[Video]

[jadus]

[Jadus is standing somewhere in the Jeopardy desert, his featureless mask glinting in the sunlight. His voice is as calm and emotionless as ever.]

It is clear that many are blind to our situation. Many may find a digest of current knowledge useful.


The OTO is a corporation believed to have been founded by natives of this Earth, which acts as an organizing body for various factions with anti-Porter and anti-imPort sentiment, ranging from idealists to violent radicals. As other recent Network postings have discussed, they are associated with deliberate attempts at dimensional destabilization, and they are in communication with a powerful entity known as Atropos. The earliest imPorts attest that she consumed a previous Earth as part of her campaign against her sister, Lachesis. Their third sister Clotho remains unaccounted for since this event. Some among the OTO believe that they can use the gifts Atropos provides as a means to drive imPorts from Earth, and avoid further destruction.

The Porter is associated with Lachesis. It is her creation, and she has intervened in previous events. She caused the time distortion that permitted imPorts to avert the bombing of Heropa in February of last year. For as long as we exist on this world, all our powers, new or lifelong, are tied to her and the Porter. They are the artificial product of nanites which draw their power from the Porter itself. Any attempt to leave Earth or its Moon without nanite booster technology will result in power failure and increasingly dire illness.

The Porter is or contains a living entity that identifies itself as separate from Lachesis, and attempts to contact or manipulate it have resulted in mass power malfunctions and other anomalous events. The Porter cannot be petitioned to return you to your world. It cannot be petitioned to take someone from their world.

However, the imPort population is not taken at random. There appears to be some suitability criteria that the Porter generally follows, and a greater probability that certain individuals will be chosen.

English and Japanese-speaking human natives of Earth are most likely to be imPorted. Family and associates of those already imPorted have a greater chance of imPort themselves. Those of Earth are likely to have been drawn from within thirty years previous of the present date or up to several centuries in the future. The Porter also favors those who already possessed or were witness to extraordinary power. Finally, the Porter favors times of conflict, either immediately after or preceeding a major violent event, and tend to draw from one side of the conflict.

These rules do not and will not always hold. Those who you recognize will not always be as you know them: The Porter likely selects many of us from slightly different variations on a given timeline.

This concludes my report for the general imPort population. I now turn my attention to those of my own galaxy, for I have questions.


Many of you are aware I have collated a timeline of shared events. Most of you were drawn from thirty-six centuries into my future. Your era saw the end of a Galactic Republic, and the destruction of both the Jedi and Sith Orders. But none of these are the same entities with which I am familiar. The Republic I knew fell and was reconstituted a thousand years before your time. The Jedi and Sith were both brought to the brink of collapse, and rebuilt in new forms. I have become increasingly aware of the disconnect as I have continued to organize this project. You have assumed to know the Sith Empire, and I knew you to be wrong. But I have also assumed to know your people. A foolish mistake that I wish to correct, before it breeds more misunderstanding and pointless conflict.

And so I seek answers for questions I have found most puzzling. The answers may be lost to time, but I feel I must ask, if only to provide illustration for the gulf centuries between us.

Did the Republic or Jedi finally succeed in a genocide against the Sith species? Both have waged campaigns of extermination against those of Korribani Sith heritage in the past. One was attempted within my lifetime. The species is curiously absent in your time.

When did the Jedi begin to only draw their recruits from infants and children? This is not a tradition in my time.
The Jedi are attested to have gone into seclusion following the Jedi-Sith War that began at Ruusan. When did they reestablish contact with the Republic?

Why did the Jedi then take up the role of enforcing the Republic's security? The Republic that I knew saw to its own conflicts, and the Jedi remained an independent Order.

More broadly, when did the Jedi Order decide on an interventionist philosophy? This is at great odds with the Order's broader history, when it would only engage in war to combat Dark Jedi or Sith. To involve the Order in galactic affairs, particularly at the behest of a single government, was seen as tying it to corrupting influences.

Why were Jedi offered high military commissions en masse, and why did the Order accept? This is among the most puzzling events to me. Neither faction would have offered nor accepted this in my time beyond extraordinary circumstance. They work in support and advisory positions, under the command of Force-blind officers. Those who sought independent command posts left the Order as scorned apostates.

And finally, when did the Republic legalize slavery? I have observed your discussions regarding the Clone Wars, and I find your familiarity with slavery to be surprising. Of the great galactic powers of my time, only the Sith Empire and the Hutt Cartel had any such tradition. The Republic used this distinction as emblematic of our differences, and were strident in their liberation of slaves.

