#(i think darth maul has more lore but i do not know it)

[skyburger]

count dooku on my mind couldnt even tell you why. star wars has such a vast and expansive canon why am i thinking about DOOKU. hes like not even that interesting hes just some old guy who died. i mean he like had some cool scenes but like? Its count dooku. its fucking count dooku. this is like if i was thinking about general grievous or something like who the fuck cares about him. im sure someone does but that burden should not be mine to bear... and yet? count dooku in my thoughts. not even like coherent things just like. i think hes funny

[charmwasjess]

Hi Jess! I have been reading the Darth Plagueis book, wherein he says that to get a true Sith, you can’t just corrupt a Jedi, you have to go a lot further… as much as Dooku was the right hand man of Palpatine, I think he was a lot less “true Sith Lord” and a lot more “fallen Jedi”… thoughts?

P.S. what do you think would’ve happened if Obi-Wan and Dooku joined forces? I’m not sure if you have written about them yet 

Always good to hear from you, bud! :D What a fantastic question!

I’ll start off by pointing out that Sidious, who as The Big Sith Master is the only dude who gets to say who is or isn’t a Sith, seems to consider him one, in an official capacity. But I TOTALLY see what you’re saying, and I tend to agree with you (and with Plagueis!) I think Dooku’s storytelling role, his identity in the saga, is that of a fallen Jedi, not characterizing the typical qualities in a Sith Lord. He might be officially a Sith, but narratively, it almost doesn’t matter. 

You know, it’s Dooku: Jedi Lost, not Dooku: Sith Rising. There’s no denying that Dooku is an unconventional Sith, to say the least. He only flashes Sith eyes once. He still uses his Jedi lightsaber form - a lightsaber form which is all about disarming, not deathblows. He has a notoriously difficult time killing, and seems to put off important kills out of blatant sentimentality, or get someone else to do them, often halfheartedly. On the sliding scale from “moments where he visibly looks miserable” in Clone Wars to some of the Legends novels where Dooku as a POV character outright describes his own life in excruciating terms full of regret and desperation, we as viewers are to understand that Dooku’s decision is the ultimate sunk-cost fallacy, one he pays for again and again. A miserable dance that concludes on his knees with that very expressive final look at Sidious. We see that he has wagered wrongly, and more, in that moment, that he finally knows it – just as much as we do. 

And of course, there are plenty of reasons for the conflict in the character  - everything from his motivations of corrupted idealism to the simple fact of old habits. I mean, Anakin spent 23 years as Vader as opposed to 14 years in the Order; Dooku, a mere 13 years as Tyranus, with a 60 year Jedi career hardcoded into his body.

But I think it’s more than just how Dooku feels about his identity as a Sith. Some of it is surely how Sidious treats him. 

To Sidious, Dooku is a servant and a patsy, a stopgap solution to his Maul -> Anakin apprentice problem, and certainly not ever as an heir to his and Plagueis’s Sith line. He is not training Dooku to carry on the legacy and knowledge of the Sith after he’s gone. (It’s arguable that Sidious doesn’t think anyone will NEED to carry it on, as he himself will be immortal.) Still, it’s not hard to see that Sidious does not have a lot of motivation or time to thoroughly sithize Dooku or give him an equal stake. Dooku himself behaves unreliably, is resentful and argumentative, can’t stop collecting minions, and plotting to overthrow his Master seems to be the one part of being a Sith that Dooku actually enjoys. He’s a liability to Sidious- and teaching him more Sith lore and powers just makes him more of a threat. 

Dooku himself articulates it well, so I'll give the last word to him. Here he is talking about what it’s like to be a Sith apprentice from Yoda: Dark Rendezvous:

[maulfvckers]

OK SO HEADCANNON TIME

Maul was re-alived by the Son. Just like Ahsoka was re-alived by the Daughter.

So we know this for Ahsoka because it's done right in front of you and we have the bird and all that jazz. "In plain light," so to speak.

BUT what happened to the Son at the fall of Mortis? Well if you look at it carefully they're immortal beings that aren't exactly bound by space and time. So the Son being pretty damn powerful but probably not as much as the Father. He decides to live on in a dark sider. So... Who's desperate enough, emo enough, and stupid enough to accept the literal embodiment of evil?

Our boy Maul.

It explains a lot about him. It gives a pretty neat Watsonian explanation for his change in voice, it explains why Sidious literally never thinks of him again and is kinda surprised that Maul's alive, and it even explains his weird behavior in Rebels (again a Watsonian explaination). His voice changes because it's literally the Son's voice. Sidious genuinely thinks he died because, well... He did. And his seemingly erratic behavior and split motivations would fit pretty neatly with two different souls fighting for dominance in one body. It even gives a little insight into how Maul was able to "see" more than the average force user even more so than just having the context of his abuser taking over the galaxy.

But we don't see this right? Well... In line with the "light/dark" dichotomy that star wars loves. The reveal of Maul's possession isn't as straight forward or "hidden in the dark." (Yeah it's simple but *sighs* Star Wars) But we DO see it. We see it with the repetition of "the chains are the easy part. It's what goes on in here is hard," by the Son on Mortis as he talks to Ahsoka and by Mauk when he see him on Lotho Minor. We also hear it in his voice. These choices made by the animators were not mistakes in this sense.

We also can see how this plays out in Maul's general inability to draw from the light side even while not being a Sith just like Ahsoka has a general inability to draw from the dark side even while not being a Jedi. For the both of them, they're more or less fixed in their alignments. It explains how no matter how hard Maul tries to do the ultimately right thing by seeking to destroy Sidious, he's never going to experience the connection that comes from being in the light. It's just like no matter how much she despairs that she'll fall to the dark side, Ahsoka never really does (okay I gotta say Warsonian a third time cos I will lose my shit if I say what I really think).

So what does this mean for the narrative? For those two specifically, I think they're a little less in line with the idea "you can choose to be good or bad" and little more "wouldn't it be fucked up if you were possessed by the literal embodiment of evil/good and didn't even HAVE a choice no matter how hard you tried?" And you get some deep thing about free will and moralizing about how great it is. Cos if there's anything Star Wars loves to do it's moralize about things!

So that's just my take on them and I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks this, bit I'd love to hear from your frens. Take care!

-♥️-

granmaul

I love this, and I'm going to throw in a devil's advocate "Doylist" thought for the hell of it: Witwer voices both the Son and Maul and has a really good grasp on the lore. I think we can feel his influence in both characters' acting, and those similarities may be deliberate choices in their design so those echoes become apparent when looking closely at the execution:

The Son of Dathomir and the Son of Mortis.

I'm particularly fond of your headcanon because I think there are mirrors between the architects (the Celestials, assuming the Mortis Gods were part of that ancient race -- I like to think so but unconfirmed in canon afaik) and the fruits of their efforts, no matter how far they've fallen from the tree.

Thoughts, frens?

Darth Maul is alive truthers, speak up or forever hold your peace.

[yanderes-galore]

Hi idk if you write for female Yandere if you do hi could I please request romantic ahsoka who’s darling left the Jedi council with her , cause darling doesn’t like how the council treated ahsoka when she was framed ?

Sure! I do indeed write for female yanderes! I haven't had the chance to finish the Clone Wars series still but I promise I did my research on the entirety of Ahsoka's life :) If something is off, I apologize! I'm still very new and I am learning Star Wars, lol.

Here's the Ahsoka lore on Youtube I looked it it you want it, it has three parts. 1 2 3

Yandere! Ahsoka Tano with Darling who left The Order with her

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Angst, Manipulation, Dubious relationship, Overprotective behavior, Relatively tame yandere, Paranoia, Brief mentions of violence and possible kidnapping/isolation.

The news of what Ahsoka was charged with, treason, is appalling to you.

In the same way it does with Ahsoka you probably also begin to doubt The Order and Council all together.

You and Ahsoka had been close allies during the first half of the Clone Wars.

You were both Padawans to different masters, hell, maybe you were even Obi-Wan's new Padawan he was expecting.

As a result the two of you matured alongside each other.

Romance wasn't considered between the two of you for a long time.

As of now, even to the point of The Council's betrayal, you two were simply friends.

For this concept you're similar ages.

You've worked alongside Ahsoka for a long time now, you even praised each other for growing more independent.

You trusted her... you always listened to her and believed her like Anakin does.

To Ahsoka... you're probably the best friend she could've ever had.

Especially when The Council claims she bombed The Temple...

Like Anakin, you don't believe Ahsoka could do anything like this.

Really? Ahsoka? The Jedi Padawan who wants to defend the innocent?

You don't believe it.

As a result, you plead to The Order and The Council to reconsider when they catch Ahsoka and send her to trial.

They tell you you're out of line.

They tell you there's nothing you can do.

You think it really is all corrupt.

During Ahsoka's interrogation and trial, you stick by her side.

Even when Anakin was starting to second guess himself, you stayed by her.

Ahsoka liked your loyalty... she liked how you stood for what's right.

Perhaps you two were more alike than you thought?

When the true perpetrator shows herself and Ahsoka is let go, you make a decision.

You're also leaving The Order.

When Ahsoka leaves and Anakin follows her to stop her, Obi-Wan can tell what you're thinking.

"You can't-"

"I can, Master. I'm staying by my friend, I refuse to be a part of a corrupt Council and Order who turns their back on their own Jedi. Don't stop me. Ahsoka needs an ally out there."

Obi-Wan knows deep down he can't stop you... he can't blame you, either.

He lets you go... despite a nagging feeling in his gut going against this decision.

It's a tough decision yet betrayal drives your actions.

When Ahsoka is about to leave, she senses you run up to her.

"Are you going to stop me too?"

"No."

"One final goodbye?"

"No."

Ahsoka turns around to greet you, her gaze looking towards your bittersweet smile.

"I'm coming with you, 'Soka."

It's then you embrace your friend.

Ahsoka's silent, shock pausing her actions before she tightly holds you back.

She's been betrayed many times during this war... with you by her side, she's happy she's found someone who won't.

You agree with her... she's happy she isn't alone.

It's around after you both leave that Ahsoka starts to slowly morph her friendship with you into more romantic feelings.

Throughout the second half of the Clone Wars, you two bond.

When she got her new sabers, you were given a new one of your own.

You two become a fearsome pair, especially when you meet up again with the Jedi once again to help with the hunt for Darth Maul.

I won't go too much into the events you two share as it will take a long time, but I will explain how Ahsoka's feelings shift.

After departing with each other you two end up training to work with each other as a pair.

Many comment on how synced you two have become through training between each other.

Even if you are no longer part of The Order and part of your own path, you two were clearly fated to aid each other.

When Ashoka's obsession kicks in... she feels maybe you weren't just fated to aid each other, but to be with one another.

Ahsoka has the potential to have an obsession.

Being Anakin's Padawan in the past, she is capable of some dark thoughts.

Although, unlike Anakin, she mostly stays good throughout her obsession.

There's times Ahsoka grows enraged or lets her emotions take over in general when it comes to you, yet she still doesn't usually use lethal force.

Ahsoka knows how to keep her darker and obsessive emotions under control.

She embodies more Light than Dark, even though she begins to realize she loves you.

Although... as she is not technically part of The Order and neither of you, her trying to make a relationship with you is possible.

Ahsoka is a bit hesitant to act on her feelings at first.

Part of her wonders if it'll be too much for you, as by the time her obsession develops we may already be talking Imperial territory in her story.

When Ahsoka thinks of pursuing her emotions you two are Rebels to The Empire.

By this time you both are about 18-19 years old.

You two have already known each other for years now and have been through so much.

Ever since leaving The Order, Ahsoka's feelings of wanting to protect you only got stronger.

For the most part I think Ahsoka would be relatively normal.

Her obsession doesn't seem much of a threat, even when she confesses her feelings to you, you may even agree.

Again, you trust her deeply.

Even when her obsession turns darker you still hold a great amount of care towards her.

While you are both primarily focused on leading Rebels at this point, Ahsoka's obsession does begin to intensify.

Ahsoka's affection towards you is small at times.

There isn't much time to give affection, but when there is...

Ahsoka is relieved to be able to just give into her feelings due to not being part of The Order.

She loves to hold and comfort you...

She loves it when you're safe...

Part of her begins to realize she is a bit scared to lose you to someone like Vader...

Fear is a powerful emotion.

