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Saga - OT Saga - Legends Among the Builders|UDC XI; mostly aliens|

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by gizkaspice, Sep 16, 2024.

  1. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Title: Among the Builders | UDC XI; mostly aliens|
    Author: gizkaspice
    Timeframe: some time post-ROTS
    Characters: OCs, Legends characters and various alien species but mostly Rakata and other Unknown Region species
    Genre: Various and humour sometimes
    Summary: Kaiya Niko is a human Jedi Knight who gets lost in the Unknown Regions within a remote region of space called the Rakatan Archipelago where the descendants of Rakata who fled Lehon before the fall of the Infinite Empire thrive on various planets, some enlightened, others barbaric (in other words, don't book a vacation there). She learns more about their culture and ways of life that is vastly different than she is accustomed to. This is a response to the The Ultimate Drabble Challenge XI: The Drabble Menace challenge.

    Notes: Likely will be a single story or sometimes going off into side stories--we'll see where the prompts take me. A lot of this story will be an expansion on KOTOR and the Star Wars Unknown Regions RPG book where the remnants of the Rakata were first mentioned.

    Table of Contents
    Arrival (Week 1)
    Captive (Week 2)
    Musings (Week 3)
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2024
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  2. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Week 1: Arrival

    Pierce

    She remembered the day the Inquisitors almost killed her before she sent out into the depths of the Unknown Regions in desperation. They would not dare follow her; the terrors that lived there were too great even for them. She was aware, but it was a risk she was willing to take if it meant there was a chance of her survival.
    The area was challenging to navigate despite being a remote region of space. Suddenly, her ship pierced through the atmosphere of a tropical planet like an arrow, leaving a contrail across the cloudless skies.

    Sunburst

    She must have been unconscious for quite some time until a golden sunburst through the tall palm trees enveloped her in warm light. The light continues its way through the tropical rainforest into the thick overgrowth. She saw creatures approach her.

    A gizka was the first to visit her. It let out a sound that was similar to a cat meow. That part was weird. Then it hopped away and meowed some more.

    The local aliens spotted the wreckage of her ship immediately. They looked akin to tall bipedal frogs with cone-shaped heads and eye-stalks on the sides of their heads. She knew what they were.

    Touch

    “Are you going to eat me?”

    “Oh, no. We don’t eat visitors here on Tulpaa. That’s more of a barbaric Hilak tribe thing,” reassured the Rakatan border control by-law officer. “But in theory, would you happen to taste good with a touch of tigmary spice?”

    “I don’t taste good with a touch of anything. Once I bit myself and I tasted awful. A touch of any spice would really just amplify the awfulness.”

    “Noted. Please keep this permit handy so we’re aware you’re inedible,” said the Rakata, slapping a piece of paper onto her forehead.

    “Wonderful.” She peeled it off and tucked it into her pocket.

    Flare

    A flare of bright light caught her attention in the sky when she was escorted out of the jungle: a large almost fully constructed metal space station hovered in the far distance along with the planet’s two moons. From what she remembered from her studies with Jocasta Nu about the Galaxy’s past history, this structure reminded her of the Star Forge, but of a smaller scale.

    She wondered if this tribe of Rakata were trying to restore the former glory of the Infinite Empire. That meant they were technologically advanced and could potentially help her leave their planet.

    Pain

    As she passed through the largest settlement of the Tulpaa tribe, she saw various slave species. Selkath, Wookiees, Duros, Niktos, and even Hutts were amongst those in service to the Rakata here, as personal servants to labour workers, cooks, and even farmers and many other occupations.

    She saw a pair of chained Wookiees dragged by a Rakatan soldier riding a giant reptilian creature. She felt great pain seeing them in this state and not in their glory back at Kashyyyk. This is the only life they and their descendants would ever know.

    *****

    Notes: Tulpaa is one of the two only enlightened and technologically advanced planets
     
  3. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Great to see you beginning your drabbles with Kaiya Niko and her encounters with the Rakata.
     
  4. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Thanks for reading and commenting! It took a long time but it's finally going and glad you are enjoying the drabbles so far. The encounters will only continue from here.

    Somehow I am on track so here is Week 2.

