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rise-above-the-grave · 4 years ago

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[smashes down door] who is Bail and why do you like him? I could look it up but I'd rather you gush over him

OH BOY.

So first off, a quick (canon) history lesson: Bail Organa was the Senator and Viceroy (aka Prince Consort) of Alderaan. If you don't know what that means (because old titles are Weird - I'm not judging the only reason I know this is because of this very character), it means that Breha, Bail's wife, is ruling Queen of Alderaan and was the heir to the throne. She married Bail, making him a ruler by marriage, though technically she still held the crown. He, at some point, was also elected Senator of Alderaan, and was Senator leading up to and during The Clone Wars (and after, but we're getting to that).

So Bail, we come to find out, became (best) friends with Padmé Amidala. We see him in a couple of scenes in Attack of the Clones with Padmé, just kinda vibing and making the occasional commentary. We know he stood with her on the Opposition bill (the bill Padmé was nearly killed over at the beginning of AOTC, which was against the formation of a Republic military), though we don't learn much about the rest of his politics until later.

So he's kinda...there, but obvs isn't the focus of the story, and is really just a minor background character. The first real insight we get into Bail is, actually, a really tiny character moment right at the end of AOTC, when Palpatine and some of the Senators are looking down at the Clone troops loading up onto the ship, watching their new military gear up for war.

Bail looks away. While everyone else is staring down at the (slave) army, some of them smiling (like Sheev), some of them just serious, Bail looks away from them and makes this tiny little hand gesture: a simple, closed fist knocking against the banister of the balcony.

It's this, I think, that first piqued my interest in this character. He was the only one not triumphant in that situation. He was the only one who saw things for what they were: a tragedy, and a horror, and that this wasn't something to celebrate but to mourn.

Then we come to Revenge of the Sith, and boy howdy. The man may have like 10 minutes of screen time, but does he make those 10 minutes count!

A quick bullet point of the Important Things Bail Does in ROTS:

When the Jedi Temple is burning, what does Bail do? He flies to it to figure out what's going on and see if he can save anyone. He then watches as a youngling is shot and killed by Clone Troopers, and manages to escape because he's a fucking badass.

Please note, to our knowledge, Bail is the only one who actually goes to check on the Jedi Temple.

As soon as he escapes the Temple, Bail immediately - like immediately - takes his ship and goes to find any surviving Jedi. He is almost certainly the reason both Yoda and Obi-Wan don't walk into the trap that is the Jedi Temple, or are captured - and even if that's not true, he most definitely is the reason they manage to sneak safely onto Coruscant and figure out what happened.

He's the one who rescues Yoda (again) after Yoda's failed duel with Palpatine in the Senate. Which, let me rant about the SYMBOLISM of that for a second please. Because holy shit, the entire duel between Yoda and Palpatine takes place in the Senate, with the Senate building and pods. Here Palpatine proves to Yoda that yes, he is the Senate, he controls it, the new Empire is under his control and no one can stop him. But then - but then - Yoda escapes, and who saves him? Bail. Bail sneaks in with a speeder, saves Yoda, and gets him back to safety. Which is such a huge fucking metaphor for the fact that Bail will be the one who, ultimately, is responsible for Palpatine's defeat. But, more on that later.

Bail is there when Padmé (remember, his best friend) gives birth to Luke and Leia. Bail is literally one of 3 sentients in the galaxy who canonically knows about both Luke and Leia.

Bail instantly offers to adopt one of the children, saying "She will be loved with us." (And then she absolutely is.)

And he does all of that in line 10 minutes of screen time.

He shows up again briefly in Star Wars Rebels, and again in Rogue One, but I'm going to take a trip down a side alley here into a territory that is grossly unused in the SW EU: the founding of the Rebellion.

So we don't actually know much about how the Rebellion got started. What we do know is that Bail was one of the (if not the main) Founders. Bail was the mastermind behind the Rebellion, by all accounts knowing...everything about it: who was who, who did what, where they were located, etc. He knows (and controls) Fulcrum in Rebels, as just one example, and Fulcrum is considered by that text to be one of the most powerful Rebel operatives at the time. In Rogue One (regardless of whether you liked what they did with the Rebellion which, side note, I did not), we see he certainly has a position of great authority and power. People respect him, and listen to him, and he's on an even footing with Mon Mothma (or Mom Mothma as my autocorrect tried to say) who is canonically one of the most powerful people in the Rebellion, according to ROTJ.

More than what he did, though, we can look to his character as a reason I love him. He is a good, kind, honorable man who does (or at least tries) his best. We see again and again, throughout all of SW media he's in, that he consistently chooses the right path, regardless of whether or not it's the easy one. He fights corruption, fights for justice, fights for freedom, fights against tyranny.

He is also, canonically, an amazing father and (according to EU content, since Breha literally doesn't have a spoken line in any media content) an incredible husband. We know he's well-loved by his people, and by the Rebellion, by the extraneous texts and mentions about him in the wake of his death on Alderaan. He's also respected by many Senators during his time in the Clone Wars (Padmé makes a comment in a TCW episode about how he's the best and most respected speaker and Senator she knows), and regardless of how people felt about him after the Rise of the Empire (which is, unfortunately - or fortunately maybe, because I don't trust Disney to do it right - up to headcanon), the fact remains that Bail played an incredibly tricky position as an Imperial Senator, having to balance fighting for his people, the people of the galaxy, and setting up the Rebellion, with not making himself too much of a nuisance, or too much of a traitor, that Palpatine straight up had him executed.

Which, speaking of that, can we also take a moment to appreciate the fact that Bail knew almost every single secret that Palpatine and Vader wanted??? He knew where Obi-Wan was, and possibly where Yoda was. He knew where both of Anakin and Padmé's children were. He knew everything about the fledgling Rebellion. Like...that man, had he been captured and interrogated (and had he broken) would have damned the entire galaxy. Yet he never was. He played his cards perfectly, and was either never suspected, or was able to somehow hide all of the information they wanted to know from being found. Personally, I suspect a mixture of the two.

Furthermore, Bail Organa is a great father and husband. He is directly responsible for Leia being the amazing woman we know and love. The one shot we get of Breha, you can practically see and feel the love and adoration Bail has for her radiating off of him through the screen. Literally the most unproblematic ship in Star Wars. I have never seen a single person say they aren't amazing (unless they just want to break them up to make Bail gay? Which, come on, bisexual and polyamorous people exist, y'all. But that's a talk for another time).

If you're still not convinced, the only thing left that I can say is: I'm a raging lesbian and like, while I definitely wouldn't fuck him, Bail/Jimmy Smits (his actor) is handsome. Have some pictures that I have saved on my phone for when I'm feeling sad.

Tl;dr: Bail Organa is singlehandedly responsible for putting into motion the events that secure the galaxy's freedom, not only by being one of the founding fathers of the Rebellion, but also by reaching Yoda and Obi-Wan before the new Empire can, and getting them safely to Coruscant. He is a good, kind, and noble man who does his best in shitty times, and even if he has to make hard choices, he always makes them for the right reasons. He is a loving father, husband, and ruler, who does right by his people and his family. He fights for what's right, even when that fight is nearly impossible. He's a badass, and arguably a literal genius (you'd have to be, to do the kinds of things he does in canon).

Anyway, Bail Organa is great and I love him - and you should too.

#bail organa #breha organa #leia organa #obi wan kenobi #yoda #padme amidala #sheev palpatine #anyway i love him lots #also for any lotr peeps who read this (or at least are reading the tags)#he's basically elrond in space

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anakinisvaderisanakin · 4 years ago

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The Mask of Death Chapter 14 - For Her Sake (Vader Being Scary Fanfic)

Bail Organa had never been so terrified. He felt the layer of cold sweat damp and clammy against his forehead, his lips drawn into a strained grimace to prevent them from trembling. He had been through war zones, kidnappings, terrorist attacks and assassination attempts. He had aided Jedi fugitives Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi as they went into exile, right under the nose of the newly announced Emperor Palpatine. He had adopted the daughter of one of his best friends in the wake of her tragic passing, and was actively raising her as his own. He had seen the child’s father murder younglings, in the name of The Dark Side. What he hadn’t counted on was for said adopted daughter to grow to resemble her father more and more with each passing day. She had her late mother’s political lenience, her debate skills, her keen intellect, her dark hair and brown eyes. But she had her biological father’s dry sarcasm, his stubbornness, his nose for trouble, his courage.

Anakin Skywalker died on Mustafar, Obi-Wan had said. At the very least, he had been left for dead, consumed by flames. Perhaps, Obi-Wan had known that was a lie. Perhaps, he had known his former apprentice lived albeit a changed man.

Bail had never been as closely linked to Anakin, he’d been Padmé’s close friend and although Anakin had always been polite and easy to make conversation with, there’d always been a barrier he couldn’t penetrate. Sometimes, he’d wondered whether Anakin was jealous of his friendship with his secret wife - something he wouldn’t find out about until much later. Either way, whereas Obi-Wan and Yoda had deemed Anakin Skywalker to be dead as soon as he transitioned from Jedi Knight to Sith Lord - Bail didn’t share their opinion. Perhaps Obi-Wan had loved the boy too much to see the darkness in him, but Bail has noticed his dull edge early on. What little he had gathered from Padmé when she would mention him, had only served to further his suspicions.

Bail had been wary enough, knowing he’d need to keep his daughter, Leia, under wraps to hide her potential from the Emperor, were she to have inherited her father’s Force abilities. That was trouble enough, knowing the power of Palpatine whose cunning intellect had played both sides of The Clone Wars right into his own hands. No, worse yet was this.

Leia was all of six ars old, and while Bail would have preferred to leave her behind on Alderaan with either his wife, Breha, or a handmaiden, or nursing droid - her big brown doe eyes pleading with him to attend the senate banquet with him had made him cave. It might be dangerous, but she hadn’t displayed any latent Force powers so he deemed it safe enough. She was his daughter, there was no reason for anyone to suspect where her biological heritage might come from. Except, once they arrived - little Leia dressed in a baby blue, frilly gown with puffy sleeves, befitting of her status as crown princess of Alderaan, and a sheer embroidered silver scarf resting over her narrow shoulders - the banquet had turned out to be preceeded by an unprepared gathering. Apart from Bail Organa himself, the small party involved Mon Mothma of Chandrila, Gall Trayvis, Burla Pao, Adrian Loto and Lafreeda Zint - all member of The Imperial Senate, as well active members of the organized secret Rebel Alliance. That in itself was enough to make Bail break into a nervous coldsweat.

Still as the less than unwitting senators settled down, realizing far too late it may be a trap rather than an actual briefing - they were joined by three additional party members. The first two, Bail knew all too well. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, with his receeding silver hair meticulously combed back; his piercing, steel gray eyes scanning the faces of each attendant. His thin lips twisted into a callous smile, as he gave a curt bow of greeting before settling down at the head of the long table. The warm mahogany shades of the unusually well decorated dining lounge seemed so much less inviting, his presence bringing everyone up on their toes. Bail felt Leia’s big, dark eyes study his expression as she peered up at him from the spot on his lap where she sat poised; before her gaze travelled over to Tarkin’s gaunt, lanky form.

Hard on his heels strolled the newly appointed Captain Rae Sloane, whose prestige had gained her favours to climb the ladder after her aid had helped retract the Emperor himself unscathed after an assassination attempt over Ryloth; lead by a close ally to Bail himself, twi’lek freedom fighter Cham Syndulla. Her frizzy dark curls were tied back into a neat, tidy ponytail and she held her head high, confident in her newfound position. Bail had no doubts she possessed the ambition necessary to make a name for herself. It was the person to follow after her, that made Bail’s heart drop into his stomach. He gulped, and bit back the bitter taste of bile that welled up in his throat; hands suddenly unsteady as he held Leia closer to his body, as if that would help secure her. It didn't ease his nerves.

Captain Sloane sat down on the chair next to Tarkin, looking suspiciously like his right hand woman, and the small smirk on her painted lips suited her. The third guest the Imperial party had brought along, no doubt as an intimidation factor as he cared little for politics, opted to stand silently to the left side of Tarkin’s chair. His strong arms were folded nonchalantly across his wide chest, the constant sound of his respirator giving off a rhythmic pattern - breathing in and out in steady intervals. Behind the trio, at least a dozen stormtroopers, armed and ready, loomed outside the hydraulic doorway. They stood immobile, the door locked on open as a grim reminder of their presence. But Bail didn’t even glance at their gleaming, polished white armors and helmets. Instead, he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from Darth Vader; as the enforcer of the Emperor hovered like a makeshift harbinger of death right behind Tarkin.

Anakin Skywalker is dead, the Jedi exiles had said. But Bail had seen the holo recording, he had seen Emperor Palpatine - Sith Lord Darth Sidious - deem Anakin his new apprentice. Darth Vader, he had been dubbed. And Darth Vader was very much alive.

There were no physical remnants of the man whom the girl queen and senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo had fallen so madly in love with. Gone was the unruly dark blonde hair, the stormy blue eyes, the cocky smirk, the boyish attitude. Instead, Vader came across more like a reaper. Clad in all black, billowing cape trailing behind him. Taller than Anakin had ever been, by at least a few inches. Bail remembered Anakin had been shorter than him, but Vader made even him and his six foot three frame feel small; forced even him to tip his head backwards to meet the Sith Lord's gaze. Except, Vader’s gaze existed only as a pair of crimson, opaque lenses as eye holes for the face plate he wore. A mask, and helmet, concealing his identity. Making him unreadable, unpredictable. The mask itself eerily reminiscent of a human skull, with exaggerated and accented angles. As Bail peered uneasily down at Leia, he noted that her eyes, too, were glued to Vader’s form.

“I suppose it’s about time I explain the idea behind our little rendez-vous,” said Tarkin’s shrewd, authoritative voice.

“Please, do,” Mon Mothma agreed, faking a rather believeable smile as she invited one of her least favourite people in the world to take the lead.

Vader didn’t move. Bail wasn’t sure whether he was listening, or simply lending his physical form as a prop for intimidation. Even as Bail tried his best to pay attention to Tarkin’s lengthy speech of the Emperor’s supposed faith in this exact group of Imperial Senators - a blatant lie they were all aware of - he failed to maintain his focus. Instead, he carefully watched Vader out of his periphery; feeling Leia squirm, unruly on his lap as she began to get bored and restless with the drawled lecture.

“I was not aware there would be children present,” interrupted an unimpressed Vader, his tone booming and powerful as it ricocheted off the walls - in response to Leia’s annoyed grunt, as she attempted two wriggle loose from her adoptive father’s vice like grip.

“I’m terribly sorry, Lord Vader. Senator Organa was not aware of your direct involvement, we were summoned on the behalf of the annual banquet, as you are aware. He came prepared for the festivities,” Mon Mothma was quick to inject; and Bail stifled a small sigh of relief.

“I see. It is… unfortunate, that he lacks adequate foresight,” Vader replied, the short pause drawn out and premeditated, and Bail felt the hairs at the back of his neck rise.

To calm himself, he gently smoothed back Leia’s soft fishtail braid, looping it through his fingers and she huffed in protest.

“I apologize, with all due respect. This is my daughter, and while I agree that it is not an optimal arrangement, there is little else I can do at this point,” he quickly said, to hopefully mend the situation and direct the attention away from himself and back towards the issue on the table.

“I was under the presumption that you have little trouble gathering up servants upon request. A nurse would hardly be inssufficent for a man of your status.”

Vader seemed to go for a matter of fact delivery, but his voice was as monotone as ever, filtered through the vocalizer as it altered his naturallyspeaking voice. Anakin had had a cheeky, but soft tone - sometimes whiny, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes kind. The dry sarcasm persisted, but all else seemed to have ebbed away until only the unnatural baritone of the modulizer remained. Vader shifted a tad, hooking his thumbs casually into his belt and Bail had to force himself not to clear his dry throat when he realized the man’s head was tilted ever so slightly in his - and subsequently Leia’s - direction. The words were a thinly veiled jab, but Bail didn’t reply. Instead, he carefully bounced Leia a bit on his lap to amuse her and she seemed to relent for a moment, though she was back to fiddling with his laced fingers, determined to break free.

“Either way,” Tarkin picked up where he had been cut off, “ there is in fact a reason this security debriefing was deemed a necessity. The banquet will transpire as is tradition, but I was tasked with informing your particular parties of suspected terrorist activity in your immediate sectors. You are not being accused of anything, neither are you presumed to be involved with these nefarious activities. But, it is our duty as Imperial sovereigns, to warn you on behalf of the Emperor himself. Unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the festivities, much less this brief meeting. He does, however, send his best regards and my only priority is to forward his deepest condolences.”

It was nothing they hadn’t heard before.

In fact, Bail could count the very few and far between appearances the Emperor had made in person since the day he was announced as such. He blamed his physically marred features for his unwillingness to attend social ceremonies. Bail nodded, only half listening.

It was uncomfortably cold. A frigid, dry, jagged sort of icy chill lingered in the tense air. Before the Imperial trio arrived, the company had been warm and friendly, though poignant with suspicion. Now, the space seemed cramped, constrictive and suffocating. As Bail tried to focus on the culprit of the eerie, uneasy sensation - he found its source without really trying. Stinging, piercing, sharp pin pricks emanated from Vader’s direction. As if his very aura, his Force signature as the Jedi called it, was oozing off him. As if the sensation of dread was part of his very core, as if it was emitted from him in a cloud of invisible, foggy haze. Its shadow fell upon the small group, trapping them in despair, contempt and an awkward stillness. Peforating every inch of their perimetry.

That was the moment little Leia chose to make a break for it.

With an agile twist, she rolled around full body and slipped promptly out of her father’s now slack grip. Bail flinched, already reaching out for her to restrain her yet again, but she ducked and avoided his hands. In an instant, all eyes were first on the viceroy's helpless expression as his clumsy hands fumbled through empty air for his daughter’s tiny form. Then, they travelled over to Leia who had already managed to slip underneath the table; dive between Sloane’s legs to crawl under her chair, and pop up right in front of Vader. He towered over her, even as he too appeared to be staring at her petite figure. Her cheeks were tinged pink, the cold of the room nipping at the tips of her ears and nose. One tiny hand clutched at the lace embroidered along the hem of her lavish dress; the other was thoughtfully rubbing her little chin as she tipped her head so far back, she nearly toppled over to peer inquisitively up at Vader.

Bail was up on his feet in the blink of an eye, scrambling as he took a few rushed strides towards his daughter - and the Sith Lord. Vader regarded the small child, head tipped forward to grant him a better view through his seemingly cumbersome head piece. He said nothing, and Bail noticed the green and red blinking lights of Vader’s belt reflected in Leia’s large, dark eyes. He didn’t dare look away, didn’t dare tear his gaze away from the visage of his daughter standing in front of a child murderer, a monster - and unbeknownst to both her and him, her biological father. Bail’s outstretched hands retreated slowly, and he curled them into fists for lack of anything better to do with them. He let out a small gasp through an open mouth, and watched as it came out in a cloud of condensation. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Tarkin’s amused expression, one silver eyebrow quirked at the display.

