#Goal ISB

[groove-on-boogie-down]

Syril Karn (Cereal Corn) and Dedra Meero, creep me out so bad. They do not need to be romantic in any way to ME.

But his obsession with Cassian being taken over by his obsession with her, and her near-death experience probably making her feel in debt and him feel entitled to her attention could lead to a very interesting arc.

[lookingforhappy]

TUA Inconsistencies, Plotholes and Goofs

before u read, pls know that i adore this show and wouldn't be critiquing it this harshly if i wasn't utterly obsessed with it.

I don't think that all of these need fixes or explanations since they function as fun little plot devices etc but I think it's important to note that they do break the story a little. although there are some that really do need fixes.

this comes from a place of interest, analysis, and frustration but not hate.

(also apologies to all the gifmakers who i have indirectly @'d in this post)

here's a list of all the problems i could remember in tua:

The Commission is too OP

(this one I saw posited by another blog but I can't remember who first brought it up? so credit to whoever said this first i think)

The Commission is shown to be capable of:

time travel

time freezing

body cloning & consciousness transplanting (essentially, their workers can live forever because they can build new bodies and transfer their minds as soon as they start to get old/ill)

paradox-proofing

timeline monitoring/spying (the Infinite Switchboard)

if the Commission has had the ISB all along + infinite time + unaging employees, then they have been able to watch every second of history, and every second of every alternate history ever (Lila watches the timeline Five rewound/erased).

If they can see every second of every possible history, then even if they're the most inefficiant organisation ever, they're able to know everything before it/they even exist.

which makes more or less every plot point impossible:

Five would not have been able to return to 2019 without being spotted and hunted down by people who know exactly what he looks like (13yro not 58 yro), exactly where he is (also making the tracker in his arm, and in the sweet wrapper, redundant), and exactly when he's vulnerable eg. when he sleeps, is injured or drunk.

The Handler would not have been able to hide in 1963 and plot against the Commission without being spotted by the Commission and killed/fired. Same thing goes for stealing and hiding multiple Briefcases.

The 1963 Apocalypse would not have been allowed to happen as the Commsission would have had Viktor killed long before it happened.

The Kugelblitz wouldn't have happened because the Commission would have seen it decades or centuries in advance and prevented it (this should be top priority because this is what kills them!).

Herb and Dot's Goals for the Commission

In s1 the Commission wants a very specific timeline to take place (aka the apocalypse) with no deviations, and are willing to do anything and everything to make it so.

Herb and Dot seem more than happy to go along with this, and even believe that the Commission is correct for doing this.

Dot in particular is the Case Manager for the apocalypse, meaning she is the one who spotted Five when he arrived as a 13yro and left him there to die/live a life of pain and isolation. She also was chiefly responsible for ensuring the deaths of 7 billion people including all the Hargreeves' for "the greater good".

Dot is actually seen snitching on Five to The Handler, was implied to be working with The Handler to prevent Five from stopping the apocalypse, and is the one to alert security/sound the alarm when Five starts fighting The Handler.

So it's pretty weird that in s2 and 3 Herb and Dot are suddenly fine with the apocalypse not happening. It's one thing to change management, and another to completely uproot the entire mission statement/ethos of the Commission. The Commission, from the moment Herb and Dot gain control, has no goal or purpose. because they gave up that purpose when they agreed to let the Hargreeves go to an apocalypse free 2019.

This is also weird as Five is completely fine and trusting of them at the end of s2, when all they've done so far to him is prove that they cannot be trusted and will do anything to cause the apocalypse, as well as having left him to suffer alone in an apocalypse for 45 years as well as force him to join the Commission and become a murderer (or else die alone).

The Two Fives + The Briefcase

old!Five doesn't take his Briefcase to 2019 in the original timeline.

So why don't Five and Luther wait until old!Five has left for 2019 to pick his Briefcase up off the ground, where it's entirely unguarded and completely abandoned, and avoid the Paradox Psychosis altogether.

old!Five wasn't in the timeline or remotely near enough to Five to cause Paradox Psychosis when Five originally came up with this plan.

The Grandfather Paradox + Similar Goofs

TUA Time Travel operates on branching/alternate timelines, like Loki, not on a loop/predestined, like HP, and not on one single malleable timeline, like Back to the Future. ergo The Grandfather Paradox cannot exist within the show.

As soon as Five averts the 2019 apocalypse, his existence would trigger a paradox as without the apocalypse he never got trapped and has no reason/knowledge to return to 2019 to prevent it.

Same thing for S2, the only reason the nukes aren't dropped in S2 is bc Five saw it happen and time travelled back to prevent it, but as soon as that apocalypse is prevented, the nukes are never dropped, and so he never sees the apocalypse happen and therefore cannot know to prevent it.

In fact, the very first episode of S2 as a whole should cause the Grandfather Paradox, by the shows own laws: as by causing a nuclear apocalypse, their mothers were never born/did not survive long enough to birth them -> so they cannot be alive -> they cannot time travel -> cannot cause an apocalypse in 1960s -> the mothers were born -> and around and around and around.

A similar goof happens in S2, as Five helps his older self return to 2019 without de-aging himself. Five is concerned that he will cease to exist if his other self doesn't travel to 2019, but his older self does travel back. But as a 58 year old man. However, Five himself doesn't turn into a 58 year old man as he should have if this was a singular malleable timeline. Hence, he needn't have worried as they created a separate branching timeline rather than edit their own timeline.

so essentially, they're creating entirely new alternate timelines and nothing they do changes their own experiences, lives, memories or bodies.

It doesn't matter that their mothers were killed before they were born in the sparrow timeline, because they're not from this branch and therefore still have mothers in their original timeline. which is proven to not affect their current selves.

Which... breaks the entire plot of S3.

(S3 may have also caused another paradox as the reset causes Five to regain his arm, and lose the tattoo, possibly meaning he doesn't found the Commission, meaning essentially none of the series can even start as Five cannot leave the apocalypse without the Commission).

Polk Salad Annie

Five travels to 1982, Wisconsin, to kill the Commission Board. yet he has no Briefcase, cannot time travel on his own, and is shown to meet The Handler separately rather than be picked up by her for transport.

(If Lila took him, then surely he would have attempted to steal the Briefcase from her rather than go through with the plan.)

furthermore, 1982 should be inaccessable. or at least, it should be a nuclear wasteland.

At this point, the events culminating in the prevention of the apocalypse haven't started: The Handler is not in control of the Commission, so Lila can't kidnap Diego to work for them, so he can't find the ISB and discover Viktor is the cause of the apocalypse, so Klaus doesn't know to take Ben to the FBI building, so the apocalypse can't be prevented. Five's action in 1982 is what sets that in motion (The Handler seizes control of the Commission), but 1982 doesn't exist in this timeline, so how does that work?

Five and the Commission don't seem to know how to Timeline hop, only how to create new timelines, and how to move backwards and forwards on their current timeline.

The only way to make 1982 accessable is to remove Viktor from the timeline or prevent the FBI from capturing him. Which they didn't. So how can Five get there.

The 7 Bells

Reginald's reasoning for adopting the superkids is to send them to Oblivion to use it to reset the Universe. He needs himself and a minimum of 7 superkids to do this, any less and Oblivion won't activate, and without him there to program it, nothing changes.

In the Original Timeline, his plan is foiled in 2002 when he looses Five, and he doesn't try to rectify it. Then again in 2006 when he looses Ben, and yet again doesn't rectify it.

He screws himself over even worse by killing himself in 2019, as now he cannot even go to Oblivion to program it. Klaus could theoretically summon or be possessed by Reginald, but once again, Reginald only has 5 out of 7, and with Klaus indisposed by summoning Reginald, he only has 4 available to power Oblivion.

Even stranger, he could have adopted spares for if situations like Five and Ben happen, in the form of the Sparrows, but he chose not to.

its also a strange choice to build the academy(s) as public superheroes, as he chose to send his only 7 children into life threatening situations repeatedly, which nearly killed Luther, probably nearly killed sparrow Ben, and did kill umbrella Ben.

He also admits that he purposefully stunted the Umbrella's powers, which contradicts his Oblivion plan, where they need to fight 3 near-immortal Guardians. it also contradicts his words to Klaus in s1 - that he's disappointed because Klaus never reached his true potential. Which, if he killed himself with the plan to have Klaus summon him to reprogram Oblivion, he would need Klaus at full power to be able to do that at all.

The Sparrows also don't seem to have this issue, they have great control of their powers, Ben especially. so why bother stunting one lot of kids, but not the other.

Smaller Goofs

-Luther being normal not monkey in 2015 (1x03) when he had his accident in 2012 (1x04) is a big goof up

-klaus not reanimating in the original apocalypse with five remains unexplained

-in s1 the commission is set in 1955 (1x06), in s3 it's set in 1953 (3x07) and this remains unexplained

-klaus was kidnapped in just a towel but Hazel and Cha-Cha have his jacket for some reason

-all of the Founder Five plotline bc there is no given reasoning for why Five would willingly go against all of his morals and create the organisation that caused him pain (both emotional and physical) and got his family killed.

-if Luther was on the moon for a purpose, why not have him running useful tests to make sure Abigail's pod remains functioning? or acting as a sentry to make sure no one sends an exploration mission to the moon/behind the moon? why just have him send samples, that reginald never even opens, every day for 4 years? and how could sparrow reginald know what umbrella reginald planned for Luther? they're different people.

-edit: 12/07/24 the newspaper Five finds in the apocalypse is dated as 1st April, but when he finds the same newspaper at the end of season 1, it's still March 31st and Diego says that newspaper was sold that morning.

