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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate
Subject: I know thee well: a serviceable villain; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
Rest did not come to Mercury after the Jedi left. The blind man’s words kept circling around in his head, refusing to settle down and let him sleep. I don’t have to prove nothing he thought to himself angrily, but deep down he knew that he wanted to do something, accomplish something great before he saw his father again. He did want to see his dad again, there was no doubt there, and his brothers and certainly his sister. He smiled at the thought of her and wondered how the “vile villain” was doing.
Mercury was quiet at the dinner table, digging into the food with a gusto and appetite that only a teenage boy can bring to a meal. In his enthusiasm to eat, Mercury was oblivious to any goings-on at the table to realize that he wasn’t the only one avoid looking at the Jedi.
In the morning Mercury rolled out of bed and followed along with the group in a half-groggy state. Mornings were not a friend of Mercury, having gotten use to working swing shifts on the Kura. He was waking up enough to be his usual self when the speeder arrived at Dalroth.
The young pilot took in the landscape, noting the building and the vehicles that passed by. “Dalroth eh? It reminds me of Mos Turin, only more so.” He commented to no one in particular.
“I have an appointment I must keep in a couple of hours,” Caise said, “My mission, for the time, at least, is here…” His head turned is Mercury’s direction; “I know that you and I discussed what you might do next, Mercury, and my offer still stands; you are still welcome to accompany me if you choose…” his gaze pans over Dime, Ziv, Damanil, and Lana, as well, “…as are you all, should you so choose. I cannot pretend to know what each of your plans are…”
“Well, I don’t have anything else to do,” Ziv looked at Luna and the others, “want to hang with the Jedi for awhile? Might be interesting!” He grinned.
“Well I’m in. Not much else I can do here except hope to be hired on to a mercantile shop or become a farm hand.” Mercury said with a distain that suggested both were fates worse than death. He looked around for a moment thean asked bluntly, "So, what is your mission? Just so I know if we are hiring a ship or stealing one.”
Posted on 2007-08-20 at 00:00:29.
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Topic: The Tides of Fate Q&A
Subject: Background
I re-wrote My Background for Mercury:
Jarl Saran was a Speederbike Racer as a teen. He was actually quite good at it too. He won the Junior Nationals twice and placed in the top three within the Corellian Championships before he was 19. At the age of 20, he made it to first place in the Championship and was looking forward to heading off-world to compete on the planetary levels.
But Jarl's father became quite ill just before the games and Jarl was put into a difficult situation. His family needed a breadwinner to keep going. The prize money for the championship would do that, but it wasn't guaranteed. A friend of the family was offering a well placed position working in the ship building yards which was a guaranteed income, with benefits. Jarl felt a strong sense of responsibility so he took the job, thinking he'd go back to racing in a year. Unfortunately his father died within a month and he was left to support his family.
That was thirty years ago, and Jarl went on to marry and have three sons (Starn 23, Nato 20 and Mercury 1 and a daughter ( Biel 10). He makes a good income in a managerial role now at the ship yards and has Starn working there as well. Nato chose a different path, taking an administrative role within the Corellian Government (a junior clerk in the Ministry of Communications). Jarl had high hopes that with Mercury coming of age, he'd take on a job within the shipyards as well.
Mercury loves his family very much. He is especially close to his sister whom he played with as a child. They'd have play duels throughout the household, Mercury being the valorous Jedi and Biel being the evil villain. To this day they affectionately call each other "Jedi Scum" and "Vile Villain".
But Mercury was different than his brothers in that he had a wild rebellious streak in him and a need for independence. His mind was sharp as he picked up new skills and technology well. He enjoyed sports and events that tested the reflexes as well as skills. But when it came to work, he really wasn't into the whole honest day work for an honest day's pay. He liked to hang out with his friends and … well hang out.
In fact, it was one day that Mercury was attempting to avoid doing his chores that he made a discovery. In the very back of an old storage shed far from the homestead, he found a speederbike - an old racing speederbike that was covered in a tarp. It must have been there for ages.
