The Seedy Side: A characterization thread and index for the SW underworld - MOVED December 27, 2005

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/caliekitty/underworld_button_index-faded2.jpg]

As of December 27th, this thread is officially out of commission. The Seedy Side's new home can be found here.

Dash over to The Seedy Side, V. 2.0. , and check it out, but feel free to stop in here from time to time for old time's sake. It's been a good run.

Also, as of November 2nd, please welcome The_Face as the official head honcho/captain/rake of TSS! You may direct all inquiries/seedy fics/complaints to him.


***


This place came into being because even though I'd been looking for a while, I never found a place to discuss "the other half", if you will - the people that aren't Jedi, Sith, Rebels, or even your average, everyday, working-class people. So if you're having the same struggle I had, the struggle to find an index of honest-to-goodness antiheroes (and I use that phrase as loosely as possible), look no further.

They live here.

This is a place for the rogues with a lowercase 'r'. The bounty hunters, the smugglers, the spice traffickers - basically everyone the Republic, Empire, and Jedi Order alike would prefer to forget existed. But there they dwell in the shadows, waiting to be discovered. Waiting... for you.


***


I also decided to start this thread because after having read several other wonderful fics, I realized that I'm not the only one intrigued by characters such as Boba and Jango Fett, and I wanted to create a place to hash out their characters, have writing exercises and challenges, talk about why we love them so much - all that good stuff.

So essentially, this is a place to index fanfics that deal with the underworld in general, and I may sort them into categories if the need arises. They'll all be listed in this first post, and if you PM your links to me, I'll be happy to get them up as soon as possible.


***


Update: As of May 26th, 2005, there is no need to structure your PM to fit TSS's format. Just PM the link to SeedySider, and he'll take it from there.

---

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/caliekitty/underworld_button_a-f-wicked2.jpg]


[color=5C65D0][b]Apocalyptic_Jawa[/b][/color]


[link=http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/17426120]Legerdermain[/link]

Timeline: Between ANH and ESB
Genre: Action, Vignette
Main Characters: Taren Vellic and crew
Summary: A band of thieves work to relieve a museum of its most valuable display.


[link=http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/17566796]The Cloud City Caper[/link]

Timeline: During ESB
Genre: Action
Main Characters: Taren Vellic and crew
Summary: Taren and crew try to get their ship back as the Empire takes over Cloud City.



[color=5C65D0][b]DarthIshtar[/b][/color]


[link=http://boards.theforce.net/Before_the_Saga/b10475/16358395/?300]Wayward Beings[/link]

Timeline: Several decades before TPM
Genre: Angst, Action
Main Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Waqkemé Noori
Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn encounters a precocious Force-sensitive on a spice-mining world, and immediately busies himself about rescuing her.



[color=5C65D0][b]darthmace7[/b][/color]


[link=http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/16929549/?24]Darth Vader: Jedi Hunt[/link]

Timeline: Intertrilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure
Main Characters: Vader, Palpatine, Boba Fett, other canon/OC's
Summary: Darth Vader is sent after a particularly strong Jedi on a mission from Palpatine himself. He is to capture this Jedi and bring him to the Emperor. This becomes more complicated than it seems as Vader runs into a strong place in the Light Side of the Force, a certain bounty hunter, and various other problems.



[color=5C65D0][b]Fate[/b][/color]


[link=http://boards.theforce.n

 

This is a good idea! Glad to see it here.

 

Very good idea, Fate! This is probably one of my favourite aspects of Star Wars, simply because of the possibilities it offers.

If I may, I'd like to tender my story, Working in Darkness, as fitting into this category. The lead character is a young inexperienced smuggler, it focuses on his exploits on the planet Andasala. Because it's an epic, there's also a strong storyline involving the Rebellion and the Empire, though the theme of the story is definitely underworld

I can see this thread coming in very handy for the characterisation of my villains (when it comes time to write them, of course).

Title: Working in Darkness

Timeline: About six weeks after ANH

Genre: Epic Drama/Adventure

Main Characters: OC's (Clip Argentsson, Eva Pah'ker), Talon Karrde, Wedge Antilles, Darth Vader

Summary: Clip Argentsson faces a nightmare situation when an old friend is captured by Darth Vader himself - and he will go to any lengths to save them.

 

*grins* Thanks for coming in, you two!


VadersMistress:

This is a good idea! Glad to see it here.

Thanks! It was just one of those that wouldn't leave me alone, if you know what I mean. Glad you like it, and hopefully I'll see you around here!

Mjsullivan:

Very good idea, Fate! This is probably one of my favourite aspects of Star Wars, simply because of the possibilities it offers.

Thanks very much! And yeah, that's exactly why I like it - since Jedi, Sith, and people of consequence are the ones that usually get written about, it's a chance to try something new, and work with an area that's pretty intriguing at the same time.

If I may, I'd like to tender my story, Working in Darkness, as fitting into this category. The lead character is a young inexperienced smuggler, it focuses on his exploits on the planet Andasala. Because it's an epic, there's also a strong storyline involving the Rebellion and the Empire, though the theme of the story is definitely underworld

It sounds wonderful, and I'll update my little index right away.