[fr-ogii]

he was sunshine i was midnight rain

luke castellan

x gn!reader; poc friendly

masterlist

isb: midnight rain by taylor swift

!! reader is very critical of themself !!

he didn’t deserve it. the kindest, loveliest boy you knew. he didn’t deserve you. you were the opposite of all of his good qualities. it wasn’t your fault, right? you blamed your mother for that one. you didn’t know who she was yet, but you knew it was somehow her fault. you couldn’t help your selfishness. you couldn’t help the broken promises and whispered lies you often shared with other campers. you couldn’t help the ambition that made you push all others aside to meet your goal.

and somehow, despite it all, luke was yours. he loved you more than anything else, or so he claimed.

“hey,” he slung his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side, “what’s my [girl/boy/etc] up to?”

despite all the negative self talk that took up your inner dialogue, you couldn’t help but let a smile break across your face at the sight of your love.

the two of you were never meant to be. wrong person, wrong time. he wanted a comfortable life; he wanted you to be his. but you never could. you weren’t one to sit quietly and be kind in the way he deserved. no matter how much you tried…

he was golden and you were broken, a sad excuse of a demigod. that’s what you kept telling yourself.

you were never meant to be.

[ask-attendant-heert]

How I Get Ready for Work

Every day, I go to work to serve the Empire and spread galactic security wearing a freshly ironed grey tunic, standard uniform pants and clean leather boots. I put on just enough eyeliner to bring out the bags beneath my eyes in a way that makes it clear that I am working hard for the ISB and being very mindful about it. I don't wear bright orange jumpsuits. I don't come to work in needlessly long capes. The goal is to be very demure, very mindful, very prepared to squeeze the life out of any aspiring Rebellion in a manner that's very cutesy.

Sending good vibes and glory to the Empire!

Attendant L. Heert ISB Central Office, Coruscant

[nicki0kaye]

random kallus hc inspired by someone else's post #3

I think getting him to socialize will be like pulling teeth. It obvs depends on how you interpret his few lines in season 4, but I don't think he was doing the bond villain voice as a joke when he greeted the Spectres. I think he's just like that.

And I think he knows it's off-putting, and is using that as a shield of sorts so he doesn't have to go too far into the unknown after entirely uprooting his life and leaving the Empire.

the explanation I always come back to is 'be what they expect', like that's his strategy within the Rebellion. This is important bc my main hc for Kallus is that everything about his presentation is fake. His accent and cadence was taken from the big bad in a show he liked as a tween. His only formal education is from the Academy, so he lacks a lot of standard knowledge others take for granted. He was an entirely different person before entering the Empire (though it was the Republic at his time of enlistment), and even though he's been in character for the last 20-ish years, there's nothing stopping him from constructing a new one. Nothing but himself and his goals.

Now there's also the comfort aspect. Creating a whole new life is terrifying, and I do think there's a measure of comfort he takes for having 'valid reasons' for not reinventing himself. He's also been shaped by the Empire (and his life before, as a gang lord's son) to expect the worst of people--to make formalities weapons, to always expect the knife in the back, to take any opportunity to tear someone else down so he can rise higher. That's created a paranoid, hyper-alert state re: other people, and the people of the Rebellion have every reason to distrust and ostracize him bc of his past as an ISB officer.

All of this is to say, 'be what they expect' is both a strategy to lessen the friction between him and the Rebellion, and also as a means of protecting his own sense of stability. Changing shit up now could draw unwanted attention, give Rebels cause to distrust his goals and intentions, call into question who he is what he's capable of, and ultimately would be taxing and anxiety inducing for him.

I think he's a proud guy who doesn't do shit in half measures, and that means taking 'failure' very seriously, including social failure. If he's a stuck up asshole ex-Imp, he's not gonna win anyone over, which means he won't feel bad or like he's fucked up if no one likes him much. He's setting himself up for failure as a means of controlling the situation, bc he is very out of his depths and hyper aware of what a mistake could cost.

that isn't to say I don't love hcs where he loosens the sphincter and genuinely tries to socialize and make nice, I fucking adore those, I just think getting him there would be a process. He's a recovering perfectionist, he's gonna need the help.

I also just...look, one of my criteria for imprinting on a character is how likely they are to sit there with a neutral expression while mentally furiously playing 4D chess against themselves and their perceived opponent re: literally any social interaction. I love the mfs who look like they have their shit together but in reality are one misstep away from a meltdown over 'failing' at being a human. It's the autistic people pleaser in me.

and I love the idea of that person being worth saving. That they can bond and find love and friendship and learn to be better at this shit. I like exploring that process, warts and all. I like forcing them to admit they need other people, they want other people, even if it scares them shitless.

There's a song from the musical Company called 'Being Alive' that reminds me a lot of what I feel is the core driving force for Kallus' change. It starts with the character more or less listing all the reasons love sucks, actually, but there's a turn midway where he starts begging for all these little inconveniences because; "Alone is alone, not alive"

And I think Kallus is deeply embarrassed that he feels that way. That for all the perfectly understandable reasons to hate the Empire, he ultimately changed because he was tired of being alone and wanted to be alive. So there's also this layer of penance and self-denial that is informed by his guilt for all he's done, but is ultimately him punishing himself for wanting something so selfish and being so 'weak'.

He hasn't earned friends yet. He doesn't deserve to be loved. He has so much evil to make up for, so much work to do, it'd just be a distraction, and worse a selfish distraction.

And there's reason to consider him an inherently selfish character, I think it should probably be applied to him more, it's a much more realistic take on him, but I personally prefer the obnoxious martyrism of it all. That he's able to flip his morals because they were, ultimately, a put-on anyway. That he is aware of right and wrong and his ability to empathize hasn't withered into nothing after years of violence and cruelty. And even if he can't feel empathy as strongly as he once could, he is at least hyper aware he now runs with a crowd that draws strength from empathy and needs to readjust himself accordingly.

So I guess even if he is still talking and acting like a bond villain, he is tailoring his words and actions to suit the Rebel's sensibilities. And I think he's hyper aware that's a choice--that other people (like Zeb) are just naturally care about the right things and treating others the right way. That he's already deceiving them in a way, which inherently makes him a two-faced liar, and it would just make things messy if he added to that deceit by acting personable and kind and understanding. It's so important the Rebels trust him, so important that they not question his intel and motivations, so it just makes sense that he not push too far and make it obvious he can be anyone. That he could mirror them perfectly, say exactly what they want to hear just how they want to hear it.

No one knows he's a fake person, so he has to keep the mask on. He has to stay in his little ex-imp box and put the real reasons he defected on the back-burner so that this under-funded, over-worked, run-on-shoe-laces-and-hope band of misfits don't die on his watch.

And i really like it when he's proven wrong, and forced to abandon the box and face the horrible ordeal of being known better than he knows himself.

[paperjamdipper]

my drop in the bucket of the awesome andor analysis going on rn: I saw people pointing out how Dedra keeps tugging at her collar and thinking this is showing a desire to escape the chokehold of the empire. I disagree, Dedra is incredibly suited to her role. She isn’t pulling at her collar, she’s adjusting it. She’s making it fit her better, symbolizing her making the ISB suit her in order to achieve her goals.

Additionally, the emphasis Syril has on getting his uniform tailored or fixing his appearance shows him squeezing their grip tighter. He needs that oppression to survive, as he’s spent his life under the thumb of his mother and knows no other way out than to please his oppressors.

This is in direct contrast to Cassian, who knows nothing but to fight his way out. But why the difference? We can gather that Syril grew up on Coruscant, in a sterile and cookie cutter society, pulled along by his mother. Whereas, Cassian was born into the native people on Kenari, and even after being taken to Ferrix, he became part of their traditions and culture. This is why Cassian and Syril are the perfect foils to each other - one comes from vibrant cultures, one is the product of a mechanical society. One can’t help but fight, one knows nothing but oppression - continuing the theme of tyranny requiring constant maintenance, and of culture being rebellion in itself.

[seth-shitposts]

DEFECTORS, DEFECTORS, DEFECTORS-

For you? Always friend 🫂💙💙💙 😘😘😘🥰

(Stars, I badly need to organize our docs for Defectors. I'm scrapping together to see what im pretty certain I haven't shared or gone into detail of yet.)

----

The main story of defectors will be split into two or three main parts, I think. (All of it will be in the same fic, though. The chapters will just be grouped into the parts.) Probs 3.

[I have a feeling I'm going to ramble a lot in this one so I'm going to go ahead and place a cut here😅]

The Bridgers//part i

There's going to be the first 5 years, from the night of the Bridger Raid, when Ezra is 7 in 12bby through to 7bby. This is the time span in which Kallus is taking care of Ezra, slowly losing his loyalty over the span of 4 or 5 years.

Year I

Kallus is loyal during the first year, and is conflicted about the exceptions he makes for the bridgers. For Ezra. It does and doesn't go against what he was trained for. To him, the situation is much more complex than the empire would view it and he wasn't prepared for that. His training hadn't included young children and he himself being young at this point doesnt know what intitive to take. So he's figuring things out. And he reasons it with himself, convinces himself that while he's crossing into a grey area in the eyes of the empire, that the goal of this is to establish order, therefore he is still carrying out his duty.

This first year is him trying his best to learn how to take care of a child and gain that child's trust. (Because if Ezra can't trust him, Kallus won't be able to take care of his needs. Lack of trust will mean lack of desire to communicate needs.)

Through the year, Kallus also works on some of the cases Mira and Ephraim give him while they do as promised and integrate into the rehabilitation program. He quickly realizes that they aren't the type of people he had thought they'd be, but more similar to the person who had taken him in when he was young. He isn't sure if he's taking back some of his judgment from objective observations he makes about them or because of how much they're hitting one of his soft spots and he's becoming bias.

