Re: Vahrran and Jim

by Rory Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:12 pm

The revelation of a new fact threads the needle of suspicion. RO-92's previous answers line up perfectly with it. Mention of illusions and the Dreamer rouses alarm in Vahrran, but drawing connections to observations of the battle lines drawn, and the sides that drew them, elucidates more and suppresses his paranoia.

He decides he can trust the droid after all, and if he can trust him, then he can trust the doppelgangers made by Ria, who is not the Dreamer. Since the droid was able to distinguish them from the dreamscape to meet with them privately at all, it can be inferred that he would know who is real and who is not an enemy. This talk of devouring reality makes him wonder just what it is, and why it needs a powerful seer like Ria to "devour" reality.

"I don't, not quite, but you're saying that the Dreamer is not an enemy present in the sense that we can wake up and kill it. And a threat to the stability - existence, even - of reality itself...that may demand more immediate attention than the need for an organized rebellion against the new Empire."

"Furthermore, I believe I understand where we are, figuratively. The only thing keeping us here is the direct interference from the Dreamer - the war especially, and any attention we might draw from direct engagement in it on our part, or any manipulation of the dreamscape. I posit that weakening the enemy enough for Ria to regain control of her mind is the most obvious and direct way for us to end this nightmare. I'd rather it not come to that, but it is likely to be the solution that Ria and her general will insist upon."

He believes these hunches to be correct, but the one he has about the clone driving their speeder demands the most sureness, and Vahrran willingly gives it. Their driver might not be real, but can in fact be real in the sense that she harbors a splinter consciousness from Ria - whether part of a cohesive whole, or independent - as do all her other doppelgangers, and as he just said, she has no affiliation with the Dreamer or its machinations. "I won't hurt you, child. I regret that my words made you afraid for your life. The real enemy is out there, not here."

Still, he retains a plan in case she turns out to be against them: shoot the steering column, dive roll out of the vehicle, and fire at the hover emitter*. Hopefully he would manage to damage the vehicle enough to force her to abandon it if she had the sense to. An unarmed adolescent child, on foot and at range, would pose a threat below the minimal required for deadly force, even if she did prove a nuisance enough to merit it.

ooc:

by Kolson Fri Apr 15, 2016 7:35 pm

OOC:

As the young girl is about to answer 92 cuts her off as if she isn't there. "That's the long and short of it as far as I know. Clearly Ria would be able to tell you more about it than I."

"How rude!" she says, "I'm Ria. Or a Ria. Jerk!" She makes a rude gesture at the droid more common to military mechanics than Jedi Padawans.

If 92 cares it doesn't show.

by Rory Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:22 pm

"Of course you are," Vahrran reassures. "We were referring to whom we hope is the progenitor of all the Rias at this base. How much further to your general?"

by Kolson Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:41 pm

"She-"

"She's not far; I'll take you right in." When you turn around, you see that White-Robed Ria has joined you. She smiles at you guys.

"Ugh! Not you too!" The young flight mechanic stomps her foot in frustration. "Why does everyone always interrupt me! What's wrong with you people?!"

"I-what?" says WR Ria, confused, "I'm sorry, I-"

"You think I want to be here? Do you think I want to be stuck fixing speeder engines and being afraid all the time? Well screw you! My name is Ria Adanwe and I am 14 years old. I am a Padawan of the Jedi Order and Crew Chief of the 991st. You will treat me with respect!" The young girl is breathing heavily, in that way that young people do when they are very angry and trying to tell adults how they feel. WR Ria hangs her head in shame. 92 gives the barest nod, the most respect you've seen it give someone who isn't "real." Jim smiles and says, "Good on you ma'am. Don't let folks push you around."

Determined, she turns to Vahrran and says, "I accept your apology, sir. The General is right this way. Please follow me."

She leads all of you into the bunker, folks naturally parting before her as if they sense her air of new-found authority. She leads you guys to an elevator, which she directs down to the third floor basement. When the door opens, you see a busy command center, as officers and support staff work their hardest to coordinate the battles above. From their monitors you can see the battle is happening in space as well between massive fleets.

There in the center of it all is the General. It's most definitely Ria, but this one appears in her 30s and is decked out in heavy armor. There is an air of authority in her crisp commands and decisions. She's on top of everything. Armies move and men die at her command and its obvious in her bearing.

The General:

Your escort sees you to her. With a smart salute, she says, "Here they are, as ordered General."

The General nods. "Well done. You may return to your duties, Chief."

"Thank you Ma'am." With that, the teen removes herself back to the elevator, leaving all of you with the General. She looks at each of you in turn until finally focusing on Vahrran. "This isn't a good place to talk. Please, join me in my office."

