Question Prime Time

Put your comments here again! The joys of server crashes.

and my glowing, literary praise of EE's epic masterpiece vanishes with other random electrons. Pbthhh.

When I'm awake and not suffering so much from this sinus infection, I'll try to repeat my exhortation for you all to read his excellent characterization and growth of Nyeomi, the well-done cliff-hanger way in which she grows into being a lady and a Sith Lord, with all that entails, and the subtle way in which the marriage of the former life is laid bare for all to see the hidden resentments and hostility that had been hidden beneath a veneer of tolerance. It is a good tale well told, and it begs for - as is traditional with all things Star Wars - a completing chapter to a trilogy.

And I promise not to rewrite the back half of the first story with better special-effects!

That said I think the ending of this particular arc will be quite… Interesting…

E. E. Nalley wrote: And I promise not to rewrite the back half of the first story with better special-effects!

That said I think the ending of this particular arc will be quite… Interesting…

Rewrite if you want, just as long as Han shoots first!

(What? what's that? Wrong story? Are you sure?)

Oops. never mind.

(And when reading my glowing review, pay no attention to the fact that EE and I are like brothers and collaborate well together.)

Why do we feel jealousy in the force?

elrodw wrote: Rewrite if you want, just as long as Han shoots first!

I hope I can say this without coming across as too pedantic, but it is one of my pet peeves. This whole meme upon shooting first as near as I can tell that started by the web cartoonist Scott Kurtz of PVP fame who was making money to making selling a T-shirt that said it. The shirt found its way onto some geek websites, a couple of geeky shows had characters wearing it brand-new meme.

The problem is Han Solo didn't shoot first, Han Solo shot and Greedo died. Greedo did not shoot, Greedo never shot, and that is what really happened. Lucas has finally admitted that he went back to change this to assuage his conscience because he had made a hero out of a drug smuggler, pirate, scoundrel and as we saw in the film cold-blooded murder.

There is a lot of hay that has gone back and forth in the shooting community about whether or not Hans shoot was a good one, i.e. justifiable. (The answer is in fact, yes it was.) That however is neither here or there; George Lucas thought it wasn't a good shoot and so he went back to change it. Han Solo is a bad man, who happened to be on the right side which made him 'our' bad man.

So remember, as Yoda would say, "Han shot. Greedo died. That is the way things."

elrodw wrote: (And when reading my glowing review, pay no attention to the fact that EE and I are like brothers and collaborate well together.)

And yes, yes we are, and yes we do.

E. E. Nalley wrote:

elrodw wrote: Rewrite if you want, just as long as Han shoots first!

I hope I can say this without coming across as too pedantic, but it is one of my pet peeves. This whole meme upon shooting first as near as I can tell that started by the web cartoonist Scott Kurtz of PVP fame who was making money to making selling a T-shirt that said it. The shirt found its way onto some geek websites, a couple of geeky shows had characters wearing it brand-new meme.

The problem is Han Solo didn't shoot first, Han Solo shot and Greedo died. Greedo did not shoot, Greedo never shot, and that is what really happened. Lucas has finally admitted that he went back to change this to assuage his conscience because he had made a hero out of a drug smuggler, pirate, scoundrel and as we saw in the film cold-blooded murder.

There is a lot of hay that has gone back and forth in the shooting community about whether or not Hans shoot was a good one, i.e. justifiable. (The answer is in fact, yes it was.) That however is neither here or there; George Lucas thought it wasn't a good shoot and so he went back to change it. Han Solo is a bad man, who happened to be on the right side which made him 'our' bad man.

So remember, as Yoda would say, "Han shot. Greedo died. That is the way things."

elrodw wrote: (And when reading my glowing review, pay no attention to the fact that EE and I are like brothers and collaborate well together.)

And yes, yes we are, and yes we do.

]

Okay I'm going to step in this fray.

If Lucas was feeling guilty about making a smuggler look bad he failed to take into the account that a. smugglers aren't really good. Its just the level of how bad he made him be. b. nobody really likes to root for the bad guy most of the time. Especially when sequels are a possibility. c. most characters that start of bad don't stay that way. Shrek is one example, even though many say he was misunderstood. Gru being another.

