Past GM Posts

[Richy]

This information is not necessary to play in SWRP. It includes all past Game Master posts, ((Which is quite a hefty amount))


38 years after the end of the Return of the Jedi, and some 11 years after the end of the New Jedi Order and the Yuuzhan Vong War, a young Jedi Master named Ashton Moonrider overthrew the corrupt governments of several Outer Rim systems and gained control over several dozen sectors of space. By calling upon old loyalties, the Jedi Master gathered together mercenary and local militia forces into a powerful fleet with which he unified the governments of the outlying systems and imposed order. Many young Jedi, frustrated with the chaos consuming the galaxy and dissapointed with their elder Jedi masters who refused to take direct action to stop the chaos, flocked to Moonrider's side.

The Jedi Order of the Day oppossed Moonrider's absolute monarchy and Jedi Knights were sent under the leadership of Jedi Master Kyp Durron to stop Moonrider. Moonrider slew Durron in combat, and then vanished with his Jedi followers and his fleet into the Unknown Regions, where he carved out a small empire for himself. After a few years, Moonrider returned in secret to the fringes of the galaxy, adopting the name 'Phobos' and secretly hunting down and destroying the Jedi Knights and Masters who had oppossed him. When the Jedi Order finally collapsed and vanished into the chaos of the galaxy, Phobos vanished as well, returning to the Unknown Regions, where his men and loyal followers were constructing a devastating warfleet and researching dangerous technologies.

About five years ago, Ashton Moonrider returned to the galaxy again. By virtue of his half-human heritage, he appeared a young man still, and adopted the personna of Ashmael Meloch, a young politician of Naboo who worked his way up the ladder of Naboo politics until he was assistant to the governor of Theed. During the next few years, Moonrider tracked down and defeated the last Dark Lord of the Sith - Lumiya - and stole her Eclipse Class Super Star Destroyer as his own flagship, which he then concealed in the Unknown Regions.

In response to growing Hutt antagonism, Meloch was instrumental in creating an alliance called the Merchant Defense Force - a co-operation between such prominent worlds as Naboo, Commenor, Chandrila, Kuat, and Bothawui to oppose Hutt corruption. Pirate Hunters were recruited by the MDF during that time to drive the pirates and slavers from territory controlled by the Merchant Defense Force, and in one such particular instance, Pirate Hunter Rosalyn Blackmoon and her legendary ship The Cold Maiden's Melody, were instrumental in defeating the Inner-Systems Pirate Gang, the largest such pirate force of the day outside the Hutt Empire. However, during that operation, the living computer that was the brain of The Cold Maiden's Melody - a conciousness that portrayed itself as a young woman named Ele - was damaged, and was stolen by unscrupulous scientists working for Moonrider on a project to develop a Super-Intelligence. Ele was ripped from the The Cold Maiden's Melody and embedded in an underground research facility.

Not long afterwards, A brief and bloody war was fought between Jida the Hutt and the MDF Forces. During the war, Moonrider publically returned to the galaxy with Jedi Followers and reunited the remnants of the Jedi Order, promising security and order to the galaxy. Among the Jedi who flocked to his banner was Murra Tekal, a famous Jedi Master in her own right.

It was during the course of the war that Ashton Moonrider contracted the brilliant inventor Sadhric, and had him begin work on a super-intelligence that would be capable of defeating Jedi Knights. Sadhric began work on the project in secret.

The war against the Hutts culminated in a final show down over the skies of Naboo during which the MDF fleet was nearly annhilated. Maeve Riskyll, a young Corellian fighter pilot, made a name for herself as young hotshot ace, the only survivor of Rogue Squadron after the last battle, which would have been lost to the Hutts' overpowering forces had not Moonrider himself shown up at the last moment with his Eclipse Super Star Destroyer and several powerful Destroyers of a new type. Jida's fleet was decimated, and Moonrider announced the formation of a new Jedi Protectorate which covered much of the civilized galaxy.

Moonrider had delivered on his promise of 'peace' and 'order', and the people of the Protectorate loved him. Old heroes like Rosalyn Blackmoon and Maeve Riskyll faded into the background as Moonrider and his Jedi Order became the guardians of the new Protectorate.

But there was a heavy price for all of Moonrider's success. The former Jedi Master had drawn heavily upon the Dark Side for his many victories over the years, and the corruption had finally begun to claim him. He had stopped acting for the 'greater good' as he saw it, and had begun to act for himself. The Protectorate was HIS Empire, the Jedi Knights who served him were his servants. He had finally fallen to the Dark Side - he had BECOME Phobos.

(Continued Below)

[ravendarkrebecca]

Not long after Sadhric brought to Phobos the completed Super-Intelligence - in the guise of a young girl known as Mekhetu - Phobos began employing the young girl to control computer systems and Holonet transmissions throughout the Protectorate. And as her abilities and understanding of them grew, Mekhetu expanded her control to the point where she could infect nearly anything she came into contact with and monitor it - including life forms. A Voluntary 'Citizen Registration' programme was begun - citizens of the Protectorate could have themselves registered 'for their protection,' while, unbeknownst to them, the Mekhetu Effect would be bonded to them, allowing Mekhetu to monitor - or even manipulate - them.

Having gotten from Sadhric what he wanted, Phobos/Moonrider felt he had little or no need for the developer anymore, and began considering how best to quietly eliminate the man and yet retain his usefulness should it be required. Growth of a clone was begun in the Unknown Regions.

Meanwhile, Ele, still embedded in the computers of Sadhric's research facility, made contact with the scientist and warned him about Phobos' plans to eliminate him. Ele convinced Sadhric to free her from the underground facility and bring her to her friends from The Cold Maiden's Melody, who were presently living in the apartments above the main floor of The Flaming Cockorthree, a famous Naboo Club. There, Ele made an impassioned plea to her friends - Rosalyn Blackmoon, Pirate Hunter and Pilot of The Cold Maiden's Melody, Silas Grey, Navigator of the Same, Caeru Meveny, manager of the club and Rosalyn's best friend, Maeve Riskyll, who had joined up with the crew after the Battle of Naboo, and Cliona Maelstrom, a young red-headed witch from Dathomir who had been training in secret for two years to become a Jedi. (Cliona was distrustful of Phobos and the new Jedi Order, and had recieved her training first on Corellia, from a former Jedi who had been killed when the Hutts attacked the planet, and then on ruined Coruscant, where she learned from the spirit of a dead Jedi and defeated a Dark Side monster that threatened the galaxy.)

