#Every Jedi Lineage should include

[purplezombietumbler]

Every friend group Jedi Lineage should include:

A bimbo:

A mean bisexual:

An even meaner lesbian:

She/theys:

He/theys:

A token straight that’s on thin ice:

An astrology bitch who has everyone’s birth chart memorized:

A short king:

[jedimasterbailey]

barrissoka game but for kenduli (u know they're my one true love) 3, 22, 30 + 42 <3

OMG YES YES MORE KENDULI YES YES 😍 Forever in debt to you for getting me addicted to them 🥹 I will happily answer these for you my friend 💚💙

3- What do the Masters think of their relationship and would they show their support?

I personally feel that Qui-Gon would support Obi-WAN’s relationship with Luminara 10000%. Qui-Gon would just be happy that his Padawan is getting laid with someone he deems suitable. Luminara is the ultimate good girl with a naughty streak so Qui-Gon would always be pushing Obi-Wan to let loose with her, but he would also ensure that Obi doesn’t become as cringe and obvious as Anakin is with Padme. As for Luminara, I like to headcanon that her Master was Katri from the Tales of the Jedi and I feel she would also be happy for her Padawan but would keep a close eye, making sure Luminara doesn’t get hurt and stays true to her Jedi training and herself. All in all, in a happy world, where Obi-Wan and Luminara can have their family, I believe there would be very supportive “in-laws”.

22- Whose the “top” and whose the “bottom” or do they switch?

Luminara is the top for sure 🥵 She is a woman who can command like no other and probably enjoys giving it to Obi-Wan (especially after he does stupid shit like almost have a mind controlling worm enter Luminara’s nose). I have no doubt that Obi-Wan completely melts like a school boy whenever Luminara gives him the eyes or smirk because my God could she shut anyone down with an expression. Maybe every so often they switch whenever Obi-Wan is really in the mood, but otherwise it’s almost always Luminara 😏

30-Who would be the better cook?

Luminara 100% I feel that Obi-Wan never got much of a culinary lesson with Qui-Gon who seems like someone who just microwaves everything even when you shouldn’t and on top of that, he has his pal Dex, who makes greasy diner fare so…yeah not much inspiration there. Luminara on the other hand was probably educated in every which way about her culture, including food, and she seems to be a woman of refined taste so she would take the time to learn recipes and master cooking. I can see people lining up to eat Luminara’s food and Barriss gets jealous because she wants to be the exclusive taste taster. The lady would have to be in bed sick in order for Obi-Wan or anyone else in the disaster lineage set foot in her kitchen.

42-If Order 66 never happened, what would their futures look like?

If Order 66 never happened, Im on the camp that like Anakin and Padme that Obi-Wan and Luminara would also pursue a more public romantic relationship and possibly have a child together (forever headcanoning a baby girl for them). Perhaps they’d take a break from their Jedi duties to go raise their child in one of their homeworlds like Stewjon with Obi-WAN’s birth family or Mirial or maybe somewhere else. Just anywhere but Tatooine, Luminara would never forgive Obi-Wan for that one 😂 Of course they’d still be tending to their respective Padawans and their families and as they get older, they’d become Grandmasters of the Order and continue to pass on their wisdom. In short, they’d have the happiest life they both so rightfully deserve 💚💙

Again thank you so much for these asks! I love talking Kenduli 🥰😍 Let me know what y’all think in the comments and don’t be afraid to send more asks!

Maybe I should make a Kenduli ask game after all? 🤔

[themattress]

The Last Jedi /=/ The Empire Strikes Back

Disclaimer: I like The Last Jedi. This is a good-faith critique, not a histrionic bashing.

The Last Jedi has been around for 5 years now, and it’s no less controversial. Regardless of what anyone thinks of it, I want to call out one thing that I see a lot, which is defense of it on the whole purely through a comparison to The Empire Strikes Back, the middle installment of the Original Trilogy and widely considered one of the greatest movie sequels ever made and perhaps the best Star Wars film. It’s pointed out how The Empire Strikes Back also went darker in tone and upended viewer expectations, and that it was divisive in its time as well. The view is that this is proof that The Last Jedi is just as good a movie, perhaps even better.

And I just can’t agree with this, for three major reasons.

1. The runtime. The Empire Strikes Back is a 2 hour movie, while The Last Jedi is 2 1/2 hours. The former uses all its time wisely and still sticks to the pacing style shared by the rest of the trilogy, where exposition and action scenes rotate quickly, seldom lasting above 10 minutes until the big climax. The Last Jedi, by contrast, often drags, with scenes going on way longer than necessary and characters talking way past the point where we’ve heard all we needed to hear. Most frustratingly, there’s some space action at the start of the movie up to the 30 minute mark, only for it to almost completely stop for a whole hour beyond a badly executed sequence of Finn and Rose riding on space horses and a brief skirmish between Rey and Luke that was added in reshoots, which then leaves the last hour for almost total action which includes a second climax. I’m sorry, but that’s just bad pacing, especially for a Star Wars film.

2. While A New Hope was thought to be a self-contained film when made, it still left a few threads for a sequel to follow. Luke hadn’t yet “become a Jedi like his father” the way he said he wanted to; despite us seeing him doing some basic training for it he never got a chance to actually wield a lightsaber in battle. Leia was still leading the Rebellion and it was suggested she had feelings for Luke and Han, and they for her, setting up a love triangle. Han chose to come back and join the Rebellion instead of paying his debt with Jabba the Hutt, creating both an external conflict and providing more internal development for him as he goes from smuggler to soldier. And of course, Darth Vader, the guy established as having “betrayed and murdered” Luke’s father, was still out there, to say nothing of the unseen Emperor he served.

The Empire Strikes Back ran with all of those threads and progressed them. The Last Jedi, meanwhile, actively throws away or hastily wraps up almost every thread that was left for it by its predecessor The Force Awakens, which was NOT self-contained. Whether due to general disinterest or his desire to subvert expectations, Rian Johnson tossed all that set-up over his shoulder the way Luke tossed his old lightsaber. Luke re-entering the fight? Rey undergoing formal training with Luke? The map that led to Luke receiving an explanation? Finn’s Force sensitivity further explored as he tries to make his way back to Rey? Leia having more development as she continues to lead the Resistance in the fight against the First Order, which should presently be at a stalemate? More showcasing of Supreme Leader Snoke and finding out what his whole deal is? And of course, the matter of Rey’s parents, possible lineage and destiny with the Force that explains her prodigious efficiency with it? DENIED. Instead, the movie does its own thing and/or shuts all of those possibilities down. The only real consistency with the previous movie is with Kylo Ren, his ascension as a villain, and his mysterious connection with Rey. Otherwise, this movie felt like a soft reboot of a soft reboot!

3. Lastly, The Empire Strikes Back left clear threads for a sequel to follow. Luke not having completed his training. The unresolved Luke/Leia/Han love triangle. Han being frozen in carbonite and sent to Jabba the Hutt. Lando joining the Rebellion. Yoda’s cryptic remark of “there is another” (possibly related: how did Leia hear Luke through the Force at the end?) The Emperor and his desire to turn Luke to the Dark Side. And of course, Darth Vader, who not only remains undefeated but has now revealed to be Luke’s father rather than the one who killed his father, which opens a dramatic can of worms to fill a whole movie all by itself.

The only clear thread left by The Last Jedi, beyond the still open Resistance vs. First Order conflict which of course can only be resolved in the last film, is Rey and Kylo Ren’s strange adversarial yet romantic relationship and bond in the Force. Yes, you could also work with Finn’s firm status as a Resistance member and his relationship with Rose, Rey and Poe getting to better know each other, General Hux scheming to betray Kylo Ren, Luke having become one with the Force, Lando having not yet appeared in the Sequel Trilogy, and the implications of that “broom boy” scene at the end of the movie; and Lucasfilm did try working with those when Colin Trevorrow was attached to Episode IX. But it just didn’t come together - things like Rey having no further conflict regarding her heritage, Kylo Ren being set up as the Final Boss, and the expectation to further subvert the old in favor of carving a new path forward which would ultimately result in previously impossible concepts like “Gray Jedi” becoming canonized held the project back, to say nothing of Carrie Fisher’s untimely death.

The Rise of Skywalker was left with no choice but to re-open as many of those closed plot/character threads from The Force Awakens as it possibly could because they never should have been closed to begin with. Return of the Jedi, otoh, had no such problem.

So regardless of what you think of The Last Jedi as a movie, can we not pretend it’s on the same level as The Empire Strikes Back, especially when it comes to being the middle installment of a trilogy? For in that area, The Empire Strikes Back will always be the best.

[fanfic-obsessed]

Liberties

Here is an idea where liberties are taken and frankly not given back. This is a world where Cerasi survived Mawat’s assination attempt. Obi Wan never went back to Jedi. Instead he continued to help rebuild Melidaan and continued to follow the Force.  Every so often the Force would send him out into the galaxy to meet other Force Sensitives, and adopt them. This is a world where Obi Wan learns to own his attachments instead of repressing them. In addition every force sensitive that was active in the outer rim is eventually drawn to at least stop on Melidaan. Light or Dark; Sith, Jedi, and everything in between. Up to and including Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious in their alter egos. No one thinks to tell the Jedi High Council.

I picture Xanatos showing up, first because of his obsession with revenge against Qui Gonn, then after hearing Obi’s story being like ‘now we are truly brothers’. He is batshit insane and cheerfully vows not to sell Obi or any of Obi’s people into salvery every time he arrives but he is a genius for creating/managing resources and Obi would do anything for his chosen people, even reluctantly spending time with the man that is at the center a good chunk of his trauma. 

Things get even weirder when Feemor is reunited with his lineage brothers. Frankly all of them need so much therapy. 

At some point they (by they I mean the Young government in combination with the various Force users that pop in and out of their lives) create a school for force sensitives on Melidaan, just called The School. It is semi secret in that knowledge of it never quite reaches general knowledge in the core worlds but not through any actions on the part of the people involved. In that time Obi-Wan discovers something interesting. While about 90% of force users can use either side of the Force without issue, the evil comes from the actions not the side of the force, the other 10% is restricted to Dark or Light with the other side being akin to an addiction.  Exclusive dark side users are less common, due to an inherent recklessness that tends to get themselves killed, but they do exist. 

Something nobody knows is that Yoda and the Master that trained him were both within that small percentage restricted to use of the Light side. He has assumed that his reaction to the dark is a commonality of all force users, not a restriction that he has. 

Of the Sith of this time, in the years before Plageus died, Palpatine is the first to find his way to their out of the way little planet. It was mostly an accident, with the force subtly guiding his fingers to put in the wrong coordinates for a hyperspace jump. Though Palpatine does fall into the 90% that can use either side, he has been using the darkside almost exclusively for decades. Users of the darkside, particularly Sith, tend to see the force more of a servant than a teacher. Thus the Force, semi sentient, has to be much more subtle when dealing with Sith. 

Palpatine is somewhat confused as he lands, for once listening to the force as it presses him forward. He had been headed for a vacation on Naboo.  At this time he is still a part of the current senator’s retinue, a few years away from being a senator himself. The people in the space port barely look at him before directing him up to The School.  It is generally assumed that any strange, unknown visitors looking vaguely confused about where they were have something to do with the Force and should be dealt with by Obi Wan. To be fair, this policy has only been wrong twice. 

Palpatine is politely, but firmly, loaded into a transport and dropped off at the school.  None of his questions were answered along the way.  He spent a bit of the ride sort of wondering if he was being abducted, why he wasn’t more concerned or angry about that fact, and rationalizing following this weird feeling in the Force to its conclusion. 