She leads the way to an office just to the side of the command room. It's a comfy affair, as far as offices in underground bunkers go. She has several ferns and two shelves full of data cards on a wide variety of subjects from military strategy to opera. A painting of the Senate Building dominates the area behind her desk. The seats she offers you are comfortable and are even with her own chair, but rather than sit in it she chooses to sit on her desk instead.

"Thank you for coming. I've been waiting a long time to speak with you, Vahrran. Can I get you anything to eat or drink? We found out that while you don't need to do either while trapped here that the routine of consumption helps with morale and fosters a sense of comradery."

by Rory Sun Apr 17, 2016 12:39 am

"Water and something from your perishable food stores." Morale would certainly be useful, at least.

Vahrran bristles at the thought of having to observe the possibility that he would be trapped in this "real illusion" for a month, or even a week. A day was closest to an ideal that he could hope for, remembering the dried remains of those who had fallen to the very first. And the smell, and even now feeling the unknowable foreboding he could only call Darkness - permeating from the Dreamer's presence, he hopes. Or perhaps from the animal shell left behind when Ria was trapped. Are they one and the same, does the Dreamer wear her face while she is trapped? Hunches and more hunches. I will get to ask very soon.

"I'm led to believe you know more than anyone else about the origin of our current circumstances, General."

Skills:

by Kolson Sun Apr 17, 2016 4:17 pm

"Through great time and effort I've been able to ascertain our situation, yes."

The general hits a button on her desk and when answered places Vahrran's order. "Would anyone else like anything?"

"I'll take the same as Vahrran," says Jim.

WR Ria shrugs and says, "I'm fine, General."

The General nods and finishes with the order and reseats herself on the desk. "Let's start with the basics.

"Two standard weeks before Order 66, Jedi Knight Ria Adanwe attended a secret meeting between her and parties that shall remain anonymous for now. At this meeting it was decided that she would be dispatched to Caamas to renew the seal on the cosmic entity known as The Dreamer. This activity and many like it are the providence of this secret organization and it is a mission that predates the founding of the Republic and of the Jedi Order itself.

"At first her mission was going off without a hitch--she used her contacts to arrange transport off Corruscant and she made good time to Caamas. But although we are a powerful seer, I'm afraid she sorely underestimated the power of the dark side. Not only had it blinded the Jedi to the future, it has been actively undermining great works of the light, great works such as the seal on The Dreamer.

"As she initiated the ceremony, the creature struck. It filled the garden at the structure's center with it's psychic presence, overwhelming the woman and forcing her brain into unconsciousness in an attempt to preserve her sanity. It's plan was to absorb her and attain a complete anchor into this reality. A plan which continues to this day. But the creature underestimated us."

The General smiles and the glint of a warrior's pride can be seen in her eyes. "Ria is a stubborn fighter and in an effort to confound the enemy she divided her mind, scattered it across time and space, hiding herself in parallel universes. In essence, she created us, her doppelgangers. Each of us represents something that could have been or might have been or never was. Light Side, Dark Side, no side, Jedi, Sith, Dark Jedi, Jensaari, Matukai, Zeison Sha, Dathmori Witch, and a thousand other Force organizations--all representing a different Ria. But we are more than that. Each of us has our own memories, our own lives, our own times. We are different people, and yet the same, at least where it counts.

"As I'm sure you can imagine this confused the entity, forced it to slow its attack, buying precious time for our friends to send help. Friends like you Vahrran. And Jim, Korra, Dake, Ominae, and RO's master."

"Do you have any questions? Do you need me to elaborate on anything?"

by Rory Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:26 am

The idea of the Force being alive somehow has not occurred to Vahrran, an idea he would repudiate. He knew about the Jedi and Sith, but the confirmation of other Force paths being known confirms their theoretical likelihood of existence. And both Dark and Light, Sith and Jedi splinters of her mind are fighting united? Impossible.

