#(unlike stover's)

[jewishcissiekj]

finished the first part of darth plagueis and yeah fuck it I'm moving to Jedi Apprentice 13 and maybe I'll continue with part 2 after that

[intermundia]

so 417 days have passed since i began the revenge of the sith page-a-day read-through, which means that it is now finished. i have so many thoughts about that book, having lived inside it for so long. it's better than i remembered and anticipated. i have such deep respect as an amateur star wars author for all the things stover accomplished with it, the choices he made stylistically and structurally, with the blessing and guidance of lucas (e.g. the dragon anakin's heart is from his fear, not his anger). stover's personal knowledge of martial arts and obvious awareness of buddhist philosophy, mixed with his education in classical greek theater, in service of the potent, latent homoeroticism in the tragic narrative of obi-wan and anakin, it all combines in an intoxicating alchemy into a star wars novel unlike any other. it enriches the movie in a way that is rare among novelizations. it's not just describing what's on screen, it's embroidering it and illuminating it with gold. the sum of the two media, the visuals and music from the film mixed with the lyrical prose together synthesize into one of my favorite piece of art, something emergent between the two and transcending them both, and i'll never get over it.

[antianakin]

This could garner me a lot of hateful comments, but the whole "Obi-Wan is so extra attached to Anakin" thing in fandom is something I'm going to lay squarely at Matthew Stover's feet.

“I think," Obi-Wan said carefully, "that abstractions like peace don't mean much to him. He's loyal to people, not to principles. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him." Mace and Yoda gazed at him steadily, and Obi-Wan had to lower his head. "Because," he admitted reluctantly, "he knows I would do the same for him.”

Like this shit? This isn't something we see in the films. Not because the quote/scene doesn't exist, but the idea that Obi-Wan would "stop at nothing to save Anakin" does not appear to be true of Lucas's Obi-Wan.

It's OBI-WAN who insists Anakin has to leave Padme behind to do his duty. It's OBI-WAN who insists that Anakin be left in the dark about his faked death despite knowing how much it would hurt Anakin. It's OBI-WAN who ultimately DOES leave Anakin to die on the shores of Mustafar, who does his duty by refusing to save Anakin when there's nothing left to save. It's OBI-WAN who sacrifices himself to save Luke and abandons Anakin in the process. It's OBI-WAN who tells Luke that there may not be anything left of Anakin TO save and he may have to be ready to kill him in self-defense.

I'd even argue we actually do see that Anakin is most capable of the whole concept of letting go WHEN IT RELATES TO OBI-WAN. He does so when Obi-Wan's ship crashes during Landing at Point Rain, and he makes sure not to kill "Rako Hardeen" when he first goes to capture him and he cites Obi-Wan's own morality as the reason why he's holding back.

Which seems to indicate that Anakin's personal loyalty to Obi-Wan isn't actually that he thinks Obi-Wan would do whatever it took to save him, or that he'd do whatever it took to save Obi-Wan, but that it actually forces him CLOSER to Jedi ideals so he can be closer to who Obi-Wan believes him to be. His loyalty to Obi-Wan, unlike his relationships with people like Padme and even Ahsoka, actually seem to make him BETTER because he knows for sure that Obi-Wan wouldn't appreciate Anakin "stopping at nothing" to save him or avenge him.

I know that Lucas was at least somewhat involved in this novelization and all, and that the prose in this novel is really really good, but this isn't the Obi-Wan we see depicted in the films. This shameful Obi-Wan who would throw aside his Jedi ideals just to save Anakin because he can't help being unhealthily attached to Anakin just... isn't in-character to the person we see depicted in both the films and TCW. That person in the quote up there? That's not my Obi-Wan, it just isn't.

[autismmydearwatson]

Love Thrawn: Alliances so far

Vader: *ahem* does this have anything to do with Kanan Jarrus, the Jedi who gave Thrawn the slip? Or maybe the Bendu, which I might remind you Thrawn ran away screaming from?

Thrawn, whispering: I'll kill you.

So many had died. So very, very many.

But Padmé wouldn't be one of them. Anakin had promised himself that.

Ahaha. AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH. Anidala on the brain tonight 🫠

Vader: GET YO FUCKING DOG BITCH

Thrawn: he don't bite

Vader: YES IT DO

Thrawn: his NAME is Rukh.

Karyn: sir can I make a suggestion

Vader: you can listen to your commanding officer

Karyn: sir can I please make a suggestion

Thrawn: of course honey it's okay go right ahead.

THE FUCKING. ITS PRONOUNCED MITTH'RAW'NURUODO 😭😭😭😭😭

But the texture of his mind was unlike anything Anakin had ever touched before. It was neat and well-ordered, the patterns of thought flowing smoothly and precisely in ways not unlike those of scientists or mathematicians. But the content of that flow, and the muted emotions accompanying it, were completely opaque. It was like a neat and precise array of unfamiliar numbers.

AUTISTIC 🫵

Darth Vader: (a black medieval dragon space rasputin cyborg with metal hands)

Thrawn: surely they won't recognize you.

"Our myths of the Republic speak of two groups of beings with such powers: the Jedi, and the Sith. But the Sith are reputed to be clever and capable warriors."

Can't believe Thrawn just killed Darth Vader with one blow

Did Thrawn just get shot??? In the chest??? Twelve times???

Anakin: DUDE ARE YOU OKAY

Thrawn: relax my armor is better than yours... sometimes

Anakin: yeah but are you okay??

Maybe one day, if the war ever ended, Padmé might find that kind of peaceful life for herself. If so, she would dedicate the first of her firstborns creations to Duja's memory.

