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 CHAPTER 9: TOUCHDOWN ON CORUSCANT Previously posted:MASTER YUON PAR of the JEDI ORDER has fallen sick with a mysterious and deadly illness. Her former Padawan, JOLUNE MOL'NEUX, travels to CORUSCANT, capital of the GALACTIC REPUBLIC, in search of a cure...   : Knew would find you here. How was flight to Coruscant? : It was a near-death experience involving lecherous criminals, sarcastic Mandalorians and terrible, terrible dancing.: Not good then.: Well, it wasn't all bad. I did get to buy a load of Space Toblerone in the Duty Free. I love Space Toblerone. : Have you been waiting long?: Too long. I do not like Coruscant. Hmmph. How can any live on this world? Is dead place. These buildings... they tower over and under. No land, no water. Is nowhere to hunt. Scorekeeper turned away from here, I think.: I like the city. It's a refreshing change from Tython. Four words, Qyzen: Restaurants, Shops, Taxis, Duvets.: How can you say, Herald? Look around. Is too many buildings, too much noise. : I stay for you, Herald, and for Yuon. Please- we visit Yuon first? Embassy can wait for us.  : Senate.: Oh... wow. I thought it'd be smaller. I like Coruscant's aesthetic, at least this section of it. The pinkish sunset skies are very pretty, as well as slightly ominous given the state of the Republic. I remember reading once that this is a Lucas thing from the prequel trilogy- Phantom Menace is “set” in day time, with blue skies throughout, Clones is dusk and Revenge is night, with dawn breaking at the end.   : Master Par should be in the infirmary ahead.   : Once there were two little boys. Their names were Parkanas and... and... something. Why can't I remember?: Master... It's going to be alright. I'm sure you'll remember eventually. Just relax.: But I have to rememb- Padawan!: Have never seen Yuon so, Herald. Not in all years of knowing. : The man in the shadows? I don't understand.: Parkanas! Parkanas, where are you?   : She keeps talking about someone called “Parkanas”. Who is that? : You don't know either? Nevermind. A cure is what Yuon really needs. The problem is that the greatest collection of learning in the galaxy- the Jedi Temple here on Coruscant- has lain in ruins since the war. I believe the answer to curing Yuon is in the archives of the temple ruins, but accessing them won't be easy.: Centuries of learning scattered. We added to the Sith's victory by being careless. Always back up your data, kids!: The temple's artificers created a system to sort through the vast stores of knowledge- a set of three holocrons that served as guides. The wisdom and personalities of the order's greatest Masters were imprinted on these guides, which they called Noetikons.: What does “Noetikon” mean anyway?: Um, “guide”, I think.: ...Then why not just call them “Guides”?: They're A.I.s with access to thousands of years of Jedi learning! Calling them “guides” makes them sound... cheap.: OK, ok so... : That's exactly it, and I need your help to recover them. The temple ruins were looted; the Noetikons were taken- I have a lead on one of them- but it's not in friendly hands.: Is no matter. To help Yuon, we face anyone.: Republic security spotted some Gand scavengers carrying a Noetikon, in the Migrant Merchant's Guild. The Republic brought one of the Gand in for questioning, but he won't talk.: If it'll help Yuon, I'll get us the information.: The Republic officer you want is Alec Efran, he's at the security outpost with the Gand right now. And I'm working on a lead for the second Noetikon- I should have something by the time you get back. Good luck!Inferior posted:Due to a  : Glad to be able to get changed, my old robes stank of cordite and sewage.: I regret not travelling on Esseles with you. Sound like you had fun. : Taxi!   : The Old Market... I've never been to Coruscant before. Maybe I can pick up a few souvenirs here!: Heard sector warzone between gangs and police. Only souvenirs likely be horrible injuries.: So no amusing T-shirt shops then? : Hey, a bar! It smells... authentic. : Hello barman. Hot chocolate, please. : Get out. : Man, Coruscantians are rude.: Is Coruscantians right word?: Coruscians? Coruscantoans? Corusas? : Coruscantas? Corussians? Canties? ...oh, there's the guy we're supposed to meet. : Jedi! Welcome to the old galactic market...um, ma'am.: Hmmph. Soft thing can barely speak. : I'm a person, just like you.: Um, right, yes! Well, anyway, this is the er... Gand we brought in. He was talking about that Jedi Holocron you're all looking for. But he's not exactly... talkative.: Sadness to have been captured. Should have fought harder. : You refer to yourself as Gand... how interesting. : The Gand do not speak their names except when they have earned it. This Gand has not earned it.: This is your chance to distinguish yourself. Help me save a dying woman by telling me where the special holocron is.: This Gand would like to earn his name... but he has no wish to betray his fellow Gand.: If you keep being uncooperative, what happens the next time Republic Security arrests a Gand?: This Gand hadn't consider this. He will tell what he can.: Seriously, you couldn't make this guy talk?: It's my first week on the job!: The man called Lars Baddeg brought the holocron to the Gand's leader, Aulus G'luun, and told him to keep it safe.: Who is this Lars Baddeg? I'm guessing he's not a good egg! Heyo!: …: …: …:  : This Gand doesn't know. He only knows the orders Aulus G'luun has given.  : Some day, Aulus G'luun holds it; some days, the ones who have earned one name; and some days, cowards like this Gand.: Is there some sort of schedule that determines who holds it?: The Gand doesn't know the signals, only that when the first signal is raised, the Gand meet behind the warehouse and he sometimes gets the holocron.: You have my gratitude. : Yes. Please don't tell anyone what this Gand told you.: I won't. Jedi's honour. Although they'll probably figure it out when we take the Noetikon back.: This Gand hadn't considered this. Is it too late to plead the Fifth?: Ha! Good luck, Jedi. And be careful crossing the bridges outside. The dock workers are... disgruntled. : It's not a good sign for planetary stability when the police start dual-wielding.  : According to the map, we need to get to somewhere called the “Skyline Mall”... You don't get much view of the skyline down here.  : I challenge thee to a duel! : A-avenge me, comrades....erk  : This old Skyline Mall. Home for refugees now. And criminals. Predators and prey.: Look at this place. It's literally a five minute taxi ride from the Senate. Sometimes I think the Empire's right about us. : That looks like the terminal the Gand was talking about...hmmm? There are three signal lights... : I think I understand how this works. The leader's not going to be a fish or a dog now, is he? I'm pushing the rancor button. I hope a rancor doesn't actually show up.: I hope one does.  : You creep me out sometimes Qyzen. C'mon, lets head to the meeting place.  : Should mind temper, Gand. : He will not break promise to Lars Baddeg or to his brothers- to keep holocron from the Jedi.: Lars Baddeg is a criminal. He stole the holocron from the Jedi. I have no evidence to support that assertion, I'm honestly just going by the fact he has the word “bad” in his name.: You speak of laws. The Republic's laws have no respect for the Gand culture or traditions.  : I saw the mall on the way in. No-one deserves to live like this. If I promise to help stop this injustice, will you give me the holocron?: Lars Baddeg promised the same thing to the Gand- but he has not kept his promise yet. Why should Aulus G'luun trust anyone who is not a Gand?: You're stuck behind this barricade. You can only gain by trusting me.: It is true that Aulus G'luun is out of alternatives for the Gand. But he must be sure. Aulus G'luun will go to the Republic officer at the barricade, with your promise. He will see for himself.: Time to see how far Alec Efran's Jedi love goes...A SHORT JOURNEY, AND SEVERAL FRANTIC HOLOCALLS LATER...  : You spoke truthfully. The Republic officer has agreed to remove the barricade, at your word.: Thanks, Alec...: You are a truer friend to the Gand than Lars Baddeg. The holocron is yours.: You have my gratitude. You can skip that whole conversation with Aulus by lighting one of the other signal lights on the console- if you do that you just have to fight a group of Gand thugs to get the Noetikon back. You also have the darkside option during the conversation to attack Aulus, and retrieve the Noetikon that way. But we're nice, so we've picked the most diplomatic way out. Also, you might have noticed that Jolune's last line there is identical to the one she used when thanking the nameless Gand earlier. This is because every player character in SWTOR has a number of canned lines that are reused for different quests, presumably to save money on the VA budget. Content recycling- it's not just for caves anymore.  : Well, this is it. What stories do you have to tell?NEXT TIME: An argument about fractals, and a debate over geometry. It's Mathemagical! BONUS CODEX CONTENT: Migrant Merchant's Guild posted:On paper, the Migrant Merchants’ Guild is a legitimate trade consortium that advocates for refugee rights and supports the Coruscant reconstruction effort. In reality, the Migrant Merchants’ Guild is a highly organized crime syndicate that seized power during the riots at the old Galactic Market after the war. Even before the war’s end, the guild served as a front for money laundering and goods smuggling, but kept mostly to nonviolent crime. Its membership was primarily nonhuman, and represented a powerful economic force inside Coruscant’s nonhuman immigrant population. When riots broke out, the guild saw an opportunity to claim real power; after security forces withdrew, it was the guild that re-established “order” with its armed goons and provided food and supplies… at a price. Since then, the Migrant Merchants’ Guild has expanded into bribery and extortion, with the old Galactic Market at the heart of its territory, all the while keeping a thin veneer of respectability. Republic security patrols often clash with members of the Migrant Merchants’ Guild in an attempt to keep the peace, but recently the guild has been moving its influence from shaking down local businesses to Coruscant politics. Gand posted:The Gand are a keen-eyed and sturdy species of insect-like humanoids. Comprised of over a dozen subtly distinct subspecies, several types of Gand require breathing apparatuses to survive outside the ammonia-rich atmosphere of their homeworld. Despite this handicap, Gand make some of the best bounty hunters and trackers in the galaxy, and the art of the hunt is an integral part of Gand culture. The most revered Gand profession is that of Findsman: Part-shaman, part-bounty hunter, a Findsman uses a combination of ritual and skill to track his prey and bring him to justice. Under other circumstances, the Gand’s skill as hunters and natural physical hardiness might have led them to become a proud race. However, Gand are noted for being humble and self-deprecating. Most Gand refer to themselves in the third person, as Gand culture dictates that an individual’s identity must first be earned. Only the most notable Gand ever call themselves “I.” Inferior fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Jul 21, 2013 |
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