He is brought to Obi Wan’s office, as the head of the school. Obi Wan asks him if he prefers direct questions and answers or complicated politic conversation. At Palpatine’s surprised look,  Obi Wan goes on to say that they want people to be comfortable and he doesn’t have a preference.  Normally Palpatine would enjoy political back and forth but by this time his curiosity is piqued. The first question that Obi Wan asks is if Palpatine is aware of his own force sensitivity.  This serves to shock Palpatine into stillness, the only other person to clock his force sensitivity had been Plageuis many decades before. He had even managed to hide it on Coruscant from the High Council of the Jedi.  

In the silence that followed Obi wan explained about this being a school for force sensitives that felt they had nowhere else to go.  Members of the Jedi Order that had been expelled or relegated to a corp due to lack of being chosen, Knights and Shadows who felt disconnected from the Order. There were also Force sensitive that had been exiled from their own planets due to their force sensitivity, escaped slaves, and more than a few that were there because the force said they should be. Obi Wan has pamphlets, which he hands over to Palpatine. Obi Wan went on to explain that Paplatine was free to explore his sensitivity here as long as the rules were followed:

No action that would deliberately cause permanent or long lasting injury to anyone on the planet, defined as any injury that cannot be healed in 48 standard hours, be it physical, mental, emotional, or psychic. The creation of soul wounds are never permitted on the planet as they are almost always permanent. 

Unless agreed to previously, do not approach students or teachers of this school off this planet. Some may not be comfortable with their connection to The School being public knowledge.

As it is possible for members of this school to end up on different sides of a conflict, if one member recognizes another it is courtesy to ignore the other if possible. If not, then the courtesy of a quick death. 

Any technique that will change the environment or the Force on the planet toward either the Dark or the Light will only be performed only with the permission of the School Board and the Planetary government.  The only exception will be 4 specially dedicated areas:

An area on the West side of campus dedicated to the Dark

An area on the East side of campus dedicated to the Light

An area to the South that is dedicated to combining beginner to mid level Dark and Light techniques that is open to anyone.

An area to the North dedicated to combining advanced Dark and Light techniques that requires special authorization.

The use of these areas is predicated on the results of what is effectively a Force Allergy test to ensure that the being falls into the 90% that can use either side without harming themselves

All experimental techniques used on this planet that have a test subject must have a written waiver from the subject stating that they agree to the test, with full knowledge of the potential risks and no coercion to the part of the testor.  

Experimental techniques that have a greater that 75% chance of one of the following must be pre approved by the School Board and the Planetary Council:

Changes to the environment, the Flora, the Fauna, or the Force lasting more than 1 hour

Death

A soul wound

Permanent or Long Lasting injury, as defined above. 

Acceptance of responsibility of any and all beings created or changed through the Force

Avoid Building 15, for the thing it houses is an abomination even to itself. Unless, of course you discover how to give it the release of death. Then please contact the administrator of facility management. 

All of these rules were written into a contract that was enforced by the Force itself through a humanoid conduit.  Apparently one of the Light and Dark mixed techniques that was discovered was for a Force Sensitive to tie themselves to a planet becoming an avatar of the Force on that planet. This avatar can then enforce a force based contract, and can remotely wipe the memories of breaches of contract depending on the severity. 

By the time Palpatine leaves he is not sure how he was convinced to sign the contract but he is glad he did. He is also mentally revising all of his empire plans to make sure this planet, which he finally determines is Melidaan, is protected at all costs and is now central to the reconditioning of initiates and padawans of the Jedi when the time comes.  He will later bring Plagueis to the school as well, with similar results. Though they do continue their more objectionable experiments, they are kept carefully off Melidaan.

For a decade this continues. Light and Dark agree that Obi Wan, and through him his new people, are precious and should be protected at all costs.  Just before TPM starts Obi is drawn to Tattoine, into the slave quarters. He is not a stranger to this planet or nearly any planet on the outer rim but he has never been to this outpost, these slave quarters before.  The Force ensures that he meets Shmi and Anakin two week before the Naboo delegation lands. The Force, so much clearer after a decade of being listened to, whispers that this boy is to be a younger brother and student to him but not yet. They must wait.  He is just as eloquent in this life and explains the Force and his feelings to Shmi, backed by Anakin. 

When Qui Gon Jinn arrives two weeks later Obi Wan is introduced as Ben, a friend of the family. Jinn does not recognize Ben as the student he once left behind. In fact he does not ever realize that he and Anakin are not the only Force Sensitives in the room. Anakin is a bit worried because the Force is saying that he needs to go with the Jedi, but he also wants to go with Obi Wan. Obi wan tells him quietly that just because the Force says go with the Jedi, it doesn't mean he will have to stay with the Jedi forever. 

There is no attack from Maul, as he is intercepted by Obi Wan. The two have a brief chat about what brought Maul to the planet. No one who knows him questions Obi Wan showing up in strange places. Maul is there to find an unfortunate being that had managed to steal from one of Maul’s Master’s smaller holdings. They hadn’t gotten away with much, but had taken a small statuette that he had been planning to donate to Obi Wan’s school for study. 

After the Naboo delegation, Jinn, and Anakin leave the planet, Obi Wan and Maul trek back to Mos Espa.  They find the Ill fated thief, whom Maul sticks in a prison cell on his ship, retrieves the stolen artifact, as well as enough money to buy Shmi Skywalker’s freedom. They do the latter and Maul drops Shimi and Obi Wan back off on Melidaan, where Obi Wan announces that Shimi is the mother of their newest kin to Nield, Cerasi, and a visiting Xanatos. 

Everyone just kind of rolls their eyes and goes back to what they were doing, baring Xanatos.  This was far from the first time that Obi Wan had adopted someone, or increased their family abruptly. The darksider wanders over and begins to flirt, heavily, with Shmi. 

Side Note: I picture Shmi to be about early 40’s at the time of TPM.  If Xanatos had lived he would have been 37, so it could have worked. 

Obi Wan assures Shmi that Xanatos wouldn’t hurt her and would stop if she wanted him to. Thus assured she starts to flirt back, is slightly awkwardly because social norms for a slave are very different from that of freepeople.  

Obi wan announces he is going to their new brother and leaves, going back to Coruscant for the first time since he arrived at Melida/Daan.  He arrives as Qui Gon Jinn is proclaiming his intention to take Anakin as a Padawan. The entire council is surprised when a redhead in his twenties just wanders into one of the most secure chambers in the temple, and not through the front door. In reality every Jedi learns as an initiate how to sneak around in the temple, even into the council chamber. It was a bit of a rite of passage to prank the council chamber at least once when in the Creche. Obi Wan certainly remembers.

None of the Jedi in the room recognize him.

So Obi Wan appears, looking amused and like he had just happened to wander into these highly protected chambers that even other Jedi don’t always have access to. The High Council of the Jedi are looking at each other like ‘Da fuq?’ Anakin lights up and runs to hug Obi Wan, calling him Ben. Jinn peers at Obi Wan, having only barely realized he was actually a person when they met in Shmi’s home, whom he doesn’t recognize. 

Side Note: I sort of head cannon Jinn, when separated from his mountain of trauma and trauma responses, is almost an oblivious scientist type, think Wayne Szalinski from ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’. In his element he is a prodigy, but he also would wander around only partially dressed because he had an idea, or in Qui Gon’s case he was distracted by something to do with the Living Force. Still an asshole, but mostly out of obliviousness or his pile of trauma rather than maliciousness.  

The council tries to find out who Obi Wan is or how he got there but he is enigmatic. He just says he is here to pick up his kin, Anakin, if it was time. He directs this as a question toward Anakin, ignoring the council. Anakin gets thoughtful and says that the Force says it is not time yet, but that Ben could come with them until it is.  Obi Wan nods but continues to dodge any attempt to get more information out of him about who he is, making pithy comments. 

Just before the tension this is causing could erupt, the large doors of the council chamber slam open, startling everyone. Quinlan Vos, dragging Bant Eerin, bursts into the room at speed. As soon as they cross the threshold he drops Bant’s hand and practically jumps on Obi Wan with a loud cry of “OBI”. Bant looked at them like she couldn’t believe that he was here. Quinn had been to Melidaan, as had most of the Shadows. In fact, of Obi Wan’s temple friends, it is Bant who he has not had a chance to speak to in person in a decade. She is Temple Bound as a healer.  

Obi Wan grumbles fondly about how Quinn gave his identity away. He had at least four more pointed answers, designed to make Qui Gon Jinn burst a blood vessel. Why yes, Obi Wan is slightly bitter about the whole abandoned in a war zone, why do you ask?

It isn’t until Bant sobs Obi Wan’s name that anyone realizes who is standing in the chamber. Qui Gon get even more agitated seeing the padawan he abandoned being clung to by the shiny new prophecy child he found.

[phoenixyfriend]

Systems’ Scourge

I am no Jedi.

She says the words every time someone questions the sabers. She says it, day in, day out, and tells herself to believe it. She says it, and word spreads, because this way her actions don’t reflect on the Republic.

She was kicked out of the Order because she was framed for terrorism.

It’s all she does now, technically. She’s a terrorist, by some definition, even if her chosen targets are slavers and drugs lords.

Her actions must not reflect on the Republic.

“General.”

She turns away from the transparisteel, away from the blur of hyperspace, and into the arms of the man she trusts above all others.

“Almost there?” she asks.

“Another hour,” Rex confirms. He waits until she steps to join him, brushing their shoulders together as they walk through the ship, beskar to durasteel.

(Bo-Katan hadn’t necessarily liked her very much, but she’d had her own strange code of honor. She chose her payments, but she ensured compensation when and where she could. And so it went: beskar for the girl without a home who helped Mandalore, even as it almost killed her.)

(The boys... well. They haven’t been able to afford proper durasteel and beskar alloy armor for everyone yet, but they’re working on it.)

We are not Mando’ade.

“Kix got back to me,” he says. “We running low on bacta again.”

“Do we still have the funds from Zygerria?”

“More than.”

“Approved,” she says, and he laughs. She rolls her eyes. “You already handled it, didn’t you?”

“Of course, cyar’e.”

She doesn’t outrank him anymore. They are equals, in this and all things. He can approve anything she can. The only time she has authority is when they’re playing roles for the underworld.

The only time he has authority is when it comes to Kamino.

“What ate it up this time?” she asks instead.

“Had a few new arrivals,” he says. “Nobody you knew, mostly shinies. Fives is helping them adjust to being alive again.”

“Echo isn’t helping?”

“Migraines.”

“I see,” she says, and casts her eyes across the corridors. Strangely empty. “I’m assuming you’re leading me somewhere?”

“Jesse wants to give you a cultural debrief before we land.”

“We’ve been to Serenno,” she says, frowning heavily. “Dooku knows us. Does Jesse think he’s already fallen and we need to readjust? I didn’t think he was anywhere close last time we checked in.”

“He’s got visitors,” Rex says, grimacing. “From the Trade Federation.”

Oh, lovely. “He does realize the galaxy knows my face at this point, right? Isn’t he worried about the Federation getting word to Republic that the Count is hosting the terrorist they’ve spent two years fearing and hunting?”

Rex shrugs. “I think Jesse might be planning a disguise.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Great. Just love the smell of cosmetics.”

"Only a few hours,” he assures her.

“Yeah, yeah,” she sighs, and decides to switch the topic. “The shinies, all 501st?”

“Affirmative.”

“And still no other GAR ships on the comms?”

“None yet.” He’s as unhappy about it as she is. She doesn’t even after feel out along the bond. He’s still holding out hope for a Marshall Commander that didn’t live long enough to see Order 66 hit. She’s still hoping for almost any Jedi that remembers the war, instead of the pleasant strangers that call her Dark.