    Week 2: Captive

    Report

    The Rakatan officer was finishing his report on her ‘illegal trespassing’ on Tulpaa and a violation of their anti-pollution policy due to her ship’s fuel spillage in the jungle. “Our tribe’s leader is aware of your presence and will determine your fate accordingly for your crimes.”

    “Crimes? But I didn’t do anything!”

    “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down before we put you on a menu.”

    “I’m a female! And I can’t believe this is the second time today someone is threatening to eat me.”

    The Rakata struggled. “Mhm. Well, it's not like I could tell you humans apart.”


    Scales

    As Kaiya was led towards the Rakatan leader’s ruling temple in the south, a small and beautiful repto-avian settled on a tree branch close by, its scales shimmering in the sunlight.
    It reminded her of the peko-peko when she visited Naboo many years ago, but more amphibian-like in appearance and with large claws on its feet. She wondered if this species was native to Tulpaa or if the Rakata brought them over from Lehon thousands of years ago.

    When it flew off, its underbelly scales were more visible and she wondered if it used them for protection against predators.


    Court

    An indoor court was occupied by a group of Selkath slaves who were practicing their weekly choir. If she remembered anything about Selkath musicals, it sounded very much like someone gargling cement. It made sense that they were permitted their own space so nobody else would hear their terrible music, which seemed to impress the female Selkath sitting in the audience.

    “This next one is called, “Memories of Manaan,” said the conductor before directing his choir to sing. He was an odd looking Selkath with long narrow cephalic lobes and purple and green markings on his smooth skin.


    Confession

    She met a fellow Jedi named Cori sitting by an empty market. He looked like he had been here for at least a few years.

    “I have a confession to make,” he said in a whisper. “I’d rather be here than be brought back to Vader as a headless corpse. If you return, they will never stop hunting you.”

    “How are you still alive here?”

    “Just keep your head low and stay out of trouble. Oh, and don’t let them find out you’re Force-sensitive or they might dissect your brain. They are obsessed with figuring out where Force sensitivity lies.”


    Judgement

    Elder Ruthic was the Tulpaa tribe’s leader and a warrior-priestess, one of the few Rakata who could touch the Force.

    “I grant you a judgement in favour of your continual existence in my tribe,” announced the female Rakata, her decorative robe flowing behind her. “I sense you are of…special interest. You know of the affairs outside the Unknown Regions. So, you will tell me everything you know and in return, we will not harm you.”

    “Very well, Lady Ruthic,” agreed Kaiya. The Dark Side was strong with this one...


    *****
    Author Notes
    1. Elder Ruthic is a Legends character from the SW Unknown Regions RPG Supplement Book (which I highly recommend)
    2. Selkath are a species originally from KOTOR and then SWTOR
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2024
  5. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    and the adventure continues with her meeting the leader and a Jedi. The description of the repto-avian is beautiful
     
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  6. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Thanks for reading/commenting! Yes and the adventure continues.

    Week 3: Musings

    Deluge

    A deluge of tropical rain hit the jungle as Kaiya went in search of her lightsaber from her ship's wreckage.

    She searched though the watery debris with no success and feared the aliens had already found it. They would eventually figure out how her weapon worked; even lightsabers had their origins in the Infinite Empire.

    A gizka was holding her lightsaber in its jaws in front of her and then hopped away. She saw it drop it into a deep puddle.


    Heavy

    She closed her eyes and reached out her hand towards the deep puddle, focusing on trying to pull her lightsaber out of it with the Force.

    The water surfaced rippled slightly but it did not budge. The lightsaber felt oddly heavy, as though it were stuck. There was no other choice than to wait until Tulpaa’s rainy season was over.


    Novelty

    The caged Anzellan stared at a trio of Rakatan zoologists.

    “A novelty specimen,” said one of the scientists. “This is its adult size. What shall we call this creature?”

    “Small, ugly land fish-thing?"

    “A bite-sized snack.”

    “No eat, no eat!” protested the Anzellan. “Bad alien! Bad! Nabu is useful. He can fix small things, like droids and stuff. He’ll show you.”

    The Rakata were intrigued and opened the cage. They equipped Nabu with customized tools, and made observations on his progress fixing a medium-sized droid. Impressed with his skills, they decided he would be useful for their engineering purposes.


