to contain more sensible programming. The droid designated as Artoo turned to his backside when he heard several words, almost sounding like growls and woofs, directed at him, coming face to face with a tall and lanky wookie.

The wookie spoke to artoo. [Hello, little one,] he asked it as soon as the golden droid fell silent and the new one had beeped something at him, [can you tell me more about this place?]

"BEEP BOOP BRRRRAP!" ["This is Tatooine, but not how I remember it."]

Artoo then thought of something. "BEEP BOOOP?" ["Say, you don't know where that smuggler is, do you?"]

Perhaps?HK-47 calculated, This R2 unit would be a better choice to synch with analyze a copy of memory data. It would be less likely then to accidentally download the protocol droid's pacifistic meat bag programming.

?Translation: This is Tatooine, and not how this R2 unit remembers, and he wants to know do you know where to locate smuggler meat bag?? HK-47 stepped forward and translated to the fur-covered meatbag.

Tag: Artoo, Threepio, Zaalbar, Any nearby

 

OOC: Still not sure how far Vos is from Vader or Siri. I'll let one of them make the first move. Palpatine is still waiting on Luke or Tarkin or Vader to contact him.
IC: The Batman

The battle began to kick up dust from the blastfire. Despite his many lenses, Batman could not see what was going on below. After several minutes of firing from the security droids and several flashes and sounds below them, the area grew quiet. The dark knight tensed, unsure of what had happened. Suddenly his communicator sounded.


"Ben? Batman? If you know a way to get me out of here, I?d be grateful."

Ben seemed to relax, relieved that Qui-Gon was safe. Batman noticed that he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Ben turned to the dark knight and said "If he can't climb, we're gonna have to find a way down there. I'm sure there has to be a door somewhere, but I'm not sure how stable things are down there after the explosion...

Batman carefully unclipped his grapple and, making sure that it was still firmly secured the dias and was not damaged by the fight, he began lowering it down to the pit below. He activated his communicator.

"Qui-Gon, I've sent down my grapple. Press the red button to ascend to us above. You should see it right about... now" He said, gently moving the grapple line around so that a soft thunk! could be heard on the metal wall near where he'd last seen Qui-Gon.

Tag: Qui-Gon, Ben

---

[hl=goldenrod][color=yellow]C-3PO[/color][/hl]

[i]["Threepio, would you please be quiet? Or would you like to be deactivated by an "obsolete" droid?!"] [/i]

"I am a protocol droid Artoo! I will not be pushed around by some thug with a gun! Especially an ignorant one like this unit. He attempted to exterminate the ewoks in his 'shoot first, shoot again and then maybe make a few queries when every being is dead' attitude. I imagine you and I have dealt with far more combat than this unit ever has. And yet he has the audacity to question my programming?!"

Threepio had just blurted out the words without thinking. He was a droid and yet, this other droid had infuriated him so. Half-way through, Artoo seemed to tune him out as the wookiee approached.

[i][Hello little one. Can you tell me more about this place?][/i]

Immediately Artoo twiddled a response for Threepio to translate

[i]["This is Tatooine, but now how I remember it."][/i]

Artoo then added [i]["Say, you don't know where that smuggler is, do you?"] [/i]

Before Threepio could translate, the HK unit stepped in.

[i]?Translation: This is Tatooine, and not how this R2 unit remembers, and he wants to know do you know where to locate smuggler meat bag??[/i]

Threepio let out a mechanical sound of disdain.

"Clearly you're programming is the one in need of repair."

He then turned to the wookiee.

"My counterpart corrrectly observes that this is the planet Tatooine in the Outer Rim. It is not how he remembers it nor how I remember it either. Thus far, we've surmised that we have all been taken from different periods of time and deposited to this planet for some strange reason. Artoo also asks if you know the status of Captain Han Solo. He was injured in the speeder attack. Do you know if he is alright? For the moment, he is the closest thing to a Master we have on this planet as Master Luke Skywalker has disappeared and we have not yet encountered Princess Leia Organa Solo."

He would not be shown up by the assassin droid. How dare he try to perform a protocol droid's work. How would he like it if Threepio started shooting things?

[b]Tag: HK-47, Zaalbar, R2-D2, others[/b]

OOC: And Threepio continues to make things worse. [face_tongue]

 

IC: as R2-D2
Mos Eisly

?Translation: This is Tatooine, and not how this R2 unit remembers, and he wants to know do you know where to locate smuggler meat bag??

