etrayamemes | TDM 001

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!tdm

TDM 001

⏵ arrival⏴
Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment.

Or what exists of it anyway. Exiting the hospital will show that there isn't much of anything just yet. Generally, Echo can build new facilities before new arrivals awaken, but it appears that this time… well, it didn't happen. The apartment complex exists, standing just beside the hospital, and there are a few facilities that are half constructed, companion bots carrying around rebar and other necessary bits and pieces, but they're not quite ready. Oops. But maybe, just maybe, one of those half-built facilities is familiar - a childhood home, a favorite supermarket, the run-down garage they worked at as a youth, a grounded spaceship in the middle of one of the massive bridges connecting land over rivers.

The companion bots will offer quiet apologies if approached; they were expecting new arrivals to touch down, but not quite this early. They'll be ready soon! A few more days at most, they promise. In the meantime, do not stray too far from the hospital. While most of Etraya looks habitable, they have not finished verifying that it's safe for its new inhabitants.

The apartment building and hospital are safe, and the land directly around them is fine, but beyond that? Stay away. But hey, the hospital's cafeteria is fully stocked with cuisine from across the multiverse! Please feel free to settle in, choose an apartment, and get to know your new friends.

⏵ water you doing?⏴
Decide not to listen? Well, the companion bots had offered their warnings.

Etraya is a new establishment, one that received newcomers before it was ready. And as such, the land has not quite been prepared for their arrival. Wandering off the land the apartment building and hospital are settled on comes with very, very poor results. Take a step down into the river below, and you'll find yourself uncomfortably hot. Or cold. Or hot and cold, because whatever that 'water' is, it wasn't meant to be played in. The only way to resolve the temperature regulation issue, as Aurora informs, is finding a buddy to cuddle up with. Those who are lucky may have a nearby friend they're familiar with and don't mind leaning a shoulder against. Those that don't? Well. . . have fun having a very uncomfortable conversation with a stranger, asking them if it's alright if you lean into them or hold their hand for a bit. Any physical contact will do, as long as it's directly skin-to-skin.

Except that's not where the contact stops. Characters will find that, for the next several hours, they'll feel everything that their companion feels. Frustration, anger, amusement, homesickness that comes from being so far away from their families and friends - all those feelings? They're not your feelings, they're our feelings now.

No explanation is given for how the empathy bond and the temperature regulation are related, but it may have to do with how since they had decided not to listen, it was time to test how well they could cohabitate with their new friends.

⏵ bonding bingo ⏴

Maybe it feels a little too much like Obi-Wan had when receiving Leia's message, but all new arrivals are their universe's only hope. Except they're not the only ones arriving, and not the only ones who are trying to keep their worlds safe. Instead, they've arrived with several others who carry the same weight on their shoulders. And they aren't meant to go through this alone. The people they've arrived with are both their new companions and their competition. Both comrades to fight beside and enemies to battle against, depending on what the specific mission of the month is. But currently?

They're here to bond. It's important to get to know those who they'll be spending the next unspecified but lengthy amount of time with, isn't it? To that extent, Aurora's hologram waits just inside the hospital's front doors, offering bonding bingo cards to those willing to participate. It's not necessary, but she does specify that this is one way to get ahead: cooperation is important, especially given what they're going to face together. Bingo cards are three long and three across, and offer a multitude of activities you can do to check each box off.

Some examples include:

Learn someone's biggest secret

Get into a fight

Tell someone something that you've never admitted out loud to

Throw a drink on someone

Win a game of pool in the apartment building's recreation room

Cheat on a card game without getting caught

Hug a new friend

Get stabbed

Steal something important to someone

Pull off an elaborate prank on a stranger

⏵ matchmaker ⏴

When the earpiece is put on, a nice green HUD(head-up display) lights up in front of new arrivals. It asks them for their name, which is fairly standard for these.

Except it seems it wants them to put together a profile to help pair them off with other new arrivals. For some, this information may autofill with what Aurora was able to discern about them from watching them in their home worlds. But some lucky individuals may catch their profiles before they're posted live, and have the opportunity to edit out information included in fields, even if they're not able to clear it out entirely.

Welcome to Aurora's idea of matchmaking. Have fun getting paired off with a buddy or four, with your profiles exchanged between one another. Maybe they're the perfect match. Maybe this is a nightmare in the making.

⏵ OOC ⏴
Welcome to our first TDM! We're excited to have you here. For more information on character arrivals, click here. For any questions relating to the TDM please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

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(He stands out - and not just because he keeps himself completely covered and anonymous. Padmé thinks she recognizes the make of his armor - relatively, anyway. Thus she won't let him ignore her.)

Excuse me. (She raises her voice, authoritative.) We need to speak.