You can expect Ahsoka giving a bit into the Dark Side at times when it comes to protecting you.

But since Ahsoka is a beacon of hope... she is mostly a tame yandere.

Plus, you most likely sense the corruption within her and try to correct her.

Ahsoka is a yandere you can usually keep on the right path.

Although when it comes to the threat of Order 66... and The Imperials in general... sometimes Ahsoka let's her emotions drive her.

Maybe she harms someone she shouldn't...

Maybe she argues with you about you staying out of a mission...

Maybe she accidentally harms you?

Ahsoka doesn't mean it when her obsession reflects dark seeds within her...

Yet it's expected, isn't?

She's been the Padawan of Anakin.

Perhaps the Dark Side was just laying dormant within her all this time...

Either way, she yearns for your forgiveness... even if she locks you away or harms people around you... she promises it's for your own protection.

[theamityelf]

Aw man, PROXY (the combat training droid) really would fit so well with the DRverse. Like his introduction scene has him randomly ambush Starkiller while using the Obi-Wan training program (complete with hologram/hard-light tech to make him appear as Obi-Wan did during the Clone Wars). And they just playfully banter like "Huh, didn't even know you still had that program, PROXY", "Oh, I thought if I surprised you with an old one, I might finally kill you master". To which Stakiller's like "Lol, better luck next time buddy". The whole relationship just seems exactly like what you'd get with Nagito having a robot as his only friend.

The fact that Vader had it fitted with an Obi-Wan program (as well as a Darth Maul program that's revealed later on) is both logical and weirdly hilarious to me. Like of course he'd want to prepare his Secret Apprentice to know how to fight his old master's lightsaber style, since he's still out there at this point in time. But it's just so hilariously obsessive. Actually PROXY later takes Vader off-guard by using it on him in a heroic sacrifice to save Starkiller (he's revealed to have been rebuilt in the sequel though).

Oh! And speaking of lightsaber styles...what do you think the DR cast members would pick as their main one if they were a Jedi, Sith, or some other lightsaber wielder? I'm not sure how much you know about those, so here's a rundown just in case. The whole made-up martial arts thing is part of the lore I find so endearingly stupid in an awesome way.

Form I/Shii-Cho is the beginner's form. Pretty much every Jedi is required to learn this one first, since it's the foundation for all the others. It was made in a time when they were transitioning from metal swords to lightsabers, and so it focuses a lot on non-lethal disarmament. As well as combatting multiple opponents. It's considered a bit clumsy and unrefined compared to its successors. But a handful of specialists of the form like Kit Fisto, were known for being very fluid and hard to predict.

Form II/Makashi is the most dueling-centric. With a focus on elegant, focused, and precise strikes. It was developed in response to the need for a lightsaber-to-lightsaber form when Dark Jedi became more prevalent. And as a result it fell out of widespread use when the Sith were thought extinct. With Jedi actually having to ask permission for training in it. It's two major flaws though are that's not ideal for multiple opponents, or against loads of blasters. Count Dooku is considered to be perhaps the greatest Makashi specialist, and managed to partly iron out of its weaknesses.

Form III/Soresu opts for a "stone wall" strategy. Being developed to combat massive numbers of blaster-wielding opponents. And allow the user to deflect dozens of bolts per second. And against other lightsaber-wielding opponents, the strategy is to tire them out with an unbreakable defense and then finish things with a decisive blow. It's polarizing among the Sith, as many view it as a weakling's form. Though the smarter ones like Darth Bane had a respect for it, seeing that there were some clear advantages. Obi-Wan is the most famous specialist, and that factored into the decision to send him after General Grievous.

Form IV/Ataru is kind of like the "fragile speedster" style. Since it heavily focuses on acrobatics for quick leaping strikes. Pretty good at quickly taking down single opponents, but not so much in prolonged fights, or while fighting in enclosed spaces. Not great against blasters either. Yoda and Ahsoka are the most notable specialists for it. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were too, though the latter switched to Soresu after finding Ataru didn't work so well for him against Darth Maul.

Form V/Shien is sort of like a more aggressive branch of Soresu. With the focus going from deflecting blaster bolts to redirecting them back at the enemy. It also has a more advanced dueling-centric variant called Djem So, which was made as an answer to Makashi. Requiring a lot of physical power from the user, the aim of it is to defend and then unleash a massive counter-attack of overwhelming strikes. Although they both had expertise in all forms, it was Anakin and Luke's preferred one. With Anakin actually going all in on transitioning from Shien to Djem So after losing to Dooku the first time. Other known specialists include Plo Koon, Aayla Secura, Darth Bane, and the legendary Ulic Qel-Droma.

Form VI/Niman was created as an all-rounder form. The idea being to take all the elements from the previous 5 and merge them into a single balanced form. In practice this ultimately led to most practitioners being just average in all fields, with no real strengths. It tended to be favored by Jedi who were more devoted to diplomacy and study. HOWEVER, mastered Niman is another story entirely. As its few specialists (who dedicated at least 10 years of determined study to it) had a style that was great in all fields, and had no weaknesses. With excellent skill at combining Force-based attacks into the style. Those specialists being legendary duelists like Exar Kun, Darth Krayt, and possibly Revan.

Form VII/Juyo is the last and most controversial of them. For its extreme viciousness and the intentional use of a wielder's emotions to fuel attacks. A highly aggressive that's like a more wild and untamed Makashi. Obviously it was the style most heavily favored by the Sith, and was the primary style of Darth Maul and Starkiller (who interestingly were both voiced by Sam Witner). Among the Jedi it was borderline taboo, and sanctioned to the point that only very disciplined masters were given permission to study it. Juyo also had a special variant developed by Mace Windu called Vaapad. Which channeled both his own inner darkness and his opponent's fury through himself, and convert those into attacks. This special technique might have factored into him managing to overpower Palpatine.

And of course there's Jar'Kai, which just means dual-wielding. Technically a lot of characters have used it, though only a handful do so regularly. Those beings ones like Ahsoka, Asajj Ventress, Starkiller's clone, Revan, and Darth Krayt. Tends to overlap a bit with Niman and Ataru.

...Lol, got a bit carried away with that explanation. Anyway, I personally reckon Izuru would be a dual-wielding Niman king. As well as being one of the few people to master Vaapad. Makoto I would see as a Soresu guy. And I'd probably leans towards Hajime favoring Djem So.

Wow, yeah, I think, if we're speaking comparatively, I know nothing about Star Wars. 🤣 This is all very fascinating! And yes, Soresu definitely seems to be compatible with Makoto's whole deal. And the fighting styles for Izuru and Hajime also seem really apt.

[kayberrie]

Lore dump for this new War Torn AU under the cut hehe

So the main premise of this au is that the Clone Wars never ended, which is why my working title of the War Torn AU, bc the galaxy is being torn by war. 

Basically the prequels play out exactly like the movie, right up until the end of Revenge of the Sith, along with some background action during Clone Wars.Two main things change: anakin’s arc, and Five’s quest. 

During the clone wars, instead of just running, Fives calls upon his ex-commander, Lady Tano. She can’t prevent his inevitable confrontation with Fox and Rex, but she can secretly prevent the bullet from lethally hitting him, effectively faking his death. Fives tells her about the control chips, and while she chooses not to directly involve herself, she does send him to Lux Bonterri, who decided to help work on a cure for the chip, or at least a way to loosen it’s hold (don’t come at me for the Lux thing, I just think that he should have more screen time and I haven’t watched CW in like two years. Ahsoka, disturbed by this information, goes to Bo Karan earlier than in the original timeline, and convinces her to allow Ahsoka to use Mandalorian resources for humanitarian efforts. I think that because she’s still struggling with her complicated relationship with war and fighting she’s originally be opposed to the idea of rejoining the war effort,. She would try to focus more on the peacekeeping role of the Jedi, even though she doesn’t think of herself as one. 

Timeskip to around Season 7: Fives catches word of the bullshit on Scako Minor, and realizes that Echo is alive. He wants to contact Echo, but realizes that he’s not in a spot to do it without risking his ally’s efforts (btw they’ve pretty much developed the cure by now). So he contacts Ahsoka, who’s about to speak with the Jed about Maul and Manalore. He asks her to take him along, so that he has a chance of speaking with and persuading Rex. She agrees, and he also gets her to talk it through with Anakin. After their discussion, Ahsoka realizes the identity of the Sith controlling the senate.

She goes and tells Obi wan, and together they confront Anakin and convince him to not do anything rash, effectively holding back his dark side turn for now.

Meanwhile Fives confronts Rex and Echo (he didn’t join the Bad Batch), they get told the truth, and Fives shows them the chip-cure that all clones need to be exposed to. They have a huge speech in front of the 501st, who are convinced (not easily).

They have to go back to the plot, though, and Anakin is wrestling with his feelings the whole time whist saving the Chancellor. When he doesn’t kill Dooku it raises suspicion from Palpatine, but he doesn’t act on it for his master plan is almost complete. Ahsoka’s story is mostly the same, save for the speed of it. With the entirety of the 501st fighting with their whole hearts, Ahsoka, Rex, Fives, Echo, and Bo apprehend Maul, although Jesse is left in rough shape. Lux and his ‘rebel’ organization meet them on Mandalore and equip all of the 501st with th cure. They then take off and try to spread it as quickly as possible to the rest of the clone army.

Anakin, brash as ever, decides to confront Palpatine in lieu of the Jedi Masters, while Obi wan lets them know about the chips and the Sith. Palpatine plays with Anakin, but once he realizes that he’s been pushed towards the light, he becomes angry, and basically kidnaps Anakin. After that he enacts Order 66. Unfortunately for him the 501st managed to cure a good chunk of the Army thanks to Plot Holes. About of a 1/4 of all Jedi do die, though.

The Senate realizes that the war was not what they thought after the Jedi reveal most of the truth. Bail is elected to Chancellor, and Padme worries about her husband who’s currently being held by Darth Sidious. The facade of the ‘separatists’ falls away and is revealed to the Empire, looking to take over the galaxy. In response the Republic begins using civilian soldiers, the Jedi fighting to retain control over the Clone Army (for fear of generals like Pong Krell taking over) but resolving to fix the issues and darkness within their temple first.

After this I’m not sure exactly what happens, but I do know a few things

Anakin has to struggle with his darkness and the manipulation/torture Palpatine puts him through while being captured.

Ahsoka rejoins the Jedi and leads the Reformation movement, fighting to alter their code into one that better represents the core values of the Jedi

She also accepts the title of General, leading the 501st in Anakin’s absence, and becoming a renowned leader/fighter/peacekeeper

Obi wan is promoted to Grand Master and has to struggle with the influence of power and how he wasn’t able to recognize the influence of the Sith

The clones grapple with the implications of their chips and their place in a world with dwindling need for them

Padme must raise her children and fight for the rights of all Republic soldiers.

Anakin turns into a Winter Soldier-esque weapon for the Empire??

Skywalker twin bullshit

This is all subject to change and shamelessly fan service (it’s me, I’m the fan), so I’ll stop yapping now and start hyperfixating about this AU

Design sheet for my new Star Wars AU :)

I’ll rb with the details, but can we just appreciate my girl for a sec?

[hondoohnakasrankings]

4. Episode I: The Phantom Menace - D tier

This is the first instalment in the Prequels Trilogy. Although I gave it a D-tier rating, I do enjoy this movie, do not get me wrong! I think this movie is severely criticized unjustly for some aspects. I gave it this rating because on its own it could be better, but knowing other background knowledge and if there were less borderline racists instances it would deserve a shining B tier rating.

We get introduced to some great characters like Jar Jar Binks, Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidal and Qui Gon Jin. Unfortuneatly one of the reasons this movie gets flack is Jar Jar's aloofness, which I can agree is a bit much at times

But I would go as far as arguing that this is the entire point! JAr Jar is comedic relief in a movie for children. He falls, he gets in weird situations and talks weird: what else could kid want? In the clone wars, he remains just as silly, but he does gain some layers, showing himself to be a good leader at times, even under pressure of being discovered by Genreal Grivieous in episode 4 of season for called "Shadow Warrior". But the actor that plays this goofy character got an unreasonable amount of hate for his portrayal of the character and for...his skin color? That's right, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Ahmed Best retells his experience with the toxic Star Wars fan calling him "every racial stereotype you can imagine" to a point where his performance made him contemplate suicide. He plays an animatronic as much as Chewbacca and yet that's what the people on the internet decided was wrong with him, and that just goes to show how toxic fandoms can get with sequels. But the actor, even after swearing he would never return to this Universe, came back as a Jedi Knight who saved Grogu from order 66 in the third season of the Mandalorian! I am personally happy for him and hope he gets the love he deserves.

