A read-only archive of discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com as of Sunday May 01, 2022.

[2015-01] Contract 037: Lucyeth - Security, B-Class

AlaarRinn

###Contract Datapad

x://_Encrypted File
x://_Passcode accepted
x://_Fingerprint Authentic
x://_Identity Verified: Lucyeth
###Missions Details:

Battlemaster,

You’re the closest we have to an escort that we can find on such short notice…

One of the Imperial Scholae Intel (ISI) agents on Coronet has managed to capture a rising star from the Jedi camp during a counter-intelligence run. We’re transferring the prisoner from the safehouse on Coronet where she is currently being detained, back to more ‘suitable’ facilities where we can properly detain and question such an important guest. The issue, really, is making it to the rendez-vous with the shuttle and ensuring that that shuttle gets offworld.

Good Hunting, Battlemaster!
.
.
.
DJK Calindra Hejaran,
Imperial Scholae Intelligence
Authorized Signature(s)
-Quaestor of House Excidium-
-Consul of Clan Scholae Palatinae-

###Parameters:

Expect CorSec to run some interference due to dubious intel they’ve been fed by Odan-Urr. To our knowledge, the prisoner was the only Force User in that district, so it’s of utmost importance that we act quickly before they send someone else. You are to limit civilian casualties (the Emperor does not want any political fallout from this mission) which means this mission MUST remain out of the public domain. At least for now. In other words, blatant use of Force powers or lightsabers is discouraged.

Attachments: [none]

Lucyeth

Lucyeth’s small vessel appeared out of hyperspace into the sector without issues. The planet of Coronet loomed before him and continued to rapidly increase in size as it filled the viewport. The battlemaster made all the necessary tasks to prepare the ship as it descended into the atmosphere of Coronet. The shuttle took the approach with ease to the outskirts of the planet. It was not his own ship but the shuttle will have to do. With such short notice, Lucyeth was the agent for the task and the shuttle ironically was also the only ship available that would be able to contain such an important piece of “Cargo”. The safe house was located out on the outskirts of the planet and away from the city areas to minimize any unwanted attention. This was especially a matter of secrecy being that the detained prisoner for transport was supposedly a Jedi. The ISI agent was able to capture one but needed an escort to take care of the rest of the journey to an Imperial prison block. Lucyeth would be the judge of whether it was a Jedi or not which made the anticipation all the more exciting as the shuttle shot across the planet landscape.

Moments later Lucyeth walked into a dark shack out in the badlands of the city limits. The air was damp and the smell was rancid but the battlemaster moved into the main room where a woman in a tattered tunic stood in front of a dusty window. Her eyes shot at the Palatinaean whom made no regard to her cold stare. She most likely had been through a lot to track down the quarry and Lucyeth had no doubt it wasn’t easy. The so called Jedi was bound on a chair in the corner with stun cuffs on and a device attached to his vitals to what the battlemaster assumed was to shock him into submission is need be. The Jedi sat with his eyes shut as the Palatinaean assessed him with apprehension. He could feel the force within him and he was quite powerful in the light side. He felt like a bright glow of the force no doubt but Lucyeth didn’t like it at all.

“I don’t care what you do with him but just get him out of here before I have more of his friends on me,” demanded the officer. The tone was stern as it should be for an investigator agent but she was also frantic to get him off her hands.

“We will leave immediately I have a short window anyway to make through,” replied Lucyeth.

It took moments to put the Jedi in the copilot’s chair. Lucyeth could of put him in the hold but he wanted to ensure that he was in the vicinity to keep an eye on the Jedi. They preached peace and no emotion but they are as cynical as they come. They are all the same talking about balance when they want to be the only force users in the galaxy to maintain their so called “balance”. Lucyeth snorted with disgust at their beliefs as he strapped in the pilot’s chair with the quarry restrained next to him. Lucyeth made his way back to Scholae space. It would be a tough slog but Lucyeth was alone and he didn’t draw too much attention to himself anyway. He was careful and efficient to draw any attention in the short amount of time that he was on the planet surface. His thoughts were interrupted when a streak of plasma shot across the viewport of his ship. The battlemaster brought up the visual of his enemy that attempted to shoot him out of space.

“You won’t’ get away so you should just give up and we can work something out,” stated the restrained Jedi with ease. He never broke his expression but Lucyeth didn’t buy it.

“I know you wouldn’t allow that Jedi I am sith and I would rather die than surrender,” snarled the Palatinaean with clear irritation.

Lucyeth did a scan of the ship as a Corsec affiliation. He pulled the yoke hard to the right to evade the stream of plasma that came his way. It rocked the hull slightly but the rear deflectors were able to take care of it. The opposing pilot was fracking good and Lucyeth could feel the sweat crease on his forehead. There was no way he would be able to out maneuver such an experienced pilot in the shuttle. Lucyeth tapped into the force but couldn’t feel a presence in the ship. It was a skilled pilot but not a Jedi. The Palatinaean slammed hard on the yoke again to barrel down. He broke atmosphere and was so close to the cruiser that he was supposed to link up with. He tore his ship hard to the right and cursed under his breath as the lights flashed in the cabin. He did his best but the right wing was hit and there was no way he could sufficiently out run the enemy. It was a good run but Lucyeth had no intention to out like this. Before his anger took over, a pair of ties screamed past him in attack vector. He was relieved to see a scouting mission out which meant that the cruiser was near. There was still time to outlive the scenario.