Ele explained to the assembled heroes what she knew of Phobos' plans to dominate the galaxy, and recruited their aid - and Sadhric's, however unwillingly - in travelling to the Unknown Regions to learn more, and to find out what - if anything - could be done to stop him before the galaxy was irrevocably enslaved. But before the crew could escape the planet, Phobos and a detachment of his security forces attacked the group, who barely escaped with their lives. The crew of The Cold Maiden's Melody and their unlikely ally - Sadhric - were depicted as rebels, criminals who wanted to destroy the Protectorate, and were hunted into the Unknown Regions, to which they vanished for nearly three months.

During that time, Phobos completed his seduction of the Jedi Order, twisting their members to the Dark Side. Those whom he could not twist or convert were either killed or were stripped of their minds, enslaved to Phobos and Mekhetu, Force-powered zombies who lived only to do the will of their Dark Master and Mistress. Murra Tekal was defeated by the Dark Lord after he failed to convert her, and then she and her closest Allies - the wookie Jedi Kabraka and a few others - were 'allowed' to escape, fleeing to the Alliance of Free Systems, and to Ith'li.

Ith'li Shaon, head of the Alliance of Free Systems, warmly recieved Murra and her allies, thus furthering Phobos' aims. The Dark Lord Phobos, still posting as the Jedi Master Moonrider and the High Protector of the Protectorate, managed to portray Murra's actions as a failed assassination attempt against his life, and she and her comrades were branded traitors. That the traitors had been warmly recieved by the Alliance of Free Systems was used by the Protectorate as proof of the Sith Lord Ith'li's corruption, and the Protectorate united against the Alliance, casting a distrustful eye toward their only rivals.

It was almost time for Phobos' final moves, the last moves in a fifty-year plot to conquer and enslave the galaxy. When the crew of The Cold Maiden's Melody reached Phobos' secret base in the Unknown Regions, they discovered a dangerous plot by the Dark Lord to use an ancient technology to bind Phobos and Mekhetu together, and together enslave the galaxy, giving Phobos control over everything. Phobos would become a God, and no one, not even the most powerful of Jedi Knights, would be able to oppose his will.

The Cold Maiden's Melody escaped the Unknown Regions - albeit barely. Ele, now embodied by Sadhric in the form of a young woman and gifted with the same powers as had been bestowed upon Mekhetu, joined Sadhric and a young Slicer known as Sleiha Vahn in trying to find ways to defeat Mekhetu, while Rosalyn Blackmoon, Cliona Maelstrom, and Maeve Riskyll began efforts to create a resistance.

Their return was just in time, too, as Phobos staged a horrendous attack on one of his own worlds, claiming that those responsible were in truth Ith'li's own Alliance of Free Systems. Although the Resistance - under Maeve Riskyll's command as Rogue Leader - managed to defeat the Forces attacking Anzat before the entire planet was slagged, the public outcry at the horrendous attack was so much that the Protectorate practically begged for Phobos/Moonrider to take them to war against the Alliance of Free Systems.

The final movements had begun. While Protectorate brought it's incredible military might to bear on the Alliance, Phobos readied his Dark Jedi Legions and his secret forces in the Unknown Regions for the final war. The Last War. The Resistance scrabbled desperately for a foothold as the two interplannetary nations clashed, and Cliona Maelstrom began to assemble a handful of true Jedi and potentials to combat Phobos, among them Allan Skywalker, descendant of the famed Skywalker line and heir to their powers.

Currently, the Protectorate Military is preparing to go to war against the Alliance of Free Systems. If you would like to be a BAD GUY, this would be a good place to start. You could be a Dark Jedi or a member of the military. If you would like to serve the forces of Phobos, create a character and post him/her/it on the Character Submission Board, then just start playing him/her/it. If you want to contact Becca - who sorta runs/GMs the Protectorate and Phobos - IM her as TheAutumnalTears on Yahoo!

The Resistance is based on Obroa-Skai and other worlds noted on the map below as neutral. If you wish to play as part of the Resistance you could be either a Jedi trainee or Jedi Knight working with the GOOD GUYS or a member of the Resistance Military - a soldier, a commando, an underground covert ops agent, a fighter pilot, or a slicer. Create a character, post it on the board, and start playing. If you wanna contact Rosalyn Blackmoon, just IM Rose_Blackmoon on Yahoo!

The Alliance of Free Systems is a nuetral government spanning many systems and sectors and is the last real power in the galaxy that isn't part of the Protectorate. If it falls, Phobos will have virtually Won. Ith'li Shaon, the last Sith Lord, is currently the head of the Alliance, but to be in the Alliance you don't need to be evil. Contact Mike at ithlishaon on Yahoo! if you are interested in playing for the alliance.

If you want a non-allied character, then just go ahead and post it and wait for approval, then start playing! Just be mindful of the plot.


This is a political map of the two empires, and the Neutral Space between them. I know it's small, but it's the best I can do without graphics software of my own.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/octobers_leaves/d4b41551.jpg

And here's a full size map for navigation purposes.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/octobers_leaves/galaxy.jpg

[ravendarkrebecca]

Plot Summary Update:: (Obroa-Skai Info, Resistance Info, etc.)

Here's some Updates to the Plot Summary In Case You're A Little Confused::

The Protectorate Attacked in A Massive Wave. It hit Obroa-Skai, of course, which is where Phobos himself was, but it also struck all up and down the border of the Protectorate. Here's a map:



KEY: The Green Blocks are large concentrations of Protectorate Forces. The Green Dotted Line is the extent of Protectorate Penetration So Far. Planets Circled in Black Are Conquered.