“You’re cold,” proclaimed Leia in a high pitched tone after what seemed like an eternity. "You could get sick."

Vader did not reply, but neither did he ignore or brush off the comment. Bail felt his heart hammering wildly against his ribcage, as he watched in awe while Leia promptly reached up to slide the flimsy fabric of her decorative scarf off her shoulders with a shrug. She pouted, determination furrowing her fine brows as she stood on her tiptoes.

“This will help,” she declared proudly.

Wobbling slightly, she raised her arms as far as they would go only to tuck the frilled end of her little ornate scarf into the crook of Vader’s sturdy elbow. He stood unrelenting, and Bail wasn’t sure whether he should be horrified by how uncanny the child’s resemblance to her late mother was when she smiled; a wide, toothy beam revealing the missing front tooth. He felt fear pooling in his belly, his stomach churning and his face pale as Leia took a step back to admire her handiwork and thoughtfulness. She clapped her hands, pleased with herself. Vader’s hollow eye sockets shifted to stare first at the small girl, then at the scarf that was barely wide enough to reach around his arm where it rested draped over his elbow. Then, whatever spell had transfixed him seemed to wear off, as he turned his head to lock eyes with Bail. Even through the face plate, Bail could readily feel the intensity and weight of the bewildered glare he was rewarded. It took all his resolve not to shrink back; his concern for Leia’s safety winning out as he hurriedly closed the gap between them to scoop his daughter up into his arms, and settle back down in his seat. Tarkin was first to break the tension, as he chuckled at the unexpected display.

“You have raised a quite remarkable child, Senator Organa,” he said, his tone an odd mixture of snide and amused. “Let us hope she will grow up to develop your sense of propriety.”

The rest of the meeting progressed rather effortlessly, a tirade of threats and insinuations hidden behind a facade of protocol politeness and curtesy. Bail had heard it before, although the knowledge that the Imperial fleet had detected suspicious movement around the Alderaan system did nag at the back of his mind as a foreboding warning. Leia settled down, silent and obedient as soon as she had carried out her mission. The room was still freezing cold, but Leia was warm to the touch; her skin soft, and her head heavy as she rested it against her father’s chest. Soon, she drifted off into the light, easy sleep only a satisfied child could muster. Her expression remained proud even in her sleep, as a dark brown strand of hair fell into her chubby little face. As the party said their goodbyes, concluding the meeting, Bail gathered up his sleeping daughter to close to his chest - protective and paranoid.

When Bail exited, last in line, Vader lingered just outside the hydraulic doors. Tarkin, Sloane and the troopers were already retreating down the hall in the opposite direction - no doubt to touch up on their own appearances before the banquet come evening. Bail hoped Leia’s nap would give her enough energy to enjoy herself, seeing as there were more likely to be at least a few other children in attendance for her to play with. He hoped it'd help her forget the encounter, he didn't look forward to her asking questions about the Dark Lord. Still, as he moved to swiftly pass Vader, a chill went down his spine and he instinctively stopped; an inherent need to adress the man screaming at him to tread lightly.

“Lord Vader. I must apologize for my daughter’s brash behaviour. She can be rambunctious, she has a mind of her own. It will not be repeated, I assure you,” he said, in what he hoped was a respectful voice as he turned towards the other man to face him.

Vader stared dismissively down at him, his head tilting downwards as his gaze shifted to the sleeping Leia. She snored quietly, mumbling something intelligible as she rubbed her cheek against her father's frock. For a fretful instant, Bail felt terror wash over him as he dreaded the thought that perhaps Leia’s obvious resemblance to Padmé was not lost on Vader. Perhaps, he had put it all together. Perhaps, the effort that had gone into hiding Leia’s true parentage had been in vain, to no avail.

Hesitating, Bail held his breath as Vader reached into the left side of his inner robes - only to pull out the little, frail scarf he’d been offered. It was wrinkled, comically tiny where it rested across the Sith Lord’s large, gloved palm. He held it midair for a short moment, as an offering; as if unsure of what to do with it - and Bail took the opportunity to force out a hushed ‘thank you’, relief washing over him when he gently tugged at the end of the fabric and it slid effortlessly out of Vader’s loose grasp.

“Indeed. I would expect as much. For her sake,” Vader said as a reply to Bail's earlier attempted apology, and the impact of those words were not lost on him.

Without further ado, Vader turned on his heel to stalk in a quick pace down the same corridor Tarkin and Sloane had disappeared along. Heart still thundering away in his chest, Bail watched the black shadow of his form disappear in the distance, menace of his presence dying away with it. He knew what that threat meant, and he was determined to honour Vader’s assessment.

After all, Vader didn’t know the entire truth - and he was no stranger to spilling blood of the innocent youth.

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So, I love the installments I've written for Leia and Vader so far in this fic, and I wanted to write something from Bail's POV. What better than to have him fear for his daughter's safety the very first time she is introduced to Darth Vader? Leia is so young, she doesn't remember this encounter later on and whatever she may recall she would chalk up to a fever dream or childhood fantasy. Bail, of course, never brings it up again except for to Breha in secret.

Hence, my explanation for the existence of this chapter. Most of all, I wanted a different angle and take on the dread Vader emanates, and I'm glad to have another installment of this series out. It's been forever!

Enjoy!

Ao3 link below:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24049894/chapters/69212226

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atamascolily · 4 years ago

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lily reads “Aftermath: Life Debt” by Chuck Wendig

This was one of the first nu-canon novels to come out in 2016, meant to fill the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. So far, all of the nu-canon stuff has been readable (unlike, say, some of Legends’ more memorable failures) but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Wendig’s writing is the most exciting and engaging I have encountered to date.

The problem is, of course, that he keeps using it to accomplish things I disagree with, but I am sure he did the best he could within the constraints Disney gave him and I don’t take it personally.

Anyway, I had to skip the first Aftermath book because it’s AWOL from the library right now, but fortunately, Wendig is pretty good about explaining How We Got Here without huge infodumps, so I got oriented pretty fast.

This book is written in present tense, which also surprised me. Even though I have read several pro-published novels that use present tense, I’m still not used to seeing it outside of fanfic, and it feels delightfully novel. I like present tense because it encourages concrete verbs, as well as a sense of immediacy and groundedness in the action (which is one reason I use it in fics). Present tense forces me to be a better writer precisely because it doesn’t come naturally. But I also enjoy it as a reader.

Life Debt is set immediately post-Battle of Endor in 5 ABY. Leia is a few months pregnant. Luke is name-dropped a few times, but never appears. (Sigh.) Han is upset that the New Republic is dragging its feet on liberating Kashyyyk and he and Chewie decide to take matters into their own hands. When things go wrong, Leia asks Wendig’s OC Nora Wexley and her crew to bring him back.

Nora Wexley was one of the Y-wing pilots at the Battle of Endor. Now she roams the galaxy hunting Imperials for New Republic bounty, with a motley assortment of beings. There’s Sinjir, ex-Imperial and gay; Jas Emari, a Zabrak bounty hunter; and Jom Barell, who didn’t have any defining personality traits that stuck in my mind outside of his on-again, off-again friends-with-benefits with Jas;. There’s also her teenage son Temmin “Snap” Wexley and the refurbished battle droid he built as a personal bodyguard, Mr. Bones. Mr. Bones is an unrepentant murderbot and utterly delightful, especially when he tries to “blend in” by being more human.

More backstory: Nora joined the Rebellion after her husband Brentin was imprisoned by the Empire and presumed dead. Nora and Wedge have a thing as well. Mon Mothma is chancellor of the New Republic, and Leia is... I’m not sure what her official title is.

Meanwhile, on Team Empire, there’s Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, ostensibly in charge of a large slice of the Imperial Remnant, but who is being manipulated--to her deep resentment--by a man named Gallius Rax with ties to both Palpatine and Jakku. Sloane tortured Wedge in the previous book and Nora is frustrated she didn’t kill the Grand Admiral when she had the chance.

There’s also a hilarious sequence where the guy running Coruscant tries to surrender and Mon Mothma and Leia refuse because he doesn’t have anything they especially want.

In addition to the main plot, there are also short chapters titled “Interludes” showing various doings in the wider galaxy. I think a lot of these are supposed to be tie-ins for other material because they mostly don’t have any relevance to the current storyline. There’s one about a Vader-inspired death cult on Corellia, a pirate queen named Eleodie, Alderaanians mining asteroids from their former homeland and arguing about politics, Twi’leks freeing Ryloth, Malakili the ex-rancor-keeper gets a new job training a baby Hutt (?? - would have liked to hear more about that one!). I like the one about Maz Kanata’s castle, even though it still makes NO SENSE in terms of world-building.

I like Sinjir’s relationship with his slicer boyfriend, and I like that from his perspective, it’s not that the Empire particularly cares about homosexuality per se, (as long as you’re discreet about it), but the Empire uses relationships to manipulate and control people, so being open about them is a form of weakness. Just brings home the point that the Empire is a piece of shit (which is why it’s so hard for me to care about Rae Sloane or any of the scheming on Team Empire).

I don’t think I like Sinjir as a person, mind you, but he is certainly interesting, and he has no illusions that he’s a good guy, even though he’s now working against the Empire.

Also, there’s a bounty hunter named Mercurial Swift, which is the most metal name ever, and cameos from Brendol Hux, who ran some sort of boarding school, and whose bastard son is name-dropped occasionally.

No one will be surprised that my favorite scene is Leia meditating next to a sanctuary tree sapling on Chandrila she grew from a seed that Wicket gave her, and she touches the Force for the first time, and realizes that her child is a boy. Nice.

Anyway, Nora and her team find Solo--Chewbacca is a prisoner on Kashyyk when their rebellion attempt failed--and they sneak into a prison called Ashmead’s Lock on Kashyyyk, which happens to be where Nora’s husband Brentin has been this whole time! The prisoners have been stuck in stasis pods and mined for energy in a Matrix-like scenario that really should have been explored more, but they bust out, with Nora taking the prisoners home and Han and Chewie continuing to lead the rebellion.

Time skip! Brentin is distant and has PTSD, Snap is angry and acting out, Nora feels guilty because she’s attracted to Wedge and she isn’t able to connect with her husband anymore. Wedge is, of course, heartbroken.

Sloane comes to Chandrila for peace talks, and Leia leaves to go after Han on Kashyyk when Mon Mothma refuses to back her up. She ends up getting Wedge to come with her for back-up, and her pilot is Evaan Verlaine from the comics (nice to see you Evaan!)

Meanwhile, the Empire continues to be a piece of shit on Kashyyyk, and it’s way more graphic than I expected this book to go. They get what’s coming to them eventually, when Han and his team disable the chips that are keeping all the Wookiees prisoner.

The peace talks turn out to be a trap engineered by Gallius Rax--all of the prisoners from Kashyyyk are brainwashed to start murdering people at the big ceremony and Mon Mothma narrowly avoids assassination at Brentin’s hands thanks to Nora’s quick reflexes. Sloane escapes, is super-pissed about being manipulated yet again by Rax, and she and Brentin (who also wants revenge) go to Jakku to follow up on a lead about Rax’s past.

Han ends up stealing a Star Destroyer, and Leia saves the day, and they finally kiss and make up and it’s lovely. Han leaves Chewie behind on Kashyyyk to be with Leia. Norra and her remaining team members go after Sloane.

But the biggest disappointment, of course, is the New Republic’s inability to liberate Kashyyyk, which I think epitomizes the difference between Disney’s version of Star Wars and Legends for me. In Legends, it was never a question that our heroes would liberate Kashyyyk; that was important and the entire point of the Rebellion. Even though it happened more or less off-screen, it was mentioned and cited as proof of the New Republic’s victory and triumph. So to see Mon Mothma and Ackbar trying to dissuade Leia from this is just... wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Like I said, I think Wendig’s hands were tied on this one, but it just... lands wrong. It will never not feel wrong. Is it grittier and more “realistic” this way? Maybe, but what is the point?

Overall, this is an action-packed adventure, with lots of good moments and funny bits that feel very much “Star Wars” to me. The interludes range from fan service-y to “hey, that’s neat, tell me more!” to “wow, is there going to be a payoff for this years down the line?” In general, I find Disney Star Wars depressing as hell, but despite the downers I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. Like I said at the beginning, this is probably the best nu!canon thing I’ve read to date outside of the Shattered Empire comics.

I came to like most of Wendig’s OCs, even though I’d really rather read about characters I already know--like, say, Luke! Imagine that!

(I don’t know why Disney thinks we’re not interested in what Luke’s doing, but tbh they write him so poorly when they bother that I’m not really sure I want them to.)

#star wars #book reviews #WHY DISNEY WHY

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doopcafe · 4 years ago

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Star Wars Rebels: Kindred (4x07)

Summary: The wolves do some funky wolf magic and Hera brings Mon Mothma a present.

Comments: We open on Kanan hinting at something romantic to Hera, but then he quickly dives into confusing Jedi nonsense. The swings and misses are getting a bit annoying.

We cut to Governor Pryce at the TIE crash site and... LOL, there’s like the yellow-and-black caution tape around everything. Thrawn’s got a problem with Pryce and her space!tape and sends Rukh from the EU in order to follow the track etched into the snowy mud that Ezra/Sabine left. Turns out Rukh prefers to track our heroes by smelling Zeb... They split up and some fun action happens.

At some point, Kanan tries again—unsuccessfully again—to get his rocks off with Hera, only to be interrupted by Ryder. My notes are a bit confused at this point, but Kanan’s finally able to stick his lips onto hers right before she and Chopper leave on the U-wing.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family is trapped without escape in a collection of those weird Lothal mound things and after Ezra suggests they follow his new wolf friend, Kanan agrees and Sabine goes along with the plan.

Zeb: This is good. When it gets strange like this, you know it’s going to be okay.

Ryder: How have you people stayed alive this long?!

Hera uses the “Admiral Hodor” maneuver to escape the blockade and look... it wasn’t dumb. Not as pretty, but not universe-breaking dumb.

Anyways, they follow the wolves through a teleportation... thing... and end up on the other side of Lothal. The episode closes on a scene of Hera bringing the flight data recorder to Mon Mothma. Kanan, or should I say---Caleb DUUUUUME (gotta say it like the wolf)---believes that the TIE defender isn’t the worst thing the empire is building here on Lothal. Are they... Are they also building the Death Star? Can we create drama in Star Wars without building a Death Star?

Let’s see... There are 9 movies and 3 of them feature a Death Star... 33%? That’s a lot of Death Star.

In conclusion, everyone’s fine and there’s these weird wolf things everywhere.

#pie211-swr #swr #star wars rebels #star wars

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evabellasworld · 4 years ago

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Alexsandr Kallus x OC

Ambush: Chapter 5

Masterlist: 1│2│3│4│5

Also on AO3

OC: Emma Tua

Opening her eyes, Emma groaned as she felt her head throbbing, finding herself lying down on the cold, durasteel floor. "Where are we?" she asked, rubbing her forehead. "We're locked up in a cell," Kallus answered, as he helped her stand her feet on the ground and sat her down on the prison bench.

"How long was I knocked out?" she glanced at him, squeezing his hand. "Quite long, actually," he told her, pushing strands of her hair behind her ears. "Are you alright?"

Emma gave a slight nod when she heard the cell door hissed in front of her, revealing to be Agent Kwon, with her arms guarded behind her. "I see your partner is awake," she spoke, in an icy tone. "Ready to talk?"

Kallus glared at his former mentee, tightening his lips. "There is nothing you'll gain from us, Agent Kwon."

"Really?" she chuckled, raising her eyebrows. "From what I read from your files, you used the codename 'Fulcrum' to leak Imperial information to the Rebel Alliance, am I correct?"

"I'm guessing Thrawn must've filed that," he dodged her questions. "The Grand Admiral is very particular about everything he finds, after all."

"Did Mon Mothma sent both of you to gather the supplies here in Christophsis?"

Kallus lifted his shoulders. "You were the one who leaked false information to the rebellion and lure us here just to capture the both of us. Looks like I taught you well."

Agent Kwon sighed in frustration as she pounded her fist on the wall. "Answer the question, you traitor," she barked, her eyes twitching. He burst into laughter as he slapped his thighs. "Whatever you say, miss."

She slowly removed one of her gloves as she slapped his cheeks, leaving a red mark. Emma stood up and swung her fist at the ISB agent, only to be deflected, much to her surprise. Agent Kwon stretched out her leg and kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to fall on her back.

As Agent Kwon grabbed her blaster from her holster, Kallus grabbed her neck from behind and pressed it harder, making her face turned purple. Emma stood on her ground and jabbed her jaws, dropping her on the floor. Snatching her blaster and comlink from Agent Kwon's holster, Emma held Kallus's hand and ran out of their cell, blasting a couple of stormtroopers on the way out.

Agent Kwon caught her breath as one of the stormtroopers approached her and helped her out. "After them!" she barked, dusting her tunic. The trooper gave a nod and ordered his men to chase down the rebels in the hallways.

"So what's the plan now?" Emma asked Kallus, tackling the stormtroopers with her fists. "We'll steal another ship and fly out of this planet," he answered, as he blasts one of them.

"We're not leaving The Argonaut behind," she shouted, as she elbowed them in the eye. Kallus groaned in frustration. "Your plan didn't work, Emma."

"We can try again," she headbutted them, then pushing them into the garbage chute. "I have a better plan this time."

"Isn't it more efficient to grab a ship and fly away instead?" Kallus shot down a bunch of stormtroopers.

"Arin will kill me if I don't return with the ship."

"Fine," he unsealed the door, preventing more troopers from chasing them. "But if I die, you're paying for my funeral."

"Fine by me," she grabbed her hand as they raced towards the hangar, only to be greeted by more stormtroopers, surrounding them in circles. "It's over, rebel scum," Agent Kwon appeared from behind, pointing her blaster. "You both are outnumbered. Now surrender or my troops will become a firing squad."

Emma's lips curved upwards as she raised both her hand and pressed her comlink on her wrist. "Kill us?" she snickered. "You're gonna need us to destroy the rebellion."

"What are you up to?" he whispered in her ears.

"Distracting her. Now get ready to jump off from the platform."

His eyes widened as he watched her take a few steps forward towards his former student, letting out a sigh. "You're quite smart for a former Imperial Technician, actually," praised Agent Kwon. "Perhaps you would be even better as an Imperial officer. The uniform looks good on you, actually."

Emma grinned as she glanced up at the midnight sky, her ship hovering above them. As The Argonauts opened fire at the platform, she blasted some of the stormtroopers and took her partner's hand, as they both jumped into their ship together. "We'll be back, agent," she saluted, as the ship door closed automatically.

The duo walked inside their cockpit and found a pink astromech and a blonde-haired android taking control, much to Kallus's confusion. "Who are they?" he asked. "That's Somi, our astromech and Elly, an android," Emma introduced. "They mostly helped around with the ship."

He raised his eyebrows as Emma sat down on the pilot's seat. "You didn't tell me you had an astromech and an android."

