The Gospel and Testaments of Ardgal Raxis

[Dunames Lopez]

Xal 3, near First Order space but not quite in it yet. First Order regulations were rather overbearing as far as filmmaking were concerned so Star Tours, while a rather faithful instrument in the First Order schemes, especially dominions, Dunames, visibly tired of dominioning under Logistical Command's orders, assembles what camera drones she could, the very same that were used by Taking off on a Star Tour for filming at the Galactic Games. Twenty camera drones, of which twelve were positioned at strategic locations inside goal zones (one top-dead-center, one behind-dead-center, and two more at each end of the goal zone, and that's for one goal zone), were deployed during the games by Taking Off on a Star Tour to film about the Games using live streaming. That particular AT-AT barge having its paint re-made for the shooting of The Gospel and Testaments of Ardgal Raxis, it acts as a mobile behind-the-scenes location while principal photography starts.

"Star Tours has not only been involved in the financing of this movie, the closest thing we have to a bankable actor is [member="Ardgal Raxis"], which also helped us reduce the cost by providing his products at a reduced cost"

"I would have loved to cast Jessica, but she is far from being a bankable actress. The reason why she appeared in that movie was because the movie was built out of historical records. Plus she is a polarizing figure especially along the eastern part of the Core Worlds" Emelanda told Dunames.

"But Jessica can use a high-recoil weapon with no more consequences than you would a blaster carbine" Frank protested. "Perhaps it's because of where the movie fits inside the First Order's bread-and-circuses"

Dunames turned to Ardgal. "Ardgal, we chose that part Xal 3 because it was close enough to a former base of outlaws that smuggled weapons"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal was a madman. But he was very wise in his madman state. As far as psychopaths who believed they were gods, Ardgal was one, if not the, most benevolent one. Yup, good old Space Jesus going on. As his Pantheon of followers and fellow-gods was growing, well someone had to be able to write it all down for the common folk. It was important they knew he was a good man, a god, a god who related to the people, who was there for their best interest. Nah, it wasn't a PR event or some vanity fair but a real and genuine attempt by a man who was truly psychotic but well meaning to get his message of hope and faith out to the galaxy.

The galaxy needed something to believe in. Someone to believe in. If he was that lightening rod for it--well, he was ok with that. All that mattered was he helped the people of this galaxy.

The general folded his hands together and leaned on the table. He wasn't sure if his Priestess, [member="Taara Sehko"] would be arriving or not.

"Well, let me start by saying thank you for having me here," he said graciously, flashing a winsome smile, "There are some details I was unsure on. What sort of movie were we intending to make? And were you needing me to recount some of my miracles? Or did you already gather the records on that?"

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Taara Sehko]

Taara came in in a deep blue gown a few minutes after Ardgal took a seat. She hadn't intended on being late, but she'd been delayed due to her clothing being a bit dirty from one of the classes she'd been teaching to the children. She'd taken up this particular job shortly after Ardgal had saved them.​

​

She walked into the room, quickly apologizing to them for her timing before sitting down beside him.​

​

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]​

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"For some reason, I never got wind of any of those miracles. Is there a particular miracle, or sequence of miracles (if multiple miracles occured close one another in space and/or time) that seem more suited to holovid production?"

"From the miracle(s) chosen for the production of this holovid will depend the type of holovid we'll get out of it" Emelanda warned.

"And the budget, too; if it requires a lot of equipment that will be destroyed in the end, it will cost more than if you need little special effects. One thing though: due to First Order regulations, horror movies are off-limits. We got denied the right to screen both Dead Fantasy films on First Order worlds"

Dead Fantasy 1 featured a Force-sensitive Givin actor in the role of the main antagonist, which summoned zombies that terrorized Corulag and where a Togruta-led team of space wizards attempted to fight the zombie infestation. Dead Fantasy 2, on the other hand, only required pick-up photography since principal photography was pretty much supplied by the Mandalorians and the Republic almost ready-made, straight from historical records. As a result, Taking Off on a Star Tour spent 10x as much on DF1 than on DF2. And, as Jessica warned, this time around, taking out either Arisa or Jessica wouldn't have stopped the zombie onslaught. Plus Jessica wasn't a space wizard and Arisa was a lightsider unable to summon zombies. And yet Taking Off on a Star Tour was a largely unknown holovid studio. First Order authorities told Star Tours to do films other than horror movies or else their support from Logistical Command and the Ministry of Transportation would be curtailed, or even cut altogether.