Another character we meet is pre Darth Vader aka Anakin Skywalker as a kid. He is an upbeat young man, even when he is kindof a slave, and he already loves to invent and fly ships..

He meets the Queen of Naboo and quickly falls in love in a, its true, cringy way, but he is also around the age of 9 so it should be understandable! She is nice to him when no one else apart from Shmi ever seemed to care.

Certainly Watto never cared. A despicable character who has the Skywalkers as slaves. The Toydarians' first appearance as since been changed but his shady trader's attitude, greediness and physic are reminiscent of vile antisemitic stereotypes. At least he has a purpose to the story, he's the origin of Anakin's dark side in a way. The design of the species was edited in the Clone Wars in order for them to be more neutral looking but it still fells wrong for many. https://www.chsglobe.com/43852/commentary/star-wars-a-tale-of-racism/

In the same vein, there is the members of the Trade Federation who are money driven also. They are harsh on the depts of the planets and are rather shown as cowards. They also wear cloths reminiscent of ancient Chinese royal clothing and also "Yellow Peril" characters popular in shows like Flash Gordon, an inspiration of George Lucas'. Creating aliens is one thing, but basing them on hurtful stereotypes that are embedded in society is another.

We get introduced to another of my favorite villains of this universe, is Darth Maul, he gets his first live action appearance until Rogue One as the Leader of the Shadow Collective, his crime syndicate. He is rather silent in this instance of himself compared to his crazier Clone Wars self.

Overall I did enjoy this movie, and the additional lore from the Clone Wars I think only makes it more enjoyable!

[gch1995]

The Sith genozide shows that the Jedi are just as willing as the Sith to cross very morally questionable lines for their cause KOTOR lore has recently been deemed canon by Lucasfilm (January 2020), so the Jedi’s genocide of the Sith species is therefore canon now

I mean, even if an SW fan knows nothing about the KOTOR video game, which, admittedly, I’ve never played either, everything we see throughout all six movies of the OT and PT saga and TCW pretty much confirms that the old Republic and Jedi Order are willing to cross every reprehensible boundary that they consider to be moral horizon events/deeds in their enemies. The only difference is that they have better PR in the galaxy backed up by the Republic government superpower and put in more effort to be more subtle about their abuse of power than the Sith because they care about being seen as “above it all.”

While Anakin is darker and less empathetic as Darth Vader in his methods, even by comparison to the average Jedi of his time because he’s learned to care less about being seen as a “nice” warrior “for the greater good” of the galaxy on the high of the dark side fueling his anger and his depression, you’ll also notice he’s actually more like the Jedi of his time in terms of how he compartmentalizes his guilt and justifies his crimes with that whole “greater good” and “necessary evil” excuse, rather than the typical chaotic evil Sith who is just evil for shits and giggles like Darth Maul. He falls into the lawful evil category instead.

The Jedi of the old Republic are only somewhat above him in terms of morality after he becomes Darth Vader because they still care about being seen as superficially “nice” to the general public of their recruits and Republic government, in spite of actually being just as ruthless as their enemies when they realize it’s easier to force people into submission to get their way from them “for the greater good” than taking the risk to do the right thing.

Anakin is still a Jedi of the old Order in mindset in the sense that he is convinced by both Sidious (a Sith who knows how the Jedi and Republic members think because he spent a lot of time with them) and himself that committing these crimes out of anger towards those who hurt him or his loved ones, a desire for freedom, fear of the unknown, fear of losing loved ones, and paranoia are serving worthy ends for protection of the Empire, Palpatine, his loved ones, himself, and the galaxy as Darth Vader, but he’s more brutal and less concerned about being subtle by playing nice in his application of that abuse of power over those he victimizes to do it on the high of the dark side, which is more Sith like.

However, in spite of being more subtle about it, I’d argue that most of the Jedi of the old Republic really weren’t that much better than most of their enemies in the Sith race. At least not after they defeated the Sith the first time around.,We spend the entirety of the prequels following the Jedi as they are basically plotting another genocide against the Sith race on their home planets. Yes, you can make a valid point that killing the Sith in self-defense when they attack first is necessary, but plotting to destroy their entire civilizations before and/or without offering them any sort of benefit of the doubt, any sort of opportunity to surrender peacefully, any sort of opportunity for rehabilitation, and any sort of warning ahead of time that they could get out of this if they stopped terrorizing the galaxy is not fair.

That is really fucked up, and we get no indication throughout the movies that the “peacekeeping” Jedi ever even considered any less violent and lethal alternatives to dealing with the Sith when their army attacked than immediate execution of them all

You’d think that at least Yoda would try to talk to the Republic Senate to find a more peaceful way to deal with the Sith. You’d think he’d consider trying to negotiate with them. He’s been alive the longest to have an idea of what the Jedi was like before the Sith. But no…He still thinks that mass murdering them is the answer.

It’s the same moral issue that U.S. government created when they decided to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan in WWII completely out of the blue in the 1940s, killing and/or injuring millions in the process, so they could force their army to surrender without offering them any sort of warning ahead of time or better options than this mass destruction of lives to the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

It’s the same moral issue that Palpatine and Dooku created when they plotted a genocide of the Jedi Order/Republic without any sort of warning.

Yeah, I know the Sith culture is deeply fucked up and violent on the whole, but they are still sentient beings. The children on their planets are still going to be innocents. They deserved to know they could have had an option to atone for their crimes, be rehabilitated, reform, or surrender peacefully. The innocent civilians kids didn’t deserve to have their lives taken from them as collateral damage of the Jedi’s elimination of the Sith.

For “peacekeepers,” the Jedi of the prequels before Luke don’t really seem to be too interested in taking the necessary risks and steps to create it by being brave enough to offer any sort of compassion, patience, or understanding for those who oppose them before going straight to murder as the answer. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and many of the other Jedi of the prequels develop a very similar mindset after being recruited, not just because their government is under the control of the Sith Lord in disguise, but because of how deeply dysfunctional the Jedi system was being run/implemented. They weren’t taught how to be normally functioning independent adults with a healthy sense of security, self-confidence, self-worth in their own personal agency and personal beliefs, how to have healthy relationships, or how to think critically. They were actively cut off, discouraged, and forbidden from having any sort of personal independence, personal hobbies, interests, relationships, occupations, or lives of their own outside of the Jedi Order because Yoda was too afraid of losing control over them and potentially facing the dark side by allowing them normal freedoms, relationships, and agency.

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and many of the other Jedi of the prequels were taught to use an exceedingly hostile and paranoid black-and-white us vs them mentality in the Republic/Jedi Order and the Empire/Sith in regards to enemies, outsiders, and potential threats to the “greater good” of the causes they served, the safety of themselves or those they were loyal to within that cause, and their critical thinking skills, open-mindedness, and self-awareness diminished as a result.

When you can’t fathom the possibility of even trying to take the risk to use peaceful non-violent alternatives to dealing with enemies by allowing them the chance to a fair trial, hearing them out, giving them a chance to surrender, giving them a chance to atone, then that’s a serious problem that often ends up perpetuating a cycle of fear-driven systematic abuse, crime, distrust, resentment, and oppression more than necessary, rather than breaking it. You can’t really break a cycle of systematic abuse, crime, distrust, and oppression by enabling and perpetuating it whenever it’s safer than taking a risk to stand up for what’s right, especially when you go around calling yourself a “peacekeeper.”

That was Anakin’s, Obi-Wan’s, Yoda’s, Qui Gonn’s, and the majority of the rest of prequel era Jedi Order’s biggest personal moral failing. They became so afraid of facing conflict and opposition under these corrupt cult-like institutions and governments under these shitty circumstances that they ended up becoming willing enablers and perpetrators of the very same crimes they sought to destroy to fit in under pressure to try to remain safe at all costs because it was easier than taking a risk to be vulnerable that was required to ultimately be able to do better.

No, it’s not just their faults they ended up growing up to be that way. The Jedi Order and Sidious were abusive, manipulative, and isolating systems that seriously compromised their agency to be able to feel reasonably safe doing better through finding better escape and healthy support. The government they worked for was corrupt. Anakin seemed to develop C-PTSD, BPD, ADHD, and substance abuse symptoms that never got properly treated. The Sith army definitely did strike against the Jedi first a millenia ago, and most of them were very corrupt. However, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the other Jedi of the old Republic did still have enough sense to be able to understand what was objectively right versus wrong. They had consciences, and not every crime they committed were things they were coerced into doing by the Republic, Sidious, and the Jedi Council. They developed personally selfish and vindictive streaks, too. They eventually did stop trying after some time, so I can’t just pretend they’re wholly innocent either.

The biggest take away from Star Wars OT and PT sagas is how easy it can be for the fear under systematic abuse, crime, enemies, warfare, and oppression to destroy both yourself and others around you when you don’t deal with it healthily by taking the risk to be emotionally vulnerable and open, and instead continue the cycle of abusing power to try to deny, take control of, and/or eliminate those people and/or things that cause you fear instead.

If you guys want to comment, you can.

@tragicfantasy-girl

@yoghurtconsumer

@wingletblackbird

@mynameisanakin

@fanfic-lover-girl

@fanfictasia

[chevelleneech]

Love this post, and I honestly think the reason is because people went into the show expecting a Sith story, so they assume he is the Sith because he “technically” says it, even though it’s clear he didn’t claim it. He told Sol flat out he has no name, but Jedi would call him Sith. It’s also crazy to me how people are overlooking his credited title literally being “The Stranger” and not “The Sith”. That alone tells us he’s not actually Sith (at least not yet) and is an outlier between the two.

Now, to dig deeper into my theories: I knew the show was coming out, but didn’t know what it was about, so I can’t blame anyone for what they thought. One of the reactors I watched also said two Siths are supposed to make an appearance, so presumably a lot of the reason people maybe aren’t able to see Qimir as anything else, is because we haven’t seen any characters mention the title other than him.

I also don’t know any Sith by name, except Darth Maul and Darth Vader, so I may not be the best person to have this theory, but I think Acolyte will have the first Sith be one of the ones people have been bringing up (Tenerbus or Plaigues or whatever idk know their names lol), then the second one will be either Osha, Sol, or Vernestra.

I’m highly certain it’s not Vernestra though, because she is currently way too easy. Yes, Qimir was an easy guess for The Master, but I’ve seen more than enough people also say it couldn’t be him because it’d be too obvious. But I also think he was a give away on purpose, because one, Manny was in main promo and prior to ep5 he had very little screen time. But also, making him an easy guess allowed them to leave room for an even bigger reveal later.

And that reveal has to be someone key to the plot falling from grace, and Vernestra falling wouldn’t shock anyone. Her having gave Qimir his scar could still fit the story, but wouldn’t be too big a plot twist. Plus, he never said his Jedi Master gave it to him, he just let Osha believe her own assumption. So a good red herring would be learning Vernestra did give him his scar, yet later learning she wasn’t his Jedi Master. She and her field team may have went after him and his people (who very well could have been doing harm, but he was too young to know) for unsanctioned use of the Force, and he — long before turning toward the Dark Side — tried to defend himself.

That wouldn’t redeem him nor make him a good guy now, nor would it mean all of the Jedi are bad. This possibility also ties into Vernestra being secretive, if she is thinking back on decades or an even century ago, to when she encountered a village of Dark Side users. Maybe one of them said something to her (whatever she said on Khofar) and it’s all coming back to her?

Or (this is getting long, I know) my other theory is Qimir ran away from his Master who will be the Sith already named in the lore, and to keep ahead of them he and Osha (who learned what happened on Brendok and chooses to go with Qimir) dip out. Then Sol, believing Osha is being manipulated and abducted yet again, asks Vernestra to sign off on him getting her back, but she won’t because it’ll be too personal. So he makes a deal with the Sith who wants Qimir, thus technically making him Dark Side; aka the second Sith. And Mae is left to work with the Jedi, because she’s the only one Vernestra can trust to keep things a secret from the Senate. Or she dies… rip Mae.