[ He still doesn't turn, though his gaze does slide over to the woman beneath his helmet. She's a Human, like most of the people he's seen here so far, with nothing in particular to mark her apart from any of the other strangers milling about. There is, however, a certain significance to her tone—it doesn't seem like she's approached him randomly. ]

Triple Zero, [ he says, his eyes fixed on hers under his visor, watching for any flicker of recognition. ] Mean anything to you?

[ Might as well figure out now whether or not they're on the same side. ]

(Triple Zero? A droid? No, that number indicates a planet, doesn't it. Padmé narrows her eyes speculatively, standing at her unimpressive height of five foot three inches. Yet, even at her petite stature, she has a presence.)

You are referring to a droid? Or Coruscant? I have never met the droid Triple Zero if so, but I have visited Coruscant many times.

(But this does, at least, seem to indicate that they are from the same galaxy.)

Are you a bounty hunter?

Edited 2024-02-25 12:23 (UTC)

[ So she knows Coruscant. Fett doesn't know the rules of the multiverse well enough to have any absolute certainty that this means they're from the same universe, but it's probably a good sign. ]

Yes. Though I don't think credits will cut it out here.

[ This time, he does turn to face her. It offers no better vantage to him than if he had continued to watch her through his helmet's 360° viewscreen, but it does signal that he's paying attention. ]

Looking to thin out the competition?

[ Between his deadpan delivery and that implacable black visor, it's impossible to know if he's serious. ]

We're a long way from any planet that will accept credits. (And, really, that is the least of their problems. Padmé hasn't really seen anything to buy or, more importantly, any ships they could potentially take to leave.

Well, at least she has his attention. Her brows rise in unison at the flat question.)

I'm no Jedi. (She holds up her hands to reveal that she is unarmed.) My name is Padmé. I have no reason to interfere with any mission you have.

(Unless it endangers someone. Which they usually do.)

[ Funny, that she thinks he'd mistaken her for a Jedi. No, he had been wondering if she was a would-be client.

Not that Boba is looking for work in this of all places. The mission they've been tasked with already is worth his full attention. ]

Relax, [ he says gruffly. ] Same galaxy, same side.

[ He'd like to think that he's taken a few levels in diplomacy over the past few years. He'd been named Mand'alor, for one thing, and had even managed to break bread with a Jedi. He thinks he'd even be able to stomach working with a Vong if it meant keeping his tiny remnant of people alive.

Knowing his luck, he just might. ]

You meet anyone else from our galaxy so far?

(No, Padmé isn't the sort of person who would hire a bounty-hunter. If she does anything, she is honest about it and upfront. Of course there are times she might encourage a Jedi to join her and use their senses to determine if anything worrisome is afoot, but that's much different. Everyone knows a Jedi's skills.)

I'm glad to hear that.

(She relaxes minutely and approaches him.)

Yes, one. (Since they are on the same side - there really is no reason for them to be at odds with one another here regardless.) Anakin Skywalker is present.

[ Skywalker? He knows that name: a young Jedi he'd been hired to track for Vader, back when the Empire was still in power. Yet, for all that it's been decades, Fett does remember one distinguishing detail: the boy hadn't been named Anakin.

Perhaps the one here is some relative, then? It's still quite the coincidence, though, that out of all the billions of people in their galaxy, one of their fellow conscripts should be another Skywalker. Perhaps it's meaningless. Perhaps it's not. ]

Name doesn't mean anything to me, [ Fett lies. ] You know him?

(Anakin is known far and wide for his feats. He is a Jedi who apparently faces down dragons and never hesitates even when the fire threatens to consume him. For him not to be known makes her suspicious, though it is possible that this man is from one of the outer planets? If so, why had he sited Coruscant?)

He is a dear friend. (Husband, actually, but they are keeping that under wraps.) Have you heard of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, at least?

[ Now, that name takes Fett back and not in a good way. ]

Heard he was dead, [ he says bluntly, his flat tone leaving no impression of either vindication nor sorrow. They say Vader himself had killed the Jedi decades ago. Fett almost wishes he'd been there to see it. ]

...what? (Her heart sinks and she feels a chill rush through her veins. No, he must be mistaken. She would have heard...?) That can't be. I saw him recently. He's...Anakin's Master.

(If something happened to Obi-Wan, she knows Anakin would be crushed.)

[ Fett considers the woman's words in silence for a few moments. Could it be true? Could Obi-wan Kenobi still be alive? He'd be quite old if it were true, but perhaps not impossibly so—and he's heard it said that Jedi have ways of prolonging their lifespans, anyway.

If he is alive, though: he's been remarkably quiet about it. Something isn't right. ]

Perhaps I heard wrong, [ Fett says, inclining his head. ] They say he was killed by Darth Vader, decades ago.