Thrawn: I'm fine. I shall walk it off (crying skdgthfhtjj he would fucking say that)

Thrawn watching Anakin Skywalker puppet around a corpse with the Force: 😐

AUGGGGHHHH. OWWW. FUCK.

Thrawn was silent for a moment. "Just remember that the goal in war is victory, not revenge."

Oh sorry what were you saying? Yeah lemme just whoops uh---

What is happening right now is why the Clone Wars were fought in the first place. It is their reason for existence. The Clone Wars have always been, in and of themselves, from their very inception, the revenge of the Sith.

-Matthew Stover, The Revenge of the Sith

[high-mackrels-musings]

Star Crossed Lovers: How Revenge of the Sith adapts Pyramus & Thisbe

*This is another adaptation of an essay I wrote on reddit found here

Back when I was in college I took a class on myths, and for my final essay of the class I was given the assignment to find and contrast an Ovid myth with another piece of media. Now, being who I am, I immediately tried to tie it to Star Wars. And I found a sort of comparison between the tragic tales of Anakin and Padme and Pyramus and Thisbe. The tragedy in their love is similar, but there are differences. And Lucas, and by extension Stover who wrote the novel, shows the influence from Ovid’s tale and manages to at the same time change the way the love story of Padme and Anakin is told. And the parallels were interesting enough for me to share my thoughts here.

Who are Pyramus and Thisbe?

For those who have read Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, the story of Pyramus and Thisbe ought to be familiar enough. Pyramus and Thisbe are two Babylonian youths whose families live next to one another and utterly despise one another. This of course puts the two at odds with their feelings. Pyramus and Thisbe both love each other. And they manage to find some refuge by speaking to one another through a small gap in the walls, “In the common wall that ran between their houses, there was a narrow cleft made by the builders and unnoticed since. Love misses nothing!” One should note the way then that the love of Pyramus and Thisbe is portrayed by Ovid. There is a sense of the purity of love.

Unlike many of his other stories within Metamorphoses, there is no focus on grotesque violence. Rather the true tragedy of “Pyramus and Thisbe” comes from the way others prevent their love. Because their parents refuse to allow them to be together Pyramus and Thisbe resolve to run away together. They both agree to meet under a mulberry tree, but unfortunately, when Thisbe arrives, she sees a lioness and flees leaving behind her veil for Pyramus to later find bloodied by the lion’s jaws. He believes that the lioness has eaten her. The misinterpretation of symbols, as Pyramus, stumbles upon the bloodied cloak. And he says, “On this one night, two lovers come to grief! For she, far more than I, deserved long life!” Lost in grief he strikes himself down plunging his sword through himself. And in doing so effectively dooms Thisbe who arrives later to see her dying lover. She too takes her own life, but not before begging the gods for their sacrifice to be heard, “And may our wretched parents, mine and yours be moved by this petition to allow joined in the same last hour by unwavering love, to lie together in a single tomb.”. And their prayers are heard, which shows Ovid’s overreaching theme of the legacy of love. Pyramus and Thisbe’s love lives on as their ashes are shared in the same urn, and the gods change the color of the mulberry berries to red.

How This Relates to Star Wars?

So, one may see in fact the parallels here between Anakin, Padme, Pyramus, and Thisbe. The idea of two lovers who desperately want to be together. Anakin and Padme are both forbidden to be together, as Jedi are prohibited from being married, Ki-Adi Mundi aside, Like Pyramus and Thisbe both have had to hide their brief moments of love. And both resolve to run away together, as seen in the Revenge of the Sith novel. So, if the bare-bones structure is there how do they differ?

One must keep in mind that both are tragedies. But the way these tragic moments manifest come in a different way. Instead of a bloody veil in a lioness’s jaws, Anakin receives visions of the impending death of his beloved. These visions haunt Anakin. The love between the pair can hardly be said to be healthy. Anakin has feared the loss of his loved ones since the death of his mother saying in Attack of the Clones, “Well, I should be! Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I promise you. I will even learn to stop people from dying!” And in the Revenge of the Sith novel Anakin’s fears are described as a sleeping dragon that haunts him, “That is the kind of fear that lives inside Anakin Skywalker: the dragon of that dead star. It is an ancient, cold dead voice within his heart that whispers all things die …” His jealousy is also present in the novel as we see how he greets Padme and believes there is another in her life, “He took her by the shoulders now, his hands hard and irresistibly powerful. ‘There’s someone else. I can feel it in the Force! There is someone coming between us-” This is a further sign of his unhealthy love, and Lucas and Stover show this love which contrasts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe.

Anakin is resolved to not allow Padme to die. And in a desperate search for power, he turns to a false promise, and he transforms into Darth Vader. Unlike Pyramus who literally kills himself Anakin’s death is a metaphorical one. Gone is the Jedi Knight Anakin skywalker replaced by the Sith Lord Darth Vader. And this effectively kills Padme who when she learns that all the terrible things he’s done say to him, “I don’t know you anymore. Anakin you’re breaking my heart.” And of course, Padme later dies having lost her will to live. Thus, while Anakin did not kill himself directly as did Pyramus. The death of his identity as Anakin and transformation into Darth Vader does kill Padme.

So How Are They Similar?

So, while we have seen how Lucas and Stover show the difference in the love story, and the parallels of the bloody veil and Anakin’s dreams, one might be inclined to ask how then they are similar?

