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Before - Legends Recognition (Horror, OC) 3,000 years pre-TPM, Updated 10/14

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Exeter, Dec 11, 2005.

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  1. Obi-Wan_Ken-Obi

    Obi-Wan_Ken-Obi Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2005
    I have been lurking to long I deem. Ok put me in the scaffold etc... I admitted my crime but am prepared to do penance by reviewing regularly. Your story is properly amazing indeed. Not only did you manage to breath life into an unaccounted for era in the greater saga but you rained little tidbits of star wars knowledge here and there including such little known facts as what caused Tatooine's utter desolation.

    Every one of your characters is believable and not only that, but likeable. Keaso himself is the perfect cynical mercenary and I love his dry sense of humor. Continue please and know that in me you have a most devoted reader.

    Regards, Passon

    PS: If you have a pm list put me on it.
     
  2. correllian_ale

    correllian_ale Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2005
    Sorry it took so long to come back Ex...

    Chapter 8: I was getting really engrossed in your boucning through tangents, trying to decide the levels of his delusions) when you threw this line at me:

    What was I talking about? Oh, right. My ensuing madness. How can I tell, right? ;)

    =D= =D=

    Chapter 9:

    Kaeso, the berserk merc! - The One and Only!
    [face_laugh]

    Far better than seeing through a different pair of eyes, unless they?re through the eyes of a woman in a handmaiden changing room. Of course, I can never have that kind of luck.

    Kaeso made a nice comparison there between MIs and prison, although I'm pressed to figure which one is scarier...

    ?I?ve been waiting for you, Kaeso.?

    *shivers* (Ooo, say it again...)

    Chapter 10:

    It is creepy how normal Markos sounds...almost Hannibal Lecter like.

    ?I?d just as soon kiss a sea megalon,? I shot back.

    Markos grinned. ?I can arrange that. You could use a good kiss.


    Yessss! I always like to see a random OT reference. You've made my evening.

    Help me, Kaeso Landrith. You?re my only hope.

    Haha! That's two, two OT references. Haha!

    ?Don?t you see, Kaeso? I?ve found a way to sever the connection!?

    Great cliffhangers Exeter...would probablt mean more if I wasn't reading straight through.

    Chapter 11:

    This might be a bit late in the game, but I just noticed how much of the chapters are anecdotes...great way to move a F-POV along with giving some great backstory.=D=

    Another excellent chapter showing another side to Kaeso.

    Chapter 12:

    Poor Kaeso, this Eversore sounds like a few newer I've seen around (tv commercials). What hauntingly, but still tremendous chapter E!

    =D=

    Chapter 13:

    Finally caught up! Another brilliant chapter Exeter.

    If you thought I liked OT references, referencing other fanfics...[face_dancing]

    ?She never came home last night. Listen ? I?ve tried getting a hold of her by comm, but she?s not answering. None of her friends have talked to her since then. Kaeso, w-what I?m trying to say is? Evadné is missing!?

    Uh oh. I have a bad feeling about this. Kaeso, say it ain't so!

    =D= =D= =D=

    My humblest apologies for not giving the August OC STOM the attention it deserved. RL beat the crap out me lately...Please make sure you keep me on that PM list.








     
  3. Bale

    Bale Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 9, 2005
    Sorry it has taken me so long to get caught up, Exeter. As expected your story continues to deliver on its hallmark humor and intrigue. Kaeso is definitely one of the funniest and most dynamic characters I've seen yet. Great work! Keep those PMs coming.

    Chapter 9

    I love Kaeso as an atypical OC and his narration. His cynicism and wit make a great narrator and such a fascinating OC. Were it not for his realistic attitudes I think he'd have gone even crazier by now. He still seems comparatively calm considering the circumstances.

    In response to the "Trivia" I'm sticking with my theory that it has something to do with the new sight he's gained. So it makes me wonder, just what is he recognizing and will he be better or worse off for it. So far, I'd say worse. Only time will tell . . .


    Chapter 10

    "I?ve been waiting for you, Kaeso." [face_worried]

    So simple, yet so chilling. If brevity is the key to wit you are a Master at it.


    ?Do ya feel lucky? Huh? Do ya, nerf??

    ROFL!!


    It sees through us, and just maybe, it feels through us too.?

    Markos and I seem to be working with the same theory.


    However, I now realize that the connection isn?t just between us and the thing, but with each other.?

    Resounds of the collective. I'm curious now if Markos and Kaeso will be able to utilize the two-way channel feature with their condition.


    ?Yeah, you?re locked in an asylum with a bunch of spaced-out whackos who think Revan has come back from the dead in the body of their pet gundark, Gretta, to assimilate the galaxy?s population of droids into the collective empire of the undead Sith. I think that about sums up the situation here,? I said solemnly.

    There's a plot bunny I'd love to see somebody tackle.


    Chapter 11

    I love the KOTOR references here w/ Czerka.

    Of course, it wasn?t until later when I was collecting the credits for the job that I learned I was supposed to deliver the explosives to a different Exchange outpost on the opposite side of the planet, because they had double-crossed my clients.

    Oops.


    A simple mistake that could happen to anyone?right?


    the news that you?re about to become a parent (I wouldn?t know personally per se, though I have little doubt that there are little Landrith Jrs. out there somewhere wreaking havoc on the galaxy)

    OMG, that is hilarious! It had me spewing my coffee from laughing so hard.[face_coffee] [face_laugh]


    It is still to this day one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Whenever I?m presented with the worst the galaxy to offer ? and believe me, as a mercenary that part of the galaxy is all I ever see ? I take a few moments to return to that memory and nothing else.

    A wonderful touch here to show us his more sensitive side.



    I really enjoyed your exploration into how powerful guilt can be and the emptiness of revenge?especially revenge denied. It's a great angst device, and one that will play heavily in one of my own pieces.[face_whistling]

    The datapad and the dagger?brilliant! =D=


    I knew I had gotten the sweetest revenge of all. I had been the better man.

