The Calm of a Digital Dream

[Raimon Kiom]

My earliest memories are of being on a drifting ship, and of a protocol droid, KC8T, whom I always called Kaysee, or Kay. Though I'm not sure, I'm fairly certain Kay was my first word. I learned to read fairly early, as a droid nursemaid doesn't need to sleep, and by the time I was 4 I was reading the journals of my parents.

Kay told me they were gone, though I didn't grasp the concept that gone meant dead until later. I never knew their names, but I knew plenty about mine. Raimon was Old Basic for "adviser" and "protector". My last name, Kiom comes from "Ki" the old word for the Force, and "Om" which Mother tells me is an ancient chant once used by Force Users in meditation.

I believe that they were both Jedi, as I read their words on the screen. One from a fathers perspective and one from a mothers. I would read their philosophies and lessons of the Force and life in general over and over, sometimes understanding them and some needing years and much meditation to grasp.

I would read the journals endlessly, while Kaysee was away "working" he always explained.

Then when I was about 5 years old, our ship was boarded by Republic Security Officers. They claimed it was a routine search, something about a crime committed in the sector, and against Kaysee's requests to run, I ordered him to stop and let them in as we had nothing to hide.

When they entered a quick scan was all it took to turn a quiet day into chaos. Kaysee, as it turned out was an extremely complex assassin droid, and as they drew near, began a firefight with the officers, despite my cries for him to stop.

The officers defended themselves and managed to shoot Kaysee down. I was in turmoil, and as they stormed into the cockpit, I reached out my hands and felt the ripples of the Force. I knocked the squad out of the cockpit and spun weapons out of their hands as quickly as they were drawn. I was in tears at seeing the only family I had known destroyed, and as a young child, will do, I threw a temper tantrum.

Bulkheads were shaken and torn apart like they were wood, sending metal slivers tearing through the gaps in the officer's protective plating. Sparks rained from electrical conduits, dancing white hot slivers of metal into the air, swirling around me in a vortex. I remember screaming, tears blurring my vision. That was about the time the induction coils blew. Now it would have been a small feat for me to redirects the blast using the Force, but then . . .

A chunk of positively charged bulkhead hit me in the back of the head, ending my little temper tantrum, and mixing more than a little blood with my tears. A small boy, simply curled up on the deck and sobbed, though inside I think my head was spinning too much for me to do much else. At that moment, I truly felt that if the blow hadn't killed me, the security officers would.

I was saved, spared from not only the blaster fire, or the wounds from the explosion, but from my own emotions as well . . .

An officer, Lt. Khaidan Zell, recognized my abilities and called out for peace. I could do nothing but sob as the young woman drew near, her palms up and fingers spread. She had no weapon and ordered the rest of her officers to get a medical unit. She had a soothing voice, and held a crying child, ignoring the blood staining her uniform. She cooed and shushed me. To my memory they were the first human words I'd ever heard. They quieted the emotions within me, and I slept. I've always credited her to the reason I blacked out and not the wound, but I suppose one can never know for sure.

In the better part of a day I was before the Jedi Council, now less human than before. My injuries were healed, but I had a cybernetic implant to help supplement some of the damages. The AI helped route signal pathways in place of my damaged nervous system, and since one takes nothing with them from their old life when becoming a Jedi, it made for a great place to hide the data of my parent's journals.

Some of my ways were never agreed upon by my Master Shren Kado. My belief in the "Living Force" as my father had taught me put me in the minority but I was quick enough to follow orders and absorb my Master's teachings if not his philosophies.

I mastered quickly the single bladed lightsaber, and there ended my combative interests, having no use for the staff shaped double-bladed saber, nor the aggressive dual sabers.

Instead, I became a master of moving with the Force. To reach out and create a physical change with ripples of the Force was my true forte'. When my trials came I even went so far as to refuse to draw my lightsaber, depending on my acrobatics, telekinesis, and clouding the minds of my attackers to seek a less violent way of conflict resolution.

After earning the formal title of Jedi Knight, I began my true studies. Along with others entering the Jedi ranks, I studied the eternal burning question of "What is it to be Jedi?"

But again the words of my parents made me different. I found no record of a "Kiom" ever being a Jedi. Which only credited those who disagreed that Jedi would ever violate the Code and marry, much less have a child together. But I refused to let go of my belief.

Perhaps somewhere among the stars was more answers to my never-ending flow of questions.

My nerve damage long healed, I kept the implants, and found them to be more than useful in more than one occasion. My AI, Echo, can even detect things using my own senses that I sometimes miss. I've also found it useful having her brief me on the way to a diplomatic mission, or queue up reminders now and then.

One moment. Echo's picking up a data stream. Seems my ship is detouring for Tython. Yet another mystery to solve. For now Echo and will rest. I'll let my breathing slow, and embrace the cool, calm stillness of a digital dream.

[Kbrury]

Pretty interesting story Raimon, I hope to see more!

[Raimon Kiom]

(Ok gang, I've been on the fence, back and forth constantly since the game was released as to whether to play a Smuggler or a Jedi Consular, so I'm going to let you guys decide based on which character story sounds the most interesting. Just post your vote/thoughts here and we'll tally them up)


I'm somewhere in a Coruscant sub-level. If it wasn't for having just finished my third Starshine Surprise (I'm still not sure what the surprise is) I might have been able to recall what level I was on.

I'm in some hole in the bulkhead kind of place, called Spendor Tavern, though blaster fire had shot out most of the letters resulting in it being known to most as "The Dor". I'm supposed to meet a guy who might have some work. Granted it was probably shady which meant he would be representing someone who wanted to keep their identity a secret.