I am no Jedi, she tells them, even as their faces shade towards confusion at her white blades. She is not Fallen, and it shows in her kyber. They don’t know what to make of her.

“Republic might start building their own army soon,” she says instead. It’s an old refrain. They both know Kuat is building ships to match their precious Venator. The Survivor, she’d named it, unable to figure out which broken vessel had been given to her in this time she’d never lived. “We need allies, not just Dooku’s bankrolling. Has Fett--”

“No,” Rex says, short and grim. “Denal got close, we think, but he said he’s not going to talk to dar’manda that take orders from a Jedi.”

Lots wrong with that sentence.

“Didn’t get him to look anyone’s face?” she guesses.

“Not enough time,” Rex says. “Denal says it was a firefight. Couldn’t risk taking a helmet off.”

“And without the faces, nobody could get him to listen anything else,” she concludes. “You’d think he would have seen the wanted posters.”

“Think he’s of the opinion that if it walks like a Jedi, talks like a Jedi, carries a saber like a Jedi...”

She rolls her eyes. “So we’re back to square one, looking to hire on new soldiers that someone’s going to have to train, that we’ll have to convince Dooku to help pay for when we can’t appropriate funds from the Hutts, that probably won’t measure up to clone standards or have any sense of how to work with you, and will be security risks.”

“About sums it up, sir.”

She shoots him a look. “You’re making fun of me.”

He grins, easy as anything. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Sir.”

She bumps her fist into the metal on his upper arm. “Remind me why I married you?”

“Well, we were pretty kriffed up,” Rex fake-muses. “Pretty sure the trauma was a big part of it.”

“Of course.”

“And we can’t forget that time you started crying on me while we were making out.”

“No doubt.”

“And we’ve been friends for the better part of a decade now, so that’s going on the list.”

“I wouldn’t dream of not including our many years of shared horrors.”

“Or that Dooku kept asking when we were going to make things official.”

“I never should have told him I was part of his lineage,” she sighs, just as they reach the door to Jesse’s favorite Cultural Debrief room. There’s an old-school projector in there, and far more cosmetics and undercover costumes than the average person would expect. It’s a fun room.

Ahsoka turns and lifts up on her toes, just enough to press her lips to his. Rex tilts his head, presses back just a moment, and then pulls away. They grip each other’s forearms, and Ahsoka doesn’t shy away when he presses his forehead to hers.

“How much longer?” he asks.

It’s the same question, every time. She never has an answer.

She was raised to keep the peace. He was born to fight for it. Neither of them have ever truly known it.

She’s not sure they ever will.

“Jesse’s waiting,” she mutters, and pulls away. He matches her smile, small and tired, but meant only for the other. She turns to the door, takes a deep breath, and steps on through. “Okay, who are we preparing today, because I’m sure as hell not meeting Gunray as General Fulcrum.”

“We’re thinking Princess Ashla this time,” Jesse says, completely unruffled by the loud entrance. “Unless you want to play up the ‘Dooku’s adopted granddaughter’ thing. The Count might appreciate it.”

“Hard pass,” she says, dropping into the makeup chair. “Princess Ashla it is.”

I am no Jedi, and so I do what they cannot.

[deewithani]

Raindrops in the Wind - Chapter 1

Chapter Rating: G

Work Rating: Explicit (18+)

Pairing: Jango Fett x F!Reader

Word count: Approx. 2k

Warnings: None. Jango being sneaky?

A/N: Not Canon or Legends friendly. AU from the very beginning. Bits and pieces from here and there, molded to fit my grand vision, muahahaha *coughs*. Anyway... Chapters will list their individual ratings, work is rated Explicit (18+) for eventual explicit content.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

'What have I done?'

The words rang hollow in his ear as he fought with the Jedi that had shown up at his door. He hated the man, truly. He hated that he showed up on Kamino. He hated that he started to ask questions. He hated that he was a Jedi.

He hated Jedi.

It was not supposed to be like this. He was supposed to provide his DNA to the long-necks whenever they needed it and help train their creation. In return he got an unaltered clone. A son. A safe place to raise him. Enough credits to live very comfortably for the rest of his days. And the knowledge that an army was being raised that would destroy the Jedi.

'I should have left well enough alone. I shouldn't have taken that bounty.'

----------------

It was a good deal, he thought to himself, the offer that this 'Lord Tyranus' placed before him. He would be stupid to pass it up, and Jango Fett was anything but stupid. It would give him what he always wanted, a son, to carry on his lineage, and a hefty purse full of credits, no questions asked. No, he was not stupid. He knew very well who this 'Lord Tyranus' was that stood before him. It was the very same Jedi that helped bring the defeat of the True Mandalorians, Count Dooku. All Jango truly wanted from the exchange was an unaltered clone that he could raise as a son, and Tyranus quickly agreed.

At the time, Jango didn't know that he and Dooku shared the same end game, the destruction of the Jedi order. All Jango knew was that Dooku was no longer friendly with the order, having abandoned them, publicly declaring their corruption before the galaxy. He figured he could sus out the real reason behind Dooku's job easily enought once he was on Kamino and around others he could manipulate into revealing the truth.

In all honesty, it wasn't very hard at all to figure out much of what was going on. The Kaminoans were ecstatic about the new contract they had scored to provide the Galactic Republic with millions of perfect soldiers. They poked and proded at Jango daily for his DNA and openly discussed his own physical shortcomings like they were no matter at all, as if they were simply ink marks on a piece of flimsi, mistakes that could be erased and fixed with no bearing on the final product. They were open with this being a request from the Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, which made no sense to Jango, as he had been hired by 'Tyranus', who most certaily wasn't Syfo-Dyas – whoever they were. He thought maybe this Jedi was also fed up with the Order, and was looking to make a strike back, but solid information on this Jedi was slim..

In any case, very little of the entire job was making sense to Jango. Why was a former Jedi Master, whether it was Dooku or Sifo-Dyas didn't matter at this point, paying for the creation of a clone army for the very Order and Republic that they abhored?

Jango continued on, day after day, providing DNA to the Kaminoans, gathering trusted allies to begin the training of the clones that were still growing in their tubes, and listening and obtaining information from any corner of Tipoca City he could. He set the Cuy'val Dar to the tasks of creating a sound, well-rounded training regiment, and on an information gathering mission, telling them to “Listen to everything anyone says. Every single word. Kaminoans, humans, anyone else. I don't care if they're talking about the next shipment of Jogan fruit. I want to know every word. Bring it to me.”

Jango spent hours every day, pouring over intelligence reports, but most of what was gathered was mundane. Lama Su had tea alone this afternoon, did you hear that we're supposed to have a break in the rain next week, the butcher is overcharging for nerf again. The every day gossip and gripes of a bored populace stuck on a perpetually wet and miserable planet. But Jango was nothing if not patient. The cloners told him that he should expect to be working with them for decades, so he decided to settle in and be patient. What he wanted to know would come to him. He would hear it directly from one of the longnecks themselves, or one of the Cuy'val Dar would hear it in passing and report it to him. He would know the true reason he was there. He would know the reason for the creation of the clones.

An unreal amount of credits has been pumped into this project, more than he thought was necessary, to be honest. Jango's bank account is overflowing with credits, and he hadn't had to touch a single one. He'd been provided with his own apartment, furnished with everything he requested. His Cuy'val Dar were paid directly by the client, the same as he was, and were paid a hefty premium too. Whispered word through the cloners was that this project was revitalizing their entire industry, allowing them the financial means to work on the perfection of not just his genetic material, but the genetics of hundreds of other species, not all of them sentient. Factories were starting up for the creation of armor and weaponry, the potable food industry was pushing out rations as quickly as they could be rolled down the assembly line, and tech companies were building holopads and coms as fast as they could get the chips and circuitry to do so. And it was all possible by the injection of credits from 'Lord Tyranus'.

He knew, also, that the Kaminoans were planning on “double-dipping” the Republic when the time came, and was nearly certain all the other industries that had already been paid hefty retainer fees would do the same. There was no shame in getting your due, but it was more of the pervasive corruption that Dooku saw that was eating away at the Galactic Republic, everyone had their hands out, pressing for more and more credits from any party they could. He heard the longnecks complaining that the Armorers had already been paid to purchase enough plastoid to manufacture 250,000 full sets of armor and had already received at least half of their full payment for the total manufacturing cost itself, but they had already began sending invoices to Kamino for the purchase of the armor at standard price, as if they were coming out of their own pocket on the project. Whether or not any of it was true was anyone's guess, but the single bit of information he heard from all corners was that the Kaminoans were not going to lose a single credit from this project, no matter who they had to charge for services. He could hardly blame them, their only true industry was cloning, and a project of this magnitude was going to take nearly their entire industry to support it. If anything went wrong, if anyone double charged them and they covered it with just a promise of later pay that never came through it could ruin their entire economy. So the decision was made to pass on the cost of everything to the Republic, in full for each batch ordered, because even with a hefty bankroll the bank could run dry very quickly. If everything went according to plan their cash flow would be enormous, but they were experts in searching out and fixing “problems” and they were not so naive to believe everything would go according to plan.

And so it went. Years passed, clones were trained, bounties were picked up, and Jango's unaltered clone, his son, began to grow into a fine young man - smart, capable, and hopefully well prepared for anything life would throw at him. Jango knew the galaxy was a rough place, and he was determined to make sure Boba had the tools he needed to survive – and survive easily. During his free time he trained him, harder than he trained the clones who would go off to war, running through close combat scenarios, teaching infiltration and stealth tactics, weapons proficiency, common language tutoring, sharpshooting, general maintenance on anything from blasters to air cooling units. Anything that he believed would give Boba a leg up on the competition – and anything to help him stay alive. He would take Boba with him on hunts too, giving him hands-on experience that he just wouldn't get sparring and running through drills.

The most important lesson Jango would gift to Boba was to trust no one but himself and his family, and to always keep his ears and eyes open for anything “strange”. Strange, of course, could have multiple meanings, but Jango trusted that Boba understood the complexities of all the things “strange” could include. Knowledge and information are as good as credits in hand, and in many cases could be much more valuable than beskar itself, buying the owner of said information freedom and power, if it was valuable enough, of course. And on one rather normal day, as normal as it goes on Kamino, anyway, Boba brought Jango some very valuable information.

While Jango tolerated the Kaminoans, as it was unfortunately necessary, Boba didn't really mind them one way or the other, having grown up around them for the entirety of his young life. So when it came time for Boba's yearly checkup during his 9th year, he didn't think twice to let the boy go on his own. The Kaminoans had always accepted his request for non-Kaminoan involvement in his son's healthcare, so they always ensured he was seen by a medical droid. He didn't suspect this year would be different. In any case, Boba knew to deflect any questions and leave if his request wasn't honored. Dislike them though he did, the longnecks never went back on their promises to him. This would make a good, safe, learning experience for Boba, and Jango instructed him to bring back as much as he could remember about everything, to train him in situational awareness and help him learn how to observe without being observed.

Later that day, after he had seen and cleared, Boba was eager to tell Jango about his checkup. He returned to their apartment, his adolescent energy barely contained, itching to run through the door and let his new secret loose, because something strange did happen at this appointment. He was prepared to give his report to Jango, and he was sure his dad would be proud of what he had learned.

“Dad!”, Boba called out, “I need to tell you about my checkup! It's important!” From his seat in the living area Jango raised an eyebrow, watching Boba try and fail to keep from bouncing on the balls of his feet. “C'mere, son, tell me about your checkup.” Boba walked forward, head held high and mischievous glint in his eyes. ”You told me to watch for anything strange. Something strange happened! There was a woman there today. A human woman! Told me she was training!”

“Good job, Boba. Go on then, clean up for dinner. You can tell me everything else then.” Jango watched as Boba's grin grew even wider, before he turned and ran to the 'fresher.