    Well played, Kaeso! This guy has more wisdom than most Jedi we've met through the years.


    The suitor looks at her and says, ?Honey, you?ve been looking for love in Alderaan places!?


    Comedy Gold! [face_laugh] [face_laugh] [face_laugh]



    Chapter 12

    For the gods? sake, it even kills midichlorians.

    I smell a plot bunny.


    With regards to the author, I'm with Kaeso. There's got to be an alterior motive.


    Chapter 13

    I hadn?t seen a place so vacant of hope since watching an intoxicated Wookiee mistake the open karaoke event at Corellia?s Fringe nightclub for a robust gathering of opera hopefuls. Rarely will you see so many people desperate to leave but too afraid to do so. For the record, I?ve seen krayt dragons die with less of an uproar than I heard that night. I know
     
  4. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    raisedbywolves - Ooh! What a post! Looks like you get a very gigantic reply. Brought to you by caffeine

    Gigantic replies are always good, as is caffeine. Both of them fuel my future chapters.

    Wow. I love the way Kaeso switches from incredibly dark, to incredibly silly, bits of his life story at the drop of a hat. I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't his strategy for repressing some of the things that he's about to tell us... more light BS as he gets closer to (what I'm guessing is) the dreadful outcome of this little adventure. Unreliable narrator sort of thing?

    That's not the first time the idea of Kaeso being an unreliable narrator has come up. It's something we're going to deal with in full form very soon.

    As for humor, it's definitely his defense mechanism. As most of you are undoubtedly aware, Kaeso is retelling this story, and none of it he particularly wants to relive. Yet he feels compelled to do so.

    *snrk* Well Kaeso, I think it's pretty freakin' hilarious!

    ... and he claims to be an artist?! Classic.


    At least he has one fan :p

    Two if Zonoma's prowling about.

    Not just an artist, but an arctor - I mean, artress!

    *gets whiplash from the sudden mood change*

    Just when I've started to forget what exactly is going on... you do something like THAT!


    That's the most fun of this story - the things coming out from left field.

    Ohhh... freaky... I sincerely hope this NEVER happens to me. Brr. That description just really touched a nerve!

    Awesome. My work here is done.

    Nice little word choice U-turn there. And no I can't describe it any more lucidly than that.

    Thanks! I liked it.

    Poor Kaeso. The idea of him feeling like being trapped in a B-movie with him as the villain is a lovely, nasty little trope.

    The sad thing is he really hasn't been bringing his A-game to bare. There's a lot more Kaeso needs to be doing, but he's not quite scared enough. Not yet, anyway.

    Give him time.

    I wonder if Iolanthe is what she seems... That is a beautiful name by the way. Isn't it Greek?

    She's definitely being brought more and more into the epicenter of the story as time goes on.

    I really like the name, too. Yes, it's Greek.

    Guy just can't catch a break, can he?? Possession, mind probes, creepy doctors, yikes!

    Haha, just wait until the next few chapters! As for Doc Vanya, his role isn't nearly over either.

    Another hallmark of good writing: You don't just create details and then drop them. You remind us of them just often enough.

    :D I appreciate the praise. I don't like throwaway details, because they create a barrier between the narrative, the main character, and the audience. Efficiency, efficiency.

    This is funny stuff - until one reminds oneself what a traumatic past Kaeso has when it comes to medications. That he can even joke about this kind of thing is another sign of his gumption.

    You can either laugh or you can cry.

    ... or is it possible that she has her own secrets and motivation? Hmm.

    Everybody does, especially in Kaeso's twisted shard of the universe. Hopefully for him, those secrets and motivations don't place her at odds with his own.

    Exeter, you totally have my continued support. I might even spring for a pledge drive! :p

    I really enjoyed your mega-review. It's nice to see someone follow a story so closely. I'm just sorry it's been so long since I last updated.

    Jade - Ahh! I'm really behind, sorry. Just got through Chapter 9.

    There's simply no excuses. I've given your information to the Nameless Thing In The Water.

    Sounds like Markos might have a few credits for a speeder after all. Or maybe the only person he truly recognises in his madness is Kaeso. Trance buddies, and all.

    I like the phrase "trance buddies"! I think Kaeso may have to use that at some point.

    Loved the description of Kaeso's new nightsight, lightning being too close. It sound
     
  5. Healer_Leona

    Healer_Leona Squirrel Wrangler of Fun & Games star 9 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2000
    The story is more than worth the wait. All I need is a PM (and sometimes not, as in the case of seeing it brought up with your name. :D ) and I'll be rushing back.
     
  6. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Well, here's my belated (and so insufficient) holiday gift to all of my readers, who've stuck with me despite nothing but abuse and lame excuses (you know who you are).

    As a sort of reward for sticking it out over these long months, this chapter of Recognition is not only double-sized (two chapters and a grand total of a whopping ~6,500 words) but it also contains more suspense and twists than any previous chapter (or so the book flap says).

    This is the first of a three or four chapter arc, after which I'll probably move to Malaysia for five years and leave everyone in the dark over an ugly cliffhanger where Kaeso has to fight a clone of Darth Maul with nothing but a spoon.

    Thanks again for all of your support.




    [b]Chapter 14[/b]

    The blaster fire was everywhere, all around me. There had to be four or five thugs spitting lasers at me, and with a growing dread I realized there was no pushing my way through them.

    A bolt tore into the smooth banister behind me and sent molten plastic raining on the back of my head. Some of the superheated polymer must have jumped on to the Duros, because he yelped and reflexively began to rise. I seized him by the collar of his expensive garb and yanked him back down with all my might a split second before a red bolt cut through the air where his blue-green head had been.

    No, there wouldn?t be any heroic triumph here. This was a gunbattle I couldn?t win.

    With a roar I dragged the Duros to his feet and sent returning fire into the remnants of the doorway, moving him as quickly as possible to the side of the theater box. I glanced over the edge of the banister into the thirty-meter abyss that awaited us.

    It was the only way.