'That's sure going to have Threepios circuits in a bunch,' Artoo's mechanical brain couldn't help but think. Threepio was sure going to be mad to find out he was being one-upped in his own programming.

And he had to say he agreed with that.

"BRROOP BEEP."["Excuse me."] Artoo beeped torwards the assasin droid. "BAWP BOOP BOOP BEEP BAWP." ["I was hoping for my counterpart to translate."]

This HK was obviously trying to cause trouble. Threepio's remark and translation didn't help matters.

"Clearly you're programming is the one in need of repair" Threepio turned to the wookie. "My counterpart corrrectly observes that this is the planet Tatooine in the Outer Rim. It is not how he remembers it nor how I remember it either. Thus far, we've surmised that we have all been taken from different periods of time and deposited to this planet for some strange reason. Artoo also asks if you know the status of Captain Han Solo. He was injured in the speeder attack. Do you know if he is alright? For the moment, he is the closest thing to a Master we have on this planet as Master Luke Skywalker has disappeared and we have not yet encountered Princess Leia Organa Solo."


"BEEP BOOP BEEP BAWP.? [?Threepio, ignore him. He?s obviously trying to get you mad??]


TAG: Threepio, HK, Zaalbar, any

 

IC: Mission Vao
~House in Mos Eisley~


"T-that's not necessarily a bad thing," the man said after she had warned him about undoing her hard work. He reached for the water and raised it to his lips. After a long sip he said, "I-I'm sure you'd like another free show." He flashed her a wicked grin before turning away to take another sip of the water.

Free show? Why, that arrogant, overbearing?.

?Hah, as if you have anything to show,? she shot back, ?At least nothing that?s of any interest as far as I?ve seen.? She grinned back, suddenly feeling completely at ease with him. This was the kind of talk she had grown up with and he the kind of man she was accustomed to.


TAG: Han, Deena, Boba, anyone else in or entering the house

---

[b]IC: Zaalbar[/b]
~Street in Mos Eisley~


It was the boy?s assassin droid who translated the beeping noises of the astromech droid. [i]?Translation: This is Tatooine, and not how this R2 unit remembers, and he wants to know do you know where to locate smuggler meat bag??[/i]

Zaalbar scratched his head, a bit baffled by the HK?s translation.

[Are you sure that?s what he said?] he asked. [Literally?]

The golden droid gave a strange mechanical squeak. [i]"Clearly you're programming is the one in need of repair,"[/i] it told the assassin droid. Then it turned to Zaalbar.

[i]"My counterpart correctly observes that this is the planet Tatooine in the Outer Rim. It is not how he remembers it nor how I remember it either. Thus far, we've surmised that we have all been taken from different periods of time and deposited to this planet for some strange reason.?[/i]

Taken from different periods in time and deposited here? Was this droid mad? Still, Zaalbar had to admit, there was the strange way he and Mission had suddenly found themselves in this place. One minute they were in Javyar?s Cantina, the next here. As if by magic.

[i]?Artoo also asks if you know the status of Captain Han Solo,? the droid continued. ?He was injured in the speeder attack. Do you know if he is alright? For the moment, he is the closest thing to a Master we have on this planet as Master Luke Skywalker has disappeared and we have not yet encountered Princess Leia Organa Solo."[/i]

The astromech droid beeped again, but since Zaalbar didn?t understand even one whistle of it, he ignored it.

[That sounds like the man Mission and I took inside the house.] He indicated the right one with a casual wave. [I think he?ll live. Mission may be a brat who?s too proud of her own cleverness, but she does know her way around a med kit.]


[b]TAG: C-3PO, R2-D2, HK-47, anyone around[/b]



[hr]


[b]IC: Qui-Gon Jinn (with Anakin)[/b]
~Jabba?s stronghold~


[i]"Are you badly injured or can I interest you in a little climb??[/i] came Ben?s answer over his comlink. His words made Qui-Gon smile.

?Not badly,? he answered. ?Mostly a lot of bruises, a few broken ribs and a very battered ego. Nothing some time with the Force won?t heal.? He looked at the pile of rocks beside him. ?But since the only other entrance to this place is buried completely, I don?t think I have a choice.?

He could do it, of course. With the help of the Force.

Something was lowered through the gaping hole above him. A cable, no doubt. He sighed. This might be a good time to empty his mind of all thoughts and concentrate on the Force. Ready himself for the ordeal to come. Something which would have been a lot easier to do if he didn?t hurt so much.