Darth... (She says the name in a hushed voice, a chill prickling over her skin.) Isn't that the title Siths use? If so, I've never heard of a Darth Vader.

(~~She is only married to him. It's fine.~~)

I admit I'm not knowledgeable about Sith lore or their history. But if Vader knows of Obi-Wan, he must be closer than I realize.

(Blinking, she shakes her head slowly. Decades ago...?)

I know this might sound strange, but I don't think you and I are from the same time. The Obi-Wan I know is only thirty-five.

[ First, there'd been the discrepancy in the fate of Kenobi. And now she says she's never heard of Darth Vader? For a moment, Fett thinks of Sintas, revived after prolonged suspended animation in carbonite, all her information and memories decades out of date. But it'd been different with Sintas. She'd been missing more than just memories of galactic events; she'd barely even remembered her own life. Padme doesn't seem to suffer from the same amnesia.

Then she shares her own theory. Fett absorbs it in silence, considering. He's already accepted their circumstances as trans-dimensional conscripts. Would time travel really be so much more unfathomable? ]

What's the last year you remember?

Thirteen. (She has no reason to think Fett is lying; he doesn't strike her as the sort that would waste time with lies (unless it had to do with a mission). This clearly isn't a mission. It's much bigger than them and involves their home worlds. Their galaxy.)

What about you? (If he is from far into the future, that's...somewhat better. Even if she never wants to hear about the death of a friend, especially at the hands of a Sith.)

Edited 2024-02-28 12:07 (UTC)

Seventy-five. [ It's a 62-year gap. No wonder their memories don't line up. It's enough for Fett to fall silent again, running the math in his head. 62 years... He would've been just nine or ten years old at the year Padme remembers. His father may have still been alive.

That last thought had come entirely unbidden. Fett's helmet jerks to the side, turning away from the woman. ]

Makes sense, [ he says after a moment. ] If this Echo can pull people in from different universes, there's no reason she'd be constrained by time.

(Seventy... Seventy-five? Padmé falls back a step, the blood leaving her face. She steadies herself against a wall, pressing her back against the solid surface. Sixty-two years lie between them. She closes her eyes and orders her heart to stop pounding. Obi-Wan has a long life ahead of him.

But who is this Darth Vader? Does he even exist during her time? Swallowing, she gets a grip and pushes herself upright again.)

Would you mind telling me the state of the galaxy in your time? Is it ruled by democracy?

Edited 2024-02-28 12:41 (UTC)

[ When the woman falls back, Fett isn't sure whether it's from shock or relief. Both, probably. He watches her from his helmet's viewscreen, waiting for her to recover. Maybe he doesn't relish the thought of stepping in to stop a swooning maiden from cracking her head open on the floor, but when he'd said "same galaxy, same side," he'd meant it.

Fortunately, she's able to pull herself together without his help. Her question, though, gets a pause. Being asked to summarize the state of the galaxy after the fall of two galactic governments, a catastrophic intergalactic war, a galaxy-wide governmental restructuring, and a burgeoning civil war on top of all that—it's not an easy request. ]

Disarray, [ he says at last. ] We were invaded by a superior force, one from outside our galaxy. We fought them off, but there were... considerable casualties.

[ It sounds so pedestrian when he puts it into words. Like it was just another war. Like he hadn't watched entire cities of people being digested alive. He doesn't like to remember it, and even now, he doesn't know if that's because some long-forgotten part of him might actually be capable of feeling pity for the Vong's victims or if it's just his old Sarlacc memories playing tricks on him. ]

Ten years on, and half of the survivors are trying to rebuild and the other half are still fighting over the scraps. That's the state of the galaxy in my time.

(Padmé isn't a warrior, but she is able to keep her cool under enormous pressure. She was a Queen, once, and she had been (and still is) respected far and wide for her fearless approach to those who endangered the rights of her people. As a Senator she is no less fierce; no less willing to face danger head-on and find a diplomatic solution. She has spent her life fighting hard for democracy because she believes it is the fairest form of government. It might not be perfect, but it is miles - leagues - galaxies - better than a dictatorship.

Or worse. Complete disarray. What can she do? Every inch of her itches to draw out plans, to question Fett until she knows everything important about his situation, yet he is sixty-two years into her future. She will be an old woman by then - if she even survives that long.

It's a crushing realization and all she can do is approach the man before her, bowing her head in defeat.)

I've spent my life trying to ensure peace reigned in the galaxy; that everyone's needs were met and no one suffered from hunger or thirst. I've failed.

(If she and Anakin have children, they will grow in chaos. What became of Anakin's role? There seems to be more Darkness than ever.)