Thisbe herself pleads to the gods that their love is remembered, and her desire is granted as the Gods allow for the mulberry tree’s berries to forever be stained red for the blood they shed beneath the tree. Revenge of the Sith also reveals to us that there is a legacy in the love of Padme and Anakin. The film ends by showing us the scene of Luke and Leia, the children of Anakin and Padme, being split into two separate families so that one day they too will take up the mantle. And Stover’s novel ends with the words, “The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins- but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. Love is more than a candle. Love can ignite the stars.” And it will be so as Luke and Leia will go on to save the galaxy. And their children would go on to protect it, and their descendants would do the same. Love in both stories has a legacy that would be felt after their deaths within the Legends continuity.

Conclusion:

While I cannot say with any authority that Lucas or Stover have ever read Pyramus and Thisbe, the influence of the text is still felt in this work. And one can see how Star Wars has positioned itself into a new form of mythology that may inform us, and do its best to teach us the lessons. The simple love story changed into something more complex about the nature of love and jealousy. And that is an important lesson which can be taken away. And this entire exercise was a fun way to interact with my favorite fictional series in a more academic setting.

[katenepveu]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better:

from @measured-words!

3 ships I like: I don't think these will be a surprise based on the volume of my reblogs:

Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian, The Untamed (specifically the show; I still haven't read the novel);

Hua Cheng/Xie Lian, Tian Guan Ci Fu by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (a.k.a. TGCF a.k.a. Heaven Official's Blessing; I'm behind on the donghua and haven't read the manhua but I don't believe there's any particular reason to distinguish adaptations at present);

Gideon/Harrow, The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. Unlike the other two, this is an ongoing work and not a romance, so I am not particularly holding out hope for a happy ending. That's okay! It'll be the right ending, and that's more important. (I'd say, and we'll always have fic, but I haven't had much fic-reading urge for this series. Who knows what'll happen when it's over, of course.)

First ship ever: this is a surprisingly tough one! Of the important books of my childhood and adolescence, some of them had romantic relationships, but I never really wanted to bang the characters together like dolls and say "Now kiss!", which is what shipping feels like to me. (You'd think there'd be something in Mercedes Lackey but mostly I wanted various characters/a nap.) I did get mushy over the very early, as in the first book, Lan/Nynaeve scenes in The Wheel of Time, which I think predates anything else that comes to mind?

Last song I heard: unfortunately the talus battle music from Tears of the Kingdom is stuck in my head, which is driving out all else.

Favorite childhood book: well, not to be a complete nerd or anything, but I did use to check out the three paperback volumes of The Lord of the Rings every year in elementary when we went to Vermont on vacation, so.

Currently reading: nominally re-reading TGCF along with folks on Mastodon, but I am of course behind. I have three Naomi Mitchison books in (gasp!) paper to read, as she is Memorial Guest of Honor at Readercon this year; The Conquered is due back the soonest so that's theoretically next. In practice I have a very busy few weeks coming up and the answer is probably "some comfort fic rereads."

Currently watching: the TGCF donghua. I rewatched S1 on mute at 1.5 speed (sorry, I know) and have seen precisely one episode of S2.

Currently consuming: water?

Currently craving: pectin jelly beans, which used to be available around this time of year but Russell Stover has apparently stopped making them. There are candy shops on the Internet that sell them but I'm not sure I want to go that far.

Tagging people on Tumblr terrifies me, so please chime in anyone who likes!

[that-gay-jedi]

I'm tryna catch up on self-care chores I'm overwhelmed on but I'm being overtaken by Star Wars thoughts so it's screamin time I guess.

This bit, where Dooku draws the dark side to himself right before his duel with Anakin & Obi-Wan aboard the Invisible Hand:

[Transcript: This was the real power of the dark side, the power he had suspected even as a boy, had sought through his long life until Darth Sidious had shown him that it had been his all along. (highlighted) The dark side didn't bring him to the center of the universe. It made him the center. (end highlight) End transcript.]

There is so much to Stover's philosophy of the Force as elaborated in Revenge of the Sith, Shatterpoint and Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, drawing on all kinds of sources, but one that I think is frequently missed is mainstream modern magical traditions and the historical and theoretical sources they in turn take from.

As someone whose fingers have been in several occult pies since I was a smol idiot preteen, this part with Dooku could be word-for-word from any introductory primer on things like the Middle Pillar exercise and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (abbreviated LBRP).

The LBRP is a basic ritual common to practically any westernized spellcasting tradition that appropriates from and kind of mangles kabbalah (as chaos magic, various attempts at reconstructing demonology and angelology, and almost anything drawing on medieval Christian gnosticism do)*. It shares common history and structural progression with the form of circle casting observed in Wicca and so many other neopagan systems.

LBRP's base purpose is to remove negative energy from oneself and surroundings, but for many a beginning mage learning from randos on the internet or reading the mainstream magic books, it's also performed daily as a means of getting oneself used to rituals and practicing the mindset these systems recommend for spellcasting.

For the majority of people practicing it in its vanilla form (I.e. people identifying as chaos magicians), one fundamental skill being practiced is that of making oneself the center of the universe. The LBRP is supposed to be performed while envisioning oneself as the center of the universe, which is frequently done via the Middle Pillar exercise: symbolically drawing the metaphysical structure of all things into and along the lines of the body (this is the part that pulls most heavily from kabbalah, as it takes the kabbalistic tree of life wholesale).

To get an idea of what I mean, take a look at samples here, here, and here. Were I 11 years old today and just researching spellwork for the first time, sites like these would likely be among the first I'd be directed to by older members as beginner resources.