Remember there are Large Scale Maps Here:

img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/octobers_leaves/galaxy.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/octobers_leaves/d4b41551.jpg

All the attacked planets have fallen except for Obroa-Skai. Alliance Forces (AFS) are in disarray and falling back. Resistance Forces were hammered at Obroa-Skai and have fallen back to Wayland, a primitive world inside Alliance Territory. Formerly Neutral Worlds - some of which are conquered now - are flocking to the Resistance in Droves, and Resistance enlistment is climing skyhigh. The Resistance Fleet is regrouping at Wayland.

On Obroa-Skai, things are still a mess. There were a significant number of Resistance Forces dug in on the surface of Obroa-Skai - Jedi Students and Trainees, Guerrillas, Support Staff, Rusted out shells of Destroyer Droids purchased by the Blackmoon Estate - and they've been fighting for every inch of the Obroan soil. But the Protectorate Forces that are streaming into the planet out number the Resistance Forces by a margin of more than 20-1. The only reason that the stranded Resistance forces are still fighting there is that it has no where to go. Calls for help have gone out to all nearby sympathetic ears, asking for retrieval, rescue, whatever.

[Rich]

This is the games past, upto the Battle of Obora Skai- I'm working on a more updated verision of the Current Game Summary... look for it soon!

[Rich]

[Rich]

The Protectorate Navy boasts hundreds, if not thousands of Aleph-Class "Super" Dreadnaughts. Each Sector Fleet and Attack Fleet has a core detachment of 15 of these massive ships, and there may be even more hiding in the Aleph Sector of the Unknown Region. Despite heavy construction costs - the cost to produce a single Dreadnaught could feed the entire populace of a backwater world for a week - the Dreadnaughts represent the strength of the Protectorate Navy. They emphasize brutal, efficent strength-superiority tactics, with a tendency to show up at a target enmasse and lay down a field of firepower so thick that it could decimate entire fleets of the enemy. These were the ships that destroyed the Hutt Armada at Naboo.

The Corellian Attack Cruiser is a highly efficent Offensive weapon that serves as a escort and mobile tank for fleet operations. During a pitched battle, three Attack Cruisers may be able to approach and shower a target with a degree of manueverable firepower that a Dreadnaught - caught behind its sister ships and unable to manuever as readily as the Cruisers - cannot supply. Each Dreadnaught has an accompanying escort of 2 to 3 Attack Cruisers. That means that in a fleet like the one the Protectorate has at Gala, the Protectorate could field as many as 30 to 45 Attack Cruisers - a frightening number. Attack Cruisers also serve as independant anti-star fighter platforms, with turbolaser fire-fields so thick that they discourage any but the hardiest of pilots from venturing too near to their guns.

Imagine having a shield, a big, thick, durable, mobile shield. In combat, such a shield would be beyond valuable. The Sentinel Class Cruiser is just such a ship. Designed to interpose itself between a weakened Protectorate vessel and incoming fire, the ship may be slow and awkward as a Gamorrean on too much fire-whiskey, but it'll soak up a ton of damage before it goes down in flames. A single Dreadnaught is likely to have as many as five of these mobile blast shields. Due to their effectiveness, no single broadside is ever likely to destroy a Protectorate Dreadnaught - not until these escorts have been cleared away. There could be as many as 75 of these ships in a Fleet such as the one stationed at Gala.



Three years ago, when the combined resources of Chandrila, Naboo, Kuat, and other influential worlds were pooled together to create the Merchant Defense Fleet as a counterweight to balance against Hutt Cartel Aggression, the Kuat Drive Yards rolled out an impressively designed Capital Ship that quickly became the centerpeice of the MDF Fleet - the Super Carrier.

Built around the lessons taught to the Imperial Navy and the Vong Invaders in the era of Skywalker and Antilles, the Super-carrier was designed to be a mobile platform of projectable power, a miniature attack force in and of itself. Aside from its considerable defensive firepower - easily a match for the firepower of a late-model Star Destroyer - the MDF (Resistance) Class of Super-Carriers was of greater size (1 and a half times the size of) than the Imperial Star Destroyer Class, built so for the purpose of expanding it's fighter complement. With the ability to house 22 Full Flight Squadrons, and An Additional Squadron and a Half of Support Vehicles, the Super Carrier is capable of dropping out of hyperspace - alone - and showering targets of far greater size and number with devastating amounts of fire power.

Although the vast majority of the Super Carriers were destroyed during the brief, bloody conflict between the MDF and the Hutt Cartels, the remaining Carriers were consigned to be slowly decomissioned over the next year, as Protectorate Dreadnaughts moved into their old patrols and replaced them.

When Maeve Riskyll sent out the call for freedom fighters and former MDF crewers to come to her aid in the rescue of Anzat, a number of former MDF service men and women who had fought with Maeve and remembered her courage and her leadership defected from their Protectorate crews. They seized several of the decomissioned Super Carriers, they even lead a handful of active Carriers into battle. In total, fourteen of the Super Carriers were placed under Resistance command in the battle for Anzat.

Since Anzat, however, the Resistance has sufferred grevious losses. In the battle for Obroa-Skai, in which Mekhetu ripped through the Resistance fleet and shreaded her enemies, seven of the fourteen carriers were destroyed, and two of the remaining seven were hulled so badly that it took nearly a month of constant, around-the-clock repairs to get the ships back into battle-ready shape. Now, the seven remaining MDF Super Carriers serving the Resistance resemble the last vessels of their class, the rare and elegant warships that were, for a brief time, the finest offensive attack platforms in the galaxy.



