Saga rktho's Kessel Run Thread 2025

A very gripping response to the prompt. A very well done adaptation.

 

Thank you!

 

Seems like perfectly functioning logic circuits, throttling a man because you don't like his eye's, entirely rational and measured reaction here.

 

Organics just don't get it, I guess. Any reasonable droid would have done the same.

 

Ooh, this is a wonderful GFFA-translation! I really love the choice to have the oh-so-rational-and-logical narrator be a droid in this version; that works so well. And that the giveaway he fears is the pulmonodes -- there's something disturbingly effective about the detail that all the things the narrator seems to irrationally fear are the mechanical, cybernetic parts.

 

Thank you! When I first saw this prompt, my first thought was of the original Poe story (featuring arguably one of the most famous examples of an unreliable narrator) and Nobot. As you can see, I also decided to model the narrator's voice on HK-47's for that extra spice. The decision to have the master's eye be cybernetic hearkened to a theory that the old man's eye was glass, giving it an uncanny appearance. I was toying with having the master be an alien, so I could give him something other than a heart to sound in the droid's audioreceptors, and then I remembered pulmonodes, which tied in nicely with the bionic eye. Thank you for checking this out!

 

Thank you! The blue eye was inspired by the original story, but I suppose in a way it does fit the image from the prompt. It was quite interesting to write a mad droid; the narrator's logic is technically sound but not airtight, as they don't seem to grasp the actual issue with their behavior. Of course droids are not meant to harm their own masters, but whatever caused this droid to go haywire, its reasoning capacitors are fully intact— and working quite diligently to write off the malfunction. But I left the details ambiguous, so it may indeed be that this particular model is intended for violence— the narrator does mention it would protect its master from intruders. In which case, that would lend credence to its insistence that it is functioning according to its proper programming— although the choice of target would immediately call that assessment into question again. Thanks for reading!

 

Ooh, this is such a great adaptation of The Tell-Tale Heart to the SW universe! A malfunctioning droid is the perfect narrator for this story, especially one that speaks in the pattern of everyone's favourite murderbot, and you were able to include all the details of the original story without missing a beat. I too find it interesting that the eye that causes the droid to go haywire, and then the beating heart that they perceives as evidence of their guilt, were cybernetic components, as if an element of the malfunction was the droid's inability to tolerate the presence of droid-like parts in the figure of the master. And there's something so spooky in the mental image of an assassin droid (that's at least how I pictured this one) standing immobile in their organic master's room and watching over them in their sleep with murder in their heart circuits – yet, as in the original tale, what makes it even spookier is the fact that the droid stands down from their project for so many nights in a row, behaves as a loving droid to a loving master afterwards, and finally, on the night of the murder, remains "perfectly still and silent" even after the master is awake until they can catch a glimpse of the eye. Fantastic response to the unreliable narrator prompt; once more, I am in awe!

 

Thank you! It was really fun to write this. I of course refreshed myself on the original story (there’s a recording by Christopher Lee on YouTube that’s quite excellent) as I was brainstorming, and it was fun to transpose this tale into a new setting.

 

WEEK #5 PROMPT

Title: Clash of the Ronin
Author: rktho
Timeline: High Republic era
Characters: Original characters
Genre: Challenge
Summary: A Padawan on probation is approached by a mysterious detective seeking her help.

Emblem

Ruth rose from her meditations, using the Force to open the front door of her hut for the person who had just knocked on it. In strode a hooded man in white robes. “Padawan Ruth Himura,” he nodded cordially. “Greetings. I am Master Walapi.”

She extended her hand. She had never met a Wayseeker before. “Pleased to meet you, Master Walapi.”

“Likewise,” Walapi replied solemnly. He pulled an imagecaster from his cloak. “I bring a message from Leth.”

Ruth raised an eyebrow. She’d heard of Leth before— a reclusive private detective better than many of the brightest police investigators. The question was why he was contacting her, and why here, on Monderon where she was on reflective leave? How had he even found her?

An Aurebesh symbol bloomed to life on the imagecaster. An electronically disguised voice addressed her from the faceless logo. “Himura Ruusu. I am Leth. I require your assistance.”

“Why me?”

“Because you are a brilliant investigator.”

“Why not ask a Jedi?” she questioned. “I mean, one who isn’t a Padawan on probation?”

“I don’t like to work with the Order,” Leth replied. “I find them obtrusive to my process.”

Ruth nodded. “Alright. What do you need?”


Killer

The man squatted on the victim’s bed, wrapping his fingers around his white-robed knees. “Call me Rioshoru.”

Ruth regarded the strange man, with his wild hair and large round eyes that seemed foreign to sleep. “You’re a Wayseeker.”