Laslty, my third and final theory is that Osha becomes a Sith, much to Qimir’s dismay. Why she’d side with his potential former Sith Master? I don’t know, but it’d be really interesting and sexy if Osha betrays not only Mae and Sol, but also Qimir by choosing neither of them. By choosing the side that wants all of them dead. By choosing to become the Sith Master’s acolyte.

Not to be the first soldier on the frontless of the woobification of Qimir (he is a villain, we know this, and I love him for it), but the lack of nuance, or rather the one-dimensional angle people who don't like his relationship with Osha have taken with him, irks me so bad. I get it. He is Sith, right. Treachery is their way; and what are the darksiders, if not self-serving?

But I feel like the specific phrasing of "the Jedi like you would call me Sith" implies so much about his own unique characterization, and I don't understand why we are glossing over it. It's not a self-identifier. It shows it isn't as much as a title he'd give himself, but a badge he'll wear since in the black/white viewpoint of the Jedi, he is not allowed to be anything more or less. His almost catty, "semantics" hammers in this fact for me, personally.

He strikes me as one who takes what he wants of the Sith code, and disregards the rest. I don't think it's a mistake that even after his reveal, we don't see him with the signature dark side eyes.

I say all this to say; Qimir's ultimate goal is not power, it is FREEDOM. *That* is what he is driven by. He craves to live outside the confines he deems as constrictive/oppressive, and have by his side, someone who wants the same.

So even while disregarding Leslye's interview; I honestly don't know how with what we've been shown in the show so far, aside from him being a sith, makes people think otherwise.

[gffa]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark, coming August 25, promises to be a beautiful tribute to the just-completed animated series. The anthology will collect 11 stories by 11 authors — Lou Anders, Preeti Chhibber, Zoraida Córdova, Jason Fry, Rebecca Roanhorse, Greg Van Eekhout, Tom Angleberger, E. Anne Convery, Sarah Beth Durst, Yoon Ha Lee, and Anne Ursu — including 10 retellings of memorable episodes and arcs and one original Nightsisters-based story.  So if you loved the tales of Ahsoka, Maul, and clanker-busting clones, Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark will give you the chance to experience them again in a whole new way. Like Captain Rex on a recon mission, StarWars.com reached out to each author to learn why they love The Clone Wars, and which stories they’re telling. Lou Anders (“Dooku Captured” and “The Gungan General,” based on the episodes of the same name): I love The Clone Wars for expanding the story of Anakin’s fall from grace. Skywalker really shines in the series, and we see what he truly was, and what he could have been, and by giving him so many opportunities to excel in the early season, his ultimate fate is that much more tragic. I also love the series for gifting us my all-time favorite Star Wars character, and one of my favorite characters from any universe — Hondo Ohnaka!      My chapter is a retelling of the first season story arc that plays out across the episodes “Dooku Captured” and “The Gungan General.” I wanted to explore this storyline because I find Count Dooku a fascinating character. Sometimes pure, mustache-twirling, mwa-ha-ha evil can actually be boring to write, but a villain who feels they are justified, either because of perceived slights or intellectual superiority or the failure of their rivals or birthright are much more interesting, and Dooku is a bit of all of this. For research, I obviously watched tons of Clone Wars. But I also read up on everything about Dooku I could find, and I listened to Christopher Lee and Corey Burton’s interpretation of the character over and over, trying to internalize their speech patterns. Dooku is so gorgeously supercilious. It was just a blast to get in his head and see the world from his perspective. (And the fact that the storyline gave me another chance to write for my beloved Hondo Ohnaka was an added bonus!) Tom Angleberger (“Bane’s Story,” based on the episodes “Deception,” “Friends and Enemies,” “The Box,” and “Crisis on Naboo”): There’s a lot to love in The Clone Wars, but I think it’s Ahsoka’s arc that really stands out the most. Ventress’s arc does, too, and the way that these arcs cross at the just the right moment is really great Star Wars!      My chapter is based on the “Crisis on Naboo” story arc. It’s basically a Space Western. The baddest bounty hunter of them all, Cad Bane, is hired to kidnap the Chancellor. What he doesn’t know is that almost everyone is lying to him, especially a fellow bounty hunter who is really Obi-Wan in disguise. In the TV version, we see it all from Obi-Wan’s point of view, so we know that Bane is getting played. In this retelling, we see it all from Bane’s point of view and, boy, is he going to be mad! To prepare I watched both The Clone Wars AND old spaghetti Westerns starring Bane’s inspiration: Lee Van Cleef. Preeti Chhibber (“Hostage Crisis,” based on the episode of the same name): I love the story that the prequels tell, but because of the nature of what they were trying to do — tell a decade and a half worth of story in three films — we’re missing major moments in what the war really means to the galaxy at large, and in the Skywalker saga itself. The Clone Wars tells us that part of the narrative, it gives us the shape of what entire populations of people had to go through because of this war manufactured by the ultimate evil. And within that scope gives us the hope and love and beautiful tragedy we associate with Star Wars on a larger scale. (Also, Ahsoka Tano — The Clone Wars gave us Ahsoka Tano and for that I will be ever grateful.)      I’m writing Anakin’s story during “Hostage Crisis” — an episode in the first season of The Clone Wars. I decided to write the story entirely from Anakin’s perspective, which meant being inside his head before the fall, but where we are starting to see more of the warning signs. And then there’s also the romance of this episode! Anakin’s love for Padmé is real and all-consuming and, as we eventually find out, unhealthy. So, this is a romantic episode, but one that shows us Anakin is ruled by his heart. And that that’s a dangerous thing for a Jedi. In order to best wrap my own head around what was going on, I watched the episode itself several times, and read the script, and then I watched the chronological episodes of Anakin’s run-ins with Cad Bane, so I could get a real feel for where he was with his understanding of Bane’s character. E. Anne Convery (“Bug,” based on the episode “Massacre”): I love it because I think it’s a story that manages, while still being a satisfying adventure, to not glorify war. It does this mainly by following through on the arcs of wonderful, terrifying, funny, fallible, and diverse characters. From the personal to the political, The Clone Warsredefines the ways, big and small, that we can be heroes.      My chapter is the “original” tale, though it still touches on The Clone Wars Season Four episode “Massacre,” with brief appearances by Mother Talzin and Old Daka. If I had to boil it down, I’d say that it’s a story about mothers and daughters. Honestly, it felt a little like cheating, because writing new characters meant I got to be creative in the Star Wars universe somewhat unencumbered by what’s come before. I did, however, have several long text chats with Sam Witwer because I was interested in Talzin’s motivations. We talked about stuff like her capacity (or lack thereof) for love. I think I came away thinking she was more a creature driven by issues of power, control, and the desire for revenge, whereas Sam was a little kinder to her. I mean, he is her “son,” so you can’t really blame him for wanting to think better of her! I always love a story within a story, and I was interested in the space where the high mythology of Star Wars and the home-spun mythology of fairy tales could intersect. I drew on my own background in mythology, psychology, and the language of fairy tales, plus I did my Star Wars research. Re-watching the Nightsisters episodes was just plain fun. Zoraida Córdova (“The Lost Nightsister,” based on the episode “Bounty”): The Clone Wars deepens the characters we already love. It gives us the opportunity to explore the galaxy over a longer period of time and see the fight between the light and the dark side. Star Wars is about family, love, and hope. It’s also incredibly funny and that’s something that The Clone Wars does spectacularly. We also get to spend more time with characters we only see for a little bit in the movies like Boba Fett, Bossk, Darth Maul!      My chapter follows Ventress after she’s experienced a brutal defeat. Spoiler alert: she’s witnessed the death of her sisters. Now she’s on Tatooine and in a rut. She gets mixed up with a bounty hunter crew led by Boba Fett. Ventress’s story is about how she goes from being lost to remembering how badass she is. I watched several episodes with her in it, but I watched “Bounty” about 50 times. Sarah Beth Durst (“Almost a Jedi,” based on the episode “A Necessary Bond”): I spent a large chunk of my childhood pretending I was training to become a Jedi Knight, even though I’d never seen a girl with a lightsaber before. And then The Clone Wars came along and gave me Ahsoka with not one but TWO lightsabers, as well as a role in the story that broadened and deepened the tale of Anakin’s fall and the fall of the Jedi. So I jumped at the chance to write about her for this anthology.      In my story, I wrote about Ahsoka Tano from the point of view of Katooni, one of the Jedi younglings who Ahsoka escorts on a quest to assemble their first lightsabers, and it was one of the most fun writing experiences I’ve ever had! I watched the episode, “A Necessary Bond,” over and over, frame by frame, studying the characters and trying to imagine the world, the events, and Ahsoka herself through Katooni’s eyes. The episode shows you the story; I wanted to show you what it feels like to be inside the story. Greg van Eekhout (“Kenobi’s Shadow,” based on the episode “The Lawless”): What I most love about Clone Wars is how we really get to know the characters deeply and see them grow and change.      I enjoyed writing a couple of short scenes between Obi-Wan and Anakin that weren’t in the episode. I wanted to highlight their closeness as friends and show that Anakin’s not the only Jedi who struggles with the dark side. There’s a crucial moment in my story when Obi-Wan is close to giving into his anger and has to make a choice: Strike out in violence or rise above it. It’s always fun to push characters to extremes and see how they react. Jason Fry (“Sharing the Same Face,” based on the episode “Ambush”): I love The Clone Wars because it made already beloved characters even richer and deepened the fascinating lore around the Jedi and the Force.      I chose Yoda and the clones because the moment where Yoda rejects the idea that they’re all identical was one of the first moments in the show where I sat upright and said to myself, “Something amazing is happening here.” You get the entire tragedy of the Clone Wars right in that one quick exchange — the unwise bargain the Jedi have struck, Yoda’s compassion for the soldiers and insistence that they have worth, the clones’ gratitude for that, and how that gratitude is undercut by their powerlessness to avoid the fate that’s been literally hard-wired into them. Plus, though I’ve written a lot of Star Wars tales, I’d never had the chance to get inside Yoda’s head. That had been on my bucket list! Yoon Ha Lee (“The Shadow of Umbara,” based on the episodes “Darkness on Umbara,” “The General,” “Plan of Dissent,” and “Carnage of Krell”): I remember the first time I watched the “Umbara arc” — I was shocked that a war story this emotionally devastating was aired on a kids’ show. But then, kids deserve heartfelt, emotionally devastating stories, too. It was a pleasure to revisit the episodes and figure out how to retell them from Rex’s viewpoint in a compact way. I have so much respect for the original episodes’ writer, Matt Michnovetz — I felt like a butcher myself taking apart the work like this! Rebecca Roanhorse (“Dark Vengeance,” based on the episode “Brothers”): I always love a backstory and Clone Wars was the backstory that then became a rich and exciting story all its own. The writing and character development is outstanding and really sucks you into the world.      I chose to write the two chapters that reintroduce Darth Maul to the world. We find him broken and mentally unstable, not knowing his own name but obsessed with revenge against Obi-Wan and we get to see him rebuild himself into a cruel, calculating, and brilliant villain. It was so much fun to write and I hope readers enjoy it. Anne Ursu (“Pursuit of Peace,” based on the episode “Heroes on Both Sides”): The Clone Wars creates a space for terrific character development. The attention paid to the relationships between Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Anakin and Ahsoka make for really wonderful and resonant stories, and give so much depth to the whole universe.      I was at first a little scared to write Padmé, as her character felt pretty two dimensional to me. But the more I watched her episodes in Clone Wars, the more dimension she took on. She’s such an interesting character — she’s both idealistic and realistic, so when corruption runs rampant in the Senate she doesn’t get disillusioned, she just fights harder. She has an ability to deal with nuance in a way that is rare in the Republic — and it means she’s not afraid to bend a few laws to make things right. In this chapter, the Senate is about to deregulate the banks in order to fund more troops, and Padmé decides to take matters into her own hand and sneak into Separatist territory in order to start peace negotiations. Of course, neither Dooku nor the corrupt clans of the Republic are going to allow for this to happen, so the threats to the peace process, the Republic, and Padmé’s life only grow. This arc is the perfect distillation of Padmé’s character, and it made getting into her head for it fairly simple. But I did watch all the Padmé Clone Wars episodes and read E.K. Johnston’s book about her, as well as Thrawn: Alliances, in which she has a major storyline. I really loved writing her. Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Stories of Light and Dark arrives August 25 and is available for pre-order now.