    I seized the alien?s arm and wrapped it around my neck, ignoring his protests. To buy us a few more seconds I leveled the blaster and sent a few more shots through the door and then turned back to the banister.

    And then I vaulted over the side.

    [hr]

    But that?s getting a bit ahead of myself, isn?t it? Where were we?

    Oh, right ? Evadné?s disappearance. The news hadn?t shattered my idea of Psamtik as an idyllic paradise ? the nasty thing lewdly attaching itself to my every thought had done that days ago ? but it certainly drove the lightsaber home.

    So without further ado, let?s get on with it, shall we?


    In a moment, everything can change.

    It?s a fact of the universe. One minute you?re deep-diving in knee-high sewer muck for the Coruscant Department of Yuck ([i]Motto: Yesterday?s Meals on Wheels[/i]) ? and if you think your local pipes are clogged, just think what kind of output a planet-sized city produces and you?ll realize real quick why they keep building on top of the older sections ? and the next some hotshot Jedi ?lands? a flaming spaceship on your face. He?ll get an award, sure, while you?ll get a tiny missing persons bulletin buried at the bottom of some HoloNet news report.

    Life sucks ? get busy living or get busy dying. Somebody smart said that, I?m sure of it.

    But that?s a simple and true fact. Life is always throwing stories like that at you. Once, I was enjoying a dream job on Alderaan pulling escort duty for a high-level politician, one of those Royal ?They won?t let me be King so I shall buy a very expensive flying yacht? types. It mainly consisted of us sipping Andoan wine until we got sick of staring at the sparkling water with the snow-capped alp backdrop and fell into a catatonic sleep.

    Then one day someone tried to poison our man and I hunted down the people responsible. Two hours of name-calling and threats against their household pets revealed the guy bankrolling the assassination attempt and it turned out to be yet another high-ranking member of a competing family. I outed him and the media ruined him, but that?s not how he saw it, I guess.

    With nothing to lose, he executed a daring and courageous raid that really demonstrated his tactical supremacy. I was half-asleep when I hear this sound akin to a Gungan being shoved head-first into a turbolaser emplacement, wh
     
  7. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Chapter 15


    ?So ? you?re just the man for the job. I need your help.?

    It was the cold-hearted truth. In the back of my mind, I could hear Markos castigating me for not seeking out help from others. My inhibitions towards teamwork go with the trade: every extra man you rely on greatly increases the likelihood that you'll end up dead.

    Trust is never a problem when you're dealing with yourself.

    I told myself this was different - Markos had been referring to our mutual problem with the submerged creature but this had nothing to do with that. Tlaloc was a good man.

    The geologist had already returned to his instruments.

    ?I really don?t have the time, Landrith. I?m involved in a very important project, a dilemma of staggering proportions?? Tlaloc said distractedly.

    I balked in a mocking manner. ?This isn?t a job for?Jac Bau-er, is it??

    The acid-faced expression was back in full force on his face. ?Those HoloNet action dramas will rot your brain, kiddo. I should know ? just look at me.?

    ?Oh, I dunno. You look pretty good for an old cynical egghead,? I teased. ?Psamtik?s been here for a billion years ? something tells me it?s not going to go anywhere in the next five minutes,? I said impatiently. But being fully versed in the art of verbal negotiation, I decided to throw him a gaffi stick. ?What are you working on??

    Tlaloc?s eyes lit up as if he?d been waiting for me to ask the question. ?Well, it?s a real interesting venture, I tell you. I?m looking into the mystery of the Barcinka Tide and I just can?t seem to ??

    I was already lost.

    ?Come again??

    Tlaloc sighed and gave his shoulders an exaggerated slump. ?This is why I could never be a university instructor.?

    ?Too many cool mercs for you to handle??

    ?Too many you,? Tlaloc replied dryly. ?I forget ? you?re not from these parts. Most of the educated know about the Barcinka Tide, but there?s not one of us that understands it. We named it after a seaside native word that roughly translates as ?strange waters.? Seemed appropriate,? he said with a grim smile.

    I still had no idea what he was talking about, and even if I didn?t have a pressing matter to discuss with him, I doubt I?d have had the patience to deal with him on any normal day. But the geologist was known for his violent mood changes and considering the importance of my request, this time I was in no position to cause one of them by interrupting.

    I chose to be a good listener instead. Putting my best interested face on full-bore, I asked ?So what exactly is the Barcinka Tide??

    He leaned back in his freeform double-axis chair and massaged his temples. ?That?s a damn good question, boy. The first references to the phenomenon date back to the pre-Tokare period, during the settlement era when the first Psamtik colonists were trying to figure out how to create an efficient waterlocked society. One of the science officers in the first planetary government had this to say on the matter??

    Tlaloc tapped at one of the large workstations that sat before him.

    ?It came out of the last days of the wet season, hot on the heels of the First Landing anniversary?this tide has come without warning and apparently without precedence, a natural hazard that seems all too inconvenient in the face of far more pressing dangers, like the twin peaks that smolder and rumble in threatening but unresolved manners ? one of them called Mount Voevod and the other called Chief Regent Fawls MicCannay??

    He looked back at me. ?So you see, it was regarded as a bit of an unexplained problem but not particularly troublesome in those chaotic times. Later, we?ve got some accounts from fishermen, scientists, and politicians alike about the strange tide. The first studies were undertaken by Polytech directly after it?s founding by Tokare but they were inconclusive; no causal relationship could be discerned from the available data sets.?

    I frowned at the blue-tinged hologram. ?But aren?t tides just the result of gravity??

    Tlaloc si
     
  8. Healer_Leona

    Healer_Leona Squirrel Wrangler of Fun & Games star 9 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2000
    Happiness this morning was getting the PM you updated. :D :D

    I balked in a mocking manner. ?This isn?t a job for?Jac Bau-er, is it??


    LOL, nearly choked on me coffee when I read that.