Now, the dark side of the Force is not 1:1 analogous with any particular real world label, but has commonalities with quite a few (not unlike how the Jedi are not 1:1 analogous to any one form of Buddhism, but based on an amalgamation of everything GL thought of it at the time). Practitioners of chaos magic often regard it not as a belief system or magical tradition but as a means of approaching belief and ritual, a meta-framework.

The point here is merely that Stover is a smart cookie and did his homework, and chose sources which would be recognizable to anyone with a background in contemporary spellwork amid the target audience.

*I don't personally perform kabbalah-derived practices nor known derivatives thereof out of respect for Judaism. My own spiritual bent is not chaos magic, neopaganism nor reconstructionism, and is loosely describable as state-of-mind-seeking, meditative, and experiential.

[oaresearchpaper]

Eisenia fetida Extracts on Fusarium oxysporum Growth

Abstract

Banana wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is a worrying destructive banana disease of which there is not yet effective control measures. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of earthworms Eisenia fetida to be biological control agents against Foc TR4. Methodological approach consisted of assessing interactions between Foc TR4 and (i) enzyme β-N-Acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAGase) and (ii) E. fetida extracts that are the coelomic fluid (CF) and the crude crushed (CC). Then NAGase were dosed in E. fetida CF. Foc TR4 growth was inhibited by NAGase but no effect was observed with the extracts CF and CC of E. fetida. Enzymatic dosage showed that CF contained 0.015 ± 0.006IU/mg protein as NAGase activity. These results suggest the possible use of E. fetida in biocontrol of Foc TR4 however through a process other than the extracts CC and CF. The outcomes of this study may constitute background data allowing to explore potential of earthworms in biocontrol of banana pathogenic fungi, which is of great significance to the development of banana industry system and to the reduction in the use of fungicides.

Introduction

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the world's most important crops owing to its economic and food interest. Its fruits, namely cooking bananas (AAB, ABB, ...) and dessert bananas (AAA) are used in the diet of many populations in both importing and exporting countries (Lassoudière, 2007). In several tropical countries, plantain (AAB) is a staple food for various social strata. Plantain is an energetic food providing 120 kcal or 497 kJ per 100 g (Yao et al., 2014). Its commercialization constitutes a source of income for rural or lowincome populations (Ouina, 2017). Apart from bananas, other organs of banana plant such as pseudostem, leaves and peelings give rise to a wide variety of uses (animal feed, manufacture of industrial products) (Kumar et al., 2012; Jyothirmayi and Rao, 2015).

Like any plant crop, banana plant is prone to attacks by bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes and weevils. Among these attacks, fungi have been for a long time a growing threat and lead to severe affections of the leaves, stems, fruits and roots, resulting in significant yield reductions (Stover, 1959; Viljoen, 2002; De Bellaire et al., 2010; Dita et al., 2018). Fusarium wilt is one of the most serious fungal disease that affect banana plant. It is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) and is responsible of constraints on banana production causing serious economic losses worldwide (Ploetz, 2015; Dita et al., 2018. Based on the pathogenicity to host cultivars, Foc is divided into physiological races 1, 2 and 4. Unlike races 1 and 2 which affected respectively Gros Michel (AAA) and Manzano/Apple/Latundan (Silk, AAB), and cooking bananas of the Bluggoe (ABB) subgroup, race 4 has a broad host range. It infects almost all cultivars including "Dwarf Cavendish" (Musa sp. AAA group) as well as the hosts of race 1 and race 2 (Lassoudière, 2007; Sutherland et al., 2013; Lin et al., 2013). Race 4 has been split into subtropical race 4, which affects “Cavendish” and races 1 and 2 suscepts in the subtropics, and tropical race 4, which affects many of the same cultivars as subtropical race 4 in the tropics when disease-predisposing conditions are absent (Ploetz, 2015). Furthermore, vegetative compatibility which has been implemented owing to confusions of the race structure often happening in delineating strains of Foc, allow to identified a total of 24 vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Tropical race 4 is designated as VCG 01213/16 and subtropical race 4 belong to VCGs 0120, 0121, 0122, 0129 and 01211 (Dita et al., 2010; Mostert et al., 2017). Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease, affected several banana plantations in Australia, Taiwan, Philippines, India, Mozambique (Pegg et al., 1996; Ploetz, 2015; Viljoen et al., 2020) and South Africa (Viljoen, 2002). Control methods against Fusarium wilt that have been developed have focused on chemical (fungicide application) and cultural treatments, selection and varietal improvement by hybridization techniques (Bakry et al., 2005; Lassoudière, 2007). However, these control methods have shown limitations in adapting or mutating pathogens, in inaccessibility of improved banana varieties to farmers with low incomes (Ploetz, 2005; Kra et al., 2009).

Indeed, the banana cultivar "Gros Michel", which was the basis of banana export trade in Central America and resistant to Fusarium wilt, became sensitive in the years 1940 to 1950 and was replaced by the cultivar "Cavendish" (Ploetz, 2005). "Cavendish", the current export cultivar, has become sensitive since 1970 to Foc race 4 (Visser et al., 2009). Fungicide use is increasingly criticized by consumer associations and scientists due to their harmful effects on environment and on human health are (Lassoudière, 2007; Cirad, 2011, Brühl and Zaller, 2019). Regarding worrying destructible effects of Fusarium wilt and galloping world demography (for example 48,796,000 inhabitants in 2050 in Côte d’Ivoire so the double of the current population) (UN, 2015), efforts to protect and develop the production of this staple food should be intensified. Faced with the constraints related to the means of controlling Fusarium wilt previously mentioned, biological control is much explored as an alternative by the research (Gbongué et al., 2012; Mohammed et al., 2019; Torres-Trenas et al., 2019).