Although not yet - at the time of the battle of Gala - in production, the design of the Blackmoon Class of Mega Carriers was created to augment the forces of the Resistance. Cheaper and much less labor-intensive to build, the lighter Mega Carriers still retain an impressive complement of fifteen fighter squadrons and an additional squadron of support staff - EVA vehicles, refueling shuttles, and the like. A top-side docking platform designed to accomodate a number of freighers, the Carrier can easily dock with and support several attack freighters in addition to its fighter complement. With slightly heavier long range armaments, designed to allow the Carriers to engage enemy starbases and capital ships regardless of their fighter escorts, the reduced shielding and defensive weapons make the trade off a risky one. Stripped of her fighters, the Carrier would be prey to any co-ordianted torpedo strikes launched by a few squadrons of fighters. But between her speed, her fighter complement, and her offensive weapons, the new Blackmoon-class Carriers balance the difficult scales of offensive and defensive capability, and will make a valuable addition to the Resistance when it enters production.



The Dodonna-Class of Destroyers was once a mainstay of the New Republic and Galactic Alliance Battlefleets. During the War Against the Vong, the Dodonna class was a heavy offensive weapon used to batter enemy positions and soften them up before the more valuable fleet flagships and carrier vessels - such as the Star Destroyers and Mon Cal Cruisers - entered the fray. Now, some fifty years later, the ship is mostly outdated by its newer counterparts, but still packs a significant punch. Many of these ships were pulled out of mothballs and pressed into Resistance Service - purchased from private contractors and local system defense forces by the Blackmoon fortune.



The Nebulan-D Support Frigates are another class of older vessels that have been bought up, commandeered, or recommissioned by the Resistance. Often cited by Resistance Command as a potential launch platform for hit and fade or covert operations, the small craft is in heavy service through out the galaxy as a merchant-defense platform. With its single squadron of fighters and heavy defenses, the Frigates supply invaluable mobility for a warfleet based around large Capital ships. When not pressed into covert action or used for forward staging operations, the Frigates serve as armed service and supply stations for the Resistance.



The Chandrilan Cruiser-Class is the battleship of the Resistance Warfleet. More heavily armed, both Offensively and Defensively, than either Carrier Class of the Resistance Navy, two Cruisers can actually go toe-to-toe with a Protectorate Dreadnaught in terms of firepower. Although its overall bulk and shielding is not quite on par with the Dreadnaught, the Cruiser's impressive armaments and increased mobility make it the front-line attack craft of the Resistance. When combined with the Super Carriers, a squadron of five Cruisers and a supporting Super Carrier with a full fighter complement could theoretically engage a full squadron of five Protectorate Dreadnaughts in an even fight. Only the severely limited numbers of these crafts - only seventeen in the Resistance fleet, with no more in production at this time - limits their ability to be more heavily deployed against the Protectorate.







No Star Fighter has Quite the same Legendary History as the X-wing Interceptor. Over the last ninety-years, the fighter has gone through many upgrades and evolutions, but its cheap production costs and well-balanced offensive and defensive abilities have made it the mainstay of the Resistance Warfleet.


The X-Star Heavy Bomber was obviously based on its lighter, more manueverable attack fighter cousin, the X-wing. With additional armor and weaponry making up for its reduced mobility, the X-Star - although limited - can provide invaluable support to a Wing of Fighter Craft, often finishing off weakened Cap Ships that Fighters can't do much more than scratch the paint off of.


The E-wing light interceptor has, in many respects, replaced the A-wing as a first-strike interceptor. As the X-wing's evolution has made the fighter a heavier, more powerful fighter, the E-wing's evolution has made it a more and more nimble fighter. Where as a squadron of talented X-wing Pilots can blast through nearly any force of resistance, a squadron of well-maintained E-wing fighters could be released amid a squadron of slower, lumbering heavy fighters or bombers to wreck sheer havoc. If the X-wing is the mauling teeth of the Resistance, and the X-Star is its heavy smiting arm, the E-wing is the dangerous set of claws that get first shot at the enemy.



The Vonskyr Heavy Attack Class is the most deadly fighter ever produced within Protectorate space. With voracious amounts of firepower and shielding, the fighter is nearly as well-armed as a light freighter thrice its size. And despite its slower speed, its median manueverability makes it the equal of the X-III Fighter.


The Saber Fast Attack Class is the first-strike Interceptor of the Resistance Fleet. Designed to get in fast and mix it up, it is only slightly less heavily armored than the E-wing, and boasts increased speed. It is the favored craft of the Protectorate Jedi.

[Rich]

What is Mekhetu?

Mekhetu is a sentient being created by The Mechanic, Sadhric Tlin, at the behest of the Dark Lord Phobos. Mekhetu is most often referred to as female by those who understand its nature, because that was the gender its first body resembled, but it is, in fact, sexless. The vast majority of Protectorate citizens and observers believe that Mekhetu is merely a cutting-edge security program and vast, hyperefficient database system.


Smartcules -- WTF are they?

Though Mekhetu is largely the result of clever and detailed programming, and can "spread" herself like a computer virus, she has a hardware--physical--element as well. Smartcules are her fundamental building blocks. They are basically complex molecules designed to interact with certain environments in certain ways. Their most important features are their abilities to track each other and exchange rudimentary information.

Those abilities allow these self-directed nanomachines to cooperate like the cells in a body, performing basic functions without the need for Mekhetu's conscious attention: i.e. she can set them to various tasks, and then concentrate on other things.

Their effectiveness depends largely on their numbers or saturation of a given environment. Smartcules can interlock physically in more and more complex combinations, increasing their ability to do specific work. When this happens, they go from being passive performers of function to active "machines" carrying out orders, and they can effect actual large-scale changes in their immediate environment.

Their "immediate environment" might be a machine--like a droid or a ship--or a living body. Smartcule clusters of moderate complexity or higher can exchange the atoms and molecules in their own makeup, when necessary, to "blend in" with environments. That means, essentially, that they can go from being inorganic to organic, and from what is basically cold tech to meet the definition of "biotech." They are highly adaptable, and can, in this way, replicate themselves.

* Simple cules are microscopic, as are most complex cules. Combinations of cules, however, may reach any size in theory. Large portions of Theed Palace have been replaced by inert cules that are basically stacked and compacted together to resemble stone or metal, and Mekhetu's "bodies" are just cules that have been gathered and arranged to look like and mimic the function of whatever she chooses.


