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mwolf0epsilon · 7 months ago

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Forceful Intervention AU - Masterpost

After some new developments within the canon itself, plus some thoughts on certain characters and their story arcs having changed, I've decided that the Forceful Intervention Verse needed some refurbishing.

There's a lot that's changed and some things that will stay the same. That said, a lot of the Our Bonds are Forged in the Stars series fics are now technically defunct as they don't 100% fit the story anymore, but @lost-on-kamino's A Different View fic is still valid and their writing is great, so I'd give it a read!

All AU Info under the cut!

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Summary: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every choice a consequence. In one universe, a series of actions and choices slowly doomed an entire kin to extinction, leaving only three brothers to deal with the guilt and grief until their very last breath. But in another universe, a slightly different outcome leads to the surviving clones getting a chance that would have otherwise been stolen from them.

(Note: The overall timeline is nodded at via the eras in which each storyline takes place. The storylines themselves are not presented in order and can actually happen simultaneously due to some plot points overarching.)

--Story Arcs--

-Clone Wars Era-

A Marshal Commander's Cautionary Tale - Prior to Fox being appointed as the head of the Coruscant Guard, his temporary predecessor begins to notice shady happenings involving Palpatine and the Republic's overall corrupt government. Throughout the course of several weeks while Fox transitions from a position of battlefield command to stationary bureaucracy, Sturm uncovers the Sith Master's plot against the Jedi and ends up not only being silenced for it, but also becomes a cautionary tale that serves to keep in line the newly promoted Marshal Commander of the Guard.

Sturm's Legacy - After his betrayal of the GAR and apprehending on Christophsis, Slick ends up being surrendered into the custody of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence under the pretense of being interrogated for information. In reality, Palpatine merely tossed Slick at the feet of his more bloodthirsty underlings, so that they could do with him whatever they pleased and be somewhat appeased by the Chancellor's "most graceful generosity". Tortured for several days and then thrown out with the trash, Slick is found and rescued by a few Guard patrolmen, and his horrific treatment sparks the seeds of rebellion in Fox and his men.

Ponds Survives - By sheer dumb luck and a few inches, Aurra Sing's shot does not kill Ponds as intended. Left permanently blind and with a traumatic brain injury, Mace Windu's loyal commander is permanently relegated to the Jedi Temple in an effort to keep him out of Kamino's radar while he adapts to his new circumstances. This later affects the outcome of Operation Nightfall, as Ponds manages to help coordinate the evacuation of several Jedi, younglings and important documents out of Imperial space (ultimately preserving a part of the teachings, but not being able to save the Jedi Order itself from being eradicated).

The CG Recovery Program for Wayward Brothers - Through Fox's meticulous planning, clones of various battalions that have been slatted for decommission are pulled into the Coruscant Guard for safeguarding. They are either given new numbers/designations (in the hopes to keep them away from further scrutiny), or are spirited away to secret housing within the deeper levels of Coruscant that have been essentially lost to time.

D22 the "Rookie" - During a heavily publicized mockery of a trial, after realizing that the Chancellor planned to use a heavily traumatized Dogma as a scapegoat for the entire incident on Umbara, Fox orchestrates an elaborate rescue mission that involves a bit of smoke, a few mirrors and an obscene amount of fake blood. Tricking the entire Republic and GAR into believing the rookie sergeant was killed in a prison riot ends up being much more easy than anticipated, especially when the best position for him ends up being one of constant surveillance (After all, who in their right mind that wants to stay under the radar, would even dare to become the Coruscant Guard's archivist?).

Cats in Strange Places - There's something odd about the steadily increasing number of stray tookas and loth cats, that keep cropping up in places where the Jedi and clones have been. One cat in particular seems to be in multiple places at once, something which doesn't appear to surprise the Coruscant Guard whom seem familiar with this particular feline.

Seeds of Doubt - Prior to escaping prison, Boba's negative perspective of the clones begin to shift as he learns more about them through observation and brief interactions with the Coruscant Guard. Caught between a desire to preserve the memory of his father and his longing to have a family, the renegade clone's drive for revenge slowly becomes the foundation for his future as the Daimyo of Tatooine.

Resource Management - Palpatine gathers test subjects (MIA & supposedly KIA clones) to use in his personal experiments. These various projects serve to look into achieving immortality, to test ancient forms of Sith alchemy, and/or to test the usefulness of recovered artifacts. Many are given to Dr. Hemlock to use in his own projects (including high profile clones from certain battalions), while others are used in Palpatine's own personal experiments.

-Post Order 66-

Clone Resistance Story Arc

Echo and Rex cut ties with CF99 - After the loss of Tech, Echo and Hunter's relationship becomes extremely strained, which leads to longer and longer periods of absence between Echo and the squad. Even after Omega and Crosshair escape from Tantiss, both Echo and Rex slowly begin to permanently part ways with CF99 (seeing as Echo no longer feels welcomed or respected, and Rex cannot afford to stop all rescuing efforts when things are beginning to heat up on their end). Agreeing that it is in everyone's best interest to formally cut ties (rather than force one another to do something they don't want to do), the two groups simply move on with their lives. While 3/4 of CF99 are not pleased with this choice (with Omega being especially upset about it), Hunter is content to focus on giving Omega a better life after everything she's gone through.

