#I think I lost my mind part way through and it turned into would anakin survive in a fight against Guda

[gffa]

One thing that caught my attention while watching The Phantom Menace in the theater, a movie I didn't expect to find anything new with after how many times I've seen it and analyzed it, was that Sidious mentions multiple times that he has to change his plans to fit the new circumstances. It got me to thinking about how Palpatine gets credit for his carefully crafted plans, but often times not for how flexible he is in changing them on the fly, especially in time travel fics where someone destroys one of his plans and that's the end of it. Which, I'm not advocating against, I love a good Take That Wrinkled Walnut The Fuck Down However You Gotta Do It fic and I don't want them to change! But in canon Palpatine makes note of things he's not expecting, like:

When Valorum sends the Jedi as ambassadors, it's not part of Sidious' plan: DAULTAY DOFINE: This scheme of yours has failed, Lord Sidious. The blockade is finished. We dare not go against the Jedi. DARTH SIDIOUS: Viceroy, I don't want this stunted slime in my sight again! This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin landing your troops. NUTE GUNRAY: My lord, is that… legal? DARTH SIDIOUS: I will make it legal. NUTE GUNRAY: And the Jedi? DARTH SIDIOUS: The Chancellor should never have brought them into this. Kill them immediately!

On the Trade Federation ship, after Queen Amidala has disappeared from Naboo, Palpatine originally planned that she would be forced to sign the treaty, and then brings in Maul to deal with this. DARTH SIDIOUS: And Queen Amidala, has she signed the treaty? NUTE GUNRAY: She has disappeared, My Lord. One Naboo cruiser got pat the blockade. DARTH SIDIOUS: I want that treaty signed. NUTE GUNRAY: My Lord, it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range. DARTH SIDIOUS: Not for a Sith. This is my apprentice. Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship.

On Naboo, after Padme allies with the Gungans: NUTE GUNRAY: We've sent out patrols. We've already located their starship in the swamp....It won't be long, My Lord. DARTH SIDIOUS: This is an unexpected move for her. It's too aggressive. Lord Maul, be mindful. MAUL: Yes, my Master. DARTH SIDIOUS: Be patient... Let them make the first move.

Palpatine's plans aren't static, they adapt and change with the events that happen, just as the other characters react to new information and head in new directions for it, so too does Palpatine and I think it's interesting to note that part of what makes him such a good villain is that he has an outline for what he wants to do, he sets up the dominoes of what he needs, but even when they don't fall precisely into place, he generally gets what he wants. He originally intended that Padme would sign the treaty, the Jedi wouldn't be involved, and that would lead to a vote of No Confidence to oust Valorum, using the sympathy for Naboo as a way to boost himself into the position. But he didn't really need her to sign it and still managed to use the sympathy for Naboo to get elected, it ultimately didn't matter what happened to the planet, so long as it was in danger while he needed it to be, he could use it either way. Nor, honestly, do I think he ever planned for Anakin Skywalker's existence, he had no idea they would find such a boy on Tatooine or how useful he was going to be, that was another way he changed his plans once the opportunity arose. Or a lot of his plots in TCW--he has Cad Bane steal the list of Force-sensitive children and kidnap them, bringing them to Mustafar for some sort of program to use them probably not too unlike how he uses the Inquisitors later. That plan is foiled by the Jedi, the babies are returned to their families, and Sidious' plans fall through, but that doesn't really change the outcome. tl:dr: I don't think Palpatine gets enough credit as a villain whose plans shift and change along with the new events that happen, just as much as the heroes' plans shift and change when new things happen. Yeah, he's a great villain because he creates an impossible trap for people, but also because the thing about him is that he's incredibly charming and charismatic and he knows an opportunity when he sees one, that any one given plan might fall through, but it's not necessary to his overall plot.

[kiwikipedia]

Going forwards, this is solely based off of canon appearances and Clone Wars:

No Legends

No other Type/Moon franchises

No Lego Star Wars

While Carnival will be counted (as Gudako shows off no absurd, world ending power), Learning with Manga! will not be

The FGO manga adaptations of the singularities will be included as well as external notes from the Voice Actors and Nasu

External notes from SW will be included if I can find any

FGO Events are counted no matter how serious as they are or aren’t part of the game

The first thing to look at in terms of “Can Anakin Survive in the Grand Order/Epic of Remnants/Lostbelts” vs “Can Guda Survive in Star Wars: The Clone Wars” coming out in favor of Guda is their adaptability and flexibility to a given situation. This also feeds into their emotional responses to situations outside of their control.

We see time and time again that Guda is able to adapt to nearly any situation, even without help from Chaldea— we see this in the EoR and in several of the more Serious events where they’re entirely cut off from Chaldea. While true that in these cases Guda often has assistance from That Location’s Servants— Musashi in Shimousa, Reines and Gray in Casefiles London, Moriarty, Jalter, Salter, and Holmes in Shinjuku, Kintoki in Heian Kyo, etc.— it is ultimately Guda moving forwards with their own judgement.

Even when Chaldea is in contact with them, Guda is seen more than once as a figure who is able to stay calm— as seen almost right off the bat in Fuuyuki when being chased down by Shadow Servants and the Director and Mash panicked.

Outside of combat, we see that, even when angry, Guda swallows their emotions down and knows when to fold their cards— when Romani tells Guda about Mashu’s condition, for example. Certainly, they’re angry, to the point that they punched a wall, but they know they can’t do anything about it and have to swallow that anger down to continue on to the sixth singularity.

Gudako’s voice actress states that outside of Grand Carnival she is the “type of girl who learns from her mistakes and strives to do better next time after learning her lesson the first time” and we can assume that this also applies to Gudako to an extent. Mashu states in game that Guda is  “able to adapt to almost any situation regardless of how extreme or bizarre it might be”

The final note for Guda being able to adapt easily if dropped into Star Wars: Guda’s been dropped into much weirder situations. From a candy land-like Magical Girl dimension to comicon in Hawai’i and whatever the hell is happening in the Gudaguda verse, that’s a lot of weirdness everywhere. Even when events aren’t counted, that’s still at least twenty separate situations where Guda is put in a place where they have to adapt and be flexible to the situation around them— seven Singularities, the Temple of Time, the Remnant Singularities, seven Lostbelts, and all the extra Lostbelt sections.

In contrast to this, Anakin is rarely shown as a person who can adapt easily.

To put it entirely blunt, Anakin is far too headstrong and stubborn to flexibly adapt until it’s almost too late. And in certain cases, we see that he just straight up isn’t able to do so and almost costs obi-wan/padme/rex/ahsoka the mission.

(this got lengthy so more under the cut)

He arrogantly assumes that he can do anything if he puts enough effort into it and he has a very strong inability to let go of things he cares about. He is also the type who is unable to accept anything he’s done as wrong or unjustified.

Taking into account the entire Rush Clovis situation, Anakin almost lets his possessiveness get the better of him because he refuses to be flexible enough to let Padme do her own thing.

There are an insane amount of times when situations outside of his control lead him to resort to anger and violence— again, with Padme dying in childbirth, but also when Ahsoka was kidnapped, it was Plo Koon who forced him to calm down and think.

And like Guda, we have a very real situation of Anakin being dropped into another location out of his control with the entire Mortis Arc. While it is definitely true that the Father, Son, and Sister were influencing Anakin to an extent, it was Anakin who chose anger, violence, and darkness as the path to take. Even before he had been influenced entirely, he resorted to a lot of anger and violence.

But Adaptation and Flexibility isn’t the only thing that is necessary. It’s called Star Wars for a reason, and there is no Main Line Fate Series that doesn’t revolve around a bloodshed, so the next thing to look at are their Feats in Combat.

I’m not just talking about savior of xyz or whatever but at their physical strengths and tactical ability.

At a first glance, it seems absolutely stupid to think that Anakin “Chosen One” Skywalker could be out played and out survived by Guda “Backup Fodder” Fujimaru.

Where Anakin had enough raw talent to afford being lazy and skipping out on lightsaber duel training, Guda’s abilities with Magecraft mostly come from the aide of the Mystic Codes that can be worn— and while in them lies versatility, it’s safe to say that, yeah. Guda is just an average joe.

If you’re here, you’re likely also a star wars fan or know about it enough to know that, yes, Anakin has some insane skills. He’s the chosen one, he’s a skilled pilot and mechanic, he’s got lightsaber skills for days— he’s strong. I won’t go into much detail there, because we know Anakin. For all his faults and crimes, there’s no denying he’s pretty high up there in terms of skill.

But that’s not to say that Guda isn’t strong.

As stated before, it is true that they aren’t able to use magecraft due to how shit their magic circuits are from not training them— but they have raw strength. And this could be partially due to how Star Wars is formatted, but in terms of raw strength, Guda has Anakin beat. Gudao states in the Babylonia Anime that since he cant support by way of Magecraft, he needs to be buff— something that we do actually see results of in the Chaldea Summer mystic Code, where Gudao is shown to be decently muscular (the only reason why Gudako isn’t seen as muscular is because of the moe anime look, I guarantee you that Gudako is 100% just as ripped as Gudao)— and this is further backed up in the Saber Wars II event, of all things. Which, side note, means that yes Guda’s already been to fucking space.

Anyways. Not only is Guda running around in a space suit the entire time, but they easily pick up Ashtart in a Bridal Carry and runs with her to safety— Space Ishtar stating that they are much stronger than they look. Mind you, an average space suit weighs 280 pounds on earth. It’s not like Guda’s running about in the special little helmets and clone armor that are seen in Star Wars when someone needs to go out in space.

(As seen in the Abregado Arc where the Clones can just wear their helmets and are fine and Plo Koon fine because of being a Kel Dor so he just?? anyways.)

So yeah, Guda’s a lot stronger than they look based on that alone. It’s also implied that they have hand-to-hand combat training and experience— In the Timeless Temple, Guda arms themselves with Mashu’s shield and a single Command Spell on their own body before throwing themselves at Goetia alone.

In Li Shuwen Assassin’s Interlude, we’re told that Guda first started watching and then joined in his own personal training on top of his birthday line basically being “hey happy birthday, your gift is 100% more brutal”, so that’s solid confirmation that Guda at least has training from the Demon Fist No Second Strike himself.

On top of, you know, training under Scathach, Isshun, Leonidas, Kotarou and Danzou, and implications that both Kiichi and Chiron are in on that training hell too and its also implied the only reason Yagyuu won’t train us is because last time he crushed someone’s eye and he doesn’t want to repeat that.

It’s safe to say that Guda can hold their own in a fight.

In terms of Tactical Prowess and commanding ability Guda also beats Anakin. Again, looking back at the idea of adaptability, so many of Anakin’s choices result in the danger or deaths of clones or other Jedi because he refuses to assume that he’s in the wrong.

He is obsessive over victory, craving it so much that it makes him incredibly reckless and impatient in trying to achieve it.

The Clone Wars fandom loves to piss on Pong Krell (and like. valid) about Clone Deaths, but a good chunk of them also actively ignore the fact that Anakin has gotten just as many if not far more Clones Killed.

Within the first few episodes of the first season, Anakin looses nearly an entire squadron of fighter pilots because he refuses to listen to others and the concerns of Plo Koon about the plan he’s created— along with concerns about how much bravado he’s got. Arrogance leads to downfall, and while Anakin, Ahsoka, and Plo Koon got out alive, a number of clones didn’t, and that’s only taking into account the first few episodes. There’s multiple times where Anakin’s “planning” and arrogance gets thousands of killed, but its A-OK because they’re nameless Clones, right?

When it comes to Guda, though, we know full well that Guda is an insanely powerful tactician.

As stated, as a magus, they're average at best literally on the same level as the almost famously inept Waver Velvet. They are pretty much entirely reliant on their Servants to defend themselves as their physical prowess can’t beat a Servant, but their compatibility as a Master is second-to-none, possessing a tactical prowess that has lead their Servants to victory against ridiculous odds.

Hell, in France, after being defeated by Guda's servants, Vlad praised Guda's abilities as a commander and asked them to summon him in the future.

This get further highlighted in the Lostbelts where all the Crypters are superior mages compared to them but Guda is able to overcome them due to their experience stopping the incineration of humanity.

We see time and time again that Guda would do all that they can in order to keep their Servants alive (Arash and Chen Gong notwithstanding lol), so to get so far by keeping the sacrificing of any Servant to a minimum —even if the choice to do so is much more difficult—  shows off how skilled they are in terms of both tactical outmaneuvering and that emotional connection that Anakin seems to lack when it comes to the “canon fodder” Clones who aren’t Rex.

Both the Clone Wars and the Grand Order to the Lostblts spanned about 3 years with the Lostbelts still going— and this doesn’t account for the fact that FGO itself is 9 years old, so take whichever time frame that you will— there’s a fuck ton of events that are slotted into such a short amount of time. However, during these conflicts and battles, Anakin is usually backed by machinery and usually an entire battalion of men— and/or another Jedi, primarily Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, with Plo Koon or Mace Windu coming in the most often after those two.

Guda’s fights are on a much lesser scale in terms of total war and numbers, however they’re often fighting much more powerful enemies. Especially when we function under the very real idea that Servants trump the Jedi and Sith in terms of strength— with Jedi/Force Users being about the same skill as a high ranked Magus.

Guda’s got combat experience and discipline, and in a physical, no weapons, contest alone, they would trump Anakin. “But this isn’t about who would win in a fight, it’s about surviving in the other world!”

Correct. So lets look:

Anakin’s first fight in the Clone Wars is more or less against numbers of grunt-soldiers whose strength one-on-one isn’t that powerful. Guda’s first fight is against shadow servants who are only slightly weaker than Mashu at the time.

Anakin looses his first “boss fight”, gets knocked out cold, and looses an arm. Guda fights and wins against a Corrupted King Arthur who has an AOE attack that could wipe out an entire city block. It takes Anakin seven more attempts to finally kill the first boss at the end of the War.

Because of the power difference in enemies, should Anakin go up against a full-fledged Servant, his straight forwards and arrogance in thinking that he can handle it on his own and charge headlong into a fight, along with his lack of discipline and formal training where it mattered, would be his downfall.

Could Anakin fight the grunt-type enemies in Fate? Absolutely, but so can a Servant. And in the end, fighting a bunch of Celtic soldiers wont mean anything when faced down with Berserker Cu Chulainn who easily waltzed into a Reality Marble (which previously had been considered impenetrable) and just kills Nero— whose previous incarnation had once won a Holy Grail War and is considered to be one of the top Sabers of the game.

Anakin is used to fighting droids and the occasional darksider, while Guda is fully prepared and trained to fight common enemies while knowing how to survive against Servant Enemies. Anakin would not survive an encounter against a Servant with the mindset he has while Guda, if armed with a lightsaber, could cut swathes through the CIS armies with the Clones at their back— and cause much more damage if they had a Servant with them.

So taking all these into consideration we end up with this:

In the event that Guda is transported into the Star Wars Universe, they would be able to adapt very quickly and hold their own in a fight during the Clone Wars. They have fought through multiple wars and world-ending encounters, so getting involved in another war would be another day for them. Because of the fact that they have been trained in and have the discipline and mindset to learn combat, along with the knowledge and skills of a tactician and commander, they would slot in very well into the Star Wars universe. In the event that they can summon Servants because of their connection to them or whatever, the war would’ve probably ended much faster too. Holmes + El Melloi II would figure Palpatine’s ass out so fast.

