Hoth: Blood and Ice

Let me tell you one final story... Time would pass; and still she had not found redemption. A proper trial and sentence had not come after all; how could it with the conflict that gripped the galaxy? And perhaps in part because of it, the Dark Side still clinged to her; even as the Light fought back...

I've loved every game I've been in; I'm sad that it's over, but also grateful for all the good times! I'm sure I caused a few headaches at times, and for that I apologize. One thing I've been dying to know since the reveal: Was Jerri *always* Darth Irrej, even on Alderaan? Or did you come up with th...

I always enjoyed Layne. Looks like I missed some of her adventures though. Out of curiousity, how is Layne going to go? Heroically. I haven't thought of the specifics. The moment of the biggest satisfaction? The biggest regret, now that everything is set and done? The most unnerving unfinished busi...

Hey Layney. Good knowing you. Best memories of Layne’s achievements? Across the series? Finding the Darksaber, getting my first double-triumph against that force monster the overseer sent some of us to die against, becoming friends with grandma, helping Gerald pass into the light, finding daz, goin...

I too will throw my hat in here. Rarely have I been as invested in a character the way I've been with Layne, both in this and previous games. To a very large extent that's because of all the great hooks our GM has thrown at me, and working with me to tell a great story. I'm sure I've caused a few he...

This was a very emotional ride for me particularly early on. As I've told some people, in a lot of ways Layne is basically me with an edgier backstory and space-wizard powers... which is something I didn't fully realize when I made her back at Korriban. It's been a lot of anxiety-inducing stuff earl...

"Damm it," she said in a tone that was lacking in any real annoyance, "Not cool, Torsin. Not cool."

She sighed. "If you happen to run into her, tell her I said hello."

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Unless I die, of course... How *does* one become a ghost, anyway? You know, all this time, I never thought to ask grandma about it."

"Part of you must really love being a ghost," she said, absent-mindedly unwrapping one of the pieces of candy she'd scooped up. "You get to sound all deep and mystical and stuff, and nobody can throw you out because you can just float right back in." She placed the piece of candy in her mouth and in...

"I'm not covering anything up," she said, shrugging. "Besides, only the Dark Side answers my call now. Getting back to the Light will be a challenge. I'll do it *only* so I can then stop falling into this trap we're all stuck in. This black and white thinking that keeps tripping us up."

"Nope, not falling for that. You're not omniscient," she said, rolling her eyes, "Remember, you're not my first ghost."

She was quiet for a bit.

"So... what's it like being a ghost? Have the other spirits started bullying you yet?"

"You stopped being my rival a long time ago, Syl," she said.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Yeah. It's really sad Baras is gone," she said, deadpan.

"Yeah, well... I recognize that you've accepted the choice you made, but since it was a stupid-ass choice I've elected to reject it." Layne put her feet up, at that. "A lot of people would be better off with you still alive," she said, "You could've at least had the decency to only *pretend* to die,...

"Yes yes," she waved him off, "You got to help Luth... it's great and all... but... don't you think she'd have preferred you to *live*?"

"Just my luck," she shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I only ever figured out how to excorcise dark side ghosts. So... do I *need* to be long-winded about how you got stupid in the end, or can I assume becoming a ghost served as a good enough lesson?" She moved through him and plopped herself dow...

She caught sight of him from the corner of her eyes, but didn't say anything. She just sighed, slowly removed herself from beneath the table. Slowly stood up. Took in another slow breath... ...then punched him. Well, punched the air, probably. "You don't get to lecture me on stupidity, Torsin," she ...

She sensed it, and reacted by trying to stand up to see what was going on.

Which ensured the top of her head came into a sudden and painful kind of contact with the bottom of the table's surface.

"Ow... motherkriffing... stupid table..."

Layne was in her ship, actually cleaning the place up. Sort of. Mostly she was just busy trying to find all the stray bits of expired candy that had gotten *everywhere* back when they'd crashlanded on Hoth. There was no real *reason* to, of course, it was really just a way to keep busy. Pass the tim...

"Could be," she said, "And I don't think he would've accepted defeat anyhow. Well, anyway... who knows. Maybe he's not gone entirely yet. My ancestors survived their own death and found ways to communicate with me and others. Maybe his essence still lingers? You could try calling out to him through ...

"I hated him for a long time," she said, "Fought him twice. Lost both times. It *would* have been nice, to fight him again and *win* this time. Not to kill him at the end, but... well, just have him acknowledge defeat. And then let myself move past him and what he did. But maybe I don't really need ...

She had to roll her eyes at most of that. The last part had really been the only actually relevant set of words.

"Well... that's okay then, I guess."

"Everything," I guess, not really sure how else to put it into words.

She nodded at Luth; uncertain of what else to say at this time and deciding to let her just go instead of filling the air with meaningless chatter. Once she was gone, she looked back to Jerri. Or Irrej.

"Are you okay with this?"