So he turns his focus to the work they give him. Which is releasing civilians who were arrested due to a misunderstanding or without any real proper cause. Ones whose cases would have sat in some officer's desk for months, or even years, before being gone through properly. All while the civilians in question would have still been in detainment. Busy work, but Kallus is helping them and it's motivating Mira and Ephraim so he doesn't mind doing a few extra hours of work every other day.

•Before the Bridger Raid, he had done quick work of climbing ranks within the ISB branch. Having finished top of his class already put him farther ahead. By night of the Bridger Raid, he is either ranked 101 or 100. So not to double digits yet, and him being there on the cusp is the end of being able to quickly climb ranks because of how further more ruthless the shark competition is.

•Kallus enlisted to the academy when he was 14 in 21bby. He lied about his age to get in because the bare minimum requirements is that you had to be at least 18. The recruiter knew he was full of shit about his age but still allowed him to join because Kallus was eager [desprate].

[The idea of Kallus enlisting at such a young age is inspired from a conversation we had awhile back with @heart-of-a-rebel16 💙🫂]

•Jovan had been a major help to him in the academy, and because of his help in finding footing, Kallus was able to qualify for the new ISB training program that became available a year later. Kallus graduated sometime around 18 or 17bby, still top of his class. It would be very soon after that that he was on Onderon, when he was around 18.]

•Kallus’s parents had died when he was very young. He barely even remembers them. For a few years he was treated as a feral alley cat; a sewer rat. When he was around eight or nine, a miralukan chef from a restaurant a few levels up slowly worked on trying to gain Kallus’s trust. And they eventually did. They took Kallus in as their own and looked after him. Kallus had slowly built trust with them, and even looked up to them. However both Kallus and the chef became sick when an virus swept through the lower levels- Kallus had just turned 14 and barely survived. Most who were sick didn't, the person who took him in among them. So when recruiters swept their way through the lower levels, Kallus seized his chance immediately, was willing to do anything to ensure his basic needs would be met and that he could dedicate himself toward a worthy cause.

Year II

The second year Kallus has grown more confident in his ability to take care of Ezra and unknowingly more attached. There isn't anything anyone can't adore about this sweet kid. By this point, Ezra has started coming out of his shell and Kallus has visibly become much more relaxed and gentle.

During the second year, Kallus works on trying to build good relationships with Tseebo and Morad. They have vital roles in Kallus’s ability to make the deal with the empire/the warden feasibly work. And for that to be done smoothly, it would be best if he also has their trust. It's hard for him to try and be friendly or personal; the loss of the squadron he had been a part of still unpatched.

He's opened up more to Mira and Ephraim, has seen how similar Ezra truly is to them. He decides to start negotiating with the Warden on shortening the sentence. He does manage to get it cut down, but he isn't satisfied so it's something that he goes back and forth with him on.

He's also realized a pattern between the behavior of imperial officers and wrongfully arrested civilians and has been working on correcting that behavior. Try and fix the problem at where he thinks the source is.

He learns more about lothal and some of it's traditions. Mira loves to talk about it and some of the ways she would suggest the empire change in order to best change and support lothal. Kallus takes notes of that and in his down time does research on that.

Kallus learns that Ephraim had also lost his parents at a young age, but the town he lived in endlessly supported him. And that's the type of community he wants to help build and maintain for Ezra to have and be a part of when he's older, for Ezra and for the future of Lothal. Kallus includes that in his notes and has a moment of curiosity- if the lower levels of coruscant had the resources to take care of themselves, would they have had the same compassion that lothalites had for each other?

Mira and Ephraim add in cases in which citizens were arrested simply because of not having resources. Of those who aren't able to take care of themselves. Or those who have people they needed to take care of. Kallus begins on helping them as well.

Year III

Kallus has taken initiative of helping establish systems of support on lothal by giving ideas and leeway to Governor Azadi and Minister Tua. They're both thrilled, and with Kallus helping back them to the other branches of the empire by advocating that if these changes are made, rebel activity will be lowered. They've been implementing these systems in short bursts, but without approval of the empire, the programs will die off or be reported since it isnt official imperial regulation.

He keeps getting ineffectual and half-arsed responses on the situation concerning the bridger's hearings. Mira and Ephraim have been exceptionally patient. Far more than he is. He was able to lessen their time, but by the time they're to be released, Ezra will nearly be an adult himself. It's not soon enough. Not for how compliant the two have been to everything asked of them.

Kallus has also been getting draw back from his superiors, been met with resistance for the changes he'd been trying to implement. That he can do as much extra altruistic work in his time, but not to bleed that over and confuse it with enforcing the regulations and mandates. They don't want to allow Kallus to reason with them on it. And many of the officers have been more and more distasteful and unaware. He hates that he's starting to feel seeds of resentment, so he carefully keeps attempting to get his reasoning across that this produces the best results. There's so much back and forth and near the end of the year, he sees how Ryder is also getting pressed into a similar corner. He starts to wonder if the empire is simply making mistakes that they're choosing to stick to or if they might actually not have what's best in mind.

Year IV

Kallus still has some hope at the beginning of the year, but as the year goes on its harder and harder to believe it. Near the beginning of the year, Ryder was accused of treason. His replacement seemed to have been aware of it before either of them were. Kallus met her months before and she's worked around on operations with him. He doesn't trust her and starts to lose trust in Tua when she seems to attempt to get into Pryce’s good graces. Kallus is much more careful about what he says around either of them, especially the months following azadi's arrest.

His impatience and anger toward his fellow officers has increased as they continue to ignore his corrections, saying that it's not protocol or not their job to take into account.

Kallus wishes to speak to Mira and Ephraim about it, but he worries that he could put them in harm's way since none of them can speak freely. He's been fighting harder to get Mira and Ephraim released as soon as possible. But he's run out of strings to pull. Over the past few years, he'd accepted several promotions in hopes that having a higher standing will give him more influence over their case. But now, instead of being met with weak responses or excuses, he's being downright denied.

At one point he was offered that if he stops fighting the front of keeping Ezra from being enlisted into the academy, that Mira and Ephraim could be released on probation. Kallus shoots that down immediately. He is not even going to entertain that notion. Ezra is too young. And he isn't even going to bring it up to the kid, because Ezra will feel that it's his responsibility to give his parents the chance for their freedom. Kallus will have to be dead for that to happen. He isn't going to allow it.

He's not out of options yet. So he's going to keep trying.

Things on lothal have been getting worse. He can't keep up with the cases of citizens being arrested and detained. The empire is choking lothal and its people. This isn't what he thought the empire stood for. When did this happen. [It's been like this and slowly getting worse, he realizes.]

Year V

By this point the only thing keeping Kallus in the empire is the fight for the Bridger’s freedom and the fact that if he simply walks away, he's putting not just Mira and Ephraim indanger, but also Ezra and Tseebo and Marida and Morad. Anyone he's grown close to. The empire would not just detain him, but go after them as well. He isn't sure what he's going to do, but he can figure that out once he's freed Mira and Ephraim. Near the end of the year he realizes that he'll just have to free them himself. He'll talk things out with the Sumars once he return from a mandatory operation across the galaxy. Once he returns, they'll make a plan of action.

-But Lasan happens. And in the same point as does Mira & Ephraim being rerouted to a prison off lothal. He tries to act quickly, if he doesn't persue Mira and Ephraim now they'll be lost but he can't bring Ezra with him deeper into the Empire.

Tseebo disappears, and Ezra refuses to be found, Morad tries to reassure him that he and Marida will find him. Kallus tries to work as quickly as possible to find Mira & Ephraim and bring them home. Stars, let him find them within a couple months.

^^^^^ [this is an organization of thoughts I've been trying to figure out and finalize for months now. ]

The Search for Mira&Ephraim//part ii

The next section will pick up right after that and through to s2e11, the era of Kallus searching for Mira & Ephraim, becoming more and more desperate as time goes on.

He helps any rebel cells when he has the chance and smuggles imperial captives away. He works with Morad and Marida when he has the chances.

Over the course of this arc, he grows closer to Marida. She's still very reluctant. Morad has helped Kallus from completely neglecting himself. He tells Kallus how they have been able to find ways to make sure Ezra is getting food and proper clothing, but any time they even see him, Ezra disappears. Steadily avoiding them.

Kallus makes himself blend back into the empire. Figures out how to produce results by framing imperial supports who actively commit crimes themselves. This aids him in gaining ranks, the higher his rank, the more classified information he's given access to.

Though, he's moved up to ISB-051 and still can't find the Mira & Ephraim.

I'm thinking of having Kallus fake Tua's death. Passes her more information to give to the rebels in addition to what she has.

Fulcrum//part iii

This would be everything from after Mira&Ephraim's deaths up to the liberation of lothal.

---

Epilogue

And then the epilogue was originally just going to be maybe a couple additional lengthy chapters of afterwards.

But I thank @mystical-salamander for going back and forth with me so much in the comments of this post because Defectors will be getting an entire spinoff as an epilogue.

So there will be

-The Concept Dump of Defectors AU

-The Fic Itself

-The Epilogue Spinoff

-and then collection one-shots that aren't part of the main story or that explore possibilities that didn't make it to the 'canon' of the au.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Rebels S3 Reflection

This season is my favorite for many reasons, particularly because of Thrawn, Maul, and Kallus. This season really puts our heroes in a tough spot because of how clever and different Thrawn is. What I especially adore about S3 is the individual arcs of the characters. They are really strong and help shape our characters moving forward.

