#taris

Taris, roi de l'eau (1931) - Jean Vigo

Okay, this I find funny.

ALRIGHTY SO.

This is depicting the world of Taris, the first planet encountered in the Game "Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR). What its canon and legends page refers to when it comes to disaster, was the Sith bombardment that happened during KOTOR.

Would be considered pretty devastating, right? Whole apocalypse scenario, even had fallout style viral mutants (Rakghouls).

But the reason its funny, is... the timescaling. Because if you read the clipped summaries, you'd think that Taris suffered this devastation, socially and emotionally, about 50-100 years ago, so of course its still devestated and recovering.

... KOTOR is 4000 years before the OG.

Timescale comparison? That's 2000 BC for us. That is the era of Babylon and Middle Egypt, the rise of Mycenanean Greece. THe Bronze Age is still flexing its wings. The Phoneciean Alphabet was just invented.

Y'know, most cultures rise and fall and were forgotten and were revolutionized in that time.

Things that happened 4000 years ago to us, is such a considerable time span that nothing that happened then, possibly affects us now.

And Star Wars wants to say that one orbital bombardment was enough to keep them in a state of apocalypse for 4000 years? That is some banthashit right there pal.

That'd be like saying "Oh Mesopotamia just isn't what it used to be..." or "Oh the middle kingdom of Egypt, they're just never going to get back on their feet again"--the context is so divorced from reality, you might as well be talking to a cartoon.

KOTOR is a mummy's mummy, timescale wise, to the OG. Any knowledge from KOTOR to OG would be hieroglyphical.

ADDENDUM:

The reverse is also true. The fact that the Tattooine Raiders are, in effect, in cultural stasis thanks to KOTOR-Star Wars relation, is also bull. In fact the fact that Tatooine hasn't changed in 4000 years is kinda dumb.

The closest excuse I can potentially give is the Time Creep and Time Distortion that would occur over the course of lightyears to parsecs, because information and resources would have a hard time traveling across space--50,000x harder than trying to give an island nation resources mainland. But that's me overthinking it.

This takes place on Taris, just after the Sith party and nabbing their uniforms. At this point, Carth and Eva still barely know each other, but simultaneously amuse, confuse, intrigue, and annoy each other. But mostly annoy.

(Word Count: 228)

"It's over! The fight is over! The Mysterious Stranger has won!"

Merrick clapped his hands to his ears to drown out the crowd' s thunderous applause. From the corner of his eye he saw medics putting Deadeye Duncan on a stretcher. Merrick felt an odd moment of deja vu as he watched Duncan be carried away. The young scout regarded his opponent for a moment longer and then left the arena. Ajuur paid Merrick his 100 credits and attempted to set him up with another bout. Merrick thought, but did not say, that he would need ear defenders for the next fight. The Republic fugitive thanked the Hutt and told him he would think about it.

"Are you sure this is for the best?" said Carth as Merrick rejoined him.

"What if the Sith recognise you from those duels?"

"I'm wearing that cloak and mask when I fight. The Sith won't know who I am." said Merrick.

"I guess so... still, I'm not 100 per cent on board with this. Something's been out of place ever since the attack on the Endar Spire."

Merrick said nothing.

As Carth and Merrick left the cantina they noticed a disturbance ahead of them. A drunk man was shouting and screaming at passers by. He was waving a bottle of Tarisian ale and proclaiming he was the greatest fighter in the galaxy. As Merrick and Carth approached they realised it was Deadeye Duncan.

"Great. Just what we needed." said Carth.

Merrick tentatively approached Duncan.

"Hey Duncan, how are you doing buddy?"

Duncan fixed his eyes on Merrick.

"What do you want? Come to gloat, eh? Well screw you!"

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk about this?" said Merrick.

"I was never anything. I was never a great duelist, I was a lousy husband and now I can't even beat some rookie who just wandered in off the street!"

Duncan began to cry. Merrick came close and took out the 100 credits he had won from his and Duncan's fight.

"Take this. Go to Zelka's surgery and try and get some real help."

Duncan looked at the money incredulously. Merrick took a deep breath.

"I would have taken Ulic's hand... I would have taken your, hand." said Lyn.

There was silence for a long moment. Then Lyn turned to Bib Surool.

"What did you think? Did I get the part? Do you want me to read another role?"

"Please let this be over." said Eriks quietly.

"Relax kid, you're in. You're our Nomi Sunrider." said Bib Surool.

Lyn whooped and jumped up and down, causing Eriks to flinch at the sound of her voice. Eriks winced and drew a sharp breath as Lyn enveloped him in a bone crushing hug.

"Thanks to you I'm going to be Nomi Sunrider on HoloChannel 66 's Legends of the Jedi!!" said Lyn.

"Don't... mention it." said Eriks, without making eye contact.

"If you're ever on Coruscant stop by HoloChannel 66 's studios and ask for Lyn. I'll make sure you get a free studio tour."

With that Lyn and Bib Surool bustled off into the cantina 's hubbub. Seeing Eriks's discomfort, Carth stepped forward.

"You helped someone."

Eriks did not meet Carth's gaze with his own (he had a habit of doing that, Carth noticed).

Eventually Eriks said "Talking to others is like herding womp-rats into lines. I find it incredibly difficult."

"You should feel good about yourself for trying, at any rate." said Carth.

"And hey, if we don't escape Taris you've got a bright future playing Ulic Qel-Droma in that holo-net show Lyn was auditioning for!"

"I loathe those Holonet programmes. The idea of a Sith Lord and a Jedi falling in love is ludicrous."

"Hey, hey, hey; don't get mad, I was just kidding. Besides, from what I hear Legends of the Jedi is really popular with the younger crowd." said Carth.

"It's sentimental bantha fodder." said Eriks.

"The Sith wish to bend the galaxy to their will; the Jedi are guardians of peace. They would never fall in love."

"True, but everyone deserves a second chance, right?

"That's one of the things the Republic was built on."

"Some people just don't have it in them to change, Carth." said Eriks sadly.

"Maybe they don't. I'd still rather operate on the assumption that people are basically good. Otherwise, what's the point of fighting? We might as well give up and let the Sith take over!"

Eriks gave a wan smile.

"Good is so good we think evil can be explained; evil is so evil we think good must be an accident."

"Could you repeat that please? I didn't quite catch it." said Carth.

"Oh it's... just something someone said to me, a long time ago." said Eriks.

"We better get moving." said Carth.

"The Republic isn't going to save itself."

@kotor-week