In the Event that Anakin is dropped into the FGO universe, he would be unable to adapt to an extent that would be useful, often hindering because he keeps trying to do everything himself and shafting both Chaldea’s workers and the Servants in order to prove himself as the ‘hero’, along with not caring who got injured or killed as long as he got to the end goal— which ultimately would strain any relationship with any Servants in Chaldea, hindering their growth, ability, and the understanding between Master and Servant. Because the strength and power difference between the enemies in Star Wars and the enemies in Fate/Grand Order is so vastly different, when face to face with an enemy Servant, this lack of a bond between Master and Servant, and Anakin’s need to do and prove to everyone that he can do it by himself would severely injure if not outright kill him

Final Point:

The Guda’s are also hella cute and would get so many brownie points with the Jedi for being Their Special Selves and also the Clones for treating them like people. Anakin would get roasted by the Chaldean Servants so fast he would disintegrate on the spot the moment El Melloi II stepped up to bat. Any remains would be torn apart by Andersen.

I genuinely think that Guda could survive in the SW universe but Anakin would not be able to handle any of the shit that happened in Fgo

[swanimagines]

Hi! Can I get Anakin Skywalker + Til Death Do Us Part by Kait Weston? Thank you!

TIL DEATH DO US PART

The bedroom you shared with Anakin had been left untouched for days since you came back from Mustafar. You had avoided going there all this time, until Obi-Wan talked to you and told you to go check it, as he believed it could make you start your grieving process.

As if he’d know anything about love, you thought bitterly as you stood at the door. He hasn’t loved anyone like I loved Anakin.

But you knew deep inside that he was right. Avoiding the room, the messy sheets, his night robe he always left on his side of the bed, would just make things worse. You knew your mind was desperately trying to pretend that everything was fine, he wasn’t dead. Mustafar never happened. The younglings are fine, probably training. Or playing. Maybe Palpatine got exposed, but Anakin helped the Jedi to defeat him.

But then your sense and memories reminded you of that day. It reminded you about you rushing to save Anakin, but you were too late. You got there to witness Obi-Wan defeat him, and it was like Anakin didn’t even see you, his eyes were on Obi-Wan the whole time as you screamed for him, frantically trying to see a way to get down, help drag him up, fix him.

But even then, you knew he was beyond fixing now. He would have been arrested and probably sentenced to death. You would only delay what would be coming for him anyway.

So you stepped into the room, breathing out with a small sob the moment you smelled Anakin’s scent lingering at the doorway. And you couldn’t bear to turn your head, so you made your way straight to the balcony, where you gripped the railing so hard you were unsure if it was healthy.

You took in a shaky breath, looking at the sky, the stars twinkling over Coruscant. Imagining he’d somehow hear you. “I’m sorry, Anakin. You had a hard time with what happened to your mother, and I didn’t fully see it before it was too late. The sight of what happened was haunting me, but I didn’t realise how much it was haunting you, how you needed help to overcome it. Seeing you turn into what killed you was a dagger to my heart, but I forgive you. I decided to keep my vow to you even after all this, til death do us part.”

You took in another breath, closing your eyes, letting yourself imagine for just a moment that Anakin wrapped his arms around you, telling you everything was alright. That it was just a bad dream, maybe make you laugh a little at the absurdity of it.

“Do you honestly think I would do such a thing?” he’d say, cupping your cheek. “I wouldn’t do anything that threatens what we have.”

But that wouldn’t happen, he would never come back.

—

Far away from Coruscant years later, Darth Vader stood at the deck of the large windows of this Imperial ship he was now commanding. Despite feeling slight regret for what he did to you in particular, leaving you alone, breaking all his promises, he quickly embraced the darkness. Master Palpatine told him that once he’d let the Dark Side take over, it’d give him power to get over all the useless heartbroken feelings.

But when he stared out from the windows, a whisper of something old and familiar suddenly engulfed him.

Your scent.

And your voice. A few echoing sobs first, followed by “What you did was a dagger to my heart, but I forgive you.”

It was like the Force itself carried your words to him through the galaxy, seeking for lost love, trying to find a heart those words belonged to. Vader squeezed his hands to fists, staring at the nothingness of space.

And for just a moment, he let himself feel the weight of words you spoke, the longing, the ache. You thought he was dead, and it was better that way.

“Til death do us part.”

It had parted you in a sense. Anakin Skywalker was dead and only he remained. At least that's what he was telling himself, Anakin was dead, Vader killed him, along with Anakin’s love for you.

If only he’d believe in it.

Requests are open! FANDOM LIST | PROMPT LIST(S) | RULES (READ!!!)

[lajulie24]

Don’t mind me, just watching GIFs of Luke throwing away his lightsaber in ROTJ and reclaiming himself as a Jedi “like my father before me” and thinking about all the things that led him there and all the people who contributed to Luke making that decision. Yes, that decision was incredibly personal and speaks to how Luke has grown throughout the OT, and at the same time Luke himself would likely acknowledge that moment wouldn’t have been possible without everyone who has been a part of his life, who helped him get there. Some of whom he never even knew.

It’s a victory for Padmé Amidala Naberrie, whom Luke never knew but who managed to outmatch Sheev Palpatine so many times through her life, in part by refusing to play his game, which is exactly what Luke did here. Palpatine claims Luke’s faith in his friends is his weakness, but both he and his mother knew that it was a strength. Padmé’s friends (particularly Bail and Obi-Wan) are the reason the twins survived at all, the reason Luke had a sister and friend in Leia to lean on during his journey, the reason Obi-Wan survived long enough to watch over him and introduce him to the Force.

It’s a victory for Shmi Skywalker, whom Luke never knew but who influenced her stepson Owen Lars and her daughter-in-law Beru Whitesun Lars, who in turn helped Luke grow into the person he was. Yes, Anakin turned in part because he feared to lose Padmé the way he’d lost Shmi, just like Luke came close to turning when Vader threatened Leia, but I have to think that part of the reason Luke was able to stop was that he had that foundation of love and stability Owen and Beru had nurtured that made Luke remember who he was.

It’s a victory for the Jedi, whom Palpatine had manipulated and twisted and exhausted through the Clone Wars until by the time they faced genocide at Order 66 they were already a shadow of what they could have been. Luke reclaiming what it means to be a Jedi — and again, refusing to be defined by the structures and traps Palpatine had constructed for his father and for the other Jedi — would not have been possible without Luke being introduced to the Force by Obi-Wan, taught in the Force by Yoda, AND remembering himself through his bonds with other people. The fact that these Jedi who had survived a horrific genocide could still offer that connection, that hope, says that Sheev had not succeeded eliminating their light. Just like Sheev had not succeeded in eliminating the light in Anakin.

It’s a victory for all the beings with whom Luke was connected, because Luke had learned the thing his father struggled so hard to do: he learned to love, to trust, and to let go. At this moment, there was no guarantee Luke was getting out of there alive. In fact, a second later he’s being electrocuted by Palpatine and probably going to die. But like Luke said, Palpatine has already lost. Luke won’t turn to the Dark Side. He’ll keep trusting his friends, and trusting in the light. And everyone who has connected with Luke—Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, his friends in the Rebellion, everyone — has been changed by that connection in a way that Palpatine can never take away. No matter who survives, that light in some form will survive.

[queen-of-mandalore]

Em’s Star Wars Rewatch Part 32:

The Clone Wars #30 - Umbara

4x07: Darkness on Umbara

I have both been excited for and dreading this arc. It’s one of the best in the entire series but I was so tense through the whole thing.

The design of Umbara really adds to the ‘fog of war’ aspect of this arc. The fact that it’s constantly dark and foggy and unknown. The terrain and wildlife are enemies in of themselves.

It’s interesting that this is one of the few times where they are fighting people rather than droids. It makes it more real. We see several of the clones shoot the Umbarans almost point blank and fight hand to hand.

The Umbaran weapons are so interesting and such cool designs.

‘I can’t even see the enemy!’ ‘That’s why they’re called the shadow people Tup!’

Hard case and Wrecker would get on so well.

This episode really highlights why Anakin is such a good general - he allows Rex to take a lead, listens to his strategy calls and fights alongside his men. It comes into stark contrast with Krell.

As soon as Krell showed up I became so angry. He might honestly the most hated character in all of Star Wars. At least with the villains such as Palpatine and Maul you kind of love to hate them. Krell I just hate.

The way Rex blinks in surprise when krell makes the insulting comments about clones - he’s just not expecting it having been so used to working with Anakin and Obi-Wan. The same as when Fives just stares at the lightsaber when Krell threatens him like he can’t even believe it.

Even in this first episode you can see Fives’ rebellious spirit. He’s the only one who openly questions Krell.

4x08: The General

You can see how hard Rex is trying to keep things together. He doesn’t agree with Krell, his men are dying but there’s nothing he can do.

This episode highlights how the men admire and respect Fives. They all listen to him when he argues against Krell’s plan. Rex knows this, shown by him asking him to ease the men’s minds.

‘Men. Not clones, men!’

I love Hardcase and Fives together. I bet Hardcase reminds Fives of Hevy.

Poor Kix just wants to save the wounded. Him telling Rex he sounds just like Krell must have hit deep.

The weird caterpillar tanks the Umbarans use are so cool.

I love the way Fives is just manically laughing whilst piloting the Umbaran ship. He was having a great time.

The shot with fire reflecting in Krell’s eyes goes so hard.

The fact that Krell would question whether Rex understands that losses are essential for victory after Rex has lost so many brothers makes me so angry.

4x09: Plan of Dissent

Why does Fives look so hot leaning like that?

I love Fives trying to lie to Krell in the hangar - gives major Han in ANH vibes. Plus the fact that Hardcase seems to be one of the few clones who can actually lie somewhat convincingly.

Hardcase saying they will be sneaky when he has to be one of the least sneaky of all the troopers lol

Dogma and Tup just don’t want to get into trouble, I don’t think we can blame them for that.

The fact that Anakin has told Fives the story about how he blew up the droid command ship as a kid. It’s a small detail but it really shows the relationship Anakin has with the clones seeing as he seems to chat and shares stories with them.

RIP Hardcase - live to fight another day.

Of course Rex tried to take the blame (despite telling them he couldn’t help them if they were caught) but Fives would never allow that. They both have so much loyalty to their brothers.

Krell just wants obedience - that’s all he cares about.

I will forever love Fives��� speech, it’s so powerful.

Watching them unknowingly kill one another hurt my heart. Rex’s voice when he’s screaming at them to stop was just heartbreaking. All their reactions were just too much.

Poor Waxer. The lone tear running down his face 😭

This episode shows Rex’s character development. If you think back to season 1 he would never have even considered turning against his general, no matter what they did.

‘It’s Captain, sir.’

‘I used to think being a good soldier meant doing exactly what they told you.’

Dogma is such a fascinating character. When he realises Krell has been using him you really feel his anguish.

I think making Krell a traitor and a follower of Dooku makes this arc slightly less dark. At the end of the day there is still a line drawn between good and evil. Krell is the bad guy. It would be interesting if they hadn’t made that choice, if Krell wasn’t trying to destroy the republic, he just didn’t care about clones’ lives. It would have made it a lot messier and I think the moral dilemma for Rex would have been even greater.

‘All I know is that one day this war is going to end’. ‘And then what? We’re soldiers. What happens to us then?’

This arc is so good. I wish we had more clone centric arcs as this proves they are among the very best.

[palfriendpatine66]

Thirsty Thursday (?)

Aka your pal has no self restraint. Here’s the intro to the wiggles au - we should really call it something else - for now let’s go with Infinite Happiness

When I meet somebody new I say: How do you do? How do you do? How do you do? When I meet somebody new I say: how do you do? My name is Ben! It’s nice to meet you!

“You lost or trying to make your escape while you still have the chance,” a soft voice drawled from the dark.

Anakin jolted to a stop, arrested by the intriguing sound. He was lost, although suddenly a lot less concerned with that fact. He hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going, watching the final laps of the race he’d much rather be attending on his phone as he made his way to the bathroom before he was subjected to an agonizing two hours of nonstop Infinite Happiness - Live in Concert, his preschool twins most favorite singing group in the whole world. He’d just had to go and buy the concert tickets when Padmé said she hadn’t been able to get a hold of any herself, only thinking of the dual win of being the hero in their eyes and one upping their mother while he was at it, not stopping to consider the astronomical loss that having to sit through the concert would be.

Anakin caught sight of the shadowy figure who’d spoken from where they were tucked into a dark corner. Shining gray blue eyes captured his attention and threw all sense out the window and he said the first thing that came to mind. “I'd rather take a power drill to the temple than have to listen to The Happy Song one more time.”

A look of pure incredulity passed over the stranger’s face. They threw their head back with a laugh that drew Anakin in and had him smiling right along with him.

“Cheers to that mate,” the man said. He raised a flask in Anakin’s direction with a nod and then tipped it to his lips with several long gulps that drew Anakin’s eyes to the bob of his throat. “Only way to get through it.”

He held the flask out to Anakin with a questioning tilt of his head, and Anakin found himself step forward despite himself. “What the hell,” he muttered under his breath and brought it up to his lips without breaking eye contact. His eyes teared up as it burned its way down his throat, warmth blooming and spreading through his chest. A thought stuck in his mind as he handed it back - received with a cocky smirk and tossed back far more gracefully - was that those delectable lips were wrapped around where his had just been.

“What’s your name, gorgeous?”

Gorgeous. “Anakin.”

“Pretty name for a pretty boy.”

Anakin’s cheeks were on fire - and when had it gotten so hot in here? - when he was offered the flask again and drank far more deeply than was wise to hide his face and save himself from having to come up with a response.

What the fuck was happening here? He was a father. He didn’t day drink, for one thing, and not with strangers, for another. Certainly not at children’s concerts. And he hadn’t flirted with anyone since the divorce, let alone ridiculously attractive men wearing eyeliner in dark hallways who looked about ready to eat him alive.

His only excuse for what happened next was he was taken completely and totally by surprise.

Strong, thick fingers wove through his hair and together with the hand that sprawled across his lower back, tugged him forward to waiting lips. They met his own, strong and sure, and parted so that a searching tongue could dart out to lick across his own trembling lower lip, requesting access.

With a gasp Anakin responded enthusiastically, not just granting entry but sucking on the questing tongue that slipped into his mouth like he was starving and intended to swallow him whole. Moaning messily into the increasingly wet kiss, if the sloppy movements could even be called that; they’d already turned into something more, something obscene.

Obscene, Anakin repeated inwardly as his fists twisted into a leather jacket and tight black pants, demanding more and growling with approval when the man’s slighter frame pressed up against his own. Hips that just begged to be grabbed, Anakin only too happy to oblige, ground filthily against his thigh and left little up to the imagination.

[book-of-baba-fett]

Illicit Affairs - Chapter 20

Captain Rex x OC

Previous Chapter

Chapter Summary: After rescuing Echo, the group has to find a way to escape the droid forces on Skako Minor. Talia taps into some abilities that might have more consequences than she realizes.