I can see this thread coming in very handy for the characterisation of my villains (when it comes time to write them, of course).

Well, there's already a villain index thread, so I don't want this to take away from that. The reason I started this was because these are the people it's almost impossible to characterize. Are they the 'bad guys' just because they choose questionable professions? I think they're more protagonists than anything else, but the neat thing about them is that they can go both ways.


Thanks again, you two, and I've thought of an 'icebreaker' of sorts. This is a mini-questionare for your underworld character, just to help hash them out a bit.

Name:
Age:
Homeworld:
Top three likes:
Top three dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Quirks:
Motivation:
Weapons of choice:


I'll get us started off. This is the character I'm currently writing about.


Name: Boba Fett

Age: 11

Homeworld: Kamino

Top three likes: His ship, his 'toys', and the memory of his father.

Top three dislikes: Being underestimated, being coddled, and Jabba.

Strengths: Fiercely independent, resourceful, quick-thinking.

Weaknesses: Prideful, reckless, impulsive, youth.

Quirks: Dislikes his 'prettiness', and cut his hair off in a fit of rebellion.

Motivation: Trying to live up to his father's memory, trying to find out who he is.

Weapons of choice: blaster, vibroblade, syringe, garrote.


Please feel free to add on, and if anyone has any ideas about our first exercise, or what we should do until then, let me know - I readily admit that I don't know what I'm doing.



For freedom. For justice. Viva la Rebellion.

 

Well, there's already a villain index thread, so I don't want this to take away from that. The reason I started this was because these are the people it's almost impossible to characterize. Are they the 'bad guys' just because they choose questionable professions? I think they're more protagonists than anything else, but the neat thing about them is that they can go both ways.


Quite right about the villain thread

Though I meant more along the lines of my underworld villains being hard to characterise, because it's the nature of the shady underworld figure to switch loyalties in a second, and before you know it, everything's confusing and nothing is as it seems! It's why we love 'em.

And your questionaire is a good way to introduce all the various criminals to one another, hehe. Though he isn't the best example of a shady underworld cretin, I'll have to start this off with the naive young smuggler Clip because he's the only one i've really written so far

Name: Clip Argentsson (Sometimes uses Pherro-Argentsson)
Age: 22
Homeworld: Corellia
Top three likes: His Independence & Freedom, His Droid (Noosa), and the unwavering friendship he has found in a select few people.
Top three dislikes: Direct confrontations, not being in control of his own destiny, and re-visiting the system of Gus Treta.
Strengths: Quite learned despite his age, willingness to choose the non-violent way out, quite resourceful & self-reliant, seems to have a good reservoir of luck
Weaknesses: not the best combatant in the galaxy because of both his slight stature and hesitance to fight at all, probably not devious enough to be a truly successful smuggler.
Quirks: eats the same cheap Corellian GFD-3 bread spread on toast for breakfast each morning, even though he hates it.
Motivation: determined to remain an individual in the conflict of two collectives raging around him, keep himself and those he cares about as safe from the ravages of war as best he can.
Weapons of choice: Has a personal blaster, but hasn't checked the power levels in six months. Good chance they have expired. Also has a souvenir silenced Imperial-issue commando pistol that he was given in the battle of Gavortis Major. hasn't checked the power levels in eight months.

 

Quite right about the villain thread

*relieved* Oh, good - I just wanted to make sure there was a clear diffrentiation between the two; don't want to steal anyone else's thunder.


Though I meant more along the lines of my underworld villains being hard to characterise, because it's the nature of the shady underworld figure to switch loyalties in a second, and before you know it, everything's confusing and nothing is as it seems! It's why we love 'em.

*laughs* Yes, it is. And that's exactly what I was trying to get at, that 'our guys' are way more complicated than just being "good" or "bad". I mean, the good guys usually have a little "bad" in them, and vice versa, but 'our guys' tend to be an even mixture. More than that, really - they tend to be amoral, and since they don't hold themselves to the same standards as everyone else, it makes determining their character that much harder.

But that is why we love them - there's so much to work with, and it's fun to see how they act in different circumstances.


And your questionaire is a good way to introduce all the various criminals to one another, hehe.

*grins* Thanks - I just wanted a "getting to know you" period before we got down to the gritty details. I've several ideas, but I wanted an opening period of sorts.


Though he isn't the best example of a shady underworld cretin, I'll have to start this off with the naive young smuggler Clip because he's the only one i've really written so far

You know, I'd say he sounded like 'my' Boba, except for the fact that Boba isn't naive so much as he is inexperienced - he's got a youthful innocence about him, yes, but he's been around with his dad, too, and he knows that the galaxy isn't always pretty and bright.


Name: Clip Argentsson (Sometimes uses Pherro-Argentsson)

How'd you think of your names?


Top three likes: His Independence & Freedom, His Droid (Noosa), and the unwavering friendship he has found in a select few people.

*laughs!* My little guy has a droid, too - calls it Kayzee.


Top three dislikes: Direct confrontations, not being in control of his own destiny, and re-visiting the system of Gus Treta.