Although there were a few episodes I didn’t care for, the majority are phenomenal. I will never stop gushing about “Twin Suns” or “Through Imperial Eyes.” There is so much tension and high stakes involved as Thrawn closes in. Overall, the vibe of this season was terrific. Keep reading to see my thoughts on some of the character arcs.

Kanan learns a new way to see. He lost his sight but gains new perspectives. He has come to accept his limitations and continues to help Ezra every way he can. Although it is difficult in the beginning, Kanan realizes that him shutting out the others is hurting his friends, especially Ezra, who is in desperate need of guidance. 

Speaking of Ezra, he learns to let go of chasing ideas that are just out of reach. I never really thought of it til now, but Ezra following Obi-Wan’s advice and going home was what ultimately saved him from becoming like Maul. Maul is fixated on his goals but he can never reach them, always being stopped a few feet short. Ezra nearly falls into this trap by listening to Maul. It is only when he is at his most vulnerable and helpless that he is ready to let go of fleeting dreams. 

Maul never learns. But he does find some sort of peace in the end. His endless chasing of unreachable goals that only leave him feeling empty. It drives him to the barren wastelands of Tatooine where he meets his end. In a way, it is fitting. Tragic nonetheless, Maul ultimately shows how empty goals and revenge and holding on to anger can lead one to their own self-destruction.

Hera and Sabine both deal with family this season but also grow as leaders. Hera becomes a true leader in her own right and is the perfect rival for Thrawn. Meanwhile, Sabine stands her ground, showing Saxon and her family she is not afraid and will always fight for what she believes in. The pain from the betrayal of her family runs deep and seeing her admit these feelings but also willing to fight for them really tugs at the heartstrings. 

And then there’s Kallus. Officially aligned with the rebels now, it’s cool to see him walk the line of ISB Agent and rebel spy. He has grown so much internally since his crash landing with Zeb and it really shows. I like how he was given episodes to work with members of the Ghost crew, slowly earning their trust.

Of course, we can’t finish without mentioning Thrawn. I love Thrawn so much. Maul aside, he is my favorite villain. He is smart, is really well acted, and so entertaining to watch. His book version is also quite complex. Everything from the way he talks to how he holds himself is brilliant. He is the perfect villain in every way. Might do a separate post on this.

Overall, my fave season featuring some of Rebels’ finest work. I’m not emotionally ready for S4, especially since it’s the final one but I am excited to continue this journey. 

[blazingstar24]

Well it was Pacific Rim’s tenth anniversary so time for more Thranto PacRim AU Notes that no one asked for! Part 1 notes: here

Drifting and Drift Partners: Imperial Regulations

All potential pilots must be able to achieve at least a 50% neural handshake in the drift simulator tests with at least 2 other cadets.

“Following the Rabit” is a sign of a failed pilot. All pilots are subject to the 3 strike system.

Solo piloting is strictly prohibited unless one is of Admiral rank or higher. Only in the extreme circumstances i.e. the of loss of drift partner in combat will solo piloting be allowed.

Drift partners are found through: a. Combat trial, b. Consistent results on the simulator, c. Extraneous proof of compatibility

All requests to switch drift partners must be cleared and approved by one’s CO.

Fraternization between drift partners is not strictly prohibited but not advised.

-Thrawn and Eli’s initial run on the drift simulator was and still is the closest to being perfect compatibility upon first run. Thrawn chalked it up to his prior experience as a pilot. Eli saw it as a sign that the universe hated him and really did not want him to achieve his goal of staying far away from the action.

-As they become closer, they start ghost drifting a lot more. At the height of their time in the Empire, they achieved a near constant state of ghost drifting. It was a bit jarring at first for Eli, especially when he experienced what the world looks like through the infrared. (Likewise, that opened up a whole new color spectrum for Thrawn and increased his interest in art.) On very rare occasions, when sleeping, they end up sharing a memory. They noticed how strong it was when Eli began to give Thrawn the words he needed before Thrawn even asked, Eli has also stopped so many near political blunders by Thrawn due to this. Faro and Hammerly have to remind them both constantly to say the plan of attack out loud for the rest of the crew.

-While Thrawn can solo pilot, and has solo piloted a jaeger that is meant for two (see Thrass’s death) he prefers dual piloting. Perhaps before Thrass’s death, he would have endeavored to be a solo pilot. (Read that as he’s got ✨trauma✨….thrauma)

-Eli can also solo pilot….in theory. He’s achieved it in simulations, but has never actually done it in a real Jaeger. (He’s also experienced it through Thrawn’s memory of Thrass’s death and the fact that Thrawn had to pilot their broken Jaeger back to the Ascendancy as no one was coming back for them. Eli’s distaste for solo piloting starts after this experience)

-Eli being great with numbers and originally on track to be someone who predicts attacks, still runs the data. Thrawn plans around Eli’s data as it often ends up being way more accurate data than what the ISB give out. This in turn also leads them to figuring out the “Death Star”, like in canon. (The Death Star being a level 6 kaiju that Palpatine has been breeding.)

(Been playing around with the idea that Palpatine has actually been working with the Grysk and both are also involved the Kaiju hive mind. And having both Thrawn and Eli ditch the Empire and go back to the Ascendancy.)

-In the Ascendancy, the jaegers are painted a standard black, with only an Admiral’s jaeger being able to be painted how they see fit. In the Empire, they let the pilots decal the jaegers, within certain regulations. Eli let Thrawn pick how their jaeger would look and as such their jaeger is painted much like the Chimera. (Thrawn left a decent sized spot for Eli to paint something on as it is their jaeger not his. Eli went with a Lystrarian(?) sunset)

More to come soon!

[sasoarts]

I won't give up on my art.

For years, I've been sending the artwork that I'm proud of to the internet, believing that it will be seen. My goal is to get enough people interested in my passion project to gave enough funds to make my lifelong goal possible: to make a physical copy of I See Borderlings, bestiary documenting monsters responsible for strange happenings in a mundane world. The irony is that I'm sending all my hard work and dedication to the void.

It's easy to just surrender and do AI and sm*t, but I refuse to take that wide path. I had tried doing fanart all the time, but it just eclipsed ISB. Part of me feels like making art is just a waste of my time, and my dreams are just dreams. I've had years of college and self-taught experiences, but is it worth it? The algorithm is picky.

I only have a few people interested in the project that I love doing. Despite these trials and temptations that convince me to just give up, I refuse to stop doing art. It's therapeutic, stress-relieving, and fun to do! I won't stop making monstrosities beyond human understanding!

There's a small team of developers that went through something similar, although worse, that I look up to. They made a unique space-fantasy game that I love playing since my boyfriend got it for my birthday back in 2019, No Man's Sky. They are passionate about their project and went through crap after their terrible launch. Heck, even a massive flood threatened to destroy their dreams. Despite d*ath threats, poor reviews, and nature's wrath, Hello Games got back up and continued creating and improving with the help of feedback. Hello Games' determination to not give up encouraging me to do the same for my own project.

Although I can't make money to pay the bills and get a better home for me and my cat, at least I enjoy making it with the few who enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading.

[glitterygoopbailiffoperator-blog]

Looking for Players for an SW5e Game!

Hi! I'm an experienced DM looking for players to join an SW5e game.

To begin with, what is SW5e?

SW5e is a Star Wars hack of DND 5e. It has the same base components as normal 5e, but with a Star Wars and generally futuristic twist. The classes have been adapted into the world of Star Wars and are more customizable than base game. Casting is split between two systems: force casting and tech casting. Force casters are the more traditional Star Wars casters (think force choke and jedi mind tricks) while tech casters "cast" using devices and gadgets.

If you're interested, click here for more information!

What's the deal with the game?

Currently, I am between two options set in the Star Wars universe.

Option 1

You are a part of a special forces unit working for the Empire. You could be some variety of stormtrooper, ISB operator, or even an inquisitor in training. While you are working for the Empire, this campaign doesn't necessarily have to be an evil campaign. It will be up to you and your party to decide whether you embrace the ideals of the Empire of if you will strive to challenge their grip on the universe.

Option 2

You are members of a powerful Sith's retinue in the Old Republic era. This campaign would focus more on tracking down ancient artifacts and furthering the goals of the individual that you work under. Think political assassinations and tomb raiding, all against the backdrop of intergalactic war. Like Star Wars Indiana Jones. There will be less debating over small issues like ethics and morality and more of a focus on exploration and intrigue.

Yo, who the eff is this?

I've been seriously playing DND since 2020 and have been DMing that entire time. I've dabbled with 3.5, Pathfinder 1st edition, 4e, and other indie games here and there as well as other TTRPGs. I'm a really big fan of homebrew and am an avid homebrewer myself. I like to run player driven games that focus on drama and hard hitting choices. I love to build arcs around each player's backstories to really give everyone their fair share in the spotlight. I'm looking for people who enjoy interacting with their fellow players and will collectively work together and with me to create a fun and interesting story. I genuinely believe that DND is a collaborative effort, so a love of roleplay and player interest and input are things that I really love having at my table.

Final notes!

I'm looking for around four to five players. Timing is currently flexible, although weekday nights are preferred. This campaign will be hosted online using Roll20 and discord. I do want to put a disclaimer that I already have a player in my group. She is my girlfriend, but she will not be receiving any special treatment and is already very well aware of that fact.

If you're interested, please fill out the google form linked here! I'll get back to you if I feel like you're a good match! Thanks so much for your interest and I'm looking forward to reading your submission.