“Correct, Himura Ruusu. Did the Council send you?”

“No, I was approached by someone else.”

“That makes us both renegades, then.” Rioshoru grinned, placing a thumbnail on his lip. “Shall we work together on this?”

Something was off about this fellow Jedi— or maybe she was just perturbed by his bizarre appearance and mannerisms. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

“Then the exchange of information will be one-way only.”

She chewed her lip before finally relenting. “I need to discuss it with my contact.”

“Of course.” He hopped off the bed. “I’ll take a lunch break, then.”

As soon as Rioshoru was out of the room, Ruth reached for her comlink. “Leth, it’s Himura.”

“Yes?”

“There’s another detective on this case. A Jedi Wayseeker named Master Rioshoru.”

“A Wayseeker? How interesting.”

“He was hired by the victim’s family to investigate the killer’s latest murder,” Ruth explained.

“Keep an eye on this Master Rioshoru, Padawan Himura,” Leth advised. “Do not trust him.”


Doppelgänger

Ruth blinked. “Rioshoru… But you’re at the medcenter… You set yourself on fire. How did you—”

“Recover?” Rioshoru finished. “Simple. I am not Rioshoru. I am Leth.”

Ruth stared at the Wayseeker in front of her. He looked the same, but… the Force assured her it was another man.

“Rioshoru is actually Besh, my Master’s former apprentice,” Leth explained. “Besh assumed my appearance in case anyone from the Council caught wind of a fictitious Jedi Wayseeker named Rioshoru. There are a handful of people in the Order who know my appearance, and would have assumed Besh was me, operating under a code name.”

Of course. It all made sense now. Besh had tried to create an unsolvable murder by posing as one of his own victims. That was why he had tried to set himself on fire— he couldn’t mutilate himself with a lightsaber the way he had with the others, but burning his body to a crisp would disguise the fact that the last death was a suicide.

“I’ve informed the Council of your heroics,” Leth declared. “You will be welcomed back to Coruscant with open arms.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Till next time, Padawan Himura.”

Spoiler: Story Notes

I had Death Note on the brain when I saw the prompts, so this ended up being a crudely condensed adaptation of a Death Note prequel story. (Death Note fans may be familiar with the novel Another Note, which features the fan-favorite character Beyond Birthday/B.) Credit goes to a mutual on Tumblr for suggesting the concept of L as a Jedi Wayseeker— a class of Jedi in the High Republic era characterized by their white robes and independence from the larger Order. (It is remarked by Obi-Wan in Master & Apprentice that Qui-Gon likely would have chosen the path of the Wayseeker had it still been in practice.)

 

An interesting detective story with Ruth finding out that Besh has been the killer. And Ruth again welcomed back for more adventures to follow.

 

Yes, I might very well revisit these characters in a longer format... Double drabbles are quite constricting even when you have three of them. If I do, I imagine it might resemble The Acolyte...

 

Ooh, fascinating! Who is the real Rioshoru? I'm glad Ruth was able to tell the difference.

I look forward to her further adventures.

 

Rioshoru was Besh's invention, but now that Besh has been bested, Leth may claim the title for himself... As for Ruth, we'll see what happens! Jedi taking on investigative roles is a fun trope and I'd love to use her again.

I didn't get to touch on this, but Besh has the ability to see shatterpoints in the Force— generally, the time at which someone will die. You can see where he might be inclined to take that ability if jealousy and resentment led him to the dark side. But Ruth managed to sniff him out in the end and rescue him from death... which, of course, he'll be none too happy about, but there's nothing he can do about it now. Where will her further adventures take her? Well, now that she's no longer on probation, I'd say she's due to be knighted soon... There's a lot of possibilities there. And who knows? Maybe someday she'll work with Leth again.

 

WEEK #6 PROMPT

Title: Pulling Up the Ladder
Author: rktho
Timeline: ~32 BBY
Characters: Tera Sinube, original character
Genre: Challenge
Summary: Tera Sinube visits an old pupil and discovers he is not who he once was.

Inspector Doqvic looked up from his desk, smiling brightly. “Master Sinube!”

“Good evening, Genèue-Safriçon,” said the old Cosian brightly as he plodded into the room. “I hear that Quarren boy we apprehended this morning has escaped.”

“You are correct, old friend,” Doqvic affirmed. “I do not know how he did it, but he managed to slip out of his cell under the cover of night and make a run for it. Most unfortunate. He is a clever rascal, I will give him that.”

“He had the worst timing,” Sinube remarked wryly, shaking his head. “I’d just come down here looking to have a chat with him when I was informed of his escape.”

