A Certain Point of View is the eighth installment in Sakaros's perhaps perpetually-Untitled New Sith Wars series. Tirien Kal-Di and Narasi Rican journey to Tirien's homeworld of Pantora on a recruitment mission for the Jedi Order and find themselves tested in unexpected ways.
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Excerpt[]
| Source: A Certain Point of View | Attribution: Sakaros |
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"It's good to see you, Harshee," Tirien said before Narasi could reply. Harshee recovered her grin. "It's been too long, Tirien. Last time I saw you, you were…well, still taller than me." She laughed. "But not by nearly as much. Heard you've become quite the hero." Tirien donned the dry look with which Narasi was more familiar. "I do what I can." "Ah, but can you do what I can't?" Harshee quipped. Tirien looked curious, but Master La'altac gently cleared his throat. Waiting until the Knights and Narasi turned, the Caamasi said, "That's why we've called for you, Tirien. Harshee has come aboard with a task for which we think you're particularly well-suited." That captured Narasi's attention completely. The Council finally had a mission for them. She felt a burst of excitement, then tried instinctively to smother it before she remembered Master Kadych wasn't here to lift it out of her mind and subject her to his cold-eyed scrutiny. Her own master looked more thoughtful. "If a Knight like Harshee couldn't handle it, I'm not sure what more we can do." Shut up, Master! Narasi wanted to groan. The Council was about to let them off the Crescentia for the first time in three months! She was prepared to assure the Council Masters she and Tirien could take down the Council of Five if it got them the stamp of approval to use the Second Chance for more than private chats. "A tool for every task, Tirien," Harshee told him. "You've got an edge I don't." Narasi saw the Council Masters nodding thoughtfully. Tirien asked, "What's the mission?" "Recruitment," said Master Thifrieu. Narasi could tell Tirien shared her surprise, though he concealed it better as he looked down at Harshee Nefkin again before returning his gaze to the Masters. "I've never done a recruitment mission before, Masters; I'll do my best, of course, but I don't know that I have an edge." "I do," Harshee said. "The kid's Pantoran." | |
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| Characters | Creatures | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
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Birds (Mentioned only) |
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Plot Summary[]
Three months after Mali Darakhan led a team of Jedi to Milagro, Narasi Rican chafes under the restrictions of the Crescentia's Praxeum Council, which has confined Tirien Kal-Di and Narasi to the ship to encourage meditative penance. Matters change when Harshee Nefkin, the Jedi who recruited Tirien, arrives at the the Crescentia with the report that she failed in a second recruitment mission to Tirien's homeworld, Pantora. Tirien takes up the mission, but while Narasi is relieved to return to the field and eager to learn more about her master, Tirien has mixed feelings about returning home.
VIP treatment on Pantora throws Tirien, but not so much as his conversation with Dorje Sokos, whose four-year-old son, Ayson, is Force-sensitive. Dorje excoriates the Jedi Order for training Padawans as child soldiers and depriving them of their innocence, and Tirien has no ready response. While he handles a media barrage, he sends Narasi into the capital city of Isalius without instructions, encouraging her to take a day off. Though nonplussed, Narasi explores the city and has lunch with a group of Pantorans her own age, but finds their everyday teenage concerns naive. The group is confronted by a pair of mall security officers looking to throw Narasi out, but though she mind tricks them away, she leaves nonetheless, vexed by their speciesism. Walking the rooftop gardens of Pantora, she is tracked down by Rylar Kal-Di, Tirien's younger brother, who is eager to meet Tirien and tells Narasi about their family in exchange for her promise to try to arrange a meeting.
Tirien, meanwhile, meets with Samaya Otorosi, a personal adviser to the Chairman of Pantora, who has requested a meeting with Tirien. Tirien agrees and reluctantly accepts a hotel suite as the Chairman's gift, where he and Narasi compare their days, though Narasi does not share her meeting with Rylar, still trying to find the right way to bring it up. Narasi is also concerned by the effect Dorje had on Tirien, determined that her master not consider her a child in need of protection and sheltering. As they talk, Narasi realizes that Ayson's mother was not present or apparently in his life, and she and Tirien deduce something must have happened to her. Tirien and Narasi reach out to Mali Darakhan and Aldayr Nikodon, respectively, for guidance on some of the difficulties they are facing.
The next day, Narasi tracks down the story with help from Tirien and Rylar's sister, Zina; they discover that Hera Sokos was killed in a pirate raid early in Ayson's life. Tirien meets with Chairman Korfadda and is stunned to be offered rule over all of Pantora, and potentially the entire Sujimis sector, in exchange for leading and defending the sector against incursions; Korfadda offers him the chance to establish a local Jedi Order, equivalent to the Corellian and Tapani Jedi factions. Caught off guard, Tirien is not sure what to think. Though intent on advising Tirien to meet his family, Narasi is diverted by the Chairman's offer. Though she pledges to support and stay with Tirien, whatever he decides, they ultimately come to the decision to return to the Republic. Realizing that exposure to his family might be the last temptation that sways Tirien away from what he believes is right, Narasi elects not to tell him about Zina and Rylar.
Tirien and Narasi return to Dorje Sokos, who is still opposed to Ayson joining the Order. Narasi, however, speaks to Dorje alone, confiding that she remembers her own parents and is grateful that they gave her up to the Jedi, despite the danger, because she is living the best life she could possibly have. Dorje finally agrees to surrender Ayson. While they wait, Tirien turns down the Chairman's offer and gives a press conference to assembled news media, urging the Pantoran people to stay strong and defend others as they can, while he and Narasi will carry on the fight in the larger galaxy. The two take Ayson to the Second Chance, and Narasi endures Zina and Rylar's disappointment and anger when she tells them no meeting will be possible.
On the Crescentia, Tirien meets with the Praxeum Council and announces his intent to continue service in the field, to which they agree, while Narasi helps Ayson acclimate to his new life as a Jedi.
Behind the Scenes[]
These three images, unused concept art of Pantora, were instructive in Sakaros's description of Isalius and its environs.
Dorje and Ayson Sokos live on Zidela Avenue. Zidela is Zulu for "sacrifice". The Zulu language is the most common first language in South Africa; Pantorans in The Clone Wars speak Basic with South African accents.
Sakaros deliberately referred to Harshee almost recognizing Narasi's name as a "near hit memory" rather than a "near miss memory" as an homage to George Carlin.[1]
As with The Fog of War, A Certain Point of View had a working title abandoned at the eleventh hour (To Go to Rest).