[robin-5-technically]

💵, let us defy the laws of this world to achieve this goal! I may or may ngt havr infiltrated before han;z..

but that isb a-oky! u are now in a leaf pockrt with me, we are now searching for the best 14 swords for our deatest Robin. ones that he doesn not have. thsi sword place is very bigz

fir searching the cursed sword, i supposed tthat is research after this expedition

(*¯︶¯*)

-🍃

[fiharri]

The new shipping my OCs together masterpost. Because I found the old one and decided it needed to be redone with my current OCs and current tastes. This is gonna be long.

For those who just want the visual quick version, here is the chart I made in google spreadsheets:

And for those who don't know every single OC I've ever made, here are quick and dirty summaries of each:

Mag Sterling (she/her): Private eye who fills the femme fatale role all by herself. She's pretty morally bankrupt, and she mostly stays in her role to satisfy the ever-present hunger for knowledge. Also she has superpowers (including mind-reading) and a codependent relationship with her assistant Jesse.

Quest (they/them): A shadar-kai paladin from the Shadowfell who serves the Raven Queen and was recently sent into Hell. Really doesn't feel strongly about good vs. evil (or at least they don't think they do) and cares more about planes not actively fucking with one another. Really has not been super open about their deal with their friends.

Nal'evi Eidris (she/her): A twi'lek ISB agent in the world of Rebellion-era/Imperial-era Star Wars. She is currently working with Special Forces in Strike Force Centurion and is constantly ratting on her co-workers/fellow Strike Force members. A cop, a traitor to her people, and a snitch.

Saryn Vhys (she/her): An elven adventurer, rogue, and alchemist in a world where dungeons just sort of…spontaneously appear! Her self-professed life goal is to find out what causes dungeons and figure out where their root source is once and for all. Only mildly traumatized by dungeons in her youth.

Cylthia (she/they): A tiefling druid who has identity issues. Swaps between an elven form that resembles her parents — who are both elves — and her natural tiefling form to the point they are both her identity at this point. Married to the leader of the elven kingdom of her home and a member of Motherfuckers Unlimited, who saved the fucking world.

Kayatosh Felrind (they/them): Failson of the royal family of the plane of Mechanus. Learned to be a rogue to be rebellious as a teenager, and kind of…just tried to figure out what the fuck to do after abdicating their role as heir.

Lorren Starstrider (she/her): A blood elf paladin from World of Warcraft originally. Has sort of two continuities, with a lot of similarities: 1. Sin'dorei blood knight in Azeroth, working with dragons to enhance her power and protect her family (six kids ♡); 2. D&D universe elven hero along with her husband Garog, retired happily but always willing to pick up the sword to defend people (also six kids but significantly different setting).

Teri'nor Dakari (she/her): Togruta Sith Inquisitor from the time of the Old Republic. Ruthless in pursuit of what she wants, the scion of two great Sith lineages, and generally a manipulative Sith in all ways. Ascends to the title of Darth Victaria on the Dark Council and becomes the Empress of Zakuul in one of her two diverging timelines.

Tavaris (they/she): The Dark Urge from BG3. Tiefling aberrant mind sorcerer. Pre-tadpoling, a manipulative bitch who frequently hurt people to get what they wanted. Sometimes what they wanted was to hurt people. Post-tadpoling, just trying their best to help those around them. Generally very sweet.

Dara (she/her): Tiefling dhampir blood hunter in the world of BG3. Abandoned at birth, shunned by her adoptive family once they realized she was…not completely mortal. Learned how to use blood magic and became a monster hunter, hoping to one day hunt down her biological parents. Has a Charisma score of 5. Acts like it.

Fiharri Tabris (she/her): An alienage elf from the city of Denerim. She's full of anger all the time, at the way she and her family have been treated along with all of elvenkind. She spent several years of her youth with a Dalish tribe, but her identity will always lie with her fellow city elves. She's angry! And she's fighting darkspawn. Finding a cure. Normal stuff to do when you're 25.

Herah Adaar (she/they): A tal-vashoth qunari from the Free Marches of Thedas. A mage, a rarity among her people, and a twin to a sister who did her best to keep up with the talented Herah. Shoved into a position of power as the Herald of Andraste and then the Inquisitor, responded as best she could and figured it out from there. She's generally fair-minded and focuses primarily on equality, for everybody as much as she can. Mage rights.

A few last notes: all of these are assuming either vague polyamory or monogamy is reasonable with how the characters meet. It's also assuming everything is consensual even with characters who theoretically could mess with one another's minds.

And now on to the ships. Going to go in category order from least to most compatible, but that's mostly just to organize. Have fun kids.

Wouldn't work in a million years.

Herah Adaar x Mag Sterling The real problem, for these two, is that their morals could never align. Mag is inherently selfish and greedy and Herah is inherently selfless and compassionate. They would argue over things and it wouldn't be healthy for any involved! Mag would want to be Herah's arm candy and use their position to her own advantage, and Herah would be grossed out by it. No way.

Herah Adaar x Nal'evi Eidris Once again, a conflict of morals. Herah believes in accountability and is inherently opposed to fascist regimes. Evi, on the other hand? She doesn't care, she believes the Empire is in everyone's best interest. She is a cop at heart, and Herah would throw spells at her speeder. They would be much more likely to find themselves on opposite sides of a fight than ever be together.

Fiharri Tabris x Nal'evi Eidris See prev. No but for real, once again, you'll notice a trend with Evi. She's got morals that align with a fascist Empire: do you think she's going to fit well with a freedom fighter who actively works against the interest of colonial powers? I didn't think so. Fiharri would bite Evi and not in a kinky way.

Tavaris x Mag Sterling This is one of a couple special ones in this category. Namely: pre-tadpole they would belong in the crazy sex category…post-tadpole? Never in a million years. Pre-tadpole, Tavaris was exactly the kind of horrible manipulative bitch that would work great with Mag. Except that she was also the chosen of the god of murder and loved torture and murder and cannibalism, which is not quite Mag's bag. They would invent new types of sex, but then either Mag would escape by the skin of her teeth or she'd be one of Tav's many victims. Oops!

Tavaris x Nal'evi Eidris One of the other "Tav would have had crazy sex with them pre-tadpole then made them another murder victim". The problem here is that in their main canon forms, they are absolutely incompatible. Tav tries to help people. Evi tries to help the Empire. These are not compatible things. Pre-tadpole? Tavaris would want to pick Evi apart. Sexually and literally. Evi would be into the former, but would not be able to escape the latter.

Teri'nor Dakari x Quest Most of the wouldn't works are differences in morals, but this is also a difference in lifestyle! Yes, Teri is a Dark Lord of the Sith and all, but frankly I think Quest could get over that (except for the Empire having slavery, that's not so great, but Teri isn't super into slavery either). The problem is really that Teri is happy to sit and be content as Darth Victaria. Quest I don't really see settling down, at least not as someone's side piece.

Teri'nor Dakari x Saryn Vhys Similar to the previous, there's a number of factors. Saryn wouldn't like the whole Empire thing. Teri would want to stay still more than Saryn could handle. Plus I don't think either of them wants to be the wife in someone else's story, and inevitably it would happen to one of them. They would kind of suck if they were ever a couple, but they never could be one because of who they are.

Lorren Starstrider x Mag Sterling Now they do deserve to be hot together. I mean, buff paladin and sexy femme fatale would be a great couple. The problem is that Lorren is a champion of righteousness, light, and justice and all that. Mag would not be about that! Just would not. She likes to know answers, but she will manipulate people and their minds to get them. That goes directly against Lorren's entire way of being. Plus, Lorren would want to settle down and Mag…needs a character arc before she'll be able to settle anywhere.

Lorren Starstrider x Nal'evi Eidris Once again, Nal'evi's curse of being a cop. Weird how that makes her get less pussy. Lorren is a mother, a champion of the Light, and a woman who always tries to do what is right. Evi also tries to do what is right, but her idea of right would go completely against Lorren's. Lorren would never give up personal autonomy for safety — Evi believes all information should belong to the Empire because they can keep everyone safe. They'd be enemies, and not the homoerotic kind.

Kayatosh Felrind x Quest For once, this is just an incompatibility of spirit. They wouldn't be enemies or anything…but Kayatosh is a free spirit. Kayatosh runs away from duty and justice and expectations of others. I don't think they could square their lifestyle with Quest's devotion of "stop planar interference and always be chasing the mission". I don't think Quest would be happy with Kayatosh's desire to run away from the mission either. They wouldn't be able to be together because there would just be so much friction.

Kayatosh Felrind x Nal'evi Eidris Their morals don't super mesh, but that's not the dealbreaker here. No, the dealbreaker is the fact that Evi is a career woman and Kayatosh needs freedom. Their partner having a job wouldn't be a problem, but Evi would be bound to their Empire job in a way that would make Kayatosh feel tied down or, worse, abandoned.

Saryn Vhys x Nal'evi Eidris My green girls for two of my active games! They would be terrible for each other. Incompatible morals, incompatible lifestyles, and it would be too much green all around. Saryn wants to help people by discovering more about dungeons, going where the wind takes her research. Evi wants to help the Empire subjugate protect more peoples of the galaxy and stop them rebels. The relationship would suck if it ever got past trying to stab one another in the back.

Nal'evi Eidris x Quest The Lady's Guard would have a problem with how Evi does things because let's be honest. The Empire would invade other planes of reality if they had the option. Evi would be happy to abet. Quest and Evi would at best get sword-barely-cutting-throat homosexuality.

Quest x Mag Sterling The Thursday pair! Quest is noble and devoted to a mission. Mag is selfish and devoted to herself, the mission is just…part of that, for now. I think they'd hate each other's vibes. Mag would try to flirt, and Quest would be vaguely uncomfortable the entire time.