I like that he doesn't like confrontation - bounty hunters are stereotypically portrayed as looking for trouble, living for the next fight - but they can't all be like that.


seems to have a good reservoir of luck

*grins* I forgot to mention that one for Boba. It's probably my fault; I've been spoiling him shamefully. But all that starts to change with the next post; I can't keep coddling him - he doesn't like it.


Weaknesses: not the best combatant in the galaxy because of both his slight stature and hesitance to fight at all, probably not devious enough to be a truly successful smuggler.

Hmm... makes me wonder why he became one in the first place.


Quirks: eats the same cheap Corellian GFD-3 bread spread on toast for breakfast each morning, even though he hates it.

Is that because he can't afford anything better, or because it reminds him of something/someone?


Motivation: determined to remain an individual in the conflict of two collectives raging around him, keep himself and those he cares about as safe from the ravages of war as best he can.

*grins* He sounds absolutely cuddly.


Weapons of choice: Has a personal blaster, but hasn't checked the power levels in six months. Good chance they have expired. Also has a souvenir silenced Imperial-issue commando pistol that he was given in the battle of Gavortis Major. hasn't checked the power levels in eight months.

*winces* Not good. *files away for future reference*

 

No worries at all, Fate

Haha, most of those questions about Clip are all related back to his bio, which hopefully I can post over at the saga pretty soon. As I said, he's probably not the best example of an underworld figure. He's got alot of learning to do yet!

How'd you think of your names?

haha, believe me, if I knew what it was i'd get something done about it

You know, I'd say he sounded like 'my' Boba, except for the fact that Boba isn't naive so much as he is inexperienced - he's got a youthful innocence about him, yes, but he's been around with his dad, too, and he knows that the galaxy isn't always pretty and bright.

Ah, just how i'd imagine Boba to be He's such an interesting character. No mother (not even a father, in the literal sense of the word - just a template). He's seen alot of the galaxy's worst, and to cap it all, he's seen his dad decapitated by a scary looking Jedi. Any wonder he tries to live up to his father's memory!

 

Thank You Fate!!


Feudal Space is a 5 part story based on the medieval aspect of starwars. There aren?t any blasters or speeders and the space-ships are very much like sea vessels used in ancient times ? galleons, longboats.

Most warriors use lightsabers, even non-Jedi, but Jedi and Sith are still unique because only they can use the Force.

I tried to blend many ideas from medieval sources (books and movies) and combine them with Starwars to make up my own storyline.

The story is mainly about Wulfgar, a Thief who finds himself helping the Jedi Knights in the war against the Sith. Through the five stories his character changes from not caring about anyone and working alone to respecting a Jedi, Ceinwyn and realizing that if the Jedi don?t win the war, the galaxy will be in chaos.



Part 1 ? An imprisoned Wulfgar is promised freedom if he helps a Jedi, Ceinwyn invade a Sith Stronghold built on an asteroid.

Part 2 ? After a stealing mission Wulfgar journeys with Ceinwyn to a desert planet to steal a deadly weapon from a Sith Temple.

Part 3 ? After a rescue, Wulfgar and Ceinwyn escape from a forest planet and find themselves involved in a siege on the ice world of Hoth, where the Jedi fight hard to keep the Sith out of the City.

Part 4 ? Wulfgar invites Ceinwyn to help him raid the underground ruins of Dagobah. But instead of finding gold and riches, the two find themselves searching for a magic book which leads to a great skirmish between Jedi and Sith.

Part 5 ? After loosing a space-battle, Jedi arrive to Coruscant with bad news. Meanwhile, Wulfgar has his own problems as he steals from a museum and meets people from his past life.

The war spreads into the outer rim and Wulfgar and Ceinwyn travel through the desert wastes of Tatooine towards a Palace ruled by a Sith Sorceress. Meanwhile, an army of Jedi leaves Coruscant for another battle against the Sith.





Name: Wulfgar

Age: 20

Homeworld: Coruscant

Top three likes: Darkness, Stealing, being alone.

Top three dislikes: Light, getting caught, meeting people

Strengths: a good thief

Weaknesses: Doesn?t trust anyone at the beginning of story.

Motivation: The challenge of invasion and robbery.

Weapons of choice: Bowcaster, lightsaber.

 

Interesting idea, Fate.

~aeryn

 

Okay, finally got around to replying.

Mjsullivan:

Haha, most of those questions about Clip are all related back to his bio, which hopefully I can post over at the saga pretty soon. As I said, he's probably not the best example of an underworld figure. He's got alot of learning to do yet!

You know, I really thought your OC Bio idea was a good one, and I hope you can do something with it, even if it's just tacking it on to the existing threads.

And I like that he doesn't know everything - makes him more real.

haha, believe me, if I knew what it was i'd get something done about it

*laughs!* No, they're good. But my OC names are the same way; I have no clue where they come from. I guess I just "use the Force", and tweak when necessary.

Ah, just how i'd imagine Boba to be He's such an interesting character. No mother (not even a father, in the literal sense of the word - just a template).

Ah, but can Jango be a "dad", even if he isn't literally a "father"? One of the many things we'll consider in here.

He's seen alot of the galaxy's worst, and to cap it all, he's seen his dad decapitated by a scary looking Jedi. Any wonder he tries to live up to his father's memory!