[thegangstarrcool]

If with Ragnard and Xigard all is clear - that they only look like Darth Maul and Alex Mercer, but they are separate and only my characters, and only I can manage their biographies.... what's the red line of Altair and Ezio? Where is already my versions - their clones, who's bios I can manage, and where is general original character, that is not in my influence? Why don't make them another bios and another names too? I don't know either.

What's the same and what's the difference between Altair from AC Universe and Altair, the guardian of the Air element from my Universe?(not simply AU fanfiction - my Universe will not die without that two, I have more then 500 characters). About Ezio we'll talk later.  

Let's try to think....

1.He was teleported to our time soon after defeating Al Mualim, before the Cyprus. He managed to study the apple a little. The fact that he considered it stupid - to cut off the ring finger and tried to immediately get rid of this tradition - is the same in game and mine versions. In our time Ezio demonstrated that Altair was succeed with that and he was happy about it.

2. He's still an introvert. Hardly opens his mind to others. And feels more comfort in the hood. Observes, draws conclusions. Little by little he opened up to the other three, because he did not feel threatened or discomfortable.

3. At first glance, it may seem that the connecting link between all four is Xigard McCoy, but in fact this is a controversial issue.  Altair and Ezio have a connection like soulmates. Altair is spiritually connected with avakhorn Ragnard. Two introverted assassins who understand each other perfectly, while others have a long time to explain what they are talking about. Well, AltGard is a separate topic. Yes, polyamory is the norm for me, there is no jealousy and monogamy. Deal with it, personal tastes and triggers. With Ragnard the connection is only spiritual.

4. I don't have Isu in my lore. From AC Universe I have that two good looking characters, the confrontation between the orders of the Assassins and the Templars, where the first are definitely good chaotic, and the second are definitely bad supporters of order, hooded robes and some magical artifacts. So Altair is not Isu-blooded, he is ANGEL-blooded. And not a common Whitelighter-healer-blooded. It seems like something more serious. Light-and-sound waves that burn out the darks - are the ability of only archangels. Yes, angel-blooded spiritually connected with avakhorn.

5. In order not to run far from the spiritual connection, biography and the blood of angels. Altair's childhood is the same as described in the book "The Secret Crusade". He never told anyone about the traumatic memories aloud, and no one asked ... right up to the moment when it was necessary to find out how he was angel-blooded. He was worried to look at his past, and the ritual required the presence of someone from the team to be escorted by him in order to get him out in time. This is one of my favorite hurt-comfort moments. And he didn't say, but ... agreed to show Ragnard a picture. Not right away. For Ragnard, this was also the first experience. He never wanted to be a shaman, although by his ancestral duty he should have been him. And shamans also act as psychotherapists for the avakhorns. In general, the two of them were so new to open up. Ragnard even accidentally revealed the memory of his deceased three-headed cat -familiar.

6. Both Altair and Ezio survive after battles with a large number of opponents and falls from heights thanks to artifacts. Altair has an artifact cat, Ezio has an artifact dog. Both of them are hidden right inside their bodies, which is rare even for experienced magicians. Altair has a cat-artifact from birth, therefore, aquaphobia, if his feet do not reach the ground in the water - all is from an artifact. I have no animus.

7. There is a theory that he is a mix of Arab and European. This is exactly how it is in my version. And his face is exactly like in Assassin's Creed 1. In "Revelations" - is not the face of my character. But I took advantage of this to make a replacement. Not to break the full history by butterfly effect, in some events, the another person, his follower will replace him. This is a separate topic.

It's not over yet. Should I continue?

[igotswag77]

Courtly Love In Thrawnbine - My Review

This Tumblr inspired me to try again on the concept of COURTLY LOVE -- thanks for the nice art.

This is long... No tl;dr. I have been writing my THRAWNBINE fanfiction since 2014-2015. The initial transcripts were lost because my computer and the external hard drive crashed. Therefore, the research, development, key ideas, metas, etc. are gone. I have to start from scratch, hope some of them are in the cloud, and rely on my memory, which is another discussion. This piece here is not about the validity of the THRAWNBINE ship. It is a discussion of story elements I wanted to include as I write this fanfiction. It is not about me forcing any fan to accept my proposal. As a Star Wars fan, I like creativity and this piece is an example of what I think about when I develop my creative writing for fanfiction. It is what I want to do with my life right now because I can do it now.

However, a while back in one of the SWAG77 blogs here, my group discusses the idea of COURTLY LOVE: As I understand it as a beginner creative writer, it is how the COURT of the kings, queens, princes, princess, (on down) and knights in the Middle Ages and Medieval times expressed their love to each other. (x)

From my interpretation on my reading, not just Wikipedia but others, when noble single men, who were knights, often fought "religious wars" returned home to the court and would appeal to royalty to marry a certain young woman. They planned to "woo" these women with sayings, phrases, poems, etc. as an expression of their commitment and love. The issue is, most young women at a certain age (late teens, early 20s in the 13th -15th centuries) were considered "old maids" (spinsters) and they were made to marry whoever their families could get who were often older men 10+ their senior. Once married couples could not divorce, because of Church, and if caught cheating on their husband, women could be thrown away or killed. Many marriages turned loveless. When the knights returned home, they discovered the love of their lives was married, and therefore, they could not marry her because it was against the Church. Of course, back then, there were not a lot of sexual infidelities, because women could be killed for that, and any resulting child was forced into servitude, enslaved, or killed.

What couples did that time to express their love, devoid of sex to relieve that tension, the nobles created "courtly love" where the knight would serve his lady in any command and he would in turn be chivalrous along with his poems and sayings of love.

"The Lady and the Unicorn" (x), (x) tapestry art from finished in 1500 in France, is an allegory for "courtly love" by its subjects in the art, and symbols. The art comprises six tapestries that depict individual senses in each of them:

In the sixth tapestry, the words display, "À mon seul dési," while obscure in meaning it says roughly:

"To my only sole desire" "According to my desire alone" "By my will alone" "Love desires only beauty of soul" "To calm passion"

In my literature review to build the THRAWNBINE ship, I weaved the idea of "courtly love" as a plot element, in case my story hypotheses were inaccurate. That no matter what, Grand Admiral Thrawn knew he would have to serve under Countess Sabine Wren due to her royal status. By the time Thrawn meets Sabine face to face, she might be royalty with the rank of a countess, or she might be a rank higher than one because she has a direct right to Darksaber, as explained.

Sabine Wren might be a Marquise because she has an exemplary war record. I believe that Sabine Wren is the rightful heir to the Darksaber over Din Djarin because when Djarin defeated Moff Gideon, the Moff is NOT Mandalorian. All Djarin did is confiscate the Darksaber FROM Moff Gideon to give to the rightful heir. Lady Bo-Katan Kryze is not the rightful heir. She was given the Darksaber because Sabine believed in her. But the Darksaber is magical, like the Excalibur sword, and this saber did not choose Bo-Katan, and Bo-Katan never won it by ritual combat. The last Mandalorian who fought against another Mandalorian in ritual combat was Sabine Wren. Why Sabine gave it to Bo-Katan? Maybe the Sabine Wren character is like Nimue, the Lady of the Lake who gives worthy people the Excalibur, and in this case, it would be Sabine. But the Darksaber is ENTRUSTED to one that is worthy to wield it and NEVER lose it to scurrilous powers or persons. If Filoni et al. is using parts of the Arthurian Tales to explain why Sabine gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, then it was Bo-Katan's job not to lose the Darksaber. But she did and somehow, Moff Gideon "acquired" it -- he is definitely unworthy of it.

Maul, while he fought in ritual combat to obtain the Darksaber and killed for it, CHEATED during the fight with Pre Vizsla. Ritual Combat is a test of pure fighting skill, will, and strength. In the book, "Darth Maul: The Shadow Conspiracy", Maul has the fighting skill, a will, and the strength to fight Pre Vizsla, but there is the Force, and Maul used it to defeat Vizsla with his Force abilities in precognition. Maul knew all the moves that Vizsla would take before he made them. In my opinion, that is cheating.

While the Darksaber will work in a non-Mandalorian's hands who can wield a saber, the crystal used for plasma that Tarre Vizsla built, is responsive to the worthiness, nobleness, and chivalry of the wielder. Most stories written about enchanted swords say they do not work optimally in the wrong hands. Did it fail Maul, probably not, because Maul was so Dark Sided that he could "bleed" a lightsaber crystal for his uses. But I can imagine that a Mandalorian who uses weapons for his religion, like Tarre Vizsla who has the Force, would build his lightsaber in a way that his crystal, while it can be bled by a Dark Side user, still holds its resilience hoping for a worthy, noble and chivalrous Mandalorian to bring together the people and raise an army.

Another caveat to this story I think is Sabine Wren wielded the Darksaber while she was possessed by the Nightsisters trying to relive as Maul wanted. She almost kills Ezra Bridger, but Bridger was strong enough to pull the ghosts out of Sabine (and Kanan) in the Star Wars Rebels Episode 11, "Vision and Voices". Anyone who understands possession by spirits knows that not ALL of the spirits leave the body. Moreover, one possessed by spirits is not always evil. It is an ancient practice by those who are a part of the Vodoun culture in Western Africa, the Caribbean, Louisiana, and Gullah -- my culture (which I have some practice in it). Part of Sabine's ability to wield the Darksaber and other lightsabers come from the memories of the spirits that entered her body on Dathomir and the touch of the Daughter, which I have repeatedly written about on the Sabine Wren site (x), (x), (x).

The point is since the spirits entered Sabine Wren and not all of them left her in that SWR episode, and she picked up the Darksaber once clear of the complete possession, the Darksaber, especially the power of the crystal and the "spirit of Tarre Vizsla" encased in it, wanted Sabine to become the Mandalorian to rally all other Mandalorians together as one.

In SWR Trials of the Darksaber episodes, after Sabine defeats the Imperial Mandalorian, Gar Saxon, only to be killed by Sabine's mother, Ursa Wren, it shows that the Darksaber is rightfully hers. Why Sabine gave it away? The writers of SWR do not add scenes or dialogue meaninglessly, every piece of scenery with lighting, etc. and dialogue is added into each episode carefully to tell the story that these creatives want you to see. Sabine felt she did not have enough political skill to command Mandalorians, or better yet, military leadership to command Mandalorian -- for "you don’t tell Mandalorians what to do. You suggest it and they either heed your advice or not. (forgotten reference)"

Thrawn had to have learned that Gar Saxon died well before Season 4 Episode, "Heroes of Mandalore" part 2. Also, Thrawn knew a lot about Mandalorian culture through its history, philosophy, and art. What he did not count on is that he would find an artist -- Sabine Wren. I don't know when Thrawn discovered Sabine was an artist that painted the graffiti on the retaining wall. Through his studies, he deduced it was her by the armor she wears, the changes in her armor, and how important the armor is to the Mandalorian culture. This is why he was able to figure out that Sabine built the weapon. Her method of creating art reflects on how she builds weapons whether she knows this fact or not. But then, the Darksaber, which he has not seen, and would not really know its lore because it seems that story that Fenn Rau told Kanan is an "oral tradition" than a written one, and the fact that it was "liberated" from the Jedi seems like an embellished story -- liberated? More like "stolen" maybe? Thrawn had not heard that story. But Sabine knows it. I am not sure if Thrawn knew that Sabine is the rightful owner of the Darksaber. But during the battle sequences, he must have gotten glimpses of it and piecemealed what exactly it is as his job as a strategist to know what he is going up against. However, the Duchess Arc Reactor was not reconstructed to blast through Mandalorian Armor as the new leader of Mandalore, Tiber Saxon desired. It was a test and a chance for Thrawn to see the strength of the fight of Mandalorians (who fight each other all the time), and a chance to meet Sabine Wren in person. He had not met her. He met everyone except, her.