The Smuggler & the Dove - Rex establishes a clone smuggling network with the help of two ex-GAR members, so as to more efficiently track down and transport scattered clone stragglers that not even the Empire managed to gather on Tantiss, or that had escaped from the Imperial research base during CF99's rescue of Omega. Both Mae and Dove seem to have personal reasons to want in on this operation, while also having secrets of their own that they keep hidden well away from the clone captain.

The AI Conscience Program - While on a recon mission, Echo discovers some very unusual classified data within an Imperial research vessel. A few weeks of unexplained symptoms and bouts of sleepwalking after accidentally downloading more than just the research files later, Echo's two new "guests" (AI copies of Fives and Tup created for unknown purposes) make themselves known and embark on a quest to acquire bodies of their own.

Forgive and Forget - During a high-stakes mission with Rex, a run in with Fox proves disastrous, when a rather violent altercation breaks out between Echo and the ex-Marshal Commander of the Guard. An altercation that ends with the three of them captured by opportunistic slavers. Despite past transgressions and some bitterness, Fox does everything in his power to get Rex and Echo out of the mess they landed themselves in. And, through being forced to work together, some past misunderstandings and awful truths come to light.

The Failsafe - Echo and Dove are both captured after a mission goes terribly wrong. While Dove is taken away to forcefully take part in an Inquisitorium-funded experiment, Echo is pulled away to be tortured for information. Unwilling to give away any intel that may jeopardize the clone resistance, Echo resorts to a failsafe he had Tech install into his neural relay in case of his potential capture. This failsafe turns out to be a mind-wipe that leaves him with amnesia, but no less capable of escaping his captors via a hastily stolen supply ship.

Cody Wakes Up - Having been used as a prototype for the Dark Trooper project, Cody ends up as a withdrawn semi-mechanical shadow of his former self. However, upon being selected to serve as a warden for Dove while she is experimented on, Cody slowly has his humanity reawakened by her insistent kindness. Thirsty for both revenge and freedom, the cyborg commander unleashes all hell upon the research station and manages to rescue both himself, Dove, and the results of her experimentation.

Epifania Story Arc

The Great Coruscanti Escape - Several Coruscant Guard members who's chips didn't activate, begin the arduous task of escaping the heart of the Empire by all means necessary. Many fail along the way, but others refuse to give in. Even if their GAR brothers seem to have forsaken them completely.

The Archivist and the Communications Officer - Dogma emerges from the isolation of the CG Archives long after Order 66 was given out. Startled and very confused by the state of things, he manages to reunite with Rhythm and the both of them escape Coruscant together in search of somewhere safe to lay low.

The New Sheriff in Town - After landing on the rather quaint (and hard to find) planet of Epifania, Dogma and Rhythm accidentally find themselves in the middle of a dispute between the small town of Bakkskrash and a gang of thugs. A dispute that ends with the leader of said gang dead by Dogma's hands, the daughter of the town mayor safe from danger, and a shiny sheriff's badge in Dogma's possession. Neither Rhythm nor Dogma know how they ended up in this position but it might as well happen.

The Guard Remnant - After becoming the new law enforcers for the small town of Bakkskrash, Sheriff Dogma and Deputy Rhythm discover that they are not the only clones who've chosen Epifania as a safe place to hide. Reunited with the Guard Remnant (a small group of Guardsmen that managed to escape Coruscant by the skin of their teeth), the duo take it upon themselves to both maintain order in their new home, as well as help the others find their places within the community.

The Lost Children of Mandalore - Epifania's rich history as a safe haven is slowly revealed, when the Guard Remnant is introduced to the various ancient Mando clans that dwell on the planet. Known as the Lost Children of Mandalore, these clans (many lineages spanning back to the Old Republic era) are not only the last remnants of Mandalorian culture that has been lost to time and New Mandalorian creed, but also more than eager to accept the clones as their own due to their heritage and compatible code of honor.

Wilhelm and the Ghost Archivist - The ever present and peacefully dormant Wilhelm, protector of Epifania, awakens from his centuries long nap to welcome a new archivist into his expansive halls. Surrounded by the unending knowledge of many a millennia past, Tech's restless spirit finds both peace and purpose keeping track and documenting all ongoing galactic affairs.

Little Tulpa - A visit from the ever cantankerous Sponge leaves Dogma with a responsibility he never considered he'd ever be confronted with: That of parenthood. Perhaps raising an innocent little tubie will do the reluctant Sheriff of Bakkskrash some good? And perhaps the presence of a young child will ease the pain of the Guard Remnant who's own childhoods were stolen from them.