*grins* I love my little guy - he's totally awesome.

Keeper_of_Swords:

Thank You Fate!!

Sure! No problem.

Feudal Space is a 5 part story based on the medieval aspect of starwars. There aren?t any blasters or speeders and the space-ships are very much like sea vessels used in ancient times ? galleons, longboats.

Oooh! Lots of pirates, I'm presuming, which immediately makes me love it.

Most warriors use lightsabers, even non-Jedi, but Jedi and Sith are still unique because only they can use the Force.

So you'll have lots of duels, right? I love duels.

I tried to blend many ideas from medieval sources (books and movies) and combine them with Starwars to make up my own storyline.

It sounds fascinating, and I'm definitely going to take a look. The plotline's a captivating one - it pulls me in.


Name: Wulfgar

Age: 20

Another young rogue - interesting...

Top three likes: Darkness, Stealing, being alone.

Top three dislikes: Light, getting caught, meeting people

And now I want to know what made him this way.

Strengths: a good thief

Weaknesses: Doesn?t trust anyone at the beginning of story.

Ah, but his weakness could be construed as his strength, given his profession. I'd imagine it'd be dangerous to let himself get close to just anyone.

Motivation: The challenge of invasion and robbery.

Weapons of choice: Bowcaster, lightsaber.

A bowcaster, hmm? Does it shoot laser bolts? I like that it's something other than a perfectly-functioning blaster, too - it's good when weapons have character as well.

Thanks again!

AERYN_SUN: Thanks very much!

---

Okay, you guys - I'll give this another day, and then I'll have the first 'exercise' of sorts - thanks again for participating. :x



[hl=pink][color=red][b]For freedom. For justice. Viva la Rebellion.[/b][/color][/hl]

 

There aren?t pirates but the beginning of the fifth part is totally Pirate of the Carribeanish influenced. I applied parts of the sea battle strategy in that movie to a space battle between Jedi and Sith. The large space-ships have the shape of sea galleons but are made of metal and have an energy-shield across the deck to keep the air from escaping. The cloth of the sails are made of solar material, sort of like that ships which Dooku escaped in had.

The fighting in Part 1 and 2 consists of just duels. Then the action in the other parts continues with land battles but there are duels involved in these as well.

When I checked the unofficial encyclopaedia it said that the ammo of the bowcaster consists of explosive quarrels, so I mentioned that in a sentence. I don?t know if this means that the weapon shoots a different kind of laser beam, but if I remember correctly the laser which Chewie shot from his bowcaster seemed normal enough so I imagined normal red laser beams when I wrote.

 

I got Clip's Bio up over at The Saga, finally It turned out to be quite longer than I expected. The things you can write about your characters when you really flesh them out!

 

Good to see this thread up and running.

 

Oy, vay... computers - the bane of my existance. Rather than bore you with the particulars, let me try to get all of this out before "Granny", as I call her, rebels again.

First of all, replies.

Keeper_of_Swords:

There aren?t pirates but the beginning of the fifth part is totally Pirate of the Carribeanish influenced. I applied parts of the sea battle strategy in that movie to a space battle between Jedi and Sith. The large space-ships have the shape of sea galleons but are made of metal and have an energy-shield across the deck to keep the air from escaping. The cloth of the sails are made of solar material, sort of like that ships which Dooku escaped in had.

That is incredibly creative, K_O_S. As soon as I get a breather, I'm definitely going to check it out.

The fighting in Part 1 and 2 consists of just duels. Then the action in the other parts continues with land battles but there are duels involved in these as well.

I love duels, because the very fact that they're 'duels' instead of 'fights' implies that honor is involved, which always serves to up the stakes in my mind.

When I checked the unofficial encyclopaedia it said that the ammo of the bowcaster consists of explosive quarrels, so I mentioned that in a sentence. I don?t know if this means that the weapon shoots a different kind of laser beam, but if I remember correctly the laser which Chewie shot from his bowcaster seemed normal enough so I imagined normal red laser beams when I wrote.

*nods* Yeah, it probably does shoot normal laser beams - the fact that the weapon is a bowcaster makes it primitive enough - Wookiees have been exposed to technology, so they'd adapt their weapons to reflect that knowledge.


Mjsullivan:

I got Clip's Bio up over at The Saga, finally It turned out to be quite longer than I expected. The things you can write about your characters when you really flesh them out!

*grins* It's true. I remember having an 'interview' with Jango one time, and I don't think I have ever learned so much about a character in a single sitting. As for sitting down and actually making yourself create a background for them - that would probably help just as much, if not even more, because it's a well-known fact that who we are has a lot to do with where we come from.

And actually, you've given me a really good idea for later.


Thanks for the welcome, red_rose_knight.


Okay, good - all caught up.

Now then, I've been mulling this over in my mind for quite some time now, and I've decided that the best way to get this off the ground is to start dissecting characters in the underworld one by one, beginning with the canon players. To start it off, I thought we should begin at the beginning, namely, with

Boba Fett.