Chapter Rating: M

Warnings: Angst, canon typical violence, awkward scenarios of two people who used to be in a relationship and are still in love with each other trying to act like they still aren't in love with each other

A/N: Wow, posting chapters two weeks in a ROW? It's been a long time since I've been able to do that. First off; I received some of the best interactions last week so I need to thank you all so much. A weird thing I noticed while formatting - I think this is the only chapter that's 100% Talia's POV? Much love to my beta-reader @galacticgraffiti, who I think is still in emotional recovery from this chapter. Any likes/comments/reblogs are so loved; seriously you all have no idea how much it means to me!

Ao3 Link

Series Masterlist

19 BBY - Skako Minor

         Echo’s plan brought them into the ventilation corridors, tunnels winding so tight the group could only walk two by two. Talia led the group, with Tech shortly behind her holding his scanner, remarking on the system. Talia tuned out much of what they said, still trying to calm her mind. Climbing up the hatch had helped them evade part of the droid forces, but there was sure to be more of a fight coming.

         The tunnels provided a less than preferred method of escape: Balancing across a long pipe leading to another of the city’s buildings; suspended thousands of feet above ground. Crossing here could lead to a ship that could help them escape, or to more droids; Talia felt inclined to suspect the second.

         She stepped onto the pipe last; the wind rustled her hair wildly as it whipped her face. She carefully moved forward, her feet guiding her as she moved one step at a time.

         “Oh, boy, I can’t even look,” Wrecker grumbled from ahead, his voice carrying over the wind. He addressed Tech, just in front of him. “Just keep walking.”

         “That’s fine, but if you fall, don’t take me with you,” Tech responded.

         They were nearing the halfway point when Wrecker spoke up again, this time more panicked, “I don’t know if I can do this!”

         “We’re almost there, Wrecker!” Talia called from behind. It was true, but that distance seemed further and further with every glance; even for a Jedi balancing with no sight of ground beneath her was daunting.

Anakin’s voice broke through the air. 

“Turn around, go back!” he yelled suddenly.

Talia could make out the forms of approaching droids at the other end of the pipe. Cursing, she turned around, just in time to see the way from which they came was already filled with droids as well. She ignited her blade quickly enough to redirect the blasts from the droids; but the confined foot space on the pipe meant the clones were limited with how much they could fire back. Crosshair lost his footing, and slipped off the pipe, but Wrecker dove down to grab him, using his other arm to stop them from falling.

         Talia twirled her saber, reflecting shots, but the limited movement space prevented her from doing more. Even if she knocked the droids back with the Force, how many were waiting in the tunnel? And would the rest of the men be able to safely and quickly retreat?

         “Any brilliant ideas?” Talia shouted over the wind as she blocked another blast.         “I do have a brilliant idea!” Tech responded, pulling his datapad out and quickly typing. ‘When the locals attacked us, I recorded the creatures’ distress call-”

         “He records everything, it’s a hobby.” Hunter explained. Tech didn’t even acknowledge his brother’s interruption.

         “-which allows us to call those flying creatures to us,” Tech finished. He pressed play on his datapad, and a screeching roar rang out, high pitched and grating to the ears. Talia instinctively covered her ears, trying in vain to mute the screeching, but she just succeeded in allowing herself to be distracted.

         Talia yelped in pain as a blaster shot singed her arm, throwing her balance off. She held her saber in one hand; her teeth gritted through the pain as she was able to block some of the blasts as the clones returned fire behind her. She regained her footing as Tech called out, “There is our ride out of here!”

         Specks of black appeared in the clouds below them, racing upwards to the squad. Several shot above them, circling around as Tech’s call still played.

         “Now, how do we get on them?” Anakin asked.

         “How else; we jump!” Tech offered bluntly. If she weren’t in pain still, Talia would have laughed at how thrown off the rest of the team was at Tech’s seemingly, to Talia, obvious reply.

         “Well, if it’s our one way out,” Talia mumbled as she switched her saber off, then leapt off the pipe without hesitating. The wind coursed by her as she fell into the nothingness, using the Force to guide her to the right spot. She closed her eyes and reached out, blood rushing through her ears as she sensed the nearest figure. She slammed onto the back of the keeradak, but the creature didn’t seem to mind; it just continued on it’s course. Behind her she could hear the clones and Anakin making similar impacts while she struggled to find the best way to hold on.

         Red blasts flew in the air around them, and Talia whipped her head around to see the droids had taken flight in pursuit of them. The clones did their best to fire back, but holding onto the keeradaks was complicated enough without the distraction of the droids. Anakin’s voice could be heard over the wind, lamenting over his inability to steer, but the keeradaks seemed to be more than capable of evading the droids, curbing sharply and causing a pair of droids to crash. Talia risked another glance behind, and couldn’t make out any more droids following them; they seemed to be in the clear for now.

It wasn’t a long flight back to the village, and as they circled to land, many of the Poletecs gathered round, leaving a small clearing for the keeradaks to touch down. Anakin stepped off first and approached the leader, who was already addressing him.

“Their leader is impressed we tamed the keeradaks, but he wants to know why we returned here?” Tech translated.

“Tell him we had no choice, tell him…that we wore out our welcome in Purkoll,” Anakin offered much to Talia’s annoyance. Out of all the ways to explain what could be a dangerous situation; that’s how he worded it? Tech relayed Anakin’s words over to the leader, and before he could finish speaking, blaster fire rang out.

The shots hit the ground near where they stood, giving Talia only a moment to lightly Force push a group of Poletecs away from the fire before the clones could aim back at some of the flying droids swooping overhead. The men were quick to react, taking out most of the droids, but one managed to get away.

“Not good. If I know Tambor, he'll come after us,” Anakin groaned as the droid flew away, “...us and the Poletecs, with everything he's got.”

The Poletec leader immediately spoke, his fear and frustration radiating off him as he addressed the group.

“What's he saying, Tech?” Talia asked, but she could already feel everything the leader wanted to portray from his emotions.

“He says that we have broken our word,” Tech translated as the leader continued to speak. “We have brought the war to his village.”

Before Talia could cut in to try and smooth this over, Rex cut in between her, Anakin, and the leader.

“You're right. Tell him he's right, Tech,” Rex ripped off his helmet as he spoke, tucking it under his arm. His voice was strong and commanding, not wavering as he addressed the leader. “Tell him we didn't plan to drag his people into war. But look what the Separatists did to one of our people!”

Anger crept into Rex’s voice at his last sentence as he pointed at Echo, his appearance compared to the other clones drastic. The Poletecs gasped as they saw his weak form, the ports where the wiring had connected to him still visible. Rex didn’t pause, he didn’t relent, he did what Rex did best, which was stand for those he cared about.

“They took away his freedom, his humanity, they tried to turn him into a machine,” Rex continued, addressing the Poletecs with a passion he usually reserved for his own men before battle. Talia regarded him with pride swelling in her chest as Rex stood his ground with Tech translating his speech to the Poletecs. “The Techno Union claims it's neutral, but they have chosen sides. Now your people have to choose.”

The Poletecs murmured amongst themselves, and Talia could sense that Rex’s words moved them.

“Well done, Rex,” Talia said under her breath as the leader began to address his people. Rex’s gaze softened as he was about to reply to her, but he was cut off by Crosshair backing in to them.

“Let’s hope it works,” Crosshair said, “Because I see forces coming, more than we can handle alone.”

The squad divided, doing their parts to prepare for the incoming Separatist forces. There wasn’t enough time for a large-scale evacuation, but Talia helped some of the children and weaker villagers find safe places to hide before taking her position for the upcoming fight. The plan was to set up an ambush for the droid forces, with the warriors among the Poletecs joining the team along the edges of the cliff that surrounded the village. For a small, less technologically advanced people, the Poletecs had many fighters willing to jump to their aid, something Talia was sure was owed to Rex’s influencing speech.

Talia crouched in front of a group of fighters, her saber in her hand as she watched the first specs of droid fighters fly in and land in the settlement. A makeshift bandage was wrapped around her arm that had been hit when they escaped Purkoll, the sting of the burn nagging at her for bacta or anything to soothe it, but she didn’t have time to worry about a small blaster wound when her help was needed. Since the shot was on Talia’s left arm, she just couldn’t separate her blade to dual wield, the wound limiting her more than she would have liked. Her eyes darted to Anakin at the top of a higher peak with Echo and Crosshair; at his signal, they would attack. More droids landed, and they began to patrol the abandoned village, scanners searching the large craters that made up much of the terrain. Anakin motioned with his hand, giving the signal for the attack to begin. A few yards from where Talia crouched, Wrecker pushed a giant boulder off the ledge, and it plummeted downhill, steamrolling over the droids in its path.

A war cry roared from the Poletecs as they rose and dived into the action to defend their home. Talia ignited her blade and leapt off the ledge, flipping to avoid the blaster fire that already filled the air. She swung her blade, taking out a droid in her path before landing with both feet on the ground. She sprinted further into the center of the village, where the heaviest throng of droids gathered. The Poletecs behind her were handling the outliers that missed the original ambush, but many of their own warriors fell as they were outmatched by the blasters. Talia pushed forward, tossing her blade to take out a trio of droids in her way before calling it back to her. The clones were scattered further from her; since they all had heavier fire power than the villagers, they would take out the brunt of the droid forces to spare as many Poletec losses as possible.

A few yards from her, Rex stood in front of a group of droids, taking them out one by one with ease. Overhead, more droids landed in the clearing, about to outnumber him. Talia sped up, narrowly dodging shots as she ran. Rex’s blasters were firing rapidly, shooting at the circle of droids around him, but more landed at his back. Talia ran and dropped, skidding towards the grouping behind Rex. She swung her blade and cut the legs off two droids behind him, giving Rex the time to turn and shoot the third as it landed. His helmet turned to her, and Talia thought he was going to say something when his blaster pointed at her.

Rex hit the droid that had landed just behind Talia, his well-aimed shot just to the side of her head. Talia exhaled and raised her blade, preparing for the next group to land. “Thanks.”

“We’re even,” Rex offered, already shooting a droid out of the sky before it could even touch down. He glanced back at Talia and did a double take. “Wait- your arm-“         Talia looked down to see the bandage had fallen off, baring the bright red blaster burn open.

  “Happened on Purkoll; I’ll be fine,” Talia waved him off. Rex cursed, and Talia could feel a lecture coming on, “We have bigger concerns right now. I’m fine.”

Rex shook his head but didn’t argue. They ran to regroup with the batch. Talia twirled her blade, redirecting shots as they came, and Rex stood behind her, aiming around her to take out the droids firing at them.  

The ground shook and a loud impact sounded; a large tri-droid landed in the clearing, looming over them. Its gun pointed into the settlement, and Rex and Talia barely had enough time to jump for cover before it fired.

The blow of the blast tossed Talia, making her slide and roll in the debris. She coughed as she pushed herself up, her body aching from the impact. Rex was rising next to her; he offered his hand to help her and she took it.

They ran for cover as the droid continued to fire into the village, shaking the ground and blinding their village as falling debris caused more dust and smoke to fill the air. The batch and a group of villagers had clustered near them, so they ran to join, seeking cover in a clustered group of buildings. Another impact and thud shook them as another tri-droid landed, and another blocked the canyon that provided the only evacuation from the village. Droid forces surged from beneath its feet, hurtling right towards them. They moved out of their cover, Tech leaving a series of electro-detonators to take out the foot soldiers. The small droids they could easily handle, but the three tri-droids provided a different kind of hurdle.

Anakin seemed to be in the same train of thought as Talia. His voice buzzed over the comm channel, “Talia, Rex; we’ve gotta take care of these walkers. I’ll take one, you two split the others.”

“Don’t worry General, the boys and I can handle this,” Rex replied. Rex signaled behind him, “Hunter, Wrecker – you’re with me.”

“Knew I could count on you, Rex.” Anakin’s voice sounded. “Oh and, Talia? Bet I’ll get rid of mine first.”

Talia rolled her eyes and turned off her comm. She pushed herself out of cover and ran towards the droid looming at the edge of the crater. The large gun pointed in her direction, and she Force-jumped to the side quick enough to avoid being knocked too far from the blast. She rolled behind rubble, peaking out to confirm the droid had moved its aim elsewhere. She sprinted forward again, this time taking out two droids that stood in her path. Poletecs were running around her, making for cover from the tri-droids’ barrage.

Talia tripped as another blast hit too close to her, the impact throwing her off balance. She caught her breath and watched as Anakin sliced off the weapons of his tri-droid, showing off as he jumped from leg to leg of the walker, incapacitating it. Gritting her teeth, Talia sprinted towards her walker again, her blade off so she could run faster. Anakin had the advantage of the high ground, so his method had worked for him, but Talia had another plan of attack.

She planted her feet on the ground and held her arm out, channeling all her energy like she had practiced. She let that coolness seep back out, the simmering frustration that she had bottled up beginning to leak. She thought of Echo’s body coming out of the cryo tank, emaciated and hooked up to the Techno Union’s machines. How they had taken him and turned him into a tool to be used against his brothers, his free will gone. How scared and dazed he was when they let him out. Talia hated them for what they did to him.

         Talia pushed her anger, baring her teeth as the bolts of lightning left her fingertips, firing to the eye of the tri-droid. The droid stuttered, electricity pulsing through it as its legs halted. Talia grunted; she wasn’t giving enough power. She dropped her lightsaber and used her other hand too. Yelling as the power surged through her, Talia channeled every conflicting emotion she’d had as of late into taking out the tri-droid. The droid’s lights went out, and it swayed backwards from the force of Talia’s power. It lost its footing, tilting backwards until it fell, creating a domino reaction as it crashed into the droid Anakin took out behind it, and then into the last walker.

The surge of power ended. As the lightning dissipated, Talia fell to her knees, panting heavily as the three droids crashed into the ground, sending a wave of dust and debris through the air. A cheer roared out from the villagers as the last of the droids fled: the battle was won. Villagers ran over, some offering to help her stand as she clumsily pushed herself up. They babbled what Talia could assume was thanks in their garbled tongue, another group nearby surrounding Anakin in a similar gesture. Their words were muffled to the blood rushing through Talia’s head, exhaustion overtaking her but she had to power through it for a little longer. Through the haze she could make out the clones standing in the distance, clustered around the wreckage of the fallen walkers. Rex’s visor was trained on her, masking any thoughts or emotion his face would be portraying. But Talia could feel something from him that she had never felt before.

Rex was afraid.

“That was a neat trick,” Anakin’s voice interrupted Talia’s thoughts and she stared at him for a moment before she could process his words.

“Guess I know some things you don’t,” Talia replied tightly, forcing a confident smirk through her exhaustion.

Anakin hmphed, but offered a cocky grin, “I still took mine down first.”

Talia shook her head, not having the energy to offer another quip back to Anakin. Now that the fight was done, they could get back to the Havoc Marauder, and finally get Echo off this planet.

It didn’t take them long to depart, just a simple farewell from the leader of the Poletecs as he expressed his gratitude and loyalty to the Republic for their aid. Talia boarded the ship first, and contacted Masters Windu and Kenobi on Anaxes to let them know the mission was a success. The two Jedi seemed surprised. Talia couldn’t blame them for how much the mission was a shot in the dark, but they also expressed their praises to the team for extracting Echo. They let Talia know that a medical team would be waiting for their arrival, and that Echo would be taken in for care as soon as they arrived back on Anaxes: he seemed to be holding up well, but Talia worried for him. 