I am Senator Padmé Amidala, once Queen of Naboo. I have served in the Senate since my regency ended. There have been signs of the government drifting away from democracy and I have done my best to fight against them.

Edited 2024-02-28 14:05 (UTC)

[ If only Beviin were here. Fett's second-in-command would have all the right words to say to the woman, words that were both honest and kind even in the face of her ignorance. Unfortunately, for reasons even Fett finds incomprehensible, Echo had chosen him as representative instead. And he has little patience for this kind of blind naivete. ]

Don't kid yourself. Peace has never reigned in the galaxy—not in my lifetime and not in my father's, either. Only difference now is that the Vong razed all those places people used to be able to hide and pretend otherwise.

[ 'People like you,' goes unspoken, but the sentiment is there. Peace is a commodity like anything else in their galaxy—a luxury reserved for those who can afford it. And more often than not, it's been paid for in blood. ]

Senator Amidala, then. [ Idly, Fett attempts to recall how many years the Senate even has left from her departure point. From what he remembers, it isn't many. ] I'm Boba Fett. Currently Mand'alor, if that word holds any meaning to you.

[ He doesn't say it with any grandiosity or pride. If anything, he sounds rather grudging to admit the title. It is an honor—just not one he ever really wanted. Or deserved. ]

It seems Echo has an interest in heads of state. At least from our galaxy.

Edited 2024-02-29 12:47 (UTC)

(Padmé is young. She was raised to serve, to show empathy for those in need, to protect her people and those who seek refuge. She has literally spent her life working towards the rights of everyone in the galaxy. Peace will never be a simple commodity for her. Seeing it as a luxury only proves the poor state of the galaxy in Fett's time.

And all the while she can't help wondering: where is she? Where is Anakin?)

I have tried my hardest to make it a priority in the Senate Chamber. I know I'm not alone in fighting for it, either. That's why I'm so perplexed.

(Why did people stop trying? Who led them down this new, Dark path?)

Please call me Padmé. I'm not a Senator here. (She arches a brow in surprise, nodding slowly.) You are the leader of your people. I can see why you were summoned.

(But what can they do? Boba Fett can likely fight - and fight well - as can Anakin. But Padmé... Her expertise is intellectual.)

[ For a moment, Fett wonders if he's said too much. He doesn't fear that she'll be able to change the past—her future—with what she's learned. No, there must be fail-safes in place for that; it wouldn't make sense, otherwise. Mind-wipes, perhaps, or some equivalent. No, what he fears is that one of their side—one-third of it, so far—will decide that their galaxy is beyond saving. That it isn't worth saving. Certainly, Fett can remember times in his life where he might've come to the same conclusion.

He's not the kind of leader who gives rousing speeches. He doesn't give speeches at all, really. He just says what needs to be done, and his people listen or they don't. Still, he tries now, in his own brusque way, to steer the young woman away from despair. ]

It might not be the future you expected, but there are still things worth salvaging in the wreckage. People, even. [ He looks away, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. ] Give it another hundred years or so, maybe one of them will even get things right.

[ So it's not the most uplifting of encouragements. He still means it. ]

Focus on giving them that chance. Nothing else.

(There is more on her mind than how the galaxy is governed. She has seen worrisome traits in Anakin, traits she wants to steer him away from in the future. Most would think she is making too much out of his influence, but she knows she isn't. Had she failed him? Should she have sought out Obi-Wan and told him everything?

That would have inevitably crushed Anakin's dream of being a Jedi Master. Besides... She had seen his remorse. She had seen his frustration, his anger, his pain. They were all human emotions and Padmé can't hold them against him.

Maybe that's her weakness.)

I'm sure. (His attempt at reassuring her brings her back to the present.) There will always be people worth saving and protecting. Those who want to do good can never give up.

(She laughs a little, the sound sad.)

I'll be in my eighties. I'm sure I'll still be working regardless.

[ "Those who want to do good." If only she knew who she was talking to. Fett has a tiny handful of people he wants very badly to keep safe, but he's still a far, far cry from a good man. It is strange, though, to be somewhere where his notorious reputation doesn't precede him. It's not the kind of mistake he's accustomed to people making—except perhaps with the exception of Beviin. The man always insists on seeing the good in him. Personally, Fett himself doubts that rosy view will last forever. He'll disappoint Beviin in the end, and probably sooner rather than later.

Just not on this. ]

Good. There will be plenty of work waiting for you.

[ If she survives that long, which Fett privately doubts she will—Emperor Palpatine had seen quickly to any political dissidents and this woman, with her ostensible commitment to democracy, seems on the road to becoming one such target. Perhaps even one of his, one day.

He'll keep that detail to himself, though. Let her hope, if that's what it takes to make her a more useful ally. ]

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TDM 001

Arrival

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