Tavaris x Kayatosh Felrind Tavaris and Kayatosh would actually be fine as friends! Adventuring companions, even! But feelings between them would not lead to a relationship that would work, even short-term. Tavaris wants to find a life to call their own, a settled one preferably. Kayatosh wants to be free, and they wouldn't know how to handle Tavaris's killer instincts (the literal ones, the Urge). They would not handle one another's hearts well enough to be together for any time at all. Friends, though? They could be good friends.

Tavaris x Teri'nor Dakari Teri would remind Tav far, far too much of Sarevok and other leaders of the Cult of Bhaal. Pre-tadpole, they might fuck severely and brutally, but unlike some of the others, Tav can't overpower and kill Teri quite so easily. The magical mental magic goes both ways, fucker! Teri would also be uninterested in any part of Tav that wasn't the Urge, and that would make Tav sooooo uncomfortable it's unreal.

Could sleep together casual style

Kayatosh Felrind x Mag Sterling There would be enough mutual attraction here for something to happen. They would have a good time! Neither of them would be interested in a second date. Or a first date, honestly. They'd see each other, go oh hot, sleep together, then both move on with their lives. And if Kayatosh never came by again, Mag would never ask.

Cylthia x Mag Sterling Cylthia has very strong morals…but unlike some of my other characters, she isn't so adherent to them she wouldn't occasionally enjoy a little something with someone like Mag. Would she be able to be in any kind of relationship? No. But they'd have a bit of mutual fun. It would be a good story for Mag to tell with none of the baggage. And Cylthia could move on without too much trouble.

Cylthia x Quest I don't think either of them would want much out of the other. Not compatible lifestyle-wise, but there would definitely be attraction. Attraction and mutual enjoyment enough for a FWB sort of situation? They'd like each other a lot! But nothing romantic would spark between them.

Teri'nor Dakari x Herah Adaar Teri could be the semi-evil advisor to Herah's Inquisition. Herah could be the moral compass homoerotic enemy that Teri fucks before going on her full evil arc. In another life, maybe they'd be compatible. As it stands? Nah, they're much more…one night and move on.

Teri'nor Dakari x Fiharri Tabris Morals are not something that would hold either of them back from this. They wouldn't develop feelings because Fiharri wouldn't be content to stay in Teri's shadow, and Teri wouldn't be enthralled enough with Fiharri to chase after her. They'd have a good time, but neither of their lives would change. They might get new kinks though.

Dara x Nal'evi Eidris Dara is not as constrained by morals as some of my other OCs, even less so than Cylthia. That said, Evi wouldn't appeal to her long term. The two would spend a night together, but Dara would be gone before morning. Evi would go back to work. She's married to the job.

Maybe for a bit, but it wouldn't work out

The biggest category!

Saryn Vhys x Mag Sterling Saryn and Mag share a fundamental curiosity about the world. For Saryn, that's led her to dungeons. For Mag, that's led her to trying to figure out people. They'd work together quenching their curiosities, but it would never roll out in the long term. Mag is too…shitty a person for Saryn. Always has been, always will be.

Fiharri Tabris x Quest They would want it to work. They would! Quest would seem like a hero type from Fiharri's childhood dreams, someone who really believes in the future and fights for good. But they'd have different needs when it comes to emotions and physical affection. Quest is very reserved, and Fiharri is nigh-explosive. They'd have an argument, break up, and reunite on good terms years later.

Dara x Quest Dara and Quest are honestly similar in a lot of ways. They're both very determined, they both have a lot to give of themselves. They both care about results more than methods. The problem is really in that they wouldn't necessarily spend time together. Their hobbies wouldn't align in a way that makes it fun for them to spend time together. Dara might also tap into things that Quest doesn't agree with, morally, and it might strain the relationship. They'd be best as a short term thing and then move on with their lives. Dara does have a thing for paladins though…

Tavaris x Quest This is a case of different life expectations. Tavaris cannot wait for quiet domesticity after the lifetime of pain they've endured. When you're Bhaal's special little blorbo and have over 20 years of maiming, torturing, killing, and cannibalism, the idea of settling in the countryside and watching the birds is appealing. Quest won't go for it. They're built for a mission, and they're most fulfilled when carrying it out. (When Quest eventually figures out whatever the fuck is going on with the Lady's Guard, Tav might send them a memo for the former-god-cult support group. What who said that.)

Lorren Starstrider x Quest Similar to TavQuest, Lorren would be happier stationary and Quest would be happier moving. They'd get along swimmingly, but Quest wouldn't be happy with the type of life Lorren wants. I think Quest wouldn't take well to retirement in general. Lorren is glad for them to live the life they want, and she's going to live the life she's been working for for decades.

Fiharri Tabris x Saryn Vhys They'd cause friction more than anything. Fiharri is angry and irritable. Saryn would fuck up, or not pay enough attention, and Fiharri would be upset. Fiharri would be too aggressive, and Saryn would get uncomfortable. They'd argue, and it'd go poorly because they have a combined Charisma of 11 (spiritually, I haven't rolled Fiharri in D&D). They'd hurt one another. It would just be a bad experience for them even if they genuinely heart-wrenchingly loved one another.

Lorren Starstrider x Saryn Vhys Given how they're both usually portrayed, Lorren would see Saryn…more like her kids than an equal? Lorren is very sure of herself most of the time, she has lived a long life and experienced a lot. Saryn doesn't really have that for herself. Lorren would be someone she admired, not someone she could have a healthy adult relationship with. This one is only for people with mommy issues. (Saryn has two moms, she doesn't have enough mommy issues to pursue this.)

Cylthia x Saryn Vhys They would try. They'd be attracted to each other, and have similar ideas about trying to explore. But they'd grow apart. Cylthia would have ideas about high society romance and settling down and kids and a stationary life once she recovered from her whole not-being-accepted feeling. Saryn would probably feel uncomfortable with that. Girl needs some big changes before that happens! She doesn't want to be her family, even if she loves them! So they would grow apart, and eventually have to split.

Kayatosh Felrind x Cylthia First of all, this is fucking hilarious because Cylthia is literally a celebrity in Kayatosh's universe. Not a celebrity in Mechanus, but they definitely know the tale of MFU and their defeat of the Abeast. I think they'd be a bit starstruck by her, and she'd find them fun! But they wouldn't work because of that dynamic, and because Kayatosh would show Cylthia how much she's grown…and grown to not just want to be free-roaming. She wants a life in Neilia. Kayatosh would never be comfortable there. It would be tragic, but they wouldn't part on bad terms I think. Just full of regrets and a little bit of disappointment.

Lorren Starstrider x Kayatosh Felrind The ONLY way these two work romantically is if Lorren is doing some sort of mommy issues shit with Kayatosh. Kayatosh was always loved, but their position was always one they were forced into. Lorren could be loving, accepting mother for them. I don't think either of them would want to cross the streams of that with romance and sex. Like, they could, but I don't think it's what they'd want. Once they realize that it'd kinda be over before it began. Kayatosh would think Lorren is SUPER hot though.

Teri'nor Dakari x Kayatosh Felrind Kayatosh would enjoy being Teri's arm candy for a bit, but they'd get the itch to leave. Teri wouldn't enjoy being abandoned. She also wouldn't appreciate their lack of ambition because ambition is what drives EVERYTHING Teri does. Kayatosh would eventually slink away and see that the Empire is too restrictive, and so is Teri. No love lost for Mrs. Dakari, unfortunately.

Teri'nor Dakari x Lorren Starstrider They would start out strong — ambitious, goal-oriented, strong morals. Their moral conflict would start creeping in. Teri's manipulative attitude would bother Lorren. Lorren's righteousness would bother Teri. They'd be lovers to enemies is what I'm saying.

Dara x Lorren Starstrider I think they could honestly work for a bit. It really would be a matter of future that makes them break up. Dara wouldn't feel the same way about Lorren in terms of what family and goals mean for her, and they would argue. Not normal couple arguments, but real ones. It'd get too heated and they'd apologize but it wouldn't fix the friction. Plus, despite being a blood knight, I don't think Lorren would be 100% cool with Dara practicing blood magic.

Herah Adaar x Kayatosh Felrind Much like many of Kayatosh's relationships, it would start out well, but inevitably Kayatosh would be pulled away by their nature. Herah cares about her friends and her responsibilities. She cares about securing a future for people. Kayatosh doesn't, and Kayatosh wants to find the next amazing thing. It would be a short-lived flame, inevitably burning out.

Fiharri Tabris x Kayatosh Felrind Fiharri's knack for getting into incredibly dangerous situations would worry Kayatosh a lot, even if they were doing good to start. She wouldn't be enough fun for them either. They'd get bored, and antsy, and it would annoy her. And she'd go in search for a cure to the Blight, and Kayatosh's heart wouldn't be able to take it either way. They'd part ways, maybe friends or maybe not.

Dara x Kayatosh Felrind Dara is too serious for Kayatosh. Kayatosh is too flighty for Dara. Dara's wandering is out of necessity. They want a home. Kayatosh's wandering is out of wanderlust, an eternal desire to see more and find somewhere new. They wouldn't be looking for home. Neither would Dara be ready to pick up and go at the first sign of trouble. They wouldn't work, and I don't think they'd really enjoy hanging out together. Shared hobbies include: swords? Tattoos? That's about it.

Fiharri Tabris x Lorren Starstrider This is a case where they'd both want it to work. I mean, they'd like each other a lot. Tempers, fighting together, even sharing experiences of the hurt of their people and their pasts. They're both genocide survivors! But there would come a point where Lorren tells Fiharri she has to make peace with ghosts of her past. There's not enough room in their bed for three. And Fiharri wouldn't be able to promise that.