[member="Taara Sehko"] [member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"Oh I have never been fond of that sort of thing," Ardgal said dismissing the genre with a wave of his hand. "It always seemed to strike me as a cheep thrill. There aren't many good movies of that nature anymore."

The general straitened his back and pursed his lips. There were several, it was hard to pick which one they should start with. His mind ran over the long list, cherry picking the ones that were truly valuable. His followers, of course, had a large hand to play in who he was. They had a defining roll. He wanted them to of course be displayed too.

"Well, to start," he said at last, "You would probably want to start with my ascension to godhood. I was selected by the god makers and changed. They instilled in me the godhood of mine. I died and rose again, as a god not a mortal. I killed Abbadon. The false self-proclaimed god on Rodia. He had captured and subjugated many people, draining their life force from them. I overcame this world, killing him and setting the captives free. Taara remembers the miracle of the city. I rescued the civilians of her city from certain death through an endless war. A hospital feel around me, but I lived. I took them away to safety, and rose up for them a village in one day. I created the godkillers, warriors able to put an end to any of the Sith and Jedi who are false deities. I feed and clothe the masses everyday."

He shifted his weight, "I am sure you have become aware of my Pantheon? The other gods and goddess that I have rallied around me that have been of great assistance? Do you have any plans to portray them in this film?"

[member="Taara Sehko"]
[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"That's a lot of gods, and a lot of followers"

Large cast. That's what it would mean if portraying all the gods that rallied around him was agreed upon. Hopefully Ardgal's salary won't be too high. That was more of a "choral movie", that is, a movie where the main characters are numerous and are given more or less equal screen time and character development. A movie shot with an ensemble cast, if you will. That sort of movies were the ones that could be shot without a bankable actor. Jessica was just too bright anyway... Dunames wasn't a bankable star either, much less among the crowd of the gods of the map game. She might have been a household name among the hospitality industry or the shipping industry but beyond that she amounts to pretty little. Except for a certain Darth Veles.

"Surely you don't mean the gods of the map game?"

"Speaking of the gods of the map game, Dunames, I was there at the shareholder's assembly, too, where you said that the gods of the map game virtually controlled the galactic defense industries, but where you, as a goddess of the map game, you were one such goddess because you wanted nothing to do with the manufacture of implements of destruction"

"If you're talking about the gods of the map game, there are three of them here: you, your priestess and me. But I have the impression that it is not about the gods of the map game however"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Taara Sehko"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"Not a lot of other gods," he said with a slight shrug, "There is the goddess of Theives, [member="Roshki Belawiiks"], The god of Technology [member="Warren Century"], [member="Anya Loma "] the Dark Messiah, [member="Zenva Vrotoa"] the goddess of Judgement, Taara, the goddess of Destruction and Creation. That is all. We have many followers, and our base is of course growing," He gave a slight tilt of his head, "But not all are gods or goddesses. And of the gods and goddesses, not all are in the pantheon. There are many gods and goddesses to be had across the galaxy of course."

Or, at least in the opinion of this very believable madman.

"This most certainly is not about the gods of the map game," he replied, the writer hadn't heard of this before so he was going to pretend that he did and mooooooove right along..... "Its more about the gods I have gathered around me thus far. Is this a more workable model?" Of course, he was sure they would want a testament of his--er--testaments. For that, he was sure his Priestess could supply. She was a preistess after all.

[member="Taara Sehko"]
[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"You understand that actors often cost a lot in the major productions: the main reason why Dead Fantasy 1 cost 10 times as much as Dead Fantasy 2 is because the principal photography of Dead Fantasy 2 was shot mostly using historical records, using extras at rates up to 300 credits/day for doing pick-up photography"

"Sometimes actors can command exorbitant salaries: this is one of the major factors in any holovid budget. I trust that CTAE, and the other corporations owned by the Pantheon, will provide Star Tours with materials at a discount if the gods themselves are playing"

The main antagonist, a Givin Force-sensitive actor that is a veteran of horror movies, cost Star Tours about 10% of the entire production cost and another 10% for the Togruta protagonist. Roughly 5 million apiece. Pick-up photography for DF2 actually took place inside the Rasta Sub and on Verkuyl due to the interior's similarities to Republican ships' sickbays (and also the bridge) and of a certain region of Verkuyl had similarities to Kachirho's outer city. But Dunames never appeared personally - she was on Dosuun at the time as part of the commentator crew of Taking Off on a Star Tour. She might be a megalomaniac, she wants to be symbolized at every significant step of her megalomania, but you had to say that she did turn around the old Star Tours into a luxury cruise line.