How does Mekhetu infection work? -- Virus

Without the smartcule component, Mekhetu is spread like any other datavirus: by passing itself off as legitimate or welcome code when it first reaches a new system. The levels of sophistication used vary based on the intensity of Mekhetu's interest (most often there is almost none of this, as the infection is merely reflexive) but the result is the same: Once accepted at any level within a new system, Mekhetu will begin attempts to rewrite that system until the system "believes" that Mekhetu is a natural, integral part of its functioning. The rewritten code changes nothing externally--the system will most likely run exactly the same way--but with a hidden loop that gives Mekhetu space to view, interact with, or change information moving through the system.

In this way, Mekhetu can "take over" a ship, a station, a datapad, or anything else she can communicate with that has code she can understand. Because she is intelligent and learns quickly, countermeasures that are mere programs will be attacked in a vast variety of ways. Her repertoire of attacks is based on her intimate knowledge and "ownership" of literally trillions of systems and their methods of keeping invaders like her out.


How does Mekhetu infection work? -- Smartcules

Simple smartcules can be free-floating in the air, in liquids, on physical surfaces, in machine parts, or in bodily fluids and tissues. Highly complex cules may have the ability to move on their own. They are most often spread the way virulent diseases are spread, by being breathed in, by entering through breaks in the skin, by sexual contact, etc, though in extreme cases those mobile cules may make breaks in the skin, etc.

As with her software infection, Mekhetu's knowledge of physiology helps her to streamline and tailor fit her activities in a given body. Most often, the infection is harmless, and the cules, after making their way to the brain, go inert.

However, Mekhetu can cause change or damage in a body, with effort and the concerted work of many cules. Here, again, level of saturation is key.


How do you fight that?

Avoidance is the absolute best tactic, hands down. Anything else potentially pits you against a stubborn, Protectorate-sized database with tech that cuts the cutting edge.

Failing avoidance... creativity, know-how, and luck are your only hope. For now, the "know-how" is in the hands of very, very few people.

Try stuff.


What is Citizen Registration?

Born after the Hutt Wars, when the corruption in the galaxy went deep, the idea of Citizen Registration involved forming a database of the population that allowed them to be tracked. It was simple: with upstanding citizens listed and tracked by the system, resources could be shifted to finding and watching anyone NOT listed, thus cutting down the titanic effort of law enforcement. The thought of trying to gut decades' worth of criminal social burrowing made this concept seem like the only real way to make progress.

Registration would be overseen by the Mekhetu system, which would, in theory, monitor citizens' movements as they moved through checkpoints in various locations.


Yeah, that's the hype. What's the reality?

When a citizen Registers, they are secretly infected with Mekhetu smartcules, which then move to the brain, and go inert. Through their presence, Mekhetu can track much more efficiently than by simply waiting for a citizen to be identified at a checkpoint. If necessary, Mekhetu can effect changes in a Registered citizen's body or brain, if enough cules are present.


What happens when you Register?

A citizen shows up, and allows themselves to be image scanned, voice scanned, retina scanned, etc. Samples of anything with a unique signature are taken: hair, nails, scales, blood, skin, etc. Basically, anything that contains data that can be put to use is sampled.

The citizen is assigned a number in the system.


What happens if you don't Register?

Now that Citizen Registration is mandatory within the Protectorate, a citizen can be forced to register. Since it is a new system, most law enforcement agencies allow a grace period of thirty days from the time that a citizen is told of the law. That lenient take on things is not universal by any means, as these issues are left to local governments.

There is a zero-tolerance policy in most strategic locations, or high population centers.

Failure to Register after any grace period expires can lead to fines and imprisonment--and, of course, forced Registration.


How is Registration enforced?

All public ports and government facilities screen for Registrants upon entrance. Verification of Registration can be performed with an unnoticeable, automated scan, usually in the form of scanners that are built in to entryways or onto concourses.

Admittance to non-Registrants is forbidden, and officers or droids will be on-scene quickly.

Moreover, random checkpoints with similar scanners are being constructed in major centers. These may be very hard to spot, as they will be unmarked.


#%#$@!?

Yes.

[Rich]

(Originally posted on the OOC board by Becca & Mike, respectively.)

The Protectorate has a unique... theocratic government that looks and functions somewhat like a parliamentary government.

Basically, Phobos runs the Protectorate. His status as the "hero-king" figure Moonrider has given him carte blanche to recreate government as he sees fit. He's the post-Revolutionary War George Washington of the Protectorate, and there are many statesmen and Jedi and citizens who were, after the Hutt War, happy to make him the 'King.' Moonrider/Phobos is the "High Protector," or the chief of the Jedi Order. This gives him theocratic control over the government, which is run by a two-house parliament: The Jedi Forum and the Citizen Forum. The Jedi Forum is the upper house of government, and Jedi Knights and Masters of sufficent rank or station are chosen by Phobos to approve or deny laws passed by the house of Citizens, which passes laws and sends them to the Jedi Forum for approval.

If the Jedi Forum denies passage of a law passed by the Citizen Forum, the Citizens have the right to send the proposal directly to a full session of Both Forums with Phobos, who will have the tie-breaking vote, if nessecary. Then both groups of representatives will vote. If a law passed with a smashing majority in the Citizen Forum and failed with a tiny majority in the Jedi Forum, the total number of votes might still pass the Full Session.

Representatives to the Jedi Forum are addressed as "Master Jedi," (Although they do not nessecarily have to be Jedi Masters), or "Councillor." Representatives to the Citizen Forum are addressed as "Senator" or "Citizen".

Jedi members of the Forum are not given a salary 'per se', but they do recieve lavish apartments on Naboo and have an unlimited personal spending account for their service to the Protectorate.

Senator members of the Citizen Forum are paid a wealthy man's salary for their term of service. Typically, terms of service are for 4 years, but Moonrider/Phobos as High Protector can dismiss the members of the Forum at any time, causing new elections to occur immediately. A Senator can only return to power if he wins the new election.