Dara x Teri'nor Dakari By all means they should work, except that Dara wouldn't be altogether comfortable with the Sith thing. I mean, they'll use blood magic and they're not super pressed about using unethical means sometimes, but the Sith Empire at its height? Slavery? No, that's just wrong. And Teri might not be supportive of the worst things in the Sith, but neither does she fundamentally change how the Empire functions. The imperialism works for her. And Dara wouldn't be okay with that. So that's that.

Herah Adaar x Dara They'd have fun together. But Herah would want the kind of stability Dara can't give, emotionally and physically. Dara would get frustrated with Herah's constant desire to be everything for everyone, and it would leave her feeling neglected. Likewise, Herah wouldn't be able to always handle the darkest parts of Dara. Nothing wrong with them, it's just how it is. They'd try. It wouldn't work.

Herah Adaar x Fiharri Tabris They're both people who have been alienated from themselves in the roles they were shoved into. They'd bond hard and fast, but they wouldn't be able to reconcile what they want in their personal lives. The love was there, it didn't change anything, but it matters that it was there. Inevitably they'd part to lead their own lives.

Yeah this works

Nal'evi Eidris x Mag Sterling Now these two! These two are the type to REALLY fit together. I mean, they're both nosy bitches. Mag would be okay with the type of work Evi does for the Empire. As long as Mag stayed mostly within the lines, Evi would be happy to let her do what she wanted. They would enable one another in the worst way, and Mag would dom the shit out of Evi.

Teri'nor Dakari x Mag Sterling For once, Mag could be the side piece. And I don't mean the mistress, she's usually fine with that, but I mean the arm candy. She'd be the piéce de résistance in Teri's ownership of the Empire. Would their relationship be a deeply loving one? Probably not. But they'd both get what they wanted, and they'd use each other, and they'd be happy. Teri would find Mag a fitting place collecting intelligence and satisfy her hunger for mystery. This would be Mag's happy evil ending.

Herah Adaar x Quest Is loving duty together a form of intimacy? These two it probably would be. Their dedications would be compatible, the way they'd want to help one another would be compatible. Their struggles with being Other in the place that needs them the most would be compatible. They'd spar, talk about magic, laugh about struggles, explore, and come home to somewhere together. They'd be happy with one another. And they'd dance at grand balls, which would be lovely.

Teri'nor Dakari x Nal'evi Eidris Okay this would be Evi's pipe dream. A Dark Lord of the Sith, if she was in an era with Sith, loving her? Teri would be happy to have Evi as her little spy within ISB, coming home to her in their penthouse and delivering any information. Evi would be endlessly loyal to Teri, to a fault even, and they'd both love it. There would be some using of one another, but the power imbalance would be something Evi wants, and Teri isn't the sort to abuse that if she's getting what she wants. She doesn't hurt people unnecessarily, and honestly neither does Evi. Imperial power couple for real.

Herah Adaar x Saryn Vhys Unfortunately it feels a bit like familiar ground, but I think the two of them would settle in the same place together! They'd both be happy exploring ancient ruins of the world, finding forgotten knowledge, but having a place to call home. They'd hold hands in forgotten temples and at official events. Saryn would be happy to let Herah take center stage so long as her work was never forgotten in it (and it wouldn't be, if Herah had a say). They would work.

Fiharri Tabris x Cylthia ANGRY!! The two of them would light up the town together in every sense. They'd bond over their feeling of separation from their culture. They'd bond over magic, because for Cylthia it was freeing and Fiharri didn't even really tap into it until she was old enough to hide it. They'd have so much to share and it would truly bring them joy. They'd find a home with one another, and they'd do some truly ridiculous things to bring down people who hurt others. Arson, mostly. Theft too. Also public humiliation because do you KNOW who we are? They'd love each other like a blazing fire.

Tavaris x Saryn Vhys Adventurer romance would be the name of the game here. They'd go adventuring together and find something true for themselves! They'd find ways to be happy together because they've both got enough of both worlds to be able to find joy in traveling together or settling to some degree, so long as they did it without expectations of any kind of forever. Saryn would be grounding for Tav, Tav would be grounding for Saryn. They'd be a nice couple.

Dara x Cylthia This is a case of Cylthia being allowed to be selfish. Not in a cruel way, just in a…Dara would encourage her to prioritize Cylthia. To find what Cylthia needs. And Cylthia would help Dara to think more about herself instead of her purpose too. They'd be selfish together in a way that would heal them both, and they'd help each other accept themselves. It helps that Dara is a tiefling, and Cylthia would see her own beauty reflected back at her. Plus, I think Cylthia would really like getting bit by a vampire/dhampir.

Saryn Vhys x Quest Once again, I repeat myself, but I think they'd be a great adventuring couple. Quest goes after monsters, Saryn researches them. Quest wears the armor and looks the impressive hero, Saryn presents her newest theories to a group of scholars. They'd be happy on the road together, a mission in their hearts and warmth as they sit together on their carts. Plus, Quest can't open a lock to save their life and Saryn can't talk their way out of a barrel of fish.

Lorren Starstrider x Cylthia This would definitely be leaning a bit into Cylthia's desire for acceptance from elves, but Lorren would be a good influence on her on that front. Cylthia would be happy to settle with Lorren if she had a true place wherever they settled, and the two of them would have a happy retirement together. Their parties would be friends! Cylthia would be ecstatic to be a mom, and Lorren is at her best when she's providing for a family she loves. So yeah, they'd be domestic as hell, and Lorren would stop Cylthia from like 98% of the arson.

Dara x Saryn Vhys Once again, I repeat myself. Adventuring power couple! Dara is very blunt and straightforward about her magic, and so Saryn doesn't mind it too much. Dara would help Saryn with her research. Saryn would help Dara find out the truth about her past. They'd stay up late talking theories, they'd fuck up talking and apologize to one another. They'd find themselves on the road together and they'd be happy to not be so alone.

Herah Adaar x Cylthia Cylthia would find in Herah the same kind of stability she finds in her canon love interest. Herah would be a force for purpose in Cylthia's life, and Cylthia would be a force for freedom in Herah's. They both would find something in the other, but neither would push the other beyond the point of no return. They'd be a really good pair and get into some shenanigans with their elemental magic I'm sure. Also, they both would walk into places like 🤨 are you going to say that to ME? the Inquisitor/a member of MFU???

Fiharri Tabris x Tavaris These two would have a similar struggle with anger. For Fiharri, it's from a life of oppression and struggle. For Tavaris, it's from a life of Bhaal-urged desire to kill and being raised in a cult that says that's good, actually. They'd help one another heal, and they'd help one another solve the issues that plague them. Fiharri would be first through the door to the temple of Bhaal to help Tavaris get rid of her blood. And Tavaris would be the first on the road to help find a cure for the Blight. They'd love each other and want to find their happy ending away from their blood.

Tavaris x Cylthia Self-acceptance through the other and through hot tiefling sex. Tavaris and Cylthia would be able to bond over the amnesia thing! Not exactly the same circumstances but the lack of autonomy. And also just the…feeling otheredness. I think they'd enjoy time together watching the stars and playing games and just spending time together. They'd be fun and enjoy each other's company in a way that'd be refreshing.

Herah Adaar x Lorren Starstrider They would be such a power couple. No one would fuck with these two. They'd gripe about chronic pain together, snicker about stupid political nonsense. They'd also adopt kids and be power moms. In general they'd fit together really well, and they'd both be happy to stop moving and settle somewhere nice. They'd love each other dearly, and they'd accept one another as they are. If that isn't enough, what is?

Kayatosh Felrind x Saryn Vhys Wanderlust: the couple. Saryn isn't dedicated to permanently being on the road, but I think the dungeoneering lifestyle would fit Kayatosh very well. They'd be a dungeoneering couple finding jobs that fit them, being pretty happy while doing it, and take their off-time at the Dragoon with the rest of Saryn's party. Kayatosh wouldn't feel tied down, Saryn wouldn't feel compelled to a life she didn't want. Plus they'd be able to spend time together with alchemy, with funny literature, with going out on the town (though that's decidedly more Kayatosh than Saryn). I think they'd make a good couple for as long as their adventuring lifestyle would last.

Herah Adaar x Tavaris Love is the death of duty. Okay, that's a bit dramatic and a GoT quote but still. They're both very devoted to their ways of helping people, but they'd also both be really happy for a quiet night by the fire knowing everything is okay. A married, domestic life would suit them fine, and so would going out to do good together. They'd laugh together, make art, bake things, and practice their magic. It's all either of them could really want.

Dara x Tavaris This one is the closest to any "canon" of any of these ships. Dara would be a wonderful companion to Tavaris during their journey to rid themself of Bhaal. Tavaris would do everything in her power to help Dara discover her origins and, eventually, meet her mother. Traveling together with the tadpole crew would work for them! They'd snuggle close in Last Light, go to Sorcerous Sundries, they'd like being around each other. Dara wouldn't be Tav's dream girl necessarily, but they'd fill a need for each other, and that flame wouldn't go out simply because the journey ended. They'd be happy together, if that's what they decided they wanted.

Soulmates

Tavaris x Lorren Starstrider I say these two are soulmates because their ideas of their life align. They'd both love to retire happy domestic mom lives. They're both happy to be remembered in the abstract and not the literal by people. They both crave that relationship where they support one another and are around one another enough to give each other more social support than anyone else. They'd complete one another when it came to the lives they were happiest in. Not to mention that during their journeys, they'd help one another no question. Lorren would be with Tavaris through the night at Moonrise Towers. Tavaris would always agree to help watch over Sallaneyia and Angel when they were little and Lorren needed to help defend their home. They would understand one another and they would love each other. If they were in the same story, at the same time, they would love each other.