    Whoa, all that info on the tides and thier history gives this an even creepier feel, like so much more is directed. *shudders*

    ?I?m Principal Investigator Belath of the Psamtik Special Police,? the man replied severely. ?I have a few questions for you.?


    Oh no, don't tell me. :( :(

    Stellar post!!! I'm hoping you don't leave us hanging too long! [face_praying]
     
  9. Zonoma

    Zonoma Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2005
    That's why we make such good partners.
    Don?t we, though?

    I'll have you know that he wept for some time after that, and only overcame his sorrow after leading a group of unwitting younglings into a giant ice cream machine.
    Well, I hope that ice cream was as sweet as it was red. Perhaps you had an short lived business somewhere on a lovely stretch of beach?

    Don?t worry, the first rejection is always a tough one, but what doesn?t kill us only makes us stronger. I refused the invitation as a character building exercise for him.[face_liarliar]

    And that's why you and Kaeso make such good partners, too. :*
    I wish. I?m afraid I would mouth off one too many times. I?m a pretty good shot, but I?m just not a killer and have little to any upper arm strength anymore. Kaeso would murdelize me eventually.

    I'm in talks with Hasbro and several other outfits for a lucrative contract to produce exclusive Kaeso action figures, including such attachments as his ridiculously customized blaster and gelatinous unfriendly sea blobs.
    Sign me up!

    Doooooo iiiittttt. Don?t tempt me.

    I'm glad you like her. You're opinion might change once she starts showing up more, though!
    Okay, after reading that comment, I reread a few chapters where she appears. She is TOO calm?. Now I am paranoid and don?t trust her anymore than I trust the writer. Thanks. [face_plain]

    Now? onto read the update! Probably have to parcel it out, as I am very tired. Sorry.

    an ugly cliffhanger where Kaeso has to fight a clone of Darth Maul with nothing but a spoon.

    You wouldn?t!!!!:eek:[face_plain][face_laugh]:_|[face_laugh]

    Oh scratch the line by line for tonight. First, I am waaaay too tired. Second, there was waaay too much. Let us just say that Kaeso?s sanity is going the way of the dinosaurs.

    More snark to come, when I have some sleep and get a chance to reread. I really should have waited til tomorrow, but I just couldn?t resist!

    Zonoma

     
  10. BigE

    BigE Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Boy, that pair of posts was well worth the wait!! Fabulous!
    Words escape me, as I try to lay out just how much I enjoy reading your stuff.

    Plus there's so much one could quote from, but I'll just repost this gem:

    He looked up again from the instrument he was using, which looked like a cross between a Hutt with prosthetic limbs (yeah, they have limbs) and one of those ridiculously huge kill-death-kill superweapons that the villains in holofilms always seem compelled to build, with names like "Giant Hurt Ball" or "Destruct-o-con XL5000" or "Galaxy Eater", but what they really should be called is And "You Said I?d Never Amount To Anything, Professor Zakstein!" or "Look Ma! No Hands!" Or "Even I Think This Might Be A Bit Excessive", or my personal favorite, "Raging Compensator for Something". But those aren?t nearly as catchy as "The Blood Reaver!!!!" (exclamation points required).


    And I loved the Toy Story reference. Kudos! :D
     
  11. correllian_ale

    correllian_ale Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2005
    I guess it's all a matter of ask and ye' shall receive...in spades!

    ?You?re mocking me, aren?t you??

    I adopted my best shocked look. ?Oh, no, no, no, no ? LOOK OUT! Sith at ten thousand o?clock!!?


    [face_laugh]

    I'm glad BigE noticed it too, because I was afraid my mind was dumpster-diving again!

    One of the things I like most in Recognition is when Kaeso starts rambling off, and your not too sure if what he says has any revelance to the story; or if it's just a deeper look at his character. Then when you started throwing the disussion on the Barcinka Tide... I was torn if it was going to have any revelance, or if you were stringing me along until you told us the girl's location.

    Definately a combination of both!!!

    And absolutely worth the wait!
    =D=
    Thanks for PM my friend. :D
     
  12. Art_Of_War

    Art_Of_War Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 9, 2005
    Great couple of updates there Mike and I apologize for my *ahem* lazy behavior regarding this fic along with your other one over there in the Saga section.

    Anyways, I'm quite enjoying this buildup you've got going which isn't to say that fast buildups are any worse- if they're done in proper hands at least- but with the meandering path you've created here we, being the readers, are able to spend more time with our favorite sarcastic and witty mercenary- Kaeso. I mean if you had him discover that his "girlfriend" was at his cottage immediately we wouldn't have such memorable lines like...

    It didn?t seem to matter where I looked ? the story was always the same. Hi, have you seen a stunning redhead, about yea high, in her twenties, wearing a? (Sure!) You have? I?ve been looking all over for her! (Yeah, I seen her.) Where?! (In my dreams, heh heh).

    Then of course I have to kill them.


    ?Eastwesterly,? I repeated slowly. ?This would have been about Oh-Nine-Hundrenty, then??

    The waitress/Trandoshan Scholastic Achiever of the Year finalist narrowed her eyes. ?You?re mocking me, aren?t you??

    I adopted my best shocked look. ?Oh, no, no, no, no ? LOOK OUT! Sith at ten thousand o?clock!!?

    Predictably, she turned to look in the indicated direction.

    I was halfway back to my speeder by the time she realized what had just happened. My laughter and her curses blended together into a pleasant music that might have been a little more enjoyable if I wasn?t on the trail of a disappearing woman.


    He looked up again from the instrument he was using, which looked like a cross between a Hutt with prosthetic limbs (yeah, they have limbs) and one of those ridiculously huge kill-death-kill superweapons that the villains in holofilms always seem compelled to build, with names like "Giant Hurt Ball" or "Destruct-o-con XL5000" or "Galaxy Eater", but what they really should be called is "And You Said I?d Never Amount To Anything, Professor Zakstein!" or "Look Ma! No Hands!" Or "Even I Think This Might Be A Bit Excessive", or my personal favorite, "Raging Compensator for Something". But those aren?t nearly as catchy as "The Blood Reaver!!!!" (exclamation points required).