"I can ask you once we have succeeded in freeing ourselves from the Dreamer's influence, and defeated it. It's important in the now that we devise a strategy toward that end. Who or what is this Dreamer?"

by Kolson Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:08 am

The General smirks at you as your mind races. Almost like she's reading your mind. For a second you think she might comment on it but she answer's your question instead. "It is an entity from another universe, or maybe it is another universe. It's hard to say. What little we know dates back to the Celestials, a precurser race that ruled the galaxy prior to recorded history. What is known is that the entity known as The Dreamer breached our reality while the Celestials were experimenting with new forms of hyperspace travel. A popular theory amongst my order states that the creature originates from one of the dimensions that hyperspace wormholes pass through. But that's just speculation. All we know is that it came here, threatened the galaxy, and was sealed away in a different dimension by Force-based technology. In effect, the planet Caamas itself is the prison and the Song of The Dreamer, a Celestial statue, is the key. In truth, the creature has no name, its moniker comes from the statue key. Whatever it may look like is lost to time, as the only way to see it would be to let it out of its prison. Our only interactions with The Dreamer have been through proxies, corrupted Ria's and their echo soldiers. That's what we call the men and woman that we construct here. Their echoes of things and people from throughout time but lack the will and drive of a living person. Usually. You'll meet a few of the higher functioning ones in time."

by Rory Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:04 am

So in essence, manipulating the dreamscape gets the Dreamer's attention because doing so is a kind of interaction with "it".

"I see. I suppose it cannot be...defeated, conventionally. That is troubling. So, you sensed Ominae and called out to him. I imagine that was because the Force was the cornerstone of your plan to escape, as it was for the Jedi when the Dreamer was sealed. Regrettably, neither him nor Korra are present to help you."

Vahrran grapples with his line of thought at the word "defeat", uncomfortable with encountering a spark in his thoughts for the premeditated killing of the Dreamer(even in theorizing it cannot be killed) - not in conflict or self defense, but to make sure it could be "trapped" forever in death...a bleak prison better guarded than the Ascendancy's orbital correctional facilities. Perhaps having the thought and not perishing it right away is what troubles him more. If something as dangerous as the Dreamer could be killed, perhaps...no. No? No.

And, while the other Force-sensitives are not present, perhaps Ria might be able to enlist their help if she could get the padawan's attention from light years away. The omission of Vahrran's recent self-discovery was not the result of a lapse in memory or absent-mindedness.

ooc:

by Kolson Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:13 pm

OOC:

"Called out, yes, you could put it that way. The escape of The Dreamer echoed through the Cosmic Force, moving it to push and pull those that would be able to do something about it to Caamas. Destiny, if you will. Fortunately for us that would attract friends like RO's master, Ominae, Korra, and you, Vahrran. There's nothing to fear, I don't need to read your mind to know that. I've been friends with a version of you for years. I'm from a time 15 years in your future in a universe much like your own. You'll find that is true with a good portion of the Ria's you'll meet. They'll know some version of you, and a thing or two about what you could become."

Jim's eyes go wide at that revelation and he looks at Vahrran in wonder. He clearly had no idea.

"But back on topic it's not that our friends are light years away. They just aren't in our part of the illusion space. Even now, my people are searching for them. Lucky for us the RO's have a way of attracting real people to them. If we are fortunate, they could be heading here even as we speak."

The food and drink arrive. Two service droids, humanoid in shape and of average human height, set up a collapsible table and two more set the food and drink upon it. After setting everything up, one asks in a heavily mechanical voice, "Would the sirs or madame require anything else?"

"No, I'm good Deek," says The General.

Jim thanks them but says he is fine.

by Rory Wed Apr 20, 2016 11:19 am

ooc:

Vahrran goes stiff at the revelation of his Force sensitivity. When she explains RO-92's ability - the one RO still with us - he remarks, "Indeed? That is favorable."

"I suppose it was too much to hope that I would have kept it a secret from every version of you," he breaks off while reaching for the water first. "I must confess it is something I felt all my life, a sixth sense I was unable to rationalize, that yet proved advantageous when I chose to heed it."

Addressing the clone in the white robes, he continues, "You are a Jedi, and you know me in a possible future. I only just discovered that I am 'attuned' to the Force. Is it a power that I can rely on?" He catches himself before using the word trust, to avoid granting it capability of a virtue.

The urgency for finding a way to break the illusion has faltered in the face of this forced revelation, as he places significant import on determining if the Force can and will deceive him, perhaps as eyes do when tricked by an illusion. The circumstances deny him from cross-examining the Force as he would any other object of questionable purpose, forcing him to seek first-hand knowledge and experience from someone else. Fortunately, there are tens if not hundreds of versions of a Force user who is familiar with him and his use of the Force in the future. Asking two would be the prudent limit to asking around.

by Kolson Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:24 pm

The Ria in white smiles at the attention. "I was a Jedi. In my timeline I went on the run when Order 66 dropped, ended up in a tight spot, and was saved by the Aing-Tii. They were kind enough to take me in and teach me their ways. I spent many years with them but eventually the Force led me out of that refuge and I hooked up with some friends and we started a Rebellion against the Empire. It feels weird telling you this.