Of Unexpected Reunions & Mixed Feelings - After traveling with Mae for a while on their journey to create new better bodies for themselves (or at least better than the two BD Units they'd hijacked), the AI copies of Fives and Tup are unexpectedly reunited with Dogma. Mae proposes to the sheriff that he help her create Replica Droids for the two AIs to claim as their own bodies, through the simple donation of a DNA sample so that the two could more easily acclimate to their new corporeal forms. An idea that (due to years of unaddressed trauma and bitterness) Dogma promptly rejects, much to the horror of Fives and Tup who do not understand why their brother would deny them this chance so easily.

The Sulu Ra Chronicles - An old nightmare rears his ugly head back into Dogma's life, threatening to uproot everything he's built for himself, his young son and his brothers. Some tests are merely of the mind. Others are physical chores of herculean nature. Sulu Ra and his machinations and twisted experiments prove to be both, especially when it comes to how willing his intended target's allies are to keep him out of the Mad Cloner of Kamino's grasp.

Upgrading Echo - The amnesiac Echo's escape pod somehow manages to get past Epifania's vast meteor field, and crash-lands near one of the many Mandalorian settlements. Scared, confused and unsure who to trust, Echo becomes a bit of a local cryptid until he is finally captured and dragged to the only medic in the area: Sponge. Helping heal wounds and medical issues that have gone untreated for far too long is only half the battle. Upgrading some of his cybernetic prosthetics another quarter of the battle. The true challenge is helping the once proud ARC trooper regain his memories and sense of community...

Synthetic Genetics - After overcoming many trials and tribulations (many of them extremely emotionally tolling), both Echo and Dogma reach a point where they are willing to reconcile their relationships with Fives and Tup, and allow for Mae to use their DNA samples to be taken and used to create Replica Droids to house the two AI consciences.

Final Stand at the Farmstead - A notoriously violent group of slavers makes its way into Epifania and begins to terrorize the local towns in search of easy merchandising. Upon discovering the Sponge Clan's farmstead, a brutal battle ends in tremendous sacrifice for a clone medic and their four legged companion, as well as the unification of the many clans of the Lost Children of Mandalore who declare any enemy of the clones as their own enemy. Epifania becomes an official sanctuary planet for clones.

Fox's Warpath Story Arc

A Twist of Fate - Having witnessed the deaths of several of his Guard brothers and had his neck snapped by Vader, Fox feels like his time (and what little luck he ever had) has inevitably run out. Much to his horror however, an old ally stumbles across him and decides to lend an unwelcome helping hand. Forced to live despite having no real desire to carry on, Fox wanders aimlessly from planet to planet while trying to come to terms with all his past failures.

A Stumble in the Dark - After accidentally crash-landing on Epifania, a severely injured Fox stumbles across a water well and passes out from exhaustion after drinking his fill. He is woken up quite rudely when Dogma literally trips over him, while on his daily trip to collect water for the town of Bakkskrash. Fox is thusly reunited with what is left of his family.

Live, says the Ferryman - Despite his body being on the mend and having been reunited with his Guard brothers, Fox's despondent and withdrawn nature begins to worry several people. Recognizing where his depression might be leading him to, an entity that has grown quite fond of the clones (especially the Coruscant Guard) decides to give the lost commander some sense of direction. Sometimes the best revenge starts out with living well out of pure spite.

Fox the Bounty Hunter - Having overcome the stagnant cycle of self-pity and apathy he'd trapped himself in, Fox decides to do something about the Guardsmen still trapped within Palpatine's grasp. While gaining some prestige as a bounty hunter simply known as Rosso Vulpes, Fox enacts the second and third stages of his revenge by rescuing brothers that Rex's clone resistance has overlooked, as well as killing past abusers that had once crushed the Coruscant Guard under their heel.

The Clone Scrapheap - Several months after Tantiss's fall, Fox manages to locate one of Hemlock's private shuttles that seems to be traveling the galaxy seemingly on autopilot. Boarding the ship, Fox not only discovers what has happened to many brothers who were unaccounted for during the liberation of Tantiss, but also comes to a terrible realization over who is unwittingly commandeering the ship and its twisted experiments.

Operation: Delta Squad - After being promised valuable information that would speed up his imperial clone liberation mission, Fox agrees to work with a remorseful Scorch (who was rescued from the ruins of Tantiss but left physically disabled by his encounter with CF99) in locating the rest of his squad (who were being used as ransom by Hemlock to keep him in line prior to the destruction of the research facility). Tracking down the remainder of Delta Squad proves to be a bit of a challenge, but it's a mission that comes with a much welcomed surprise in the end.

Falling with Style - After four years of agonizing search, blood, sweat and tears (many of which were spent tracking down, rescuing and relegating forgotten or abandoned clones to new housing), Fox finally finds the two brothers he's wanted to free the most: Thire and Alpha-17, the only remaining vode still under Imperial control. Knowing fully well that this will be his very last mission, Fox gives it his all to save his ex-Guard kih'vod and the closest thing he ever had to a buir. While victory is sweet and the return to Epifania is celebrated, Fox has very little time remaining. His wounds are much too severe this time.