    .... just for starters. But anyways, this Barcinka Tide thing almost seems like it'll play a part in the big finale that you've got planned( insert eye roll) and the grammatical structure you had at the end of chapter 15 really through me for a loop as intended. Too bad he can't take drugs and function as a coherent rational being because the effects the "monster" has on his mind- and body for that matter- is getting more and more apparent.

    Looking foward to your next update.
     
  13. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Hey, folks! Just stopping by to let you know I recently finished up a promo trailer for Recognition. For those of you who are already devout readers of this story, it's a bit of a "special feature" and it should give you some hints about where the story is headed in upcoming months. For newcomers, it should give you an indication if you should invest your time in catching up. Either way, I hope everybody manages to check it out.

    Recognition returns with all new chapters Wednesday, February 28.

    You can check out the trailer here.
     
  14. correllian_ale

    correllian_ale Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2005
    Haha! Loved the Lost motif Ex!!! =D=

    No solid glimses of the creature though...:_|
     
  15. Bale

    Bale Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 9, 2005
    Chapter 14

    and if you think your local pipes are clogged, just think what kind of output a planet-sized city produces and you?ll realize real quick why they keep building on top of the older sections
    I knew there had to be a good reason.


    Two hours of name-calling and threats against their household pets
    Reminds me of a "friendly" conversation I had with my neighbors once.


    I hear this sound akin to a Gungan being shoved head-first into a turbolaser emplacement.
    [face_praying] It's Jar Jar right? Pleeeeeease tell me it's Jar Jar.


    As a merc I have a tactic of strategic avoidance when it comes to the cops, by which I mean every time I encounter them for some reason they are usually shouting over the comm about ?necessary force? and firing so-called ?warning shots? over the bow of my ship.
    Kaeso's witty humor is as brilliant as ever.


    I searched ears, nose, and throat of the island and then I took a few trips through the armpits too, for good measure. I left no stone unturned, and in a few cases I turned them over again just in case she had slipped under one while I wasn?t looking.
    So Kaeso invented the infamous Imperial Body Cavity Search.[face_thinking]


    After all, she?s the weight of soaking rain in the soaking rain.
    Hope he buys her a nerf steak or something when he finds her?definitely no seafood though. Poor anorexic girl.


    ?Well, I think it was?um, we were right here and?I think east?westerly??
    Never ask a woman for directions, which coincidentally was the original title for Star Trek: Voyager.


    I miss the days when one of the admission requirements to an institution of higher learning was that you had to be able to beat a Tatooine youngling at an aptitude test. I?ll admit there were always a few close calls ? those rare times when some little farmboy would turn out to be a prophesied ?chosen one? or a purveyor of galactic justice or something ? but for the most part it helped to weed out folks like this girl.
    I love it when you make fun of the Skywalkers.


    ?Eastwesterly,? I repeated slowly. ?This would have been about Oh-Nine-Hundrenty, then??

    The waitress/Trandoshan Scholastic Achiever of the Year finalist narrowed her eyes. ?You?re mocking me, aren?t you??

    I adopted my best shocked look. ?Oh, no, no, no, no ? LOOK OUT! Sith at ten thousand o?clock!!?

    He should have sold her a left-handed hydrospanner while he was at it.


    Giant Hurt Ball
    Whatever, Obi-Wan Kaboozer.


    Well sir what I?m trying to say is this battlestation will cost the equivalent of our gross galactic product times ten and then you have to pay the crews and the construction teams and the raw amount of food and supplies you need to bring in and then it costs money to move it and operate it and repair it and I know you said that?s fine just add a zero on to our bank account but that?s actually not how it works and?

    ?then there?s the issue of these inexplicable illogical weaknesses that these massive thins you design always seem to have to the point where when the engineers present you with flawless and totally secure blueprints you have them whacked and then hire a new incompetent team to install shafts big enough to fly a small moon down that for some reason lead to something that can trigger an explosion that blows us all up or a self-destruct sequence which makes no sense because you said this thing is indestructible and no enemy stands a chance against it?

    ?so what I was thinking is instead of spending enough money to build a 1:1 working scale model of the universe on this thing why don?t we do something more practical like building a space fleet so big that it gains sentience and challenges like-sized entities such as talking planets or rare but usually jovial singing nebulas to durasteel cage death matches wouldn?t that make a lot more sense than this floating hunk of unlikelihood sir well sir what do you think sir?

    And that, Sir, is why you are a genius!


    If you?re going to use an
     
  16. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    I'm back, as promised. If you haven't had a chance to check out the trailer, there's a link up a few posts. I think most readers should enjoy it.

    Other than that, here's some replies and the next chapter! And as always, sorry for the ridiculous wait.




    [b]Leona[/b] - [i]LOL, nearly choked on me coffee when I read that.[/i]

    [face_grin] Pop culture homages are always fun, especially when they have no business being there.

    [i]Whoa, all that info on the tides and thier history gives this an even creepier feel, like so much more is directed. *shudders* [/i]

    Indeed! That's one aside that isn't irrelevant - it will play a continuing role in this story.

    [i]Oh no, don't tell me.[/i]

    Not yet, at least.

    [i]Stellar post!!! I'm hoping you don't leave us hanging too long![/i]

    Thanks, Leona! And you know I always do :p

    [b]Z[/b] - I'm glad you got some sleep! (I assume you did, because you're alive. You're alive, right? Hello?)

    [i]Oh scratch the line by line for tonight. First, I am waaaay too tired. Second, there was waaay too much. Let us just say that Kaeso?s sanity is going the way of the dinosaurs.[/i]

    Well, give the guy a break. He's had a bit of trauma here.

    Wait...that doesn't explain him in the first chapter, does it? [face_thinking]

    Poor Kaeso :p

    [b]BigE [/b] - [i]Boy, that pair of posts was well worth the wait!! Fabulous! Words escape me, as I try to lay out just how much I enjoy reading your stuff. [/i]

    I'm very glad to hear that, especially from a guy who's on the up and up. Yeah, I saw your challenge win. Congratulations - and I'm going to read that one.