“Rest assured, he will be back in our custody before long,” Doqvic assured him. “If you don’t mind my inquiring, what was it you wanted to speak with him about?”

“Oh, you know… Jedi stuff.” Sinube tapped his cane on the floor. “You know the Order has programs in place for the rehabilitation of troubled youth.”

“How could I forget, when I am proof of its efficacy?” Doqvic chuckled. “It really is a shame you did not arrive here in time to present the offer to him.”

Suddenly, Doqvic’s desk holocom began to beep. “Forgive me, old friend, but I have something I must attend to.”

He sat at his desk and answered the call. A hooded individual appeared in miniature, glancing over their shoulder. “Doqvicris. Kvyob sti.”

“Tou sti, Kvyobgnuy?” Doqvic inquired, lacing his fingers.

“Goldungayen lyedfo gurd nalp,” replied the individual. “Yad outni nepakh.”

“Dugyrev, Kvyobgnuy,” Doqvic nodded approvingly. “Imut nus troper.”

“Sey, Rotkepsniris.” The transmission ended.

Sinube rested his hands on his cane. “Did I hear the name Goldunga in that conversation?”

“Very perceptive, Master Sinube,” Doqvic acknowledged.

“I daresay Ziro will be happy about that,” Sinube mused. “This spice deal you plan on busting up— how did you find a mole to infiltrate the Goldunga’s ranks so quickly?”

“Kvyob was apprehended some time ago,” Doqvic explained. “We were able to strike a bargain with him.”

“I see.” Sinube raised an eyebrow. “Was this bargain anything like the one you offered the Quarren boy in exchange for his release?”

Doqvic chuckled. “Master Sinube, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re a very good actor, Genèue-Safriçon,” said Sinube, stepping closer, “but you should remember who taught you to lie. You must have known I wouldn’t approve, if you thought to deceive me.”

There was a moment of silence before Sinube continued. “I’m not sure what this means for our friendship.”

“You are no longer my mentor, Master Sinube,” Doqvic replied. “Why should our friendship change because of how I run my department?”

“You knew that I was going to offer that boy a place at the Temple,” Sinube replied, gesturing with his cane. “Did you think throwing him back into a life of crime was better than allowing him the same opportunity I gave you?”

“But I am allowing him the same opportunity,” Doqvic insisted. “He has become an undercover agent of the police, just as I have. Only I am offering advancement at a more accelerated pace. He is already on the payroll as an operative. He has made an early start to his career in law enforcement.”

“A career? With no education, no training?” Sinube pressed. “If you recall, Genèue-Safriçon, I spent years helping you to hone your abilities and guide you towards an employment path.”

“He has lived in the underworld all his life. It has given him all the training he requires. I have only given him something constructive toward which to put the talents he already possesses.”

“Suppose he didn’t want to be a spy like you?” Sinube demanded.

Doqvic regarded his old teacher with a stare. “Do you regret training me to be an investigator?”

“I didn’t,” Sinube replied softly. “But now, maybe…”

Doqvic thinned his lips. “It wounds me to know that, Master Jedi.”

Sinube shook his head, lowering himself into the chair opposite the desk. “It’s not right. How many vulnerable children have you thrown back into the pit?”

“They are not all children, Master Jedi. In fact very few of them are.”

“But they are entirely dependent on your benefaction,” Sinube retorted fiercely. “And on their ability to survive while surrounded by wolves.”

“I have the utmost faith in them, Master Jedi,” Doqvic replied. “As much faith as I believed you had in me.”

“It is against police protocol to circumvent the Order in this manner. They should have been allowed to choose their own path.”

“Your memory is not what it once was, Master Jedi,” Doqvic replied. “There have been misguided efforts to remove the Jedi from secular affairs, and I am sorry to say they have succeeded.”

Sinube sighed and rose from his chair. “Then I must say goodbye, Inspector.”

“Do not be so downtrodden, Master Jedi,” Doqvic urged. “This is progress! A revolution in policing! Think of all the crime we can prevent with an army of undercover operatives, already embedded in the ranks of the criminal underworld!”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Inspector,” Sinube said as he plodded toward the door.

Doqvic sat at his desk, lacing his fingers. “Then farewell, Tera Sinube.”

The old Cosian cast one last glance over his shoulder before the door closed behind him.

Spoiler: Story Notes

This story is built on a headcanon (semi-inspired by the Jedi Service Corps) that the Jedi Order provides education, not only for Jedi initiates, but for the impoverished youth of Coruscant. As non-Jedi, these students are taught career-building skills which prepare them for success in their adult lives. Tera Sinube, being an investigator, trains many such students who go on to serve in law enforcement. Detective Doqvic is an original character I created a while ago; you can read his introductory story here.

