Stranger in a Strange Land - Part 7 - Our Time Has Come - UPDATE 5/2 - Chapter 16

Is it just me, or am I disturbed with the sudden appearance of the Yuuzhan Vong? I mean... other than Feslira's actions- the Vong have been pretty quiet...

Hmm, a new manuever? A new offensive? A Battle of the Bulge type manuever? Or is it more like the Tet Offensive?

 

Casper, Jaxx, and Mouse: Thanks a lot, and the Vong's presence on the border of the Outer Rim will be explained...soon

Rok: Thanks a lot. In truth, I wasn't sure how to do that little space scene until I spent a bit of time playing Alliance.

Di-Lee: <Blinks twice in utter disbelief> She...lives?

SHE'S BACK! WOOHOO!

Welcome back, milady. Glad to see you're slowly overcoming DRL and getting back online a bit more often

Ok, let's keep rolling with the next chapter.

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Chapter 4 ? The Quest Begins

The Millennium Falcon rose out of her docking bay on Pzob early in the morning. Her stores were all but topped up with supplies, her fuel was at the max, and the passengers were all rested and eager to begin their search for a ship of legend.

Once away from the planet, Han Solo charted his course as per Ryn?s instructions. Their first stop was the planet Kasveria Prime, a fringe world on the border of what the main galactic super powers had deemed Wild Space. This uncharted section of the galaxy was steeped in rumour, legend and horror stories dating back to even the Great Schism, some 25,000 years ago. The famed Corellian Run, which goes out as far as Ryloth, was said to extend into Wild Space once, but any reports of worlds or commerce opportunities past the Twi?lek planet these days were almost null.

It came as little surprise to Han that their destination was in this part of the galaxy. This was the dark closet in the old house no one dared enter for fear of stirring up old ghosts or unleashing some terrible hell-spawned demon?and he knew of one or two demons in this part of space. He felt thankful that Ryn?s coordinates would keep him away from the places he?d visited with other smugglers in his youth.

Leia stole a glance at the navigation chart and noticed Han?s lingering on one planet in particular: Skye. Many years ago, he and several other Corellian smugglers had travelled there only to be massacred by its ruling Majestrix at the time: Kharys. A Sith in training, the winged woman commanded not only a legion of her own people (known as S?kytri), but also an Imperial garrison under orders from Darth Vader. Han and one other smuggler survived that slaughter, neither one to see the other for many years to come.

The former princess remembered with a chill how, in an attempt to kill Luke for the glory of the Empire, Kharys let loose a malevolent manifestation of the Dark Side in the form of a smoke demon. This creature met its end at the end of Luke?s lightsabre, but not before claiming the life of Katya M?Beule, the other survivor of the Skye massacre.

It was one of the few times in those early years of knowing Han that Leia had seen him grow bent on revenge. He had put himself, Chewie, Luke, Leia, and this ship all at risk by going there, and by some strange twist of fate managed to bring down Kharys and help restore order to the planet. While all had turned out for the better, it was still one of those memories Leia would just as soon file under Do Not Open Until One with the Force.

Han noticed his wife looking at the star chart and realized where her gaze had been focused. ?We?re not heading anywhere near it,? he said softly. In truth, Han wasn?t sure why Leia was so worried about it. She and Chewie were the only two who hadn?t been stabbed, slashed, or tortured by Imperial devices.

?I know,? she said. ?I?ve just got a bad feeling about the whole trip. It was almost better not knowing it existed at all.?

?You would have sooner found out when it was in unfriendly hands?? asked Han. ?I mean c?mon, we?ve got the chance to prevent anyone from ever seeing that ship again, let alone using it. Granted, no one will ever know it was us, since blabbing about it would have Fey?lya on our backs faster than we could say boo.?

?Fey?lya,? spat Leia, her voice changing to a very un-Jedi like tone. ?How can the people of this galaxy be so damned stupid, con

 

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!

Just had to

 

Interesting backplot... no doubt that this will somehow affect everyone involved, to be sure. I wonder, though, if it all ties in with the Vong... hmm, making me think again, Whiskers...

 

<tap> <tap> <tap>

Hmmm...I think I can hear you breathing...either that or my CPU's fan is in dire need of a cleaning.

 

I'm here! Sorry...(clears throat) I ran into some old friends.

Okay, bad Leia imitation.

Skye? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH yes, I do remember that from Marvel. The name anyways because the rest is fuzzy; you see, when you get your own universe going in your head.....

The warry travelers head ever deep into the dark........

 

Hmmmm... Why is it that I have a bad feeling about the begining of this adventure?? It seems to me when your past decides to reemerge it's usually to bite you on the butt.

Although I am quite looking forward to more!