Earthworms are soil invertebrates that participate in soil aeration and water infiltration, increasing the nutrients content of the soil, mixing soil minerals with organic material. All making these organisms soil fertility agents (Römbke et al., 2005; Bhadauria and Saxena, 2010). In addition to this capacity of affecting positively soil functioning, earthworms were found to have potent antimicrobial activities. Indeed, they have developed innate immune mechanisms that detect pathogens by recognizing conserved molecular patterns (Prakash and Gunasekaran, 2011). Earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae paste showed inhibitory activity against pathogens such as bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Kebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella abony, and fungi Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Trichophytum rubrum (Vasanthi et al., 2013).

According Pan et al. (2003), the coelomic fluid of the earthworm, Eisenia fetida andrei (Savigny) was demonstrated to possess an antimicrobial activity directed against earthworm pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila and Bacillus megaterium. Thus, living in an environment with abundant pathogens, earthworms developed defense strategies against the living pathogens.

For instance, they have suspected to synthesize β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAGase), an enzyme that hydrolyses chitin, one of the main constituents ensuring the rigidity of fungal wall (Guthrie and Castle, 2006). These defense strategies or metabolite compounds allowing to implement defense strategies can be exploited for finding innovative biological solutions to issues related to above mentioned means of controlling Fusarium wilt.

This study proposes to evaluate the ability of earthworms to be biological control agents against the fungus Foc TR4. Eisenia fetida is a favorite worm species for composting and is frequently used as a biological monitor for experimental tests (OECD, 1984; Garg et al., 2006; Ouina et al., 2017). Specifically, interactions between Foc TR4 and (i) enzyme NAGase and (ii) E. fetida extracts (crude crushed and coelomic fluid) were assessed.

Source : Eisenia fetida Extracts on Fusarium oxysporum Growth | InformativeBD

[novelmonger]

Book Review: Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover

Recommended by @rainintheevening as part of the 2023 Book Rec Exchange

Quote that should have been on the back of the book: "Ever since I came to this planet, people have been telling me how crazy I am. They've told me this so many times that I had started to wonder if it might be true. Now, though, I understand: you don't say this because it's true. Not even because you think it's true. You say it because you hope it's true. Because if I am insane, you aren't really the revolting slime-hearted vermin that, down deep, you know you are." [Don't get me wrong, the quote that is actually on the back of the book is pretty good too.]

Premise: This is a Star Wars novel set during the early days of the Clone Wars. The Jedi Council catches wind of one of their number, Depa Billaba, who has apparently turned to the dark side. She went to Haruun Kal, Mace Windu's homeworld, whose government has sided with the Separatists. Her mission was to recruit resistance against the government among the Korunnai, the people who live in the dangerous jungles of that world, all of whom are Force-sensitive. (The running theory is that a ship full of Jedi crash-landed on the planet in ages past and were not able to leave, and so they settled there. Mace was a Korun orphan who was sent to be trained as a Jedi, unlike most Korunnai.) After word reaches the Jedi that Depa seems to have fallen or even gone insane, Mace goes to Haruun Kal to try to find out what became of her and hopefully bring her back. He volunteers to go not only because it's his homeworld, but because Depa was once his Padawan, and so he is best suited to bring her in.

Thoughts: I've always liked Mace Windu and thought he was pretty cool, but I never quite felt like I understood him on any deep level. He was always that aloof guy on the Council, sitting there with steepled fingers and silently judging everybody. So I was immediately interested to get a better handle on what makes him tick. It was especially interesting to me to watch him struggle with the pull of the dark side, and the way warfare was already haunting him, even in these early days. The Jedi were never supposed to be soldiers, and this book makes it so clear why.

It took me a while to get a handle on Stover's writing style in this book, and while it's generally effective enough, I don't think I'm a huge fan of it. For one thing, he keeps switching back and forth between third-person narration of the story, and the first-person journal recordings Mace is making. While it makes sense that Mace would do such a thing, it sometimes resulted in there being a scene where they prepare to do something, then you switch to the journal entry after the thing happened, and we don't actually get to see it playing out in front of us. That's a pet peeve of mine, after suffering through Robert Jordan's habit of skipping all the action in favor of people thinking about talking to someone, then skipping ahead to them thinking about how they talked to someone. (But it was nowhere near as bad in this one as it was in Wheel of Time.) Smaller quibbles about Stover's style include too much name-dropping of the exact model of weapons (which does nothing to help me imagine it, sorry), and the way he would sort of slip in and out of a limited third-person POV and a more omniscient one. I would be comfortably inside Mace's head, privy only to his own thoughts, and then along would come a sentence that said in effect, "And Mace was so awesome and powerful and everyone was intimidated by him." It felt a little too much like Mace was bragging to himself about how cool he was XD

Don't get me wrong, though--Mace is definitely cool in this book. There's a whole host of cool fight scenes, both with his lightsaber and without, where you really get a sense of what a Jedi Master in his prime can do. And then when it comes to planning and thinking up ways to outwit his enemies as he understands what he's up against and the tables get turned time and again...Mace is pushed to his limit, but he manages to make it all work out. And it's not just his prowess with a lightsaber or the Force or battle strategies, either. The strength of his character and integrity, as well as his ability to see into the heart of his enemies as well as his friends, his capacity to love and forgive...I came away from this book with even more respect for Mace Windu than I had before. It's so clear why he's a Jedi Master.