Fiharri Tabris x Dara Fiharri and Dara approach the world in a similar enough way while still being different that they'd really be happy together. They're both constantly searching. Neither of them is accepting the world the way it is, and neither of them would hesitate to join the other on a journey. They're not content with stillness, but neither are they eternally wander-bound. They have goals, and they don't expect the world to bend to them. They also won't bend. They're both blunt, not willing to beat around the bush, and they both care about solutions more than methods (to a point). I think they'd fit together perfectly, a pair that would burn down the world for each other.

CRAZY SEX then they never see each other again

Fiharri Tabris x Mag Sterling Fiharri wouldn't agree with Mag's morals but she would fuck her nasty. They would invent new kinds of positions to do with their various skills. Fiharri would leave some marks, some extra ones when Mag tries to fuck with her and she lashes back. They'd both leave satisfied and determined never to see one another again.

Dara x Mag Sterling Dara is similar to Fiharri, only she would have better resistance to Mag's mental manipulations. Mag would get dommed hard. They would get some blood on them. They would never want to interact in the light of day.

Cylthia x Nal'evi Eidris Cylthia and Evi have diametrically opposed ways of living, but I think the mutual attraction would be strong. And with the crossing of settings…there are opportunities with druidic magic mixed with Imperial information-gathering devices.

Teri'nor Dakari x Cylthia Sith lightning + fire magic + two horny nonhumans = burning down a building for one night of crazed passion.

[sunderedazem]

Hmmm. Seeing a few upset takes (understandably) about the Force Echo where Bode realizes he can use Cal's affection for Merrin against him and like....I get why folks are mad? But to me that VERY much didn't read as like. Bode trying to turn Cal to the Empire's side. It very much struck me as "turn him away from helping the Hidden Path" - like as part of the effort to try and convince him not to use Tanalorr for the Path, or to at least stop actively agitating against the Empire and go try to do something for himself.

I genuinely can't bring myself to believe that Bode at any point actually *wants* Cal dead or under the Empire's thumb (he'll do it to protect Kata but it's not like. Something he wants to do), and I think he sees Merrin as a convenient point to argue to coax Cal into retreating and hiding so he doesn't have to see the worst happen (i.e. jedha 3 incident). Is it manipulative as shit, sure, that's kind of Bode's entire schtick. But it definitely didn't strike me as outright malicious - just more like a "thank FUCK I've found a way to make him go underground so I don't have to turn him over to the ISB/Inquisitors"

Because, yanno. That was going to be the eventual end goal. But if he could convince Cal to stop fighting and go to ground, well...Cere was the more important mark, right? Sure, I lost Kestis, but-

Anyway. I'm biased because of my otp for sure but meh. This is just how I saw it XD

[supervisormeero]

Unnecessary hypothetical question related to your tag on Syril smiling: what do you think would make him most happy out of Dedra kissing him and getting to catch Cassian?

The shipper in me wants to say Dedra kissing him, but the realist in me says catching Cassian. I mean, I think that's his greatest goal and his overall driving motivation, aside from moving up in the Empire and getting in to the ISB. And moving out of his mother's apartment.

Obviously we know he won't be successful in catching Cassian, but I'd put money on them meeting one more time before one — or both — of them dies tragically. I go back and forth on whether or not anything will actually happen between Syril and Dedra in canon; Kyle Soller has said that Syril loves her, but we have less of an idea where Dedra stands post-Ferrix and no indication that she's warmed enough to him for a display of physical affection. Could she end up there at some point in the five years Season 2 will cover? Possibly! But honestly, as long as they're in scenes together, I'll be happy.

[builttoserve]

I am weirdly invested in this au and I want to ask what about the rebellion? Do they still have the same goal as canon? How do the rest of the jedi fare? What about luke and leia? I'm assuming obi-wan doesn't know vader is anakin at that period of time so are you going to do some reveal? Oh also what is the empire's like from citizens perspective? Sorry I ask a lot I just like this so much I need to know more detail!!!

*cracks fingers* Okay, so that is quite alot of asks, but lemme try and break them down:

The Rebellion still has the same goals as in-canon; restore the Republic, overthrow Imperial rule. That said, they are having a far harder time of things. For one, the destruction of the first Death Star never occurs, because Vader cut the funding for the superweapon on Thrawn's insistence- which, in turn, severely hampers the Rebellion's overall unity as a faction, since they no longer have that 'great victory' to build them up into a stronger and more-popular faction. Additionally, Thrawn's pro-alien reforms have split the galactic population. In canon, it is mostly condensed down to a largely-humano-centric Empire against basically a largely-alien Rebellion. In 'Built To Serve', however, you are just as likely to find a Twi'lek or a Rodian Stormtrooper as you are to find a Human Stormtrooper. This, naturally, deprives the Rebellion of one of their largest recruitment 'pools from the canon timeline: the oppressed alien masses.

One other change is that Galen and Jyn Erso never sided with the Rebels; the Death Star project was scrapped, and Galen's technology was turned back towards clean renewable energy. This kept him on-side with the new Empire, and never separated him from his wife and daughter. Jyn, now living a new life as the daughter of a high-ranking imperial scientist, got the best education and connections, allowing her to rise rapidly through the ranks of the Imperial Navy. She now serves as one of Tarkin's many government officials.

The Jedi are far worse-off in this timeline. Whilst Palpatine mostly concerned himself with the Empire and left Vader to deal with any Jedi that dares to spring out of hiding, in this AU Emperor Vader leaves the broad-strokes of Imperial policy to Thrawn and Tarkin. This, in turn, leaves Vader with more time to organize and arrange the Imperial Inquisitors under the leadership of Grand Inquisitor Barriss Offee (the only person who hates the Jedi perhaps even-more than Vader himself). This newly invigorated Inquisitorius, in combination with the massive ISB propaganda effort to paint the Jedi as treasonous manipulative b*stards post-Order 66, has alienated the Jedi survivors from much of the support they might have had in-canon. Kanan Jarrus, Cal Kestis, Cere Junda and Ezra Bridger were all killed in this new timeline by the hand of Grand Inquisitor Offee, as was Darth Maul during an ill-planned assassination attempt against Emperor Vader. Ahsoka Tano remains alive as the head of the Rebel spy-network, 'Fulcrum'. Yoda, similarly, remains in hiding on Dagobah.

The exception to this blanket persecution is the planet of Ahch-To. In this new timeline, Ahch-To is used as a demilitarised 'reservation' for maybe 10% of all captured Jedi. The imprisoned Jedi are disarmed, installed with tracking chips, and released onto the planet's surface. There, they can meditate on the Force, practice their beliefs, and live out a relatively peaceful, low-tech, primitive life... on a number of conditions... The reservation of Ahch-To is led by the renowned former Jedi master Luminara Unduli, who preaches nonviolence and pacifism whilst firmly dissuading any talk of escape or insurrection; like it or not, Vader has given them all a second chance after Order 66, to live simple (albeit heavily-monitored) lives. Additionally, any newly-discovered Force-sensitive who fails examination under the Imperial Inquisitorius' exacting standards is dumped in the hands of the Ahch-To Jedi reservation.

Luka and Leia are unchanged from canon - Leia is still the outspoken daughter of Senator Organa (who, coincidentally, has been having a harder time getting supplies off-of Alderaan to the Rebels, now that the 'Death-Star-carcass-turned-Imperial-Navy-starport' is parked right over his planet), and Luke is still a farmboy on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan never had his little adventure from his 'Kenobi' series, and remains in-hiding on Tatooine. He still communed with Qui-Gon Jinn as a Force Ghost, and learnt how to become a Force Ghost himself, but he never had that final fight with Vader. Indeed, Leia herself was never kidnapped as a young girl; instead, her father Bail just told her about Obi-Wan's many adventures. As for if Obi-Wan discovered Vader is Anakin... ehhh, let's just say that Obi-Wan never made that connection. He'd still think that he killed Anakin on Mustafar, and that Vader is some other Sith Lord who stole power 'out from under Palpatine at the final minute. Or, atleast, that is his best-guess. He doesn't exactly have an abundance of intelligence on a backwater like Tatooine.

The Empire, from the prospective of an average citizen, is a marked improvement on the Old Republic. Granted, they are under intense scrutiny and subjected to a near-dizzying amount of Imperial propaganda, but they are *safe*. The Clone Wars are over, the Jedi traitors are gone or in-hiding or on the 'reservation' world of Ahch-To, and the old corruption and greed of the Republic Senate has been expunged (for the most part). The Hutt cartels are far less aggressive and daring, with crime at an all-time galactic 'low. Slavery is still a problem, especially in the Outer Rim, but worlds like Ryloth and Shili are firmly slavery-free, and firmly loyal to the Empire. Alien and otherwise nonhuman citizens are far more satisfied with the new Imperial system, finding it as a source of excellent new career paths with alot of upwards mobility. Indeed, reports and news stories on galactic equality margins are at an all-time-high, firmly outstripping the Old Republic. Basically, if you were born a Sullustan, you would have far-better chances of finding work in government under the Empire than you ever did under the Republic. The prices of much-needed items like medicine and food are also much more affordable, with some of Emperor Vader's key early policies being based around the production and distribution of these two things... partly to cement his own popularity, partly to incentivise postwar economic prosperity, and partly to urge more people to buy-in to the new Empire as a new galactic government.