 

OooOOoOOoooo, now that Marvel comic sounds interesting! I've gotta get my hands on those one of these days. They got cheesy at times, but they still captured the spirit of SW, and beat the heck outta most of the EU.

I really do like how you write Han, Whiskey. Awesome interaction there, just like the latter parts of the OT.

 

Ok, I've been quiet long enough on this topic.

To bring those who wisely don't give a womprat's petootie about it, there is a huge storm brewing on the boards concerning splitting this giant pool of literature into an as-yet undetermined number of more genre-specific sub-forums in an effort to slow down the amount of traffic on this particular forum, and to - for the moment - quiet the cries of new writers wondering why, after only being on the boards for 20 minutes and rapid-posting some thrown together clique fic (i.e. whatever's in fashion at the time), their fics sink faster than Kimberly Clarkson's career after winning American Idol.

Catching the DML feel here? I hope so, because what follows is a little something I crafted in response to this whole thing. However, I'm a little hesitant to post it on the controversial thread for fear of seeming long-winded. But, I just had to share it with all of you common-sense ultra cool people who have bestowed upon me the wonderful honour of your presence and precious feedback.

Have I kissed enough butt there? Hope so

Anyway, here's my two cents on the whole thing.

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To split or not to split, that is indeed the question.

Whether 'tis nobler on the boards to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous board traffic and watch a thread sink to the bottom of the fan fiction pile faster than Enron stock,

Or to take arms against the tide of 'ups' and 'chats' and by opposing them tick off those authors who take a moment to look around both the board and their browsers for features already included on the boards.

It appears that after an overwhelming number of votes tallied, it seems that the 500 out of a couple thousand people who voiced their opinion on this little controversy are supporting a split of the current fan fiction collective into an as-yet undetermined number of sub-categories in an effort to give stories a Viagra-esque amount of first page staying power and hopefully catch more readers' eyes, and more importantly, fingers to type feedback.

Now, I'll admit that this little rant comes a bit prematurely (I'm not touching this one ), as it's still about the middle of the month, but like the Super Bowl, there's just too much of a gap for the 'No' side to catch up and even make this a close game.

So now what? It's a no-brainer that the split is going to happen and those few of us who had adapted our surfing/posting habits around the existing resources on the boards are gonna have to sit and think for a few minutes and re-tool just how we get at the stories we're writing, viewing, and replying to on a regular basis.

Now, I don't wanna get off on a rant here, but I haven't seen a cataclysm in the works this severe since the US trained Afghan soldiers to fight against the Soviets. Look, I realize that the boards during peak times can have more traffic than New York, L.A., Calgary, and Toronto combined, and that unless you're shamelessly upping your own works every 10 seconds, it's gonna shoot fast and furious in that downward direction to...oh my gosh...page 3. However, before you hit the resource boards and start accusing the traffic for no one seeing your new story, take one thing into account:

You're a newbie.

Ok, so maybe not all reasons for splitting the boards up are for the purpose of appeasing those who've registered not so long ago and are so unknown on other threads that an opus of utter dramatic proportions is possibly being missed out. Some senior writers are also pushing for the split. However, once this split is done, how long will it be before we not have one forum with more transactions than every ATM in North America the night before Y2K hit, but multiple ones.

Now, I offered an alternative to creating new forums and causing as much confusion as the last US federal election, but was saddened to hear that such an innovation was impossible because the program upon which the forums are based is actually controlled not by the moderators, but by some phanto

 

Wonderful rant, Whiskey, enjoyed every word. Very entertaining, and some excellent points. Why didn't you post this in the thread in Writers' Resource?

 

WOW! A NEW VISITOR!

Actually, I am planning to do so, but I wanted to give readers here a chance to check it over before I post it. I just don't want to fall flat on my face by having either missed something obvious or gotten something wrong.

 

Very nice rant Whiskey!

As a fellow no voter I also say you should post it over in the Writer's Resource.

 

Okay WOW Whiskey! You really do need to post this over in the debate. Not only were your points valid and many of your remarks witty, but this is solid advice for newbies...advice given to me when I first signed on. I haven't started posting (or even writing ) my fan fic yet, but when I do, I think I will have at least some readers. This is definitely good advice by someone who learned the hard way. (BTW - I was referred here by Jaxx. )

Seriously, you have echoed a lot of my own feelings on this matter.

And now I need to start reading your fanfic since I'm posting here.

 

Cogent, pertinent, and wittily worded. You should definitely post it on the appropriate board - not that it will make a big difference, as I think minds are already closed and locked - but intelligently phrased opinions are sufficiently rare that they should be appreciated.

Good job.

CYN (one who didn't vote either way, and doesn't much care, but finds this op worth reading.)

 

Ok, I did it.

This little rant just found its way into the split debate.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm heading for a tomato proof bomb shelter before someone turns me into a walking impression of a french fry.