"You didn't ask," she teased, as she noticed a swarm of TIE-fighters flying towards their direction on their scope. "We have TIEs incoming."

He ran out from the cockpit and climbed into the dorsal laser cannon, shooting some the TIEs one-by-one. Emma flew The Argonaut in zig-zagged, avoiding the laser blasts coming from the Star Destroyers. "We have more TIEs in front of us," she yelled. "I'll take care of it," Elly replied, as she jumped into the nose laser cannon and fired upon the TIEs into bits.

Emma pulled the steering upwards, turning the ship upside down. Kallus held on his grip as he almost fell off from his seat. "What in blazes are you doing?" he demanded, his head feeling light. "Finding an opening to jump."

"There's no way we'll get out of here if you fly like this," he retorted, missing a few ships from his visor.

"Oh Alex, don't you have anything positive to say?"

"I'm positive that you’re going to be the death of me," he shot down a TIE fighter, making Emma snort. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard from you."

"Em, we're all clear," Elly took down the last TIE. The brunette-haired woman cheered as she jumped into hyperspace. Kallus walked into the shuttle and exhaled in relief. "Looks like we escaped from Imperial custody."

She gestured to Elly, letting him take the co-pilot seat. "I'll admit. Your plan actually worked."

"Of course it does," she winked, as the android entered, holding a first-aid kit. "Would you mind helping me clean my wounds?"

His cheeks turned red. "You want me to heal you?"

Emma nodded as she removed her shirt, revealing a few bruises on her midriff.

"Don't be shy," she giggled at him. "I don't bite unless you want me too."

Kallus cleared his throat as he grabbed an ointment and poured it on a cotton pad, rubbing it gently on her stomach. He felt his heart pounding as he wrapped a bandage around her thick waist with his clammy palms. He then looked away as Emma put on her shirt. "Do you have any bruises?" she asked, finding it hard for me to stop smiling.

He shook his head. "Only a few on my back," he pointed out. "But I'm alright."

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Alright then," he turned around as he lifted his shirt, showing his wounds on his back. Emma tended to his wound with her gently arm, admiring his muscular body. "So, how often do you workout?" she asked, biting her lips. He chuckled and glanced at her. "An hour a day," he answered, putting his shirt back on. "What about you?"

"Two hours a day for me," she crossed her head, leaning against her seat. "Although, I'm pretty weak at climbing."

He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Of course you are. Have you tried practising?"

"Yeah, but I kept falling. My brother would laugh at me and call me names."

"Did you try practising alone?"

"I did, but I still fall."

He leaned closer to her, making Emma beamed up. "Then, in that case, I'll help you out with that," he offered. "I promise I won't laugh at you."

She gave a light slap on his shoulder as she suppressed her giggles. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Kallus almost choked on his saliva as he blinked a couple of times, scratching the back of his neck. "Of course not, unless you want me to."

Emma burst into laughter as she playfully punched his elbows. "Okay, now you're teasing me."

He rolled his eyes as they arrived at the rebel base a few hours, greeted by Mon Mothma and Maira Marago. "You're late," scolded the red-haired Senator. "Explained yourselves."

"The supply run turned out to be a trap, senator," Kallus explained. "Apparently, my former student, Agent Eunbin Kwon, has lured both of us into a trap and tried to interrogate us for more information about the Rebel Alliance."

Maira's eyes widened as she glanced at Mon Mothma. "How did you both escape?"

"It was a team effort," Emma answered, squeezing his hand. "If weren't for Kallus, we wouldn't make it back alive."

"Get some rest, both of you," Mon Mothma advised. "I expect a full report by tomorrow."

"Yes, General," he saluted, as the Rebel Alliance leader dismissed the couple, leaving them alone with Maira. "So, I take it you both got along very well?"

"We did," Emma smiled. "Although I find pretty predictable."

Kallus scoffed as he nudged her shoulder. "Predictable? You were pretty reckless."

"Looks like you both a great team after all," Maira chuckled, as she was about to leave. "Maybe next time I'll assign you two lovebirds in the next mission."

He crossed his arm as he watched her heading towards the ship, before shifting his focus towards Emma. "We should call it a night. It's getting late."

She gave a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow for climbing practice."

"Be there before sunrise," he gave a reminder. "You know I'm not into latecomers."

Emma smiled as she followed Maira into The Argonaut, waving at the former ISB agent. "Good night, handsome."

"Good night, Em."

#star wars #star wars fic #star wars imagine #star wars rebels fanfic #agent kallus #agent kallus imagine #alexsandr kallus #alexsandr kallus imagine #hot kallus #star wars oc #minister tua #minister maketh tua #star wars original character #emma tua #carter tua #tua siblings #star wars fanfiction #kallus x oc

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reneeofthestars · 5 years ago

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Inktober 2019

Day 14: Overgrown

Click ‘keep reading’ for a short piece with Hera, Zeb, and Leia!

As much as Hera agreed with the Princess’s decision that the area around their base on Yavin 4 had to be fully inspected, she was very opposed to the Princess actually coming on the recon mission, and said as much.

Princess Leia wouldn’t hear of it. “I told my father I would ensure the security of the base. If the Massassi Temple is going to become our main base of operations, we need to be sure we don’t get any nasty local surprises.”

“Like those krykna spiders at Chopper Base,” Zeb had agreed with a shudder, prepping his bo-rifle.

“Exactly.” When Hera still hadn’t been convinced, Leia had given her a smile. “I excelled at my pathfinding expeditions, Captain. I’m not afraid of some wilderness. I won’t be a hinderance.” The finality in her voice - and the young woman’s inherent higher rank - left Hera no choice but to agree.

And so, they’d spent the better part of the last four days scouting the perimeter of the Massassi Temple. They came across a few clusters of miniature howler lizards that scurried away from them, and Zeb kept his distance from the purple jumping spiders, but they didn’t come across anything larger than a docile herd of mawgax that watched them pass with beady black eyes.

Hera had to admit, she hadn’t expected the Princess to fair so well out in the jungle. But the human was dressed in a practical jumpsuit, and wasn’t afraid of getting dirty. She had pointed out a narrow animal path that eventually led them to a freshwater stream. Hera fastened a locator beacon on one of the rock outcroppings by the water so she could send a team back out here. After all, a Rebellion needed water to keep going.

On the fifth day of their exploring, Zeb was in front, using his bo-rifle to clear a space through some particularly dense foliage. Hera was behind him, finishing a check-in call with Senator Mon Mothma. The Senator was glad there seemed to be no immediate danger to the base, and had informed Hera that they were to report back to the temple as soon as they could, as a mission had come up for Phoenix Squadron.

Hera was so preoccupied with wondering what the mission would entail that it took her a moment to realize the Princess was not right behind her.

“Zeb, wait,” she ordered. The Lasat stopped as Hera spun around, ready to call out for the Princess, when she spotted her.

Leia was frozen several meters back, turned to face east, away from any direction they’d scouted. She was leaning forward, her gaze intense, a hand on the blaster at her hip as she stared into the thicket.

“Your Highness?” Hera asked quietly, slipping her own blaster from its holster and moving to Leia’s side.

“Something’s out there,” Leia breathed, not taking her eyes from the jungle.

Hera carefully raised her blaster. “Did you see something?”

“No - maybe.” She sounded distracted. "I feel... cold. Come on.”

And without another word, she stepped deeper into the jungle.

“Uh, Hera?” Zeb sounded bewildered.

“Your Highness, wait!”

But she didn’t stop. With a groan, Hera gestured to Zeb and took off after Leia.

As they walked, Hera realized the jungle was different here. No wonder it had unnerved the Princess. The air hung still here, almost musty. There were fewer animal sounds; whereas the avian creatures had cooed and cawed constantly close to the base, here they were mostly silent, and there was no movement in the underbrush. And it was cooler here. The leafy canopy overhead wove together tightly, blocking out most of the sunlight, leaving the forest floor drenched in shadow. Hera, Leia, and Zeb didn’t lower their weapons.

After what seemed like forever, Leia stopped, staring up at something. As Hera crept forward, the shadows shifted, and she saw what had caught Leia’s attention.

It was a large grey stone statue of a humanoid in bulky armor, grasping a massive sword. It had clearly been carved with excruciating detail, but time and the elements had taken a toll. One of the spikes coming off its shoulder pad had broken off, as had the figure’s beard and one side of the sword’s crossguard. Any detail on the armor and tunic had long since worn away, and what had probably been a chiseled, angular face had become smooth and blunted.

Vines twisted and draped over the statue, creeping up its legs and sword, hanging off its broad shoulders and arms. Soft moss lay on the statue’s flatter surfaces like an extra layer of armor. Against the backdrop of the jungle, it looked like some sort of forest sentry.

“Who’s he?” Zeb asked out loud, stepping up to the statue. It stood a few inches taller than him. “Looks like a warrior.”

Leia circled the statue, inspecting it. “We’ve found a few other icons of this figure around the Massassi Temple. If the records are right, this is Naga Sadow. He was an ancient Sith that enslaved the Massassi people. They saw him as a god.”

“Sith?” Zeb repeated sharply. He looked to Hera. “Like that Zabrak? Like Vader?”

“I think so,” Hera answered slowly. “But according to legend, there used to be a species called the Sith. Which one was he?” she asked Leia, nodding to the statue.

“Both, I think.” She frowned. “There are so many stories, and the records from that time aren’t very detailed. We really don’t know much about it.”

“What’s that there?” Zeb pointed behind the statue.

At first, Hera didn’t know what he was talking about. She took a few steps to the side, and an opening appeared in what she had taken for a small hill. Now, she saw an ancient structure overgrown with foliage, a dark opening in the center of it, like a gash. Moss-covered steps led downward into the earth.

Hera peered at it uncertainly. “We scanned a lot of ruins on the planet when we first scouted it. Probably just another small temple, or a warehouse.”

“Or a tomb,” Leia muttered distractedly.

Hera glanced at her. “What makes you say that?”

Leia blinked rapidly. “I - just a thought. I’ve seen some tombs that have stairs leading down like that. Then again, I’ve seen wine cellars do that, too. We don’t know what it is.” She drew herself upright. “We should check it out.”

Zeb shuddered, his grip on his bo-rifle tightening. “All due respect, Princess, this place gives me the creeps. We should head back to base.”

“Zeb’s right,” Hera said, putting a hand on Leia’s arm. Shivers crawled down Hera’s lekku. “I have a bad feeling about this place. And we have no idea what could be inside. A predator, old poisoned air, traps. And if we disturb the structure and it caves in, no one will be able to find us. It’s too risky.”

Leia looked like she wanted to argue, but then the young woman took a breath and nodded. “You’re right, Captain Syndulla. Mon Mothma is waiting.” She paused, her gaze sweeping the effigy and structure. “I’d like to leave a locator beacon, so I can return with a team to investigate this ruin. There might be something inside we can use.”

“Of course.” They had enough beacons to spare, so Hera activated it and placed it at the statue’s feet. “Good eye, finding this. When we have the personnel to spare, we can get a team together.”

“Leave that to me,” Leia said, already walking. “Like I said, I intend to lead the team back.”

“Your duties might prevent that from happening, Your Highness,” Hera reminded her gently.

“We’ll see,” was all she said.

As she and Zeb followed the Princess back, Hera noticed Zeb kept looking over his shoulder, and held his bo-rifle ready. “You okay?”

“Eh, sure. It just feels like it’s watching us,” Zeb grumbled. “This place seems like something more up Kanan and Ezra’s alley. Anytime I get this kind of feeling, it’s normally a sign I should sit it out and let them handle it.”

Hera didn’t disagree, and they followed the Princess back into the livelier part of the jungle. She knew she was just imagining it after Zeb’s comment, but it certainly did feel like the statue’s eyes watched them leave.

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rangerslayer-97 · 5 years ago

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Thank you for responding to my question but just realized I should have reworded it better what I had meant to ask was if galaxy-1 ahsoka trial after she surrendered herself to the new republic would have played the same as the wrong Jedi especially during the scene when ahsoka and Padmé are going over there defense. Ps your response made my day

Ah, that's makes more sense XD Well then, another lengthy response it is or semi-lengthy. Funnily, this is the trial I intended to write, but didn't and jumped to post-trial which is Never Forgotten, set 4 month after it.

Alright, so going back to the time the Death Star II was about to go BOOM, courtesy of Lando and Antilles, the Skywalker twins were after bringing Ahsoka back to the Light. Of course, after spending 23 years trapped in her own conscience and chains cause of Darth Véurr being in control, her body is going to go into shock, as well as her mind. Ahsoka actually tried to convince the twins to leave her on the battle station because she just wanted to die for her sins. Anyway, Luke and Leia convinced her to come with them, telling Ahsoka she'll be under their protection and Rex's when the Rebellion go: "Oh kriff! That's Darth Véurr!"

Fast forward about 2 months, the trials of high up Imperials are underway. Think of it like the Nuremberg Trials post-1945 when World War 2 ended after the capture of Berlin. So the Imperials are put on trial, but the one the entire galaxy is waiting for is Darth Véurr's. Now, the New Republic are putting Ahsoka Tano on trial as Darth Véurr, cause that's all who they see. The galaxy, because of Palpatine's propaganda, believe Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano died during the Great Jedi Purge and still is dead. Therefore, the trial is pretty one-sided and Ahsoka was inbound for public execution, the New Republic see she's already guilty. However, they had to put her before the court like the other Imperials.

Luke, Leia and Red did not want Ahsoka executed, so a week before her trial, the three of them went to Mon Mothma, cause she's the one leading the trials alongside the jury. With some very hard arguing, they convinced her to change her mind when the trial comes, not to execute the former Jedi Knight.

On the day of the trial, Ahsoka had accepted her fate, that she was going to be executed and the trial was just for show as it was broadcasted live across the galaxy. With all the war crimes stacked against her, she was prepared to become one with the Force. The jury and Mothma agreed she was guilty, but the big shock is that Mothma announced LIVE that 'Véurr' is sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison. She was allowed to live and even that shocked Ahsoka, not just the galaxy and some weren't happy. The charge given was met with mix response, very mixed to the point of controversial. Many were not happy with that outcome, they did suffer under Véurr's fist of terror, hundreds of thousands died because of her. Ahsoka, as Darth Véurr slaughtered many, sent the Geonosians AND Zyggerians to literally extinction. She massacred Raada, leaving only the Larte sisters to survive her onslaught.

As controversial the outcome Ahsoka's trial was, she was allowed to live. So, she is spending the rest of her life in prison with no parole and nothing to do but contemplate the things she has done and what she did to the galaxy. That includes dealing with PTSD, self-guilt, Depression, even contemplations of suicide, hence why Never Forgotten is rated M. She also comes to terms with the fact she is a ghost locked inside a cell. To the galaxy, Ahsoka Tano is dead, except to the very few who know her; that being Leia, Luke, Rex, heck and even Chewbacca.

I hope that answer suffices. It's actually the one point in Galaxy-1 I never wrote about.

Keep questions coming if anyone has any on my fics regarding Star Wars AU Galaxy-1 and Galaxy-38. My inbox is open and I will happily answer them when I get the chance.

#rangerslayer 97 answers #star wars #star wars au #Galaxy-1: The Dark Lady of the Sith series #ahsoka tano #sith ahsoka #darth véurr

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anghraine · 6 years ago

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I wrote the next section of like a storm in the desert for today’s Rebelcaptain Week prompt, “trust.”

(If you haven’t read the first part: it’s an everybody lives scenario where they’ve all just escaped Scarif, Cassian is in recovery, and Jyn’s protectiveness only confirms the general impression that they’re already a couple. In the meanwhile, she meets Han, learns about the arrival of the plans, and returns to Cassian’s med-bay room, only to find Draven questioning him.)

Without turning around, General Draven sighed.

Sigh, Jyn decided, was too strong a word for it. Even the exhalation seemed regimented, contained to a breath just that bit more abrupt and more forceful than usual. Nevertheless, it managed to exude strained patience.

Without hesitation, she walked around him to lean against Cassian’s bed, placing herself between them with absolutely no attempt at subtlety.

Cassian himself seemed scarcely to notice. He lay at a slight incline, pale and heavy-eyed, studying his hands with the fierce concentration of a—well, of a man dragged out of deep sedation.

“Erso,” said Draven. “I should have guessed.”

He sounded more like he was receiving an unexpected visit from his relatives-in-law than that he’d, say, sent an assassin after her father. Oh, the hand could have been Cassian’s, and the choice; but the will was Draven’s. Jyn wouldn’t forget.

She didn’t bother replying. Silence could be its own weapon, and she’d already spoken with Draven more than she ever wanted to.

An hour or two after Jyn had first started wandering around the med-bay, a sharp-eyed medic had insisted on examining her leg and then on dropping her into a quick bacta treatment. She woke in blessed peace, fell asleep—then woke again to Draven and Mon Mothma watching her, an experience she felt no desire to ever again repeat. She couldn’t understand why they would hover around her rather than Cassian, why they would trust her answers over Cassian’s, why they would have anything to do with her at all, in that appalled instant.

Over the next several minutes, it only got worse. Draven simply ignored her questions about Cassian as he demanded details about the mission: details that Cassian would know. In the end, it was Mothma who broke in and assured her that Captain Andor was alive, and as well as possible; they just couldn’t know the length of his bacta treatments, and needed every detail she could provide right now.

Jyn, though not fooled by the sympathy in her face—she knew that trick too well—accepted the offering as the best one she could get. So she answered their questions. Answered all of them once, and then twice, thrice, never varying from the first time. She knew something had gone wrong, must have gone wrong, long before they told her.

Thanks to Han Solo, she knew it’d gone right, in the end. Here and now. And yet, here and now, Draven stood before her. Again.

Jyn thought about sitting down. There was only one chair—her chair—and she could make herself clear that way. But Draven towered over Cassian and Mothma, much less Jyn. She had enough of a disadvantage without making it worse. Instead, she borrowed from Draven’s own tactics and ignored him altogether.

“You shouldn’t be awake yet,” she told Cassian.

His face remained drawn in effort, but some of the heavier lines faded, and the entire slope of his shoulders relaxed as he lifted his eyes.

“Jyn,” he said, her name full of relief.

She felt abruptly convinced that he’d been asking after her, too—and no doubt received no better answer.

Cassian said nothing else, but nodded at Draven by way of explanation. Only then did Jyn bother looking the general in the face.

“We need answers,” Draven said brusquely. “And we need them now. You’ll do as well as him.”

“Better, I imagine,” said Jyn, closing her fingers over Cassian’s shoulder. It felt thinner, though that might well mean nothing. The memory of his voice whispered in her mind—leave it, leave it, that’s it—and it sounded weaker by far than the single word she’d just heard. But then, it had been weaker. He’d …

She focused her attention on Draven. “I’ve told you all we know, though.”

Disregarding that, he said, “This weakness. Where did your father say he planted it?”

“Throughout the Death Star,” replied Jyn. “It’s designed to self-destruct, like I told you. One direct blast to the reactor module should set off a chain reaction that explodes the whole station.”