    Limitation

    Vissica the Selonian had a mobility limitation due to a spinal injury she sustained after many years in heavy labour supporting the construction of a new development area. Instead of killing her for her disability as perhaps their ancestors would have done in the past, her masters decided to give her a new task as her colony’s safety officer.

    She was thrilled with her new role and spent most of her time in an office-like setting. A happy slave was one that did not revolt.


    Aim

    “Ever since we domesticated loth-cats as pets, there has been some major confusion about their rear-ends,” explained Rakatan veterinarian, Dr. Ta’naa. “The aim of this session is to reduce this confusion and provide a comprehensive understanding of mammalian genitalia.”

    She showed examples of male and female loth-cat butts to compare. “Male. Female. Got it?”

    “Um. My loth-cat’s butt is too furry to tell,” said someone in the audience, holding up his loth-cat. “Advice?”

    “That’s definitely a female; she has those radiotransmitter things that help mammals navigate the world,” replied another participant.

    The days when Dr. Ta’naa simply face-palmed and questioned her career choice seemed to increase.

    *****
    Author Notes
    Selonian
    Anzellan
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2024
  7. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Kaiya and her lightsaber and the gizka and the dealings of the Rakata with the slaves and pets; great use of the prompts
     
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  8. Kahara

    Kahara Chosen One star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Ooh, I'm definitely intrigued to see more of Kaiya's adventures and the worldbuilding of this far-flung Rakata stronghold. It seems like a grim place in a lot of ways, with most of the population being enslaved beings from around the Galaxy -- but also one where there is a lot going on. I definitely perked up my ears loth-cat style at the appearance of even more Jedi lying low there and I'm curious if Kaiya will have more contact with Cori or others. And I see that the gizkas are invested in this somehow! :D

    :oops: Some things never change. :p
     
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  9. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Thanks for reading/commenting! There will be more of that soon to come.

    Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you enjoy the story so far! When the Rakata fled Lehon thousands of years ago, they took their slaves along to these new planets as well but they are also actively searching for new resources and slaves so it is kind of grim I guess. But yes, a lot going on! I can imagine at least some Jedi must have escaped into the Unknown Regions (and were totally prepared to face the terrors that live there) and Kaiya will definitely have more interactions. And the gizkas are along for the ride :D

    Gotta uphold the tradition and running gag that there is a Dr. Tana in every dimension, teaching fools about cat butts 8-}

    Thanks again for those who read/commenters and lurkers [:D]


    Week 4 entry is up!

    Week 4: History

    Mentor

    "I have seen my Master, my friend and mentor, decapitated before my very eyes. Since then, that image still haunts me. The healers here have tried to help me, but it will take time. Until then, I will continue to meditate in the forests, to seek peace and balance.”

    Kaiya listened to Cori’s story and asked no further questions. He was focusing on the sounds of the avians and amphibian-like life in the area and the sounds of a nearby waterfall. A group of blue-spotted gizka stared at them for a while out of curiosity and then hopped away into the glades.


    Mother

    Kaiya took liking to a Rakata mother named Sukhaa who ran a market booth with hand-made lothcat hats. She brought her 5 hatchlings today who, despite only being a few months old, were already helping the family business. As long as there were lothcats, there would be a need for tiny hats for them.

    Like most Rakata on Tulpaa, Sukhaa was a skilled warrior. She put a pair of Duros in their place after they were giving the human a hard time and then showed her around the market place and village.


    Father

    She learnt that Sukhaa’s father was a high ranking Elder in Tulpaa’s government. He was one of the members of Ruthic’s advisory council. That connection was certainly in Kaiya’s favour and would serve her well, at least in terms of continual survival. The Rakata were generally hostile towards off-worlders, with few exceptions.

    “Might you be interested in exploring our holographic achieves? They are fascinating and are located in the central library,” suggested Sukhaa as they explored her settlement. “You will need to walk all the way to the end of this settlement and then take a left. There, our senior archivist will greet you.”


    Legacy

    “I am Aki’rah, the senior archivist and Keeper of History,” said the red-skinned Rakata who greeted the human. She wore a dark green tunic decorated with gold linings on the edges. “Sukhaa mentioned you are interested in learning more about the legacy of our species. You can use this interactive holo-board to explore your inquiries. Over the centuries, we of the Elders have painstakingly tried to create a comprehensive history of our species.”