As the ship ascended through the hazy atmosphere, Talia secluded herself to a back corner of the ship, where she could tend to the wound on her arm. She was digging through their storage when a voice interrupted her. 

“Looking for something?” Hunter asked, a somewhat incredulous grin on his face as he watched her. 

“Sorry, should have asked before I dug around; do you have any medical supplies I could use?” Talia explained quickly, now that her adrenaline was fading, the sting in her arm was getting impossible to ignore. Before Hunter could ask what was wrong, Talia turned so he could see the bright red burn on her arm. He let out a low hiss, and reached into a crate next to the one Talia was searching. 

“That looks painful, but these should do the trick,” Hunter handed her a small medkit. Talia nodded in thanks as she moved to the small table situated in the corner. Hunter hovered for a moment, watching as Talia ripped open the package. “Do you need a hand? That might be tough to wrap up on your own.” 

“I’ve got it,” Talia quickly replied as she peaked into the bag. Hunter paused for a moment, but nodded and didn’t protest before he walked back to the cockpit. Talia grabbed some gauze, disinfectant spray, and some bacta salve that the batch had on hand to patch herself up as quickly as possible. 

She hissed as the cool disinfectant met the burn, her skin burning red in a starburst burn that covered a decent portion of her upper arm; the dusty air and rolling around to avoid more blaster fire probably irritated the wound even more. The angle of the center of the wound was awkward for Talia to reach, and she cursed under her breath as she rubbed against her sensitive skin the wrong spot trying to reach around. 

“Let me help,” a voice cut across her frustrations. Talia glanced up to see Rex setting his helmet on the table. He sat down next to her, removed his gloves and grabbed the disinfectant spray, spraying his hands before he grabbed the bacta tin from Talia. He didn’t give her a chance to try and deny his help, or insist that she was fine. Rex just helped. 

“Thanks,” Talia murmured as Rex spread the bacta on the back of her arm, his grasp soft as he tried not to further irritate the skin. He was tense, guarded. He seemed to be blocking something off, a wall around his mind as he tried to keep his thoughts to himself. Rex’s lips pursed slightly as he removed his hands, waiting for the bacta to drive before he would wrap the bandage. 

“You know I always have a spray on me,” he said. He wasn’t saying this to give her new info, it was a reminder. “You should have asked when we were out there. This kind of wound could easily get worse, you know that.”

“We had more important things to deal with,” Talia retorted with a frown flickering on her lips. She didn’t ask for his help, so she didn’t need a lecture. 

Rex made an annoyed noise, but didn’t press her further, other than adding, “Just go see Kix when we land on Anaxes, alright?”

“Yes, sir,” Talia huffed out sarcastically, earning a frown on Rex’s lips this time. He grabbed the gauze off the table, and unwound it quickly, tearing off the bit he needed to wrap around her arm. Talia could sense a crack in the wall he had built up, frustration and disappointment leaking through with a bitterness. Talia narrowed her eyes as she watched him, as he tried to keep his face masked but she could see right through it. “Just say what’s bothering you.”

If Rex was surprised she was so direct, he didn’t react, but Talia suspected he wasn’t; that he knew she would notice something, and that she wouldn’t be able to hold back on calling it out. 

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Rex said bluntly. “With the lightning. The last time you used it you passed out, and what you did then wasn’t nearly as powerful.”

“I’ve been practicing,” Talia shrugged, only getting a scowl in return from Rex. “What? You saw what it did. Figured if I can use it, I might as well to get us out of tough spots-”

“Maybe you can, but did you think about if you should?” Rex interjected. He met her eyes for the first time, and Talia now felt that not only was their frustration directed at her, but his emotions were fueled by worry.

“Rex, it’s fine,” Talia tried to placate him, “I don’t use it all the time; this is the first time I’ve tried in battle since I’ve been practicing. And I would only ever use it in dire situations.”

“Like trying to one up Anakin?” Rex accused, his eyes darted to the front of the ship to make sure no one was listening, but they all seemed otherwise occupied. Talia gaped at him then shut her mouth, biting her tongue as she tried to think of a response, but Rex cut her off before she could try, “And don’t act like that wasn’t why.”

“I wanted us to win,” she said coolly. 

“At what cost to yourself?” Rex asked, accusation fleeing his voice as he nearly pleaded with her. He exhaled heavily, and fixed her with a serious stare, “I-I thought you said it was something only those who used the Dark Side could accomplish. Why would you put yourself through that?”

“It’s not just Dark Side users, Master Plo has done it before!” But even as Talia offered up the explanation, she knew it wasn’t the same. From her talks with Plo about electric judgment Talia knew that how Plo used the ability differed much from her own channeling. And by the frown on Rex’s face, she knew he saw through the lie. Talia sighed, but still felt defensive as she tried to assure him.

“Look, I’m fine. I’m careful with it. I would have thought out of anyone that you would understand that sometimes any actions are necessary to beat the enemy.” 

Rex’s face set to stone at that, and he darkly responded, “What, because it’s what I was bred for?”

Talia recoiled. It would have been less painful if Rex had slapped her, rather than use those words she had said against him in her own anger. Words she had never meant.

But there was pain in his eyes, behind a coldness she had never seen in him, pain that reminded her how she had hurt the person she cared most about. She opened her mouth to try and explain what she meant, but Rex just tightly tied the gauze around her arm and pushed himself up, grabbing his helmet and gloves back from the table, and turned back to the front of the ship without looking back at her. 

Talia was once again left behind to gather her thoughts after a conversation with Rex, a hollow void in her gut as she found herself stuck. She knew no matter how much she still wanted him, things could never go back to how they were, that Rex had made up his mind and Rex never changed his mind. But she had still hoped that, in some way, Rex and her would be able to move on, that they wouldn’t resent each other forever. But obviously the damage had been done, and Talia doubted Rex would ever see her in a different light again. 

Talia clenched her fists, holding them so tight her nails threatened to pierce the skin of her palms. It was all she could do to ground herself, to not fall apart as Rex stood mere feet away. She unclenched her hands, examining them to see the crescent shaped indents from her nails, but her eyes tracked to her fingertips. Her skin was raised, light white scars tracked like lighting from her fingertips to her first knuckle. They would be barely visible to anyone else, but they stood out to her as she stared at her hands. Maybe Rex had a point, and that she should be more careful with powers she didn’t fully understand and had no guidance with. Still, she was grateful he had not seen the scars forming on her, because she didn’t know if she could handle the way he would have looked at her then.

--

Next Chapter

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[obislittleone]

House Of Memories (28/?)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Padawan!reader

Warnings: leaving the warnings the same bc all of it entails. Don't read this is you are severely prone to depressive episodes, I had one while writing (no joke), do not read if you cannot handle emotional stress or read anything about it...

Summary: You begin the long and dark road that is grief, the loss of your Master has overcome you and Anakin, and you're not sure how you can possibly cope without him.

A/n: this one's bad too.. just sayin

Words: 3.1k

Everything was blank. Nothing was vibrant anymore, the skies had turned gray, along with the inner ruins of your mind.

You sat with your back against the wall, Ahsoka was beside you, holding your hand, but you couldn't feel it. You could feel nothing. Your heart had lost any emotion for anything, the numbness spreading through your body and soul.

My light, my path... it's gone.

The temple council meeting was called in upon hearing of the emergency news. You knew the word had to spread, and people had to first know in order for the discussion of it to be over, but every little whisper of it drove you deeper into a hard shell which was slowly forming around you.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed in action, leaving his sole Padawan without a Master. You hated that you were a part of the news. You didn't want to be included. You wanted to sit on your own, and grieve in silence over him like everyone else would get to do... but no, you were apart of the news. You were the one that was going to be receiving the messages of condolences, and the apologies for your loss. It was you who would be looked at with pity when you walked down the halls of the temple, eyes of sympathy gazing at your pathetic self, without the one person you needed by your side, guiding you through it all.

"Has she said anything?" Master Plo was the first to come out of the council room when the meeting adjourned, and when Ahsoka heard his question, she answered as quickly as she could.

"Nothing. Neither has Anakin," she replied, nodding to where her mentor stared off out the window of the hall.

You could hear them, your mind could, but physically, you were still. Still enough that someone could have sensed you were lifeless if they had walked by, unknowing of what had happened to you.

As more council members left the room, you began to receive looks from them that you'd never had before. They actually seemed like they cared about you for once. Too bad you didn't care anymore. It didn't matter what any of these people thought of you.

You weren't sure what came over you when you saw Master Yoda come out on his hover seat, but you stood, yanking your hand away from Ahsoka without even meaning to.

"Where is he?" You quickly asked. There were no pleasantries. Nothing about this was pleasant.

He seemed surprised at your forwardness, you were always so timid in front of him and the council. You were always backed into a corner.

"See him, you cannot," he told you. He was acting on your best interest, he could tell that the last thing on your mind was your own well-being. "Pain, it will only cause."

"Master Yoda, with all due respect, I think I've crossed that line."

He lowered his head, closing his eyes in deep thought for only a moment before shaking his head.

"Allow you to grieve him, we cannot. Assigned you a temporary master, we have," he tried to make the situation lighter, as if replacing your master was what you needed to hear right now.

"I do not need a new Master," it came out more spitefully than you had meant it to be, and though he was not expecting your tone, he could not blame you for what you were feeling. It was a human emotion to react this way when you lose someone. Though it was forbidden to harbor attachments, he understood that being close to someone every day, and losing it suddenly took a toll on the human mind.

"Ready to take the trials, you are not. With Master Fisto, you will now train."

You heaved a ragged breath; it was shaky as you let it out. Kit Fisto was a good Master; with many skills you could learn from him. As a green saber, he could perhaps pass onto you more than Obi-Wan ever did.... but that wasn't true. It wasn't true because Obi-Wan had given you the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. He had given you an outlet for love.

"I just want to say goodbye," you said it as evenly as you could, but your voice still broke at the end. Yoda knew he shouldn't be doing this, he knew that with allowing you more time to feel these emotions, you would gather more anger and hatred in your mind. You could perhaps begin a very dark descent. But with the way you were looking at him, eyes watering beyond the brink of no return, eyebrows knit together in pain... he saw the little girl that Obi-Wan and Gui Gon brought back from planet Mimban. The slave girl who held great power within her.

He saw the face of the child whom Obi-Wan Kenobi had soothed so many times, just by being in your presence. He knew he should not let you, but he also knew when he felt a calling in the force, he was not to ignore it. He opened his hand to you, handing over a small security chip which you took without hesitation.

"Preparing for a funeral, we are. Say your goodbyes quickly, you must."

You nodded to him, bowing in reverence to the grand master before you took off down the hall. Ahsoka followed behind you, although she did not let on. She kept her distance, just to be sure. She knew you would need someone with you when you were finished.

You followed the number on the head of the chip, turning down different hallways until you'd reached the place of destination.

You stood still in front of the door a few moments, closing your eyes and trying to sense first what was behind the sliding panel. You scanned the chip on the reader, and it allowed you access, shutting behind you, but not before Ahsoka could enter, too. She stayed lagging behind some more, as you walked further into the place. This was where they buried the fallen Jedi. This was the tomb of the temple. You vaguely remember coming here with Obi-Wan after Qui-Gon was killed. He explained to you the importance of honoring your predecessors, telling you about each significance, and the ways it can help you if you are to lose someone.

He had been healing at the time, moving on and learning to use the training his Master gave him beforehand. It was a beautiful process that you remember getting to be a part of.

You found the chamber with no name on it yet, holding the key up to the scanner. It granted you access immediately, but you froze in place upon having seen what you saw.

"Obi," you whispered quietly, stepping into the small chamber. You could feel the rush of tears coming back to your eyes, as you stood before the platform with light surrounding it. He was laid upon it, arms by his side and a peaceful expression on his features. The blaster shot was still worn on his robes, and the sight of it hurt you. That was the shot that took him away.

You walked over to stand by his platform. He was glowing, with the light that had surrounded him.

You placed your hand on the platform, almost as if you were scared to touch him. He was your master, wasn't he? But it felt so wrong, to see him like this. He wouldn't want you to remember him like this. He would want you to remember all the times he was there, alive, and well. He would want you to remember the hours of peaceful meditation, the times before and after a mission, where you would both just simply converse, to check up on each other and make sure everything was alright.

You raised your hand slowly, placing it on his chest and letting out a shaky breath. He was a still as the platform he rested on. The same chest that you had your face nestled softly in the night before, was never to rise or fall again. He didn't have any warmth to him, it was like touching an inanimate object, like a door, or a chair. Lifeless.

You tried to hold it in, to be strong for him and courageous, and not to be terrified, for he would always be with you, wherever you go... except he wasn't.

"He's dead, but he's not gone. Not truly," Obi-Wan stepped alongside you. You were curious as to what he meant when he said that Master Qui Gon was still with him.

"I don't understand," you furrowed your eyebrows, looking up at him from where you stood. You still hadn't hit your growth spurt, so you had to crane your neck to look at Obi when you walked with him.

"It's like the breeze. A breeze can form a river if it meets a body of water," he explained, kneeling down to meet your eyeline. "Once the breeze is gone, the river still flows."

You nodded and started to think about the words and what they meant.

"Are you the river?" you pondered sweetly. You heard his low chuckle as he dipped his head, then when his eyes met yours again, he nodded.

"Something like that," he paused, looking around and trying to find another way to describe it. "The force moves through all living things, it's what connects us, now my Master has become a part of its endless flow."

You smiled, playing with the hem of his sleeve when he spoke. You loved just listening to him talk.

"I can feel him all around me, now. His presence guides me to make the decisions that I need to."

You realized how much you were crying now, because no, you couldn't feel him all around you, and he wasn't there to guide your decisions anymore. He was an abyss in the force that had not surfaced. You could not feel even a semblance of his signature in this room. The signature that brought you comfort in times of need, was utterly no more.

You raised your hand to his face, using the back of it to caress his cheek, the rough hair that trailed up from his chin was course against your fingers. You opened your palm to hold his face like you had done so many times before, to try and convey your love for him that grew each day. You held his face and closed your eyes, trying harder than you ever had to center yourself, and to feel his gentle presence surround you, embrace you.

"I can't feel you," you whispered, and the tears never stopped, they only continued to fall in larger amounts. Your face was so wet with them that you could have watered one of the plants outside in the gardens. It was so painful to think that this feeling was going to last forever.

You knew you wouldn't stop crying, but you didn't want to. What you wanted to do, was what you came here for. It wasn't going to help, it wasn't going to make things better, but you needed to say goodbye. You needed to take the step forward and move along this course of grief. You needed to feel everything that came with saying goodbye, and you needed to have the peace that you had said it before it was too late.

"Obi," you started, already your lips were quivering with the motion, and it would only get worse from here. "I thought I had more time. I didn't know you were going to be taken from me... I thought that truly you were going to be by my side for all my days. I didn't know I was never going to be able to tell you how much I love you, how much I always will."

Ahsoka was peering in from the doorway, careful not to overstep her bounds. You needed this.