A part of her, desperate and fragile, urged her to ask, That’s what you found, didn’t you? In the plans? You should have seen it, why are you talking to us—

No. She knew they must have found her father’s trap in her father’s design, unless Solo had been lying about the plans all along. But that would explain still less. No, they’d found the plans, and found Galen’s trick, and this was just a matter of … of confirmation or some nonsense like that, as if it made any difference at this point.

Regardless, she refused to ask.

Draven nodded, his stolid expression unaltered. “Is that true, Andor?”

Only raw obstinacy kept Jyn from bristling at him. She confined herself to a clench of her jaw, confident at least that Cassian would support her as far as his faculties allowed. These days, she didn’t expect any stabs in the back. Only the front.

“Yes, sir,” said Cassian. She glanced down at his face, just in time to see a faint grimace disappear. “That is my understanding.”

Sweat stood out from his skin, though he felt cold through the thin material of his shirt. Pain, undoubtedly; the medics had sedated him for a reason. Jyn took care not to tighten her grip, but fixed her stare on Draven with renewed disdain.

“You’ve seen it,” she added. “What are you going to do now?”

“You’re clever, whatever else you may be,” Draven said. “You know perfectly well what we’re going to do. There’s no other choice.”

“The time to fight is now?” said Jyn, coolly.

“It seems so,” Draven replied. “And it must be done right. If we fail, we’ll all be dust by this time tomorrow.”

That time, she did flinch. Not at the prospect of death, which she had faced far too many times to cower from. But that sounded like something Saw might have said. Like things Saw had said, many times. But he never stopped there.

“And if we succeed?”

The curl of Draven’s lip approximated a smile. “Then you all can enjoy your promotions.”

He turned to leave, apparently considering that adequate.

“I haven’t even joined the Rebellion,” Jyn protested. It was certainly not adequate.

“You have now,” said Draven. His gaze flicked from her, to Cassian, to her again. “Get some rest, both of you.”

And with that did, he really did leave.

“Is he serious?” she demanded, more from the universe than Cassian. Right now, she didn’t feel like demanding much from Cassian. Instead, she braced her arm against his back. “I hate it, but he’s right. Halfway right. Can you sleep like this?”

“The plans?” he said stubbornly.

“They’re here. Some smuggler helped,” said Jyn. “None of us can do anything more, right now. Draven was just confirming the intel—if we can trust him that far.”

Cassian gave a groggy nod. “He doesn’t usually lie for no reason.”

Jyn knew better than to confuse honesty, even far more reliable honesty than Draven’s, with trust. Trust was about loyalty, the sort that inspired an expectation that someone would always have your back, and fulfilled that expectation in word and deed. Perhaps he’d given Cassian reason for that kind of trust; she felt nothing of the kind.

Not towards him, anyway.

“Cassian,” she said, “go to sleep.”

Mon Mothma had never been an excitable woman, even in their youth, with the Republic corrupting itself everywhere they looked. But anticipation lit up her face every time she returned to Erso’s plans.

Draven couldn’t have said which Erso he meant. It didn’t matter—or it hadn’t.

“Well?” she demanded.

“I talked to Erso,” he said. “It matches up.”

Mothma took a deep breath, one that seemed to restore her to her usual serene dignity. “Do you trust her?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Draven, “when it comes to this.”

The extent of his distrust for Jyn Erso could hardly be quantified, otherwise. But in this—well, there was a point at which healthy skepticism drifted into paranoia. She’d proved her loyalty as far as the Death Star went.

“If we succeed,” Mothma said, picking her words with unusual care, “you know what we’re going to have to do with her.”

Draven did know. Didn’t mean he had to like it.

But he knew.

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swfanficbyjz · 7 years ago

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SW Rey Theory - Legacy of Light - Chapter 15

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(End of A New Hope, during rebel assault on the first Death Star)

“I’ve missed you so much! Where have you been?” Now that they'd moved somewhere more private, Ahsoka studied her daughter’s face wishing it was easy to explain what had happened and why she’d had to stay silent on her, but it wasn’t. Nothing was easy anymore. Ashla had felt her fight with Anakin, and it ate at her insides that she’d allowed herself to be so open when she had. In the moment, all she’d wanted was to open herself to him, forgetting momentarily the strength of the bond she had with her daughter. This was not at all how she’d hoped Ashla would know him. All she’d wanted was for him to be preserved in her memories as the good and heroic Jedi knight; not to sell him as perfect, but definitely not as what he’d become. How was she to explain the force, and how Ezra had pulled her out of her own time? Morai had explained some of it, but it was still a lot to wrap her head around. How could she explain her daily pilgrimage into hostile lands in attempt to save her master?

“I’ve missed you too, my love,” she breathed, running her fingers through her daughter’s unruly hair. She looked more and more like Anakin every day. How was she eighteen already? Where had the time gone and when had she gotten so tall? “It’s a long story, and I’m not sure now is the time. I want to hear about you. How did you find your way to the rebellion?” She wasn’t thrilled Ashla was here in the middle of it, but at least she could breathe some relief that she’d found her way to Rex.

“Well, I…” Ashla was interrupted as the loudspeaker came on across the complex.

“Ahsoka Tano, please report to the command center. Ahsoka Tano, please report to the command center.”

“Oh for…” she trailed off so she didn’t swear in front of her and set her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Wait here, I’ll go see what they want.”

“Welcome back,” the thin, short haired woman in front of her said as she entered the command center.

“Thank you, Senator,” Ahsoka nodded to her. She didn’t know this one personally, but she recognized her from the senate meetings during the time of the Republic. Padmé had pointed her out a few times. Mon Mothma, former senator of Chandrila. She’d abdicated her position and fled the Empire in order to join the rebellion sometime after Ahsoka had gotten stuck on Malachor. Now that Bail was… well… the loss of Alderaan still burned her soul. When she’d heard the news about it, she’d known it was finally time to return to the rebellion. He’d brought her into it all those years ago; she’d helped him bring rebel cells together. Had it not been for his willingness to take the risk, none of this would have been possible. After all the recent losses they’d suffered, and the intel that the Death Star was headed for Yavin… she couldn’t stay away anymore. Not after seeing the destruction the temple weapon had caused on Malachor, and knowing that the Empire had a bigger one out there that could destroy entire planets… It no longer mattered if enough time had passed since Ezra saved her or not. She couldn’t in good conscience sit back and do nothing with such a threat looming over the galaxy.

“Bail has spoken very highly of you over the years. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance,” Mon Mothma nodded to her and put her hands behind her back. “Now I know you only just returned and would probably like to rest, but as you know, the Empire waits for no one. Do you know anything about this weapon that is on its way here?”

“Not much, I’m afraid.” She brought her hand up to her chin. “Only that I’ve seen what it can do on a much smaller scale and of course, what it did to Jedha, Scariff and Alderaan. In my opinion, the Empire is getting rather reckless; destroying their own information hub just to stop a small rebel skirmish?”

“Yes, I wondered about that too. However, they found out about our base here on Yavin and probably believe that by wiping it out, it won’t matter that they destroyed Scariff.” The senator paused as a handful of people entered the briefing room including Rex and Ashla. “As you are all aware, there is already a strike force headed to intercept the Death Star. Even if they are successful in stopping it, our base of operations will be moving to Hoth as Yavin has now been compromised,” she turned and addressed the rest of them.

“What are you doing here?” Ahsoka whispered to Ashla when Mon Mothma turned her back.

“I was summoned too.” She looked at her confused and turned back to the senator. The rest of the group of rebels were clearly fighters. Ashla stood out amongst them and she wasn’t sure she liked that she’d been summoned for this too. She had a bad feeling about this.

“A few hours ago, we received intel that there is an Imperial freighter floating abandoned in the Auril Sector not far from Kulthis.” Mothma turned on the holotable in front of them. We sent a droid ahead to slice into its mainframe. According to the log, it had engine trouble and the crew abandoned ship. All reports indicate their resources are spread too thin to reclaim it right now.” She clicked a button and a list appeared in front of them. “The cargo manifest shows it is carrying vital supplies to our rebellion. Water, rations, medical equipment, gear, and weapons.”

“Even if they don’t have the resources to retrieve the cargo, it doesn’t make sense for the crew to abandon the vessel completely, and it just so happens to be carrying supplies a rebellion would need? It’s too convenient,” Ahsoka crossed her arms in front of her. “Odds are that it’s a trap.”

“I agree,” Rex stepped forward. “We don’t exactly have enough people here to offload supplies from a freighter of that size, even if it isn’t.”

“I’m aware of that, Captain. And that is why Miss Okami is here. Ahsoka is going to lead the forces you see before you and steal the ship, disable any tracking mechanisms and meet us on Hoth.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened and it took all her effort not to refuse, “I am not taking a mechanic into an obvious trap. It’s too dangerous.” She felt her chest tighten into a knot.

“But I’m the best mechanic on the base. I’m the only chance you have at getting it flying again,” her daughter exclaimed stepping forward.

“No, absolutely not.” Ahsoka glared at the senator.

“I’m afraid that’s not your call, Miss Tano,” Senator Mothma crossed her arms, meeting her challenge. “All members of the rebellion know the risks when they join.” Had Rex not squeezed her on the shoulder, she might have spilled right there that Ashla was her daughter and yes, it was her call; rebellion or not. With difficulty, she managed to stop herself from making a face at her. Shirking the leadership had been a hard habit to drop. One of the bad habits she’d learned from her master, and it was something she definitely didn’t want to pass on to their daughter.

“I hate to say it, Ahsoka, but without Ashla, that ship won’t go anywhere. At least not before Imperial forces return to reclaim it. She’ll have it up and running in no time and we’ll be right there to protect her.” She took a deep breath trying to absorb Rex’s words. He was right and she knew that, but this was exactly why she hadn't wanted Ashla part of the rebellion. What if a mission like this had come up when she wasn’t around? She shuddered to think about it. She knew Rex would do anything to keep her safe, but he hadn’t faced the inquisitors, Maul, Anakin or the Emperor. There were things out there a common blaster wouldn’t kill. As incredible as he was, he was just one man; they didn’t have an army anymore. Knowing that her daughter was in danger every second of this mission was going to be distracting, and she didn’t want to find out the consequences of that.

“I don’t like it,” she murmured to him under her breath, still staring daggers at the senator before them.

“I know,” he whispered, and she took a deep breath.

“It’s settled then, you’ll leave immediately. I assume I don’t need to tell you how important these supplies are for the good of the rebellion.” It took every ounce of willpower she had to not storm out of the room and order her daughter to stay put. But then she remembered that the Death Star was on its way to Yavin Four, and that if the rebels were not successful in stopping it… At least if Ashla was with them, she couldn’t be decimated by it. Luke was part of the strike force, that's what Ashla had said. For the rebellion's sake, she hoped he could fly like his father.

She’d been out of action for too long. Running out on a mission, hours after arriving was not at all what she’d had in mind when she returned. Though she probably should have known better. When Rex had told her that Ashla was here, everything else had gone out the window. She’d nearly forgotten why she’d returned the moment she’d seen her daughter’s face. She’d wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in her arms and run away. But she couldn’t do that.

She brought her hands up to her face trying to hide her frustration even though she was alone in the hallway. Everything she was afraid of was coming to fruition in front of her. She hadn’t been able to save Anakin; she wasn’t even sure if she was making progress in trying to reach him. She hadn’t been able to keep her daughter away from the rebellion or the Empire. She hadn’t made it back in time to help Ezra. She hadn’t been able to keep her daughter secret and safe. What if this was the last time she ever saw her?

“Come on, Lil’un.” She heard Rex around the corner and fell back into the shadows. “I know you’re frustrated but give your mom a break.”

“Why?” came Ashla’s strained voice and Ahsoka’s heart clenched in her chest. “She disappears for two years without so much as a word to me, then she acts as though she was never gone. Now, it’s like she doesn’t even want me here!”

“You know that’s not true,” Rex replied and Ahsoka tipped her head back leaning against the wall.

“Do I?” She could almost picture Ashla’s pout.

“Listen Ashla, everything your mother has done since you were born was to protect you. She’s seen more horrors in her life than you can possibly imagine, that’s why she kept you away from this. Working as a mechanic on the base and fighting on the front lines are two very different things.” She nodded in agreement to Rex’s statement. If you won’t listen to me, please listen to him.

“But I don’t need protection; I’m not helpless! Ezra taught me how to use the lightsabers, you helped me improve my blaster skills.” So, Ezra was how Ashla ended up at the rebellion? How did he even find out about her? Surely Rex hadn't told him. And how did she end up with lightsabers? What all had happened in the two years she’d been absent?

“I know that, Lil’un. And you’re very good at both; it’s not competency that’s the problem. She’s afraid she won’t be able to keep you safe, and so am I. Now is not the time to get surly and reckless like you have something to prove. The first rule of battle is to listen and obey your superiors, because they have more experience than you. Your mother, she has more than most. There will be plenty of time to work this out later. Can you put it aside for now?” Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to Rex try to calm her daughter down. So long ago… she’d had similar conversations with Anakin. He had been too protective of her, at least that had been what it felt like. While she, like Ashla, wanted action; she wanted to learn, she wanted to grow and prove herself worthy. Which usually ended with her doing something stupid in order to. She did not want her daughter doing the same thing.

“I guess so,” Ashla sighed.

“Good girl. If your mother was silent on you for two years, she must have had a very good reason. You are the most important thing in the world to her.” The tears fell before she could stop them and she ran in the opposite direction, locking herself in the nearest refresher and slumping over the sink. Yes… her daughter had been the most important thing in the world to her… until Anakin came back into the picture. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. What was happening to her?

She was alive, but it no longer felt that way. Everything she’d been fighting for was crumbling around her. It was getting harder and harder to stay above the waves of sorrow. Every step forward was met with several forced steps back. For every small victory against the Empire, they struck back with devastating consequences. Were they fighting a losing battle? Was that why Anakin was on their side now? Did he foresee this? If he were still her master, how would he advise her in this situation? We need not be adversaries... he'd tell her to join him.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to remember everything he taught her when he'd been a Jedi. Try as she might, nothing came to her on how to proceed. Anakin probably would have run recklessly into the situation; believing arrogantly that he was in control of it. Okay, maybe he wasn’t the one to tap into after all… What would Obi wan do? He’d go into the mission confident in his abilities to protect those around him and if he failed, he’d believe it happened as the force meant it to. But he’d never had to lead his own child into battle. She laughed hoarsely and looked up at her reflection again. And he’d probably quote a laundry list of reasons why attachment was dangerous. A little late for that now…

If she couldn’t control her emotions, maybe the rebellion was better off without her. “Pull yourself together, girl,” she muttered aloud. “You can do this. You’ve faced worse. This is no different than every other mission you’ve ever ran. They need you and you’re going to come through for them. You’re going to protect them and you’re going to protect your daughter. It’s what Anakin trained you to do.” Keep your head in the here and now… She splashed some water on her face to wash away the tears and headed out.

---

None of the scans as they reached the coordinates indicated that there were lifeforms aboard the ship, but that did nothing to put her at ease. The trickle of unease was steadily growing as they closed in on the vessel. Senator Mothma may have taken over leadership of the rebellion after the loss of so many, but Ahsoka was not confident in her abilities to understand the dangers of these missions. To so blatantly ignore that this could be a trap… it infuriated her. She must think because Ahsoka had once been a Jedi and that Rex had served in the Clone Wars, that there was nothing to be worried about. No lifeforms did not mean they were walking onto an abandoned ship. If they were still fighting Separatists, this ship would be packed with battle droids.

"Commander, we're scanning high levels of carbonite," one of the rebels said that had accompanied her. The feeling that something bad was coming went through the roof; droids were now the least of her concern.

“It looks like this was a trap after all. Why was that not included in the report from the droid?” She turned to look at the battered group of rebels that had accompanied them. They looked amongst themselves but shook their heads. They didn’t know any more about it than she did. She tried reaching into the force to get a feel for what was waiting for them, but because the carbonite suspended life signs, it was difficult to make out. Odds were, if the trap that was set included carbonite, this was not going to be stormtroopers. This was worse, much worse. She glanced to her side and saw Ashla tense, gripping her old lightsabers in her hands. Seeing them startled her for a moment. How did her daughter have her lightsabers?

"I think we spent too long fighting droids, Commander. We've grown complacent," Rex commented from her right side. She didn’t disagree with him. Even though they hadn’t faced battle droids in over twenty years, it was still difficult to shake the ingrained lessons that they’d taught them. This was not the Clone Wars anymore. This was people versus people and she hated every second of it. His words stirred her back to action and she turned to the group behind them.

“Turn your weapons off stun. If these are inquisitors, aim for the hilt of their weapons, and don’t fire directly at the blade of the lightsabers. Spread out in groups, comms on and keep your eyes open. Move out.” They nodded to her and disappeared.

“Mom?” Ashla whispered, scooting closer to her.

"I don't like it either Ashla, but we're fighting a war. It's life or death, and sometimes all we can do is survive to fight another day. When this mission is over, you're going somewhere safe. Away from the rebellion," Ahsoka said distractedly. She was feeling something, but she couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. It was both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Why can't I stay with you? Why can't we go away together?" Ashla asked.

Ahsoka blinked a few times and looked down at her daughter. "Look at me Ashla, I stand out in a crowd. As the Empire thins out alien populations across the galaxy, I become more and more obvious. I’ve made more than a few enemies over the years who all know what I look like. I can't just put on a disguise; these things don't go away. Not even putting on a cloak will hide what I am. But you, you look human. You can hide anywhere." She didn’t mean to be short with her, but the feeling that was bothering her was creeping closer and she didn’t have time to argue. All she wanted was her to be safe.

"Why can't we stay with the rebellion? Then we wouldn't have to hide, and we could still be together!" Ashla begged.

As she looked at her pleading face, screwed up close to tears, she was reminded of herself from so long ago. When Anakin had been so overprotective of her; picking and choosing what missions she could go on based on the level of danger expected. What had she told him then? How will I ever learn if you don’t let me come? She understood the need her daughter was feeling far too much, but things were different now. She’d not been trained as a Jedi. She’d not spent countless hours meditating, studying and practicing. She was strong in the force, she had the natural ability, but the truth was, Ahsoka didn’t want her to grow up having to fight. She wanted her to live her life; to find happiness. To learn and know the force, and to respect it. She wanted to fight the war so her daughter could live, and she’d sacrifice it all for that. "I want us to be together more than you could possibly know, but you'll be much safer out there then you'll ever be with me or the rebellion." She couldn’t keep her away from it forever, but she had to try.

"But..." Ashla started.

She cut her off, "Ashla. I need you somewhere safe so that I have something to keep fighting for. I can't worry about you here. I can't risk losing you. I love you too much. You're one of the only things I have left," she begged her daughter to see reason, to understand. The very thing she’d warned her had happened to Anakin was happening to her too; the fear of loss. The possibility of losing her daughter existed wherever she was, but maybe it was her fear of seeing it happen; of not being able to protect her if she was here that scared her so much. Losing Anakin had been hard enough and he’d just been someone important to her. Ashla was her flesh and blood. She may have once thought she’d known better than the Jedi order on whether attachments were dangerous, but now… now she was starting to understand.