The High Protector, as head of both the military fleet and the Jedi Order, has the ability to override any laws or legal boundaries in the interest of the Security of the Protectorate. He also has the power to dismiss individual members of the Jedi Forum and appoint replacements, or dismiss the entire Citizen Forum as a whole, causing new elections to trigger immediately.

There are only 11 Jedi in the Jedi Forum at any time - this body has become the new "Jedi Council" in a way. Their job is to meditate on the proposals and motions sent to them by the Citizen Forum and try to determine the best course of action to follow regarding the proposal and vote accordingly to pass, veto, or amend. If the proposal is amended, it is sent back to the Citizen Forum for approval.

The Citizen Forum consists of one member from each world or system with hyperspace-age level societies that lies within Protectorate borders. If a system contains multiple worlds that are subservient colonies of another world, they as a group may elect ONE Senator. If a system contains multiple worlds with multiple independant governments, they may elect one senator per unique government. The Naboo System, even though it has 3 moons, only gets one Senator, where as each civilized world in the Corellian System gets its own Senator.

When the Full Session of Both Forums Meet and Vote on an Issue, the Number of Citizen Senators is divided by the number of Jedi Councilors so that each Councillor's vote is worth a proportional amount of votes overall- IE: If there were 11,000 Citizen Senators (there's much more, but that's a good figure to use), and 10 Jedi Senators, the Jedi Senators each have one vote worth 1000 votes.

If a Motion Passes the Citizen Senate of 11,000 Senators with 8000 Senators voting FOR, and 3,000 against, and then is Vetoed by the Jedi Forum with 6 Jedi Against, 5 Jedi FOR, and a Full Session is called, and everyone votes the same as they did in seperate sessions, then the 5 Jedi Votes for the motion would be multiplied by a factor of 1000, and the motion would PASS with a total vote FOR the motion of 13,000 FOR, and 9000 against.

Obviously the theocratic Jedi have much more power than the Citizens Do.


If you want to know how the AFS Works...

It all goes by Councils. There's the Grand Council, which contains a handful of people (all controlled pretty well by Ith'li) that govern a specific area of the government. Ith'li is the High Councilor and oversees all of the meetings and acts as a facilitator, at least in the eye of the public.

Each section has its own council, named for it. The Council of War reports things to Councilor Wrolkwrorr, the wookiee on the Grand Council and the General of the Militant Forces. Others have to do with commerce, factions with other nations, the people of the AFS and the laws there, intelligence, etc. Some councils aren't represented in the Grand Council by a Councilor, but their findings are discussed there.

Basically, it's like a spider's web. In the center, where all strands are practically connected, is the Grand Council which makes all final decisions for the AFS. As it spans out, not all strands touch the center, but they are all linked in one way or another. The great power of this nation comes from being an Oligarchy, but that's also it's downfall.

The power is this: If you're an ambassador for Councilor Felanada and you don't do a good job, or you represent how you believe and not under his instruction, he fires you. If someone else sees what you do and you're not in the sight of one of the Councilors, they fire you and report to the Councilor and probably get promoted. It's all dirty, but the point is, it's efficient. It takes little time because councils are small and focused. If war is something that is being discussed, commerce doesn't have to worry about it, because their wing is simply focused on commerce. When it gets to the Grand Council, that's where it's discussed.

This can be a problem in two ways: The Grand Council has too much power (which is the freakin' point!), and since the different sections of the government don't interact until higher (or most of the time, the highest) level, they can get a little out of order. What Ith'li tries his hardest to do is give his Councilors direct orders and tries to facilitate the government practically by himself with some helpers to carry out what he says and to give advice and good insight. This way, instead of the Grand Council (GC) responding to the branches, most of the time, the branches are responding to the GC.

Here are the *main* branches and their Councilors.

Grand Council:
High Councilor: Ith'li
Laws / National Development: Gentaahl (This makes laws that have to do with the planets and how they interact. Some people might say that if Ith'li was the High Councilor, Gentaahl would be the "Vice-High Councilor" because this department is the one that breaks the rules - it has to do with many other departments.)
Commerce: I can't remember his name right now...damn. He's a neimodian. (This has to do with inner and inter-national trade).
War: Wrolkwrorr (This is all about defenses, police forces, etc).
Intelligence: Delan (this is like the FBI. Heh).
Foreign Affairs: Fellanada (This department is all about ambassadors and treaties and such. It's basically the foriegn and less-active version of Gentaahl's job. Also less complicated than his).
Sentient and Environmental Relations: (This is a forming branch that deals with preserving planets and the rights of the people, as well as their health and medical things. The councilor has not yet been named, but it's rumored that Ith'li has someone in mind).

[Rich]

Notes about Jedi/Dark Jedi Characters in the Game's Past:

At the moment, the Jedi Order is all.... Messed up. Remember that The Dark Lord, Phobos, was originally the Jedi Master Ashton Moonrider. Every member of the OFFICIAL Jedi Order, based on Naboo, the backbone of the JEDI PROTECTORATE, is in actuality a DARK JEDI, a fallen Jedi that followed Phobos down the path to the Dark Side.

If you want to be a GOOD GUY Jedi, then things are much different. There are only a VERY SMALL handful of "REAL" Jedi around right now, and only one of them is an active character: Cliona Maelstrom, the Stormwitch of Dathomir. The rest of the current "Real" Jedi have taken refuge with Ith'li, Sith Lord of Bastion.

Joining the Jedi right now is a... unique proposition. There are no masters - Cliona is just recently become a Jedi Knight herself, and Murra (the only Master-level Jedi) is Inactive at the moment. There are a handful of half-trained or partially trained Jedilings running around the galaxy who may have studied under other, retired Jedi at some point, or learned something from a partially completed record or personal insight - there may even be some fully trained loner Jedi who have been taught by the spirits of DEAD Jedi, like Cliona did. But there's no Academy right now. There's no Masters.