Rebirth of the Soul: The Candlelit Fox - Having fulfilled the purpose he gave himself, enjoyed what little he could live as a free soul, and watched his family both heal and thrive in their adopted home-world, Fox feels content enough with all he's achieved to let his ailing body draw final breath. A visit from the Ferryman of Epifania offers him a chance to leave a much more long lasting legacy. Fox passes on, and from his ashes rises Vela the Traveler, a fledgling Force Entity and patron saint of lost wandering souls.

-Rebels Era-

Force Wound Story Arc

The Thing in the Storm - After the Tribunal's grave-site was disturbed by Vader's dark presence, a powerful Force Wound forcefully tethered to the realm of the living the countless restless spirits of those who'd died in the crash. Confused, in pain and terrified, the amalgamated 332nd Company began to hunt down the one they believed was responsible for their abandonment and agony (Rex).

King Hunt - Long after Rex tried to run his Clone Resistance and eventually settled down on Seelos with Wolffe and Gregor, the amalgamated 332nd Company had spent years trying to lure the captain with elaborate distress messages. Those unfortunate enough to heed the call were consumed by the ravenous Force Anomaly, which only lost more of its humanity the more lifeforms it assimilated into itself. Well into the full swing of the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire, Thing in the Storm manages to finally find a way off its moon-prison, bringing the hunt for the "traitorous king" to the wider galaxy.

Force Bleed - As the Thing in the Storm grows stronger and more bloodthirsty, its presence begins to be noticed by both still active clones and anyone who has been touched by the Force. Having recently been reunited with Omega after she'd joined the Rebellion, both Echo and Dove sense the impending danger that is actively seeking out Rex, and decided to embark on a journey to warn the captain of the violent storm that is brewing in the horizon.

The Storm Approaches - Dove, Echo and Cody manage to locate and reunite with Rex, who's been lured out into a snowy planet very similar to the moon where the Tribunal crashed. The similarities do not go unnoticed by the captain, who is uneasy throughout his trek trying to figure out what brought him to such a desolate planet with no real signs of life to be seen. Realizing this is an elaborate trap, Dove finds the group some shelter before a massive storm-front hits their location. Then a most perilous game of cat and mouse truly begins.

A Friend in the Dark - After dodging several ambushes and attacks from the incomprehensible abomination hiding within the storm, the group gets rescued by a familiar mercenary who may have been trying to unsuccessfully heal the horrific wound in the Force that the restless spirits of the 332nd Company have become. Zed warns the group that the Thing in the Storm is not at fault for its own actions (as they are a victim of terrible circumstances), but that if any further attempts to bring them to reason fail to work they will have no other choice but to destroy it to prevent any more damage to be done to the Force itself.

Jesse Wakes Up - Now knowing the true identities of the Thing in the Storm, a guilt-ridden Rex decides to give himself up to appease the monster his brothers have become. Dove, Cody and Echo do not agree to this plan however, and convince Rex to instead try to talk things out. Initially this does not prove fruitful, as the amalgamated 332nd are so consumed by their collective fear and anger that they immediately lash out. But, as the group tries time and time again to reach out and calm them, Jesse's consciousness begins to reawaken within the abomination.

A Monster at their Side - After regaining full control of his senses and then reigning in the rest of the terrified souls that form their amalgamated form, a repentant Jesse begs Rex for forgiveness over what transpired on the Tribunal. After being told of what truly went down on the day Order 66 rang out, Jesse decides to join the Rebellion as both an intelligence officer and potential assassin (as his new abilities as an eldritch abomination make him an ideal infiltration unit). He hopes that by doing some good, he will be able to make up for all the pain and chaos he and the rest of the 332nd caused as the Thing in the Storm.

-Sequels Era-

The Auction - Aoife a semi-omniscient gal completely out of her element, is tossed into a rather unexpected misadventure when she stumbles upon a black market auction that has a rather pricey and rare treasure among many stolen goods: A clone trooper frozen in carbonite. Unwilling to just let this slide, Aoife reluctantly bites off more than she can chew in her attempt to do the right thing.

A Colossal Conundrum - Having managed to successfully thaw out Hardcase (a clone that should very much not be alive) and explained to him that he has woken up 30 years in the future, Aoife has very few options when it comes to getting him medical attention as neither of them have a credit to spare between them. Undeterred by carbonite sickness or even the poorly treated burns he's saddled with from his stunt in Umbara, Hardcase attempts to break away and help himself. This in turn ends with them both stowing away in a supply ship that is headed straight for a Space Station known simply as the Colossus.

Friend or Foe? - While doing their best to get by while doing small jobs for Captain Doza on the Colossus, Hardcase and Aoife come across a few friendly faces who seem to be familiar with the nearly forgotten clone army. These new allies are certainly comforting to have around (especially for Hardcase who is still adjusting to being without his brothers), but they seem to be keeping tabs on something that is happening behind closed doors. Something that has to do with the new hotshot pilot/mechanic that Jerek Yeager has taken in...