"But of course you can rely on it. The Force is a powerful ally for those who train hard and respect it."

Something seems different about her compared to the other Ria-s like The General. Her posture as she lounges in her chair, like she's trying to get your attention; the fact she's wearing perfume when no one else is; that she's playing with her hair while talking to you.

by Rory Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:21 pm

skill:

by Kolson Thu Apr 21, 2016 12:13 am

OOC:

by Rory Thu Apr 21, 2016 3:56 am

What she seems to be doing repulses him, all things considered. He can't deny her appeal, though. Between his education and employment on his homeworld, his enslavement, and his relentless pursuit of his white whale(Dake Sken), he's put next to no time into romantic pursuits. "It must seem strange, but as the general said, I've never known you. Excuse my forwardness, your future relationship with me is not strictly professional, is it?"

ooc:

by Kolson Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:06 am

"What makes you say that?" she asks, all mock innocence as she slowly changes the cross of her legs from one side to the other. She smiles at Vahrran and he notices how dark her blue eyes actually are. There are little flecks of gold in them that you'd only really notice up close and in just the right light. It occurs to you in that moment, that whoever installed the lighting here in the office did a damn good job.

Instead of interfering The General stares intently at Vahrran, watching to see what he will do.

by Rory Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:17 am

Vahrran allows his gaze to falter, cheeks turning deeper blue for a moment, then *glances at the general* and launches into an analysis without batting an eye.

"Call it a hunch. This is the perfect setup though, isn't it? You in the eye of the storm, and Mr. Right gets pulled in seemingly by a twist of fate. You know everything about him because of a time loop, so that's half the hard work done. The two of you work together to escape and defeat the Dreamer, and you learn he shares the same goal as you do, so together you light the spark of rebellion."

"Between that and being Force-sensitive and being of like-minded moral character, the two of you have enough in common apart from the struggles you've worked through together, to become entangled. Am I getting warm?"

*ooc*:

by Kolson Fri Apr 22, 2016 6:33 pm

The Ria in White's jaw drops open in mock shock. "Setup? Can't a lonely gal flirt with a version of her boyfriend and not have some alternative motive? Not everyone is out to get you, detective. You should loosen up, just because we have to save the galaxy doesn't mean we have to be serious all the time."

by Rory Sat Apr 23, 2016 4:03 am

He smiles and nods deferentially. "I understand. It must have been very difficult for you to get through to me. I'm sure I explained to you our emotional discipline at some point, in contrast to Jedi - assuming there are none among the Order who are Chiss."

Having witnessed the fruits of Ominae's mental discipline at his current age, Vahrran was not impressed. If I were to undertake the training to be a padawan, I would fare far better than him.

by Kolson Sat Apr 23, 2016 7:53 pm

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions on Jedi discipline based on my actions. I haven't been a Jedi in years at this point." She laughs again at her own expense.

"Indeed Captain. Your penchant for interruption is legendary at this point. But thank you for confirming something for me. I believe we've found the right man for the job," says The General. "If we are going to win this conflict and escape we are going to need a task force and I would like you to lead it, detective."

by Rory Sat Apr 23, 2016 11:12 pm

Vahrran appears to relax a bit, the smile on his face dropping to something more approaching satisfaction than mirth or content. They've reached the end of this dance, finally, his suspicions allayed by her rebuffing his praise, but the opera isn't over until the valkyrie sings.

"I am up to it, general. What is their mission, and what is my significance in leading them?" His words are carried by a temperate wind of resignation, accepting that the Force may be a crucial asset in their efforts. Certainly not in conventionally beating back the Dreamer within the dream - not with a 'task force', which shows he underestimated the versions of Ria in command of their resistance.

by Kolson Sun Apr 24, 2016 4:51 pm

"Your mission is to escort The Root to The Present, which is a fancy way of saying take a little girl that represents our collected pasts to the personification of the true Ria. By uniting the past with present, Ria should be able to expel you and your friends from The Dream. But there is a catch. The enemy is also searching for The Root and if they were to acquire her then The Dreamer would foil our fracture gambit and win. But that's not the worst of it. The Present is being held in the heart of the enemy's power, a massive fortress with only one purpose--to keep us away from The Present."

"You should also know," says the Ria in White, "That corrupted Ria-s make up the bulk of their officer corp. And yes Vahrran, they are mostly Force Sensitive."

The General nods. "The reason we need you and your friends is because we need your unpredictability. Every time we've tried to infiltrate their base our plans have been foiled by equally powerful enemy Ria-s. I suspect the enemy keeps them in reserve for just that reason."

by Rory Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:00 am

"I see. Will the real people living in the present need to be at a range, or will reuniting the Root and the Present have a blanket effect on the illusion, reaching all of us wherever they might be?" I suspect a map of the fortress would not be reliable.