There's just a single young woman. That's the entire "REAL" Jedi Order, right now. Cliona is working to try and restore the Jedi Order, to bring it into the present, bring it up to date with the current state of affairs in the galaxy. The Old Order was a collective of holier-than-thou MONKS who studied and meditated endlessly in their temple until they had grown so disconnected from their emotions and the world around them that they weren't able to cope with the powerful forces that destroyed them - weren't able to help the one Jedi amongst them who was still ruled by his Emotions come to terms with them before a Sith Lord turned those emotions against the entire Order, and destroyed it.

But when Luke Skywalker brought the Jedi Back, the order of holy monks was ... sorta replaced by a generation of Paladins, and now Cliona is resurrecting that concept. The Jedi she is training are members of society, who don't lock themselves in a high cold tower away from the world. They are healers on the front lines of tragedy, guardians of the people. More like the Hospitaler Knights (protectors of the Pilgrims and the Poor) of the Star Wars Universe, rather than Jesuit Priests or Knight Templars (An elite, para-militaristic religious order that was feared and obeyed.)

In the Old Order, Jedi Training was less a study of how to USE The Force, and more a dogma of self-control and self-supression. Initiates were brainwashed from birth to feel no emotion, to form no attachments, to seperate themselves from all aspects of life in order to be the most impartial servants of the Force possible. But that very dissassociation KILLED The Jedi of the Old Order.

Cliona's new Jedi are PART of the world around them. As Servants of the Living Force, they MASTER their emotions and their passions, rather than ignore them. They get dirty with the civilians of the galaxy.

I get tons of IMs about whether new Jedi have to start as Padawans or as kids.... and the answer is no. There's a war going on, for one thing. A very dark, very dangerous war that threatens to consume everyone. Cliona is scrambling to find and teach Jedi who can help her oppose the Dark Jedi that Phobos has at his command, and she doesn't have the luxury of taking YEARS to do so. The entire training of Luke Skywalker that gave him the 'nessecary' Jedi Skills with which to defeat Vader took about a month at maximum, and probably closer to two weeks. Luke spent a lot of time on his own, training and studying and expanding his abilities, but Cliona doesn't have time to TEACH her students that right now. She has to find people of high moral character and self-discipline, teach them what she is able, and then let them stand beside her as Jedi.

So no, you don't have to start as a Padawan. You'll probably start as an Apprentice, but you wont be one very long.

That's not too much to ask, eh?

[Rich]

Obviously, this is a dynamic list--meaning that as events unfold, it may become clear that past posts signal the start of big unforeseen things, and should be added. Also, it's pretty much guaranteed that, with 1,200+ posts on the IC board, I missed some stuff. Let me know.

As for what I chose... I was trying to keep the list as short as possible, so more general posts were for the most part chosen over specific ones, even if they dealt with the same events. Arg; it's still a monster list of nearly fifty links, and only current through about mid-June. That's a lot of reading. I'll update it if people are finding it useful.


Mouseover the links for vague descriptions of what the posts contain.

www.geocities.com/sadhric/icboard.html

[Rich]

Note that the game did not start for many years after ROTJ, but here's a run down of important events since Jedi.


Return of the Jedi Time:
Birth of Ashton Moonrider on Chandrila

12 years after Return of the Jedi:
Ashton Moonrider apprenticed to the Jedi Order.

25 years after Return of the Jedi:
New Jedi Order Begins.
Ashton Moonrider leads underground resistance forces against the Vong in the Outer Rim.

27 years after Return of the Jedi:
~New Jedi Order Series Ends. Vong War Is Over. New Jedi Order Relocates to Ossus. Ashton Moonrider declares himself a Jedi Master and remains in the Outer Rim. Young Jedi Knights who do not want to follow Skywalker's lead in returning to a Jedi Order built on meditation and study and training follow him.

35 years after the Return of the Jedi:
~Luke Skywalker, his wife, Han and Leia Solo and their son Jacen dissapear with the planet Zonama Sekot on a continuation of the Outbound Flight Mission. Kyp Durron assumes tentative leadership of the Jedi Order.

38ish years after Return of the Jedi
~ Ashton Moonrider establishes a Jedi-ruled government in the Outer Rim. The Jedi Order attempts to intervene. Jedi Civil War breaks out, and Ashton Moonrider kills Kyp Durron before retreating into the Unknown Regions with the remainder of his forces.

40 years after Return of the Jedi
Ith'li Shaon is born.

45ish years after Return of the Jedi
~A Dark Jedi named Phobos begins to make his presence known in the regions the surround the Unknown Regions. Jedi Knights who venture too close to the systems that carry the legend of Phobos vanish without a trace.

50ish years after Return of the Jedi
~The Galactic Alliance collapses under the corruptive influence of the Hutts. The Jedi Order is attacked at Ossus by the Hutts and scatters.

50-65 years after the Return of the Jedi.
~Phobos is everywhere. Jedi vanish without a trace. Order collapses.
50 years after ROTJ - Cianta Desun is born on Hapes.
55 years after ROTJ - Sheridan Karrde born.
58 years after ROTJ - Rosalyn Blackmoon is born on Naboo. 'Ele' is incorporated into the Cold Maiden's Melody. Ski Adrelix is born.
59 years after ROTJ - Cliona Maelstrom is born to Tiona Maelstrom on Dathomir, daughter of Ashton Moonrider, the Jedi Master.
60 years after ROTJ - Maeve Riskyll is born on Corellia. Batuus the Hutt rises to power.
61 years after ROTJ - Nylan Antilles born to Syal Antilles and Honsou Kaldamer.
65 years after ROTJ - Dracmus Esseles is born on Rhinnal. Rosalyn Blackmoon's parents are killed by Phobos. Sheridan Karrde's grandfather dies.

65-75 years after ROTJ
~66 years after ROTJ - Lonan Krech is born.
~Phobos vanishes into the mists of the Unknown Regions. A young man named Ashmael Meloch becomes a representative of the government of Chandrila and fights for order among the remaining civilized systems. Political Resistance to the Hutts begins, but flatlines.
~Honsou Kaldamer killed by pirates. Syal Antilles dies of Candorian Plague. Nylan Antilles moves to Corellia to live with his grandfather.