The first mention of him, to my knowledge, was in one of the cartoon segments of the glorious SW Holiday Special. I tried to watch it, but I got weary around the "whip, whip, stir" part. Anyway, that's where he first was seen. Audiences loved him, so George was good enough to bring him into the Saga.

In ESB, we see him as a cold, laconic sort of person with an exotic-looking suit and some really cool toys. He speaks all of four times, but he intrigues us, because he isn't exactly bad, though he definitely isn't good. He thrives on the gray side of the Force, and I think that's why we identify with him so well, when the light seems beyond our grasp, and the dark is too frightening to succumb to.

Anyway, George promptly decides to kill him off in ROTJ. But then, a most extraordinary thing occurs. The fans spring a mutiny, and resurrect their hero. He wasn't dead, of course - just busy trying to escape. And so Fett returns, bigger and 'badder' than ever.

Now that we've gotten through

 

Glad this popped up, I meant to post earlier, I dont know if anyone has comcast on demand but if you do and you go under A&E there is a show about modern day bounty hunters which is rather interesting. There is also that new show about "Dog" The Bounty Hunter. I dunno, just thought it was worth a mention and might provoke plot bunnies somehow.

Speaking of which, I'll put this out for anyone who wants it: What if during the Jedi purge there was a good-guy bounty hunter out there who was having issues with hunting down Jedi for the Empire because when he got into "bounty hunting" it was because he wanted to get the bad guys and bring them to justice - but now he's hunting down the "good guys"? Or something like that.

sg

 

Glad to see you around and this thread up again, Fate!

I'll cut right to the chase, I think - I liked Boba Fett a little more when there was some mystery about his past. He seemed to me when I first came across him in ESB to be such a dark character, perhaps even to rival Vader had he been blessed with force abilities. It really made me wonder what made this individual the way he was - was he just evil, or was he turned that way by somebody else?

Luckily, I think GL did a good job with his back story - it really needed to be unique, and he achieved that well with the 'clone-substituted-for-a-son' storyline. But at the same time, it took away a great chunk of mystique that the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter carried around with him. So for a little while after I saw Ep. II, I went off Boba.

Of course, it didnt take away all the mystery - we still dont know what happens to Boba once he goes off into the galaxy on his own (and that is where the wonder of fanfiction comes in ). And so I slowly managed to find my interest in him again, probably bourne out of an unshakable love of all things criminal in the GFFA

Did anyone else find that Boba's past altered their way of thinking about him? It generated alot of sympathy for him, I think - something that was never present in the OT or his subsequent jaunts in the EU. That's a good thing, I suppose - you can never have too much depth in a character. Though I couldnt help thinking, just a teensy bit, that canon Boba would have been better off as a mystery.

His is a life that needs a full-scale motion picture production to properly explore. Good an idea as the clone backstory was, I dont think the few scenes he was allocated in Ep II were enough to really do him justice (maybe GL will include him again in Ep III, but i doubt it). I think it is the right (nay, the responsibility! ) of us Fanficcers to do it right Now, I guess we just need to find out what 'right' entails!

Well, thats just my two cents

As I said - glad to see this thread back up, Fate!.

 

Ah, the underworld... how I love it (from a safe distance, and really only the romantic fictional view). Great section for Star Wars fic, specifically because the sandbox is so vast and can handle those kinds of stories.

So here's my thing. Is it too late for bios, or are we just settling down to talk about Boba? And if they are taken, the character on my work in progress is not on the criminal side, but a law enforcement officer (CorSec. I always liked Corellia. Probably too much.). He ends up crossing a line by the time the next fic begins (this is the prequel, he wasn't the star of the other). Is he elligible?

Anyway, here's my thought about Boba: he shouldn't talk unless you absolutely need him to. Boba is efficiency personified. There is never a wasted movement, nor should there be a wasted word (and I think he sees most words as a waste). He probably would've ignored Vader if it weren't for the fact that he's Vader.

Lovin' this thread.

 

Yesterday I had a bout with ickyness, or I'd have replied before now. But I'm feeling better. *rubs hands* On the the replies!


spiritgurl:

Glad this popped up, I meant to post earlier, I dont know if anyone has comcast on demand but if you do and you go under A&E there is a show about modern day bounty hunters which is rather interesting. There is also that new show about "Dog" The Bounty Hunter. I dunno, just thought it was worth a mention and might provoke plot bunnies somehow.

Wow, that sounds fascinating! Comcast on demand - that's cable, right? Because if it is, I won't get to see this - Fate's only got two channels, which is usually okay, since she mostly uses her TV for videos and DVDs. Can the show be found anywhere online?

Speaking of which, I'll put this out for anyone who wants it: What if during the Jedi purge there was a good-guy bounty hunter out there who was having issues with hunting down Jedi for the Empire because when he got into "bounty hunting" it was because he wanted to get the bad guys and bring them to justice - but now he's hunting down the "good guys"? Or something like that.

You know, that's an awesome bunny you've got there. Every take I've heard on the underworld, including my own, seems to paint these anti-heroes in a noble, selfless light. That's interesting, and I'm keeping that in mind as I think of our first challenge.

Great to see you here, spiritgurl!


Mjsullivan:

I'll cut right to the chase, I think - I liked Boba Fett a little more when there was some mystery about his past.