"I'm so sorry I never told you, all the ways you made me happy. All the things you ever did that were so small and yet, they meant the world. You took me when I was broken, and alone, and you mentored me into something I could be proud of. I will never be able to repay that debt."

You choked on your own sob, trying hard to get out a few more words, but just the thought of them brought on struggle.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there the one time it mattered; I hope you can forgive me," you ran your fingers through his hair, and you only wished he would smile like he did whenever you gave him the simple gesture. "I promise you; I will love you till the end of time."

You knew it didn't mean anything anymore, because it couldn't, but you wouldn't even try to stop yourself as you leaned down slowly, pressing a kiss to his lips that he would never reciprocate. He would never kiss you back like you'd imagined he might.

This was goodbye, a slow, agonizing goodbye.

You backed away from him, finished with dragging your heart through the mud. You turned to the doorway, and upon seeing Ahsoka, you knew she had seen and heard everything. You didn't really care. She held her arms out for you, but with a straight face, you walked right passed her, side stepping as to not bump into her open arms.

-

The funeral was short, and quiet. They had wrapped his body in linens before everyone came, and you were grateful they waited until you saw his face one last time.

Of all the people who came to mourn, the one you focused on the most was Duchess Satine Kryze. Her soft cries during the memorial did not go unnoticed by you. She seemed upset for sure, having held a certain history with Obi-Wan, but you didn't think she had a right to be here. You didn't want her to grieve the same man you did in the same space you were. It sounded stupid, and selfish, that even after he was gone, you were jealous of the hold he had on this woman, without even trying. She clung to him like wet clothes on your back, a nasty feeling, indeed.

You stood by Anakin, watching as they lowered his body into the ground, and sealed it shut. Gone, for good. It was now your job as the Padawan to lay his lightsaber to rest, a symbol of a Jedi's life coming to its full end. This weapon is your life...

You knelt down over the small circular opening over his tomb, placing his saber into the hold and watching as it closed, sending a streak of light into the air.

You stepped back by Anakin, looking up to him to see if his expression had changed at all. It had not, for the entire day. His face held all the anger and hatred he felt towards what happened, and you knew that now your tears were gone, yours did, too.

You were feeling it again, the call to the darkness. It was becoming stronger every hour, and without your master's guidance, without him, you were not so keen to refuse it anymore.

The small gathering of people who had come together to celebrate the life of a Jedi had now dispersed, members of the crowd going every which way, to either console another, or to leave the room.

Anakin stormed off without a word, and you let him. You knew what he was feeling... more so, even.

"I'm horribly sorry for your loss," came a voice beside you. Her accent laced her words, and you knew it was her just by the tone of voice.

You nodded to her, trying you best not to scowl in her direction. The audacity she must have, to be jealous of the relationship you held with Obi-Wan, and to now approach you in your time of suffering. It was not her job to console you, or even say a word.

"Up close, I can see the pain in your eyes, but from afar, you looked almost... indifferent," she said, taking a gamble that you were not angry enough to drop her where she stood. You had another saber in your hand, and it was your own. All you had to do was turn it slightly, and then-

"I'm a Jedi," you said, your emotions did not spill into your words, and you sounded numb. "We wear our chaos on the inside, where no one can see it."

You bowed towards her in respect, knowing that if Obi-Wan were watching you, he'd be very disappointed if you stalked off without warning. He was the politest person you'd ever known, and you would do good by him to remember that he taught you manners.

You left a moment later, passing Anakin in the hallway and giving him a brush of your hand against his arm. He looked up to you only once, before you went your separate ways, finding the places you would stay for the night.

You were going to be moved to a new apartment tomorrow and were to have your things gathered up by then. You didn't have any plans on meeting that expectation. You were likely going to rot in this very apartment tonight. The last bit of you that still existed was going to melt into the floor, and no one would ever see you again.

You should take a shower, the fresher is only a few steps away, and you could use it... but your energy is more than depleted. You walk past both the fresher, and your room, going straight to Obi-Wan's. The last place you were truly along with him while his breath filled the air.

You discarded your robe to the floor, and it was only now that you realized you didn't hang it up by the entranceway, because he wasn't here to remind you.

You kicked off your boots, and sunk into the bed, not bothering to change your clothes from today. They had his scent on them still, from when you held him when it first happened.

You clung to his pillow, holding it to your chest and inhaling it deeply, the smell that barely lingered but was so familiar. These were the small things you would mourn further than today. Today you would mourn his body, his presence... but tomorrow, and every day after, you would mourn his smell, his tired laugh, his scratchy morning voice, his brilliant smile, the way his eyes were glassy when he'd become sleepy, his rough but still gentle hands... all of these were things you would think of when missing him in years to come.

You only hoped you could sleep tonight. Without his embrace, or hushed whispers to calm you down, your nightmares would endure, and take you into the abyss where nothing ever escaped.

-

@spencerrxids @sawendel @fandomstanner24 @i-shall-abide @officialjellydoughnut @whatshxrname @darkened-writer @superavengerpotter @cutiepoo16 @hypnoash @softlymellow @howlerwolfmax @mephistominion @honestlywtfisgoingon @anakinskywalkerog @mandiiellen @je--a-n @guyinachair27 @avenger5-a55emble @amelia-song-pond @kaminanii @the-abyss-of-fandoms @queenofnightdreamland @world-dominating-kitty @mandowhatnow @ella-error505 @annahalo @infinity-witch @beetlejuice-stuff @liueski @solarbxby @sirianisrock @lxdyred @endless-warrior-always-fighter @iloveinej @msjb2002 @shoochi @itsilvermorny @gingerrosecosplay @sebschicken @loversjoy @argentinemango @1-800-vader @house-of-kolchek @marierg @graciexmarvel @ttzamara @truly-madly-nerdy @molieux @majahu @dyzlks @pancakefancake

[tennessoui]

bestie. I need to break this into steps bcs there is so much.

OBI WANS PINING OMG I LOST MY MIND

HIM WAITING FOR ANAKINS FOOTSTEPS!!!

anakin being a slut for his wife (and the implication that obi wan used to be a slut, and qui gon turned a blind eye lmao). i am absolutely in love with that.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE?!?!?!?!?

THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE 😍😍

obi wan cooking for anakin 😭😭

ANAKIN DEAD ASS CANCELLING THE TRIP FOR HIS ANNIVERSARY WITH his WIFE?!?!?! BCS OF OBI WAN!!!! i screamed

also their entire dynamic and the way they love and care about eachother but without entirely showing it has me bawling.

also there are a million other things I loved, but I just want to say IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!!! this is my second favourite au so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next <3

aahh! thank you so much!!!

obi-wan would never admit that he's pining, but he's giving off so many 'abandoned dog when owner fails to return home on time' vibes (but honestly, both of them probably think they're the dog)

and i'm super glad you like the questionnaire!! i don't think i'll put it as part of the story again like with some of obi-wan's answers, but i can totally see it being neat to continue putting the question and their answers to either the original questionnaire they filled out trashed, the second time, or answers to random worksheets so you can see through their answers that they're starting to feel better about themselves and also their partners and then even falling in love

but yeah i feel like padmé cannot be that surprised one of their first real adult conversations featured anakin throwing a fit about obi-wan, so this tracks and she feels like she probably should have seen this cancellation coming based on how much obi-wan has come up in casual conversation lately (ever since he was released from the halls of healing and anakin's obi-wan emotions can move away from 'if he dies im gonna commit atrocities' to 'he is so annoying and he always tells me what to do like he has any right to bring up my atrocities'

anyway!!! thank you so much im glad you a) liked and b) thought it was worth the wait :D :D :D hopefully the next wait is shorter, but.....well who knows really

[swbumblebee]

Jedi General Anakin Skywalker rubbed his hands together in anticipation, focussed intently on the holoscreen in front of the small crowd in the mess hall. Temporarily turned into a viewing lounge for the Boonta Eve Classic, being broadcast via a shaky and (probably) less-than-legitimate signal straight from Tattooine to The Resolute.

It was a big deal race, apparently. And this year Generals Skywalker and Kenobi had decided to involve their troops in their annual tradition of watching the race together, and shouting at the screen.

“Ropo’s going to make it this time, I can feel it! Three wins already this season, it’s in the bag.”

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t count Mandip out just yet. She’s been steadily getting faster, one mistake on Ropo’s part and it’s hers.”

“Master, may I remind you I’m the podracing expert, having actually done it before? I’m telling you, it’ll be Ropo.”

“Oh please I’ve spent the fifteen years watching and hearing about it. I lost an entire room to podracing posters and books. I am now just as expert as you my overconfident friend.”

The troops looked bemusedly at each other as Commander Tano shook her head disparagingly.

“Overconfident? Well fine, care to make it interesting?”

There was a collective intake of breath. Commander Cody looked like he couldn’t decide weather to tell them off or not.

There was a glint in General Kenobi’s eye.

“Always. Stakes?”

General Skwalker paused for a moment, thinking.

A shinny slowly raised his hand in suggestion before it was quickly slapped back down with a curse by a worried Captain.

A smile was forming on the younger General’s face.

“Loser has to answer his comm with his full titles for a week.”

Several relieved smiles broke out. Easy! That was positively tame compared to five-hundred push ups or a 30 minute handstand.

Though General Kenobi frowned.

“No that’s not fair, my titles are way more pretentious than yours” He paused, letting out a surprisingly evil smile “You have to do yours, but you have to add you’re the chosen one” he said, barely holding in a laugh.

General Skywalker made a face. But stuck out his hand all the same.

“Deal.”

“Excellent.”

“I actually think Mosslov is going to win you know” Commander Tano piped up. There was an awkward silence as both her Master’s turned to her with varying pitying looks.

“…Sure, I mean she might?”

“Of course that’s always a possibility. Anything can happen”

The Commander rolled her eyes and folded her arms with a huff.

---

Ninety minutes later and she was singing a verydifferent tune. And dancing in victory.

“I can’t believe it, she just came out of nowhere!”

“Oh my gods Ahsoka. How did you know? What were the odds?”

“Well obviously you guys aren’t as expert as you thought.” The teenager was holding none of her smugness back. She stood in front of her despairing Masters. “Sooo technically since both of you lost that means…”

“No way”

“It doesn’t – doesn’t count”

The Commander looked around at the surrounding troops, raising her eyebrows in a plea for back up.

“I believe it does actually Sirs”

“Respectfully Generals I agree”

The identical glares levelled at Commanders Rex and Cody were nothing short of impressive. But with the help of Commander Tano’s huge smile they remained steadfast where lesser men would have faltered.

At that moment, a very familiar chirping sound filled the air.

General Skywalker pulled out his com and flipped it open, an action born of pure muscle memory he did a hundred times a day.

“Skywalker”

The air seemed to freeze as his eyes widened and he realised what he’d done. He scowled at his student.

“I’m - I’m a Jedi Knight and a General.”

General Kenobi cleared his throat pointedly.

The unfortunate man visibly clenched his teeth.

“And the chosen one.” He ground out to several muffled guffaws.

There was silence whilst they were unable to hear what the other person was saying before Skywalker cleared his throat awkwardly and cringed.

“Yep I’m just…really proud of it.”

He had to leave the room to be heard over the laughter.

It was going to be a fun week.

----

Chirp chirp

All nearby activity stopped, and the sound of his communicator going off was met with a loud sigh from General Kenobi.

“High General Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander of the Third Systems Army. How may I help?”

His confident and professional tone was rather undercut by the fact that the tips of his ears were turning pink.

He closed the communicator shortly afterwards .

“He’s always thought I’m a twit anyway” he said with a sheepish shrug.

----

Chirp chirp

“Jedi Knight and General Anakin Skywalker, I’m The Chosen One what can I do for you?”

General Kenobi got a vicious elbow in the ribs for his snort.

“…”

“No it just means…never mind. I’ll get right on it.”

----

Chirp chirp

“Jedi Master and High General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander of the Third Systems Army. How may I help?

“…”

“Yes I just thought…thought I’d like to remind you?”

----

Chirp chirp

“Hello this is The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and General. What do you need?”

“…”

“Hello? Is anyone there? Oh they must have been cut off”

----

Chirp chirp

All the bridge Clones turned as one, eagerly awaiting another bought of awkwardness for their C.Os, only to be disappointed when Commander Tano fished her communicator out of her belt.

“Tano”

“…”

“Yes Master they’re both right here”

She grinned and gestured at her two Masters, putting the call on speaker. General Kenobi grimaced and shook his head as he complied.

“Hello yes this is High General and Commander of the Third Systems Army, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi”

“And The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and General.” General Skywalker was making strangling motions at his beloved student.

There was a long, pregnant moment of silence on the other end of the call, before a heavy sigh came through.

“You two are so weird.” The flat, unimpressed voice of Mace Windu declared.

The Generals looked at each other. General Kenobi shrugged at his friend as the other man started smiling.

“Yes Master” they responded in unison.

[x-childish-x]

(part 1) i am loving these anakin x mother figure concepts 😄 could i also request one haha, after order 66 reader survives and becomes a grey jedi. while on a mission, she runs into darth vader. they fight for a little bit, but soon stop after they recognize each other through the force. surprisingly, vader isn’t hostile towards her while they talk, but he’s not calm either. reader refuses to keep calling him vader. after their convo reader slowly approaches him and

Something You're Not

Pairing: Darth Vader x fem!reader

Fandom: Star Wars

Warnings: Darth Vader, female!reader, mother figure!reader, crying, mentions to feeling like a failure, fighting, mentions to Order 66

Word Count: 1,352

A/N: Hello lovely! Wow I loved writing this request! First Darth Vader request, woo! It was so fun to write because the entire time I felt I could see this all playing out! Thank you for the request and support! I appreciate it so much! Feedback is always welcome and appreciated, I really hope that you all enjoy this one!!

Summary: You finally reach the force signature that had been reaching out with you for weeks, only to realize it's none other than Darth Vader, the boy you once raised.

PART TWO, PART THREE, PART FOUR

(gif! not mine!)

"Rex, take care of Ahsoka for me... I know how badly she wants to be on this mission. I can't risk it," you mumbled through the holo-comm as you carefully landed your ship.

"You know I always will. She's busy with Ezra right now anyways, so hopefully, he'll keep her mind occupied. Just be safe. If this is Maul, we need to know why he's been reaching out to you," Rex replied, his voice sounding tired.

You sighed, clicking everything off before standing, "Don't worry, Rex. It'll work out. I'll be home within a rotation."

"You better be," Rex joked lightly, "Be safe (y/n). May the force be with you."

"And with you."

Clicking off the holo-comm and leaving it on the ship, you quickly set off outside. Pulling up the hood on your grey cloak, you looked around cautiously, taking in your surroundings and using the force to reach out.

You could feel the dark side of the force more prominently now that you were here. It was almost strong enough to make out a force signature, but not completely. Despite the fact you still seemed far away from the dark force energy, it felt incredibly familiar, and that was what lead you to believe it was Maul. After all, he was the only Sith whose force signature you were familiar with.

It didn't take long for you to find the correct path leading to the Sith. Following the dark force signature proved to be an easy task for you. You trekked through the forest for what felt like hours. You carefully avoided all unknown plants and made sure to keep your presence as obscure as possible. You were using the force to the best advantage you could, mapping out your path while still trying to identify the oddly familiar Sith signature.