Adrift in a Galaxy Far Far Away - With the Colossus on the move and Kaz's ties to the Resistance becoming all but confirmed, Hardcase is struggling with just sitting around doing nothing while Aoife's mind seems elsewhere. A certain Kel Dor mechanic decides to step in and try to help the antsy clone make up his mind, while a mysterious child that seems aware of Aoife's odd circumstances begins to follow her around like a shadow.

Ah! Pirates! - A chance run in with the Crimson Corsair reveals what it was that was bothering Aoife so much: The fact she knew Hardcase was not the very last clone, and that she wasn't entirely sure how to bring it up with him because she did not know how to track down the other living clone trooper. A little upset with her but not one to hold a grudge, Hardcase quickly reassures his friend that he's not mad at her for not telling him sooner (after all what good would it have done if he'd known and been unable to find his brother?). Both end up making a vow to both find a way to find Kix and to find a way to get Aoife back home. Which means both finding a way to track down and contact the Meson Martinet and her crew, as well as find someone who may or may not know something about what exactly brought Aoife into this particular universe.

Seeing Double - When a seemingly charming merchant comes to the Colossus on a business venture, things turn a little sideways when a supposed pirate appears and begins causing trouble for the Space Station. Teaming up with Kaz and the Aces, Hardcase and Aoife attempt to scare off the pirate, only to instead find out that not everything is as it seems. The clone army may slowly be falling into obscurity, but various bits and pieces of their history have value and Hardcase would rather die than let them fall into the hands of those who hold no respect for his vode or their culture.

Triple Brotherly Reunion - Dominik keeps up with his end of the deal he made with Hardcase and Aoife, and gets them a meeting with the crew of the Meson Martinet. While on their way to the meeting spot in Takodana, the duo is followed and seemingly hunted by something that keeps scaring off the local fauna... Hardcase and Kix are about to find yet another impossible remnant of the past, while Aoife slowly realizes that nothing is as black and white or set in stone as she's been lead to believe. Not even what should be considered the "canon events" of a universe.

Supporting Cast

#star wars #the clone wars #the bad batch #sequels era #Forceful Intervention AU #au masterpost

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nanidoesthings · 7 months ago

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Thaw With Me

A Prince Hans x OC Fanfic

CW: Implied abuse mentioned.

Chapter 1 2 - The Villain In Your History

He had already determined before he left for Arendelle that a return to the Southern Isles was going to be rough. Now it was going to be devastating. Years of planning. Years of trying to get into the good graces of his family. And now things were going to be worse.

When Hans had left for Arendelle he had been so bold. Didn’t even instruct the ship’s crew to stay behind long for him. Hans had every intention of staying there under the protection of a new kingdom. Just like Lars had suggested all those years ago. Find a distant enough kingdom, fall in love quickly with a member of their royal family, get engaged, and he’d never have to return. If it had all worked out all his searching would have succeeded. Hans would have found his own place. It would have been so easy. If he had just stuck to the plan.

A plan that didn’t account for Magic in the very least.

Of course. He could always be like Preben and Karl who disappeared randomly one night. Though he certainly wouldn’t have the ability of blending in like the others. Now that he basically had a scarlet letter on his back. It chewed at him as he paced about the small cell of the ship escorting him back to the Isles. He could take the lashings from his father no doubt- both verbal and physical. King Sturm would want to make an example out of him. He had been the family punching bag for years so he knew what to expect.

Except now there was more than likely no chance for redemption, and even less for forgiveness. Maybe if he was lucky he’d be sent off somewhere- the priesthood or military training- somewhere that his family could truly believe that he was invisible. A problem that as long as they didn’t talk about didn’t exist. He now wished he hadn’t.

His pacing finally stopped as he reached a wall, head pressed against the planks and sliding down slowly. The itch of straw greeted his hand as his body sat with a plop.

Hans could have learnt to like Anna. She was charming enough. Awkward, but as his stay in Arendelle went on he could understand why. Very faintly he could remember thinking it could fun to kiss every one of the freckles on her face. They certainly had enough in common between familial trauma. His ending would have been different if he had kissed her.

“Though who's to say it would have worked,” he thought to himself. His lips tightened into a thin line. “She probably had already found love with that guy anyways.” How typical of him. Not even a notable page in someone else’s story but perhaps a paragraph.

His eyes drew closed, stuck in his thoughts with the ambience of the ship’s crew walking freely above him. Based on the regularity he felt it safe to assume something was happening. Perhaps it was finally time. He let out a heavy breath, picking up the sound of heavy steps coming down. Time for self loathing was over. He rose, the princely act returning to him. Hands tucked behind his back. If not for the bars between him and one of the guards, one would easily think him in command.

The bars were unlocked and Hans presented his wrists. He had seen people arrested so frequently he thought it more dignified to not put up a fight. He had already caused enough embarrassment to the family. Head held high Hans allowed himself to be taken with grace, perhaps the only time flinching was as his eyes adapted from darkness to light.

He looked to the dock unsure if he was surprised to see a carriage waiting for him that carried the royal crest. Maybe if he was lucky they’d take it out into the middle of the woods to release him and then hunt for sport.