 

Excellent points, Whiskey! And yes, you are up against the brick wall Mod who's arrogance just doesn't let her think at all, so good luck.

 

Brick wall mod, huh? I like the sound of that! (Imagine low-pitched, Han Solo chuckle in background.)

Bravely spoken, CK. You know, of course, that you risk being banned ad infinitum. Reckless - but gutsy!

CYN

 

Casper: My collection of SW comics is rather small, but that one I remembered vividly because it was the most I'd ever paid for a comic at the time (just over a buck, I think). I just wish I had it handy...oh well.

Mouse: Oh, there's a big set of jaws intent on nibbling...oh...um...better leave that kind of descriptive stuff to DarthBreezy

Di-Lee: Thanks for the positive FB on my Han writing. WRT the Marvel comics, it took them until ESB to get some decent artists to draw a little more realistic.

BTW everyone, the reference to the Tarkin is also from a Marvel comic...guess that one snuck in under the radar

WITJJ: What's this posting a rant on this thread? Darn it, wait until those mods hear...oh...sorry

Jane Jinn: Welcome to my humble little cave. I know it was probably the rant that caught your attention, but feel free to stick around and read if it interests you.

MasterYoda34: WHOA! ANOTHER NEW FACE! Also, welcome to the realm of the Drunken Gungan. I'm glad to hear that you're planning to take 'Stranger' out for a test drive, and believe me...when you start posting, I'll be there.

CYNICAL21: When a cynic tells me I did well at being cynical, I take it as a major compliment. Thanks

Ok, now that my little rant has been posted both here and on the split thread, I feel I can return to posting more of what this thread was created for. Just befor that though, I wonder if, with all the tech issues the mods are finding with this interface and the techie's apparent inability to respond, could/should another interface be considered?

Something to think about...

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While Han and Leia reminded themselves of why they loved each other so much, the other members of this expedition were all doing their best to whittle away the hours it was going to take to reach their destination.

Lando had talked the rogue talent games master, Borjin, into a friendly game of sabacc, in which the latter had so far sent the smoothie into enough virtual debt to make him the Chiss? gopher boy for the next ten years. Lando was fast learning that the rumours about the Chiss being able to determine an opponent?s hand by the number of sweat beads on one?s head were true.

Ryn had been in for a few hands, but Jacen?s incessant insistence that he do something more constructive finally won out. The only problem with that argument was that those more constructive activities were rather limited. Seeker training was out; Han had ordered there be absolutely no lightsabre practice while aboard his ship. The last thing he needed was to walk into another pile of seeker rubble like he had the last time he flew Luke and Mara to Sulon. Using the Force to move objects was of little interest, as there wasn?t much to move, nor was there much room to move it in. Growing frustrated with this, Jacen merely plopped down on one of the couches and sighed loudly.

While Jacen did his best to rein in an already conservative Padawan, Shon tapped away at his latest assignment on his datapad. He found it hard to focus, though, as his mind kept thinking back to that email message he?d sent to Triel just before he?d left Naboo for Pzob. In particular, he was mentally kicking himself for the blatantly casual tone with which he?d written the message. Dear Bright Eyes? He?d originally meant it as a compliment on Triel?s Force-given ability to make her eyes glow the same way Sensei?s did when he got angry. It was a unique ability and one Triel had taken a long time to master. He was starting to wonder, though, if perhaps she?d take it the wrong way and think of something different.

Then again, would that be such a bad thing?

?Your mind is wandering again, Padawan.?

Shon looked down at his datapad and snickered. His essay, entitled Function over Form: The Decline of Starship Aesthetics in the Wake of Progress, was little more than a title, three paragraphs explaining the purpose of the report, and the

 

Ok, the whole thing with Feslira is just creepy. Does this mean the Vong is trying to recapture her somehow?

I mean, sudden pangs? They ain't stress headaches, I can tell ya that.

Or is it a distant form of mental mind control- kinda like what happened with that holo journalist where he had to do their dirty work?

VERY intriguing post, Whiskey...

 

?I?m a Solo, Shon,? said Jaina proudly. ?Sarcasm?s part of our DNA.?

Ain't that the truth!

But I am worried about Feslira. Like Jaxx said those aren't just stress headaches. With the appearance of the Vong ripping Dalan and Triel out of hyperspace, there is something else going on here...

Can't wait to find out!

 

Aye, i have to echo Mouse on that Solo Sarcasm. Heck, they're practically born with that lopsided smirk on their face!

And I also really think that Jaxx is on to something with Feslira. Vong issuing a recall notice on all their former members? ? No good can come from that.



And on an even more important note, I can't say this enough, but Bravo and Booyah on that well-worded piece of common sense. I think you about summed up the opposition towards a split very succinctly. And I say who cares what Stonewall Mod or the others think. What honor or courage is there in comformity? Bravo, Whiskey, as always you have my one hundrd percent agreement.