His comlink activated. It wasn?t Ben this time, but Batman. The man kept surprising him, how had he managed to get back up?

[i]"Qui-Gon, I've sent down my grapple. Press the red button to ascend to us above. You should see it right about... now."[/i]

?I do,? Qui-Gon confirmed, looking at the line that was swinging in longer and longer arcs in front of him. ?Just a second.?

He grabbed the? grapple, centered himself and pushed the red button.

He wasn?t prepared for the speed with which he suddenly shot upwards and his landi

 

IC: Quinlan Vos

Quinlan pushed the old speederbike as hard as he could, determined to coax every ounce of speed out of the vehicle. He could feel Siri's presence (and Vader's) growing closer. He heard the whine of Marek's speeder behind him. He wished the man had left Representative Binks within the relatively safe walls of the homestead. Instead, the poor gungan was heading into what was clearly a trap.

Quinlan was not stupid. He knew from the moment Siri had been left alive that she was acting as bait to lure others into a trap. But he didn't care. He had been too late to save Tholme. He would not fail Siri. And, he would not allow Ben or the others to leave their safe house. He would deal with Vader. Or at the very least, he would delay the sith lord. If Tholme could hold off Palpatine long enough for the others to escape, Quinlan would have to be able to fend off Vader in order to save Siri and protect the children.

Quinlan could sense Vader up ahead. Not one for subtlety, Quinlan ignited his saber, and guided the speederbike like a missile towards Vader's presence. As he grew closer, he leapt of the speeder and landed several feet away from the sith lord.

Positioning himself into a fighting stance, Quinlan waited for the sith lord to attack.

Tag: Vader, Siri, Marek, Jar Jar

---

[b]IC: Tholme[/b]

Over the years, Tholme lost track of the amount of times he had sustained an injury due to more skillful opponents. He had been at death's door many times in his long life. It was his training that seemed to save his body from mortal peril. His instincts had helped him avoid so many close calls and his quick thinking, allowed him to escape what would otherwise be fatal attacks.

He had perfected his "trick" of playing dead during these many encounters. He had used it on Aurra Sing in order to allow Aayla to concentrate on her attacker. And of course, he had used it again when Quinlan was seeped in the dark side and attempted to kill him on Salecumai. Poor Aayla had thought he'd become one with the force. And now he had used it to fool the Emperor. He had remained in this state for several days in order to heal his badly wounded body. The burns caused by Palpatine's lightning had healed. His bones were mended.

And yet, Tholme could not wake up. He could not understand it. He was ready to awaken. He was ready to fight again. But his mind refused to allow him to wake up. Instead, Tholme drifted. He was a prisoner in his own body. He racked his mind, trying to determine what had happened. This had only happened one other time. When he had played dead to fool Aurra Sing, he had been awakened by T'ra. Was that what he needed? Someone to wake him up? He grew worried. No one knew of his plan to perform his trick on the Emperor. They had to believe he was truly dead. He attempted to stretch out to Quinlan in the force, but his presence was a distant haze in Tholme's prison. It was the same with the others. He would have to find another way to awaken.

[b]Tag: NONE[/b]

 

IC: Ben Kenobi

Qui-Gon was alive, and it seemed not badly injured. Ben was happy that the outcome had been differently, although all too close to repeating itself when it came to his master and the sith. Qui-Gon had always been a very skilled sword fighter, and if it was surprising the first time when the sith bested him, it wasnt any different when he appeared to have struggled this time again. Was his destiny to fall to his blade all along? Was he to take this as a nudge from the Force that it was him who had to train Anakin all along?

Ben had struggled for so many years after Anakin's fall to the darkside, thinking that his Master would have done a better job, that perhaps Anakin wouldnt have fallen at all. But was this true?.

A commotion snapped Ben out of his thoughts, as Qui-Gon landed hard on the floor, not in a very graceful manner. His first impulse was to rush over, but it seemed little Anakin bested him in this task. ?Are you all right?? , Anakin asked anxiously. ?Just... catching...my breath. Don?t worry, I?ll be good as new before you know it,?was his master's reply. But Anakin wasnt having it, so Qui-Gon had to insist, ?I?m serious, all I need is a little time to do some Force healing on myself. Maybe you could look around for a sheltered place where I can do just that??. The answer to this request was one that Ben expected: the boy quickly ran off to find somewhere for him to rest.