“Let’s see who they sent to tell me how disappointed they are in me.” He thought to himself, his head ducked slightly upon entry. Mentally he prepared himself for the verbal lashing. Any sense of dignity lost with a final shove and slam of the carriage door from the guards.

“I thought you had a plan,” of course it was Lars. From anyone else Hans could have ignored it, but they had to send the one he actually cared about. The elder brother sat across from Hans, his tone one that Hans had only heard reserved for Lars’ children. Not a tone of burning anger, though it might sound like it, but instead of frustration and disappointment. “How long did you want to get out of here?”

He recalled the night in the library not long after their mother’s birthday some years ago. He and Lars had figured it all out. The roadmap to a future devoid of family pain. The way their eyes lit up in glee.

“It got out of hand. I wasn’t particularly aware of certain factors.”

“Clearly,” Lars pinched the bridge of his nose, sarcasm about him. “It sounds like that queen was something out of mythology.

“I hope I didn’t scorn such,” the events on the snowy mountain returned to him. The fierceness of the Snow Queen’s powers and how he had so quickly gone from a hero to the Weseltonian brothers to the enemies of the Arendellian sisters. Then his thoughts on the snow storm on the frozen fjord. With a small breath he wondered if any of his brothers would have done the same for him.

Hans finally relaxed, the plush of the carriage welcoming him. Something he needed. His arms now crossed and looking out the window. Suddenly much more casual. He soaked in the summer warmth from the window, letting the silence sit. Some days ago he had wondered if he’d be able to experience such a feeling again.

“She turned to ice right in front of me,” Hans broke the silence. “The younger one- Anna I mean. Right as I was about to swing the sword down on her sister and free that kingdom. All I did was try to save a kingdom I thought was mine.”

“And instead you threw a snowball with a rock inside right at yourself and the family. You won’t be remembered as a benevolent savior. You know that right?”

“I know Lars. I’m the villain now. They get some type of happily ever after and I go back to this,” his arms outstretched for emphasis. He was getting agitated finally. Finally some hint of remorse.

#Thaw For Me #Nani Does Writing #prince hans x oc #prince hans #Hans Westergaard #post frozen 1 #Frozen Fanfic #Lars Westergaard #The Brothers Westergaard #Elizabeth Rudnik A Frozen Heart #A Frozen Heart #Stabbington Brothers theory mention

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9mothsinspace · 8 months ago

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Okay! Rant (and spoilers) ahead! It's been some time since I read Dragons of Fate now and I need to put down my thoughts about it. My obsessive bookmarking of scenes must be put to some use! Really, hoarding scenes it my one true dragon trait.

Now. Critique comes first. For one:

Inconsistency problems. I ranted about some of them in other posts as well, but here a few in short: 1. Raistlin is too well-informed about Immolatus. He may have figured out that he's a dragon at some point after Brothers in Arms, but even then, he couldn't have detailed knowledge about his hunting habits from the short encounters he had with him. 2. The Green dragon in the orb is named Viper, not Cyan 3. In the very first scene a gnome appears he finishes a sentence. The a-gnome-never-finishes-a-sentence rule has been broken before but still.

Then. The repetetive and tedious explainations of time travelling. Okay, so the book starts with a chapter that basically retells the last chapter of the previous book to explain where things left off. So far so good, it's a bit unnecessary that the time travelling is spelled out to the reader in such detail and that Sturm is used as the 'ignorant character' device that needs everything explained to him. But then we switch scenes and the same discussion takes place with Dalamar and Justarius. And then again with Tanis (again the ignorant character device) and Astinus! Yes, every character has to be up to date, but the process doesn't have to be described every time. It just feels like the reader isn't trusted to keep up and I would actually welcome some ambiguity here. But maybe that's just personal preference.

Destina. I was actually on bord with the entire Destina plotline in the first book, but in the second one it feels like she has simply been erased, now that the heroes of the lance have entered the stage. And the plot with her love interest... uff. I read somewhere that Dragonlance has a problem with writing love stories and I agree. There is no real distinction between initial attraction and supposed deeper feelings? At least not in this case. There was no time for these two to fall in love and it feels like a plot device.

Raistlin. Now. This REALLY is personal preference but he felt... out of character a bit? How do explain it better than 'he isn't evil enough'? Yes he is still sarcastic and snarky, but it also just set on fixing the river of time without ever even contemplating an outcome that doesn't end with him dead? Of course his memories of his failed atttempt of godhood could have taught him better, but are you really telling me that RAISTLIN MAJERE doesn't have any ambition or shred of selfishness left in him? Especially after he says he doesn't really regret his actions? And I loved the scene in the beginning where he tells Tasslehoff that he is sorry that Mary was never real but it also just felt off.

Now, I ranted a lot about things I didn't like. So here the things i absolutely did (especially in the third half of the book that made up for a lot of the previous bugs I think):

Gnomes!! They were hilarious! Like, in every scene and every dialogue they were what I expected gnomes to be. Chaotic bureaucracy, exploding shit, little self-preservation, that's just awesome.

