Echoes In Eternity

[coldthermistor]

Title: Echoes In Eternity
Fandom: Star Wars
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Alek Squinquargesimus (Malak), Revan
Summary: “Brothers, what we do now echoes in eternity.” A meeting down the corridors of time, echoing. One of them must die.
Note: May contain elements of determinism, possible compatibilism, and Nietzsche, depending on your paradigm. Another

Comments

[darth_eldritch]

Beautiful!!!!!!!

The symbolism and the cyclic pattern... over and over again, like Nietzhian (sp!) nightmare... Alek's imperfect prophecy playing against him....

Together, we are invincible. We are legend

There is something so poignant about this.

I am considered one of the - I was one of the best duelists among the Jedi, and I still am.

This! This is my headcanon, too! It's in my fics.
Another little point of contention with Darkhorse. They have Jarael defeating Alek in a sparring session, knocking him over. Okay, Jarael is a good street fighter and new to the Jedi. But Alek is already trained and seasoned at that point. She could not beat him unless he let her.

[coldthermistor]

Thanks :D

It's actually a bit of a dig on how (if you suck at playing KOTOR) you essentially have to play again and again and get killed by Alek until you kill him. In other words, it was in for him all the time.

And it's one of the few Alek-sympathetic fics I had planned. Your comment about how the options are really Malak-unfriendly really struck me. Especially when I realised that all you ever end up doing is (as you mentioned) pontificate at Alek, or totally grind him down further. No redemption. Nothing. And I wanted to give Alek a little something.

They have Jarael defeating Alek in a sparring session, knocking him over. Okay, Jarael is a good street fighter and new to the Jedi. But Alek is already trained and seasoned at that point. She could not beat him unless he let her.

And there's Alek is not a hormonal teenager again. He's not so crazily in love he'll let her win.

[darth_eldritch]

You're welcome!

Ha ha ha ha!!!!!

I know, or, Revan limping away, hurting, trying to avoid Malak's blows... I once forze a great scend where my Revan was limping, holding his side, trying to survive, and Malak is in midair, in a tumble, coming right down on Revan from behind. It was too funny!

I know. I used to really bash on Malak until I studied KOTOR like a close reading and saw a lot of things that a lot people miss or don't get about Malak. Then I started seeing Malak in a more sympathetic light.

IKR?

I could imagine if Alek knew Kali, and if he decided to be that way with Kali, letting her win, she'd be FURIOUS!!!! (She'd take it as an insult.)

[coldthermistor]

I once forze a great scend where my Revan was limping, holding his side, trying to survive, and Malak is in midair, in a tumble, coming right down on Revan from behind. It was too funny!

LOL! Too bad you didn't get a screenshot! That would have been epic.

I know. I used to really bash on Malak until I studied KOTOR like a close reading and saw a lot of things that a lot people miss or don't get about Malak. Then I started seeing Malak in a more sympathetic light.

Same. Or rather, I mostly saw your background on Malak. I think the key is always to humanise the character: once you do that, the empathy and sympathy comes easily.

Well hell yeah. Kali isn't the kind who wants people to lie to her or shield her or give in to her anyway. I'd rather imagine she's used to being (and expects to be) taken seriously, in her own right, period. Not to mention I think that's how she wins, isn't it? She's good at taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and if people underestimate her, too bad for them.

[kinofsimon]

You know, your writing and this whole discussion has opened to my eyes to a lot of things I never realized about Revan and Malak's relationship (play such a deep game as a teenager, one is bound to miss a lot). Their friendship was only hinted at in the game, and made more of a joke [HK-47 and the whole 'meatbag' deal].

Excellent point somebody above mentioned about Malak having to BE the best to be Revan's apprentice. Granted he didn't have the cool tactical expertise of Revan, but he was damn powerful, and that was what Revan needed: a thug to do the dirty work [Telos, for instance]

Really enjoyed seeing things through Malak's eyes. At the end, it seems all the convo options were to chastise him in one way or another. Great piece of writing there.

[coldthermistor]

I'd agree with you about that - I played it at thirteen and pretty much everything slipped past me, then.

And thanks (: Glad you liked it!