But, as I said to the dear friend who recommended this book to me: I give Mace Windu an A+ for style, but a D- for stealth :P

Also, the award for Best Supporting Character goes to Nick Rostu, a Korun who lived most of his life in the capital city and hopes to become a mercenary someday, and who helps Mace throughout the book. He's a lot of fun, has some great quips, as well as some good banter with Mace. The way Stover kept harping on about how annoying Nick was, and having Mace think about how the two of them were not going to get along, made it pretty obvious that Stover very much wants the reader to fall in love with him. And this reader definitely did :D

[heyscroller]

Broken Promises - Hey Scroller

Broken Promises – Hey Scroller

Russell Stover’s conversation hearts and foil-covered boxes are large and at my local pharmacy, and to them I say welcome. Unlike August’s rude arrival of Halloween candy, Valentine’s Day retail gusto cheers me up in the first week of January. It agrees with my own desire that the winter months are already hurrying. Bring the egg dye kits and Mother’s Day cards. Let’s focus on spring. Slower. OK.…

[jerryb2]

“Ideally, a Jedi took many months to construct a single perfect weapon that he or she would keep and use for a lifetime. Once you build it, the lightsaber will become your constant companion, your tool, and a ready means of defense.

Luke held out the handle of his own lightsaber, sliding his palm over the smooth grip, then igniting it with a startling snap-hiss. The brilliant yellow-green blade drowned out even the bright sunlight in the room. 

(...) “I hope you’ll need to use your weapon only rarely...if ever.”

- The Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers, by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

Say what you will about Kevin Anderson & the somewhat dubious writing style of The Jedi Academy Trilogy, but both he and his wife, Rebecca Moesta, understood the kriffing assignment when they wrote The Young Jedi Knights series, only a few years later. The fact that The New Jedi Order & the Legacy Era shit the bed immediately afterwards is almost okay, because these books are so damn good. 

Don’t go into them looking for Shakespeare, but they feature no pointless deaths, no character assassinations, no nonsensical plotting - only good characters, fun, exciting stories - they’re just pure Star Wars. And I love it so, so much.

Here we have some pics of my personal Rudy Pando Luke V3 lightsaber (it only seemed appropriate) sporting GOTH’s Master Chassis, with a dual crystal chamber reveal, all properly modified to run a Proffieboard v2.2 soundboard. Quite nice, if I do say so myself. This post is fulfilling something of an old promise; a while ago (like, over a year ago), I hinted that I would be reinstalling this saber for one final time, and now, here it is in all its glory. My tribute to a personal hero of mine from my youth, and in the spirit of excellent ensemble  stories like The Young Jedi Knights and character pieces, like Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. 

May they be preserved & enjoyed forever. 

Speaking of; having read Shatterpoint recently, I’m tempted to go back and read Shadows of Mindor again, if only because I’ll have a clearer idea of who Nick Rostu & Kar Vastor are, not to mention, uh, what TF is going on. It’s a great book, and it absolutely nails Luke’s character, but it’s really kriffing weird. 

Even though it’s not (in my opinion) Stover’s best work, it has a short little exchange between Luke & Kar Vastor that perfectly sums up Luke’s character, and more importantly, why he’s such a great character:

I have known Jedi. Many, many years ago. That knowing was not a gladness for me. I believed I would never know another, and I rejoiced in that belief.

But it is a gladness for me to be proven wrong.

I am happy to have known you, Jedi Luke Skywalker. You are more than they were.

“That’s -” Luke shook his head blankly, blinking against the darkness. “I mean, thanks, but I barely know anything.”

So you believe. But I say to you: you are greater than the Jedi of former days.

Luke could only frown, and shake his head again. “What makes you say that?”

Because unlike the Knights of old, Jedi Luke Skywalker...