Its hard to do a followup when the bad guy comes up looking good and still be bad.

I will stay away from how Lucas messed with everything else in all the other movies as I have my fond memories of watching them as they were.

Ib12us wrote: Why do we feel jealousy in the force?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Jealousy like all emotions can be detected in the force, at least for how it is been portrayed across the very series. Jedi and Sith are both attuned to emotional states, does this answer your question or am I Was the force on the wrong track?

E. E. Nalley wrote: So remember, as Yoda would say, "Han shot. Greedo died. That is the way things."

I'm sorry …

"Shot! There is no die. Only the way of the true force is right."

I umm,, I *prays to computer gods. "System crash, system crash." Please Uncle Murphy.

Actually the joke came out wrong.

nvm the joke fell flatter than the flat earth society's proof and because I'm weird.

elrodw wrote: just as long as Han shoots first!

I, for some reason, read that as 'Hans shoots first!' and all I could think of was Noooo!!!! what about all the sequels...

I actually liked Die Hard 2... and, what about the one where Mac turns out to be a PC hacker and it shows that Kevin Smith DOES live in his mom's basement...(note: I have nothing against Macs, PCs or Kevin's Mom. and please no Mac/PC arguments out of this... leave religious debate out of the forums)

At the risk of sounding whiny, did anyone like the story? Because no one has commented on that yet. Inquiring minds and all that.

E. E. Nalley wrote: At the risk of sounding whiny, did anyone like the story? Because no one has commented on that yet. Inquiring minds and all that.

Haven't had a chance to read it yet, EE. College life is being really annoying right now. Once I've got some time to read it I'll be sure to comment with my thoughts.

I promise to get to it. I'm just catching up on the backlog I let go on messages and all.

I'm in the same boat. Give me until Friday, than I'll have a nice long review. Sorry.

As usual, EE, your vision of the Old Republic amazes me. The only gripe i have is that you left "the Hand" dangling after she dealt with the Hutts... But one must obey the muse I suppose.

Yes, I enjoyed this tale and hope many more follow. Thank you for sharing your tales with us.

Wrayth

Thanks guys I look forward to reading those! After the last couple weeks good news is always welcome.

Wrayth:

Sorry about that, that wasn't very clear. Silas did "lose" to the bureaucrat because the game was rigged, of course, but you're right I didn't explicitly say that. Sorry for the confusion. But there is more coming never fear.

I liked it, and felt that (like the first part) it felt like Star Wars. In fact, the glittering newness of the Casino was a big part of that. For all that the whole "used universe" bit is mentioned several times, it is a good reminder that even on Tatooine that there are places which are polished til they glow and have all the latest upgrades.

EE, I was referring to your other SWTOR story, that started with Hand of the Sith...

Trying not to whine beg or grovel, here, but that story was awesome, and I would love to see more of Lord Syluri Ogden.

But as I said before, your vision of the Star Wars universe never fails to amaze me. Thank you.

Wrayth

Wrayth wrote: EE, I was referring to your other SWTOR story, that started with Hand of the Sith...

Trying not to whine beg or grovel, here, but that story was awesome, and I would love to see more of Lord Syluri Ogden.

But as I said before, your vision of the Star Wars universe never fails to amaze me. Thank you.

Wrayth

Oh! Well, I feel sheepish!

That being the case you're in a rare club; as I got so few responses to that story I figured it wasn't enjoyed. I actually posted it on the SW:TOR forum and did not get a single comment.

We don't write the stories just to have our ego stroked with comments and likes and such, being honest they do help. I suppose you could say that story fell victim to disappointing box office returns as it were. But who knows there may be a return of the Lord Syluri.

We will see.

Okay going to nitpick here but there are portions of the text that changes size. Most is near the bottom. Sections will go from one size to another (smaller) then back (to default).

I've really been enjoying the Star Wars stories you've been doing EE... I always enjoyed the gambling in the original KotOR games since I'm a sucker for minigames. I never got into SWtOR so I don't know if it was in that as well.