Magius. I had my issues with his and Raistlin's dynamic at first because it felt like they were set up for being friends just because it serves the plot and Raistlin was more dragged along than making decisions on his own... but the death scene really had me with a lump in my throat. And Magius handing over the staff and declaring that it will be Raistlin's now and in the future - that was actually a mindblowing moment!

The Immolatus and Takhisis dynamic. Now, this was an intriguing and ambiguous relationship. We know that she favours him, gifts him a powerful artifact and makes him a commander of her army, even recruits him again in Brothers in Arms, but he just hates her guts. Why? We got just enough bits to be interested but not enough to make it flat. Nice!

Raistlin and Sturm. Sue me, i ship them and I loved every bit of interaction.

Kitiara and siblings in the dragon army. This... I mean-!!! Again, this is subjective, but I was just always absolutely in love with Kitiara and Raistlin as a team and understood but was saddened when they tried to kill each other half the time. To see them now on the same side in this alternative present and with Caramon at that... this is everything I wanted for them. I know, I know, that's just me, but i'm all in for team evil Majere / uth Matar siblings.

So much from me :) Plz tell me you thoughts if you agree or disagree with any of this.

#Dragonlance #Dragons of fate #Dragons of fate spoilers #Raistlin majere #Kitiara uth matar

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etruatcaelum · 4 months ago

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[ @ein-schnee-sturm | willow // winter ]

“…Well.”

Her voice came out stiff and unnatural even by Winter’s habitual standard; she drew the whetstone along the blade of her main-gauche without looking up to acknowledge her mother’s hovering, nervous presence. The oiled hum of the stone against steel seemed to fill the whole room, leaving no room for an answer to Willow’s question.

(Winter hadn’t spoken to her mother in years. Not since leaving for Atlas Academy. She couldn’t say that she wanted to break that silence now, particularly. Her feelings had calcified long since into a mixture of disdainful pity and resentment.)

“Father is dead,” she said at last, in the bloodless, matter-of-fact tone she would use to report an operation’s outcome to her commanding officer. “Left behind in Atlas after all. Weiss–”

Jaw tightening, Winter set the whetstone aside and took a deep breath. For three days, grimm had attacked the city day and night, an unrelenting onslaught branded into her memory as a dreamlike maelstrom of violence, ice, hatred, ash. Magic.

She still felt—eviscerated. No matter how many grimm she tore apart, she couldn’t save Weiss.

“—fell,” Winter said, brittle. “I couldn’t reach them in time. Whether they’re dead or stranded in some other realm is unknown, and without the staff, likely a semantic distinction. That is all I can tell you, mother.”

#LEGENDS AND FAIRYTALES ( ic. )#THE BRIEF SUN FLAMES THE ICE ( ic: winter. )#I DO NOT FEAR IT: I HAVE BEEN THERE ( v: dawn. )#ein schnee sturm

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rallamajoop · 2 years ago

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Summoning Sturm in RE Mercenaries: A How-To Guide

So, now that you understand why Sturm is THE BEST, time to back up and explain a bit more about how to use him, and why it's down to me to tell you.

For the completely unfamiliar, Mercenaries is a challenge mode that unlocks on completing RE8. As of the Winters Expansion, you can even unlock playable characters like Heisenberg and Lady D, which is every bit as awesome as it sounds. As Heisenberg, you can do cool shit like flinging sawblades and summoning Soldats ‒ but the instructions do not mention that summoning Sturm is possible too, and you aren't likely to find it out by accident.

I can state this with confidence, because I didn't find it even in all the time it took me to score an S-rank on all 12 stages (yes, even the hard ones) as Heisenberg ‒ which unlocks the coveted Heisenberg Statue (TM).

Once unlocked though, the statue sits in your entrance lobby and shows you pointless stats on previous runs ‒ stuff like 'stages completed', 'hammers slammed', or... wait, 'Sturms summoned'? Hang on, Heisenberg can summon Sturm? SINCE WHEN?

This was legitimately my first clue. There was only one person to ask, and that person was google.

If you're in doubt that this is one of the best kept secrets in all of RE lore, to reiterate, googling "Heisenberg" and "summon Sturm" still produces only a handful of results (and several of those are now links to my last post about it). Fortunately, one of those was some clever dude who'd spotted a curious option buried in the Mercenaries keybindings on PC, just under Heisenberg's magnetic field activation command, and labeled only 'Change Minion'.

Not a lot to go on, so let me explain.

You use your Soldat summon by selecting your fourth weapon slot (4 on keyboard, D-pad-down on controller), then hit the 'fire' button to deploy it (left mouse button on PC, right trigger on controller) . There's a considerable cooldown between uses, so you can't just spam it for an easy time.

However, if you hit the 'Change Minion' button after switching to your Soldat, but before hitting 'fire', the icon in the bottom right of your screen should change.

You are now in Summon Sturm Mode.

Surprisingly, there's no unlock required for this. Unlocking Heisenberg requires an A-rank on all 6 easy-level stages, and many of Heisenberg's more exciting abilities have to be bought or found at random. Sturm, however, is available wherever Soldats are sold. It's very weird that it's so well-hidden.