You are not afraid of the dark.

~~~~~~

Stover truly is the GOAT of Star Wars writers. 

[padawanlost]

What do you think of ObI Wan's forgiving Maul in rebels? To me- I dunno, it just seems too easy and a little inconsistent. I get that what Vader did was worse and his betrayal in some ways more personal, but he really struggled to forgive Anakin, also his identifying with Maul as a victim since childhood makes no sense, as he should've known Anakin was groomed by Palpatine from childhood, but he didn't even try to find out what caused his fall.

Before I say anything else, please keep in mind that I never watched Rebels (I only watched a couple of scenes/episodes) so I might not have all the details.

Now, that being said, I don’t think Obi-wan ‘forgave’ Maul.

Obi-wan’s ‘kindness’ when killing Maul wasn’t the result of any personal bond between them. it was the expected behavior of any wise Jedi: never start a fight and don’t be cruel. Those are basic Jedi precepts.

If I remember correctly, Obi-wan only ignited his blade after Maul realized he was protecting someone important (Luke) so his actions were motivated by his committed to the greater good (the galaxy and Luke), not his personal feelings towards Maul.

Besides, that was nothing to forgive because Obi-wan wouldn’t keep any (personal) ill feeling towards Maul – beyond him being a threat to the galaxy – because that’s not the Jedi way. Obi-wan, on paper, doesn’t hold grudges. He mourns Satine but he doesn’t hate Maul for killing her.

I think people are mistaking Obi-wan with Anakin, especially Obi-wan’s relationship with Anakin. Now that was a personal relationship that turned violent and bitter because of it. Unlike Maul, Obi-wan couldn’t ‘let go’ of Anakin, whom he loved.

If that final duel had been personal to Obi-wan, it would have gone very differently. It’s the difference between Obi-wan vs Maul in TPM and Obi-wan vs Maul in Rebels. One is fulled by personal, emotional responses. The one isn’t.

As for Obi-wan idifitying Maul was a victim, I don’t know where that comes from. Obi-wan knew nothing about Maul’s past and what he endured growing up. and even if he had, I don’t see that making much of a difference. Obi-wan KNEW Anakin was manipulated by Palpatine and it had no influence on his behavior towards Anakin. we have to keep in mind that until Vader’s redemption, the Jedi believed the dark side was a one way street. Once you took that path you’re lost, regardless of who you *used* to be.

Why had he turned to the dark side? When did it happen? The Anakin he knew and loved couldn't have done it. Something had twisted in him, and Palpatine had exploited it somehow. Obi-Wan knew it wouldn't change anything to know, but he couldn't help going over the same events, again and again. The chances he'd missed, the things he'd seen, the things he hadn't. [Jude Watson – The Last One Standing]

That was where Obi-Wan kept returning. That vision of hatred. Because no matter how Palpatine had corrupted Anakin, no matter how the dark side had taken him over, no matter what decisions he'd made in his heat and his fury, he was Obi-Wan's apprentice and he ended by hating his Master. And that was a Master's failing. [Jude Watson – The Last One Standing]

Obi-Wan said, “I should have let them shoot me …” 

“What?”

 “No. That was already too late—it was already too late at Geonosis. The Zabrak, on Naboo—I should have died there … before I ever brought him here—” 

“Stop this, you will!” Yoda gave him a stick-jab in the ribs sharp enough to straighten him up. “Make a Jedi fall, one cannot; beyond even Lord Sidious, this is. Chose this, Skywalker did.” 

Obi-Wan lowered his head. “And I’m afraid I might know why.” 

“Why? Why matters not. There is no why. There is only a Lord of the Sith, and his apprentice. Two Sith.” Yoda leaned close. “And two Jedi.” [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Obi-wan was completely aware of Anakin’s traumatic past and further manipulation by Palpatine and yet there was little sympathy for him once he became Vader. Now, why would he show such sympathy for someone he knew very little about? For someone who, unlike Anakin, he only knew as a Sith? It doesn’t make sense, imo

The man he faced was everything Obi-Wan had devoted his life to destroying: Murderer. Traitor. Fallen Jedi. Lord of the Sith. And here, and now, despite it all … Obi-Wan still loved him.[Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Obi-wan knew Anakin, LOVED him and still, Anakin’s tragic past made very little difference when it came to Obi-wan’s reaction to his most evil and cruel actions. that’s why I don’t see him going all kind and soft on Maul, whom he knew very little of beyond his ability to destroy innocents and commit crimes.

I’ve talked about this before but the gist is Jedi don’t forgive Sith, they kill them. that’s why the wanted Luke to kill his own father and tried their best to convince him that there was not good left in Vader. It’s not because they were evil, manipulative pricks who wanted Anakin dead. It’s because the truly didn’t believe that it was possible for a Sith to redeem themselves. So for Obi-wan to go all ‘aww poor Maul’ would be out of character, borderline on plot hole.

It’s not like Obi-wan wanted Maul to suffer or anything like that. Clearly, that was not the case at all. But it’s a pretty big leap from ‘I don’t want my enemy to suffer’ to ‘I totally understand why he’s like that and forgive him for it’.

I mean, if Obi-wan didn’t let Maul suffer because he understood his past how does one explain Mustafar and Anakin’s immolation?

[lifblogs]

1, 2, 16

1. What are you reading right now?

Right now I'm reading Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson. And yes, it is a Star Wars book. It's the sequel to Phasma. I'm a little disappointed with one part of it as I thought there would be more enemies-to-lovers going on, rather than unlikely friendship where they don't yet get to spend a lot of time with each other. The unexpected torture scenes were fun though! I really like seeing how Vi views interrogations. It's different from your average character since she's a spy.

2. Favorite classic book?

The Lord of the Rings, and The Great Gatsby.

16. Favorite genre(s) and author(s)?

Fantasy and sci-fi! I love J.R.R. Tolkien (obviously), Robert Jordan, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Megan E. O'Keefe, Kristyn Merbeth, Timothy Zahn, Delilah S. Dawson, John Jackson Miller, Matthew Stover, and James Luceno. And yes, I know a few of those are Star Wars writers. I also really enjoyed Michael Grant before he got a bit money-crazy. So yeah, lot of favorites. But Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and Sarah J. Maas might always be my top three.

[copias-thrall]

Hey, I love your headcanons and currently I have one to ask, unless its been asked before. How would the Papas and Copia react to their s/o dealing with monster cramps? Its my current situation and I was just pondering while I clutch my heating pad and down advil like its skittles.