I've been enjoying your representation of the Force to Nyeomi as well...

Prime Time: A Tale of the Star Wars comments
Gah! Start off with a nightmare of air traffic, the same thing on ground would have me screaming in terror. 3 near collisions, surprised she didn't pass out from the stress. A back seat driver in those kind of situations, I think the others would have bound and gagged her. This place sounds like the Las Vegas of outer space. And yes, the thought of moving to some place like that does scare me.

Poor Nyeomi still confused about her feelings for a man. And the answer to Danny's question is that you are most likely bi, considering she is still attracted to women and now to men. Confused by a new social situation, poor girl needs to have a talk with someone soon. Oh boy, swindling criminals and having to get out alive, Silas is right about figuring out every possible way to escape before they need it. Laura does make sense as the arm candy, wonder who she is going to react though, with how she has been since they got transformed into their characters. Nyeomi as Danny's date, wonder if Torm Belos will show up to complicate things further.

An upscale casino which looks brand new, definitely big money going through this place. Ah, so that is why casinos have things set up like a maze, easier to catch cheaters and thieves who are trying to escape through it. Mostly droid staff, easier to trust and reprogram if they try and turn on you. And the casino proves that some things are just universal when it comes to gambling places; security and lots of hidden surprises for those who get out of line.

Torm Belos, such a charmer, almost as if he practices such lines in front of mirror just in case. She gets a thrill up her spine by him sitting next to her and still is in denial about her attraction to the rogue. Oh boy, beer is already starting to affect Nyeomi. She keeps flirting with Torm without even realizing it, if this keeps up she is going to do something she will regret. At least she is going to find a droid to replace the one they lost.

Ooo, she has got it bad for Torm. Nyeomi was a Star Wars geek before and even she can't recognize half the species she is seeing, just how many are there? Ah, so that species is Toydarian, always wondered about that. Danica definitely knows how to make a sale, always suck up to the customer. Love the details with the languages and descriptions of the various droids. A droid who can speak basic, good to have around, I doubt any of the crew speaks droid.

1000 gold Peggats, that sounds more like what the droid would cost when it was new, imo. Nice bartering, definitely got a bargain there. X4 is going to be very useful, more so than I think even Nyeomi suspects. And clothes shopping, let's see what kind of outfits she gets.

Torm is far more patient than most men, hope it isn't just an act to get her. And I wish I could enjoy shopping like Nyeomi is. Taking her out to dinner and ordering for her, yet still charming her; Torm is a smooth operator. Military kid, know what that is like, moved several times until I was 12 and finally settled down in one location. Just travelling the world is scary for some people, imagine having a universe available to travel around.

Oh boy, starting to get tipsy off the wine and more brazen with her flirting, not good. Dang, Torm knows when to be humble as well, definitely skilled at the art of conversation. And Torm is observant as well, he must have a flaw of some sort. Oh boy, asking her to come to his room and he will show her, Nyeomi being buzzed, this won't end well if something doesn't happen to stop her from going with him.

And even the Force is egging her on, oh brother. Fear of what she is now almost drove her away, but she gave in, now will she regret it later or it be a fond memory. And she fully accepts her new identity as Nyeomi Fens, which will probably both help and hinder her in the further, from what we have read so far.

Nyeomi has definitely embraced being a woman now. And Torm's can't just have loud snoring as his only flaw, there must be more. Loses her virginity and now wants another romp in the sack with Torm, good grief, Nyeomi, slow down girl. And something similar to Japanese style of bathing, interesting.

"I don't give a damn about my bad reputation."

Bwahahaha, that is just perfect.

Darius needs someone to remind him that sleep is a good thing.

"He followed me home so I'm keeping him."

That is priceless. Stuart sounds almost like he has a limited form of psychokinetic ability to manipulate the dice or an unusual amount of luck. And Lanaka needs to break that bad habit from her old life before it gets her and/or others into big trouble. Schematic broadcast to aid the droids in navigating the casino, talking about a huge security risk. Plus able to access other parts of the computer system through it, massive security risk, considering she had X4 get the list of the players in the tournament. For a place with so much security, they sure have one major hole in it.

