Galactic Gladiators

by Lilith Sedai

GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS, PLACES, LINGUISTIC BUTCHERY, AND ITEMS FROM GALACTIC GLADIATORS

Arilan: Some group of people somewhere near the Galactic Core who own a hell of a lot of holotransmission emitters.

Arranhar: "To claw" in Portuguese (Verb form used as plural noun here because it's cool-sounding). The name of the clawed species that are Dramacore's preferred pursuit predators. Singular: Arranha. I am told this also means "skyscraper" in colloquial Portuguese. So much for the language resource I used to find out its meaning!

Bant: Master Tahl's padawan learner, Obi-Wan's best friend.

Bilam: Male employee of Dramacore. Fat, bald, and cruel, but not too smart. Gets off on physical torture of prisoners. Wears filthy grey coverall. Not the guy you wanna be if you dislike choking.

Birin: Generic Jedi Knight responding to Qui-Gon's call for backup on Xinune.

Cai: Partner to Knight Birin. Generic helpful backup Jedi and faceless pawn in the horrible machinations of Lilith Sedai.

Cido: Male prisoner of Dramacore. Also generic.

Damnú ort, streachailt leathair Jedi striapach!: Damn you, fucking (literally, 'leather stretching') Jedi whore!

Delta 6: Obi-Wan's single-man starfighter at the time of this fic, equipped with a hyperspace ring for long-distance travel. See Delta-6 starfighter on Wookieepedia.

Draigon: A creature referenced in the Jedi Apprentice YA book series, these are probably pretty much just small dragons. Obi-Wan fought them as a very young man before Qui-Gon took him as his padawan.

Dramacore: Holovid company, notorious for reality broadcasts of to-the-death gladiatorial combat and hard-core pornography. Filthy rich. Kidnaps people to make them stars. Doesn't always pay out to stars/prisoners as promised if they win.

Feisigh do thoin fein: Fuck your own ass. Irish Gaelic (Djinn)

Gida: Female prisoner of Dramacore, has survived one arena combat. Scarred and cynical, the most experienced of the prisoners. I based her on Zooey Deschanel, but you don't have to think of her that way if you don't like.

Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat: May the cat eat you and the devil eat the cat. Irish Gaelic (Djinn).

Go hifreann leat, cailleach: Go to hell, you old witch. Irish Gaelic (Djinn)

Jata: Male Dramacore employee, thin with white, tightly-curled hair. Clever bastard who gets up to psychological games with prisoners. You don't wanna be him, either.

Jom: Male lieutenant under Captain Kalare in King Tabare's personal guard force.

Kalari: Female captain of King Tabare's personal guard force.

Ki-Gün Djinn is ainm dom: My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. Irish Gaelic (Djinn). Wow, this is a bad one; any linguist worth a damn would beat me half to death for combining fake Arabic names with words from Irish Gaelic and blaming it all on one culture. If you wanted to go through the same mental gymnastics and web inquiries I did, you'd discover this phrase means something very like "Qui-Gon Jinn is the name on me." The only justification for the Djinn using Irish Gaelic as their native language is, of course, Liam Neeson's irrepressible Irish brogue, which by default has to be the faint remnant of Qui-Gon's first language (blame George for hiring an Irishman who is constitutionally incapable of saying 'anything' instead of 'ennathin,' and then telling him he has to try to sound American).

Maj'lis: A particularly dominant young male arranha, difficult to control. Has killed keepers.

Majnun Djinn: One of the reclusive Djinn, an employee of Dramacore who works as chief handler for the arranhar. Majnun is Arabic for "Familiar spirit," which is, simply enough, a synonym for "Djinn." I am also told that this research was inadequate, and that Majnun means crazy/obsessive/etc. But I already had it in place, so we're stuck with it. The only religious or political significance I intend by using "Djinn" is a vague mythological association with wizards and giants-- and George already did that anyway when he named Qui-Gon. I based Majnun on a friend of mine who has about the right body type, but who would probably kill me with his bare hands for me cursing him with long hair. And he'd have EVERY right to. Sorry, A. B. M.!

Mirani: Female prisoner of Dramacore. As yet generic.

Misi Raksen: A Jedi watchman, specializing in the culture, lore, and situations of the sector where Xinune is located. Uses a yellow lightsaber.

Mo Athair: my father. Irish Gaelic/Djinn.

Mo dheartháir: my brother. Irish Gaelic/Djinn.

Nosaurian: See Nosaurian on Wookieepedia.

Ruoto Millim: Male Dramacore employee. High level, oily, sleazebucket. Think a combination of Eddie Izzard in Velvet Goldmine and Richard Dawson in The Running Man.

She'ba: A female arranha, old enough that she is extremely docile and agreeable by comparison to the others, but still extremely deadly and easily angered.

Sljee: The only sentient being I could find on Wookieepedia that was bountifully equipped with the fully articulated tentacles I required for executing Jata's nefarious script. IT WAS ALL HIS IDEA, NOT MINE.... Sljee on Wookieepedia.

Slave minder: A small transmitter implanted in a slave, constantly transmitting the slave's location to its owner's comm console. They are rigged to explode upon removal, remote trigger, or in response to tampering, so that slaves can't cut them out and run away.

So'lis: Majnun Djinn's preferred partner arranha. Male, very quick and agile.

Stereme: City in which Dramacore has a facility for filming and supporting chase programs. Chases in which the target survives end here.

Tá tú glan as do mheabhair: You are completely out of your mind. Irish Gaelic (Djinn).

Tabare: King who calls for Jedi assistance with finding his missing son.

Tahl: Jedi Master, Loremaster, Qui-Gon's long-time romantic interest, though they remained celibate. Blinded during her last mission as a Jedi Guardian and rescued by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. I based her on Jada Pinkett Smith, but who knows what George thinks?

Takat: City in which Tabare's palace is located; government seat of his realm.

Taq: Male prisoner of Dramacore, seems unusually perceptive and might have a small amount of Force sensitivity. Not very resilient. Based on a young Cary Elwes.

Tiran: Prince; Tabare's son, kidnapped by Dramacore. Obi-Wan's old friend and lover. Based on a young Christian Bale. Mmmmm, pretty.

Titim gan éirí ort: May you fall without rising. Irish Gaelic (Djinn).

Walek: 10-year-old padawan learner to Master Misi Raksen.

Xinune: Planet on which Tabare is King; Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are sent there to investigate Prince Tiran's disappearance.