And I needed the credits so bad I just didn't care. As I swallowed down the last of my drink and gazed at the smokey haze on the ceiling I tried working my thoughts backwards to figure out how my life had come to this. Maybe there wasn't a haze there, but I was seeing part of the surprise in these drinks. . .

Anyway, I was here for the credits. Let that be known before people cast judgement. Though I'm far from homeless, my ship, The Corellian Doll, is in dire straights. I might have enough left in her for a quick jump somewhere, assuming the navi-computer holds out. But it's not looking good. I'm hoping this job is just some local legwork. As the haze starts changing from a white to a deep purple smoke, now curling around the ceiling, I'm also hoping the contact offers to cover my drinks.

I shouldn't be hoping though. Trusting to fate is what landed me here in the first place.

I wasn't always broke. Or just a few nanoseconds from ending up blacking out. . . I used to be in security. I did a little bit of everything. Started out in Coreguard Security Services, and ended up a Federal officer in Corellia.

Had a partner back then. A human named Kaevin Threel. Kae wasn't all that smart. He wasn't a bad officer mind you. Very sharp, and observant mind, and had closed quite a few cases before we were assigned together. He just didn't have that ability to see the result of his actions until it was too late. He should have just specialized in crime scene analysis, but his heart was sold on the so-called "romance" of being a detective. Still makes me shake my head every time I think about it. It's why you don't let kids see police halo-vids. Life ain't a holo-vid. Ever. And especially not these days.

Well, Kae got himself into a pinch down at the track, and this was nothing new mind you. I'd found him outside my apartment more than once when his wife had thrown him out. She'd always take him back after a few days though. She'd be waiting outside my place and I was always more than happy to let him go off, and I always reminded him to stay away from the track, that you never outsmart the house.

Until he finally did. The gambling house in question was simply called The Rogue's Den and was owned by a gangster by the name of Zale. Now I know what you're thinking, why didn't Kae go somewhere else to try out his latest gambling system? Well part of it falls on that not thinking things through from every angle habit, but in his mind, if Kae could beat a gambling hall that was more than likely cheating in its favor, then he could beat anyone.

Unfortunately beat was the operative word when I woke up to hear his fist pounding my door and ringing the bell like a man possessed. His first sentence was "I won!", followed by "I did it!", closely pursued by, "You gotta help me!" and ending with "They're gonna kill me!"

A quick glance down the hall and a Rhodian was shooting at me. Blaster fire was sizzling my door jamb and I was backpedaling into my bedroom for my sidearm.

I kept telling myself that we'd just have to hold out for the sound of sirens and the arrival of some kind of police force, but after trading shots down the hall for fifteen minutes and draining half the power cell on my blaster it dawned on me. The police were paid off, and we were both going to die.

The same thing must have occurred to Kae because he just told me to tell his wife he was sorry before bolting down the hall into a hail of blaster fire. Then I heard the sound that will forever make me smile. The chinging chime of your friendly neighborhood chaka noodle vendor.

Now being a bachelor I not only was a regular, I knew the vendor by her first name. I flagged her down with my pocket flashlight through my living room window and bartered a ride before setting my blaster to overload and chunking it in the living room.

A quick meal of chaka noodles later, and a memorable night with the noodle vendor, a beauty of a Twi'lekian named Shani, I found myself at the Eavestown docks buying The Doll with about 90% of my savings, and tuning her up and refueling her for the other 9%. I made it to Coruscant and I've been scraping together a living ever since.

I blinked through the haze, now a pink with greenish polka-dot color, just as a service droid sat down in front of me. Wait, service droids don't have blasters installed on their shoulders, do they?

Wait, what was in those drinks? Aw, sith spit . . .

(More to come if inspiration strikes. Let me know what you think guys!)

[Amorl]

Personally I liked them both. Well written and intriguing. If I had to vote for one I'd go with the smuggler. Cliffhanger at the end left me wanting more.

[inknform]

Yeah man, great work! Especially since it is a first-person narrative and those can be butchered if not done well.

As for Smug or Con...well...I am bias so I say Consular :P

[Raimon Kiom]

Yeah, I agree Ink. But it was fun to write both stories. Perhaps I'll go Consular but lean a little more into the rogue Jedi, gray area bit. We'll just have to see how it ends up. Can't wait to get in there and start making choices. :D

[inknform]

Raimon Kiom wrote:

Can't wait to get in there and start making choices. :D

*opens wardobe* "Hmmm...I wonder how THIS will look on me today. I gotta look my best while kickin butt and takin names!"

[Raimon Kiom]

LOL. Because it's never enough to just kick ass. We've gotta kick ass and look good!

[Raimon Kiom]

Alright gang. I've decided on the Jedi story as my character background. Smuggler was an appealing class, but the quest of the soul won out, as I figured it would. Thanks for your kind responses.

[inknform]

Raimon Kiom wrote:

Alright gang. I've decided on the Jedi story as my character background. Smuggler was an appealing class, but the quest of the soul won out, as I figured it would. Thanks for your kind responses.

Yep, Jedi always come out on top

[Kbrury]

inknform wrote:

Raimon Kiom wrote: Alright gang. I've decided on the Jedi story as my character background. Smuggler was an appealing class, but the quest of the soul won out, as I figured it would. Thanks for your kind responses. Yep, Jedi always come out on top

Jedi Haters incoming in 1...2...

[Nwahs]

Good, I liked the Jedi story! Especially the part about saving the data from the parents in the Artificially Implants

[Lord Marvel]

Those are a really good stories Raimon, I rally enjoyed reading them, you have great talent. I hope to see some more of your writtings