Pazaak is very complicated for a card game, all those specialty cards which anyone could have in their private deck. Gah! How can any male concentrate with Nyeomi in that outfit right there and hanging on Torm. Reading Torm's thought like that, naughty girl. Very impressive mental focus from Torm to keep up those mental exercises with Nyeomi running her hand through his hair. And that Dug must have a lot of money to pay those Twi'lek whores to be with him, ugh. And the Dug made it through the elimination round, rats. Guess he has some skill and luck on his side.

Torm bathed her, now that is a true lady's man. Cheongsam dress that fits her exactly, is she trying to drive Torm wild so he doesn't want to leave the room. Reckless gambling, relying on nothing but luck to win, is a sucker's game. Barrasti definitely has more than a little luck on his side, hope he gets eliminated soon, can't stand beings who are obnoxious like that.

Eliminated in the 1st round last year, Torm definitely has been practicing since then. Talk of honor and duty turning to talk of if Nyeomi wants a family, Torm has it bad for her. Afraid of the implications starting a family means for her now, I know what she means by fear leading to terror, it can hold you back from even thinking about doing something, let alone trying. No limits betting and risky go all in bets, yikes, this is the definition of high stakes gambling. Working on the plan and everything is going smoothly. Now if Lanaka and Nyeomi could just start getting along everything would be perfect.

Only those 250 who made it to the 3rd day of the tournament got their buy-in back, I pity the rest who lost money, but that is the risk of gambling. Dang, that much profit from even getting the final table, no wonder people risk so much. Knocking Torm out, she is serious about him staying out of what she has planned. Better to keep hidden the truth than reveal it and attract trouble, how would people react if they knew a real Sith was there.

Nice color-changing cloak, how much that cost. Using the cover of prostitutes to meet, no one would think of checking there. Lanaka using a codeword just to snipe at Nyeomi, talk about catty. Force suggestion to get a bunch of horny teens to go off and rethink their opinion of women, nice. Have to agree with Lanaka, creepy as hell. Wait and narrow down the potential mark, wonder how many of the 15 on the list will be left by the final table.

Lanaka trying to get Nyeomi to realize she could get pregnant if she keeps things up with Torm, while Nyeomi's Sith side snarks at her and makes things worse. And nothing is resolved as they each won't back down, great. While a guy comes back for revenge on Nyeomi, a guy she Force choked who wants to end her, if only Lanaka hadn't stormed off so quickly. Oh boy, in her past life she had a nasty temper and still does, now backed by the Force. Rage fueled by fighting for her life, this guy is toast.

Crushed his trachea and then lightsaber activated while in physical contact, brutal way to go. Yikes, no wonder some people become addicted to killing others, all just to recreate that sensation. And she has taken the final step into becoming a Sith Lord, this is so not good.

This planet is worse than the wild west, even those who act like they uphold the law are just faces to keep the population intimidated, not caring if they kill each other. And it is worse 3000 years in the past where our crew is now, good grief. I would run screaming to the first starship going to any place more civilized. *eyes bulge out* Slave Leia outfit is more modest than what Lanaka is wearing, either they are all suffering from mental changes like Nyeomi or she just kept it all subdued in the past, because that is ridiculous. That is some fast gambling going on, though I'm not surprised Silas and Torm made it to the final table.

Arrrrgh! Barrasti is still around, I'm betting he is the mark who is set-up to win the tournament, no other explanation. Lanaka needs to drop the attitude, they have been given a second chance and she keeps throwing their old lives back in Nyeomi's face. Lanaka kept pushing Nyeomi over and over, forgetting what she was capable of doing now, and she finally blew up at her. If she is foolish enough to push Nyeomi again after this, she is arrogant and stupid to boot.