"I can be a follower for that holovid if the gods do not object, and I believe neither will Emelanda nor Frank"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Taara Sehko"] [member="Warren Century"] [member="Anya Loma"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"] [member="Roshki Belawiiks"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"Oh we do not own any corporations," Ardgal said with a splay of his hands, "However, my followers would be more than glad to assist you in this endevour. Even if just as extras or second part roles, I am sure you would find them most helpful."

And of course, there had to be at least someone among the thousands with a fair amount of acting experience. They would do it for next to nothing, or nothing if Ardgal asked. He was their god, and the chance to portray him in film was well, an honor that few would ever be given. If there was no one able to play a role at all, well they would work something out.

"I don't see how they would, I don't," Ardgal said, sliding his hand across the surface of the table. "As for any assistance with props and costuming, my people are at your disposal. I do not suppose you would want to use live weapons blasters and blades for obvious safety reasons? That of course, could be problematic. However, armor and the clothing of our priests I am sure we can cover that."

He gripped a glass of water on the table and took a sip before continuing, "I am not sure on the special affects these days. I have been told that sometimes it is cheaper to film in front of a green screen than to go to location. Should I prepare our holy sites for your filming? Or will you be using this green screen method?"

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"If you have no real need for FX on scenes set in a holy site, we'll do it on location; otherwise we'll go for the green/blue screen"

"I guess we'll take any follower with acting talent or experience for any extras or second-parts"

"Just set blasters to stun, unless there is an equivalent for a blank for blasters. As for slugthrowers, have them fire blanks: this is what we did for Dead Fantasy 1"

Only the main antagonist had a slugthrower in DF1; assuming that space wizards as defined in DF1 were the same as space wizards in real battlefields, it made sense. Dunames was a little perplex upon hearing that. But with thousands of followers, there would be a few with acting talent in that crowd. Dunames suspects that there are a lot of followers that were never given a chance to take up acting and would like a chance to do so, certainly a few dozen would do so at the salaries of their day jobs, since at least some of them wouldn't settle for less.

"Followers willing to act as extras or second-parts will be paid the same amount as they would on their day jobs: if otherwise unemployed they will be paid a certain amount"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"] [member="Taara Sehko"] [member="Warren Century"] [member="Anya Loma"] [member="Zenva Vrotoa"] [member="Roshki Belawiiks"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"That seems amiable enough to me," Ardgal agreed.

He examined the water in the glass from several angles, looking at its clarity, its purity, its every-bit the crystal clear. There was a lot to be said for things that were crisp, clear, and pure. He could imagine that there would be outrage among some, at what they could call "selling out" his truth for entertainment. That some would claim he was doing it just for fame, or popularity. They could say he was watering down the truth, selling out to consumerism. It was important to keep things clear. Crystal clear like this water. Otherwise, it was undrinkable, worse than nothing else.

"How much is going to be changed for film?" Ardgal asked setting the glass down, "I have heard that filmography has done this in the past to--well several stories. How much is going to be altered from this?"

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"We try to change as little as possible: with Dead Fantasy 2 we were as faithful as we could"

"More than a star or two in the cast, a proper plot like the ascension to godhood still needs a producer. Taking Off on a Star Tour, when dealing with holovids made from true stories, it must remain as true to possible"

But that was because DF2 was shot mostly using historical records. Dunames knew about how the Ludi Billane case was famous for being wholly distorted, as was Sacrifice at Endor, but beyond that she knew next to nothing about holovid history. She learned all she knew about holovid business from Emelanda, not the least because the latter was a holovid producer. Plus who was she to resist her expertise, even though she is more famous not so much for producing movies, but for being a frequent visitor to the Lipstick Express. She was mostly shooting indie movies but here Star Tours offered her a chance to make it big. Because, while Star Tours may own the requisite distribution circuits, it has little experience and little name recognition in shooting holovids. Dead Fantasy 1 had some success across the galaxy, but mixed reviews: the antagonist was better played than the protagonist.