Finally breaking out into a clearing, you held your breath at the sight of Darth Vader's back. His cloak swooshed in the light breeze as you watched him, quickly thinking over everything you'd ever heard about him. You felt like you were in a holo-film, at the big climax moment when you face off the main villain. Fog would be piling in, surrounding you and Darth Vader as you prepare to fight.

Undoubtedly he knew you were there, and despite the fact, the two of you had never encountered each other before, your force signatures were incredibly familiar. Dancing around each other like fawns, trying to figure out why the unknown was so incredibly welcoming, like coming back to an old friend.

"I did not know you'd survived Order 66," Vader's ominous voice broke through the silence, venom, and hatred surrounding each word.

Slowly you stepped out from the faint protection of the trees, "It wasn't of my knowledge that you even knew me."

"I don't," Vader replied curtly, allowing a pause as your signatures moved around one another, "You're a Jedi unaccounted for."

"I prefer it that way," You snarled.

Dashing forward at the same moment Vader's force signature delivered a harsh prod to your own, you unsheathed your lightsaber. Leaping into the air and slashing down on Vader's back, you made contact with his lightsaber, sparks of grey and red dancing in the calm aura of the planet. He was quick to spin and send a counter swing at you, but you blocked it quickly. You locked sabers and spun him around, doing your best to throw him off.

Despite the situation of your fighting, you found each other still dancing within the force, trying to identify each other's signature. Your fighting was incredibly familiar to him, and his defense was familiar to you. Akin to a thunderstorm, you both fought quickly and powerfully. Neither obtaining the upper hand, you matched perfectly clash after clash, block after block.

Your fierce fighting was like a tornado destroying a small town. The planet around you was calm and peaceful, undisturbed by the fight for life you'd engaged yourself in. It certainly wasn't Maul who'd been trying to connect with you over the past weeks, and you found yourself wishing that it had been the Dathomirian instead. You'd overcome enough and lost too much to not give up now.

Finally flipping away, your hood fell as your force signatures connected, a gasp tumbling from your lips, "Anakin?"

"Master (y/l/n)," Vader responded softly.

A silence fell as you stared at one another. Of course, he was familiar. You trained Anakin, helped Obi-Wan raise him. You'd been Anakin's mom ever since he'd joined the Jedi, and he, your son. You'd assumed he'd died in Order 66, as Obi-Wan refused to talk to you. But now, staring across at Anakin in Vader's armor, you felt more like a failure than you'd ever had.

"You traded the purple for grey," Vader noted, causing you to look down at your blade.

Looking up at Anakin, you fought to keep your voice strong, "You traded blue for red, Ani."

"Anakin's dead," He snarled, turning off his lightsaber.

You mocked his actions, tilting your head slightly, "If Vader was here, he would've killed me already, Anakin."

"I am Vader! My name is Vader," The man huffed, "I killed Anakin myself!"

You shook your head, "I will not call you something you're not, Anakin. I trained you to be honest... true to yourself and your emotions. I will do the same now."

Vader seemed to falter, his hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched. The soft whir of machinery filled the air as you stared at the man in front of you. You took a step forward slowly, your eyes filling with remorse as you used the force to search through Anakin.

"What'd they do to you, my sweet Ani?" You whispered, "Why didn't you come to me? I could've helped you."

"Nobody could've helped him!" Anakin raged, yelling in anger that seemed directed at himself, "He was lost! Gone! Anakin would've died regardless! I, Vader, would've killed him regardless!"

"No," You mumbled, looking around at the planet you'd been called to, "You wouldn't have died, Ani. It would've been like any other mission, any other obstacle before. I would've helped you get through it, like always."

"Anakin is dead!" Vader cried out, his voice breaking, a hint of desperation sneaking through, "He's gone."

Slowly, you stepped forward, watching the way Anakin's chest rose and fell with each mechanical breath, "No... you're not gone, Anakin. You're not gone, and like all the times before, I'll be waiting to help you."

Taking in a deep breath, you anxiously wrapped your arms around Anakin, noticing how much taller he was. His arms remained by his side in shock, trying to sort out his emotions. Anakin's mechanical breathing filled your ears as you squeezed the boy you raised. Tears fell down your cheeks as you held him to your chest, wishing you had been able to help him. Wishing you'd stayed by Anakin more during the Clone Wars. Wishing that you could turn back time and save the little boy you loved so much.

Squeezing tighter for a brief second, you whispered, "I love you, no matter what, Anakin."

Letting go of the man, you stepped back quickly, hoping that the powerful Sith Lord hadn't seen your tears. But you knew that you'd been too slow, and you knew Anakin knew you better than that. Watching as you walked back and disappeared into the trees you'd come from, Darth Vader wondered if he would ever see you again. He'd reached out to you for weeks, and he wondered now if you would ever reach out to him, remind him you were still alive, waiting for Anakin to return.

Boarding your shuttle, you let out a cry as you reached for your comm. There were so many regrets you held and so much you wished you would've done. But the past was not something you could dwell on. You could only hope that you'd been able to reach Anakin quickly enough.

"Rex?" You called weakly into the comm. You waited patiently for Rex's reply until you heard your name called worriedly, "I'm coming home."

Taglist: @nowthisisdark

[sirikenobi12]

War & the Jedi

This will be a long meta rant, FYI.

The Jedi Order, specifically the Prequel era Jedi Order, gets a lot of hate these days particularly regarding their involvement in the Clone Wars. Accusations are tossed at their feet constantly ranging from corruption all the way up to warmongering. 

Let’s first look at the Oxford English Dictionary definition of these two accusations, shall we?

Corruption - having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Warmonger - a person who encourages or advocates aggression towards other countries or groups.

The definitions of these two words are so very misunderstood when it comes to relation to the Jedi. If the Jedi are truly “corrupt” then where are the examples of their dishonesty for wealth or personal gain? In fact, I’d argue that canon (and Legends) makes a point to show us that it is the Sith who are in it for personal gain, not the Jedi. The Jedi have absolutely NOTHING to gain from this war on a personal level, in fact they are losing members in terrifying numbers.

The Jedi are also not advocating aggression towards the Separatists, in fact what we see instead is the Jedi DEFENDING against the Separatists. I have yet to see in either canon or legends an instance where the Republic forces invade a Separatist planet who doesn’t have an army or some military involvement (i.e. weapon factories). However, time after time we see the Separatists forcing peaceful planets who want nothing to do with them to either bow to their cause or die (i.e. Ryloth, Lurmen planet, Kiros, Mandalore) the Jedi and Republic Troops will then follow the Separatists to these planets, but they try to do what they can to liberate the planet from the Separaist invasion and then they give the planet the OPTION to join the Republic for safety and economic reasons, but they never force them, as is super evident with Mandalore.

Yet people don’t seem to see this and continue to drag the Jedi through the mud. 

Here are the top 5 other “woke” takes I hear - 

Jedi are peacekeepers and should not have gotten involved:

 First things first, let’s look at the definition of Peacekeeper - a soldier, military force, etc., deployed to maintain or restore peace. 

I’d argue by that definition the Jedi were still peacekeepers, it’s true that they weren’t a 3rd party as they normally were before the war, but their position was trying to maintain or restore peace. Peacekeeper is not the same thing as a Pacifist, the Jedi were skilled warriors (training from childhood to wield a lightsaber), the difference is Jedi used their skills for defense not attack which is what we constantly saw throughout the Clone Wars. 

With regards to the idea that Jedi “should not have gotten involved” I ask you then what exactly were they supposed to do instead?

 We see at the beginning of Attack of the Clones that the Jedi are worried things will escalate to war, they have obviously gone to the Chancellor hoping that a diplomatic solution can be presented to avoid bloodshed. Or if that isn’t possible then that the Republic have some way to defend themselves other than relying solely on the Jedi (i.e. an army). The Separatists are the ones pushing them to a breaking point, were the Jedi just supposed to stand back and let innocent people be invaded/killed because they didn’t want to get involved? The Jedi were “Guardians of Peace and Justice” which means it was their duty to help bring about peace in the galaxy while also enacting justice. 

Then after Geonosis (where they lost approx. 187 members mind you) they learned that the Sith are leading the Separatist army - the Jedi are duty bound by their code to fight the Sith, they had no choice but to join the war. 

So, I ask again...what were they supposed to do instead?

2.  Jedi used a slave army for their own purposes:

 Okay, I can (and probably will) write a whole argument based on just this accusation alone. There are so many fallacies I don’t even know where to begin but I’ll try. 

I guess my first question is the same as #1, what were the Jedi supposed to do instead with regards to the Clones? 

Technically speaking the Clones didn’t “belong” to the Jedi, they were “property” of the Republic (as stated by Lama Su in Attack of the Clones). In fact, the Jedi Council not only didn’t know about the order, they had vehemently denied Syfo Dias’ earlier request to raise an army in the first place. The Sith KNEW the Jedi would be against it, this was all part of their plan to trap the Jedi (as was EVERYTHING about the war) - they clouded the Force, they literally deleted Kamino from the Archives so the Jedi wouldn’t discover it until the Sith WANTED them to (i.e. Jango just happened to use a Kamino dart?? Come on people). Yoda even states “blind we are if creation of this clone army we could not see” he fully admits they missed it because the Dark Side was clouding their vision. 

Regardless, the army was created, there was no changing that fact. Had the Jedi not taken command of the army do you think the Clones wouldn’t have had to go to war? Do  you actually believe that the Republic who couldn’t get their citizens to give 2 craps about the war would’ve taken up the mantle and fought instead? Do you think if the Jedi were like “thanks, but we didn’t order this” that the Kamioans would’ve just let the Clones go free? 

The answer you’re looking for is...no. 

So, like absolutely everything about the Clone Wars the Jedi did the best they could with the cards they had been dealt. They chose to lead the army on the front lines, putting themselves in just as much mortal danger as the men they were leading. They even sent a member of the Jedi Council to oversee the creation of future clones/training to ensure they were being treated humanely (something the Kamioans thought was ridiculous). They were the first to tell the clones that they were individuals, they constantly put themselves in front of their men to protect them (i.e. season 7 Obi-Wan deflecting the rocket from blowing up his men). The Jedi did what they could, just because we didn’t see on screen Jedi stopping to grieve every time a clone died did not mean that they didn’t care - real life Generals can’t stop in the middle of a battle to grieve over their fallen soldiers either, so why is it we consider it a moral crime if the Jedi don’t?

Another thing I’ll add is once the Jedi had evidence that the Clones were actually ordered by Dooku, did they immediately stop and say “oh hell no, these flesh droids can’t be trusted, we should just have them decommissioned”?? NO! They defended the Clones, stating that they were good men and should be trusted (and look where that trust got them in the end).

The Jedi were forced/coerced to fight this war as much as the Clones were!! Why are we willing to forgive the Clones, but not the Jedi???

3. Ki-Adi-Mundi killing Geonosians was the same as Anakin’s slaughter at the Tusken camp: 

This is another moment where context is everything because there is a HUGE difference between Ki-Adi-Mundi on Geonosis and Anakin in the Tusken camp. The fact that I have to even spell it out makes me wonder how people can even dress themselves in the morning. 

The Geonosians were an opposing military force, attacking Ki-Adi and his troops. Anakin slaughtered unarmed women and children out of vengeance. 

Now, had Ki-Adi turned to his men and screamed “to the catacombs!” brandishing his lightsaber with a murderous glint in his eyes and proceeded to cut down the unarmed bugs below the battle then you’d have an accurate comparison on your hands and I’d be appalled right there with you.

But, as it stands this is not the same thing...not even close.

4. The Jedi sent children to war: 

So, this is a tougher one and I can even understand the concerns behind it, and I even share some of those concerns. The thing I will say to this is, given what we see throughout Star Wars, what constitutes a “child” seems to be different than our own real world definition. 

Padme, for example, was 14 when she was elected Queen, and she wasn’t even the youngest ever elected. She (and her handmaids) were trained as children to defend themselves and their people both politically and in battle (much like Jedi), but you don’t hear people condemning the people/traditions of Naboo the way we see the Jedi being condemned for theirs.

Jedi children arguably mature faster than your standard person, and with regards to Star Wars there are also species’ age ranges to keep in mind. Grogu for example is still a baby at age 50, could it be possible that Ahsoka at age 14 is on the same maturity level as a human in their early twenties due to her Togruta DNA?? We don’t know, it’s never stated other than Anakin saying something about because of her advanced skills he forgets how young she is. 

Obviously Boba Fett is treated like an adult by other Bounty Hunters - no one even questions when he picks up a job and is placed in charge of a group at age 12 or 13 (and he is placed in an adult prison without anyone questioning it). It could be that by law according to Star Wars that 13 is actually considered an adult. Throughout history (and in many different cultures) 13 was when people were considered to be “coming of age”, So, once again we’re placing our cultural biases onto a fictional space fantasy world without realizing it might not even be an issue in that world.  

But even beyond all of that I ask you again - what else should the Jedi have done? 

Their young Padawans would eventually have to grow into Jedi Knights, even before the war by the time they are teenagers they usually followed their Masters on missions (often very dangerous missions) in order to get real world experience. At the time of the Clone Wars the real world they were living in was one at war. If they hadn’t brought their Padawans onto the battlefield how else would they have learned how to strategize, or how to cope with the emotions of battle? They would’ve been ill prepared if the war had continued on for years and years as it had looked like it was going to do...once again, the Jedi had no real choice in this. 

5. The Jedi lost their way because of the war: 

Did they though?? I’d argue they actually didn’t. We first have to ask ourselves what is a Jedi - well, according to the very first time we hear any type of a description about a Jedi they are introduced as the “Guardians of Peace and Justice for the Republic” I don’t see how the war took that away from them. 

The Oxford definition of Guardian is a defender, protector, or keeper. I fail to see how the Jedi stopped being any of these things because of the war.

Here’s the bottom line, the Jedi’s biggest mistake was that they fell for a plot 1,000 years in the making. The Sith spent over a millenia perfecting/hatching this plan, there was nothing the Jedi could’ve done to prevent the war by the time the trap was sprung. As always, I’m not saying the Jedi were perfect (I hate that I have to always specify that when I argue that the Jedi were good), all I’m saying is they tried to do the most good that they could with the situation they fell into - few groups/characters can claim the same thing.

Everyone seems to forget that the Sith controlled BOTH SIDES to that war, there was nothing - absolutely NOTHING the Jedi could’ve done that would’ve changed or won that war. So, instead they saved as many innocent lives as they could and to me, that’s very Jedi. 

[spectral-musette]

She touched his face, fingertips light along his temple, nails delicately scraping through the short beard on his cheeks, lingering on the cleft in his chin before resting on his mouth.

“I thought…” she began, but then choked on a soft sob as the tears began to run down her cheeks.

“I thought you would be angry,” he said instead, nuzzling his cheek against her hand and then kissing the palm.

“I am furious,” she assured him, tenderly. “I am incandescent with rage.” Her lips were against his, her breath uneven in his mouth.

Directly following the Deception arc (Clone Wars Season 4 episodes 15-18), Obi-Wan asks for Satine's forgiveness for letting her believe he was dead.