    Kaiya played around with the holo-board and the species’ origin planet, Lehon, appeared as a hologram, in real time. Once the stronghold of the Infinite Empire in the past, it was now a primitive planet.


    Ancestor

    From the archives, Kaiya learnt that the evolutionary ancestor of the Rakata was an amphibian-like creature that lived in the tropical coves of Lehon. It was both a predator and a prey species that used its stalked eyes for better depth perception and wider field of vision.

    Several millions of years later of evolution, the basic design remained similar but bipedal now and sapient. And somewhere down the road in the family tree, zoologists argued that gizka were apparently distantly and genetically related to the Rakata but many dared not admit that in their arrogance since gizka were considered an inferior pest species.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2024
  10. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    I like how Kaiya learns more about the Rakata and the Gizka (pest species and related);)
     
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  11. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Thanks for reading/commenting! She will continue to learn more for sure. My head canon is that the Rakata and gizka are distant cousins in the same way humans and mammals are related, or maybe humans and some lesser forms of monkeys---haven't decided yet. And I'd imagine a lot of things on Lehon are amphibian-like or reptile as well but we'll get into that in the next entry.

    Week 5: Natural History


    Gaggle


    A gaggle of pterosaur-like repto-avians flew just above her in the settlement's wildlife sanctuary, a place that was designated for select flora and fauna to thrive as part of an ongoing research program centuries in the making.

    All the specimens here were once native to Lehon, including the large pek’kura which looked like a cross between an ichthyostega and a wolf and the lesser pek’kura which was a smaller version of it but with well-developed claws and a hammer-shaped head. There was also the tik’taa which were small, blue spotted gizka-like creatures with long lobed tails adapted for both land and water.


    Beaming

    The sunlight was beaming through the tall palm trees and tree ferns in the sanctuary and in the shadows, she saw the rare assi which looked like an amphibious and hairless runyip except that it was two-legged like a gizka. It had stalked vertical eyes and glanced to her for a moment before scurrying into the bushes. A flock of tiny and round avian-like creatures fluttered out of the bushes like a cloud before resting on a nearby fern as a swarm. She later found out this species was a type of invertebrate and not avian at all.


    Cascade

    Down in a cascade, she saw the water teaming with aquatic life but dared not to walk down the steep rocky slope. So, she stood on a bridge and watched the colourful sya'ri which looked akin to small tropical hammerhead sharks but with short, dorsal spikes along the spine. Near the waterfall, groups of crab-like creatures with long lobed tails sat gathering algae from the rocks.

    A taapa'li walked out of the jungle to sip water. This was a common riding animal amongst the Rakatan tribes that looked like a tailless amphibious deer with short eye-stalks on the sides of its crested head.


    Blazon

    The small but mighty oss'rya stood in front of Kaiya's path. It looked something like a smooth-skinned, armless avian with a colourful and retractable crest fin which she assumed was used for defense or for impressing mates. It expanded its crest fin to blazon all its majestic colours like a bird-of-paradise and hopped towards her like an angry puff of doom.

    She backed away and the creature was pleased it 'scared' her off before continuing down its path into the thick undergrowth of the rainforest where it could return back to its nest of awaiting hatchlings.


    Tower

    The giant palm trees seemed to tower over everything else. They looked like yarey or fan palms but were more massive in size with green-blue tips and they had flowers that were stalked and magenta-coloured with long tendrils and feather-like petals. When pollinated by the small fluttering long-tongued humming-frog, the fruit would fall and serve as food for the creatures below in the undergrowth who would then disperse the seeds throughout the tropical rainforests.


    *****
    Author Notes
    runyip
    ichthyostega
    yarey palms
    Everything else is just me making up a bunch of animals.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2024
  12. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    A nice view on the animals and love how she encounters them and interacts.
    Great descriptions of how those animals are and the palm trees in the final piece
     
  13. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I enjoyed reading of Kaiya's encounters and insisting she's inedible [face_rofl] And poor Dr. Tana is always slogging uphill when it comes to feline anatomy 8-}

    I like the wide variety of animal species. :cool:
     
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