'Well, that is strange', Jango mused to himself, as he began to formulate his plan. It was time to see if he could gain some real information from this new player. Jango was nothing if not patient, and this may be the time for his patience to start paying off.

----------

Taglist: @latenightsthoughtsnstuff @return-of-the-simp

If anyone wants added to my taglist, let me know ☺️

[crispyjenkins]

I might spam your box with ideas haha. S U F F E R. I’ve never liked the idea that after the Hardeen mission even Cody and Obi-wans men were all mad at him. There’s no one that would understand more than the troopers and Cody in my opinion. They understand having a duty and Following orders, even if you don’t agree with them. So I need me some Codywan + Obi getting so much more closer with his men and them being his support system now + ahsoka not being mad at her grandmaster. Please & thanks

(i have that one fill about the space fam™ figuring out obi-wan isn’t doing too hot after the deception arc, which is all well and good, but yeah the clones would absolutely understand and support obi faking his death for a mission and the fandom needs more of that. so here is fiori enabling me. and rex loving and supporting his general but also being super unimpressed with his tantrum

thank you for all the prompts, ad'ika ( ˘ ³˘) altho now I've had to shuffle my entire prompt list so that it's not you every other fill for the next month lmao)

“And he just goes right back to work?” Anakin snarls with a vague gesture across the bridge, to where General Kenobi is speaking with Cody and Wooley, and Maker, does the General look young. He had been reluctant to waste time on cosmetic corrections, and had only allowed the Jedi healers to give him some of his hair back; for better or for worse, he's letting the beard grow back naturally. 

  If the absurd amount of cooing that had happened at the Temple is anything to go by, many of the Jedi miss Kenobi’s baby-face, that he had supposedly covered with a beard as soon as he'd taken Anakin on as his apprentice. When Kenobi had given his first debrief after the Jedi had fixed his features back into his own, Echo had panicked and called him “cadet�� in front of three different battalions, and the 501st is never going to let him forget it.

  Anakin had not laughed.

  “I’m not sure what you mean, sir,” Rex says carefully, turning back to the datapad in his hand to look over the command roster for their coming deployment. “General Kenobi’s injuries from the mission were superficial, he’ll be fully healed before we even make it to the Mid-Rim.”

  Scoffing, Anakin continues to glare at his former master. “You can’t tell me you’re not angry, Rex,” he says, and leans against the console behind him.

  Ahsoka had warned him that his general clearly wasn't over Kenobi’s supposed betrayal, and Rex is Mando enough to admit he’s been avoiding this conversation; he won’t lie to Anakin, no, they’ve been through far too much together for that, but no matter how close they are, their friendship would not save him from Anakin’s wrath.

  So he pretends to be reading the roster for another long moment, wishing he had Kote’s diplomacy. “I am not, sir, just as I was not angry when Kix feigned desertion for the mission on Odos II.” Glancing up, he’s relieved to see Anakin isn’t glaring at him yet, but if Ahsoka hadn’t been able to talk him down, Rex doesn’t stand a chance. “The Supreme Chancellor's life being at stake is no small matter, the High Generals had many factors to consider, including that Count Dooku would be watching you closely in the wake of General Kenobi’s death.”

  “Are you saying I can’t act?”

  “I’m saying that if Count Dooku thought for even a moment you were faking it, the whole mission would have been in jeopardy. Sir.”

  He doesn’t need to know banthashit about the Force to feel it when Anakin goes from simmering to incensed, not with the way Anakin warps the air between them, saturating it with his rage until General Kenobi sends them a concerned frown across the bridge. Anakin doesn’t seem to notice, glare fixed on Rex, and this really isn’t how he would have expected them to fall out. 

  Or that they'd have to fall out at all.

  The tragedy of the thought makes Rex bold, meeting Anakin’s rage with a calm and confidence stolen from far stronger men. “You were not the only one made to believe in the General’s death, you forget there are others who care for him as deeply as you do.” Kote, he doesn’t say, Vos and Ahsoka and the Duchess, Wupi and Choke and Boil. “I perhaps would not include myself in that count, but should you not put aside your anger and be relieved that the General was not actually murdered?” Kote catches his eye and taps at his wrist guard, his concern obvious as he asks Rex in didi if he’s alright, and Rex will gladly take the unintentional out his brother has given him. “Just something to think about, sir. Here is the adjusted command roster, Captain Sage was transferred to the Coruscant Guard following his injury during the campaign on Aslo. Excuse me, sir, Commander Cody seems to have a question for me.” He hands the datapad to Anakin, who is miraculously too stunned not to take it, before Rex moves quickly across the bridge. 

-

  Ahsoka sits gingerly across from Rex in the almost-empty mess, murmuring,  “I take it the talk didn’t go well.”

  He snorts into his cup of caf. “From a certain point of view, it went better than expected.”

  Wincing, Ahsoka rubs her own arms and casts her eyes down to the table. “I tried asking him about it before we left Coruscant, I’ve never seen him so angry, not even at the funeral.”

  Rex is used to being the little brother, of both his batchmates and the CC track, and this is one of the times where he laments that: when he doesn’t quite know how to comfort the way his brothers comforted him. “If I may, sir,” he says, quiet enough that the few vode at the table across the room won’t hear, “are you not angry with General Kenobi?”

  “No?” She chews her bottom lip. “I mean, yes, I mean– I’m happy he’s alive. It hurt, being kept out of the loop, but it’s not as if I was singled out for that, right? And I... I understand why he did it, why it had to be done and why it played out like it did, but it still hurt. But I’m also so relieved that Master Obi-Wan is alive, that I don’t think my hurt matters.”

  “And General Skywalker hasn’t come to that conclusion yet.”

  She shakes her head. “How... How has Cody taken it?”

  “I think he’s more angry that he was forced to miss the funeral than Kenobi faking his death." Rex isn't sure where Kote and Kenobi stand now, they had been heading towards a collision before this Hardeen fiasco, and he doesn't know where they've landed. Brothers? Lovers? Whatever the hell Echo and Fives are? He hadn't been able to ask before the 212th and the 501st split ways. "It was for a mission, wasn't it? We're soldiers, Commander Tano, we're born with 'Mission First' imprinted on our brains."

  Ahsoka giggles at the mental image, and Rex is relieved to see her shoulders relax. "All the padawans expected Knight Vos to react the worst," she says, crossing her arms on the table. "He grew up with Master Obi-Wan, you know? But he just... accepted it, he simply understood and... Letting go is part of being a Jedi. Knowing when you can't change things, and accepting failures, and understanding no matter the circumstances."

  It would certainly not be the first time Anakin has stumbled on the Jedi path. 

  "General Vos was a Shadow, no?" Rex asks, considering his watery caf and wishing he knew how to approach his general about any of this. "He would empathise most, wouldn't he?"

  "I suppose you're right," she says, bouncing her legs. "How have the others been? Echo and Jesse and them?"

  "They're most disturbed by Kenobi’s face, to be honest."

  Choking on a laugh, Ahsoka reaches across the table to steal an unused sucrose packet from Rex's tray. "I did hear something about Echo and cadets," she admits. "Oh no, how did Kix react?"

  Rex smirks at the memory. "He really does like Kenobi’s hair, doesn't he?"

  "He must have been devastated!"

  "I think he tried to get the General to let him shave designs in the undercut."

  "I suddenly know what I'm doing for the next Disaster Lineage prank war."

 Rex winces, remembering the last prank war and how long it had taken Anakin to stop smelling like hot sauce. "Jesse's the best with the razors," he says blandly, mourning his now-empty cup and the broken caf machine in the kitchen, "and will work for extra shower tokens."

-

is this what you wanted, fiori?? 1,400 words about obi-wan without obi-wan in it for more than two seconds???

Mando’a: didi — a Clone-dialect specific form of dadita, a Mandalorian nonverbal communication similar to morse code. i think the clones would have a modified version of dadita that utilised placement of fingers on their arm as well as the actual taps, for quicker communication in close quarters, so in this case, didi is short for gadi dadita, “wrist dadita”. They would use this alongside standard military hand signals!

vode — “brothers, comrades, siblings”, sing. vod, technically gender neutral but used most often in fandom as “brothers”

[nevertheless-moving]

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27 - Part 2.5

Suicidal Misunderstanding AU

I’m cleaning this up for AO3 and included a ‘missing scene’ that I was too impatient to finish writing before, for anyone who would like. It chronologically fits in between parts Two and Three. 

As soon as he turned the bend, Obi-Wan staggered to a halt, clinging to a wall sconce for support.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Anakin teased.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. “Actually, that sounds quite lovely.”

“I- wait, really?”

“You did offer. It’s been years since I had anyone care enough to carry me when I’m struggling, and I can’t imagine anyone will ever care enough to carry me again. So. Yes. That sounds nice. But if you’re planning on, I don’t know, dissolving into a pile of sand, or melting into a pool of lava, then I’d just as soon walk.” Obi-Wan smiled weakly at Anakin’s wide-eyed shock.

“Walking it iii-” Obi-Wan had scarcely turned away when Anakin scooped him up defiantly and began marching quickstep to their quarters.

“I’ve carried you before.” Anakin said stiffly. “On Aargonar, remember?

“Aargonar…force, that was the back in the first year of the war, wasn’t it? I can’t say I remember you- or I suppose Anakin- ugh- can I just call you Anakin?”

“...Yes master, you can call me Anakin.”

“I don’t remember you carrying me on Aargonar, but so much has happened since then. I suppose the memory might have been buried.” Obi-Wan mused.

“You were unconscious for most of it.”

“Ah. That would do it.”

“And it wasn’t that long ago.”

“No.” Obi-Wan replied quietly. “I suppose it wasn’t.”

“Obi-Wan- what did you mean before…about…you know.”

Obi-Wan blinked, staring up into Anakin’s (thankfully) blue eyes. “What do you mean what did I mean?”

Anakin made a low frustrated noise, then ducked down a side passageway at the sound of footsteps.

“Where are you taking me?” Obi-Wan asked curiously.

“To our quarters- I’m just taking a roundabout way. I assumed you wouldn’t want anyone to see me carrying you, but correct me if I’m wrong, Master.”

“Oh. That’s- I guess I wouldn’t? It’s a bit of an odd situation but I suppose depending on who we ran into… yes I could see that being awkward.” Anakin’s former Master sighed heavily.

“Obi-Wan, what did you mean that you didn’t have anyone who cared about you enough to carry you?” Anakin asked in a rush of words, attempt to frame the question casually failing before it had begun.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. “That’s not a very nice question,” he choked out. “I thought you were being nice.”

“I am being nice!” Anakin replied quickly, biting back panic. “I’m carrying you! I- I care about you! Obviously!”

Obi-Wan made a soft, sad noise.

Anakin stopped in place, voice growing suspicious and angry. “I swear to the force if this was some sort of attempt to trick me into admitting attachments- you- I- I’m going to drop you on this rock floor and-“

“You hate me!”

The words burst painfully out of Obi-Wan, cutting them both to the quick.

“I- what. Obi-Wan, I- how can you think that.” Anakin said numbly, confused and a little horrified.

“You told me! You yelled it at me.”

Anakin stared down slack-jawed at his Master, who he had never seen look so upset, his tired eyes scrunched shut. Anakin's hands clenched convulsively around one of the few people he genuinely loved. He leaned against a wall, his mind racing backwards furiously.