Ashla watched her face for a moment, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Okay," she said finally. “For you, I will.” Ahsoka pulled her into a hug. She poured every ounce of love she felt for her into the embrace. She kissed the top of her head, not wanting to let her go. Being away from her for years had been hard enough. Now having to force them apart again… she was certain it would feel worse than when Anakin had gone missing. If she kept ripping her soul to pieces because she was too attached to people, it wouldn’t be long before there was nothing left.

“Commander, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we found where the carbonite readings were coming from. They’re all empty,” Rex said returning. “No one has seen anything yet, and without a droid, we can’t tell how long they’ve been empty.”

Ahsoka released Ashla and looked up at the ventilation duct nearby. “Rex… I have a bad feeling about this. Where is the droid that was sent ahead?”

“Haven’t found it yet,” Rex glanced around.

“Ashla, stay close to us.” Her daughter nodded, looking around nervously. She pulled her lightsabers from her belt, mentally trying to push her emotions aside so she could focus.

The sounds of blaster fire echoed through the ship, Rex and Ashla raced towards it. She ignited them in front of her as she ran. They came around a corner where two rebel fighters had fallen. No sign of who they’d been fighting in sight. Rex crouched down to check for pulses, but shook his head at her sadly. She swallowed, looking around, trying to listen for movement.

She pushed her comm button, “Report?” she asked.

“We saw someone running towards the cargo hold, hold on…” someone responded but trailed off. She looked over at Rex and tipped her head. They moved forward cautiously, staying on high alert. “False alarm, just a droid. Not ours though,” the voice that came through was staticky.

"It looks like we are facing inquisitors. Regroup at the cargo hold. Do not engage alone.”

“Yes sir.” Ahsoka moved forward, senses out. What she’d been feeling earlier was nearby. They met up with the rest of the team in the cargo hold where the carbonite was. There were four of them, all empty. If they were all inquisitors, this wasn’t going to end well. She was the only one that stood a chance against them. Her daughter maybe, if she’d trained her to fight. Her feeling of dread was building, and she was almost certain there was something else here too; something darker. Something more like Vader. It wasn’t him, she was sure of that, but it felt like him. Stealth was not Anakin’s game, so switching to that now seemed unlikely. Whatever it was, was playing them into a trap.

Making the decision, she stood up taller, “Pull back, we’re leaving. Whatever is here, we’re not prepared to face it.” No amount of supplies were worth a slaughter. In fact, she doubted there were any supplies aboard at all.

“Look out!” someone behind her shouted as an inquisitor dropped out of the ducts above them. She couldn’t stop the soldiers before they fired, and the inquisitor just deflected their bolts back at them. Two more down. Ahsoka ran forward and engaged him, ducked under his swing and spun around, pushing him back. Her daughter had pulled out her old lightsabers too, holding them forward as though to help. She kept him occupied herself, but then another one appeared at the front of the group, by Rex. He’d called out to her, dodging the reflected bolts. Ashla turned to help him.

She tried not to worry about her daughter fighting another inquisitor while she dispatched the one that had come up behind them. When she finally managed to turn around she saw that Ashla wasn’t doing too badly, her and Rex seemed to have worked out a system where she’d keep the inquisitor’s blades busy and he’d shoot his blaster. By the looks of it, he’d already hit the inquisitor in the foot and the shoulder. She flipped, jumping over their heads and forced him to turn around. Ashla fell back, but Rex caught him in the back of the head and he fell to the ground.

She met eye contact with her daughter and saw her eyes wide and fearful. She herself had grown up with plenty of fighting, violence and death. She’d had too much time to think about the life and world her daughter was having to grow up in. She ignored the guilt, but was sorry Ashla had to witness that.

Ahsoka didn’t have time to comfort her though, she could feel the darkness moving to cut them off. Rex set his arm around Ashla’s shoulder and she looked down, breaking their eye contact. She caught Rex’s eyes and he nodded for her to go on. She was grateful he was here, he could be to Ashla what Anakin had always been to her. For someone who had been manufactured in a clone factory, he had more senses and empathy than most. Which didn’t speak very highly of the rest of the galaxy.

“Follow me,” she beckoned for the other rebels to follow her and took off running back towards the airlock where they’d left their shuttle. She knew that her daughter and Rex wouldn’t be far behind. If the enemy was moving to cut off their escape, they’d be safer behind them. “Go on ahead,” she ordered the ten remaining rebels as another inquisitor burst out into the corridor and she immediately had her lightsabers up to engage him. This was three, but not the source of the darkness she was feeling.

She heard more blaster fire and screams echo around ahead of her and she immediately regretted sending them ahead. It took a few minutes to take out the one in front of her and by the time she got to the cargo hold, there was devastation all around her. Her heart was racing. Where was Rex, and Ashla? Before she could panic, she felt them come up behind her.

“Oh no…” Ashla trailed off, clinging to Rex. She could feel her daughter’s fear and sorrow and it derailed her own ability to think straight.

There was a flash of movement and someone dropped down between them. He was human, unlike the inquisitors and his eyes burned gold. He also had two red lightsabers, but as he stood up straight, he held them behind him in the reverse grip; her signature style. She wasn't the only one that used it, but it was rare to find others that did.

"So, it is true," the Sith said dramatically as he paced around her. "Ahsoka Tano is still alive. The failed Jedi. The failed leader of the rebellion." He sneered ignoring them for now. Rex pulled Ashla back. "Considering how difficult it’s been to find you, I’m pleased it was you that fell into my trap. The rebellion you built is about to fall. And so are you.”

"And who are you?" she curled her fingers tighter around her lightsabers.

"I am Starkiller. Apprentice to the most powerful Sith Lord in the galaxy," he said smugly pacing back and forth in front of her. She watched him carefully.

“Since there are only two, that narrows it down a lot. Which means you're not good enough yet to be a threat to either of them," she taunted, narrowing her eyes in battle readiness. She reignited her lightsabers to shine the brightest white and spun them into her adapted reverse grip; ignoring the residual sting of his words. She was too numb to be bullied today. This was about far more than her accomplishments. If only Vader knew he'd sent his lackey to kill his own daughter. Would he care if he knew? "Well, I was the apprentice to the greatest Jedi that ever lived and last I saw your master, he was limping away from his fight with me. Not a very powerful Sith Lord if I do say so myself," she scoffed.

Starkiller snarled and rushed towards her, swinging wildly. She ducked under his left arm, twirling around to bring her other hand up to strike. She hadn't fought many others that used the reverse grip, but because she used it, she knew very well its strengths and weaknesses. She threw all her focus into keeping him busy and away from Ashla.

They fought intensely. She noticed that Vader had taught him to go for the kill every chance he got; it was a weakness she could easily exploit. Interesting how his teaching methods had changed over the years. He'd always stressed to her the importance of protection and defense. Apparently, his years unchallenged as Vader had made him arrogant; and likely, that arrogance would cost him his apprentice. Not today though. She had no intention of killing him unless she had to. Not that she didn't want to, for endangering her daughter.

That wasn't the way. That wasn't her way, and despite her emotions, she was going to stay true to her beliefs. She’d already killed too many today. Besides, she wanted to send him back to Vader roughed up enough to give him a message. From her, with love. This was personal.

She flipped, twisting over his head and swung fast. One of her lightsabers cut him across the cheek. He fell back but recovered, trying to assault with jabbing moves. She spun to the side, slicing up his arm. He howled in pain and tried to swing forward but her strike had severed muscle and he lost his grip on the saber in his left hand. He continued to fight with just his main hand, but she could tell he wasn't as strong with just the one.

"I have a message for your master," she said, pushing him back with the force into a pile of crates. "Tell him that Anakin Skywalker trained a far better apprentice than Vader."

"You can tell him yourself when you're broken at his feet, but he won't believe you then!" he screamed at her, leaping back to his feet and running back into the fight.

“Look out!” Ashla yelled from behind her and she almost didn’t duck in time. If she could keep Starkiller’s attention on her, they could get away. It wasn’t what she wanted, but…

Next Chapter - >

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artyblogs · 7 years ago

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Launch Date ch 5 One Angry Pantoran

Star Wars the Clone Wars, Ahsoka/Riyo

Launch Date summary: In which Ahsoka mistakes Riyo for an office secretary, Riyo is sometimes too gay to function, and R7-A7 is determined to be a trollish kark.

First Chapter : Previous Chapter : Next Chapter

Chapter Summary: Riyo is kinda ride-or-die for Ahsoka. She's not really subtle about it.

Breaking News flashes across the holoscreen before a male Hosnian anchor appears.

“Good evening, Galactic Republic. Welcome to tonight’s segment of HNN. I’m Lyrax Pentigure. Tonight’s top story: A planet-wide manhunt is underway by the Republic for the recapture of Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano. She is considered armed and dangerous and was last seen fleeing into the Coruscanti undercity. The Five Hundred and First Legion, led by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, has assured the public that they are doing everything within their power to bring her back into custody. Padawan Tano is charged with the murder of Letta Turmond and with the extensive bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar that happened earlier this week, which left at least two dozen dead and many more wounded. Joining us tonight is Rogan Cham, who is live at the Republic prison and taking statements from witnesses. We go to him now. Rogan, are you there?”

Riyo can’t hear the rest of the segment over the ringing in her ears. What? What?

“We have gotten a hold of the footage of the murder of Mrs. Turmond. Please be warned, what you will see is quite graphic and not suitable for younglings. If you have a heart condition, please look away now.”

They play the clip. Riyo’s jaw drops in horror.

“While we have invited the Jedi Council to send a representative here tonight, they have declined, citing professional conflict of interest,” Lyrax says. “So joining me tonight is a third-party analyst specializing in the Force. Thank you for being here this evening, Doctor.”

“Thank you for having me, Lyrax.”

“In the clip, Padawan Tano appears to be using the Force to murder Mrs. Turmond. Is that possible for a Force-wielder to do?”

“Yes, quite possible….”

Riyo turns off the holoscreen and lets the remote slip from her numbed fingers. It lands with a muffled thump on the rug next to her foot. Thoughts, half-formed, swim in Riyo’s head, each shouting for attention.

She’s a good person!

Could always investigate it yourself….

Don’t be so naive! That clip is damning enough.

You’re a senator, not a detective.

She ran. She ran! How guilty does that look?

The room spins around Riyo and she shuts her eyes. She thinks about how warm Ahsoka’s eyes are when she smiles. They’re the clearest blue.

If you get involved, you’ll be put on lists.

That’s never stopped you before.

You’re going to form an opinion without all the evidence?

Sure you’re thinking clearly? You’ve got that crush….

“Shush!” Riyo shouts to herself. All the anxious, extra thoughts in her head fall silent. She clenches her jaw and picks up her black data pad to send a few messages. Thirty minutes later, and she has strong-armed herself into having access to the investigation files. She opens them up and reads, but the more she reads, the angrier she gets.

Letta Turmond’s body hasn’t been scheduled for an autopsy.

All the guards that Ahsoka allegedly beat up when she escaped the prison facility haven’t been interrogated.

Despite having multiple security holocams in that prison, the footage from all the other holocams isn’t being gathered, or looked at, or submitted into evidence.

Riyo wants to throw the data pad across the room. Either the investigators are inept eopies, or someone is actively trying to hide evidence. She gasps, and her mind goes light speed.

Ahsoka’s being framed, but it’s not by just one person. The one who murdered Turmond must be a Force-wielder, by virtue of the Force choke. There must be at least one other person to hide the proof of the existence of the first. An entire team maybe. And they’re doing all this without being noticed. Who has enough power to set this all up? Who has enough influence?

The more Riyo thinks about it, the more a sense of foreboding settles in her stomach.

Does she still want to get involved?

The next morning, over yet another cup of coffee, Riyo watches the blank holoscreen and wonders how badly she’ll regret turning it on, but turns it on anyway. On the holoscreen, a female Twi’lek anchor straightens the data pad on her desk before looking up at the camera.

“Good morning, Galactic Republic. This is Ultana Anya for Coruscant News Desk on HNN. Today’s top story: Former Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano was captured by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and the Five Hundred and First Legion late last night in the Coruscanti undercity, where she was found in possession of a couple hundred kilograms of nano-droid explosives. Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin released a statement assuring the Republic that Miss Tano will be charged with Treason against the Republic and that her trial is scheduled to take place later this morning in a public military tribunal. Miss Tano is also charged with the murder of Letta Turmond and with….”

Riyo turns the holoscreen off and picks up her black data pad. She’s been monitoring the investigation all night for any changes and new evidence, but none have showed up. She switches out of the Investigation site and goes into the court dockets to search for Ahsoka’s trial. When she finds it, she scans the names for Ahsoka’s assigned litigator: Padmé Amidala.

Of course she would be. And who else would do the job justice? Riyo calls Padmé’s hologram comlink. It rings twice before it’s answered.

“Riyo?” Padmé asks before she peers closer. “Are you alright?”

“Just another all-nighter. That doesn’t matter. May I talk to you about Ahsoka’s trial?”

Padmé’s eyes widen in surprise. “Yes, but not over comlink. There’s not much time. Please meet me in my office, Riyo.”

“Thank you, Padmé.”

When the call ends, Riyo packs her things and is out the door in less than a minute.

Padmé’s office is bright with morning sunlight and finely decorated. It even smells faintly of potpourri. Padmé ushers Riyo into her office and locks the door behind them.

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Padmé asks.

“What? No.” How can she eat at a time like this? “Padmé, have you seen the files for this case? It’s so unfair. How could they do this to her? How could the Jedi expel her from the Order?”

“It doesn’t look good,” Padmé says. She presses a rainbow berry muffin into Riyo’s hands. “I’ll do my best, but really, it’s up to Anakin.”

“What do you mean?” Riyo asks. She takes a bite of the muffin out of politeness and finds that she’s actually really hungry. She takes another bite.

“Anakin’s trying to find the real culprit of the Jedi bombings.” Padmé eases into her chair with a sigh. “He has a lead, but we don’t know how long it’ll take for him to follow up on it.”

“So all you can do is stall.” Riyo finishes her muffin and wipes the crumbs from her mouth. “But if you drag the trial on too much, the Chancellor will throw you out in Contempt of Court.”

“True. And therein lies the problem. I cannot be a good litigator for Ahsoka and stall for Anakin at the same time.”

“But someone else could stall.”

Padmé nods. “It would be incredibly difficult.”

“Let me do it,” Riyo says. “Please.”

Padmé beams at Riyo. It’s gone after a moment, making Riyo wonder if she imagined it. Padmé takes up a data pad and taps on it.

“I’ve assigned you a place on the jury,” she says. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Padmé. Good luck to you too.”

“And Riyo,” Padmé calls to her just before she leaves. “You cannot falter. Not even once.”

Riyo nods and the door of the office slides shut between them.

The following items are not allowed in the courtroom: all weapons, comlinks, and (for some reason) Neimoidian finger traps. Riyo gives up her derringer and her comlink to Magnus before she steps into the Jury Box and settles into her seat, leaving him to wait for her outside. The courtroom is a vast, empty, intimidating room. The Chancellor sits on the Judge’s Dais, which is raised to the highest point in the courtroom. He sits in his chair like a king in his throne.

The Jury Box and the Press Box are the next highest points in the room on opposite sides of the the Judge’s Dais, and below them are the Gallery Boxes, where people can sit in on the trial and watch as long as they’re quiet. They’re full to the brim with people, and their low murmurs echo around the room. In the middle of the court are platforms for the defense and prosecution.

When Ahsoka is escorted onto the defendant’s platform, the sound from the Gallery rise in volume and the Vice Chancellor must bang his staff on the floor to keep order. Everyone in the Jury Box is too steeped in a culture of politeness and ceremony to contribute to the noise, but their cool demeanor is damning enough. Ahsoka looks so small from where Riyo sits; a spot of orange surrounded by the dark, gaping abyss below. Padmé and Tarkin take their respective places as the defense and prosecution.

Thus, the Trial of Ahsoka Tano begins.

Padmé is a marvelous litigator; eloquent and concise. As terrible as these last two days are, at least Riyo gets to watch her in action. However, Padmé has pitifully little to work with and her defense is short.

Admiral Tarkin undoes all of Padmé’s good work within minutes. He’s not the stirring orator that Padmé is, but he has a mountain of evidence, and he knows how to heckle Ahsoka, who takes his bait.

Too soon, the jurors are sequestered in a soundproof room to deliberate. On Pantora, juries must reach a unanimous vote, making hung juries possible. On Coruscant, the majority jury vote wins, so Riyo must keep everyone from casting their votes as long as possible.

The head juror is Senator Kin Robb, a hawkish woman whose apathy for Riyo is only matched by her loathing for Separatists. They’re joined by Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and a few other senators, bringing their number up to twelve. They sit around a long conference table, leaving Kin Robb the seat at the head.

“My fellow senators,” Kin says. “I think we’ve heard all that we need to hear. On the table before you are one-time-use data pads, where you will cast your votes for Miss Tano’s fate.”

“Wait! Please.” Riyo stands up.

“Senator Chuchi, you have something to say?” Kin asks.

Riyo looks around the room at the other senators and steels herself. “Yes. You see, I believe that Ahsoka Tano is innocent, and this is why.”

Riyo stands there and talks. She doesn’t stop.

Halfway into the first hour of her speech, Bail Organa seems to catch on to what she’s doing, and he settles back in his seat. The only sign of his amusement is a subtle twitch of his goatee. He catches Mon’s eye and winks at her, and Mon looks back and forth between the both of them in astonishment. She too, makes herself comfortable and folds her hands in her lap.

At the one hour mark, a clone trooper knocks on the door.

“Excuse me, Senators. Is everything alright in there?”

“Yes, trooper.” Kin shoots Riyo an annoyed look. “One of us is still deliberating.”

“Ah. I see,” the trooper says. “I’ll take my leave then.” He goes, and everyone turns back to Riyo.

“You were saying, Senator Chuchi?” Bail asks. Riyo continues. At the two hour mark, the trooper knocks again.

“I’ve brought lunch for everyone.”

“Thank you, Trooper,” Kin says. “Senator Chuchi, are you done?”

“I’m not done, Senator Robb.” Riyo ignores the groans of the other senators. Kin stands aside so that the trooper can carry bags of sandwiches into the room.

“If you are so determined to speak, then I suppose you won’t be needing any food,” Kin says. Mon’s eyes widen and a senator on the other end of the table gasps. Riyo’s eyes narrow. She knew that this might happen. She straightens up and looks Kin in the eye.

“You are correct, Senator. I won’t be needing food. If I may continue?”

“Please do,” Mon says.

Riyo talks. She kicks off her shoes to stand more comfortably, but its too late. Her feet and legs are already in pain from fatigue. At the three hour mark, another Senator raises his hand.

“Are there breaks? I would like to use the refresher.”

Mumbled agreement winds its way around the room.