And yet you speak of slavery with the familiarity of those steeped in the practice. Those in command speak as slaveowners, and the clones speak as both slaves and products of a eugenics program, another practice which the Republic has not previously engaged in, not to the knowledge of Imperial Intelligence.

These changes have caught my curiosity. Those who wish to respond, do so publicly or privately. But know that any unless specified as confidential, any factual information of sufficient importance will be incorporated into the public record of our shared timeline.

Comments

video

[flightforfreedom]

[ Ho boy. This is a lot, on a lot of levels. So Poe could either engage with it intellectually, or: ]

Sorry, buddy, history class was the one I slept through. [ He looks bemused and almost bored: such is the effect of his bravado. ]

I think generally just assume any government can and will be corrupt and you'll be on a path to greater understanding, though.

Video

[jadus]

I am well aware of this. I do not ask why these events occurred, only how and when.

Very little has been said about your New Republic. Did it continue in the traditions of its immediate predecessor, or chart its own course?

Re: Video

[flightforfreedom]

[ Poe's lips thin, a little. ]

No, they were corrupt too. No slavery, just turning a blind eye to the ones that were doing it.

[ Yeah, he's using the past tense for a reason. ]

video

[merging]

[Truth be told, he wasn't listening for like 90% of that. But-]

There's a Sith species?

permavideo;

[jadus]

[This is not new for Jadus. His colleagues also tended to tune him out when he started asking questions.]

A race with near-universal Force sensitivity. They were conquered by human Dark Jedi invaders, the first to name themselves Dark Lords of the Sith.

In the three thousand years since, the species was first denigrated by their conquerors, then elevated for their ancient lineage. But I have seen no mention of them in the centuries that follow my era.

If they have survived, it may be under a different name. They are humanoid, with jaw tendrils, prominent brows, and ridged chests and spines. Skin tones are predominantly red or orange, with red to yellow eyes. Have you ever seen a species that matches this description?

[merging]

Nope. Not that I can think of right now, at least. But it's weird...

[Not just all the questions and things Jadus is saying, but-]

The holocron I had was probably at least three thousand years old. And it didn't mention any Sith species either.

Audio

[by_candlelight]

Hey, do you have more information concerning the people brought here. Statistically I mean.

All of that sounds about right for me, by the way.
Feel free to add me to the statistics for: Japanese, within 30 years going backwards (same year in my world, actually, so not even the past), from a time of conflict - brought in after the fact.
Questionable: Witnessed great power. I witnessed two gods and gained a power from one of them, but they aren't impressive as far as power goes. Minor trickster god and... Whatever you'd call a god whose self-imposed job is cleaning up after his brother.

permavideo;

[jadus]

I have made calculations based on the information available to me.

The findings I provided are incomplete, and their application varies depending on the circumstances of each imPort and their home. Some have witnessed the death of worlds, while others have experienced events that shaped only themselves.

Are there others here that you have recognized?

Audio

[by_candlelight]

Ah. I've come to similar conclusions just based on the small sample size I've interacted with.

I admit I have no idea where I fall on that scale. The conflict affected others as well, but I'm one of the only ones who saw one of the gods, and am the only one who communicated with both. But gods, while elusive in my world, are not exactly uncommon. It's just uncommon to meet one, let alone two.

No. Though I'll pass it along if someone shows up. I mean, don't get me wrong, I hope no one does come here, but if they do I'll add it to the data.

If you need any help with getting statistics and stuff, let me know I guess? This is an area of interest of mine.

Video

[hadthehighground]

[Upon seeing this, Obi-Wan just has to sigh. Jadus is an extremely exhausting individual, and he would have preferred if the man had just approached people personally with these questions instead of broadcasting it all over the network in all his superfluous glory. But being the ever patient man that he is, he decides to reply.]

I suppose I would be one of the best people to answer your questions, especially regarding matters of the Jedi.

[Which, again, he could have just asked him personally. But it is what it is.]

But I'll start with matters from my time.

The Republic never allowed or condoned slavery. The matter with the clones is a complicated one. You could say that they were essentially dropped in our lap in a rather convenient manner that had been orchestrated behind the scenes by our modern day Sith.