It was then that Qui-Gon stood up and faced Batman and himself, ?Thanks for the blaster fire. It forced the Sith to hide behind the trapdoor and it helped widening the cracks I sensed in the rocks above him. The blasters and a little force push at the right place buried the whole entrance and hopefully him as well.? This worried Ben. The sith appeared to be eliminated, but was he really? If there was one thing he had learned was that the sith arent to be underestimated. ?I can see why he will succeed in killing me, he?s a very skilled fighter.?Memories flooded Ben from their last enounter. "Yes", he replied almost as a whisper, "He was very skilled..."

Realizing both men were staring at him, Ben snapped out of his daze, "Well we best take care of you since once again you manage to make a mess of yourself...", he added trying to keep a straight face. Truth be told, he was the one who always ended up at the healers with Qui-Gon watching over him and nursing him to health. "Old bones take longer to heal, i should know that well by now" he added, lifting his eyebrows. Putting one of Qui-Gon's arms over his own shoulders while he put his own around his master's waist in order to help him walk, Ben nodded towards the nearby lounge chair, "You can sit there and rest until Anakin returns with news about your sleeping area".

Looking at Batman, Ben added "Even though this place seems secure, i dont think we should get careless. I think we should take shifts in the comm center, just to be sure. I'll take the first one... you should all go rest, and i'll wake you up in four hours for the next one". Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head, "Something just doesnt feel right". He hadnt heard from Quinlan or Siri in a very long time, and now that Tholme was gone, he felt even more responsible for Anakin and the twins. "Sidious and Vader are still out there somewhere...", he whispered, "And whatever they're up to wont probably be good for us".

TAG: Batman, Qui-Gon, Leia, Anakin

Siri Tachi

?From what I heard, no one got out alive, so you?ll have to do better than that. Perhaps try not to let everyone get killed this time??. Siri narrowed her eyes and was ready to reply, but she held back. She would try her best indeed, by keeping a close eye on the sith. But Vader's next words surprised her, ?Indeed. Why don?t we discuss it with your friends when they come? I would certainly be interested in hearing what they have to say.?

Siri wasnt sure if he really meant it, or if he was just setting them up to have a go at them. But two could play this game

 

IC: as Galen Marek/Starkiller
Tatooine

Galen at first regreted his decision to bring the Senator here. Yet why would he deny him the opportunity to try and fix his mistakes, caused by him or not?

He himself was given ample opportunity, and he eventually did...even if it did lead to his demise, appaarently.

Yet he had no regrets. He just had to make sure the Gungan wasn't seen, that was all.

And that would be something hard to do. Not only did he have to defend the Gungan, but the Jedi as well. Despite his bravery, Vos wasn't going to be enough, nor was the other Jeid in captivity (who was that?). Vader had killed dozens of Jedi, using that same trick to lure them into a false sense of security, and then only to dominate them (for what he picked up from the very few times Vader actually spoke to him, as he trained him to kill Jedi)...

...it was up to him for that trap to blow up in his face.

He could feel Vader's presence now, all dark and rage. Powerful. Yet he was ready. As he was last time.

Vos had already taken the initiative, sending his speeder like a missle torwards Vader's presence, getting into a fighting stance later on, igniting his lightsaber.

Galen simply put the speeder to a stop, not exactly an offensive maneuver. Stepping off from the speeder, he turned torwards the Gungan senator. "Stay here. Don't do anything rash."


TAG: Vos, Jar Jar, Vos, Siri

 

IC Darth Vader:

When I told the Jedi I wished to talk to her companions, she said, "Well since you're so interested, i'm sure you wont mind when i use my comlink to fill them in on the situation"

As she pulled the comm out, I said, ?Do what you must.? Why would I not want her to speed the journey of the Jedi?

"Quinlan, i'm here with Vader... it seems our sith friend wants to have a chat, so proceed towards us" She put the comm away, and after that point, it was all a matter of waiting, though I knew that the Jedi would not really have needed her message, since they were so close anyway, but if this particular Jedi felt more comfortable with the illusion that she controlled her own destiny, why not let her have such a small comfort?

A few minutes later, one of the Jedi sent his speeder hurtling toward our own. He leapt off his vehicle at the last moment, and landed meters away, with saber ignited. At that point, I stopped my own vehicle and looked at this new player from my place in the driver?s seat.

?Quite an aggressive stance for a Jedi to take, especially when I just wished to discuss the Nebulans with you.? My apprentice made his appearance again, in another vehicle behind the other. ?And with your friend.? I got out of the driver?s seat as I said that last, to stand next to my speeder.

TAG: Siri, Vos, Galen