The alien language featured in this story is unnamed; I'm not sure what to call it or if I will even use it again, but I thought it would be fun to dabble in some light conlanging. It's vaguely Slavic-inspired— I imagined it being written with Russian Cyrillic and then transliterated it. The syntax is Japanese-inspired and the lexicon is pretty much backwards English.

I may do more with Tera Sinube in the future; I've been toying with giving him a connection to Ruth Himura, my High Republic OC from the last prompt; perhaps she is one of his Padawans.

 

Catching up...

Clash of the Ronin

I'm not familiar with Death Note, but this little story gave me a taste of it! Awesome job putting together a complex mystery story in such a short format. Ruth is very perceptive; as soon as she meets "Rioshoru" she senses that something is not quite as it seems, and she manages to outwit him at his own game of creating an unsolvable murder. I don't know why she was on probation (I'm sure you have an entire backstory in mind), but she certainly deserves her place back on Coruscant – and she may be well on her way to becoming a Wayseeker herself!

Pulling Up the Ladder

First of all, I really like the idea that the Jedi Order would offer services to troubled youth from the community in addition to their own initiates and padawans. It really makes the Order less out of touch and involves them directly with some of the most vulnerable people they're supposed to be serving. And wow, Docviq is pretty ruthless! I saw in the notes of The Docviq Method that he may make an appearance in SITM, and I can see how that would work – he comes across as an unorthodox version of Javert, in a sense, ensconced as he is in his belief that the underworld is where petty criminals belong by nature, so they might as well make themselves useful there. It's very much the opposite of what the Jedi stand for, and I can totally understand why, for Tera Sinube, this would mark the end of a friendship – although, once more, it would seem that the Jedi bred the evil with which they are faced, which is again very much in line with the themes of the SW universe.

 

Doqvic doesn't think of it as a counter, but I think he knows in his heart that it is. He's severely limiting these people's options for his own gain. Part of it may be in some twisted desire to play the mentor figure, part of it is definitely for power— having your own spy network affords a great deal of influence in the underworld, and the fact that he's his spies' only safety net also makes the ethics of his operation all the more dubious. Not that Sinube has anything against spies and moles— he's played the part himself many times— but this is much different from a trained police (or Jedi) operative going in and infiltrating the criminal elite. Doqvic isn't lying when he says his recruits aren't all children— but what they are is vulnerable, and some of them are children for that reason. Thanks for reading!

I don't know exactly why Ruth was on probation either; that's something for me to figure out if I revisit her. There are many things about her past and future I could delve into— becoming a Wayseeker is definitely on the cards for her, I think! Whatever she does, I'm sure she'll be brilliant at it.

I really wanted to deconstruct the idea that the Jedi are out of touch and essentially just cops (which is how Leslye Headland view them.) Of course, we see in The Clone Wars and other media sources that they have no ideological opposition to cops (like I do) and are willing to collaborate with them, but they aren't cops themselves. (George Lucas has actually said they're more like the mafia if the mafia was good, which has fascinating implications.) It's fitting that you picked up Javert vibes from Doqvic; he was based on French criminologist Eugène-François Vidocq, a criminal-turned-police investigator (and inventor of the concept of plainclothes police) who served as the inspiration for both Javert and Jean Valjean. I found it interesting that Hugo seemed to admire Vidocq while also using Javert and other police-affiliated characters (like le Cabuc) to criticize him quite pointedly. Doqvic in my stories also serves as a critique, even when I present him in a benevolent light. (Those are actually my favorite Doqvic stories to write, because it creates an unspoken dissonance.) I'm not sure how much Sinube or the Jedi should bear the blame for Doqvic's decision to put his talents toward selfish ends, but even in a setting where the police are ostensibly good most of the time, this story does make one question whether they should be training students to pursue that particular career path. Thanks for reading!

 

Interesting how trying to improve the lot of impoverished youths can be turned sideways and inside out by someone seeking their own betterment and prominence.

It would be a shame if the program Sinube initiated which is a good concept and doubtless has good motives behind it was derailed by someone unscrupulous.

 

I don't think Sinube initiated the program. I think it's a long Jedi tradition that may be on its way out soon, if the Senate has its way. But Doqvic is certainly unscrupulous enough to undermine it after benefiting from it himself.

 

Youth programs. They can be trouble if not used by the good persons. Docqvic with all his motives sure isn't one

 

One might say that Doqvic is running his own youth program...

 

D'oh @rktho I just realised that I misspelled Doqvic every single time I used the name in my review, sorry about that! (And I just realised that it's an anagram of Vidocq, which probably explains why my mind made the Javert connection.)