____________

I think that Sabine Wren would be a higher royalty if Filoni et al. were to write that Sabine is a rightful heir with a title. Therefore, she would be a Marquise who protects the frontier. In this fanfic, Thrawn would have to marry Sabine to obtain the title of Marquis to protect the border of the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong (lite = Grysks), and his military background fits in this fanfic story. Therefore, he will do whatever it takes to keep Sabine alive, protected under the symbol of the Darksaber and her people with his military (army). He would have to show "Courtly Love" with the addition of sex, to serve as her advisor, confidante, and supreme commander of her militaries. While he could keep his titles, they are not royal, but political, such as "Ranking Distant" or "Syndic" or "Patriarch" -- but that's the Chiss Ascendancy and he has been exiled from it (on paper: meaning officially he is exiled, unofficially he is in a black operation for an intelligence-gathering mission.)

As a separate story, he knows he really can't return under his current position back into the Chiss Ascendancy. But he can annihilate threats in the Unknown Regions using Galatic Empire resources -- of course, the Emperor nor Darth Vader like that idea. When the Deus Ex Machina scene occurred, wherever the space whales took Thrawn and Ezra, the end result should be, IMO, someone in the Chiss Ascendancy rescues them. And it can't be just two people, it has to be a group of them, mostly Imperials. And they take them to a planet, apparently under snow and ice in the Dave Filoni art.

Before I knew anything about SWR in my first fanfic, Thrawn met Sabine at an art auction.

After the Ezra Bridger Deus Ex Machina with space whales, it seems based on Dave Filoni's art of Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano, Thrawn officially meets Sabine. For many headcanons, metas, and short drabbles I can't get into atm, they kick off their relationship, and for Sabine, it is unexpected. And while Thrawn might strategically want Sabine to stay (to seal the deal), they have to have legacies. With legacies, Sabine would not want to leave unless she had to.

In this fanfic, any acts like these are about consent. I strive to write consent in my stories.

The conflict in this story becomes how the HAYLE did Sabine agree to all of this? She IS strong-willed like most Mandalorian women are. For Sabine to consent to this life path is:

Sabine DESIRES it; she WANTS to do a pair bond. She figures out that she is getting old and her biological clock is ticking, and perhaps she is tired of constant war and needs a break. But whoops, she did not think that her desire would overtake her and create many legacies. That does happen in real life. Therefore settles that now, this is her life. (This fanfic is the easiest one to write, but slightly dull).

From the LADY AND THE UNICORN held in Paris. Each tapestry depicts the physical senses: (1) Sight, (2) Hearing, (3) Taste, (4) Smell, (5) Touch, (6) Desire. There are allegories and symbols for each tapestry and element. The major symbols are a Lady, a young woman virgin, with a Unicorn, loyal to only her.

There is more information from this youtube: https://youtu.be/5hCWZNm3qpc. My issue about this video, while most of the information seems accurate, the poets are interpreting the tapestries with their modern experiences. In my opinion, it is difficult to understand these tapestries without historical context. To think the woman is in pain is a modern interpretation. Back then, people LIVED in real physical pain because there were no "doctors' like we have now; it is very judgy to make that assertion. Thus, the comments in the video are opinions, and the producers did not announce that opinions were going to be shared. It's kind of like the point of the tapestries was missed without the historical basis.

History for the THRAWNBINE ship is an important part of the fanfic. I am not a great writer, but I work hard to write it. I have reviewed the literature, not think up this ship out of my ass as some fans would assume. I have put a lot of work into it. Also, I am well-read on many Star Wars Legends books and the new Thrawn canon books. Therefore, it is not like I do not know much about Star Wars when I do. I have REAMS of information that I like to share with fans who ask me about it. A few fans do. Moreover, I am not so vain to think that my ideas are the ONLY point of view available. I like trying to write fanfics as close to the Star Wars canon because it is fun, and that is my thing. But there are other ideas out there. It would be wrong to say my way or the highway. Also, I am not young, and those who are asinine toward me, well, I know you're younger than me because I'm old, and I want to do this with my life, I like to do it, and I'm having fun. Some young people do not GET that idea until they fall flat HARD on their face with a lost future. But don't give up your bright-eyed and bushy-tailed aspirations -- you never know where life will take you, and you might be the one. Congrats. Believe me, life can get shitty when you're out there in the real world, like me. And when you can grab your chance at something you find fun, I say do it. Money isn't everything -- but it keeps the kids in touch. I bring up these issues because some young people take huge umbrage against the THRAWNBINE ship due to the perceived huge age difference. Okay, I can see why some young people are freaked out by that. Because someone taught them to be freaked out by the age difference. Moreover, I come from GenX, and most of us, aren't freaked out by that at all. Some of us are in that situation now. So it's no big deal to us. And any generation before ours -- THAT WAS THE WAY... I would not BE if not for huge age differences between my grandparents, great-grands, and great-great grands. Of course, for my greats- yeah, there wasn't much consent. But for my grandparents, at that time and age, there actually was consent. My grandmother was 18 years old when she married my grandfather at 26 years old. By 21, she had 3 babies. One is my father. So, I grew up not caring about age differences in relationships. But for some Millenials (not all) and GenZ (not all) and afterward (not all) -- IDK?

I guess the equivalence for some of the younger generation to understand why I am doing an age-difference story is that the younger generation demands older generation acceptance of relationships that were not allowed to exist in public because one could be killed. It was not until 1967 that people of different races could marry legally in all states. Shid, one couldn't divorce over irreconcilable differences (at will) until the 1970s. Women could not have their own bank accounts until the late 1970s, and LGBTQIA+ RECENTLY were allowed to marry legally in all states, although assholes are stopping them. Then... some of the younger generations are from IVF-assisted pregnancy situations. Some are surrogates. SHID.......... That was not allowed until the 1980s... Both 1970s and 1980s were when I grew up, when I hear younger generations wracking my brain over CONSENSUAL LEGAL age-difference, I think folks don't know the history and therefore are doomed to repeat it. It is NOT a suggestion to return back to that time where women had no choice. My fanfic is about a man falling in love from afar with a woman who actually has no clue, and he knows he is a lot older than her. Somehow, he has to tell her, and he is afraid because of rejection. Look, some Star Wars fans come from parents who have an age difference between 10+ years. If they grew up fine, and their parents are okay with their relationship, who would we judge? I am not talking about a child with a much older adult; that's not legal. I am not talking about nonconsensual (the age of consent in some states is 16-17 years old). I'm not talking about child marriage. My fanfic is about two adults making a choice to be together in an adult relationship. To say someone older can take advantage of someone younger due to experiences, well, that is a false analogy, and the opposite can be true, too. It isn't the age difference that causes bad relationships. It is the power and control, and all generations have individuals who use power and control manipulation to force and abuse another person.

Matthew Perry on that super expensive dating site was matched up with a young woman profile and wanted someone to talk to and have fun with. Not do unsavory things as the woman painted that picture. She lied about it too.

Matthew Gaetz is an asshole, and he deserves everything that the law can throw at him. I actually do not think he knew better. And as far as the young women, including the underage young lady, he manipulated them because he leveraged his power and control. This isn't because of age differences; it's about power and control by manipulation. "Oh, wow, I'm a big shot congressman; worship me." Bith, puh-leeze. You ain't shit. Look, fans teased me when I first discussed "Courtly Love," and I abandoned the idea because I could not justify it. Which is my choice; I made that choice, I chose to do it. But, some in the younger generation and nascent Star Wars fans must understand that you have no right to say who can fall in love with whom just because there a legal and consensual age difference. It is not fair. You cannot ask the older generations to accept your relationships and choose to have them if you can't accept, assuming that they are legal with consent. Because a long time ago, they were not... And when you have a longtime Star Wars fan who is older that is okay with your desires for legal and consensual relationships, killing us is not going to get these hateful toxic fans off your backs. You need longtime fans to be in your corner fighting for your cause because a lot of us have seriously fought for real shit, too. Not just protesting, but having rocks and police beatdowns and water canons, too. Blame by authorities for throwing in prison all the time. Shid...you should have seen us Spelman women rip a new asshole to fight Apartheid in South Africa against Amnesty International. We fought hard for that.

But you need to be cool with our stuff too. Just ask me. I'll tell you.

[adelcrait-old-account]

Lost and Found— Chapter 15: The Boss

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522103/chapters/64196512

After discovering a security breach, Vader sends Luke and Piett undercover to a bar frequented by criminals, hoping to run into the woman that is planning to defeat the Empire. 

Meme spoilers and a rant under the cut:

Hello! 

This chapter was a long time coming thing. I wanted to change the scenario and get them all to an actual planet with real air. Luke’s been up in space for weeks, but Piett must have been there for a few months, if not a year. I’m sending him on a vacation, he deserves it.

July me also thought it was the funniest idea to write Piett, unmasked Vader and Luke in a bar talking about Vader. Luke would introduce unmasked Vader as “his mortal enemy”, and Piett would believe it. I also find it incredibly amusing (to me) that Vader refuses to act as another person because: a) *dramatic spotlight* He is Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, current temporary Emperor, Leader of the Imperial Security Bureau, Leader of the not-so-secret Investigation against the Galactical Insurrection....He will not do something as foolish as acting. Do you even know who he is? He is Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith- b) He refuses to act as Agent Broly because he just doesn’t care. In the end he did reveal his identity to Piett, and he knew it was a risk coming there unmasked, but there is trust between them, and so Vader doesn’t see the point of acting as this Agent Broly.

For some reason when I first started writing Agent Broly I imagined a tall surfer himbo of some sort. Do with this information whatever you want.

1. The Boss

Now onto the star of the night, Anak- sorry. *coughs* the spotlight please? Thank you. nOW ONTO THE STAR OF THE CHAPTER: Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, current temporary Emperor, Leader of the Imperial Security Bureau, Leader of the not-so-secret Investigation against the Galactical Insurrection... My mans a bit out of character, but hey! This is an Alternate Universe where Vader when stressed acts like clone wars Anakin because there is enough love in my heart for all versions of this character. 

The real boss of the chapter is Miss Celissa Vanis, finally making an appearance after Chapter 6, when Luke and Vader just found her in the Coruscant rebel base. Remember those times? Feels like ages ago. Where has she been? What is she doing? Does anyone know what she’s doing? Do I know what she’s doing? What is her Modus Operandi? Does she have one?

Listen.......She’s out there getting stuff done. It took her less than six months to scare The Darth Vader, kidnap Palpatine and Mothma and start a very organised clandestine riot. SHE’S GETTING SHIT DONE.

I really like her. She is the antagonist of the story, yes, but hey! She’s charming and makes some very good points even if the execution of her ideas is....well, bad. People are dying. But she makes sense, even if I, as a person that is also reading the story and has opinions, disagree with her.

Celissa had a dramatic entrance, and she also got a dramatic exit. It has taken me over 70,000 words, but I finally decided to include something about...you know. That guy. 

Celissa stared at the ship. Her people looked at her for guidance, but she didn't have any. She was already planning to get rid of Darth Vader's new Sith apprentice. "You! Pick up the blasters and let's go. The Emperor has some questions to answer." 

Palpatine, answering questions? Celissa, teach me your ways. 

2. ‘The Skywalkers: I am The Last Skywalker Left, both Skywalkers say’ A STAR WARS STORY

These two... I know they’re related, you know they’re related, everyone knows they’re related, and I know that they will know that they’re related (I’m not telling you the How yet ;D) but...they share one brain cell, and in this chapter Luke has it. Which is understandable, because Vader is out of his comfort zone and has a lot on his plate. He probably hasn’t been to a space!bar since that time Hondo kidnapped Obi-Wan and him...about twenty-five years ago.

Luke, on the other hand, spent most of his life on Tatooine. He probably befriended ‘cool looking people’ in Mos Eisley when he was five and his Uncle had to drag him away because those people were dangerous. Luke in a bar filled with dangerous people is like a fish in the sea.  But I think that the fact that Luke and Vader are related by blood will just be a major Plus when the truth is revealed, because I already see that they’re vibing as friends. Hell, they even argue like children through the Force because Vader’s being snarky (because he’s out of his comfort zone) and Luke is just not letting him get away with things Vader usually did.

Hey, and I love them for that.