You mean, back when we had no idea where he came from, or where he was going? Hmm... I guess he's always intrigued me, but I've got to admit that the bits of his past we got to see in AOTC whet my appetite for more, because here was this kid who was more or less vulnerable, and at the end he gets cast out into the galaxy and left to fend for himself. I thought knowing even that much was enough to make me want more, where the intimidation of knowing absolutely nothing at all would probably have kept me from writing him until I could learn more.

He seemed to me when I first came across him in ESB to be such a dark character, perhaps even to rival Vader had he been blessed with force abilities. It really made me wonder what made this individual the way he was - was he just evil, or was he turned that way by somebody else?

I liked him because he didn't appear to be afraid of Vader in the slightest. I actually got the feeling that he'd come across him before.

Luckily, I think GL did a good job with his back story - it really needed to be unique, and he achieved that well with the 'clone-substituted-for-a-son' storyline.

I agree - I loved the way he painted the relationship between Jango and Boba, and I think Temuera and Daniel did an awesome job of getting that across. Plus, they looked so much alike - in mannerisms as well as physical characteristics - it was almost eerie.

But at the same time, it took away a great chunk of mystique that the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter carried around with him. So for a little while after I saw Ep. II, I went off Boba.

Of course, it didnt take away all the mystery - we still dont know what happens to Boba once he goes off into the galaxy on his own (and that is where the wonder of fanfiction comes in ). And so I slowly managed to find my interest in him again, probably bourne out of an unshakable love of all things criminal in the GFFA

Well, my interest was piqued at the very end precisely because of not knowing where he was going to end up, and what would become of him between the end of AOTC and ESB, when we meet him again. I wrote "The Black Book" just to explore his character a bit more, but that immediately got me going, because I couldn't just leave him there

 

Awright, lemme give this a shot. You may have taken my description in a different way than I meant, now that I reread. Consider yourself warned.

Name: Drace Ashelum

Age: 26

Homeworld: Kuat

Top three likes: Justice, his mentor, his partner

Top three dislikes: Corruption, the death of innocents, himself

Strengths: Power in the Force (educated by the Aing-Tii, so his skill set is different), detective skills, martial arts mastery.

Weaknesses: Constant self-doubt and self-loathing.

Quirks: Still exploring this part. He doesn't really allow himself much time to show any, running himself through the wringer as he tends to do.

Motivation: A perceived need for redemption.

Weapons of choice: His bare fists, though he carries a standard issue blaster.

The line he ends up crossing is that by the time Make Yourself (link's in the sig and bio) rolls around, he completely discards local CorSec restrictions and takes on the lowlifes personally. He doesn't care about money, but if he decides that you're on the wrong side, he'll hunt you down and beat you to death.

Looking back, that actually sounds kind of scary. The story isn't really constructed to deal with that matter, though.

His story (Make Yourself is a sequel to another character's story) won't be posted until I finish, and I haven't a clue when that'll be. It's called Penance.

 

Now this is cool. Fate, it?s like you?re in my head. Get outta there.

I say that because the fic I?m posting right now, ?Galaxy Noir,? is a story about two freelance detectives (mjsullivan and Forcefire can attest to this ? they?re good readers of mine). The investigators are good guys ? both former cops ? but they?ll solve crimes for anyone who?ll pay them, Imperial, Rebel, and everything in between. And then you have the rest of the cast. They?re bounty hunters trying to get them off the case (Boba Fett himself among them), assassins suspected of? uh? assassinating the victim, a crime lord (on Corellia of course), and people on Nar Shaddaa. Nothing good?s gonna come from there.

I can PM you the story?s vital stats for indexing, if you wish and I can find some free time.

It?d be superfluous for me to write up Boba Fett?s bio thing, so I?ll make Wynt Tlach?s. He?s one of two major OC bounty hunters chasing our detective heroes in Galaxy Noir. He also stars in an old one-poster, A Hunter Hunted.

Name: Wynt Tlach

Age: Unknown, about 30 at time of Galaxy Noir

Homeworld: Corellia (where else?)

Top three likes: working on Fringe Shadow (his ship), piloting, sleep (to escape life)

Top three dislikes: killing innocents, fellow bounty hunter Nim Orlan, the Empire

Strengths: his physical armor, his emotional armor, dogfighting skills

Weaknesses: his conscience, his loneliness

Quirks: despises his helmet for what it represents, but clings to it for the emotional detachment from the same

Motivation: in Galaxy Noir, credits pure and simple; in A Hunter Hunted, loss of his family

Weapons of Choice: oh, the fun one Imperial repeater rifle, electric charge on suit, personal shield (not really a weapon but?), custom slugthrower, wrist-mounted grapnels, thermal detonator, forearm-sheathed vibrodagger

He can be found in A Hunter Hunted and Galaxy Noir, as I mentioned earlier.

Hmmm? are the detectives rogue-ish enough to bio? My other OC bounty hunter (disregarding Nim Orlan, too minor) is interesting enough (Force-user and probably Dark Side, but independent from the Sith) but isn?t too developed. Then there?s The Royal, but he?s mostly a symbol for Corellian crime. And The Sonar Man, the ultimate informant and Remy?s old partner, but he?s another mystery man. Again I say hmmm?