“Unfortunately, Senator,” Bail says, “We must stay in here until we cast our votes.”

“You can’t keep us in here forever,” Kin says.

“Indeed,” Bail says. “We’ll go one at a time then, so it isn’t an official break. Senator Chuchi, I’m afraid your predicament disqualifies you from reprieve.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Senator Organa,” Riyo says. “Fortunately, I am prepared to talk for a long time.”

Four hours into Riyo’s speech, her voice cracks. She is so tired. Her body aches from the strain of standing up for so long, but she can’t lean against anything, not even the table. Her stomach has started gnawing on itself. Riyo hides her discomfort under a mask of indifference and keeps going.

Five hours in, Kin slams her hands on the table.

“Senator Chuchi, that is enough!”

“I’m,” Riyo begins, but the other senators cut in.

“Not done,” they chorus.

“Yes, we know,” another senator says from the back.

“Let her speak, Senator Robb,” Bail says.

“Your amusement is irrelevant, Senator Organa! Senator Chuchi may be content to play a fool, but I will not let her make a mockery of the justice system!”

“Sit down, Senator Robb,” Riyo says. Her gold eyes are narrowed and her mouth set in a thin, savage line. Kin almost takes a step back. “I’m not done.”

“No,” Kin sits down. “Please continue.”

Around six hours in, Riyo loses her voice. She clears her throat, and drinks some water, but in vain. Kin stands up and stares down her imperiously.

“You’re done.”

“No,” Riyo tries to say, but it doesn’t come out. Her throat is hot and ragged, like she’s been swallowing razors.

“You’re done, Senator Chuchi,” Kin says, and Riyo clenches her jaw. Not yet, not yet! She can go a little longer. Desperation squeezes her heart.

“But, I just,” Riyo tries again.

“Sit. Down.”

Riyo sinks down into her chair, defeated. Satisfied, Kin surveys the entire jury room.

“Despite Senator Chuchi’s valiant efforts to dissuade us, we have all heard the evidence presented in the courtroom and thus already know what the verdict should be. Please take up your data pads and vote on what Miss Tano’s fate should be now.”

Riyo pulls her data pad towards her. She taps on Not Guilty and she knows it isn’t enough. When the court reconvenes, she sits back in her seat in the Jury Box and scans the courtroom for Anakin. He isn’t there. She catches Padmé eye and mouths, “Where is he?”

Padmé gives the slightest shake of her head and lowers her gaze. Riyo clenches her hands in her lap. One of the senators stands up and reads from a small data pad.

“The members of the court have reached a decision.” He taps on the screen to transfer the information to the Chancellor’s data pad. The Chancellor nods and stands up to deliver the verdict.

“Ahsoka Tano, by an overwhelming count of,” but he never gets to finish his sentence. Anakin Skywalker barges through the courtroom doors like a big damn hero, announcing to everyone that the real culprit is Barriss Offee.

Ahsoka wants to run back into the Council Chamber and scream that she’s made a mistake. That what she really does want is to be a Jedi Knight. She’s earned it more than twice over. She deserves that title, and all she’s ever wanted was to be a Jedi Master someday. But even as half of her is begging to go back, Ahsoka presses on, making her way out of the Jedi Temple. She can’t stay in this place for another minute. The Force, merciful as It is, keeps her from bumping into anyone else on her way out. If she did meet someone, she might not keep herself together and she might even change her mind about leaving.

Anakin runs out after her and tries to get her to stay, but all he ends up doing is rehash a lot of things she already knows. He even hints at his forbidden relationship with Padmé.

“I know,” Ahsoka says, and Anakin gapes down at her. Ahsoka looks out at the sunset and remembers a different sunset seen from an observation deck so many years ago. In that instant, she realizes that she can’t just leave Anakin here like this. She whirls around to talk to him again, surprising them both.

“Come with me.”

“Ahsoka.”

“I’m serious. Come with me! Expelled. Expelled and barred from the Jedi Order. Those are the words the Council used, so they can chew on that. But you, I could never turn my back on you. No matter what happens, you’ll always be my master.”

Anakin’s look of surprise softens into incredible fondness. Ahsoka presses on.

“You could be who you want, be with who you want! What do you say?”

Anakin closes his eyes. “I can’t.”

Ahsoka, resigned, gives him a watery smile. “It’s a standing offer then. I’ll see you around, Skyguy.”

“Wait,” Anakin says. He looks down at the padawan braid clenched in his fist and takes Ahsoka’s hand. When he pulls away, he leaves the braid clasped around her wrist as a bracelet. Ahsoka stares in wonder at it, then reaches up to cover it with her other hand.

“You’re a sap.” Ahsoka smiles despite herself.

“You’re the one who’s about to cry. You still wanna leave the Jedi?”

“Yeah. I can’t…I need to figure things out, and I can’t do that with the Council looking over my shoulder.”

“I’m gonna miss you, Snips.”

“I’ll miss you too, Skyguy.”

“Have fun. Be safe,” Anakin shouts as Ahsoka walks away so that she can still hear him. “Make good choices!”

Ahsoka laughs through her tears as she walks down the Jedi Temple steps. She almost bumps into her old Astromech droid.

“R7?” Ahsoka asks. She clears her throat. R7 whistles. “What are you doing here?”

R7 beeps.

“I can’t. I’m not a Jedi anymore.” Something cracks in Ahsoka’s chest at that and she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. “I’m not a Jedi anymore. And you belong to the Republic.”

R7 beeps again.

“That’s called stealing.”

Halfway into R7’s tirade, Ahsoka raises her hand.

“Stop, no need to curse. Fine, come with me, but I don’t have a plan.”

R7 extends his manipulators and presents a wrist hologram comlink with a flourish. Ta-da!

“For me? Aw, you shouldn’t have.” Ahsoka snaps the comlink onto the forearm of her gauntlet and notices that there’s a missed call. She calls back and after a couple beeps, Padmé’s bust appears in the hologram.

“Padmé!”

“Hi, Ahsoka, I just heard the news from Anakin. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with the Jedi.”

“It’s okay. Thanks again for being my litigator. It means a lot.”

“You’re very welcome, but I didn’t do it all myself. You should thank Riyo too.”

“Riyo? She was on the jury, right? What did she do?”

Padmé’s eyes widen in surprise. “You don’t know? No one told you why the jury deliberated for so long?”

“No. Why? What happened?”

“Riyo stalled the jury vote with a filibuster. She gave Anakin time to investigate. Bail tells me she did very well.”

“Oh,” Ahsoka says. That’s all she can say.

“You should go see her.”

“Yeah, I’ll go see her,” Ahsoka repeats. A knowing smile spreads across Padmé’s face and she gives a little wave before she ends the call. Ahsoka sighs. “Let’s go, R7.”

Riyo has fallen asleep in her office chair, which is impressive, considering how uncomfortable it looks. Ahsoka and Magnus watch her from the other side of the desk, absolutely unsurprised.

“She hasn’t slept in close to thirty-six hours.” Magnus’s whisper is a low rumble in his chest.

“Then she shouldn’t be here, she should go home,” Ahsoka whispers back.

“She won’t listen to me, but she’ll listen to you.”

Ahsoka moves closer. Despite the angle of Riyo’s neck, she still looks incredibly peaceful while asleep, and Ahsoka almost doesn’t want to disturb her. Riyo’s forehead is smoothed free of thought, and her dark lashes rest against her cheeks. A loose lock of purple hair has fallen across her face, and Ahsoka reaches out, wanting to tuck it behind her ear.

She falters and gently shakes Riyo’s shoulder instead.

“Riyo,” she whispers. Riyo stirs under her hand and Ahsoka pulls away. “Wake up.”

“Ahsoka,” Riyo tries to say. Ahsoka gasps.

“You lost your voice.”

“I’m fine.” Tea and honey hasn’t improved Riyo’s voice much. It’s still raspy and painful to hear. She straightens up in her chair and stretches out the kinks in her back. There’s a popping sound and she sighs and relaxes.

“You need to rest,” Ahsoka says.

“I need to work,” Riyo whispers.

“How can you work like this?” Ahsoka asks. When Riyo doesn’t answer, Ahsoka smirks. “There, see? I win. Come on, we’re taking you home.”

“We?”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka says. She and Magnus share a look. “I feel kinda responsible.”

“But it’s not your fault.”

“Riyo, let me take care of you.”

Riyo hesitates, then nods. She picks up her bag and the three of them leave the office.

When they get into Riyo’s apartment, R7 requests a power outlet and Riyo points to one. R7 beeps his thanks and rolls off to recharge. Riyo goes into the kitchen and Ahsoka follows her.

“Are you really going to cook right now?”

“I can still do things.”

“Wow, no. I promised that I’d take care of you, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Riyo gives a silent chuckle. “Then can you please make tea?”

Ahsoka makes tea and cooks bacon and eggs, which is the only thing she knows how to cook without Riyo’s help. They eat in the living room while watching a hologram show, and whenever Riyo says some scathing commentary, she has to lean closer to Ahsoka so that she can hear her. Ahsoka doesn’t really mind how close they end up getting. It’s cozy, with her in her customary blanket and Riyo as warm as she is. As nice as…whatever is happing is, however, Ahsoka can’t shake this mess of emotion that’s bottled up in the back of her mind. It’s demanding and needy and it pops.

“I can’t believe Barriss killed those people,” Ahsoka says. Riyo glances at her and turns the volume of the holoscreen down.

“Neither can I,” she whispers.

Ahsoka closes her eyes against forming tears. “Maybe someone put her up to it? Maybe it’s an act?”

“I doubt anyone could make Barriss do anything she didn’t think was in the interest of the greater good.”

“Then…then how long has she felt this way? And she didn’t talk to anyone? She didn’t talk to Master Unduli. She didn’t talk to me and we’re supposed to be friends. I don’t understand why she didn’t just…tell someone.”

“Maybe she felt like she couldn’t go to anyone in the Jedi Order,” Riyo whispers. “When you were feeling bad about things, you came to me, and I’m not a Jedi.”

“That’s…true,” Ahsoka says. Everyone else in the Jedi Order is fighting in this war, and no one ever complains. So who the hell is Ahsoka to complain? Who is she even supposed to talk to? Anakin and Obi-Wan are always too absorbed in the next stages of the war to decompress. Plo is usually in the Outer Rim and too busy to take a comlink call. Just keep that lightsaber up, and keep your head down, and maybe you’ll live to see tomorrow.

But Barriss couldn’t cope. Ahsoka remembers their call through the hologram booth, and the fight in the warehouse. There was no time then to notice anything other than Asajj’s helmet and lightsabers, but in hindsight, the assailant was so much shorter than Asajj.

“But still, how could she frame me?” Ahsoka asks. “I thought…I thought I meant more to her than that.”

“I’m sorry,” Riyo whispers.

“It’s…I’m so confused. Everything’s messed up. Barriss was supposed to be a good person, but…you know. And then Ventress was supposed to be Sith scum, but she’s not anymore?”

Riyo’s eyes widen in surprise. “Asajj Ventress isn’t a Sith anymore?”

“No, she’s not. She’s just a bounty hunter now. And, and she helped me while I was on the run. I guess the galaxy is a wonderful place sometimes? Everything was so clear, and now it’s not. It’s so…it’s.”

Riyo lays a hand over Ahsoka’s clenched fist. Ahsoka blinks and realizes that the mug of tea and data cards on the coffee table are rattling. She loosens her hands and the rattling stops.

“You’re overwhelmed,” Riyo whispers. She pulls away and continues as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. “When I feel that way, I find it’s a lot more manageable to handle one problem at a time. It’s not alright, what’s happened to you, and it’s not going to go away overnight. But maybe, if you chip at it bit by bit, it’ll get better.”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka says, still staring at the mug. “Yeah.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

“What?” Ahsoka can’t believe her montrals. Stay here, with Riyo? After that little display? Considering what she might still do?

“You could stay here until you get back on your feet,” Riyo whispers. She clears her throat and winces.

Ahsoka gapes. “That might not be a good idea. I’ll stay somewhere else.”

“It’s no problem, Ahsoka. Don’t worry about it. So many others have abandoned you. I won’t be put on that same list. You can take the couch. I’ll get you a pillow.” Riyo gives Ahsoka a smile and leaves. She comes back with a pillow and an armful of blankets, which she presses into Ahsoka’s arms.

“How do you have all this?” Ahsoka asks as she makes her bed on the couch. “I thought Pantorans didn’t feel cold?”

“Are you saying Pantorans can’t be comfy?” Riyo asks. When Ahsoka sputters, she laughs. “I’m only teasing. We don’t feel the cold while we’re awake, but when we sleep, our body temperature gets dangerously low and we could slip into a pseudo-hibernation state.”

“Oh so that’s why you sleep with sweatpants?” Ahsoka asks.

“No, I don’t wear—yes. That’s why I sleep with sweatpants.” Riyo flushes indigo and can’t meet Ahsoka’s eyes. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Ahsoka considers leaving Riyo’s apartment. When she first started using the Force, it was akin to a youngling clumsily learning how to walk. If she tripped and fell, she was only in danger of hurting herself. She’s never lost control of the Force like that before. It felt cold. Ahsoka pulls her blanket tighter around herself.

If she left now, then Riyo would be safe. It sickens her to think that she could be dangerous to anyone, let alone to Riyo, but she is.

However, Riyo’s the only one so far who’s helping her through this. If she left now, then there’s a very good chance that whatever is going on with her is going to get worse. Riyo may have learned a little about the Force throughout their friendship, but she wouldn’t know what happens when a Force-sensitive gets…unfocused.

“Ugh.” Ahsoka buries her face in her hands. Great. This is just what she needs on top of what’s happened: an ethical dilemma.

BWOOP BWOOP. R7 rolls towards her. Ahsoka gives him a tired smile.

“Hey, bud. You’re a logical guy, mind solving a problem for me?”

R7 tells her that that’s a terrible idea.

“I know. It’s just, well.” Ahsoka explains to him her dilemma in a low voice, so that she doesn’t disturb Riyo. While she does this, the pieces click together in her mind and she falls silent.

R7 tells her that it sounds like she’s already made up her mind. She has. Force forgive her, but she’s going to stay.

The machine shop is plunged in darkness. Power tools and parts are strewn about the slick, cracked duracrete floor, tables are tipped onto their sides, and sparks fly out from loose wires in the half-demolished walls. Ahsoka struggles to free herself from a mess of wide, flexible ducts that are snaked around her.

“Hello?” she shouts. Her voice echoes back to her. She finally gets to her feet and picks her way across the mess. “Hello?”

“Help!” someone calls, and Ahsoka turns around. “Over here!”

It’s Mechanic, and she’s dangling from the ceiling while wrapped in a tarp and tangled in a mess of thick, cabled wires.

“Hi,” Mechanic says.

“What the kriff happened in here?” Ahsoka rights the nearest table and drags it over to Mechanic, who tries her best to shrug.

“The entire week happened! You try keeping a psyche together under what’s been going on lately.”

“Okay, you have a point. Thank you.” Ahsoka stands on the table and reaches up to pull on a couple cables. “But who put you up here?”

A sinister laugh echoes around them. Ahsoka and Mechanic share a look.

“She’s still in here?” Ahsoka asks. Mechanic shrugs again.

“She’s a part of you like how I’m a part of you. We can’t just leave.”

“Where is she? Why can’t I see her?”

Mechanic hisses through her teeth. “I hoped you wouldn’t ask that.”

“Why?”

“If you’re not a Jedi anymore, then what are you?”

“What?” Ahsoka notices her hands. They’re ashy and streaked with familiar sickly veins. “No!”

“Ah, wait! Don’t panic!” Mechanic wriggles around, looking very much like a crazed caterpillar while she’s wrapped in the tarp.

“I am not Sith!” Ahsoka shouts. All the machines in the room shake from her anger and Ahsoka gasps and turns around to look at them. Behind her, the cables snap and Mechanic falls to the floor with a crash.

“Ow.”

“I’m not Sith,” Ahsoka repeats, her fists clenched. Mechanic wrestles her way out of the tarp and dusts herself off.

“Can you maybe chill?”

“How about maybe you chill?”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me! No, you know what? No.” Ahsoka raises her hands. “We’re not having this conversation right now.”

“You say that, but how else are we gonna clean this mess up?”

“Shush!”

Any further conversation is cut off when the machine from last time flickers to life. The two Ahsokas turn to it and get closer to better see. On the holoscreen looms the Jedi Temple, under repairs and frequented by Jedi. A bit of static later, and the Temple is on fire. Dark smoke billows into the air. People scream and run.

“Oh Force, turn it off.” Ahsoka reaches out, but as soon as she touches the screen, she gets sucked through it to the steps of the Jedi Temple. She smells the smoke and the screams reverberate in her montrals.

“No!” Ahsoka shouts. She flinches when something deeper in the Temple explodes.

“Good soldiers follow orders.” A clone trooper raises his blaster and aims at Ahsoka, who reaches for lightsabers that aren’t there.

“Trooper, stand down,” Ahsoka says.

“Good soldiers follow orders,” the clone says again. He’s joined by more clones who mutter the same thing and take aim. They shoot.

Note Bene: Before I even started writing this fic, I needed to justify Riyo’s status as the Senator. How the hell is she qualified to be such an important politician at such a young age? How? I agonized over it until I realized that she would be qualified if she was the Pantoran pseudo-equivalent of Alexander Hamilton, hence the parallels between them.

If you’ve been enjoying this story and want to see more, there’s good news: It’s available on AO3 and Fanfiction.net. Check it out! Please leave some comments for me so I can feel better about my existence.