Papa Nihil - Honestly, this kind of stuff squicks him out. You would think a man who has been covered with the blood of ritual sacrifice on more than one occasion would have a much stronger stomach, but he’s old and from a time when such things were only talked about in euphemisms. The man probably sat in his study smoking cubans for the duration of his sons’ entrances into this world. I mean, he cares, and he doesn’t want you in pain … but he doesn’t want to particularly be a part of the situation. He’ll send you some of that good shit for the pain, a nice fire Ghoul to curl up with for the duration (It’s one (1) fire Ghoul, and the other Ghouls have started calling him “Crampus” in jest, but they get to curl up with all the cute Siblings, so who’s laughing now, huh?), and a nice box of chocolates—not that Russell Stover jawn … something nice, like La Maison du Chocolat.

Papa I - He’s unflappable, but fussy. This isn’t anything he hasn’t seen or helped with before. Gives you some of his herbal remedies to help ease the pain before drawing you a nice hot bath—complete with massaging jets—in which to submerge yourself. Sometimes he just lets you doze off while he reads a book, other times he’ll get in behind you and give you a nice rub down (the jets are good for his aches as well!). Feel free to bitch and moan—Papa knows sometimes you just have to be miserable; he’ll rub your back and keep your hot water bottle fresh while you do. Unlike his father, the man isn’t squeamish (he’s seen his share of messes, and a little period blood is like .01 on the scale), so if you want a little endorphin release to ease the pain, his clever tongue is at your disposal.

Papa II - Let it never be said Papa doesn’t take good care of his pets. His problem is he may be, ah, a little excited by your moaning and writhing around in pain. You wouldn’t want to add some pleasure to that, would you? You can take it, right? Just a little? For me, pet? Blood or no, he’ll have your legs splayed while he holds that tricksy vibrating wand to you, making you die that little death over and over … and over again. What cramps? You'll be too busy squirming and writhing from the overstimulation to think about your contracting organ. When you’re little more than sentient jelly, he’ll have one of his Ghouls carry you to his deluxe bathroom spa, where he’ll hose you free of fluids before settling you both in his hot tub. Afterwards, he’ll swaddle you up in blankets and heating pads while he serves you medicinal tea directly from Primo.

Papa III - He hates it for you and is distressed he can’t magically take it away. (In the past he has tried to find some demonic spell, only to have Sister Imperator hiss at him that if any such thing existed, she’d’ve distributed it decades ago, so puT THE RITUAL BOOK DOWN, TERZO.) He turns into a bit of a mother hen, and—even though he’s gone through this with others, everybody’s different—ends up throwing the kitchen sink at you. How ’bout 800mg of ibuprofen? Some of Primo’s herbal remedies? A hot bath? A hot water bottle? A heating pad? A hot water bottle AND a heating pad? Do you want him to massage your shoulders with his hands or your sweet spot with his tongue? Crampus has got to be around here somewhere! At some point, you’re going to have to remind him that you’re the one who needs to be taken care of and that he needs to calm the fuck down. After that, he usually reverts to his sensual and tactile proclivities—hand feeds you pain medication followed by a hot bath where he massages your temples; goes down on you if you ask for it and with alacrity; happy to cuddle up with you and refresh your hot water bottle when necessary. (Still willing to go find that Ghoul if you need more heat than he can offer.)

Copia - The Cardinal is much too nervous about overwhelming you to mother hen, but that’s not to say he won’t hover. He knows this is about you and your pain, but you find him quite often wringing his hands at his inability to take it away. He’ll want you close to him so he can care for you personally and monitor your bad days, so he’s going to sequester you in his own quarters for the duration (though expect he probably has a helpmate—Cumulus if she’s available, but Cirrus or even Aether can be trusted as well). His care includes a precise regimen of pain relief (whatever you prefer, dear, you know your body); a hot water bottle to curl around; a heating pad for your back; and some of those good, soft cuddles. With the rats. What, amore? Animal contact is beneficial to our health, no? Proven stress relief! Be aware that he’s definitely going to want to use his tongue on you. For, you know—medicinal purposes.

[forcesung]

He followed her respectfully. “Anakin is under a great deal of pressure. He carries tremendous responsibilities for a man so young; when I was his age I still had some years to go as a Padawan. He is—changing. Quickly. And I have some anxiety about what he is changing into. It would be a … very great mistake … were he to leave the Jedi Order.”

She blinked as though he’d slapped her. “Why—that seems … unlikely, doesn’t it? What about this prophecy the Jedi put so much faith in? Isn’t he the chosen one?”

“Very probably. But I have scanned this prophecy; it says only that a chosen one will be born and bring balance to the Force; nowhere does it say he has to be a Jedi.”

She blinked harder, fighting down a surge of desperate hope that left her breathless. “He doesn’t have to—?”

—Revenge of the Sith, Matthew Stover

[darkside-fashion]

3, 16, 18

Unique writing asks!

3. What loves do you tend to write about? Agape (unconditional, spiritual love), Eros (romantic, passionate love), Philia (affectionate, platonic love), Philautia (self-love), Storge (familial love), Pragma (enduring love like between long-married couples), Ludus (playful love, infatuation you feel during the “honeymoon period”), and Mania (obsessive love that leads to madness and jealousy)

Probably about 95% of the love that ends up in my writing is platonic. I think I’ve always just been a huge fan of platonic love being treated with the same importance and care as romantic love, and I think that’s extremely important! Unlikely friendships between characters-- like enemies to friends-- is my absolute favorite. On the off-chance I do write something romantic, it’s usually one-sided. 

16. What motives do you give your original characters? What drives them? How much tragedy did you subject them to?

I am so mean to my OCs, villains in particular. I tend to write an ensemble cast and change POVs from all different sides of things, and normally my antagonists are driven by trauma, desire for perfection, or an overwhelming god-complex (or all three lol). My protagonists are usually driven by solving a mystery or embarking on a journey of sorts. 

18. What writers have inspired you with their use of language? What are some of your favorite quotes?

Matthew Stover has inspired me so much. Here are a few of my favs from Revenge of the Sith:

“Everything dies. In time, even stars burn out. This is why Jedi form no attachments: all things pass. To hold on to something—or someone—beyond its time is to set your selfish desires against the Force. That is a path of misery, Anakin; the Jedi do not walk it.”

“ The dark is generous. Its first gift is concealment: our true faces lie in the dark beneath our skins, our true hearts remain shadowed deeper still. But the greatest concealment lies not in protecting our secret truths, but in hiding from the truths of others. The dark protects us from what we dare not know. “