As for Boba Fett, the actual subject of the thread discussion (I?m so great at digression), I?m using him pretty much solely as a villain in Galaxy Noir ? he?s trying to kill the POV characters, so they?re a little biased. He?s choosy with his words, as Forcefire has suggested. Plus, he has a past (killed her family) with one of the major characters, who is a sort-of bodyguard (it?s complicated) for the detectives. Does that make any sense? Well I like him very much, he?s cool incarnate; silent, cool costume, almost as bad, perhaps as bad, as Vader himself.

I feel like I?ve just rambled a whole lot. If so, I?m sorry.

 

Ah carp, I killed the thread, didn't I?

 

Ah carp, I killed the thread, didn't I?

*sighs* No, The_Face, it's just cursed with a keeper that's alternately insanely busy/lazy/sleepy/grappling with Darth Writer's Block. But since this isn't the "What did Fate do today?" thread, I won't bore you with the particulars. Instead, let me just jump right into this, starting with the replies.


Forcefire:

Awright, lemme give this a shot. You may have taken my description in a different way than I meant, now that I reread. Consider yourself warned.

*grins* Fair enough. But upon reading it, I maintain that he's perfect.


Name: Drace Ashelum

Age: 26

Homeworld: Kuat

I'm revealing my EU ignorance, here, but is this an actual world? If so, what's it like? I'm always interested in hearing about planets other than Alderaan, Corellia, and Coruscant.


Top three likes: Justice, his mentor, his partner

Top three dislikes: Corruption, the death of innocents, himself

*muses* It seems all the characters so far have gone into 'the business' to escape from themselves, if you know what I mean. They all have something haunting them, something within that pushed them to take cover in the underworld. Like with Zam - She went in there to hide, not to run. It's interesting, to say the least.


Strengths: Power in the Force (educated by the Aing-Tii, so his skill set is different), detective skills, martial arts mastery.

Weaknesses: Constant self-doubt and self-loathing.

So he has the abilities of a Jedi, but he lacks their self-control and serenity. These characteristics could serve to make him very, very dangerous.


Quirks: Still exploring this part. He doesn't really allow himself much time to show any, running himself through the wringer as he tends to do.

I can definitely understand this. With any character, it takes time to really 'get' their unique take on the world around them. Once you do, the quirks start appearing of their own accord. And sometimes it's the other way - in giving your character's quirks, you discover more about them.


Motivation: A perceived need for redemption.

Weapons of choice: His bare fists, though he carries a standard issue blaster.

That makes him interesting as well, that he has a blaster and yet prefers not to use it. Is he skilled in martial arts of some sort? Was that part of his training? I'm sure it's in your fic, but I felt like asking anyway.


The line he ends up crossing is that by the time Make Yourself (link's in the sig and bio) rolls around, he completely discards local CorSec restrictions and takes on the lowlifes personally. He doesn't care about money, but if he decides that you're on the wrong side, he'll hunt you down and beat you to death.

Looking back, that actually sounds kind of scary. The story isn't really constructed to deal with that matter, though.

Ooh, he's a vigilante. *shivers* That is kind of scary, but intriguing, too. It probably says something about my character, but these traits only make me want to get to know him more. I suppose it's my knack for playing with fire.


His story (Make Yourself is a sequel to another character's story) won't be posted until I finish, and I haven't a clue when that'll be. It's called Penance.

I'm really into titles, and both of those are amazing.

Thanks again, Forcefire!



The_Face:

Now this is cool. Fate, it?s like you?re in my head. Get outta there.

*laughs!!* I am sorry. I'll have to contain myself better in the future. *dons halo, then grins ruefully as it clatters to the floor*


I say that because the fic I?m posting right now, ?Galaxy Noir,? is a story about two freelance detectives (mjsullivan and Fo

 

Ah, no need to be hard on yourself, Fate. We all get caught up in stuff from time to time. You made the thread, and that's awesome in and of itself.

I'm revealing my EU ignorance, here, but is this an actual world? If so, what's it like? I'm always interested in hearing about planets other than Alderaan, Corellia, and Coruscant.

Heh. Someone finally called me on it. I do know that Kuat is an actual Star Wars world, but I've only read passing refernces to it, so I don't have much knowledge of it, culture-wise. I just chose it because it has shipyards, which figured into the character at one point.

*muses* It seems all the characters so far have gone into 'the business' to escape from themselves, if you know what I mean. They all have something haunting them, something within that pushed them to take cover in the underworld. Like with Zam - She went in there to hide, not to run. It's interesting, to say the least.

Good point. I guess it's because the shadows are such a good place to hide. Which gets the wheels a-turning: what if someone spent their entire life wanting to grow up to be, say, a mercenary? What kind of person is that? Especially if they're raised in a law-abiding environment.

So he has the abilities of a Jedi, but he lacks their self-control and serenity. These characteristics could serve to make him very, very dangerous.

He had a case of hero-worship while growing up when it came to Jedi; it's why he used to use a lightsaber (and he was good at it, too. Really good.) He just ended up on a different road.