Just over 2000 words, M in AO3-style rating, probably part of a longer work if I can ever finish it and think of a title.

. . . . . . . . . .

Obi-Wan had not protested very much when Padme offered him the use of her family’s lakeside retreat in the aftermath of the attempted abduction of the Chancellor on Naboo. He had, however, expected a slightly more modest structure than the sprawling villa he’d found upon his arrival. Despite the droids on staff, the place seemed empty, hollow, as though it still echoed with the voices and laughter of a happy family. So fresh from his undercover work, he wasn’t sure isolation was the best remedy for his rumpled spirits after the ordeal, but arrangements had been made, and he supposed he could make the best of it for a few days.

In some ways, he was eager to leave Naboo. The memory of Qui-Gon’s death still cut like a keen-edged blade here. But perhaps that meant he should stay, to meditate on his old grief.

Painful as that prospect was, at least it sounded more surmountable than returning to a Temple that had been mourning him.

He’d have to, eventually. Anakin’s (justified) expression of betrayal and Ahsoka’s wounded demeanor still stung, and he didn’t look forward to repeating these painful scenes with other dear friends, with Luminara, or with Quinlan. But until the GAR red tape was untangled (at least a few days), he was still officially dead, and granted all the freedom of a wandering ghost.

He felt a little like the ghost of his old self after a quick swim as he climbed out of the lake onto the patio by the house. He sat heavily on the flagstones, still warm from the sun even as the stars were coming out. The constellations of Naboo seemed startlingly familiar considering the few times he’d seen them. The span of nearly 15 years felt short tonight. Perhaps it was the mere stubble of hair on his skull, shorter even than a padawan’s. Perhaps it was the ache of his old Master’s absence. He tried to ground himself in the present; as he toweled off his wet limbs, the ugly burn scars from his duel with Count Dooku shone pale in the moonlight, and his face still hurt from the dreadful biotech that had transformed him into the Mandalorian marksman.

It was always Mandalorians, wasn’t it? Proof that the Force possessed a sense of dramatic irony that the brethren of the woman to whom he’d lost his heart seemed to continually haunt him.

The guilt of it weighed like a stone on his chest. The mission had dragged on far too long for Satine not to have heard news of his apparent death. He had hoped it might all be resolved before… Well, it had been an unlikely hope, anyway. Padme almost certainly told her immediately.

There hadn’t been anything for it. To ask for permission to tell Satine the truth before the charade would’ve been tantamount to confessing his feelings for her. Had there only been the censure of the Council involved it might’ve been one thing, but any careless word to the Chancellor’s staff could’ve proven disastrous for Satine and the gossamer-fine line she walked to keep peace and authority on Mandalore. He’d been keeping her safe even as he wounded her.

Just like the old days, pulling her out of harm's way, or shielding her with his body.

Only this wasn’t an accidentally scraped knee or bruised arm. Perhaps it was vain of him to assume, but he knew how deeply she cared for him, how intense her feelings ran…

He’d tried composing a message to her so many times. Even still in the guise of Rako Hardeen, when he caught a moment’s rest, he’d gone over it in his mind, lulling himself into an uneasy sleep as he tried to find the words to ask her forgiveness.

In the end, a forthright Forgive me, was the best he could muster, hastily sent to her private channel as soon as he’d gotten access to a comm unit at the conclusion of the charade. If you’ll listen, I’ll try to explain, but nothing will excuse what I’ve put you through. Know that I am so very sorry.

She hadn’t replied. He checked the comm unit again as he pulled his undertunic over his head, the rough linen soaking up the last of the lake water on his back, seeing only his own message, stark and insufficient.

He didn’t blame her, truly.

He’d slept since sending it, through the afternoon, reveling a little in the luxury of resting when he felt tired, regardless of the local daytime cycles. And he dreamed in disjointed flashes, mostly of her… her grief, her melancholy, her ire… of the glint of tears on her dark gold eyelashes, the quaver of anger in her beloved voice.

He wasn’t sure if he ought to just sleep again, now that night was here. Weary as he was, he felt he could sleep for days.

He heard the door from the house to the patio open. He didn’t look immediately, as it seemed likely to be one of Padme’s droid caretakers, there to ask if he required food or clean linens. But there was no whirring of servos, and the footsteps on the flagstones sounded too soft. He caught a whiff of an achingly familiar floral scent just as he turned.

She must’ve been too much in his thoughts already, his mind too clouded with guilt and regret and weariness to clearly sense her presence.

But Satine stood, silhouetted by the dim illumination of the house, resplendent in the scarlet gown she’d worn the night they’d met in secret on Coruscant, though her hair was loose about her shoulders, pale and shimmering in the moonlight. For a moment she was utterly still, then she merely raised a hand to her mouth, stifling a soft gasp.

He scrambled to his feet, keenly aware that this was not the state in which he wished to appear before his lady. His trousers were still sopping, his undertunic open to the navel, and his hair had barely grown in longer than the stubble on his jaw. But her eyes were only on his, and shining with tears. She took a few steps towards him, then swayed a little. He lunged to catch her around the waist; the last thing she needed on top of all the rest of the suffering he’d caused her was bruised knees. She twined her arms around his neck, and his knees gave a slow surrender too, such that the pair of them sank to the flagstones, wrapped in each other’s arms.

She touched his face, fingertips light along his temple, nails delicately scraping through the short beard on his cheeks, lingering on the cleft in his chin before resting on his mouth.

“I thought…” she began, but then choked on a soft sob as the tears began to run down her cheeks.

“I thought you would be angry,” he said instead, nuzzling his cheek against her hand and then kissing the palm.

“I am furious,” she assured him, tenderly. “I am incandescent with rage.” Her lips were against his, her breath uneven in his mouth.

He tasted it in her kiss, a fleeting note of bitterness and sorrow amid the heady sweetness of her relief and joy, the fire of her desire.

“I am so very sorry,” he repeated, abject.

“Oh, I hope so,” she replied, breathless.

As usual, Satine had the last word, as neither of them could speak for some time after that.

. . . . . . . . . .

She lay on her side, half propped up on her elbow, her head against the pillow and her hair spread across it in a tangle of pale spun gold. The bedclothes were pooled around her waist, and he deeply felt the intimacy and vulnerability they shared in that moment. He thought this image of her would be vivid in his mind for the rest of his days, however long that might be: the pale morning light on her bare skin, her flushed cheeks, the glint of unshed tears in her eyes, the soft swell of her breasts with her sharp, uneven breaths as she tried not to cry again.

Finished with his abridged account of the awful ordeal, he reached out to run the backs of his fingers along her arm.

“Say something,” he begged.

She sat up a little more, her hair falling across her face as she wrapped her arms around herself and turned away from him.

“It might be… easier to accept, if you’d done it for the sake of someone … worthy of all this pain. To protect Anakin or Ahsoka or Padme or…”

“Satine, I can’t decline a mission to protect the Chancellor simply because I dislike the man.”

“It isn’t a matter of dislike. There’s something… so… wicked about him. Manipulative and scheming. Don’t say it’s because he tried to put troops on Mandalore, and don’t you dare say it’s because he’s a politician.” She turned back to him, her gaze challenging.

“No,” he agreed prudently. “I won’t say that. I don’t disagree with you. He’s been a mentor to Anakin and to Padme for as long as I’ve known him, but I can’t help thinking it’s always been somehow for his own benefit. He steered Padme to get himself elected in the first place, and his grip on the office has been white-knuckled since. I can’t very well blame him for the war, but despite his lipservice towards peaceful resolution, the GAR keeps swelling its ranks.”

“I’ll blame him. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to confirm it aside from my gut feeling.”

He placed a hand on her waist, his thumb tracing around her navel. “I’ve learned to trust your gut feelings. But dislike him, distrust him or not, my duty is to the Republic.”

He started to pull his arm back, but she gripped it by the elbow. He slid his hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer.

“What of your duty to me?” Her voice was quiet, but not without a note of beskar.

“Is it duty?” he asked. “I thought it was love.”

“Perhaps it’s very Mandalorian of me,” she said, “that we hold our most sacred duties to be to those we love.”

“Satine, I cannot put my devotion to you above the will of the Council or the good of the Republic. Not while I serve the Jedi Order.”

He almost expected her to pull away in anger or distress, but she shifted closer, pressing her face against his shoulder. “I know that. I’ve always known that. But it hasn’t hurt like this before.”

“Not since I left?” he suggested, burying his face in her hair and holding her tightly.

“No. Not even then. It wasn’t losing you, it was letting you go. This was… like I had died too.”

The guilt of it made his stomach turn. “I am so sorry, Satine. If there had been time to find another way… to spare you this…”

“The worst of it is that you knew how it would hurt me,” she accused. “And you still did it.”

“I knew,” he confirmed, regretful. “The Chancellor insisted on knowing everyone who was privy to the plan, and I had no time to even find the opportunity to disobey. I thought… the risk of revealing that you should be told…”

She let out a breath, hot against his skin.

“I think I’d have much rather run that risk than think you were dead.”

“If I’d had time to think it through, perhaps I’d have decided differently. But everything was snap decisions, and my instinct was to protect you.”

“And I can’t even be angry at you for that.”

“Of course you can be angry,” he soothed.

“Oh, what good does it do?” she demanded, lifting her head, fair brow furrowed. “Just wasting time quarreling when we have so little time together anyway.”

“Then you forgive me?” he asked humbly, kissing her forehead.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, stroking his cheek. “I know that I still want you, though.”

“Then I am yours,” he promised, kissing her fingertips.

“At least it’s not an offense that’s very likely to be repeated,” she reflected, shaking her head a little.

“Not very,” he agreed.

“I feel like I ought to extract some promise… some penance. But I expect you’ve punished yourself enough.”

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “The thing itself was terrible too. Not that I’m suggesting that what I went through can compare to-”

“Hush, darling,” she scolded. “It can be terrible on its own.”

“Sometimes I thought my death might end up not being a lie after all,” he said softly.

“Do you want to tell me?” she asked, her fingertips light across his brow.

He shook his head. No, he didn’t want to see how it would pain her, to think of him in danger, forced to behave as an utter villain. “Not now. Not more than I already have.”

She kissed him then, deep and ardent. “Then forget, for a while,” she said, breathless, her lips still brushing his. “Let me forget again. Make me forget.”

She hitched her leg around him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he shifted onto her, into the blissful oblivion where she was the center of the universe and the Force sang in resonance with their love.

[wasted-headspace-98]

Cataegis: Part III

Summary: An apprentice to the famed Mace Windu, your master has made sure you are strong with the Force. But, sometimes the Force has other plans. And you happen to be caught in the middle of them. Rating: 18+ Warnings: Nonexplicit sexual content, slow-burn, noncon elements (non explicit), underage elements (non explicit), inappropriate use of the force, etc Pairing: Sith!Obi-Wan x Reader Masterlist

Cataegis (n.) Latin word meaning tempestuous storm

Part I Part II

Power.

That’s what he felt.

There was no denying the waves of it that rolled off of you. It…confused him if he was being honest. He tried to make sense of it all, but there were so many factors to consider that it sent him reeling.

He sighed and rubbed his temple, sitting back on his heels. He hadn’t felt that much power from anyone aside from Anakin. The thought made him frown. During his time training Skywalker, he could sense the turbulent emotions within him. It was like a raging storm that held no end in sight. His Padawan allowed his emotions to guide him. Looking back, he realized that he should have seen the signs and snuffed them out sooner. But, he digresses.

There was no use in dwelling on things stuck in the past.

But you were right there. In front of him, and in the present.

He couldn’t figure out what the point was in the Force binding the two of you together. It was a puzzle that he didn’t have all the pieces to. And it frustrated him to no end.

She’s not a sentinel, that’s for sure, he thought to himself. So why does she conduct herself as one?

From what he knew about the training of temple Sentinels, you had gone through no such thing. In fact, it was incredibly rare for one of them to take a Padawan learner. The Sentinel duty seemed to be ingrained in a youngling from the day they discovered the Force. But there was something different about you.

“Master,”

He opened his eyes, turning to look at his former Padawan. “Anakin,” he greeted. He inclined his head, his golden eyes seeming to pierce the soul of the Lord approaching him. “What is it?”

“I sense a disturbance.” Anakin said with a frown. His long hair framed his face and blew in the gentle breeze. “And it’s powerful.”

Cataegis hummed in response, nodding quietly. “She is,” he muttered quietly.

Anakin arched his eyebrow, part of it marred by the scar that adorned the side of his face. “She?”

Cataegis let out a chuckle. “Yes, she.” He was loathe to the fact that he didn’t have a name to put to your infuriatingly beautiful face. “She’s becoming a rather annoying thorn in my side.”

Anakin snorted and crossed his arms. “What do you plan on doing about it.”

The blond Sith pursed his lips as he thought. Truth be told, he didn’t know. There were too many unknown factors for him to run headlong into this without a plan. He knew Anakin was usually the one to do so, but spending so much time with his former apprentice seemed to be rubbing off on him. “I…don’t know.” he admitted.

“Let me hunt her-“

“No!” Cataegis snarled at Anakin and threw him backwards, his hold tight on the other man’s throat with the Force.

Anakin grunted as his back hit the wall and he clawed at his throat momentarily before realizing his Master had full control of his body.

“You will not,” he hissed.

“Seems like you’ve found a new pet,” Anakin choked, trying to struggle against the hold Cataegis had on him.

He growled, the sound reverberating through his chest and his eyes narrowing in a primal rage. “Touch her, and you’ll have one less hand to worry about,” he snarled. “She’s not a bantha for you to hunt for sport. She’s someone more powerful than either you or me. And Force help you if I find out you’ve disobeyed me.” He let Anakin go with another growl, and the former Jedi fell to his hands and knees as he tried to suck in large breaths.

“You’ve gotten rather attached,” Anakin said as he pulled himself to his feet.

Cataegis scowled at his former apprentice. “Have care how you speak, Vader. You never know when you’re going to push me too far.”

Anakin rolled his eyes, but the threat gave him pause. Cataegis only used his Sith title when he was extremely upset with him, which wasn’t often. There must have been something awfully special about this woman for him to be so on edge. “Very well,” he said, inclining his head and acknowledging Cataegis. “But is this going to be a problem?

The former Jedi let out a huff of annoyance. “I don’t know.” he said. “There seems to be a lot about this woman that I don’t know. And I don’t like it.”

“All the more reason we need to find out who she is.”

A low rumble came from Cataegis’ chest, a hum of agreement. “True. But I don’t want you doing anything to scare her off. She’s already on edge enough as it is.”

Anakin raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you been concerned about whether someone is scared?” he asked.

Cataegis gave him another warning look. “Since the Padawan I’ve connected with is barely more than sixteen,” he snapped. “Her mind is still malleable, and there’s still a chance I can undo everything that the Jedi have taught her. But if you go scaring her off like that, there’s no telling how she’ll react. We have a difficult enough time as it is. The last thing I need is for you to tear down any work I manage to accomplish with this youngling.”

“Do you really think you’ll be able to turn her?”

He paused for a moment, thinking it over. He could sense the turmoil and fear within you. There was confusion, doubt, and surprisingly, anger. At what, he couldn’t be sure. But it surprised him nonetheless. He could sense the disturbance in your mind. If he really tried, he didn’t think it would take much for him to sway you. “I believe so,” he said, rubbing his beard as he continued to think. “I’m going to Coruscant.”