 

Nice to see the gang just kicking back for a while, 'cause I think all heck awaits them.

And ditto on Mouse's, Jaxx's and Rok's comments on Feslira.

On the "rant" - LOL!! That is priceless comedy! Not to mention good ol' common sense. But alas, I fear the forums will be split, which saddens me. I read such diverse fics that I know the ones I follow will be scattered across whatever scheme they come up with for the division. I'll still track the ones I'm reading now, no problem, but I also know I'm too lazy to dig through 3 or 4 forums to find new ones.

At least I'm lucky enough to have already found one awesome collection of authors to track!

 

LOL on the Solo joke: it runs in the family: it's stronger than Organa hierarity!

This doesn't look good for our Shamed One. I think something in her past is coming through to the future. May not be good for all in the long wrong: let's all hope it isn't so.

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Cynical: farrady is STILL here, and he has been, what, banned 30 times.

But he showed folks that the Mods weren't all mighty, and that they can't freely ban you (although farraday gave them some pretty good excuses at the time).

At any rate, much of the truth has come out at the thread and the arrogance is damning. The Boards will probably split even though I made some last second calls to some grand pumbas.

Of course it's a matter IF they can....

Right Whiskey.

 

Jaxx: Thing is with the whole recapture scheme, is that the Vong only had one way to do that, and even that couldn't reclaim a Shamed One.

Or can it?

Mouse: It would seem that the word about Dalan wiping the floor with Nom Anor's finally gotten around...took the Vong long enough eh?

Rok: HOLY SMECK! IT'S A ROK SIGHTING! SOMEONE CALL THE ENQUIRER.

Of course it doesn't look good. Good is boring

And thanks for your ten cents on the rant. I'm done with that whole split thing now. As a Systems Admin who's used to coming up with real solutions instead of prolonging the inevitable, I can't offer any ideas that don't involve a technical solution. Henceforth, I'm merely lurking on there.

Di-Lee: Dennis Miller is my hero...can ya tell?

Casper: Leia may possess the Organa hoity-toityness, but her DNA screams Skywalker. It's amazing the kids have made it this far, IMHO

On the other note, this farrady person sounds like an urban legend. Sounds like he took direct aim at the powers that be once upon a time.

[soapbox]
As I mentioned earlier, I'm done with this whole intimate encounter with a cluster over in that thread. I see no reason to fight it, rail against it, or even take aim at it anymore, because it sounds like everything is already decided.

I'll be around when they decide just how they're gonna do this, and maybe offer categories to help it out.

One thing before I shut up and post: I realize that TF.N is a massive effort for which all those involved in its maintenance should be applauded, but like any project of this obvious magnitude, should not every part be investigated as to how, should a major technical overhaul be made, it can be fixed?

The fact that no one in the current makeup of things has technical access to the board structure or its underlying database disturbs me. I dunno, but IMHO, those who own the boards should seriously consider sourcing another message board structure AND find someone willing to be the Fixit person for it. And, if that Fixit person leaves or doesn't respond in a certain amount of time, find someone else.
[/soapbox]

Ok, rant's done.

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Seven hours had passed before the Shamed One?s eyes began to focus once more. Her normal tension at snapping out of this strange, dreamlike state quickly eased as the face of her Master came into view. She smiled slightly and felt oddly relieved that this return to reality hadn?t been as humiliating as some.

?Did anyone notice?? she asked as she looked around.

?Not really,? replied Tahiri, allowing Feslira to sit back up. ?To them, you simply fell asleep. There?s no need to alarm them just yet.?

Feslira felt her body begin to shake. ?It frightens me, Master,? she admitted. ?I?ve tried everything I could to unravel the mystery, from meditation to holo-recording?nothing seems to help. I feel the pain, I black out, and I wake up with no memory. Am I?am I losing my mind??

Before Tahiri could answer, the door separating the cockpit from the rest of the ship opened and Han walked through it. Everyone who took one look at his dishevelled hair all stifled a grin or a chuckle, realizing full well that for the majority of those seven hours, Han and Leia were doing something a bit more than discussing the weather.

?We?re coming up on Kasveria Prime,? he said, leaning against the wall. ?We should be there in a couple of hours.? Everyone seemed to straighten, cease whatever activities they were doing, and gravitate towards Ryn and Jacen. The former got his datapad out and called up his father?s files.

?Ok,? he said, tapping a few keys and bringing up the first planet. ?According to the map, there?s a settlement of some sort near the northern polar region. Turns out whoever was in charge of hiding the Prometheus placed something in that settlement that provides a clue to the next planet.? He recalled the large map completely decrypted by Lando?s crystal. ?The remaining pl

 

Sunday morning UP!