3. ‘The not-a  Commander, Someone Help Him’

I would quote Rickey Thompson’s you are my ride or die video, but I want you to watch it. This is me talking about Luke in this fic.  The Commander, Ben Starkiller. As I said before, Luke is more comfortable in the ground with the normal people because he spent most of his life on Tatooine with his Aunt and Uncle, moisture farmers. He understands people, he understands crime, he has seen people being wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit. So when Darth Vader starts talking about criminals, Luke steps in. He said this in Chapter 3, and his position still stands. He might not officially be a rebel anymore, but his morality hasn’t shifted:

Vader continued staring at him. “Why did you join [The Rebellion] ?” Luke clenched his jaw. “The Empire is a rotten, corrupt fascist state that supports slavery and massive genocide,” he said calmly with a shrug, “I have witnessed enough to see that something must be done against it.” “That is all theory, Commander. I am asking what caused you personally to be against it.” “I won't watch how innocent people are killed because the Emperor threw a tantrum.” Vader wanted to say that his Master never lost his composure: out of both of them he was the most likely to throw tantrums. Sidious was more strategic in his murders. “The Empire took the life of someone you knew.” Luke clenched his jaw. “A great deal of many people, sir. This is a war.” He would never reveal what the Empire did to his aunt and uncle, he wouldn't give Vader that pleasure. "No one cares about murders on Tatooine."

4. Hondo Ohnaka, Forever Young

I loved him in the Clone Wars and in Rebels. This is the man that when confronted by Darth Maul and Savage Opress, said the following:

Darth Maul: "Filth, you will pay for your insolence." Hondo Ohnaka: "Insolence! We are pirates! We don't even know what that means. Open fire!" 

I can only imagine the kind of stories there are about this man in the galaxy, and Luke has heard them all, so when he heard that Hondo said Vader tried to kill him, I just imagined this:

Imagine sending this without context to someone that hasn’t read my fic but knows the star wars lore....I would be very confused. It could also be an AU where Hondo finds baby!Luke and raises him as a pirate, and then Vader comes for his child and finds Luke Ohnaka speaking fluent pirate slang with the man that raised him. 

In case you didn’t know, Hondo kidnapped Anakin and Obi-Wan for ‘business’ in the clone wars TV show. After that, Anakin was too distracted with the war to go find Hondo again, so they left on neutral-to-bad terms.  On the long list of people that Vader wouldn’t want to see him unmasked, Hondo is at the bottom, because Vader doesn’t even remember he exists. Imagine you’re Vader (I know, I know), you’re approximately forty-five years old, drowning in work, undercover in a mission, arguing with this boy who is accusing you of being “impossible”, and then he goes very quiet and says “That’s Hondo Ohnaka.” The name is oddly familiar, and you turn around and you see him. That dude that kidnapped you when you were only twenty years old. This was over 25 YEARS AGO, surely he won’t remember you, right? 

Right?

5. Captain Kathmir, who?

Captain to Darth Vader at the start of the Empire, led the 501st to battles, a very well known figure in the Imperial Fleet...so why doesn’t Vader want to talk about her?

Piett spoke. "Yes, precisely. [...] Everyone knows what happened to Captain Kathmir."

The Force stopped ticking.

Luke frowned. "Who?"

"Nobody," said Vader urgently, "Drop the topic, now."

She disappeared after failing him. What happened? 

The Force became cold, and Luke shivered when Vader spoke. "The story is a lie built on childish rumours." he spat quietly. 

In case that you’re thinking Vader might have had something with this Captain, the answer is No. In my humble opinion, in canon, I don’t see Vader having anything with anyone that wasn’t Padmé, and this extends to all my fics. There are enough headcanons for everyone.

And to conclude, a wholesome one: 

Thank you for sticking with my nocturnal ramblings about this story! I’m posting another chapter in a few days, where they will do Force magic in the snow. 

[smokeybrand]

The Force Was Already Female

Lost in all of this rhetoric about Hidalgo razzing Star Wars Theory for crying tears of joy after seeing Luke in Mando and the civil war for the soul of Star Wars at Lucasfilm between Favreau and Kennedy, is the fact that Mando literally discredited the huge reason given for why people disliked the sequels. If you recall, the rallying cry was that the fans were cellar-dwelling neckbeards who hate women. Kennedy and her cohorts literally attacked the fans, calling them sexist, misogynist, incels. She showed up, injected her bullsh*t gender politics into the franchise, discredited every male in the franchise, even the ones she had created, and declared the Force is female. That sh*t i wild to me because the forces has always been female and Mando proved it.

This last season, we saw Bo-Katan Kryze, Cara Dune, Fennec Shand, and Ahsoka Tano. Each of these characters had highlight episodes. Bo-Katan and Cara Dune played an integral part in the entire show, both of which had two episodes to shine. Fennec Shand only got the one, i think, but she got to share the screen with Boba f*cking Fett, becoming his right hand for hi solo series, The Book of Boba Fett. and don’t get me started on my girl, Ahsoka. Her episode was the best in the season for me. I adore Ahsoka and she was portrayed perfectly by Rosario Dawson. I wrote a whole ass essay about that so I'm not going to get into it here, but Tano is slated for her own series as well, probably chasing after another Legends heavyweight, Thrawn. These women all showed up, wrecked sh*t, stole scenes, made dreams come true, and never once did anyone in the fandom object. Full on support for all of them, even the more politically problematic actress who plays Dune, Gina Carano.

The force is, indeed, female and no one has a problem with it. No one ever had a problem with it. Let’s not forget that, along with Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor, Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa is considered one of the classic Eighties examples of female bad-assery. Indeed, she was the first to make it to the big screen and, more than likely, influenced the other two to some extent. Leia stayed in those trenches. She has a body count. She chose to be captured in order to end R2 to Obi-Wan. Leia was dope and every bit as capable as her brother and eventual husband, which makes sense because her mom was hardbody as f*ck, too. Padme Amidala as the queen of a whole ass planet at the tender age of fourteen, man. She ruled over Naboo and was a f*cking Galactic Senate rock star, all before the age of twenty. Padme has a body count, too, fighting side-by-side with during the opening battle of the Clone Wars on Geonosis. This is after she lead a straight up stealth mission to retake her throne from the occupying Trade Federation when she was, again, f*cking fourteen. And these are just the accepted canon women. There is a whole ass smorgasbord of Legends females who the fandom absolutely love.

Mara Jade Skywalker. Darth Talon. Bastila Shan. Darth Traya. Jaina Solo. These are just the few off the top of my head. Mara Jade was a massive favorite and the fandom wanted to see her in the sequels more than anything. Darth Talon is so popular that George Lucas wanted to install the character in HIS sequel trilogy as Vader to Maul’s Palpatine. These re facts. This is the reality of the fandom No one who loves Star Wars hates women. We hate underdeveloped, over-powered, Mary Sue ass, “characters.” We hate having all of these great worlds and heroes and lore people had spent decades carving out, thrown away with prejudice, just because the Ego-in-Charge literally hates the thing she was installed to protect from the very thing she did to it. Kennedy lied to Lucas in order to position herself as the executioner of everything Star Wars stands for and spam it with all of the sh*t ideas she had for the franchise. She spent her entire tenure as the Lucasfilm president, sabotaging and handicapping in an effort to bolster her own OCs when, in all reality, all she had to do is write good characters and none of this would have been a thing.

Rey Palpatine isn’t a bad character in concept. I’ve written at length about how to fix Rey and it looks like Favreau’s is going to do just that but retconning her as a Kenobi somehow. I still think she needs to be a Skywalker, but that’s neither here nor there. If Rey was written better in the beginning, none of this would have to be a thing and, according to everyone in the know, from all of these leaks, she was. Rey was, very obviously, intended to be Luke’s daughter. The fact that she could do all the stuff in Awakens was because Luke was using her as a conduit to effectively reach out into the universe from Ahch-To. That’s why when she showed up and presented him with her grandfather’s lightsaber, Luke looked so forlorn. He would begrudgingly train her during most of Episode VIII culminating in a knock down, drag out, brawl between he, Rey, and Ahsoka Tano between Kylo and his Knights of Ren. Ahsoka would take Rey and flee, leaving Luke to be killed, becoming a Force Ghost and haunting his nephew for Trevorrow’s Episode IX. That was the treatment Abrams wrote up for the entirety of the sequels. That was the plan. That’s what was supposed to happen before Kennedy f*cked it all up.

That version of Rey made sense. She felt earned. She felt like a Skywalker. The actual version of Rey we got? Rey f*cking Palpatine? That was a direct attack on the fans. To have The Galactic Emperor, strongest Sith Lord to date, triumph over the very line created specifically to destroy him by installing his seed, his lineage, as usurper of the Skywalker name, was a calculated, cruel, middle finger to everyone who loves this franchise. Not only that, but it was a straight up disservice to Daisy Ridley, who signed for something completely different than what she was eventually forced to perform. Rey Skywalker had so much potential and we as fans would have loved her. I’ve never heard one person who enjoys Star Wars say anything bad about these leaks on the original Sequel road map None of us would have objected to Rey Skywalker. By Episode IX, she’d have earned the level of strength she displayed at the end of VII. Instead, we got Rey Palpatine, the bestest evar! An OC of someone who hates Star Wars with an unearned and absurd amount of power. That’s what fans hated and we are right to do so. Rey Palpatine represents everything wrong with the Kennedy Star Wars. The force is, absolutely, female. It has been for years. We just want better females and Mando delivered that in spades this last season. Favreau showed us the way.

[iamnojedii]

19. Give us a headcanon about your muse that you never shared to anyone else or wanting to explore deeper. 

@pryceism​

I don’t think I have one that I haven’t shared in some way, but the one I’ve talked about the least I vaguely mentioned here, because I see discrepancy in eye color between Clone Wars and Rebels and canon is my playground. Strap in because in this essay I actually will--

Deep Force Lore™ is one of my favorite things about Star Wars, and in both series we get to see aspects of the Force in balance and out of balance, and plenty of debate on what balance actually means. In Clone Wars we meet the Mortis gods who are literal personifications of the light and the dark and the balance. In Rebels, we meet the Bendu, who - when referred to as a Force-wielder - says:

The Jedi and Sith wield the Ashla and Bogan, the light and the dark. I’m the one in the middle, the Bendu.

Which is super cool, because there’s a lot canonized in that one scene. Also Bendu’s views on conflict are pretty interesting, because he helps the protagonists at times, but it’s more like...nudging someone to make their own choices and not being bothered one way or the other what happens to them; when petitioned for help against the invading Empire, he unleashes a terrible storm that threatens the lives of both the Imperials and the rebels.

BUY ANYWAY-- Ahsoka’s eyes.

They’re a completely different shade of blue by the time we get to the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War. Even Ahsoka’s Force vision of her future self has the same eye color as she does during the Clone Wars era (also no striations to her montrals/lekku, but that’s another Sarah Essay™ for another time). Why the change? Animation differences aside, Ahsoka’s skin and stripe coloring on her montrals and lekku are exactly the same. What changed is Ahsoka’s concentrated focus/relationship with the Force and how she uses it.

Ahsoka’s always been a naturally gifted Force-user even from a young age. Her abilities have always been described to be “advanced”, and we’ve seen her use mind tricks and force choke-slam Trandoshans and stall Nu-class attack shuttles mid-flight and shut off lightsabers by dampening their energy with the Force, but she also has some interesting stuff going on beyond that.

First being what went down on Mortis: her death and resurrection due to The Daughter’s lifeforce being transferred to her. We’ve seen very little of what that implies, outside of the convor bird, Morai, following Ahsoka wherever she goes, which is described in Rebels as “a servant of The Daughter, or The Daughter herself when acting as a spirit guide.” Also, I love the on-the-nose implications of Morai’s namesake regarding Greek mythology.

Another thing that’s important and something that’s repeatedly been driven home throughout Clone Wars is the contradictions within Ahsoka herself that lend themselves to the dark side. Which brings me to the second point; Malachor in Rebels.

Malachor is home to a Sith temple, which...okay, that’s bad, but I like how Dave Filoni talks about the symbolism and dichotomy of that temple:

When the characters are above ground, it’s daylight and they’re looking down at a black surface. When they are below, it’s nighttime and they’re looking up at what seem to be stars.  The design elements were important to reinforce the concepts of night and day, light and dark, life and death. Those things are part of Malachor’s DNA and its architecture.