    [i]And I loved the Toy Story reference. Kudos![/i]

    You have good eyes. Thanks for reading, man!

    [b]c_ale[/b] - [i]I'm glad BigE noticed it too, because I was afraid my mind was dumpster-diving again![/i]

    [face_laugh] It's been so long since I've seen that movie, too. Time for a Netflix rental, I guess.

    [i]One of the things I like most in Recognition is when Kaeso starts rambling off, and your not too sure if what he says has any revelance to the story; or if it's just a deeper look at his character. [/i]

    Oh, definitely! He likes his tangents, as do I. As I've said before, that part of his personality is based on myself...though rather than crazy ramblings, I just collect and retell stories all the time.

    [i]Then when you started throwing the disussion on the Barcinka Tide... I was torn if it was going to have any revelance, or if you were stringing me along until you told us the girl's location. [/i]

    heh heh heh

    [i]Definately a combination of both!!! [/i]

    Yup! As I told Leona, the Barcinka Tide is going to play a larger role in Recognition. What connection, if any, it has to our favorite snugglebunny under the sea is something I leave up to the readers to speculate on (while I ask my ghost writer about it).

    [i]And absolutely worth the wait!

    Thanks for PM my friend.[/i]

    Anytime. And thank you for the comment!

    P.S. I just noticed that I never finished that interview. I am a terrible man.

    [b]Andrew[/b] - [i]Great couple of updates there Mike and I apologize for my *ahem* lazy behavior regarding this fic along with your other one over there in the Saga section.[/i]

    Lazy writers and lazy readers go well. Just ask Brian.

    Yeah, that's right. I said it.

    [i]Anyways, I'm quite enjoying this buildup you've got going which isn't to say that fast buildups are any worse- if they're done in proper hands at least- but with the meandering path you've created here we, being the readers, are able to spend more time with our favorite sarcastic and witty mercenary- Kaeso.[/i]

    I like it. But for our more tension-oriented readers, things will start blowing up pretty soon, never fear.

    [i]I mean if you had him discover that his "girlfriend" was at his cottage immediately we wouldn't have such memorable lines like... [/i]

    Well, I was toying with the idea of just shelving the plot and making Evadne a shapeshifting creature from hell, selling the whole
     
  17. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Chapter 16

    The heavy transport rolled to a stop and the back cargo door fanned open. Two armed guards shoved a haggard-looking bearded man out of the speeder and into the cold mud of the farming road below. The man rose to his knees, not even bothering to wipe away the muck from his face.

    There was a steady whine in the distance, which materialized from a cloud of fog as a uniformed Iktotchi rode up on a hover bike. Casting a weary glance at the bearded man ? who was shackled with stuncuffs ? the Iktotchi walked up to the heavy transport?s front cabin and spoke with the driver. He biometrically signed several datapad documents and then the speeder roared away in a spray of sludge.

    The Iktotchi walked slowly up to the prisoner from behind, pausing for a moment to examine the quarry. He was a large human male, muscular but somewhat lean around the midsection. The Dantooine Agricultural Penitentiary would do that to an inmate, what with its mandatory sixteen hour workdays tending the fields.

    The Iktotchi planted his boot into the back of the restrained human and shoved him forward into the mire, smashing his head completely into it for good measure. As the bearded man struggled, the Iktotchi placed more of his considerable wait onto his foot. Only when it appeared that the human might drown did he let up.

    Denied the use of his hands, the bearded man rolled over onto his back while sputtering and coughing, trying to clear his throat and nostrils of the putrid muck. Satisfied that he now had the man?s full, undivided, and most of all with this one, his respect, the Iktotchi knelt down and grunted.

    ?You turned out to be a real piece of work, didn?t you, mynock? If it was up to me, you?d still be shoveling crap into ditches,? he said distastefully.

    The man spat more mud out of his teeth. ?I?d just as soon skip the lecture from the Republic Judicial Department.?

    The Iktotchi unclasped his holster and lifted out a sleek silver blaster. ?Do you hear that??

    ?I got mud in my ears.?

    Waving his hand around their surroundings, he grinned from horn to horn. ?The sound of absolutely nothing. We?re alone here. What?s to stop me from melting your face off, right here??

    The bearded man scowled. ?Wait, I know this one. Your impeccable service record, right??

    ?My character. That?s what separates us. You have none. You?re a facsimile of a person ? you don?t feel, you don?t think, and you certainly don?t seem to care. I?d say you?re a droid, but even droids can follow the rules. You are a failure of life. If you suddenly never were, who would care? Not me, not anybody else, and the universe wouldn?t miss a tick. You?re worthless.?

    The bearded man looked away. ?No need to beat around the bush, Cap?n Snaggletooth. Tell me how you really feel.?

    ?Keep laughing, boy. When it?s all over and you?ve got no one left to joke with, all of those laughs are going to come back right at you ? with compounded interest.?

    The bearded man shook his head.

    ?I thought the idea of getting out of prison is that they let you go.?

    ?You know what the worst of it is?? The Iktotchi sighed. ?You wasted six years of your life, and for what? Revenge? You?re a slave to yourself ? and everybody else is going to take advantage of that. And I have no doubt as soon as you get off Dantooine, you?ll go back to running guns, killing, and whatever else it is you dirtbags do,? the Iktotchi snarled. He shook his head with an expression of melancholy. ?That would be the easy way.?

    ?I really hate cops,? the man said.

    The Iktotchi deactivated the stuncuffs and the bearded man rubbed his sore wrists, eyeing the other with suspicion. He handed the man a tiny object.

    ?What?s this??

    ?A credit chip with enough to get you off this rock ? and a little extra. Because the hard way is a whole hell of a lot rougher. Yeah, you may have served your time. You may be done here, but as long as you take the easy way, you?ll always be a prisoner. Do you know why??