He had been…13? 13 and a half? Obi-Wan had been furiously lecturing him over- something. Something that really wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t even remember. A broken practice droid? A fight with Ferus? And he had yelled…a lot of things. Just trying to shatter his Master’s stupid neutral expression. And…he had succeeded. For a moment, Obi-Wan looked…really upset. Then Anakin ran off, feeling guilty. They didn’t talk for the day. Then they just sort of- moved on. Like they always did when they fought. Like they always did when one of them hurt the other. He had thought Obi-Wan had been upset by Anakin bringing up Qui-Gon, but for him to still remember all this years later…

“I- I didn’t mean it” Anakin whispered. “I- Obi-Wan, look at me, please.”

Obi-Wan stared up, slightly wet eyes wrinkled fearfully.

“Master…I was angry. I didn’t mean it. I could never mean it. You’re- you’re too important. I’m sorry. Of course I care about you. You’re- You’re my,” Anakin hesitated, not wanting to go too far, even now. “You’re my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend, too.” Obi-Wan said, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry I never told you that but- you’re my best friend in the whole galaxy. Even if you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Anakin repeated helplessly. “I didn’t mean it.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “You should probably keep walking. I feel a little dizzy and your metal arm actually makes this a bit uncomfortable.”

Anakin continued forward. “Is there…anything else you’re sorry you never told me?” He asked hesitantly, a bit scared but not really willing to let this opportunity simply slide by.

“Oh, so many things,” Obi-Wan groaned. “I suppose I should say them now, shouldn’t I?”

“If you want.” Anakin answered nervously.

“Well for a start, I’m sorry about giving you that dreadful old-fashioned haircut right before the parade on Naboo. It really wasn’t strictly necessary, but you seemed so excited at looking like a ‘real’ jedi padawan…”

Anakin snorted. “I made that haircut look good, come on. If nothing else, our lineage is single-handedly responsible for bringing it back in style, and I for one, am proud of that.”

Obi-Wan laughed.

“I always knew about you and Padme.”

Anakin stumbled but quickly resumed his stride.

“You- you do?” Anakin stuttered.

“Well not everything, but for Kriffs sake you practically made out right next to me on Genosis. And you’re not the most subtle, in general.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything.”

“I suppose I was hoping you’d come to me first. Maybe I was a little scared if I confronted the situation, you’d leave the order, leave me. I don’t know.” Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes. “It hardly matters.”

“And you’re not mad? About…attachment and ‘carousing’ and…stuff?”

“I’m not exactly a shining role model for attachment. And ‘stuff’ isn’t actually against the Jedi code. Though for force sake I suppose I should have sat you down and done a refresher ‘safe sex’ talk, honestly Anakin.”

The young knight blushed crimson and Obi-Wan grinned. “See? That right there. I can’t believe I pointlessly missed out on so many teasing opportunities. I- nothing I say about it really matters but... I know I fretted over you… I think, ultimately, I just wanted you to be happy. I never knew how to say that and it all just feels so stupid now.”

Anakin smiled, almost overwhelmed with relief and amazed joy, but Obi-Wan… looked upset. Really upset.

Anakin cleared his throat. “We’re at our quarters.”

“Oh!” Obi-Wan squirmed out of his padawan’s arms, gently touching the nameplate. “It looks just like I remembered.”

He rushed inside and turned in a slow circle. “Oh. Oh my.” His eyes were brimming with tears. “I really missed this place.”

“…I’m going to take a blood sample now, ok Master? It’s probably fine but- just in case. We can deal with things after you get some sleep.”

Anakin hustled his very distractible best friend (in the whole galaxy!) through drinking water and getting ready for bed.

“Anakin-” Obi-Wan called out as he turned to leave.

“Yes, Master?”

“One more thing before I go to sleep-”

Obi-Wan pulled the very vivid hallucination in for a warm hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t hug you more. There were times I wanted to so badly- you were so small. But Qui-Gon only ever hugged me if I was about to die, but maybe that’s just because I can’t imagine Dooku every hugging him, and maybe its Yoda’s fault for being so unattached. Anyway. I regret not doing it more. Just for no reason. Maybe its silly, but the more time I've been spending by myself, the more I've thought about it.”

Anakin fisted his hands into Obi-Wan’s robes, feeling- safe. Like a little kid again, before he realized his Mom couldn’t really protect him. Or before Obi-Wan seemed to drift away.

They stood there for a long while, Anakin at a loss for words.

“I miss you.” Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin just squeezed harder, trying to put all his feelings into a form his surrogate father and best friend might be willing to accept.

‘Next’ (Part Three)

[kiwikipedia]

I kinda have started obsessing over the Temple Guard thanks to you, and of course my brain came up with an OC. And I would really like more content for my hamster brain to absorb. Would you consider writing more head cannons for the Guard? Please?

I always have more headcanon content for the Guard

First of all, it should be noted that they are not an overly large section of Jedi. They number at roughly two-hundred to two-fifty Jedi at most and only a fourth of them are on shift at once— unless there are certain circumstances.

These circumstances vary, though usually in the event where a Guard is called to the frontlines (due to some reason or another) all the others will refuse to rest and remain on Vigil. This includes Cin, and he remains at the front stair the entire time— be it hours or days on end.

Other Circumstances are in the event of a break-in or an attack on the temple: When either of those happens, the number of Guards on shift double, meaning that half the Guard is on shift at one time.

It should be noted that both the Holocron Heist and the Temple Bombing both had the Guard on edge and also morale dropping because how did they not notice?

The Guard is divided every shift into groups— Patrol and Post. The Patrol walks a specific route through the Temple, while Post are stationed in various spots and they have since divided up the Temple into sections for patrol and posts. Major points in the Temple such as the Archives, the Front Stair, the Gardens, the Council Chambers, The Crèche Halls, and so on all have Post Guards standing out by their entrances, while Patrol Guards move around and through the halls silently.

In fact, the Guards are almost impossible to make out unless you’re looking for them specifically, due to them all training to suppress their Force Signatures. The Instructors actually turn this into a game for initiates so that they can practice picking up things in the Force.

Because of this, and the Guard’s training in Shadow Walking, the Guard are also considered to be the stealthiest branch of Jedi on top of being some of the strongest. They blend in entirely with the Temple more often than not, which leads to them being able to witness some very interesting things— and collecting blackmail.

It is rare for anyone who isn’t part of the Guard or isn’t part of Cin’s lineage (such as Serra Keto) to hear the voice of any Guard without the modulator. All the Guard’s masks have a modulator that makes their voices sound the same, however, it is rarely used due to the fact that the Guard keeps the voice mufflers on in their masks. Outside of the Guard’s Halls, they remain silent unless talking over the private Comms that link between the Guards.

The Jedi who know what any of the Guards look like/sound like are few in number, with Mace Windu and Yoda being two outside of Cin Drallig.

Aside from the Commlink, Voice Modulator, and Voice Mufflers, each mask also has an in-helmet scanner, along with an audio recording function. Cin Drallig would later commission and add in a visual recording function and a hud system to share visual files in the event of an escaped prisoner, this came to head as useful during the chase of Barriss Offee.

[mossflowermouse]

This is a gift for @ah-nakin as part of the @starwarssecretsanta exchange - I hope you like it! Massive thanks to @lilhawkeye3 for organizing this, it’s been so much fun <3

(1.5k. In which Obi-Wan’s padawan and grandpadawan kids decide he needs a rest, pretty much everyone agrees with them, and nobody in this lineage is capable of doing anything without being Dramatic about it.)

Anakin and Ahsoka have been plotting something.

Not that there’s any real proof of it, mind you – they’ve become far too careful with their schemes lately to actually risk him overhearing anything – but Obi-Wan’s seen them trading glances, and he knows that look. At the very least, it means mischief. At its worst, well, quite a few officials are still scratching their heads over how anyone had managed to divert two-thirds of a parade plus cheering onlookers through the middle of the Temple last Republic Day. Although in fairness to the two of them, that one hadn’t been entirely their fault. It would have been resolved far more quickly had Master Yoda not chosen to interpret “please help” as “please help Anakin and Ahsoka” and gone to assure a bemused steward that of course this was the correct route for the parade, keep going you should, enjoying it the younglings are. 

(Mace had eyed Obi-Wan a little suspiciously when he’d informed the Council of that part. Obi-Wan had given his friend his most innocent I’m-a-responsible-Jedi-Master look in return; after all, his intention in going to Master Yoda had been to get the misunderstanding cleared up. And if it hadn’t been, Mace can’t prove it.)

Now, though, his padawans seem to be taking steps to avoid including him in their newest plot. Which means he’s almost certainly the target.

Ah well. Whatever it is will most likely be a nuisance, but a harmless one. There’s no point worrying about it now. Obi-Wan has more pressing matters to address, like the stack of paperwork he really ought to make a start on before the Council meeting at noon, and then there are a few odds and ends to check with Anakin about, and then –

There’s a knock at the door. He knows before answering it that Anakin and Ahsoka are standing outside, their familiar Force signatures bright with amusement. Well then. Perhaps he won’t have to wait that long to find out what they’re up to after all.

The first thing Obi-Wan sees as the door slides open is Anakin’s grin, which more or less confirms his hunch; Ahsoka is out of sight.

“Anakin. I wasn’t expecting to see you up this early. What brings you here?”

Anakin smiles innocently at him, which is never a good sign. “Well, Ahsoka and I were talking, and we think you should take more days off. Starting today. Take a break, Master, it’ll be good for you.”

Obi-Wan wonders, a little guiltily, if he’s misjudged his padawan’s intentions. “I appreciate the thought, Anakin, but I really can’t take today off. There’s an awful lot to sort out while we’re still on Coruscant, so…”

He trails off, suspicions returning in full force as Anakin’s smile widens. “Oh, don’t worry, Master. We’ve got everything planned out.” This is definitely what they’ve been scheming about, then. Obi-Wan wonders if he ought to have a bad feeling about it.

And speaking of we – Obi-Wan narrows his eyes. “Anakin, why is Ahsoka hiding in the corridor? We all know I know she’s there.”

Anakin steps back from the door and gestures to his left, inviting Obi-Wan to take a look. He does. Standing in the corridor and trying desperately to look serious is Ahsoka, wearing a set of Obi-Wan’s robes and a cloak that trails on the floor and a – he squints at the piece of orange fabric stuck to her chin – is that meant to be his beard? It’s awfully scruffy. And rather hastily made, from the looks of it. He blinks a few times in confusion.

“I’m going to be you for the day!” Ahsoka announces. “So you can rest and you don’t have to worry about missing anything.”

Obi-Wan really doesn’t think that’s how this works, but he’s prevented from saying so by Anakin chiming in again. “That’s right. Look, Master, the resemblance is striking. Nobody will even know the difference.”

Obi-Wan stares pointedly at Ahsoka’s montrals and terrible fake beard, then raises an eyebrow at Anakin, who just snickers a little. Before Obi-Wan can rebuke him, though, Ahsoka fixes Anakin with a look of mild disapproval, rubs her temples wearily, and says “Anakin” in an uncannily precise imitation of Obi-Wan’s Coruscanti accent. If he’s being honest, it’s a little surreal.

“Now, Snips, don’t tease Obi-Wan,” Anakin chides. Obi-Wan’s not sure he’s ever heard him sound less sincere. “But she’s right, you know, Master. We can handle everything.”

This is a little ridiculous. “Anakin, I have a Council meeting today - ”

“Don’t worry, Master, we already knew about it,” Anakin interrupts cheerfully. “Ahsoka can manage.”

Ahsoka, who if Obi-Wan recalls correctly was complaining about having to attend so many long briefings just last Taungsday, nods confidently and gives him a reassuring smile. “We’ve got this, Master Kenobi. Just relax!”

“Ahsoka will be there right on time for the meeting, won’t you, Snips?”

Obi-Wan can’t believe this. They can’t be serious.

He looks at them again and sighs internally. No, they are.