“Sir you were hit bad and have a Corsec fighter on your tail,” the tie pilot came over the comm.

“Get em off my tail!” demanded Lucyeth into the comm. He needed help now and there was still the chance of death.

“Sir we will cover your approach to give you the time you need now go,” replied the tie pilot.

Lucyeth staggered his shuttle to the coordinates of the cruiser that the pilot uplinked to his shuttle. He was on his way and could see the cruiser in distant space. A squadron of tie fighters approached him for an escort. He made it to the cruiser where the Jedi would be put in the detention block until he is brought to Judecca. Lucyeth would still oversee the transport however the Jedi was in custody and the most difficult piece of the mission was successful.

AlaarRinn

Hi Lucyeth!

I’ve been tasked to help out with the ACB contract grading since we’re a bit behind.

First off, it’s interesting to see a contract I created and see someone take it for a spin; I’m always surprised by the result. When I wrote this, I had expected you’d be on planet already and run the security team as the prisoner was escorted to the shuttle, but I really liked your spin on it, and you’ve got the making of some good storytelling, so I hope you take the following comments as constructive criticism that will serve you in your future creative writing endeavors.


###Syntax Issues:

A lot of your syntax issues could have been prevented by some proofreading. I didn’t highlight all the issues, but they were pretty much the same mistakes repeated throughout.

“I know you wouldn’t allow that[,] Jedi[.] I am [Sith] and I would rather die than surrender,” snarled the Palatinaean with clear irritation.

… to shock him into submission [if] need be.

He could feel the [Force] within him and he was quite powerful in the light side. He felt like a bright glow of the [Force]; [there was] no doubt[,] but Lucyeth didn’t like it at all.

“We will leave immediately[.] I have a short window to make [it] through [anyway],” replied Lucyeth.

Lucyeth could [have] put him in the hold…

… there was no way he could sufficiently [outrun] the enemy.

“Sir[,] we will cover your approach to give you the time you need[.] [Now] go,” replied the [TIE] pilot.


###Story/Realism Issues:

I didn’t really see any Realism issues in your story other than you having TIE fighters firing back at CorSec in Cornet’s orbit. I thought it was amusing though. One thing I do want to underline, however, is that you tend to miss a lot of descriptive opportunities. One key indication of this is the use of simple sentences throughout your story:

Lucyeth’s small vessel appeared out of hyperspace into the sector without issues.

The planet of Coronet loomed before him and continued to rapidly increase in size as it filled the viewport.

The shuttle took the approach with ease to the outskirts of the planet.

It was not his own ship but the shuttle will have to do.

Using simple sentences should be done sparingly. They work well when we want to emphasize something, but they tend to make the text one sided / monotonous.

One way to improve on this is to expand the ideas behind those sentences in order to make the story more rich and detailed. People have five (5) senses that you can exploit, and the visual is only one part of it. There are also smells, tastes, sounds, and tactile sensations that could also be invoked for your readers: like how the decks hum and the controls vibrate in your hands as you wrestle with the controls upon re-entry. The alarms that go off, and the lights, the smell of the propulsion systems going online as it mechanic’s grease is warmed up by the so far dormant machinery as it wakes up to compensate for your efforts in maneuvering the vessel through the atmospheric turbulence, etc.

You could have translated the whole atmospheric entry from “mere moments” to a much more nail biting experience, if you see what I mean. So don’t rush through descriptions. Take your time and show us what you’re seeing in your head when you say “Coronet loomed” in front of you.

Here’s an example where you did much better:

Lucyeth did a scan of the ship as a Corsec affiliation. He pulled the yoke hard to the right to evade the stream of plasma that came his way. It rocked the hull slightly but the rear deflectors were able to take care of it. The opposing pilot was fracking good and Lucyeth could feel the sweat crease on his forehead. There was no way he would be able to out maneuver such an experienced pilot in the shuttle. Lucyeth tapped into the force but couldn’t feel a presence in the ship. It was a skilled pilot but not a Jedi. The Palatinaean slammed hard on the yoke again to barrel down. He broke atmosphere and was so close to the cruiser that he was supposed to link up with. He tore his ship hard to the right and cursed under his breath as the lights flashed in the cabin. He did his best but the right wing was hit and there was no way he could sufficiently out run the enemy. It was a good run but Lucyeth had no intention to out like this. Before his anger took over, a pair of ties screamed past him in attack vector. He was relieved to see a scouting mission out which meant that the cruiser was near. There was still time to outlive the scenario.

Your writing here was better because there are more details to catch your readers’ attention.

Summary: I just want to drive home that whenever you’re tempted to write: “moments went by” you’re missing an opportunity.


###Final Comments:

You did have some interesting moments with your story, even if you had TIE fighters looming over Coronet and shooting back at the CorSec! The Emperor’s Communications Branch will have a field day with the PR nightmare you gave them…! :wink:

I really think you had the semblance of a good “draft” story that could have been fleshed out more fully, and I would have given you an easy “Acceptable” score given the potential. However, the fact that you didn’t really proofread your story made me debate whether or not to give you a “Needs Work!” >.>

Final Grade: Satisfactory (+2)!

Calindra