Nyeomi, with everything that has happened, it would be best to talk to your two other crewmates about this matter, Torm wouldn't understand and if you told him everything he might think you are crazy or worse. Oh boy, Torm is suspicious of Nyeomi's true relationship with Silas, thinking there is more going on than there is. Ugh, Silas hasn't seen everything that Lanaka has been doing to Nyeomi, yet assumes she is in the wrong. If Silas doesn't take what Nyeomi said for an answer and demands she leave the ship or further explanation when they get back to it, he is going to wish he had paid more attention to how Lanaka has been treating Nyeomi.

Oh boy, things have soured between her and Silas now as well with how she is talking. Ouch, no wonder Torm is the way he is, betrayal can change a person. Dang, he really wants to settle down with her and start a family. Oh boy, inviting him onto the ship without consulting the others, this won't go over well.

Oh boy, she is going through with it, getting Torm to make her pregnant so they can start a family together, free to live how she chooses to instead of how she is ordered or expected to. A mental link and bombarding him with her thoughts, emotions, and desires, while sensing his; talk about intense. I doubt a lesser man could have survived what she did with Torm. Living without fear, true freedom. If only it was as simple as figuring it out and doing it.

Why do I have the feeling she is going to need her lightsabers and be without them because of this? And the reason she is here shows up, they really are arrogant to have stolen from a Darth as powerful as Malgus and expected no retaliation. Guess I was wrong about Barrasti, first out and yelling about cheating. After the tag teaming, it seems Torm or the Rodian is the mark. And I just know it is going to be Torm just to complicate things.

Despite her thinking it is not Torm, and it probably isn't at this point, I think the Rodian is the most likely as the mark. Dang, didn't know there was such a thing as a Force null in the Star Wars universe. D'oh! Card counter, a patent clerk, probably gave the patent to something valuable to the Hutts and this is the payoff.

Torm and Nyeomi admit they wish to be together, just hope fate isn't cruel. And I can't believe Torm went all in, either that is a great bluff or that last card makes an nearly unbeatable hand. And it pays off, one less rival for the final pot. And the description of how the card counter gets the cards he needs, he has to be the mark. Guiding Torm to their ship so he is ready to escape when they are, Nyeomi is going to get yelled at.

This was their big plan, wait until they knew who the mark was and then do a robbery, guess they didn't have time for anything more elaborate. Yeah, the reactions which happen seem more real, panic from most while the guards try to stop the robbers but still get put down. And Milton Tess day just got a whole lot worse. Disguised lightsabers hidden in the room, sneaky. Pretending to be room service and sneaking out with the gold, that definitely is a lot better than a straight up robbery. Simple plans best survive contact with the enemy; no wonder most plans fall apart.

Get outside only for a security type to spot them, knew it couldn't be that simple. Quick getaway and hook back up with the rest of the crew and Torm, only for shore power connections to slow them down. Thermal detonator to take down a door, they have better control of the blast radius than I think they could be capable of. Gun turret forcing the Gamorrean guards to take cover, something designed to damage other ships isn't something a living being wants to be hit with.

Oh boy, Nyeomi talking about Ozzie and Harriet, poor Torm is going to be confused. Mixed bag of fighters coming and Torm and Nyeomi are talking about the kind of lifestyle Ozzie and Harriet had, I would be annoyed too. I'm a leaf on the wind, meaning she is flying erratic, making enemy and friendly fire both harder to aim.

Lookout galaxy, I've found my soulmate!

Right as they are going into hyperdrive, just perfect.

Now they take it slow, guess they have time to relax on the trip back to return the stolen gold. Heh, so Torm and Silas both get their money from the tournament entry fees, nice. Teasing him about Nyeomi being a Sith Lord and him enjoying her goodwill, she has definitely adjusted to her new identity and life. Talk about foreplay. And petitioning Darth Marr to be released from his service so she can be with Torm. Always having time for him, it took going to another reality and becoming a character he thought was purely part of his, now her, imagination to find her soulmate and true purpose.

A wonderful tale, E.E. Nalley. Loved how they adjusted with time and it wasn't easy, just like change isn't easy in the real world. Would love to read more tales involving the crew of the Aces and Eights.