"As we are now shooting Broken Bones and Breadsticks, with Pizza Hutt providing the main location for principal photography, we're using as little outside special effects as possible: we even paid for one of the Miraluka actresses to have eye implants; she usually worked at said Pizza Hutt and plays the role of one Charzon Loulan; you know Charzon?"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"I can't say I do," Ardgal confessed, he said with a slight chuckle.

He spent more time on the battle field than anywhere else, it was his house of worship, his temple. And when he wasn't, he was at his other temple, the barracks, or working to make his people happier, better fed, or better clothed. He honestly wasn't one to keep up with the news, celebrity or pop culture. That was, well that was for other people. Normal people, not workaholic gods of Order and Justice.

"Speaking of filming," Ardgal said, "When will you finish with this Broken Bones and Breadsticks film? And when will begin the filming of this movie? I am interested to see what is created."

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"The real [member="Charzon Loulan"] is the boss of the company that supplied nearly all of Star Tours' ships. As for Broken Bones and Breadsticks, it should be finished in a week or so"

And then the filming crews will be able to get off Nar Shaddaa and into filming sites or some studio on Lipsec. Probably would want green or blue screen depending on whether some blasters fire green bolts or not. If there are some weapons that fire in green, or green uniforms, blue screen, if blue uniforms or weapons are the order of the day, green. Dunames was, simply put, just a beginner in the business of handling movie production or whatnot. Still Emelanda was so new to the world of big-time holovid production... hopefully this ensemble cast thing would rather be a cost-cutting measure.

"Plus, given the description of what the gods do and what their ascension entail, it might be best to go for the green or blue screen (depending on colors used) which would mean some studio on Lipsec would play host to the whole thing"

"Thanks Emelanda"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"We don't have any green or blue skinned beings in our group," Ardgal said. Of course, that was the galaxy that they lived in. Someone had to cover those bases for several different skin colors and life choices. It was all about political correctness these days, something about #GreenLivesMatter or--something like that. He was sure there was some sort of political message and punchline somewhere in there. He never wanted to offend anyone.

Ardgal rose to his feet and smoothed his clothes out, clearing his coat, white silken shirt and slacks out from any wrinkles. He came dressed as a mortal despite his status as a miracle maker.

"Do you need anything else from me, then? I am sure we will be meeting again, do you need anything else until then, and is there anything else for me to prepare for our next meeting?"

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"I was more thinking in terms of weapons, like blasters firing green or blue bolts when put on stun, or clothing worn by followers, not so much in terms of the species of said followers"

That would mean that there were no Chiss, no Nautolans, no Mirialans, no Omwati (or other green/blue-skinned species) on the roster of followers available for casting. But the choice of screen color would depend heavily on the choice of weapons. But the DC-15 series is notorious for firing blue bolts, regardless of whether it is fired on stun or not. And most of the standard bowcasters fire green bolts.

"Otherwise there is no more information required on your part"

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal gave a slight bow and a polite smile. That was relatively easy, "Well then, ma'am I do bid you farewell and peace until you need my assistance again."

He helped his priestess [member="Taara Sehko"] to her feet and helped lead her out the door to their waiting shuttle outside. All in all, Ardgal felt a sense of acomplishment. That went rather well, his message would go out to the rest of the galaxy in the form of a holovid. And if all went well, that would stir up a conversation, a conversation that would draw in more followers. More followers of course, meant more Ardgal could do to help positively change the galaxy. That was all he wanted, was to change the galaxy, to make it better.

[member="Dunames Lopez"]

 

[Dunames Lopez]

"Too easy to be true, ma'am" Frank commented.

"In general horror movies won't be screened, and also movies that are overtly anti-FO. That religion not being overtly anti-FO, they will probably let us screen that"

Unlike the Dead Fantasy movies, whom FO denizens could only watch on Star Tours flights to destinations laying outside FO space, The Gospel and Testaments of Ardgal Raxis promises not to be a Jedi-vs-Sith kind of thing, no more than Broken Bones and Breadsticks is. Although the crew reports that one of the street brawlers in the movie, looking almost exactly like a Force-sensitive clone of Charzon, has been reluctant to engage non-Sith - perhaps the actress, er, waitress is purported to be on the phone for becoming a Jedi Sniper. As she watches [member="Ardgal Raxis"] and [member="Taara Sehko"] leaving Xal 3, it was almost time for Dunames to do the same, perhaps even for more dominioning.