    ?I give up.?

    ?You can?t fr
     
  18. BigE

    BigE Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Belath nodded in the maddening way of a lifetime cop, as if to say ?Of course it is ? and then you ATE HER FACE, DIDN?T YOU??

    But that?s not what he said. Probably saving it for later, when he had me on the ropes.


    [face_laugh]

    ?So where?s the good cop? That?s how it works, right? You say mean things to me and then Mattio MigHappyPants comes in and gives me a Coruscant-coated lollipop

    [face_laugh] x 2


    And it got worse.

    A makeshift bed was set up on the cool floor in the corner of the cellar. There was a wide swath of red on the sheet cover, and a pair of shackles was discarded not far from the bed. They too were red.


    :eek:

    And all the while he thought he was searching for her, there he was back at the beach.
    Creepy again!





    Charlevoix? Tawas River? Interesting. I?m writing a fic, which I?ll never finish and I?m too afraid to begin posting, and which I?m frankly about ready to re-write a bit, (etc, etc) with a character named ?Fenton Tuscola?, and another whose surname is ?Brighton?.

    Oh, and thanks for noticing the win. :)
     
  19. Bale

    Bale Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 9, 2005
    So first I don't get PM updates anymore, and now my reader comments aren't worthy of response? :_| [face_not_talking] ;)

    Chapter 16
    Cap?n Snaggletooth, Mattio MigHappyPants, Captain CorSec.
    Didn't they used to have a Saturday morning cartoon?


    ?Maybe that?s because you have a long history with the galaxy?s finest. Armed Robbery twelve years ago, Commenor. Sedition and Treasonous Activities ten years ago, Vanticorum. Double Homicide nine years ago, Haruun Kal. Oh, here?s an interesting one ? Kidnapping seven years ago, Corellia. Shipping Fraud six years ago, Outer Rim Territories. Murder fifteen years ago, Alderaan?need I go on? Your criminal background alone is enough for me to haul you in for questioning.?
    You'd think this guy would be better at not getting caught. No wonder he hates cops so much.


    Just before he was about to out me to everyone, I killed him by breaking my crystal drink cup and jamming the shards into the back of his neck. And I sat there for two hours laughing and reclining with a dead man, just so no one would suspect a thing.
    Psychopath.


    Let?s just say I did a tour on Carida five years ago, and it ended with the father of my significant other trying to castrate me with a thousand-year old stolen lightsaber with a bad emitter. That?s all I?m going to say on that one.
    What's a Recognition updated without some fantastically humorous and twisted imagery.


    Evadné?s things were there, all of them. The com-link, which Tlaloc had reported. Clothes. The bathing suit she?d worn the day that started it all. Credit chips. Everything.

    And it got worse.

    A makeshift bed was set up on the cool floor in the corner of the cellar. There was a wide swath of red on the sheet cover, and a pair of shackles was discarded not far from the bed. They too were red.

    ?Oh my god,? I breathed. ?What the kriff did I do? What the ? kriff! Oh, kriff! Kriff!!?

    Uh, oh! Not good!

    Wonderful update, Ex.

     
  20. 1Yodimus_Prime

    1Yodimus_Prime Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2004
    " I wrote a story once about a vaccuum cleaner that turned evil and started running people down. I think that one might qualify."
    No, trust me, that's brilliant too. I haven't even read it, but I know instinctively. (as images of "dead alive" run through my head...)

    And so too, is this story.
    Once I catch up, I'll say more.
     
  21. Healer_Leona

    Healer_Leona Squirrel Wrangler of Fun & Games star 9 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2000
    The Iktotchi ignored him. ?Thing is, there?s something that just happened a moment ago. Recognition. I thought I saw something of him in you for a second, just a flash.?


    Wow! Very interesting piece of history here, and this line is particular startling.

    I'm very scared to find out what happened to his girlfriend. Especially after his mind came up with

    ?Of course it is ? and then you ATE HER FACE, DIDN?T YOU??


    Brilliant post as always Exeter. :D :D
     
  22. GetALife

    GetALife Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 2006
    Hey Exeter! Great fic. What's up with that creature thing, though? You keep mentioning it but it isn't really doing anything. N.E. Way. What's going on with Kaeso. Did somebody slip him some drugs or something? He's getting creepy!

    Can't wait for the next update!

     
  23. Souderwan

    Souderwan Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2005
    I?ve really lollygagged about responding to this story, largely because I had no idea how to tell you how awesome this fic is. Really. You?ve written some great stuff, Mike, but this is probably your best work. Now I don?t want you getting too big a head and all, but you really have outdone yourself for the most part with this thing.

    Rather than go through each chapter (I?m too lazy), I?ll grab a couple big things I wanted to recognize as making this story so fantastic.

    Originality

    Characters

    I?m always blown away by how brilliant you are at creating fascinating characters and giving the reader just enough information about them to form a first impression. Then you go on to reveal more and more about the character over time and that?s always such a rewarding experience as a reader. After all, isn?t reading and writing fiction all about discovery?

    I don?t know many writers who can sustain a Star Wars fanfiction story solely on the backs of a few OCs on an original planet (more on that later) without some major well-known galactic incident going on. I know I couldn?t do it. Yet, somehow you manage to pull it off and do so in style.

    Hats off to you, dude. =D=

    Planet

    I love Psamtik. I love it so much I?m integrating it into my universe (thanks for the permission, btw). It?s completely original and exquisitely drawn. I love all the details you put into the planet. Frankly, it?s a much more interesting place than a lot of the planets in canon.

    But more important than the planet itself, is the fascinating culture you?ve created for it. I love that there are ethnic divides (one of the things that has always bugged me about SW is this notion that people from a given planet all got along with each other and the only conflicts that existed were between ?good guys? and ?bad guys?).