No one knew they were being created until I had stumbled upon it while investigating an assassination attempt some years back. The Republic had little in the way of an organized army, and wasn't prepared for a war, which again was orchestrated by the Sith. The Jedi council never approved the creation of the clone army, even though apparently a rogue Jedi had taken it upon himself to set the ball rolling before his untimely death.

We were essentially set up, and had to make use of the army as we had a need, and they were already trained and ready to go. It was not an ideal situation, one many of us didn't like, but there were not many options at the time, and Chancellor Palpatine was the one who ultimately made the decision. As around ten thousand Jedi are not enough to make up an army, we were instead put in leadership positions. The clones were never considered or treated as slaves. In fact, we did our best to treat them as valued individuals, despite their sometimes indignant Kaminoan creators.

permavideo;

[jadus]

[Jadus pauses for a long moment.]

I require more explanation.

You say that the clones were not considered slaves. However, your description of their treatment is entirely compatible with the Sith Empire's tradition of slavery. The only difference lies in your Republic's use of soldier-slaves, which the Empire did not condone.

Much like your Order, the Sith Empire also acknowledges slaves as individuals, without the rights of citizens to freedom of movement and self-determination. Their treatment is dependent on the whim of their masters. In the case of these clones, the Jedi take that role.

Sith traditions also provide slaveholders the authority to declare their slaves free citizens. Was this considered for the clones? Or were they declared citizens by the Republic itself?

And I fail to see why the clones remained the only option. Did the Republic not seek to raise a citizen army once the war began? Or did some taboo forbid it?

voice

[queenofseers]

Well, someone's got to update the network every once and a while.

[ She sighs. Yes, she's forgotten it's been a month and she still hasn't informed the network she returned from the dead. ]

Thanks, I guess. Whenever we lose somebody who remembers all that shit I worry we're going to lose it forever. [ She's thinking of Kanaya. ] Any updates on your end?

permavideo; partially private

[jadus]

As you noted in the wake of the auctions, many in the imPort population are given to willful ignorance. Knowledge is no cure for this, but it may inspire the capable.

I have made arrangements to disseminate my findings in the event of my departure, as I have always done. It served me well following my assassination, and it may serve imPorts in the future.

[As to updates?] None.

[He'll keep a public conversation going, but he's not going to discuss what he has collected without privacy.]

The divination attempt we previously discussed was successful. I was able to induce a vision without damaging contact with Atropos, and identified a means by which she can be fought, though I cannot guarantee this method's success. [Nor can he guarantee that dissemination of it would not lead to disaster. Aegis knows of it, but few others do.]

A collective and concerted activation of imPort powers in a single location may weaken reality sufficiently to allow all three sisters sufficient presence on Earth that they could be targeted. [Much is implied by this.]

Despite the vision's clarity, I will not attempt this technique with Skywalker again. He was not truthful regarding the extent of his preparations, and my mind suffered for it.

I was still recovering as you made your own attempt. Had I been able, I would have shared this information then.

video

[melodramagic]

[ Well, that's... certainly an eerie mask. ]

I have a couple of questions: one, has anyone attempted to make contact with Clotho since her last appearance? Two, how often is it that some imPorts find themselves to be the only one from their world?

permavideo;

[jadus]

[The detached tone likely doesn't help that impression.]

No attempts have been recorded. She may have survived, but it is unclear whether she maintains a presence within this reality. She was identified as the weakest of the sisters.

There are lone imPorts. Some may even be among the most long-lasting. But they are more difficult to identify and catalog than others. [His monitoring of the network has found many first attempts at contact, and then no further activity.]

Are you among them?

voice

[ct_7567]

Why do you care? And why air this and risk more petty squabbling instead of simply asking those pertinent to the situation personally? You've clearly done enough research to know who to contact.

permavideo;

[jadus]

There are multiple individuals from our galaxy that have maintained their anonymity on the network, and cannot be conventionally contacted. While I have seen none recently, I cannot be certain that they were ported out, nor whether there are others that have arrived since.

My intentions are as I stated above. It has become clear that shared terms for various concepts are obscuring the truth and fostering division, despite our times sharing unexpected commonalities. I wish to correct this.

I am willing to discuss these matters privately.

Video

[crypdick]

Perhaps the Porter picks those it finds interesting. It is what I would do if I had the option. I admire its taste. [ This is why he deigns to speak to so many imPorts - it is as if the Porter had pre-selected the tastiest samples throughoutthe multiverse. Well, mostly. ] With some exceptions.