***

“ – and I checked with Cody and he told me you didn’t have anything urgent to sort out for the 212th while everyone is on shore leave, and that just leaves your meeting, and we’ve already got that sorted out, trust me, so – ”

“Anakin. I believe you. And I already said I’ll take the day to relax, you don’t have to keep trying to convince me.” It’s…mostly true, though Obi-Wan’s still planning to get a little of that paperwork done once they’ve left to go and cause chaos.

Anakin beams, basking in the success of a plan well executed. “That’s great, Master. Oh, I almost forgot! One other thing before we go – Ahsoka, that cloak’s way too long, you’d better leave it here.”

Ahsoka’s face lights up; clearly this part was planned, because right on cue, she shrugs out of the cloak with a level of exaggerated melodrama that rivals her grandmaster. Obi-Wan’s honestly a little proud to see it.

Anakin picks up the discarded cloak, wraps it around Obi-Wan’s shoulders with a flourish, and steers him firmly back into his room. On his way out, he calls over his shoulder, “By the way, Cody took your ‘pad earlier, so you’re not wriggling out of a day off by doing paperwork either. Relax, Master!”

So even Cody has joined the conspiracy against him. Obi-Wan will admit the betrayal stings a little. He sinks into a chair and resigns himself to a day of doing nothing in particular.

Two and a half cups of tea and half an hour of meditation later, Obi-Wan’s decided this might not be so bad after all. Though he ought to comm someone to explain. Yoda perhaps. Or – no, Yoda will just laugh, better to speak to Mace. And maybe make sure Anakin and Ahsoka don’t cause too much of a disturbance in his absence.

***

“Good morning, Padawan Tano,” holo-Mace says, completely deadpan. “Can I help you with anything?”

Obi-Wan resists the urge to turn the comm back off and throw it across the room; instead, he settles for giving his friend a deeply unimpressed look almost uniquely reserved for Anakin at his most irresponsible. “Mace. If this is meant as revenge for helping them with Republic Day…”

The corner of Mace’s mouth twitches, subtle enough that most would pass it off as a flicker of the holo without a second thought. “Certainly not, padawan.” Yes, it absolutely is. “You seem frustrated. Is there a problem?”

Obi-Wan huffs with exaggerated displeasure that entirely fails to make Mace look even a little bit sorry. “I was planning to explain my absence from the meeting and apologize in advance for anything Ahsoka and Anakin might get up to, but it seems there’s no need. Just how many people did they rope into this, Mace?”

Mace chuckles, dropping the act. “The rest of the Council, Skywalker’s droids, and I expect half your battalion will be in on it too by the end of the day. If you insist on working through every spare minute you shouldn’t be surprised when people notice it, Obi-Wan. They’re only trying to make sure you look after yourself.”

“This seems like far too much effort just to get me to take a day off. You could have just asked.”

“Perhaps,” Mace admits. “But it was funnier to see what Tano and Skywalker would come up with. Although I may regret saying that in a few hours.”

Obi-Wan shakes his head, smiling fondly.

The same smile returns early that evening when his padawans drop in, Ahsoka now sporting an even more ridiculous fake beard and Anakin carefully balancing three cups of tea. Obi-Wan invites them both to sit down and gently straightens Ahsoka’s new beard – made by Quinlan this time, apparently, and it covers half her face and is longer than her lekku and honestly, where did Quinlan even get the time to make this? – before taking a seat again himself. As Anakin passes out the tea and Ahsoka excitedly begins to tell him about what Master Plo said to her in the Council meeting, Obi-Wan realises he’s quite intrigued by the inevitably chaotic details of their day. Particularly since with the rest of the Council enabling them this time, nobody can falsely claim he’s responsible for any of it. 

He takes a sip of his tea and settles in to listen.

[jasontoddiefor]

anakin/hugs is my otp please give this man all the hugs ever he is so touch starved

Since you’re literally the only person in my inbox who suggested he get a hug instead of more pain, you get the first reply of the day.

Ahsoka knew that her apprenticeship was anything but ordinary. Her Master hadn’t picked her out of her clan after seeing qualities he thought he could nurture, but Ahsoka had been chosen by Anakin nevertheless. At the beginning of their partnership, she had had her doubts whether they had been truly made for one another or if Anakin wouldn’t see another Initiate at the temple when they were allowed shore leave and found somebody stronger, better. But her Master, unconventional as he might be, had picked her again and again. Perhaps bonds forged in the aftermath of tragedy and victory were stronger than any other. Nobody could doubt that when watching Obi-Wan and Anakin fight together. They continuously supported one another, made up for each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

Ahsoka wanted Anakin to be able to rely on her like that as well. She wanted, no, needed to be a pillar for him.

Now more than ever, or so it seemed.

Anakin had always been unusual. He was the Chosen One, even if he disliked the title and would prefer it if everybody just forgot about it. He also had a very loose relationship with the code and how a Jedi should conduct themselves in public. He taught Ahsoka mantras about while they were practicing ‘saber stances in mock combat. He also never had a problem with openly showing his affection. If anything, he had a hard time avoiding doting too much on the people he cared about. Whenever they had made it out of another bloodbath with death still clinging to them, the last words of dead soldiers still echoing in the Force, he made sure to hold her close.

“Stop listening to that,” he said. “Focus only on me.”

It was easier to let go of it all when Anakin’s warmth and heartbeat reassured her that this battle at least was over. They didn’t always win, they didn’t always lose. It was difficult to see a silver lining when every battle appeared to have the same result. But as long as enough people survived and they were still here, Ahsoka thought he could keep marching for another day.

Most Jedi divided their lives into before the war and after. Ahsoka couldn’t do that, not anymore. The peaceful days of her childhood seemed so far away. For her instead it was now before when Anakin was still alright and after when he was hurting. She didn’t entirely understand what had happened, why exactly he had collapsed on that battlefield. She had gathered the basics, learned about visions of a horrible future lived, but Ahsoka didn’t understand how it could be so horrible that her Master could forget how to walk and eat, treated his body like an extension of his blade.

“This lightsaber is your life,” he had said after she’d lost it for the first time in his presence.

Now it appeared as if he thought his life was the blade instead.

He still checked up on her, ensured that she was healthy, but even the softest and most gentle of touches made him uncomfortable and freeze up. It was easy to see how much he longed for contact, yet he seemed terrified of it. Ahsoka hated it. A good Jedi didn’t hate, but her lineage was made up of mavericks, even Master Obi-Wan. For all that he claimed to be the sane one, Ahsoka saw the looks other Jedi sent him when they thought he wasn’t looking. So Ahsoka figured this distance, this pain Anakin was experiencing, she could be allowed to hate.

For all that her emotions ran so deeply though, Ahsoka couldn’t bring herself to knock on Anakin’s door. She knew he was awake. She could count the hours she had caught him sleeping in the last weeks on two hands with fingers left over. It was ridiculous. She shouldn’t need comforting because of a stupid nightmare. She had had plenty of those since the war began. They didn’t even include any special warnings of the Force, just endless battlefields and ruined planets.

Mind already half-made up, Ahsoka turned around when the door suddenly opened. Anakin looked tired, he always did. The deep bags under his eyes had become pretty permanent and he had lost weight as well.

“Credit for your thoughts?” He said.

His voice was so flat. He made breaks in his sentences in regular intervals that made no sense to her and added a strange intonation to it all.

“I- I couldn’t sleep,” Ahsoka admitted. “I had a nightmare.”

She sounded like a helpless youngling, it was awful. She should be stronger than this. She was a Padawan already.

Anakin studied her, then stepped away from the door to let her inside, all while making sure that he was within arm’s length distance, never touching her.

Anakin’s bed was freshly made, or perhaps he had never even sat down in it. The sight offended Ahsoka so much, she decided to claim it for herself and dropped down on the blankets. Anakin meanwhile kept standing. That was another habit he had picked up since Ahsoka’s new divide.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

Ahsoka shook her head. She didn’t want to describe how she had seen Obi-Wan getting impaled on Grievous’s stolen lightsabers, Barriss being locked up and tortured, Anakin burning-

“Can I- can I have a hug?” Ahsoka’s voice sounded so small, even to herself.

Anakin’s eyes widened and surprise, fear, and apprehension took over his expression. That was another new thing. He couldn’t really keep the expressions he made under control. It was getting better already, but it was far from the usual calm and neutrality Jedi tried to show.

“Ahsoka, I’m not-“

“Please? I don’t want to be alone in my head.”

Silence followed her statement, then Anakin slowly sat down next to her. Their thighs were touching. He was so tense as if he was ready to bolt any second, afraid of being hurt or hurting her- she couldn’t tell. He put his arms around her shoulders and Ahsoka buried her face in the crook of his neck. She didn’t cry, didn’t want to show how everything was too much. Her shoulders trembled either way.

“Focus,” Anakin mumbled, half-order and half-plea. “Just focus on me. The universe becomes smaller. There is just this planet. Just this ship. Just this room. Just me. Focus on nothing but me. There are no nightmares here.”

Anakin’s hold on her slowly became a little tighter, a little more comfortable, a little more like the hugs they used to share.

They were going to get there again. Everything would be alright.

[purplezombietumbler]

Every friend group Jedi Lineage should include pt. 2:

A bimbo:

A mean bisexual:

An even meaner lesbian:

She/theys:

He/theys:

A token straight that’s on thin ice:

An astrology bitch who has everyone’s birth chart memorized:

A short king:

.

.

.

.

.

.

@eglerieth

I did my best with what i had🥺

[kyberled]

Send "🙋" + any headcannons you want to know about my muse. || ACCEPTING

@hxdrostorm​ asked:

🙋 + his relationship with his jedi master! 

Oh, I could go on about this forever. To start, I should say that this pertains exclusively to Rodi’s Obi-Wan. That’s always been Papa. Rodi is intrinsic to the creation of Braig as a character, just as Obi-Wan is intrinsic to Braig’s growth and development as a person. Braig wouldn’t be who he is without his dad. 

Braig adores Obi-Wan. He loves him unconditionally. He always has, and, by and large, always will. Obi-Wan wasn’t the first Jedi Braig ever encountered, but he was AMONG the first. Obi-Wan, a strapping twenty years old, and Braig, with only about four months under his tiny belt. I’m honestly not sure which of them was baffled by the introduction, but here we are. 

When Braig says that Obi-Wan taught him almost everything he knows, he’s not exaggerating. Rodi and I had threads over Skype (yes, it was that long ago) where Obi was teaching toddler-Braig how to walk. Holding those tiny hands and encouraging every wobbly little step. Obi-Wan chaperoned his gathering. Braig (vaguely) remembers when Obi started growing the beard. Rodi put it best when they said ‘they’re so intertwined, they literally need each other’. While he is a Jedi, and he understands both the nature of their jobs and of mortality itself, it’s hard for Braig to imagine life without his master around. It’s not something he likes thinking about. (Rako Hardeen makes him think about it, but that’s something I’ve talked about before, so I’ll spare the rant for now.) 

The inverse to Braig and Obi being the best Jedi father-son duo (fight me in the comments) is the amount of pressure kiddo feels from it. A lot of source material says Obi-Wan is the ‘ideal’ Jedi, and whether or not you agree with it, Braig does. He knows he’s part of a pretty significant lineage, being not far removed from Yoda, and including Dooku, who’s one of the best duelists of their era. He knows Obi-Wan got onto the High Council at a VERY young age. He’s personally seen a lot of the incredible feats his master has pulled off. Oh, and let’s not forget that Obi-Wan’s previous padawan is the Chosen One. When you add to that Braig’s admittedly kind of intense idolization of his master, it equals some pretty big shoes to fill. Even with all of his extra training, with all the work he puts in, Braig wonders sometimes if he’ll ever really be worthy of his master. 