His father never spoke to his boys about his racing days, so Mercury didn't realize the significance of the find. With the self-centeredness of youth (I found it – it's mine) he began to work on the bike until it was operational and then he started riding it. The thrill of the speed and riding took hold of Mercury from the first moments that he rode the speederbike.
He kept it a secret from his family for awhile, mostly because he wanted to avoid chores and work so he could ride and hang out with his friends. Besides – the speederbike was something fun and his dad would never go for anything fun.
Jarl reached an end to his patience with his youngest son when he skipped out on helping Nato move out of the home to his own place in the capital. That shirking of responsibility was more than the man could bear so he went looking for his wayward son. After some questioning and some checking, Jarl discovered that these friends of Mercury were into racing each other at an abandoning parts storage facility on the edge of town. Once Jarl heard about Mercury having a bike – he started to realize what must have happened. His son had fallen in with the wrong crowd and need his help. Jarl headed directly to the Parts Facility.
Meanwhile, Mercury was started to realize that he was in a bad situation. His friends had started out nice enough and he enjoyed being with them. They raced speederbikes, hung out and worked on the machines. Then they started stealing parts to enhance their machines, which didn't sit well with Mercury. Then they started challenging other kids to race against their enhanced bikes for ownership – so they could strip the speeders' parts and sell them. It was then he realized that he needed to get out and go home.
Had he been able to do so, he'd probably have met his father at the gates and the whole incident would have gone over smoothly. But the authorities had been watching the parts theft ring for a long time and chose that night to make the arrest. They came into the depot on mass and arrested all the kids just as Jarl was arriving. He tried to speak to people in charge but they wouldn't listen, telling Jarl to go to the station to make arrangements. Mercury saw his father talking to the authorities and assumed that his father had turned in him and his friends.
It took awhile to sort out but Mercury was released to his father with a mark on his record. The authorities had been more interested in the people in charge of the racket and Jarl had some pull with the community. Mercury came home and became more sullen and withdrawn. Jarl sold the bike and swore that Mercury would never ride one again. Mercury had big fights with his father, each accusing the other of many things and eventually he moved out of his father's home and moved in with his brother Starn. Biel took the move poorly, crying a lot and generally upset that her favourite brother was now gone.
Starn took his baby brother in, but insisted that he had to work in order to earn his keep. He got Mercury a job at the shipyard so he'd be able to keep an eye on him. Mercury worked as a loader in the junkyards and got to meet a number of people at the yards, including pilots. He found himself interested in their stories. He found an old flight simulator in the junkyard and rebuilt it to teach himself piloting skills.
One day, Mercury was asked to deliver some parts to a shipping yard. He was told to give them to a Captain Thom Dulo of the Kul Kura. He wandered around looking at all the ships until he found the Corellian CR90 Corvette. Mercury saw the hatch door was open, so he entered. A ship's hand told him to put the parts in the hold and wandered off. Mercury did so, but when he did, he accidentally knocked the bar that was bracing the door open. Only when the door was closed did he realize why it was braced open – the handle on the other side was broken and the door was locked from without.
It was two days after the ship launched that a crew member found him there. By then, the ship had already jumped to hyperspeed and was long away from Corellia. At first, he was considered a stowaway but the Captain believed his story. He offered Mercury a position on the ship for awhile, a chance to see the universe so to speak. He would let Mercury send his family a message and then he'd drop Mercury off back on Corellia when he was next heading there. He was open and honest that it would be a year at least.
Captain Thom became a friend to Mercury and a mentor. The young man enjoyed life in space, and learning new skills. A year passed and the chance of going to Corellia was put off for two years. Mercury kept in contact with his family, sending regular messages to his brothers and sisters. He did send messages to his father, but his father never replied. Feeling that his father has abandoned him, Mercury has decided he is no hurry to get home again.
In actuality, Jarl feels he failed Mercury as a father and wishes his son would come home. He can't find a way to say what he wants to say in a holo-message or a transmission, so he keeps on hoping he will have a chance to see his son again.
Posted on 2007-08-07 at 15:01:17.
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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate
Subject: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.
In the Speeder:
The blind Jedi climbed in and took a seat next to Mercury. “I meant no disrespect in addressing you as pilot,” he said after settling into the seat, attempting an apology. “Had I known your name, Mercury Saran, I would certainly have addressed you properly… and will do so from here on...”