Which is pretty on par with all the themes of Twilight of the Apprentice but also important to what ends up happening to Ahsoka at the end of her confrontation with Vader. She descends into the depths of the Sith temple, through the same ‘exit’ we saw Maul and Ezra emerge from. You know, the one Maul was all Rule of Two-ing Ezra about in regards to how to navigate the temple. We don’t really know what happened after that aside from some Topps digital card art that Filoni did, where he talks about her journey from the realm of the dead to the realm of the living, but it’s safe to say she navigated that temple alone with Morai as a kind of spiritual guide. I also think it’s safe to say that, similar to Jedi temples, Sith temples can be just as “tricky” in terms of having various pathways they can lead an individual down. A rebirth can be just as much of a death as a new form of life, which is pointed out to Ahsoka by Bendu:

BENDU: Understand this, much will change as a result of this encounter. AHSOKA: Isn’t that true of all things, as time advances? BENDU: My dear, when I say change, I mean death. AHSOKA: So I will die? BENDU: Will you? I didn’t know that. Goodbye then, Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Knight.

Ahsoka, at her core, is a good person. Much of what drives and motivates Ahsoka is doing the right thing-- as she sees it. We all know people can believe something wrong is something right, and I don’t think Ahsoka is exactly averse to using less-than-upstanding means to accomplish a goal (see: using Darth Maul as a fatal distraction to help ensure her and Rex’s escape, being totally chill with ordering others to use violent means to get information out of targets, being totally chill observing others using violence as a means to a ‘good’ end-- seen predominantly in her apprenticeship to Anakin). All of these things aren’t exactly good actions or decisions, but she justifies them because they’re being done to achieve something she deems as good or righteous. Ahsoka is someone who is not above revenge and seeking vengeance for her loved ones or for wrongs committed to others/her ideals. This is a textbook un-Jedi way of thought, more in line with someone who leans towards the darker aspects of the Force. That being said, Ahsoka isn’t someone who seeks power, not for herself or over others. She isn’t cruel, no matter how ruthless her actions can come across. She’s not entirely selfless, but she’s not consumed by the concept of self.

Ahsoka’s relationship with the Force is parallel to her own personal moral compass. Her white lightsabers are perfect reflection of that. True Neutral. She has no affiliation with the Jedi, but she also holds no leanings towards Sith ideology either.

Lucasfilm story person Matt Martin, when asked about the concept of “Gray Jedi”, tweeted about how a Force user who wields both light and dark aspects of the Force can’t do so without consequences. I find that interesting, because it’s not a “that’s not possible” answer, just a “sure, but there’s a price to pay” answer. Which I vibe with.

We already know that the Force at its extremes has a visible affect on the users body (and sometimes mind). We’ve mostly seen this in Sith and other dark side users, predominately yellow/red eyes and sometimes actual degradation of the users body (gross). But we’ve also seen this in other beings. The Bendu? The mystic space moose talking about residing firmly in the middle of the Force who can control the weather and open Sith holocrons like it’s no big deal? He’s blind. So Ahsoka, someone who has a powerful connection to The Daughter, someone whose moral compass can justify ethically muddled choices for a righteous cause, sees a visible mark indicating her relationship with the Force: indigo eyes.

Some of my favorite quotes from the Ahsoka novel sum up her relationship with the Force very nicely, I think:

A sharp whine reached Ahsoka’s ears, the dark and light song of the crystals struggling for balance.... When Ahsoka opened her hands, she was not surprised to find that two lightsabers, rough and unfinished, were waiting. They would need more work, but they were hers. When she turned them on, they shone the brightest white.

BAIL: I’ve never seen white ones before. AHSOKA: They used to be red. When the creature had them, they were red. But I heard them before I ever saw him on Raada, and knew that they were meant for me. BAIL: You changed their nature? AHSOKA: I restored them. I freed them.

BAIL: In this fight, there will be people like Barriss who are focused on the past. And there will be people who focus strongly on the future. Neither of them is wrong, exactly, but even if we don’t always walk the same path as one another, ours must be the middle road. AHSOKA: [Ahsoka smiled] That’s what I thought when I was trying to find the crystals that power my lightsabers.... I want something in the middle of that, still useful but different than before.

[the-archlich]

Clone Wars: The Dathomir Arc

This is one of the biggest arcs we've had in a long time. Not only is it a solid 3 episode story, it's one that actually changes a lot. It really shakes up the status quo of this show and pours on a huge amount of character development for Ventress, something we haven't gotten before. It introduces an interesting new villain (with a bad name) in Savage Opress, and a very interesting character in Mother Talzin.

Things begin with Palpatine skyping Dooku. He's sensed that Ventress is growing very powerful and is suspicious that Dooku is training his own apprentice and will try to replace him. Rule of Two and all that. Dooku insists he's not going to do that, but why would any of us believe that? Palpatine orders him to kill Ventress, which Dooku reluctantly agrees to do.

This does address a question that bothered me when Ventress was first introduced. As far as we knew, the Rule of Two was still a thing; so what exactly was her deal? Given that we've really only seen some limited use of the Force from her, it seems like she was only partially trained - deliberately. Not trained enough to really qualify as a full Sith apprentice, but enough to be useful against Jedi. Sort of a preview of the Inquisitors we'd see under the Empire. And while I don't think the Sith actually care about technicalities, they do care about their own apprentices getting strong enough to kill them before they're ready.

Dooku doesn't do the job himself. When he learns that she's on one of his flagships, he has the rest of the fleet fire on it, hoping to kill her that way along with Obi and Ani. Of course this doesn't work out. He presumes she's killed, but she escapes. She's picked up by some scavengers and takes their ship to her homeworld of Dathomir.

If you've read a lot of Star Wars lore, that name means something to you. As usual I don't know what's canon and what isn't anymore but it's got significant history. It's an isolated world covered in fog, said to be filled with witches.

And witches there are! Ventress arrives and is greeted by others of her kind, including their leader Mother Talzin. To heal her, they perform some kind of magick ritual, during which we see flashbacks to Ventress's past. She was given away as a baby to protect the clan. Her owner was killed by some pirates and she was taken in by a Jedi, who trained her for several years. After her was killed in battle, she lost her shit and went dark. This eventually led her to Dooku, who took her on as an acolyte (their term for those below the level of a true apprentice).

All told, it's a pretty tragic backstory. Up until now we really didn't know anything about Ventress and this really puts her in a new perspective.

Now healed, Ventress is ready to kill Dooku. Mother Talzin uses more dark magic to turn her invisible, along with some other assassins. They catch Dooku sleeping (in his exquisite pajamas) and attack him, but even 3 v 1 and poisoned Dooku is actually really fucking good at this and fights them off.

Talzin doesn't mind that they failed, though. She sees an opportunity in it. So she calls up Dooku and offers him a replacement for Ventress. He takes her up on the offer and comes to visit. Obviously she's going to use his new apprentice as a means to assassinate him.

They talk a little bit about their history. Talzin's group is called the Nightsisters, and evidently they used to have some alliance with the Sith in the past. Of course, she's not willing to pledge allegiance to Dooku, so relations are still a bit strained. But Dooku did her a solid sometime in the past. Talzin brings up Darth Maul, who Dooku only knows by reputation. She offers him someone from Maul's bloodline; given what Maul was capable of, Dooku is in.

There was a time when I would have criticized Dooku for not asking more questions about this. It's suspicious. Right after you betray your apprentice and someone tries to kill you, you get a call from someone you haven't seen in years offering you exactly what you need. That should set off some red flags. But I've seen enough people like Dooku now that while it's stupid of him not to question this more, it's deeply in character. People in those sorts of positions - people born into power, who have had the world handed to them - never question it when they're handed even more. They've always gotten everything they ever wanted, often without even asking. This is normal for them.

We aren't told much about the Nightsisters and their history; Obi-Wan has heard of them (and Mother Talzin) and calls them an ancient order of witches. Dooku indicates they had some past alliance. That's all we're told explicitly. Again I don't know what' s still canon, but as a general statement:

There are Force-wielding traditions outside of the Jedi and Sith. The Force is in all things, and while most need some training, there are individuals so naturally talented that they'll reach out to the Force even without it. Sometimes these individuals are just hermits, or maybe they take an apprentice or two. This sort of thing grows into a local Force-wielding tradition of its own, with its own structure and rules. Traditionally the Jedi leave small groups alone, only involving themselves if they become a problem. The Sith sometimes recruited from among these groups (it's a good place to find potential apprentices) and also tended to ignore them unless they grew too powerful.

A more recent example I can confirm in canon is the Knights of Ren. Ren was the name of an individual who was strong in the Force but didn't have any formal training and followed the path of the dark. He recruited other Force-sensitive people with a similar mindset, forming his little group. While they had some passing similarities to the Sith (both being users of the Dark Side), Ren's traditions and structure were his own. Ben Solo (later Kylo) killed Ren and took control of his group and his name.

The Nightsisters of Dathomir are a similar group. Mother Talzin is obviously a powerful user of the Dark Side, but she exists outside of the Jedi or Sith traditions. If she was more ambitious or more involved in affairs outside of Dathomir maybe she'd warrant being a target for Sidious or Dooku, but if she stays in her lane there's no need for conflict. And she can provide a ready supply of potential apprentices should the need arise, as Ventress and Savage show.

Ventress goes to the part of Dathomir where the men live (because I guess their society is exceptionally gender segregated?) and after putting a bunch of them through violent and deadly trials, chooses the toughest one. Talzin and the Nightsisters use a ritual to make him stronger and more powerful, and more under their control. His name is Savage Opress, because sometimes Star Wars is just dumb.

Talzin presents Dooku with his new slab of beefcake and he's pretty pleased, especially after Savage successfully kills some Jedi. Dooku accepts his present and tells Savage that he does indeed plan to turn against Sidious eventually - because of course he does. That's literally how the whole Sith thing works. We know Sheev doesn't want to play by those rules, but no one should be surprised.

After seeing a video of Savage killing some Jedi, Obi and Ani go to Dathomir to investigate him. This leads them to Talzin and the Nightsisters. Dooku has sent Savage to kidnap the king of Toyderia, and Talzin sends Obi/Ani there as well. Savage fucks up by killing the king instead, so Dooku is pissed and zaps him (his usual method of correction.)

Ventress arrives and attacks Dooku along with Savage. This gives us a pretty good fight scene, although the fights in this show are generally sub-par. (I'll talk about the concept of weight some other time). We've got 3 fighters, 5 blades, and totally different styles. Dooku has his classic, almost courtly style, often with one hand at his side or behind his back. Ventress has a more acrobatic style with two sabers, while Savage is just flailing away with the Darth Maul special (without the technique). What makes this fun is seeing these visually distinct styles of fighting all mashed together. If you removed everything identifying about these characters, you could still tell who was who base don how they're fighting. And that makes for a good fight scene.

The whole fight really breaks down when Savage gets tired of being treated like shit and starts attacking Ventress as well as Dooku. Dooku runs and Ventress pursues, while Savage is left behind and has to deal with Obi and Ani. There is a lot happening.

Savage escapes, but now he's on Dooku's bad side. Obi and Ani get out too. Dooku proves to be too strong for Ventress and she barely gets away. So now there's just a bunch of red-blade assholes running around who all hate each other. And that makes for a fun galaxy. Speaking of...

Savage returns to Dathomir, badly wounded. Talzin tells him that he still has a living brother - Darth Goddamn Maul. She sends Savage off to find him, setting up the storyline that is the reason I started watching this show in the first place years ago.

This is a very good arc. Stories that put a focus on the villains for a bit usually are, because we get to see sides of a story we aren’t usually exposed to. Ventress is a character we knew very little about, and this greatly expands her as a character. Getting a new wildcard in the form of Savage is fun, as is the promise of Darth Maul’s return. And this was good to get Dooku some of his villain credibility back. He’s been rebuilding that lately. If your bad guys never win, they never seem dangerous. So giving him a W helps the show as a whole.

This episode also expands the universe in a a way we haven’t seen any of the TV shows or movies do before. It shows us other traditions of the Force outside of the Jedi and Sith; while those factions are dominant there are others in this world. It’s the sort of thing that really makes you want to know more; and when we get more, we love it. Hell, when I heard Darth Maul was being resurrected for this show, I went back and watched the episodes that were relevant to it, starting with this arc. It was good enough to make me watch a show that I’d previously dismissed.

In terms of character development, plot advancement, and worldbuilding, this is the best arc in Season 3 by a mile. From what I’ve watched this time around, I’d put it just below the Mandalorian arc from season 2. It tells a very good story that expands the world and its characters in compelling ways that make us want to know more; and those promises are more than fulfilled later down the line.

It’s the good shit.