Do note: hitting Alt again will not 'change your minion' back. To switch back to Soldat-mode, just hit 4/down again. Or switch to any other weapon (slots 1-3), then back to 4 again. Sturm-mode is not sticky: if you've been flinging saws or flash grenades while waiting for the cooldown to clear, you'll have defaulted back to Soldat mode next time you want to summon a minion, and you'll have to hit Alt again. This can be a little annoying when you're under pressure, but so it goes.

How-to on PS/XBOX

How to summon Sturm on PS or XBOX is a thornier question: instructions for controllers aren't as detailed as the keyboard shortcuts. Fortunately, another of those few google hits was a guy on youtube who'd figured it out on PS5: according to him, the trick is to hold X, and spin the left analog stick (the one that controls the camera) through 360 in a counterclockwise direction. Which is a lot more complicated, and worth testing.

Now, I don't own a current generation Playstation or XBOX, but I do have both an old PS3 controller and a knockoff XBOX controller, which I sometimes use for PC gaming, so I tried it out. And on both, what I found was that you didn't need to hold down any button: simply spinning the analog stick 360 degrees in either direction worked. Doesn't seem to matter where you start the spin either, as long as it goes the whole way around.

I can't 100% guarantee it's the same on a real XBOX/PS, but if that's how you game, I recommend you test it out in the lobby before trying it in a level. Your Soldat-gage doesn't charge in the lobby, but you can still see the icon change to Sturm to show you've got it right (and please do let me know if so!)

Sturm: An Advanced Strategy Guide

So, having now told you all about why Sturm is awesome, is there ever any reason not to summon Sturm? Because on paper he seems to have everything over your regular Soldat summon: does comparable damage on the first run, and then he keeps going ‒ where's the downside?

Well, after extensive testing, I'm here to tell you Sturm does have one weakness. Your Soldat will pierce through anything ‒ including heavily armoured enemies, like Soldat Panzers and, er, enemy Sturms, which are otherwise invincible from the front.

Summon!Sturm, however, sometimes won't damage armoured enemies. Honestly, it's not totally consistent that he'll just bounce off, but it's happened enough times to qualify as a pattern. Sometimes he'll work, but often he won't. Even regular un-armoured Soldats with their fingers crossed arms covering their weak spot can sometimes be a problem. So take that under advisement: your Soldat is more reliable, even if he's mostly less fun.

Sadly, this also means that summoning Sturm to fight Sturm isn't often going to work: enemy Sturms remain frustratingly invincible from the front, and will charge straight through him. And as soon as there are two Sturms on the field, keeping track of which one can hurt you and which one can't is like playing Russian Roulette with a chainsaw.

Sturm's also worse with obstacles. Summon your Soldat in the Factory level's Foundary area, and he'll punch through anything to reach his target. Sturm may well just get stuck on a table.

This is not to say summoning your Soldat is always the sensible-if-boring option. Sturm not only sticks around longer and can hit enemies who haven't even spawned yet, he can also hit an enemy more times as he barrels past.

Take the ever-annoying Varcolac miniboss that leaps out at you at the start of the final Hard level, the Bloody River II. Your Soldat will take a nice chunk off its health gauge, but won't finish it off.

But Sturm? Sturm will take it down so fast you won't even have to wait for him to turn around.

(This is not just a fluke, for the record ‒ I've tried this with both of them more than once.)

Speaking of damage, both Sturm and your Soldat are affected by most any ability which boosts general damage ‒ even some of the ones that look contradictory. Infighter? Will boost damage on any enemy they hit standing close to you. Out of Reach? Will boost damage on any enemy they hit further away. Fickle shooter will boost damage even when they hit multiple enemies with one hit. And as for any other attack, bonuses stack and multiply. But Break Shot is generally going to be your most useful single bonus (50% extra damage to anything on full health, which is most enemies Sturm and Soldy are going to hit).

The one I'm not so sure about is No Brainer, since I'm not sure if your summons can actually pull off a headshot. Maybe it's possible, but don't think I've seen it happen.

By contrast, I don't think your magnetic field has any effect. It'll boost damage done by the hammer and other projectiles by double (or more), but doesn't seem to have any impact damage done by summons.

From all this testing, I've also learned that your standard cooldown between Soldat/Sturm summons is 1 minute ‒ reduced to 40 seconds if you buy the S.O.S. ability. Who you summon or how long Sturm bumbles around for doesn't seem to make any difference there.

Alas, I have had very little luck summoning Sturm to help me fight Miranda. She just spends too much time in the air to be a good Sturm-target ‒ a real shame, because she'd otherwise make a great gif to finish on. But in lieu of that, have a gif of Sturm doing truly absurd amounts of damage while boosted with multiple assorted damage upgrades (which he's not in most of the gifs above).

#Karl Heisenberg #Sturm #Resident Evil Village #Resident Evil Village Mercenaries #Resident Evil Mercenaries #my gifs #gameplay tips #Sturm Appreciation Hour

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