“What?” Mercury responded, once his mind had turned to speeders, the slight was long forgotten. ”Oh! Yeah! Don’t worry about it. It just bugs me, that’s all.” The young man looked closer at the Jesi, “Caise is it? Am I supposed to put a lord or sir in front of that? You’re not really blind are you?” Mercury said waving a hand in front of the man’s eyes. “I mean you are but you aren’t right? That thing you used on the ship, was that was a light sword wasn’t it?
The Plantation:
Mercury kept to the back and listened to the owner of the plantation offer them food, and a place to stay. Feeling suddenly quite tired, Mercury asked one of the servants if he could be shown to the quarters. He was lead to a room with a number of bunk beds – shared quarters for the hired hands no doubt. Everyone must be working as the place was empty.
Mercury sat down on bunk and sighed. Something dog into his side, so he pulled it out – the blaster he had taken from the dead guard. This isn’t my blaster.
The blaster before him was a DL-16. A modern, no doubt very efficient type of blaster. His blaster had been a Thanagian mark 4 – an antique by any standard but given to him but captain Thom when Mercury first joined a crew. The handle was cracked, so the power pack wouldn’t stay inside, but Mercury had fixed that using one sided fusion tape. He had wrapped it carefully so that in the end it looked like it was a special made handle. A captain’s sidearm, Thom had called it. Designed to shoot very loudly and with a bright muzzle flash, the Mark 4 was made showy to frighten those that might board a ship.
This was mine, but I want you to have it.” The Duro said handling the weapon to him, while looking at him with those big red eyes, “It needs some work but I’m sure a bright boy like you will fix it up right. It is important for a man to have a good blaster out here on the fringes. Always those around who want to take things from you. Never be afraid to use it Mercury, because it will save your life”
But it was gone now - gone along side the Captain, who had been Mercury’s best friend until now, and the ship he had called home for the last two years.
Why didn’t you tell me you were smuggling spice!
It was then that it hit him. Mercury got up and made a mad search through his pockets hoping beyond hope that it was there. But he knew it wasn’t. It was on the side of his bunk on the ship. The picture of him with his brothers and sisters back on Corellia, standing outside their home on Biel’s 10th birthday – no doubt destroyed.
Mercury never felt so alone in his life. Tears threatened to burst forth from his eyes, but he fought them back. He promised himself long ago he’d never cry again.
Posted on 2007-08-07 at 01:46:33.
Edited on 2007-08-07 at 19:59:05 by t_catt11
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Topic: The Tides of Fate Q&A
Subject: To be, or not to be: that is the question
How do communciations between planets work in Star Wars? I want to establish a pattern of communication between Mercury and the family he left behind, but I'm not sure how it works. I assume Mercury can't use the local phone to call his folks (Yo! Dad! I'm stranded on this planet with some strangers and they are doing spice! Can you pick me up?).
Posted on 2007-08-03 at 18:20:55.
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Topic: The Tides of Fate Q&A
Subject: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thank you Eol. I wasn't sure if pilot covered ground based equipment. I know other systems departmentalize skills to the nth degree.
You can simply call me Z if you'd prefer.
Posted on 2007-08-02 at 15:44:52.
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Topic: The Tides of Fate Q&A
Subject: Mercutio by any other name
I would like Mercury to remain a young kid - around 17-18. Dirty blond hair that is cut short,and no facial hair worth speaking of. He has brown eyes and has a small scar on his neck (from a flying piece of glass) that would look down right sexy on a rugged face, but on his baby face - it looks like he cut himself shaving.
Basic image - Young Leo DiCaprio in "The Quick and the Dead"
I am not sure if I even have skills in driving land based vehicles, but I picture him loving anything that moves fast.
Posted on 2007-08-02 at 00:15:24.
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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate
Subject: Oh! I am fortune's fool
“SoroSubbs,” Mercury identify the vehicles as the shapes of the approaching speeders became clearer, “probably R45’s… maybe 47’s?”