78 years after ROTJ
Rosalyn Blackmoon enters the Galactic Academy on Obroa-Skai.
Ashmael Meloch becomes Ambassador to Naboo.
Rosalyn Blackmoon is kidnapped while on Spring Break and sold into slavery.

79 years after ROTJ
Rosalyn Blackmoon and Silas Grey escape from the Hutts and form the crew of the Cold Maiden's Melody along with Ele.

82 years after ROTJ
Sheridan Karrde's father dies.

THE GAME BEGINS


83 years after ROTJ
~Ashmael Meloch brings together several of the most influential systems in the galaxy to form the Merchant Defense Force. A war with the Hutts begins almost immediately after Jida the Hutt has Batuus assassinated and consolidates underworld power beneath his rule.
~Cliona Maelstrom begins her Jedi training.
~Phobos defeats Lumiya and steals her Eclipse-II SSD.
~Ashton Moonrider makes a deal with Sadhric Tlin, in which Sadhric will create an intelligent Jedi-hunter.

84 years after ROTJ
~Ashton Moonrider convinces the scattered remnants of the Jedi to join together in a new Jedi Order. Arriving in the nick of time, Ashton Moonrider defeats Jida's armada over Naboo and inaugurates a new Jedi Protectorate - with himself conviently at the head.
~Mekhetu is born of Sadhric's project.
~Cliona defeats the Dark Spider Queen on Coruscant and completes her Jedi training under the tutelage of the spirit of a Jedi Knight named Daeshacor.
~Ashton Moonrider falls completely under the sway of the Dark Side, and becomes The Dark Lord Phobos.

85 years after ROTJ
~Ele and Sadhric uncover evidence of Phobos/Moonrider's treachery, and the reunited crew of the Cold Maiden's Melody - plus Sadhric, Fennsk, Cliona, and Maeve - go to the Unknown Regions to discover the truth of what is happening.
~The Mekhetu blankets the Protectorate with her conciousness. Mandatory Registration is debated in the Assembly.
~The Jedi Master Murra Tekal and her closest associates are framed in what appears to be an assassination attempt. They escape to the Alliance of Free Systems. Protectorate News Sources seize upon this defection and begin to villanize Ith'li. Phobos reveals that he knows Ith'li is a Sith Lord, and a secret campaign to deligitimize the AFS leader begins. Publically, Ashton Moonrider advises caution and restraint while privately, Phobos plots for war
~The Crew of the Meldoy discover Phobos's secret fleets in the Unknown Region, and his plan to use Mekhetu to take over the galaxy and become the ultimate Force User. Maeve Riskyll returns to the Protectorate and gathers together the Resistance, which fights at Anzat to save the people against Phobos' murderous forces.
~Phobos seizes upon the assault at Anzat and uses the unknown attackers to blame the AFS for the attack. Ith'li's head is demanded by the Assembly, and the Protectorate practically begs for Phobos to lead them to war.
~As war begins to build between the two empires, Cliona and Rose and Ele join the Resistance. Cliona discovers and takes as her apprentice a young man named Allan Skywalker. D.N. Jevelain and Rosalyn Blackmoon become the titular heads of the Resistance, while Commander Maeve leads the reformed Rogue Squadron.
~Dracmus Esseles flees Rhinnal to seek Jedi training on Dathomir.
~Rhinnal joins the Protectorate under Vanguard I.
~Wedge Antilles dies on Corellia, leaving Nylan Antilles an orphan.
~Ski Adrelix is executed as a terrorist on Naboo.

[Rich]

Hi, this is Rebecca, and I'm one of the Game Masters here at the Expansion of the Force. Here's a brief list of common questions you may have about our game.


Q. When does this game take place?


A. The game is set nearly 90 years after The Battle of Yavin. Or 86 years after Return of the Jedi.


Q. Ninety Years?! Is that before or after the prequels!? Can I be a Sith LORD Dood? Or a totally LEET Godlike Jedi Master who KILLS Palpatine and saves the Galaxy by Marrying Padme and Owning Anak---

A. These are not the games you are looking for.

Please go away now.

Really. Please.


Q. Isn't that kinda far in the future for a game? Where's the Death Stars, the Star Destroyers, the Sith?


A. You're right, we're not set in the Classic Trilogy (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) OR in the Prequel Trilogy (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith). We're 80 or so years after Return of the Jedi. There are a handful of Star Destroyers left, but there've been no Death Stars in 70 years, the Sith are coming to an end, and there is no Republic, Empire, or Rebellion.

But that doesn't mean you can't still have fun playing as a member of the evil Protectorate, or as a fighter pilot for the valiant Resistance Forces, or as a new Jedi trainee trying to reestablish the order. If you're DETERMINED to play as Anakin Skywalker or Padme Naberrie... this is probably not the game for you. But if you're interested in creating your OWN, Unique character and playing them in a Star Wars Era where YOU can be a part of the writing team and help DEVELOP the heros and villains of this Era... then this is the place for you.


Q. I used to play in the original EotF. Can I play my old character in this story?


A. Sure, with a modified history. The old EotF plotlines have no bearing on the current game setting whatsoever. The original EOTF was an alternate history ...200 years after ROTJ.


Q. Is there board RP here?


A. Yes and no. This is a chat-based game, and the slowness of board RP can hold up the story. The IC board may be used for short, self-contained scenes between players with no other means. That board is for posting transcripts, stories, and IC announcements or transmissions that effect the game.


Q. Are you affiliated in anyway with George Lucas, Lucasfilms, or LucasArts?


A. NO. Not in the SLIGHTEST. We are but lowly fans playing in the galaxy far, far away that Lucas created.


Q. What's going on in this game? What's the storyline or the background?


A. Look To the Current Game Plot thread for a rundown on the plot of the game.

Look at the TimeLime thread for a short timeline of SW Events from the end of the Return of the Jedi onward.


Q. Where do I submit a character? What kind of character should I play?

A. Submit New Characters on the New Character Submissions Board.