That makes him interesting as well, that he has a blaster and yet prefers not to use it. Is he skilled in martial arts of some sort? Was that part of his training?

Oh, he is very skilled, indeed. I wanted him to fight unarmed, but I didn't want his enemies to seem like complete chumps because they would have to miss and not kill him, so as to allow me to have a story. Then I thought about his background: Aing'Tii training. Vision of the Future showed us that they can teleport things, so I worked that around and let him use it on himself. The other major component was energy control. He doesn't do absorption like Vader did, but he surrounds his fists with energy from blaster bolts that come his way, so as to give his punches some extra "oomph".

I'm really into titles, and both of those are amazing.

Aw, shucks, Fate. They're okay. Penance just popped into my head one day, it made sense, I wrote it down. Make Yourself is the title of a song (and an album), but it's not a songfic. I decided it matched Selin Glif's "take no crap" view of life, and everyone else is really dealing with issues of determining their own destinies.


Huzzah for the seedy side! Long may it flourish.

 

Ah, no need to be hard on yourself, Fate. We all get caught up in stuff from time to time. You made the thread, and that's awesome in and of itself.

*grins* Thanks, ForceFire. I'm new at this, so it's encouraging that so many people are wishing my little thread well.


Heh. Someone finally called me on it. I do know that Kuat is an actual Star Wars world, but I've only read passing refernces to it, so I don't have much knowledge of it, culture-wise. I just chose it because it has shipyards, which figured into the character at one point.

*laughs!* Fair enough. It was nice that you found an obscure world; it sort of builds up the intrigue.


Good point. I guess it's because the shadows are such a good place to hide. Which gets the wheels a-turning: what if someone spent their entire life wanting to grow up to be, say, a mercenary? What kind of person is that? Especially if they're raised in a law-abiding environment.

*muses* Yes, it definitely raises the whole nature vs. nurture issue. I'd imagine that some would be caught up in the Romantic image of the underworld at a young age, and acted accordingly. For others, it may have started out as an act of rebellion. For others, their law-abiding environment may have seemed hypocritical, and they went the other way out of spite.

We'll have to come back to this as well.


He had a case of hero-worship while growing up when it came to Jedi; it's why he used to use a lightsaber (and he was good at it, too. Really good.) He just ended up on a different road.

Maybe when he found out that they were human after all? He might have dismissed the philosophy, then, and taken away the parts he felt he could use.


Oh, he is very skilled, indeed. I wanted him to fight unarmed, but I didn't want his enemies to seem like complete chumps because they would have to miss and not kill him, so as to allow me to have a story.

*nods* I'm struggling with that problem, too. Logically, you can't let anything happen to your character while you still have a story to tell, but it's unrealistic to keep him winning over and over again.


Then I thought about his background: Aing'Tii training. Vision of the Future showed us that they can teleport things, so I worked that around and let him use it on himself. The other major component was energy control. He doesn't do absorption like Vader did, but he surrounds his fists with energy from blaster bolts that come his way, so as to give his punches some extra "oomph".

*laughs!* That's brilliant - reminds me of "Street Fighters".


Aw, shucks, Fate. They're okay. Penance just popped into my head one day, it made sense, I wrote it down.

*nods* Yeah, all the really good titles come out of nowhere, it seems. The same thing happened when I thought of "The Avenger of Blood" for an upcoming sequel of mine.

Make Yourself is the title of a song (and an album), but it's not a songfic. I decided it matched Selin Glif's "take no crap" view of life, and everyone else is really dealing with issues of determining their own destinies.

*grins* You refer to Incubus. I like them - they're clever, and they haven't been overdone. Brandon doesn't hurt, either.

But it's still an incredible title, even if they used it first. I love how it's got a double meaning - it could mean "build yourself up - 'become who you were born to be'", or it could mean "make yourself do what you'd rather not". I tend to get preoccupied with titles, but only because they're so important.


Huzzah for the seedy side! Long may it flourish.

*laughs* "Huzzah! Huzzah!" // shameless POTC plug

---

Well, I updated the index with ten new stories - occasionally I keep my word. :p If you take the time to check them out, you'll probably notice that they demonstrate varyin

 

Hey Fate, great to see you back here!

And look what happens when I turn my back for ... uhh... two weeks. Hey Forcefire, Hey Face! So glad to see you guys in here Perhaps now, with our combined strength, we can END this destructive conflict, and RULE the galaxy as...

OH, sorry, I'm having star wars overload at the moment after watching the DVD's And speaking of which:

What did everyone think of GL overdubbing Boba's voice with that of Jango's?? Perhaps it is just a personal thing, but I was quite irked for two reasons.

1) - as a voice actor, he has nothing on the old actor; and
2) - As an Australian, I am mortified that Boba Fett is now officially a New Zealander!! Grrrr!!!! grrrrrr!

Now that that's off my chest!

You're doing a great job with this thread simply by having it here Fate. As long as us participants keep up with (as is implied by our designated title) the participating, i'm sure this thread will flourish!

I love the index of stories, and I plan to work my way gradually through them (that is, excluding the ones I am already reading, which get priority ).