He’s never really sure about that.

[evabellasworld]

Storm of the Republic

Chapter 22

AO3 Link | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

——————————————————————————————

Summary:  When Tup murdered General Tiplar during a battle, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex dispatched Ahsoka, Fives, and Yara to solve the mystery that was plaguing the Clone Army. Meanwhile, Senator Padme Amidala contacted Commander Fox, Commander Tori, Riyo Chuchi, and Dipper to help her continue investigating the death of Palpatine, suspecting that Dooku was behind the evil plot. But when Dooku send an ISB agent to stop them, the team had to race against time to search for the truth, which could alter the course of the galaxy.

————————————————————————————

Glancing at the fireside, Erina held her roasted grasshopper closer to the flames, hoping it would be fully cooked. With the cold air in her surroundings, she wrapped herself with her own hands, keeping herself warm.

“Are you alright, General Almarez-Guttierez?” Obi-Wan asked, noticing her staring at her food for a while. “You don’t seem to have an appetite.”

“I’m alright, General Kenobi,” she smiled at him. “It’s been a long day and I’m just exhausted, that’s all.”

“If you don’t mind me, I suggest you should get some rest. You’ll feel better the next day.”

“I appreciate your advice, but I think I’ll hit the sack a bit later. Besides, it’s no good sleeping with an empty stomach, anyway. Otherwise, I would end up craving a midnight snack.”

Raul tittered as he indulged in his small meal, before he spilled Erina’s habits. “My partner is rather rigid in her schedule. She must eat something before heading to bed,” he told him. “The last time she did that in college, she ended up eating a bowl of cereal.”

“You know how mama and abuela are,” Erina put her hands on his shoulder. “When it comes to mealtime, I either eat on time or starve to death.”

“Well, that seems harsh, but at least you’re consistent with your meals,” Obi-Wan chuckled as he slurped on his canteen. “For me, I have to convince my Padawan to have dinner every time, and he is quite a challenge to deal with.”

Raul raised his eyebrows. “Wait, General Skywalker was difficult for you to manage? Tell me about it.”

Obi-Wan smiled as he leaned against a tree bark, glancing at the stars in the wine-coloured sky. “It was difficult to train Anakin. He is impatient, brash, hot-headed, and occasionally stubborn. Teaching him something is just, well, to put it nicely, it gives me a headache most of the time.”

“Well, raising a child is never easy,” Erina shook her head. “They can make you stressed most of the time.”

“But it’s not all bad, though. Anakin was also a talented pilot, and he is quite tech-savvy with machines and gadgets, so it’s all good. Besides, I lost count on how many times he had to assist me in new tech and I’m forever grateful for his help.”

“General Skywalker is amazing,” Raul praised him. “I’ve seen him fly in his starships more than once, and it was breathtaking. Personally, flying is extremely difficult for me, but he made it look so easy. It’s like he’s done that for like, a millionth time, you know.”

“Anakin was a champion in the Mos Eisley Podracing when he was 10, and that race alone had won his freedom from slavery. Unfortunately, his mother had to stay behind and he missed her a lot.”

“That’s so sad,” Erina dropped her eyebrows. “I can’t imagine being separated from my familia that young. It must be painful for him to bear.”

“He also blamed himself for his mother’s death later in life,” Obi-Wan spoke with a heavy heart. “Anakin always wanted to see his mother again, but he never thought he would find her dead on Tatooine instead. Even now, he wished he could see her again for one last time.”

Raul wiped the tears from his eyes with his gloved hand, thinking about his family back home. “I miss my mother, too. She raised me all by herself after my father died in an accident. It’s been a while since I’ve visited her, and I can’t imagine the pain she had to go through for not being able to see her son again. I’m sorry, mama.”

“I miss my familia too,” cried Erina. “When I was fighting a war, I always thought I could visit them when it ended. But now, I don’t think I can see them again. I can’t believe I took everything for granted. If I’d known that was the last time I would see them, I would have spent every single minute with them.”

Obi-Wan may not know the feeling of being separated from family, but he understands the pain it brings them. “What do you both miss about your family?”

“I missed mama’s and abuela’s cooking. I also missed my papa making jokes with me, I missed my abuelo’s wonderful story, and I missed teasing all of my sisters. We were quite close, and we always helped each other out, no matter how dire the situation was.”

“I missed mama’s cooking too,” Raul spilled. “Mama and I weren’t really close to our extended family, so Erina’s family would always invite us for family events instead. They invited us for Eid-ul Fitr celebrations, while we invited them for Life Day. We may not be blood-related, but we were always there for each other, good and bad times.”

“Family doesn’t always have to be about blood,” the Jedi Master said, finishing his drink. “Sometimes, a family can comprise a middle-age man, a young adult man, a teenage girl, and two little girls. A family can also comprise a clone commander and a street child. They may not have the same lineage, but the bond between them is unbreakable.”

Erina curled her lips upwards as she gobbled up the whole grasshopper, before leaning her head on Raul’s shoulders. “So the first family you described, was it you and General Skywalker?”

“Yes, it was me, Anakin, Ahsoka, Lira, and Eva,” he gleamed, thinking about the twins. “Anakin was my first apprentice, while Eva was my second and last. She wasn’t as brash as Anakin, but she’s also quite stubborn. She likes to draw, play with her dolls, and read books too. Even though she became a Jedi Knight earlier, we were quite close as well. Anakin would complain about how I pamper Eva too much, but there’s nothing wrong with treating her once in a while.”

“What about Lira? What is she like?” Raul wondered, wrapping his arms around Erina.

“Lira was quite hyper and talkative,” he laughed. “She’s always asking so many questions to her master, but Vanya is always patiently answering every single one she knows. Even if she doesn’t know, she always tries her best to search for the answers with Lira, even if they take days. I don’t train her, but I always make sure she feels included as well.”

“This Vanya, is she your friend?”

“Yeah, we were close,” Obi-Wan nodded, holding back her tears. “We have been best friends since we were kids. She was quiet, but she’s also smart and perceptive. Vanya loved making things out of scraps too, just like Lira.”

“You know, I remember when she made a dollhouse out of a milk carton. There was a living room, a kitchen, a garden, and two bedrooms. I asked Vanya, what was the extra bedroom for? And guess what she told me?”

“What is it?” Erina asked.

“She told me that the extra bedroom was for me,” Obi-Wan sobbed, covering his face with immense guilt. “I wish I could see her again. She was my best friend, and I missed her so much. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry that your friend is no longer with you,” Raul sympathised with the Jedi Master. “I know it’s heartbreaking losing your best friend, and I’m sad that you had to go through that.”

Obi-Wan could only smile as he looked up at the glowing moon, prompting him to get up. “We should rest now. It’s a long way to Mendes.”

“Goodnight, General Kenobi,” Raul wished him, as he and Erina headed inside their tent and laid closer with each other, sharing the warmth.

[kaydeefalls]

What would’ve been your ideal plot points/character arcs for star wars ep 9? The palpatine post reminded me how much tros just makes my head erupt in flames 🙃. Or alternatively, what’s your fave Star Wars thing?

OHHHH MY GOD THE PALPATINE THING WAS SO DUMB.

Okay. So. Part of the problem with ep 9 was ep 8. And here’s the thing, I mostly agreed with the choices made in TLJ (which...I know fandom was SHARPLY divided on that one). But so much of TROS felt like a deliberate refutation of every single plot point in TLJ, and that’s just...not how you freaking structure a trilogy, guys. This is not where you fight it out! Pick an arc and stick to it! So let’s assume, for starters, that ep 9 is NOT setting out to undo every decision made in ep 8, okay? And that includes the parts of TLJ I personally found incredibly dumb (see: Poe’s entirely story arc).

What I would have liked from ep 9:

1. A character-centric plot revolving around Rey taking up Luke’s mantle and facing off against Kylo Ren as the Big Bad (with Hux as the Lesser Bad; he can still do the knife-in-the-back betrayal shtick, that very much suited his character). Also, Rey really is a nobody, lineage-wise. Just like Anakin once was. The Force can be found in a scrappy desert scavenger, too.

2. Finn comes to terms with his own Force-sensitivity and realizes that’s what helped him break free of Stormtrooper conditioning; he and the other ex-troopers start a revolution within the ranks to help topple the First Order. This is crucial: it starts from within, not just some big space battle like we see in literally every other episode of all three trilogies. Troopers were people too, once. Stolen children. They rise up.

3. If there is a redemption arc for Kylo Ren, it comes from a sudden burst of self-awareness -- maybe looking out at the sea of Troopers engaged in their own civil war -- realizing oh shit, I did this, what the fuck did I do. I am not invested in Kylo Ren, I don’t think he deserved a redemption arc, but those threads WERE set up throughout eps 7 & 8 so it does make sense for them to play out.

4. I kind of think the Jedi order needed to be formally ended? Like, Rey and Finn realize that they need to forge their own paths in the Force, to find balance in a new way.

5. Poe does take up the General role after Leia’s passing (which should be handled...differently, IDK, I know there was no good way to handle Carrie Fisher’s loss but they could have done pretty much ANYTHING else with it). He has to actually kriffing strategize instead of just jumping into a ship and blowing things up, and he struggles with it, but he learns and grows. Rose plays a key role in this; she has more than two minutes of screentime.

6. Look, honestly, I don’t care if endgame pairing is Finn/Rey or Finn/Poe or everyone is just friends and that’s great. I just want their character arcs to make SENSE, dammit.

And on this topic, a fannish friend of mine wrote up a whole article last year on how they would have redone TROS, and frankly, I think they’re spot on - The Rise of Skywalker We Deserved. Very much worth a read!

[dumbledearme]

Unpopular opinion:

TROS works. For me at least. And here’s why:

So... I have never been a die hard Star Wars fan. In fact, although I do love the story, the setting, the world, I always kind of thought the original trilogy was a Luke Snoozefest (#sorrynotsorry). I was under the impression that the three original movies were unnecessary and that George Lucas could’ve told the same story in just one movie, and that would’ve worked much better.

In 2015, I went to watch TFA by accident, mostly because there was nothing else to watch at the time. And boy was I shook. SHOOK, I TELL YOU. I got out of the movies completely in love with Rey and thinking that Kylo Ren was the greatest character to ever live.

And even though I wasn’t a fan at the time, I could clearly tell that TFA was an ode to the old Star Wars movies. It was telling me, essentially, the same story that it’d told 30 years ago: a hero comes out of the desert to save the galaxy from the bad guy in a mask. Yep. Thank you very much. 

Not only that, every single one of the new characters were cleverly written to replace someone else in the franchise: Rey is Luke, Kylo is Vader, Poe is Han, Finn is Leia, etc. The new trilogy starts the exact same way as the old one did, with a droid being found by the unsuspected hero, guarding very important information, which, in my mind, was already a hint that the new trilogy would also, fatefully and rightfully, end the same way the original trilogy did.

I’m not gonna lie to you, I liked TFA because the protagonist was a girl and because Adam Driver is amazing and he delivers Kylo Ren like it’s nobody’s business. But the story is intriguing and the building, at least to me, made a lot of sense and had a lot of potential. I knew from the start that Rey had to be someone’s daughter, not because she was the main character, or because she was clearly going to become a Jedi, but because of her raw potential and the consistent hints at her parentage, which, in a movie like this, are rarely gratuitos. 

Sure TLJ introduces the concept that anyone can be powerful, or a Jedi, or save the galaxy, and that is a truly powerful idea, but they weren’t necessarily saying that Rey was a nobody: I think they were saying that she should stop looking for who her parents were because ultimately it doesn’t matter. Rey being related to Palpatine in TROS doesn’t matter, it only tells you where her raw strength and potential for darkness comes from. What really matters is the choice she makes in the end to belong to the light, to belong to the Skywalkers. Rey being a Palpatine is balance because it tells you she comes from the villain’s side, but it doesn’t mean she is a villain, just as Ben comes from the hero’s side, but he's chosen to be Kylo Ren. 