Video

[jadus]

It is possible. [He is not fond of its preference for Jedi, but he would be little fonder if it favored Sith.]

Its selections are adequate, but provide me with insufficient materials.

[Video]

[prophesiedone]

I'm not even sure where to start. [Or if he should?] I don't have anything to hide. What's done is done and the rest can only be bettered here in my case.

permavideo;

[jadus]

The matter of clone slavery has already been discussed. [Though he will not protest more of it. The issue seems to be emotionally fraught.]

What do you know of the Order's acceptance of military commissions? The Jedi have long been affiliated with the Republic, but the Order I know would not tie itself so strongly to it, nor openly hold such power over the Republic.

[He can think of only one exception, vaguely recalled: a historic period in which the Jedi assumed direct rule of the Republic. A bold move that ended a thousand years of vicious Blood Purity doctrine, and placed the Jedi in a position similar to the Sith within the Empire: the ultimate arbiters of life and law, without the interference of democracy.

Perhaps he will mention it later. He is curious to discover how these Jedi would react.]

[Video]

[faithfulson]

[ There's so much Luke wants to ask when it comes to Jadus' questions. Like, there was a Sith species? He had no idea, and where in the galaxy was Korriban supposed to be? Still, Jadus is the one looking for answers, so he'll keep his curiosity burning in the back of his mind for now. ]

As I understand, the Republic did not condone slavery, but there was very little they could do against corporations and non-Republic space. And then the Empire... well, it's 'technically' illegal.

[ As in, it was only illegal if you weren't rich enough to make people turn the other way. He shrugged helplessly. ]

I grew up on Tatooine. I don't know about back in your time, but it been a Hutt controlled world for as long as anyone cares to remember. My aunt and uncle were careful to caution me against slavers.

[ Particularly with stories about how his grandmother and father had been slaves. ]

Re: [Video]

[jadus]

It did not condone it by name, but it accepted it nonetheless. Much as the Watchers raised for Imperial Intelligence were not slaves under Imperial law, for their authority over the lives of others would shock the sensibilities of a citizen. [And those of many Lords. He had argued their benefits to the Empire: Purely biological analysts that had all the benefits of droids and heavy cybernetic modifications, without the attendant security risks. They had been useful.

Much like other assets he had maintained within the Empire.]

No single power controls Tatooine. The Czerka Corporation abandoned its claim over the world decades ago. Since then, the Republic found some use in it, as have the Empire, Exchange and Hutt Cartel. None judged it vital enough to fight for.

[He had personally made good use of the world. The Ghost Cell that trained there had kept his terrorist network well-supplied with talented assassins and infiltrators, until they were themselves eliminated at the appointed hour. His agent had been very thorough.]

That the Cartel eventually took the world is no surprise. The Hutt lifespan leaves them open to more long-term plans for exploitation than Human-dominated powers. I suspect they have not altered their traditions much in the time between us. They will have only produced a few generations of leadership.

But I am more interested in the future of the Sith species. Are there truly none left?

I should have brought popcorn.

[redwarhawk]

[Her curiosity towards the Future Generations, and what happened between Then and their Now, is obvious. A timeline would be a good place to start, but the sheer volume of data to be expanded on, the hours of what she can already tell is Jedi Pontificating just by looking at video thumbnails almost puts her off the idea entirely.

Until she recognizes that flat, insectoid mask, and puts it with a half-remembered reputation along with the name.

... oh HO, the hours of whining is because he has them backpedaling and chasing their own tails on the defensive. He's good at it, she has to admit.

She leans back in her chair, boots on the desk next to her helmet, and turns the camera on with her A**KICKER SOUR GREEN APPLE and MURDER MANGO MEGAGULP resting on her knee.]

I've got a question too, actually. Is this whole pile of Porter crap how you faked your death for, what, the fifth time?

[Obviously the whole disaster isn't his design, but maybe he made a deal with them to escape the... everything, back home. Maybe he didn't. Maybe she's just kicking the Killik nest.]

permavideo;

[jadus]

[He recognizes that face, even before he sees the username.

Shae Vizla. He was involved in the intelligence operation that backed her success on Coruscant, and she remained an object of surveillance in the years since. It had become easier to do so once she returned to her people.

She appears to approximately the right age for that time point. Or perhaps she is already Mand'alor. He will find out soon enough.]

My disappearance will not be noticed. The Porter returns each of us to the moment of our capture, all memories of Earth removed.

When did it take you?