You are in luck, general. Indeed, you have the right man. Time to enter puzzle mode. Time to put his thinking cap on top of the one he practically lives in, and be in his element.

Enter Tactics Mode

"I would prefer we find a subtle route to the fortress, but I doubt there is any one entrance that is unguarded, and the least-guarded ones are merely bait. Our most vital asset at this time is anonymity and two-fold surprise. Our team must be formed by soldiers trained for covert operations and shock tactics. If we can find cover within running distance of an entrance, we can have air support feign an attack to blast a way through for us and distract enemy reinforcements while we find an opportunity to move in unnoticed. If necessary to draw them out, we may need someone to manipulate the dreamscape on my command in full force, to grip the Dreamer's attention in a vice. I'll need a portable communicator to keep in radio contact. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves in any way, so no one in the team is allowed to use it if they can, unless their lives are in danger and it is absolutely necessary. Manipulating the dreamscape is right out."

"When Anonymity fails, we rely on Surprise and run straight for the Present. By the time the Dreamer recovers and takes action, we will be able to bide enough time for the Present and Root to reunite, but first we will need a reliable method of finding the Present, or relevant information that will lead us to her."

Skill
Knowledge Tactics Take 20
Trained, +10
Are there any holes in my plan that need patching? Is there a better plan I can work with?
(If I can't take 20...Incoming post that I will not need to edit for any reason because I will use I will be using the forum dice roller)

by Rory Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:01 am

Knowledge Tactics(if Take 20 is not possible)
Rory carried out 1 launched of one D20 :

9

by Kolson Mon Apr 25, 2016 4:13 pm

Rory wrote:"I see. Will the real people living in the present need to be at a range, or will reuniting the Root and the Present have a blanket effect on the illusion, reaching all of us wherever they might be?" I suspect a map of the fortress would not be reliable.

"If you succeed all Force Sensetives should be freed. They will then have to make their way over to the garden and use the statue to complete the sealing ritual. Only then will The Dreamer be defeated."

Rory wrote:Enter Tactics Mode

"I would prefer we find a subtle route to the fortress, but I doubt there is any one entrance that is unguarded, and the least-guarded ones are merely bait. Our most vital asset at this time is anonymity and two-fold surprise. Our team must be formed by soldiers trained for covert operations and shock tactics. If we can find cover within running distance of an entrance, we can have air support feign an attack to blast a way through for us and distract enemy reinforcements while we find an opportunity to move in unnoticed. If necessary to draw them out, we may need someone to manipulate the dreamscape on my command in full force, to grip the Dreamer's attention in a vice. I'll need a portable communicator to keep in radio contact. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves in any way, so no one in the team is allowed to use it if they can, unless their lives are in danger and it is absolutely necessary. Manipulating the dreamscape is right out."

"When Anonymity fails, we rely on Surprise and run straight for the Present. By the time the Dreamer recovers and takes action, we will be able to bide enough time for the Present and Root to reunite, but first we will need a reliable method of finding the Present, or relevant information that will lead us to her."

Skill
Knowledge Tactics Take 20
Trained, +10
Are there any holes in my plan that need patching? Is there a better plan I can work with?
(If I can't take 20...Incoming post that I will not need to edit for any reason because I will use I will be using the forum dice roller)

"I think I know just the right soldiers for the job," says the Ria in White, "I'll draw up a list for you; I'll have it to you within the hour."

"That seems like a solid start to the infiltration plan but you are forgetting the enemy Force users. Not only can they sense trouble but there are quite a few Dark Jedi among them of great skill. There is also at least one Sith. They are the ancient enemies of the Jedi Order and very strong in the ways of the dark side. I've clashed with her personally. She is quite skilled. If we were to launch an all out attack in the space above the fortress I believe we will be able to draw a good portion of them away from you.

"As to The Root she is currently off grid, hidden and protected by our most powerful sister. She is one of the oldest among us and the only Ria to attain the rank of Jedi Master. As soon as we are done with this briefing, I'll send word and get the ball rolling on getting them back to base.

"In the mean time, the Captain here is assigned to your task force as your second. You can make any other appointments you wish. Assemble your team, finalize your plan, and be ready to move out at a moment's notice. Put together a list of what you'll need and present it to me at 0800 tomorrow. Good luck to you, Commander, and may the Force be with us."

You are now free to wander the base and assemble your team. I'll put up a new post after this one detailing your options.

by Sponsored content