Not to mention that as far back as 2017 there were already theories that Rey was a Palpatine, so some fans did pick up on that from the beginning. And I have to say, looking back, that I get what they mean. Especially with the fighting scenes: Rey usually overpowers Kylo Ren using anger, fear and aggression, things that, according to Yoda “the dark side are they...” 

So ultimately, I was not mad about that. Just as I wasn’t mad about Palpatine being the main villain. It seemed right (?) because, like I said before, the new trilogy is essentially the same as the old one. Palpatine is the archenemy of Skywalker. When you think about it, the Skywalker line even started with Palpatine (didn’t he use his power to make Anakin’s mom pregnant with him?), so it only makes sense (?) that it should end with him, too.

And since I’m on that subject, I might as well mention that, to me, it felt like Rey is actually the chosen one from the prophecy and not Anakin like we’ve been taught to believe. She used the Force to end Palpatine once and for all. She is the balance: she is Palpatine and Skywalker, she is light and dark. So, I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned the Skywalker who brought balance back to the Force was the one who wasn’t a Skywalker by birth and rather by choice, and I think that’s really beautiful. 

Now, let’s talk about the real elephant in the room: REYLO. 

Yes, I’m a Reylo shipper. I love Rey. I love Ben. I love them together. I wanted them to get married and have lots and lots of babies. The fandom is great and the fanfics are even better. But here’s the thing: I never, not in a million years (!!!), thought the movies were hinting at them being together. WUT 

In TFA I was like “sure would be nice if they banged” cause I could see, HELL I COULD FEEL, the chemistry between them and I was all in for it. When he met Rey, Kylo was all like “hell, Imma kill this girl”, which maybe might’ve been why I felt it would be such a clever twist if he fell in love with her. 

The charm of Kylo Ren to me (other than he being played by Adam Driver, I mean) is that he’s not your typical villain. Kylo is a child who has no idea what he’s doing or WHY he’s doing it. Someone who doesn’t have an agenda is more terrifying to me because he is unpredictable: there’s no telling what he’s going to do next because he doesn’t have a defined goal, he’s just angry and vengeful and a child with a lot of power in his hands. And in the real world that is a truly scary thing. 

But then again, back in 2015, I thought that if Kylo and Rey had fallen in love would mean that I was watching a romance and Star Wars might be many things but it was never about romance. Sure, it’s about family, it’s about love and friendship, but it was never about ~~romantic love~~. The romantic love between Han and Leia is a secondary plot and if you remove it from the movie, it changes absolutely nothing. The romance between Anakin and Padme gets more attention because it’s partially the reason why he became Darth Vader, so it was necessary, but even so it’s not what the trilogy is about: the movies were made to show how he descended to darkness and not to show how he fell in love. Like.. whatever. So I was never under the impression that we would get to see these two characters fall for each other. (Plus, it sort of felt like they were building something between Rey and Finn for a hot minute there, didn’t it?)

HOWEVER, 2017 came, TLJ happened and things got bothered and hot. Because killing Han Solo didn't bind Kylo Ren to the darkness, it made him shy away from it instead. And then the bond happened (and don't even try to tell me that it wasn't a natural thing, that it was Snoke who did it, because I won't believe you, okay? They were already connected from the moment the Force awoke inside Rey and that's why they were seeing each other in the vision when Rey first touched Luke's saber.) 

So the bond happened and I thought "my God please more". I sensed the potential for fanfiction. I wanted them to be a pair, to be together. I wanted Star Wars to be a romance, just this once, I never asked you for anything, guys! But I also knew it was wishful thinking. I didn't think the bond was building a romantic relationship between the two of them (clearly I was wrong), I thought it was a powerful connection of the mind, of the soul even, but not of the heart. I thought these two very lonely characters would find a way to relate to each other so that Rey, in the end, could be the key to pulling Ben Solo back to the light. 

I was reminded of the scene in TFA when Maz tells Rey: “Whomever you’re waiting for on Jakku, they’re never coming back. But... there’s someone who still could. The belonging you’re seeking is not behind you, it is ahead.” At the time, both Rey and I assumed Maz was talking about Luke, but after TLJ I wondered if she couldn't be referring to Ben Solo? That Rey could bring him back because of that sense of belonging that neither of them had ever experienced in their lives but started to find in each other? 

So through the bond we as an audience were able to explore both Rey and Ben's past. Their connection, their chats helped them get to know each other and get to know themselves. They explored parts of themselves that they had been previously too scared to explore alone. They were even allowed to see each other in moments of weakness and vulnerability, like when Adam Driver is shirtless #yes. That was included in the movie to show us that they were getting to know each other in a very deep level where Kylo Ren was no longer the man behind the mask, he was transparent, Rey could see into his soul. And he could see into hers so much that he saw her parents and her lineage. 

And ahh when they touched hands it was like having sex to me. I was so into it, I could hardly believe it. Rey got to see Ben behind the Kylo Ren facade more deeply than Luke could see Anakin behind Darth Vader, so it was no wonder that she had the same reaction he did. 

LUKE: ...There is good in him. I’ve felt it. He won’t turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try.

REY: There’s still conflict in him. If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn. 

The scene in the elevator, for example, and when Kylo Ren is delivering Rey to Snoke are also a clear mirror of when Darth Vader is delivering Luke to Palpatine. The dialogue is also pretty similar. To me, that was a hint that the end to this story would be a pretty close mirror, if not an exact one, to the end we’ve seen in Episode VI.

LUKE: I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate.

REY: I feel the conflict in you. It's tearing you apart.

Last week, when I went to see TROS, I was not expecting at all to get confirmation that Reylo was canon. I was expecting, however, to watch Anakin die again. I anticipated the scene where Darth Vader turns and dies in the hands of the only person who believed in him. And that’s what happened to Ben. 

Look, guys, I know it’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. I know we all love Ben Solo and we wanted him to be happy. But that was never in the cards for him and deep down we’ve known it all along. Sure, we’re just humans and we can’t help hope and cheer for a character we’re attached to. But since the moment he was marked with a scar on his face he was destined to die like Anakin died. It was bound to happen. I think it worked as faith that Ben should die doing the one thing Anakin couldn’t ever do. We see him asking for Darth Vader’s guidance, fearing that he won’t ever be as strong as Darth Vader, and then we get the confirmation that he is even more so. 

The new Vader, Snoke calls him. New and improved actually. 

The thing is all Anakin ever wanted was to save the people he loved from death and he couldn’t do that. It was the only power he was after, so why couldn’t he do it, if both Ben and Rey can? 

ANAKIN: Why did she have to die? Why couldn’t I save her? I know I could have!

PADME: Sometimes there are things no one can fix. You’re not all-powerful, Ani.

ANAKIN: Well, I should be! Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I will even learn to stop people from dying.

Why, you ask? Well, I have a theory. Anakin was always blaming Obi-Wan for holding his powers back, when, in fact, his own selfishness was doing that. And the movies tell us that being a Jedi is being selfless (heck, I think Anakin is the one who says that even). 

The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards, only about themselves.

To me that is the difference between Anakin and Ben. Anakin was a full-on Sith. He wanted to keep his mom and Padme alive because of how much they meant to him, because of how much it would hurt HIM to lose them. That is not a good reason to want to save a person from death. Ben, on the other hand, he saves Rey because of who she is, because she is necessary to the world, she is important, she is a good person and she deserves to live, much more so than he does after all of the horrible things he has done. HE knows that. He is very much self-aware, something that Anakin was not. 

Which led me to think that perhaps, even as in love as he seemed to be, Anakin wasn’t ready to give up his life for Padme’s and that’s why he couldn’t use the Force to heal her. The key to that power is a life for a life. An exchange. And Anakin wouldn’t exchange his life for anyone’s. Not in that time of his life at least. He was just too selfish. And that’s where Ben differs from him. Anakin was only ever ready to die for someone many years later, when he met Luke. 

Remember: “fear of loss is a path of the dark side.”

Moreover, Anakin never learned everything there was to learn about the Force because the Jedi council didn’t trust him and they kept many things from him. I got the feeling that this was a power the Jedi kept hidden from everyone because they feared it and thought it unnatural. For Rey it came naturally because she was just that good of a person. Nobody taught her to do that. But she taught Ben, or at least she showed him how and that action is what saves her in the end. 

ANAKIN: Love won’t save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that.

But here’s the thing, Anakin. Love does save people, because it was love that allowed Ben to tap into the power and use it to exchange his life for Rey’s. 

So I’m okay with Ben’s death because I know he did for the right reasons. As for Rey’s reaction to his death... Well, wasn’t it the exact same reaction Luke had when Anakin died in his arms? I think it’s just another mirror scene, guys. 

And besides, the previous movies tells us that we should “rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force” and not mourn them. That this type of death is a good one, a happy one even. If a dialogue had happened in these scenes, it would probably have been very similar to the one between Luke and Vader. 

LUKE: You’re coming with me. I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to save you. 

VADER: You already have. You were right. You were right about me. 

And she was, guys. She was right about him and that’s all he ever needed. Ben doesn’t need to live because he can’t make right the things he’s done wrong. Both his parents are dead because of him. He can’t make up for that. What he can do is make sure that Rey doesn’t die because of him, instead she gets to live because of him. 

Which brings me to my last subject: the death of all Skywalkers. Yes, they killed all the Skywalkers in a movie called The Rise of Skywalker. And you know what? I don’t blame them. Not one bit. 

I know most of us wanted the movie to be different, to be about Ben’s redemption, but it never was. The movies are about Rey. She is the main character. She is the one who needs to live out the legacy of Star Wars. And that means that people need to let go of the past. 

“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.”

We can’t keep holding on to the old characters. We need to let the Skywalkers die. They’re done. It’s past. Star Wars needs to be about something else now. Rey only takes their name because she wants to honor the only family she has ever known, the family she knows she belongs to, but the Skywalkers have to be gone for a new generation to rise and prosper. Didn’t you notice that all the wars and all the destruction have something to do with that family? They had to go. 

In the end, Rey was alone in Tatooine and that’s okay. Being alone and being lonely are two different things. You can argue that she lost the love of her life and her only chance for happiness, but that’s not true. She lost one romantic pair. I know we live with the romantic notion of having just the one true love, but that’s not life. She will be fine because Ben made sure she lives! He gave her an opportunity to take her life and make a good thing out of it. Death is final. Life is full of possibilities. And he gave her that. As a woman, I feel good about the fact that she doesn’t need him in her life to have a happy ending, however harsh that may sound. I find comfort in knowing that she can think back on him, that she knows there was once this *beautiful* man and that she was able to touch him so deeply that she changed his faith entirely. She gave him hope. And he, in return, gave her life.  

I thought the movie delivered a great sense of nostalgia and longing at the same time that it cut everyone off from the past. It was done quite beautifully. 

I’m not going to deny that there are faults, that the fact that they changed writers mid-way was a mistake, and bringing JJ back when he had so much baggage wasn’t the greatest idea. But in no way I think the delivery was bad. There were holes in it, just like in any other Star Wars movie. There were things changed at the last minute, just like in any other Star Wars movie. 

Like I said, it wasn’t the movie I wanted it to be, the romance between Ben and Rey. But none of the Star Wars movie is what I wanted. They are what they are and they follow a pattern that, most often than not, works. 

Would I have liked it more if Ben Solo had lived happily ever after? Yes. 

Do I hate it? No. 

Thank you for reading this. Please be mindful of your words.