    I could go on and on about Psamtik but I?m afraid I?ll let some detail I?m not supposed to know slip, so I?ll shut up about it now. :p

    Story

    A couple times people have asked me for advice on writing (like I have a clue :rolleyes:). I always tell them the same thing. Start with a story. A ?plot bunny? isn?t a story, it?s a setup for a story. I always get the feel when I read your stuff that the story?s already written and you?re just revealing it at your own pace. You?re a superb storyteller, my friend, and this story does a great job of showcasing that.





    Ok. I?m done heaping praise. If that?s not enough, too bad. Just wanted to say I?m all caught up and I?m posting a response in the hopes that this will put pressure on you to update this danged thing.

    Oh. And put me on the PM list, please.


     
  24. correllian_ale

    correllian_ale Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2005
    So I'm going through my list of Exeter's masterpieces theatre and look what I fogot was updated!

    Chapter 16

    Waving his hand around their surroundings, he grinned from horn to horn. ?The sound of absolutely nothing. We?re alone here. What?s to stop me from melting your face off, right here??

    The bearded man scowled. ?Wait, I know this one. Your impeccable service record, right??

    [face_laugh]


    I was abou to comment about the lack of mass-murdering sea monsters, until now:

    you?ve got to set yourself free, even if you have to fall to do it.?

    I forgot that with you everything means something.



    Principal Investigator Belath of the Psamtik Special Police (Kind of a long name ? what were his parents thinking?)
    [face_laugh]

    I know a few cops like Belath - flashes a badge when I ask for ID, and then get indignant when I say: ?Come on, you should know better.?
    *rant over*

    Wookiee Cookies ? Where have I heard that the past couple of days?!?!


    ?WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?

    (you?ve got to set yourself free, even if you have to fall to do it)

    I cursed and yelled at the Psamtik ocean, but it didn?t answer. I lay there in the sand for an untold amount of time, whimpering and clawing at my own head. It was just about the lowest of the low ? except I remembered how I?d found Markos.

    Sweat and tears boiled off of me in the hot sun. Of all the challenges I had faced in my time, this was the one that I was completely clueless on how to beat. It was a tough thing for me to admit, but I knew it when I saw it:

    I needed help.

    (you?ve got to set yourself free)

    I slumped my head into my hands, feebly fighting off the tendrils of failure. That cursed vision didn?t let up one bit.

    (got to set yourself free)

    ?I don?t know how.?


    Oh man, how come I see this turning from horror to tragedy before you?re done!

    Great update, I think I?m over-dosing on Ex this week!!!!
    *drum roll, ta-da-da*


     
  25. Exeter

    Exeter Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2005
    Bale, Pt. 1 - I knew there had to be a good reason.

    Well if not sanitation nastiness, what else? I'm sure the EU authors explain it with something unbelievable like they ran out of room so they built up instead of outward :rolleyes: :p

    Reminds me of a "friendly" conversation I had with my neighbors once.

    I think just about all of us have had one of those. Some of us, more than one.

    It's Jar Jar right? Pleeeeeease tell me it's Jar Jar.

    Poor guy. He introduces one motion in the Senate to elect the worst dictator the galaxy has ever known, and everybody villifies him for life. Or is that the fact that he's an annoying putz? I forget.

    So Kaeso invented the infamous Imperial Body Cavity Search.

    Somebody had to go there. Who'd you think it was, Tarkin? [face_sick]

    Hope he buys her a nerf steak or something when he finds her?definitely no seafood though. Poor anorexic girl.

    Just goes to show our universes aren't that dissimilar after all! We just don't have flying cars as promised yet.

    Never ask a woman for directions, which coincidentally was the original title for Star Trek: Voyager.

    [face_laugh]

    I love it when you make fun of the Skywalkers.

    They really make it to easy. It's like stealing candy from the Chosen One.

    "It's not faaair!! Aw, Uncle Oweeennn!"

    He should have sold her a left-handed hydrospanner while he was at it.

    And a DVD rewinder. Hot item, this year.

    Whatever, Obi-Wan Kaboozer.

    I think you were the only one that got that reference. Good work. Bonus Recog points, redeemable at your nearest unemployment office.

    And that, Sir, is why you are a genius!

    That scene was an outlet for all of my little questions and observations about the Death Star.

    Too funny!

    The joke was unavoidable.

    Disappearing girls, strange tides. This mystery is getting stranger by the minute.

    Now I gotta figure out what it all means. Wait, did I write that out loud? :p

    Brilliant work, as always, Ex.

    Thanks, man. I always look forward to your replies.

    BigE - And all the while he thought he was searching for her, there he was back at the beach. Creepy again!

    I'm pretty sure beach tourism has dropped 17% since the beginning of Recognition.

    Charlevoix? Tawas River? Interesting.

    Isn't it? And here everybody else just thinks I have a brilliant imagination when it comes to names. A misconception I'm happy to endorse :p

    I?m writing a fic, which I?ll never finish and I?m too afraid to begin posting, and which I?m frankly about ready to re-write a bit, (etc, etc)

    I know exactly what you mean. I have so many unreleased side projects that I get depressed every time I go into my fan fiction directory.

    with a character named ?Fenton Tuscola?, and another whose surname is ?Brighton?.

    That's awesome! Yeah, between the French and the Indians, we'll never need another source of names, that's for sure. Link me if it ever does get posted, though. I'm interested based on the names alone - we folks have to stick together and all that.

    Oh, and thanks for noticing the win

    Anytime. It was well deserved.

    Bale Pt. 2 - So first I don't get PM updates anymore, and now my reader comments aren't worthy of response?

    Well, in the nicest way possible...yes.



    :p

    You didn't get PM updates because when you were gone forever off being a space ranger or getting married or whatever it is you people do, your PM box filled up with the requisite 5 messages and I couldn't send anymore, and then I forgot about you.

    So, yeah, basically.

    Didn't they used to have a Saturday morning cartoon?

    If they didn't, they should.

    You'd think this guy would be better at not getting caught. No wonder he hates cops so much.

    Technically he was charged but never convicted! He's like OJ that way, except he discards his bloody gloves
     
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