“I do not sense that they mean us any harm,” the Jedi said as he pulled the hood of his cloak away from his head. He turned his blind gaze on Mercury for a second, offering a faint smile; “Perhaps, as you said, pilot, these are simply farmers coming to offer their help.”
Mercury cocked his eyebrow questioningly at the Jedi. “It’s Mercury. Not pilot, or boy or kid or anything else. You‘d think that a Jedi would be able to remember a name. Say! Aren’t you supposed to be able to see the future?” Mercury cocks a thumb back at the shuttle. “Should have seen this one coming.”
The landspeeder pulled up and open up to reveal two humans and a Hammerhead. “Hello,” the human male chirped, a hint of both concern and friendliness in his voice as he climbed from the driver’s seat, “We saw the crash – is everyone okay?”
The jedi nodded in reply… “With many thanks owed to a skilled pilot, yes.”…
“Mercury! Mercury Saran.” the young man sighs emphatically as if the entire world was dense except him. He immediately goes towards the speeder. “Say … that’s a nice speeder.”
I’m Jaal Darand, from Darand Plantation,” the man offered before gesturing to the lady, “This is Jeena,” then to the Ithorian, “and Umalad.”
You’re offworlders, right,” Jaal asked, a frown tingeing his voice after looking the party over, “That means you don’t have any real way around… where are you headed?”
Mercury was lost in admiration for the speeder as the others talked. Sure it was old, but it ran and that’s what counted. Out on the Fringes, you made due with hat you had and sometimes (often in young Mercury’s mind) it ran better than the newer models.
Lana commented. "I thought they quit making those R45's before I was born?"
Jaal chuckles. "Yeah, they are pretty old, but we it's cheaper to keep 'em running than it is to buy new ones. Besides, almost everything they sell these days seats no more than four sentients, unless you wanna pay extra - and my old man hates to pay extra for anything." The last is added with a grin. "Anyway, I'm pleased to meet you all - sorry it's under such circumstances."
“This is a classic, Lana!” Mercury added happily. “Say, did you modify the repulsorlifts yourself?” He asks Jaal.
Posted on 2007-08-02 at 00:01:25.
Edited on 2007-08-02 at 00:11:16 by zombie_shakespeare
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Topic: The Tides of Fate Q&A
Subject: Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
I have made my first post to the game. A short one to start, more once I feel more comfortable in Mercury's boots.
Do we all know each other by name yet? I wasn't too sure from reading the previous posts.
Posted on 2007-07-31 at 16:09:36.
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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate
Subject: Oh what fools these mortals be.
“Surprise! We’re alive!”
Following that was the still irritated and impatient voice of the Kul Kura’s engineer. “Now what?” Lana demanded.
Mercury un-strapped himself from the pilot’s chair. “Well for Gfersh sake. Don’t everyone thank me at once.” He grumbled to himself. “I’ll have you know any landing you walk away from is a good landing.” He said to no one in particular.
Leaving the hatchway, Mercury was quick to survey the wreckage. "Whooo! Look at that! Lost the stabilizer and still landed right side up. Woohoo!" the young man capers about with arms in the air.
“Someone is coming.” the soldier proclaimed. Mercury turned and reached for his blaster, his joy over making a landing suddenly gone.
“Yeah it seems to be coming this way.. and fast too.” Ziv commented.
“Ummm ...What should we do?” Mercury asked, not sure if he should draw his blaster, go hide somewhere or wave his hands in the air to be spotted. “Could be farmers coming to help us out?”
Posted on 2007-07-31 at 16:04:13.
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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate Recruitment
Subject: We are merely players
I have long since stopped counting the numbers of crashes that have occurred between us. Let us say that it was long and ago and far away.
Posted on 2007-07-30 at 19:55:07.
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Topic: Star Wars: The Tides of Fate Recruitment
Subject: All the world is a stage
I have asked Olan for the role of Mercury within this three penny opera set in space. I was a member of the inn a long time ago and have returned (for Brains) - especially when I heard of an opening in a Star wars game (and brains).
I don't know the rules but I do like the movies.
Posted on 2007-07-30 at 19:51:04.
Edited on 2007-07-30 at 19:52:46 by zombie_shakespeare
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