#star wars the clone wars #fanfiction #riyosoka #Ahsoka Tano #riyo chuchi #artillery writes #Launch Date

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gffa · 7 years ago

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I have such enduring love for STAR WARS in large part due to the incredible authors that keep me coming back. I have such fun with the canon, there’s so much of it and so many things about it are wonderful, but there’s something really magical about the fandom and the fic that explores things in a way that canon can’t, that it can change things or ponder a What If scenario or can just take a moment to let the characters breathe and be still or just to provide some resolution that canon is unable to or won’t do. Fanfiction is wonderful and I’m glad that there are so many Star Wars writers who care passionately about it and share their wonderful talents with us! ✦ [remember us - if at all - not as lost] by wreckageofstars, obi-wan & anakin & rex & cast, 6.2k There’s nothing like a cold, dark pit to put the end of a war into perspective. ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obikin + jedi!obikin, 35.2k wip During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. ✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 42.9k wip For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone. Anakin Skywalker has been unofficially tasked by the Order to find Obi-Wan and bring him home. ✦ The Best Dressed Lie by igrockspock, leia & bail & breha & tarkin & cast, 5.4k Leia begins showing signs of force sensitivity at an early age. Her parents struggle to dissuade her from investigating her new powers before Vader discovers the daughter he never knew he had. ✦ On the Day Before by victoria_p (musesfool), vader & leia & mon mothma, ~1k Darth Vader eavesdrops on a very interesting conversation. ✦ untitled by glare-gryphon, obi-wan/anakin/bail, NSFW, d/s, spanking, modern au, 2.1k If there is one thing Anakin does not expect when he walks into Bail Organa’s office, it is finding his composition professor perched on the edge of the man’s elaborate desk, sipping tea from one of Bail’s expensive tea sets and talking with the man as though they’ve known each other forever. ✦ untitled by darthcuddles, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, d/s dynamics, spanking, ~1k Anakin sits and waits, his knees on the soft carpet and the diamond collar he got from Obi-Wan firmly around his neck. ✦ Outlander by writegowrite, obi-wan/anakin, wing fic, ~1k Anonymous asked: If you want a prompt. How about Anakin with wings? Like force child born with wings ✦ Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan AU / untitled + untitled by stonefreeak, obi-wan & padme & riyo & boil & cast, 6.6k “Happen, something did. Cry out, the Force did.” Master Yoda’s ears droop. ✦ Failures of Rhetoric by Mithrigil, obi-wan/satine, nsfw, 4.1k wip Or, five times Obi-Wan Kenobi should’ve kept his trap shut. And once he should have said something, anything, anything at all. ✦ untitled by themoosejthm, obi-wan/anakin/padme, nsfw, 1.1k obianidalasuggestion: Anakin loves cuddles. When he’s bored, he’ll snuggle up to Obi-Wan or Padme, no matter what they’re doing, until one of them pays attention to him. Even if it’s just scratching his head like he’s a cat. ✦ you know what they say about assumptions by darlingargents, obi-wan/anakin/padme & ahsoka & cast, modern au, 5.4k Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are dating. For some reason, the media doesn’t know what to make of it. ✦ Do Not Go Gentle by Glare, obi-wan/anakin & cast, a/b/o, 10.5k wip Anakin Skywalker is only six months into his Jedi training when he goes missing on a mission, bringing his Master’s life crashing down. Unable to recover from the loss, Alpha Obi-Wan Kenobi grieves his Padawan’s uncertain fate, unaware that his life would once again be turned on end with the arrival of an Omega Sith Lord to the Temple ten years later. ✦ A journey of a thousand miles by greyathena, han/leia & luke & cast, 149k Relationships have to start somewhere. Or, once you’ve jumped into a garbage chute with people you kind of either decide to like them or you don’t. ✦ When Dark burns as much as Light. by HellsBellsSinClub, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & luke & cast, time travel, 8.4k Darth Vader dies in the arms of his son, fully expecting to be sent to the Void for his sins. Instead, he wakes up in a sandstone hut on what seems to be Tatooine with a ghost of an old friend who has a lot to say to him. full details + recs under the cut!

✦ [remember us - if at all - not as lost] by wreckageofstars, obi-wan & anakin & rex & cast, 6.2k There’s nothing like a cold, dark pit to put the end of a war into perspective. Oh, I utterly adored this fic, there’s something so exhausting about it, something so tense and hard, in exactly the way it was meant to get across, that this war has dragged on for so long, it’s almost like a physical ache to read about how badly off Anakin is here, it does such a lovely job of showing the long, grueling grind that wore him down. I love love love Rex’s point of view in this fic, all that he sees about this Jedi he so admires, what he knows about Anakin Skywalker, yet there’s that distance, because the Jedi are kind of weird and it balances how much he cares very, very much, but he can’t reach Anakin the same way Obi-Wan can. And, oh, when Obi-Wan shows up he is perfect in this fic, that the relationship there isn’t the focus (the focus is on Rex and Anakin and the exhaustion of the war) but the way Obi-Wan touches him, the way Anakin lets him in, the way Obi-Wan carries Anakin in a way Anakin would never allow from anyone else, the way there’s so much good in all of these people, yet they’re marching on towards ROTS, all of it is beautifully done and such a great, great fic. It’s angsty while being subtle about that angst and it’s gorgeous for it, one of the best things I’ve read this week. ✦ Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, sith!obikin + jedi!obikin, 35.2k wip During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. Chapter 7: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. As I’m sitting down to write this rec, I’m realizing that it would probably be impossible for me to do what I want to do (which is half entice people into reading something I love and half giving myself the space to flail as much as I want) without spoilers, so the first half will be my usual light-on-spoilers style and the second half (which will be marked) will go ahead full tilt. This chapter is an important one, it’s the aftermath of an important conversation that Obi-Wan and Anakin just had, where that aftermath is as important as the first conversation, which is how a fic should be, I should look forward to the reactions after the big reveal just as much as that moment itself–and, boy, did I enjoy that part here as well! Their conversation was beautifully in character for the heartbreak of it, but also that they’ve spent enough time here that it’s softer than it might have otherwise been, it’s happier than it might have been without the lead-up and presence of those other two versions of themselves lingering around in the background. And then there’s the growing tension of the greater plot and point of the story, there’s this amazingly built up moment at the end of the chapter, that even when I was pretty sure it was coming, I was still on the edge of my seat, and left with my mind spinning about all the possibilities and things I wanted to see and explore. This is a fic that’s meant for me, so I’m biased about all the fun iddy things it’s doing, but it’s also a fic that has clearly been plotted out from the beginning and has laid down the path that it wants to walk from the first chapter–I know that’s a vague thing to say, but it’s hard to say more without being spoilery! But it’s a thing I’ve noticed with the author’s longer stories, that when I read them and look back on them, it’s clear that they set out for where they ended up from the beginning, that the right details were laid down all along the way. And that makes for such a good story, especially one where the characters have to face these two Sith Lords that look just like them and how unsettling that is and what it drags up that they’ve tried to keep from each other. Okay, from here on, there will be SPOILERS for this chapter! Because a big chunk of the reason I do fic recs is to give myself a safe place to flail in the manner that works for me and I really, really wanted to write this down somewhere and so here we go. I suspected the reveal in this chapter, I’ve been wondering about it for the last chapter or two, ever since the comment about the mirror in the journals, but that took absolutely nothing away from the tension and build-up that was present in the story, I think I almost would have been disappointed had it gone any other way. And, as I was talking about this chapter, I remember the prompt I gave Lily for this one, that I liked the idea of the Jedi versions meeting their Sith versions and having to face that they weren’t as different as they’d have imagined they were–that is exactly what this story is, that is exactly the role Veris and Isten play in this story, and it doesn’t matter that they’re not real, because they are real in the sense that matters. They’re real in that they’re elements of what’s been hidden away in Obi-Wan and Anakin both, what they’re afraid of, what they want, what they’re not looking at, what they think they can never have. The reveal, Obi-Wan thinking about them, after the confession about the Tuskens and Anakin being more open to him, the thought that he hated Isten because he didn’t want to Fall, that Isten was everything he was afraid of, just itches at Obi-Wan’s thoughts, until he puts everything together. The scene where he wakes Anakin up and leads them to the other bedroom, the tension of that building and building realization, where it’s just about to break, soon, soon, any moment now it’s going to happen, was so, so deliciously done! But I’m getting ahead of myself, I’m skipping over the conversation in the immediate aftermath of Anakin’s confession about the Tuskens, and this is what I was getting at earlier–I wanted the rest of that conversation as much as I wanted the reveal there, I wanted to know what was going to happen next?, just as much as I wanted that moment of shock and surprise! And it delivered that as well, I think I enjoyed it just as much or maybe even more, because, oh, the fic got Obi-Wan’s reaction, that he doesn’t just wave away what happened, he doesn’t ignore that this was a terrible thing that was done, nor does he say it’s all his fault and absolve Anakin of any wrong-doing. Instead, the fic gets that difficult balance of Obi-Wan feeling responsible, of putting this weight on his own shoulders, without taking away his understanding of Anakin’s agency and choice in those actions. That it’s about what this whole fic is about–that Obi-Wan is responsible for Anakin, not in that he’s obligated to do it or that it’s his fault, but that he chooses to do this just as Anakin chooses to leave himself in Obi-Wan’s hands, that that’s the point of Veris and Isten, to make them confront what they were avoiding. It’s partly that he’s Anakin’s Master, he trained Anakin, he was supposed to be responsible for making sure that Anakin didn’t go down that path, because they’re Force users and this is part of what it means to become a Jedi, to learn control, that’s what your Master helps you with. And Obi-Wan sees it as his failing, that he failed to see Anakin as he was, because he loved him so much and believed in him so much, but there’s something else there, that it’s not Obi-Wan berating himself or feeling pathetic about it. It’s Obi-Wan who joins Anakin in sharing this burden of responsibility–not because Anakin is a burden, but because there’s weight to what Anakin did. It mattered. Obi-Wan would never hate him for this, but neither would he just handwave it away. And that balance between all those things is spot on for who Obi-Wan actually is and how he would feel about this, that it’s about joining Anakin in responsibility, rather than shifting entirely onto one or other of their shoulders, that he’s the Master in this relationship, that is his lifelong and cherished role, so he will always join Anakin, which naturally leads right back to thoughts of Veris and Isten, the way Veris pulled Isten back when he would have ran at the Jedi half-cocked, when Isten explains how choosing to give his Master that authority, to accept the firm hand of his guidance, helps him, keeps him from going out of control. It of course makes me look back on every single thing either Sith has said to the Jedi, how it’s been about confronting something they had chosen to set aside or were desperately hiding (even from themselves at times), realizing how carefully chosen and planned those moments were, entertaining on their own, but even better when recontextualized like this! All these elements are all wound together so beautifully in this fic and I cannot wait to see where they continue to go, where sure I’m biased, but I also think this may genuinely be my favorite fic of the author’s yet, as you can see by how much I just had to talk about it! And, oh, I love so much that this isn’t about how the Sith are so much better or that the Jedi versions are terrible, but instead that this is about possibility, ones that were set aside or ignored or shoved down for various reasons, that they took a step forward here, they kissed and it made sense to me, after everything they’d confronted and the realization of just how entwined they are with each other already, how they can balance each other, that it’s not about them becoming exactly like the Sith versions, but instead finding a new balance of themselves. And just what all that exhibitionist and really, really good sex says about what each of them want with the other, yesss. I mean, who knows, maybe I’m way off-base about all of this! But that won’t take away from how much fun I had theorizing about things or that I enjoy each chapter as it comes out and the careful way it’s walking the path it’s on and how it’s just SO GOOD FOR ME. ✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 42.9k wip For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone. Anakin Skywalker has been unofficially tasked by the Order to find Obi-Wan and bring him home. Chapter 9: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. This continues to be one of the best fics in the fandom, it does such an incredible job at what it’s aiming for–examining the effects of the war on the characters it hurt the most and what that’s like from the inside, as well as highlighting what is so spot on for them, had they just been in slightly different circumstances. This is a fic that really understands what characters like Obi-Wan and Anakin and Ahsoka and Mace and the clones were going through, that there were no good choices available to them, that greater themes of choice and lack of choice were going on–and that’s really highlighted beautifully in this chapter, when Obi-Wan and Waxer run into a group of Sith. It was a fun chapter for the action and plotful stuff, I’ve been enjoying their relief mission and wherever the Force is taking them, but this one really went hard on the emotional impact and even further showcased why Waxer is here, what this resonates with him, as a clone who was literally born for this war. It’s a fic that doesn’t shy away from the difficult things, but neither does it villanize anyone who isn’t actually a villain, it gets what The Clone Wars was putting down, it’s one of the most in character fics I’ve read for characterization, but also for themes of the Jedi and the Sith and the clones and the war and politics. Of course everything goes exactly how you know it’s going to go, but that just makes the fic all the stronger for it–though, I also really enjoyed the OCs used for this chapter, they felt right to Star Wars and they meant something, they had an emotional impact on me, I cared about them and their fates after only one chapter here, which is pretty damn great. I loved the bits of world-building, I love that the author has clearly thought about what it means to be a Force user, the way Obi-Wan describes the building they head towards as like he’s being suffocated genuinely gave me a shiver, the way the fic gets that having visions about the future, having vague feelings that something isn’t right, is a lot like anxiety and then outright causes anxiety, this fic really shows just how muchdarkness there was in the galaxy, how the Jedi were tasked with putting out so many fires that they couldn’t get to them all, so many really horrible, traumatizing fires, and never enough time to recover before another fire was starting up. And that’s how I feel about this story–it’s earning that sense of exhaustion and heart-sickness, for the characters and for me as a reader, in exactly the way it’s supposed to. So when they can’t fix everything perfectly, I remember everything that’s come before, and I feel the emotions right along with the characters, I’m sad because they try so hard and this is never going to be the end. I’m just emotionally sore when something else still yet happens and even when there’s a hug, it’s painful because it’s so wrenching and they’ve both given so much to this war and just EVERYONE DESERVED BETTER and this fic does a gorgeous job of showing that. ✦ The Best Dressed Lie by igrockspock, leia & bail & breha & tarkin & cast, 5.4k Leia begins showing signs of force sensitivity at an early age. Her parents struggle to dissuade her from investigating her new powers before Vader discovers the daughter he never knew he had. This was a lovely look at a young, fiery Leia dealing with how she just knowsthings and how it haunts her and makes her wonder and all of it is wrapped up in her fierce, determined, often angry personality. There’s such an intensity to her here, so many little details that really show the sheer amount of determination packed into one character, how she is recognizable as a child even to her adult self. That this was not always an easy childhood, for Leia or for her parents, that there were so many sharp edges and I love that it’s hard not to think of Anakin, even as he’s not actually a presence in her life at all. It’s a lovely read for a character that I find endlessly fascinating! ✦ On the Day Before by victoria_p (musesfool), vader & leia & mon mothma, ~1k Darth Vader eavesdrops on a very interesting conversation. This was a short but lovely fic about Vader overhearing a conversation not meant for his ears and having a pretty giant revelation dropped on him–in a conversation I can very much imagine Leia and Mon Mothma would have had! And there’s a moment that was just so perfect, when Leia put forth her assumption about her father, that had me laughing because of course. It’s a really fun fic, Vader is such an utter creeper and yet you kind of feel sorry for the murderous baby killer! It’s a difficult line to walk sometimes, but this fic does it with such charm and charisma that I greatly enjoyed it. ✦ untitled by glare-gryphon, obi-wan/anakin/bail, NSFW, d/s, spanking, modern au, 2.1k If there is one thing Anakin does not expect when he walks into Bail Organa’s office, it is finding his composition professor perched on the edge of the man’s elaborate desk, sipping tea from one of Bail’s expensive tea sets and talking with the man as though they’ve known each other forever. I’m usually more of an Obikin reader and that’s what I picked this fic up for–the established pairing is Bail/Anakin and that’s a good portion of the foundation here, Anakin’s thoughts are often with him, even as it’s Obi-Wan touching him and fucking him, but it’s not like the Obi-Wan/Anakin part is unimportant, that it doesn’t hold weight in the fic in comparison, because I definitely enjoyed reading this for that part of it! I’m a sucker for d/s dynamics with these characters, especially how much more settled Anakin feels, and when it’s combined with having two people to trust to take care of him? When it’s combined with some really, really satisfying sex as Obi-Wan fucks him over the desk, then Anakin is guided to his knees to suck Bail off while Obi-Wan pushes back into him, different feeling and sparking something very good in Anakin? Hell yes that was a fun pwp fic to read that hit all the buttons I was hoping for, this was lovely and satisfying and I’m delighted to have read it! ✦ untitled by darthcuddles, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, modern au, d/s dynamics, spanking, ~1k Anakin sits and waits, his knees on the soft carpet and the diamond collar he got from Obi-Wan firmly around his neck. Speaking of things that appeal right to me and satisfying me! The d/s dynamics of this fic, as it gives Anakin structure and allows him to be more settled with himself, how he trusts that Obi-Wan loves him and will take care of him? How he’s beautiful here and how he can push for just a little bit of a punishment that he wants, just the right amount, always done with so much love? How Obi-Wan puts him over his lap and does what Anakin’s been needling him for, then has him stand against the wall to fuck him, rough and deep? It’s a short fic, it’s not even a thousand words, but it’s one of those that’s a delicious little treat for when you want it and I appreciated it so much for embracing everything my id wanted, bless. ✦ Outlander by writegowrite, obi-wan/anakin, wing fic, ~1k Anonymous asked: If you want a prompt. How about Anakin with wings? Like force child born with wings This is not quite 400 words, but it got me, it’s one of those that captured my attention and had me thinking about the potential here, the way it just sort of blossomed in my mind and the things that could have lead up to this and where it would go from here. All from a single scene of Obi-Wan meeting an Anakin with wings and some really beautiful imagery in the descriptions of Anakin. It’s a fic for when you want a delicious little treat to read, something to perk up your night or morning, and maybe give you a few lingering beautiful images in your mind’s eye! ✦ Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan AU / untitled + untitled by stonefreeak, obi-wan & padme & riyo & boil & cast, 6.6k “Happen, something did. Cry out, the Force did.” Master Yoda’s ears droop. These are part of a larger AU (masterpost here) that should probably be read in order by this point. This rec will focus on these two together, rather than the series as a whole! I really did try to wait until the next part was posted before reading, because I knew they were going to end on a cliffhanger, but I just cannot resist them! They’re so well written and so beautifully true to Star Wars and do so well with a cast of characters, that it pulls in various Senators or clones or Jedi, all of whom show a different point of view and bring something to the scene they’re narrating, and continuing the plot forward. I love this AU for how true to the spirit of Star Wars it is, but also just that it’s absolutely engaging, how I’m on the edge of my seat for these entire fics, as Obi-Wan is wounded in the bombing and how there’s an excellently done sense of chaos screaming around everyone. There’s so much good worldbuilding here, the way the Jedi just know something’s happened, the way the Senators have different cultural backgrounds that are woven into the story (I loved the veiled face Senator and the sheer amount of kindness and empathy Riyo showed her, yesssss, that is my Star Wars!), I loved that I felt everything right along with Padme, as she watched in worry about her friends and colleagues, unable to do anything to help but keep out of the way. And there’s the Obi-Wan scenes. Which just absolutely are heartbreaking for how much pain he’s in, how much danger his life is in, and the absolute utter crushing sense of suffering I, as a reader, felt when he was so alone and in pain and believed he was going to die without someone there to be with him. The simple line of how he thought perhaps it would have been Anakin who was there with him at the end just casually destroyed me, it was woven into the story in such a lovely way and perfectly done, that he faced death as a Jedi, his reactions so empathetic and understandable, yet he found as much peace as he could with it. This is why Obi-Wan Kenobi is my favorite character and this fic just hits that spot in me that loves him so much, it does justice to him, it gets him right, it’s so good. ✦ Failures of Rhetoric by Mithrigil, obi-wan/satine, nsfw, 4.1k wip Or, five times Obi-Wan Kenobi should’ve kept his trap shut. And once he should have said something, anything, anything at all. Chapter 4: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. I continue to love this series so much, it’s so sharp and has this really deft way of having all these unsaid things crowding into the room, in a way that really fits with Satine and Obi-Wan, that I understand why they’re like this, even as they can be terribly infuriating as well, it’s a spot on balance for them. That this is a moment where Obi-Wan doesn’t say anything, that saying something would ruin it, that even for all the banter here, the real heft of the story is in the atmosphere, the undercurrents beneath them, the sheer amount of unsaid emotional weight between them. It’s just so sharp and so good, it’s everything I fell in love with when it came to these two. ✦ untitled by themoosejthm, obi-wan/anakin/padme, nsfw, 1.1k obianidalasuggestion: Anakin loves cuddles. When he’s bored, he’ll snuggle up to Obi-Wan or Padme, no matter what they’re doing, until one of them pays attention to him. Even if it’s just scratching his head like he’s a cat. Oh, this was a lovely fic based on the adorable prompt, it’s such a good example of the different kinds of warm-hearted affection each of these characters displays towards each other–the way Anakin wriggles his way onto Padme’s lap, lays his head against her, the way she casually pets at his head, the way Obi-Wan does something kind for her to show his thoughts are with her, I am entirely here for this with these three, that easy way they balance each other so well. The little details are wonderful, the way Anakin is guileless in the way he’s so attractive, the way Obi-Wan and Padme both center around him even as they gently touch each other, the way Padme’s suggestions for what she wants in the morning, wants to see Anakin ride him, so beautiful when he’s filled up with Obi-Wan and how much he loves them, how she wants to watch Obi-Wan finally lose control and flip him over to fuck him thoroughly, which was only a brief description but certainly filled my head with pleasant thought as I drifted off to sleep. I am so very here for warm, sweet, kind, suggestive, lovely OT3 action and this was such a good treat to read! ✦ you know what they say about assumptions by darlingargents, obi-wan/anakin/padme & ahsoka & cast, modern au, 5.4k Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are dating. For some reason, the media doesn’t know what to make of it. This was a really cute, adorable modern AU that’s just completely fluffy and a fun read! Where the three of them are in a relationship and the press has a field day with possible cheating going on and how they’re having fun with playing with that and silly, light-hearted antics. It’s one of those fics that you read when you want something entirely kind and zero angst in sight and that’s an easy read, which is exactly what I was hoping for, especially with all the angst that often goes in in fandom. Really cute, adorable fun! ✦ Do Not Go Gentle by Glare, obi-wan/anakin & cast, a/b/o, 10.5k wip Anakin Skywalker is only six months into his Jedi training when he goes missing on a mission, bringing his Master’s life crashing down. Unable to recover from the loss, Alpha Obi-Wan Kenobi grieves his Padawan’s uncertain fate, unaware that his life would once again be turned on end with the arrival of an Omega Sith Lord to the Temple ten years later. –>Chapter 5: I know I’ve recommended this fic at least once before, but I can’t remember where the recs left off, so I’m going to start over again! This is one of those fics that I gleefully read as soon as it puts a new chapter out because it is right up my alley with the a/b/o stuff and Obi-Wan and Anakin finding each other again so many years later, Anakin just so ready to find his Master again, feral and wild, only able to be put under control by the one he loves, by his Master, by Obi-Wan. Who cares so much about him, wants to be kind and gentle to him, but there’s that underlying streak of possessiveness that comes out in this universe because of their biology and the time spent apart and the how of how they find each other again, the amped up intensity of the emotions. All of that hits my buttons just right on, and then you add in a/b/o to it, with scent smelling and cuddling up together because Anakin doesn’t want to be parted, how Obi-Wan gently bites at him in their sleep, how he marks Anakin because neither of them want to be separated, how they’re vaguely trying to take things slow to do it properly, but you know it’s going to be a clusterfuck. That’s everything I’m here for! I love every single one of those tropes, especially when they’re done with charm and charisma. I love that there’s angst, but the delicious kind that I’m eating up, rather than feeling exhausted by, because I know they’ll eventually work things out and in the meantime, I get unconscious snuggles and nibbling, I get Anakin this hurricane of a storm in the Force who just settles when he’s with Obi-Wan, who will take care of him, who wakes up and looks at Anakin underneath him, all sprawled limbs and trust, and it’s all so damn good for me. ✦ A journey of a thousand miles by greyathena, han/leia & luke & cast, 149k Relationships have to start somewhere. Or, once you’ve jumped into a garbage chute with people you kind of either decide to like them or you don’t. I do have one caveat about my rec for this fic: I’m only ten chapters into the fic at the moment, so only about a quarter of the way through, but I’m a slow reader on this one, and I wanted to write the rec now! I do what I want and all that, basically. Where this fic really shines is in the Han and Leia perspectives, the fic does a really lovely job of making them have all these sharp character traits, but without reducing them to only that, that even when Han is a scoundrel or Leia is a stone-hard princess who has lost her world or when she’s less than five feet of pure rage, it never loses that they’re people, that Han is kind of Totally Unsmooth and that Leia is unsure of her place in the Rebellion for a long time and unsure of her relationship, that they’re stumbling towards something, but it’s going to take awhile to get there. It’s got some fanon tropes that it joyfully embraces (like Chewbacca thinking of them as cubs or wondering when they’re just going to have a cub of their own, etc.) but that’s part of the warm-hearted charm of the fic! And it nicely pulls in a lot of details from current Disney canon, so this feels like an OT fic, but one that fits with the current events! But mostly it’s just a really, really well-written piece for Han and Leia’s characters, that it’s smooth on a technical level but also you can feel how much affection there is for both of them from the writing. A lovely, fun and very lengthy, satisfying read if you’re into these two, all the more so because it doesn’t drag, but still takes its time to show the length of the journey and all the fumbling along the way. ✦ When Dark burns as much as Light. by HellsBellsSinClub, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & luke & cast, time travel, 8.4k Darth Vader dies in the arms of his son, fully expecting to be sent to the Void for his sins. Instead, he wakes up in a sandstone hut on what seems to be Tatooine with a ghost of an old friend who has a lot to say to him. I do have one caveat ahead of time, that there are a lot of typos in the fic that could use a good scrub with the editing brush, but I mention this only because I want to encourage people beyond that, as I found a really solidly good and fun story here, that it was so satisfying for being an Anakin time travel fic (which is very rare for me to find one that works for me!) and how he has to face all the shit he did, all the terrible things and all the people he hurt that didn’t deserve it, but done in a way that makes me love him all the more for it. There are a lot of little details I really love, the way being back in a healed body changes some things (what he can do that he couldn’t in the suit) and not others (the way he’s so used to pain), that this is about dealing with that as well as the tangle of emotions that he just buried away for so many years as Vader. That he has to actually accept the horrible wrongs he did against people (Obi-Wan especially, who did not deserve any of that), how angry he is in a very bad way, but maybe there’s hope for him yet. That he’s not just monstrous acts, but that he can find his way back to the light, that he cries for everyone that he cut down and those he made suffer, and cries for how much he didn’t see (especially how much Obi-Wan loved him) and it’s this really satisfying embracing of all those things that had me tearing through this fic and enjoying it SO MUCH.

#obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #padme amidala #obikin #obianidala #ahsoka tano #fic recs #star wars fic recs

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drinkupthesunrise · 7 years ago

Note

Okay, Luke/Wedge, Leia or Han gives Wedge some romantic advice. (They can give Luke advice too, or not, or one can advise each one, or whatever you want to do with it.)

In which advice is given, Wedge has insecurities (what’s new) and Luke gets into mischief, and Han and Leia try their hardest to get these two idiots together.

Also on ao3, because let me get my prompts organised early on this time :D

“Hobbie’sdown on injury,” Wedge tells Leia, barely able to keep a groan ofagainout of his statement, “sowe’ll be here for a couple of days before medical clears him. It’llgive High Command a chance to work out where they send us next.”

Leiarefrains from pointing out that High Command have a list ofdestinations for the Rogues a mile long, planets in which theirparticular skills would be highly valued. That, and the fact thatsince yesterday’smeeting of High Command, Leia herself no longer has a say in militarydecisions – Mon is attempting to untangle the confused web of theAlliance’s upper echelons, separating out the soldiers from thepoliticians, as she moves it to a democratic republic.

“Acouple of days rest time will do you good,” is what Leia does say.It would do them all good, frankly, but Leia at least has managed toclaw a little time away with Han, a honeymoon of sorts, since Endor,and she’s almost certain Wedge hasn’t. They’d managed to gethim to stop for a few hours on Endor, to join the celebrations, buteven the next morning he’d been up working, sorting through dutyrosters and taking on the duties of the squadron leaders who had diedin the attack.

“It’lldo me bored,”Wedge replies. “Especially if you get your way and lock me out myoffice.”

“NowWedge, why ever would you think I’d do that!” Leia bats hereyelashes at him, the picture of innocence, as if she has not, infact, done exactly that in the past. “I’d lock you out the hangartoo, if I had my way, but you and your pilots will be needed forpatrol.”

“You’reno fun.”

“Andyou work too hard.” Leia stabs him in the chest with her fingerbefore he can retort back that she does too. “I have Han – atleast, when he isn’t off flying missions – and I’ve actuallyused some of the leave that we’re all due. Which is more than I cansay for you.”

Wedgemurmurs something Leia doesn't quite catch, and runs a hand throughthe back of his hair, almost abashed.

“Thewar’s over, Wedge. We can all finally move on with our lives. Havethings we couldn’t have before.”

It’snot like Leia doesn't knowthat Wedge does want things. She saw the way his eyes tracked Luke atthe celebration on Endor, gaze steady with desire. And she’soverheard a few of the Rogue’s drunken odes to Commander Skywalker,and well… Wedge isn’t being nearly as subtle as he thinks he is.

“Warain’t over yet.” Wedge, always the pragmatist, might betechnically right, but he’s missing the point.

“Thewar is ending,which amounts to the same thing. We’vewon. Which means you ought to start thinking about what you want thatisn’tStarfighterdrills, squadron command, or endless datawork.”

Leiaand Han had both hoped, when they’dseen Luke tug Wedge aside on Home One in the week after Endor, thatmaybe they’d sort this damn thing out between them. But whateverthey’d talked about, it hadn’t changed their relationship oneiota.

“Justbecause you got your happy ever after with Han, doesn’t mean thatthere’s one of those waiting for the rest of us.” Wedge says thiswithout any malice – Leia knows that he’s happy for them – butit is said with the slightest hint of despair.

“Youknow, you could just ask my brother out. I’m sure he’d bereceptive.”

It’sworth it to see Wedge choke, sputter, and almost trip over his ownfeet. Leia sighs. Men.Useless, the lot of them. Well, apart from Han, but he’dtaken his sweet time to get his act together – though so had she,so she guesses she can’t blame him too much.

“Idon’t—” Wedge stops short of a denial when he sees Leia’sarch glare directed straight at him. “I don’t have time. Hedoesn’t have time. He’s half a galaxy away and he’s going tostay half a galaxy away for a bloody long time while he tries to sortthis Jedi business out and I’m not going to get in the way of that,Lei, I’ve got a job here and besides—” Wedge takes a deepbreath, trying to dam the flood of emotion that’s breaking forth.“He doesn’t even like me that way.”

“Youknow, I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you.” Leia isn’tthe only one who’s noticed that Luke treats Wedge differentlyto everyone else. She would bet good money on Luke’sinterest being romantic, even if he too, is being wilfully ignorantof the whole thing.

“Don’ttease Leia.”

Aquick-fire response dies on Leia’stongue as she regards Wedge’s despondent face. “I’m not,” shesays, openly and honestly, leaning across her desk to put her hand onhis arm. “You really do like him, don’t you?”

Wedgenods mutely, too afraid to open his mouth for fear of the flood ofemotions that would come rushing out.

“Thenlet’s get started on a plan.”

“Kid,you look like you’ve taken a dive into the oceans of Krellin Six,what in blasted hells happened to you?”

Gopick Luke up, Leia had said. Escort him back to the fleet. Well, shehadn’tsaid anything about him turning up on the Falcon dripping wet,covered in goodness only knows what filth. Chewie roared a louddisapproval at the smell emanating off the boy.

“Alocal lady didn’t take particularly kindly when I didn’t respondto her advances,” Luke explains, pushing his dripping fringe awayfrom his eyes.

“Andyou couldn’t think of a polite way to reject them that didn’tinvolve—” Han waves at Luke to get his point across. “Force, Ithought the Jedi were supposed to be diplomatic.”

“Weare.” Luke gives a cheeky little grin, quick but bright enough forHan to catch.

Chewieroars again, and Han says: “He’sright, y’know. Go get in the refresher before you stink up theentire ship. We tossed a bag of your stuff in before we left –you’ve got fresh clothes under your bunk and don’t you dare comeback until you’ve changed into them.”

“Yessir.”

Hansighs – he should have known from the very first moment in MosEisley cantina that the kid would be the death of him someday – andturns back to getting the Falcon away from this planet and the sortof woman who would attempt to drown a Jedi Knight for not dating her.By the time they’veshot away into Hyperspace, on course to rendezvous with the Fleet,Luke has managed to get himself out the refresher, into some cleanclothes, and is towling his hair dry in the middle of the Falcon’scommunal area.

“Bleugh.”Luke makes several sounds of discontent as he surveys the state ofhis hair. “This is going to take days to come properly clean.”

Hanpulls a chair out and sets it down backwards, sitting on it so he canrest his arms against the back of it. “Wellyou know the solution to that. Don’t do anything that would getyourself dunked in whatever the hell it was.” Honestly, Han doesn’twant to know.

Lukedrops the towel back around his shoulders. “Whatwas I supposed to do? Lead her on?”

“Sometimesisn’t the worst thing in the world, if it’ll get you out of ascrape or two.” Luke isn’t exactly one for deception, not when itcomes to the personal at least, but it’s worth a shot. “Not likeyou got your eye on anyone, is it?”

Lukeblushes.

That’snot a surprise. Han knows full well who it might be. He and Leia havelong harboured suspicions about the true nature of Luke’s feelingstowards Wedge Antilles. Han had a comm message from Leia the otherday, confirming that their suspicions were true – at least as faras Wedge was concerned.

“Spill,kid.”

“It’snothing.” Luke dismisses Han’s concerns in a flat voice, but Hanhasn’t been friends with the kid for all these years withoutknowing when Luke’s lying.

“It’ssomething.” The fair dusting of pink on Luke’s cheeks is turninginto a fierce bright red. Han’s only seen him this embarrassedonce, when a Rogue prank war got out of hand and Luke got caughtstarkers in one of the corridors by Mon Mothma herself. “Hmmm, whocould it be?” Han pretends to muse on the identity of Luke’scrush. “You haven’t fallen for Lando’s charms, have you? Can’tsay I blame you there. Or that Gold Squadron pilot, Wexley – thoughhasn’t she resigned her commission? Can’t see that going anywherefast. Or who’s that new recruit of Wedge’s, the girl with theshaved head—”

Lukecan’tcontrol his reaction to Wedge’s name, the bashful downwards glance,the darkening of his cheeks.

“Comeoff it Luke, I know it’s Antilles.” Han skips the teasing. “Youaren’t his commanding officer anymore, there’s nothing stoppingyou from making a move.”

Lukeflops against one of the Falcon’sbenches. “He’s not interested – and before you say anything,I’m not imagining things, I tried.”

WhateverLuke thinkshe did, it clearly did not get the intended effect across, becausefrom the sounds of Leia’smessage, Wedge has been pining away for quite a while now. Han haswitnessed a few of Luke’s attempts at romantic escapades. Smooth,the kid is not. Luckily, he’s cute and with enough natural charmthat that’s never usually mattered.

“Tellme what happened, because I’ve got good evidence to the contrary,and quite frankly kid—” Han eyes Luke up, bashful and withdrawn.“You don’t exactly have a good track record on this sort ofthing.”

Thereis a window of approximately eight hours after Han arrives with Lukeback on Home One before Wedge departs with the Rogues on a missionthat Leia, much as she has triedto beg Admiral Ackbar in the name of love, cannot get him out of.

Still,it’senough time to trap them in a room together, force a confession, and,if they’re lucky, resolve some of the blasted tension that’s beenbetween them way too long.

“So—”Luke is sitting in the Falcon’s co-pilot seat, as the Falcon pullsinto Home One’s hangar as Han talks to him. “You know whatyou’re gonna say to him?”

They’vetalked it over on the way back, exactly how Luke went wrong the firsttime. (And oh boy, Han knows that Luke is not a wandering innocent,he’s heard the tales from what the kid got up to on Tatooine, butLuke has no idea how to make a pass at someone. Add to that Wedge’sobliviousness and general blind spot when it comes to the idea thatLuke Skywalker might, actually, want to kiss him, and it was a recipefor total disaster.)

“Iknow.” Luke gives a sage little nod.

Hanconcentrates on bringing his ship into land – for once, shecooperates perfectly, and they’rethrough landing procedure before he knows it. Han leaves Chewie to doa run through on the Falcon’s systems – check that none of thegunk Luke brought back ends up contaminating anything – and followsLuke down the ramp.

Lukescans the hangar, as does Han. He’sprepared to cuff Luke by the arm and drag him over to Antilles if hehas to. But Luke picks out the correct dark-haired, orange-cladpilot, and sets off in their direction just as Han notices Leiasidling up to him.

“Heysweetheart,” Han drawls, pleased as ever to see her.

“Youthink they’ll sort it?” Leia asks, casting a glance over in Wedgeand Luke’s direction. Wedge still hasn’t noticed Luke, tooconcerned with checking something in the innards of his X-Wing.

“Well,Luke and I made a plan.” Luke has to tap Wedge on the shoulder toget his attention, and the man staggers out his X-Wing lookingslightly perplexed, but pleased to see Luke. “They’re gonna gosomewhere and chat— oh.”

Hanis cut off in surprise as Luke grabs Wedge by the shoulders andpushes him back against the X-Wing and kisses him.

Leiaarches an eyebrow. “Itake it that was notthe plan.”

“Well,it was words and then the kissing, I think the kid missed a step.”

Wedge,after his initial surprise, has curled his hands into the back ofLuke’sJedi tunics and is kissing back, so no one can say that it wasn’teffective.It goes on for long enough that Han is almost concerned for Wedge’sair supply, but they do part, Luke leaning his forehead againstWedge’s. There are a few whispered words between them, then anotherkiss. And then, possibly aware that the entire hangar is watchingthem – and that Wes and Hobbie are not entirely subtly exchangingmoney – Wedge tugs Luke away, down a corridor, hand in hand.

Leiaturns to Han, looking up at her husband. “Well,dear, it seems we might have been successful, even if they didn’tquite follow our advice.”

Onlytime will tell that, but it’sa start at least. Han reaches out, catching Leia by the waist andpulling her in. “You know Princess, I think they didn’t have theworst idea.” He leans down to kiss Leia, just once, before tuggingher off in the same direction – which also happens to lead toLeia’s own suite of rooms, and well, now that Han has fixed hisbrother-in-law’s problems, he hasn’t seen his wife in two weeks.

Andhe’llbe damned if he lets Wedge and Luke have all the fun.

#lajulie24 #luke skywalker #wedge antilles #han solo #leia organa #lukewedge #otp: constellations of the things we left unsaid #star wars #swfic #myfic #mine #ficlet #this was a whole lot of fun #more prompts to follow when i get my head screwed back on properly guys :D

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