“What?!”

“Are you questioning my decision?”

“Of course I am!” Anakin defended. “You’ve absolutely lost your mind! Yoda will know as soon as you step foot on that planet. There’s know way you’ll be able to get past all of them without getting arrested. Or killed.”

Cataegis sighed and shook his head. “Such little faith, Anakin.”

~*~*~*~

After what happened with Windu, you’d been avoiding your master like the plague. He understood that you would need your space, and he left you to your own devices. For the most part, anyway.

At least he did until Yoda came looking for you.

He found you in one of the many training rooms within the temple. You’d been going at a program of Darth Maul for several hours, at least. The hologram was giving you quite the workout, you had to admit. And you could land blows and slice it to pieces without actually hurting any of your fellow padawans in a sparring session. You knew the emotions raging within you would cause a disturbance, but at that point, you didn’t care.

You didn’t understand what was happening, much less why it was happening to you of all people.

Cataegis’ golden Sith eyes stared at you every time you closed your eyes. You could feel his presence looming over you. It was as if he were right beside you the entire time.

And it unsettled you.

“Hmm…sense your anger, I do.”

You jumped at the sound of the voice that interrupted your training session. You turned on your heel and thrust out your hand. A wave of powerful force energy flew from your palm and rushed towards Yoda. Your eyes widened when you realized who it was. “Master Yoda!” you exclaimed. He saw your reaction coming before you even acted. He quickly jumped out of the way, somersaulting in the air and landing behind you in the training area.

“Mean to scare you, I did not. Sorry, I am, Padawan.” He tilted his head to the side and watched you visibly deflate. The lightsabers in your hand retreated back to their durasteel handles and you quietly hung them on your belt.

“It’s alright, Master.” you replied. “I didn’t mean to attack you.”

He let out the quiet chuckle you knew so well and shook his head. “Conflicted, you are. Resolve your issues, you must.”

You felt like throwing your hands in the air. “How do I do that, Master?” you asked. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”

Master Yoda hummed quietly and observed as you took up a meditation position before him. “Explain what is happening, you will.” You arched an eyebrow. You’d figured that Windu had told the Council everything that was happening with you. It would make sense for him to do so. After all, from what he said, it was highly unusual for something like this to happen. Sensing your hesitation, Yoda shook his head. “Tell the Council the details, Master Windu did not. However, like to help you, I would.”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You couldn’t help the flinch that took over your shoulders when you saw his eyes staring back at you.

There’s no need to be scared, little one. His deep voice soothed. I’ll soon be with you.

You let out a gasp and opened your eyes. Yoda almost recoiled when he saw the red and gold brimming your normally bright irises.

A chuckle that wasn’t your own echoed through your head and his voice spoke once again, this time a fading whisper. Have no fear, my young apprentice. I won’t hurt you. Yet.

“Hear his voice again, you have?”

You swallowed the fear that lumped in your throat and nodded. “Yes,” you admitted.

He hummed in thought and readjusted his hold on the cane before settling himself in front of you. “Get to the bottom of this, we will. First, discover what this bond is, we must.”

The lights of the training room began to fade away as you closed your eyes and began a light meditation. You’d done something similar with Mace in the past, and you assumed Yoda would want to see exactly what it was that you saw. You were willing to show him, but that didn’t mean you had to like the invasion it would bring into your mind.

But you pushed those feelings aside and opened your mind to him. Everything came rushing forward and you let it.

Everything you were feeling pushed itself towards Yoda. And you didn’t try to stop it. All of your emotions bubbled over the surface and came spewing out like a volcano.

The waves crashed against the edges of your mental shielding, and you didn’t want to hold them back anymore.

What’s happening little one? I can feel your pain from here!

There was a note of concern that you hadn’t heard before. You almost snorted at the thought. You and you let it with a sigh of resignation.

There was no use denying it.

The Dark Side had a hold on you.

And it didn’t appear to be letting go any time soon. didn’t want to hear his voice anymore.

When you opened your eyes again, you were no longer sitting in the training room with Yoda. Instead, you found yourself on a landing platform. The night was cold and dark, and the wind ripped around and billowed your Jedi robes around you. Standing across from you…was him.

Black encompasses him like the shadows of the night, trying to swallow him whole. But the closer you looked, you realized that he was controlling the shadows. The rain pounded on the both of you, soaking you to the bone. Lightning struck the platform to your right, lighting up the area around you. His eyes flashed with the lightning, gold and beautiful.

“You!” you snarled, baring your teeth and glaring at the man.

He held up his hands in what he probably thought to be a placating gesture, but you took it as a threat. You threw your hand forward, and a powerful blast of energy flew from your fingers. Cataegis grunted and crossed his arms to block your blow.

“Get out of my head,” you snarled.

Letting out a scream, you let yourself feel the force around you. The energy flowed through you, became your blood. Everything around you became a part of you. And when you attacked him again, you attacked him with everything.

Yoda watched you with awe. His eyes were wide as a bubble of pure force energy surrounded you. He could see the waves rolling off of you, creating the field. Blue, red, and purple flowed through it like veins in a body. The sphere itself had a golden glow that pulsated with your heartbeat.

His eyes widened and he jumped from his seat as he saw you open yours.

“Get out of my head!”

An intense gold seeped into the color of your irises, intensifying the color. Energy exploded out of your body, throwing Yoda away from you and across the room.

Taglist: @rogueheretic555 @lordofthenerds97 @say-something-nice-missy @doctor-warthrop @auroras-stirring-gaze @venus-armote @say-something-nice-missy @cosmicsierra

[deniigi]

Please have some Skywalker Babies + Uncle Rex.

----

Title: skittles

Summary: Padme dies, but Anakin doesn't turn and as a result ends up with two little ones who are, naturally, adopted by the 501st--well, Leia is. Luke keeps getting stolen by a filthy thief.

------

Rex has the twins for now. He has never felt terror like this before. He can’t stop checking over his shoulders for threats to their teeny tiny persons.

In his humble opinion, it should be illegal for humans to be born this small. He ran it past Ahsoka recently and she agreed, but she also provided intelligence that the twins’ size was not necessarily average for their species, either.

The other brothers helped him investigate this. They all gathered round and put the holonet searches on the projector so that they didn’t have to smash buckets over a datapad screen to be educated. Their search for ‘newborn natborn human baby’ was rewarded with images upon images of reddened tubies with big, round bellies and curled up limbs.

They did a new search for ‘2 weeks, natborn human baby’ and were rewarded with even more pictures, to which they held the twins up next to and found them wanting. The twins’ proportions were all wrong, their limbs were too skinny, their faces pinched. The babies on the holonet didn’t have hair, but their baby girl did.

The conclusion was that the research was inconclusive. Further, it was interrupted by the resident thief coming in to take his chances. Cody told them later, upon returning their baby boy, that they were better than this. Kenobi wasn’t slick. They needed to stop letting their guards now.

He said all this while ignoring the way the baby boy burrowed into the side of his throat and made smacking noises.

Such a strong man, that Cody. He is, unfortunately, not available now even though Rex has both twins and a heart attack waiting to happen.

The Thief is nearby. Rex can sense him. He heads back the way he came.

 --

The baby girl, who has a name, but Anakin is too heartbroken to speak it, fists her hands at Rex and shakes them as if to threaten him into compliance. He does not know how to help her understand that he has not taken the blanket off her face out of malice, but rather to keep her from suffocating. She is angry with him regardless. She is often angry with him and endlessly crying when he does not put her exactly where she wants to be exactly when she wants it.

The thief calls her a princess, and so everyone else has started doing the same in lieu of her name. The child is bound to grow up thinking her name itself is ‘Princess’ at this rate. Ahsoka has been trying out different titles for her, but she doesn’t respond to them in the same way.

For all that the princess is royalty through and through, the baby boy is thoroughly a commoner. Catching him awake is a miracle. Part of that is because his waking hours are spent with the Thief, since Kenobi has decided, for some mysterious reason, that this child is his favorite of all in existence. He will not be separated from this child and when he is, he gets crafty in his attempts to get him back.

The princess does not like Kenobi. At all, period. He touches her and she screams and reaches her stubby hands for Rex. If Rex is not available to be screamed for, she will wail until her father comes to stuff her in his tunic.

Anakin is fine to hold the princess, but he cannot look upon the baby boy, even to feed him. He looks so much like his mother. It is a struggle for everyone—except Kenobi. Rex wonders aloud to Ahsoka if Kenobi will raise the boy on his own and a moment of silence fills the canteen.

Ahsoka throws herself from the room and goes sprinting for the masters’ quarters.

 --

 The twins are tested for Force Sensitivity and it becomes abundantly clear why Kenobi continues hoard the baby boy against all sense and wisdom. He is described by the jedi as a ‘sun’ in the Force. The princess too, but her presence in the Force blends in with her father’s until she is gazed upon in Rex’s Force-empty grip.

Only then is she, too, declared a star.

Twin stars, they are called.

‘Kenobi, put that down,’ the boy is named. ‘Kenobi, give that back,’ is his middle one.

The first time Rex sees the baby boy awake, he is startled by how blue his eyes are. His sister’s are dark, but his are light like water at the base of a waterfall. He makes a little sound and turns his heavy head to the side to blink at Rex’s forearm.

He is the older of the two, but the Princess is already overtaking him in weight. Kenobi has been scolded for this. In return, he locks everyone out of his quarters.

 --

 The twins are two months old when they stop being blinky-maggots and turn into smiley ones. Anakin cannot put the princess down or she will scream until she is blue in the face. As such their dedicated General can be found with his arms full, slowly banging his head against the nearest hard object.

He calls her ‘Leia.’ Princess Leia.

The baby boy is ‘Luke.’ Just Luke.

Anakin spends his time these days bouncing Leia and on the hunt for his son. He walks like a zombie towards Kenobi’s door and plasters his back against it. He slides down and tries desperately not to fall asleep at the bottom.

He will not let Rex take the princess when he’s in this state. He wants only for Kenobi to open the door so that he can fall back onto his floor and demand his son. Kenobi never gives him his son back. There is no longer any question that baby Luke is Kenobi’s child. The fact that he’s been produced by Anakin and Padme is a footnote in the broader history being made here.

Kenobi will, however, take Princess Leia, too, if left unsupervised. She still hates him—more than ever, really, but he doesn’t mind. He likes to lay the twins out together so that Leia’s jerky fussing will ruin Luke’s sleep cycles.

Kenobi is a man with no respect for the law in these parts. More jedi masters have to step in to get him under control. Master Koon takes the most pity on Anakin and gives him both of his children. The masters and the clones watch him stagger up with both babies and drunkenly return to their quarters.

A note is made to check on all three of them in fifteen minutes.

 --

 The twins, at 6 months old, have developed even more distinct personalities and hair. So much hair. Ahsoka puts Leia’s hair in pigtails and Leia will scream if anyone tries to adjust them or if she feels that they are falling out of shape.

Rex’s hands were once clumsy around ring-sized rubber bands. He is now an expert. He is such an expert that he can even make the occasional one stay in Luke’s slippery hair, which, of course, invokes an expression of betrayal in Luke that is so comical, Rex can’t see it without being brought to tears.

Luke hates him for this. He whimpers for his father—no, not that one. The good one.

These days, Kenobi is a cat who has gotten the cream.

The boy called him ‘dada’ before he gave the name to Anakin, and Kenobi nearly lost his life for it. He regrets nothing. He is technically barred from being around Luke, both by the other jedi and by Anakin specifically, but rules are things for other people in Kenobi’s world.

Anakin threatens him with bodily harm at every opportunity that he is not holding his daughter upside down.

She enjoys this. This is not just a daddy-thing to her either; she expects everyone to carry her like this. If not feet-to-the-sky, then at least draped over an arm, face-down like a sack of flour. She hums the way a cat would purr.

 --

 At nine months the babes are mobile and it is the worst thing that has happened to Anakin besides Padme’s death. They are not effectively mobile, but they are professionals at grabbing things and hauling themselves up to their chubby feet. Leia holds onto the fingers of anyone she can get and makes every brother who passes her walk her on their feet to her chosen destination.

Luke is a little slower.

He can get to his feet, but what he wants is to bounce there. If anyone tries to hold his hands, he clams up and falls down and doesn’t get up.

Anakin has begun negotiating with Leia to be more like her brother. She laughs at his face in great peels when he does this. She finds his serious expressions hilarious and wants to cuddle him anytime they appear which is great for domestic time and not so great for council or state meetings. Anakin has taken to appearing before these people with Leia latched around his ankle. Only her, though. Luke can’t bear being in the presence of so many bodies at once. He becomes overwhelmed and handles the pressure by going to sleep. Or crying.

For Kenobi, of course.

And when Kenobi is not around, they all may as well go start digging their own graves before the guilt propels them to do it anyways.

Luke is not a big crier. Anakin can’t understand him. They’ve had many conversations about telling adults when he needs things, all of which Luke elects to ignore in favor of trying to eat bugs and dig in sand.

The latter is the greatest sin that Anakin can dream of.

--

I just think that, given the opportunity, Obi-Wan would be the best grandpa ever and by best, I mean he would see his chance to have a baby and Anakin would end up chasing him around going ‘he’s MY mistake and MY responsibility, you crusty old fucker, give him back’ while Obi-Wan talks to Ahsoka about how nice the weather is.

[palfriendpatine66]

Making of Monday

Any advice for when an idea flops? Re: my abandoned but not forgotten fic Coruscant 212

There was a time when *all* I could think about was a Brooklyn 99 style police dramadey in which experienced Detective Kenobi becomes the reluctant partner/mentor to brand new Detective Skywalker. I had a *constant* stream of silly head canons floating around my head ex:

Anakin would crash too many cruisers and be demoted to bike cop.

Obi-Wan would be stuck in a revolving door while Maul got away.

For a long time I didn’t write it because while I loved the idea, I didn’t have a plot. Then when I did finally develop a plot it was a way too complicated mob/corruption plot that had way too many parts and I wasn’t actually invested in it. The fic felt doable when I decided that, like a sitcom, it didn’t have to have a larger plot than “often at odds police detectives work together to solve cases and funny moments ensue” and each chapter could be its own stand alone plot line - its own “episode”.

I eventually envisioned the scene that became the first chapter: Anakin’s first day on the job/Qui-Gon hands the reins to Obi-Wan. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get through, but I thought I would pick up momentum to start the series, occasionally posting new chapters in between other more plotty or angsty fics. It would be nice to turn to some low pressure, silly moments I thought. A palate cleanser of sorts.

And then nothing. (uncomfortably close to one year later: still nothing)

I have a couple of snippets that I really enjoy written before I posted that first chapter that I shared during Wip Wednesdays and got great feedback on. I have a doc with lists of ideas for chapters. Some ex:

There’s a lot there to work with! And yet I’ve done nothing with them. I can’t do anything with them, and I don’t even know why. I still love the idea dearly, but it refuses to come to life.

I’ve let it fall to the back of my mind, I don’t *worry* about it anymore, but I do still occasionally think about it. I’d still like to make it work.

Advice is welcome, I certainly have no answers. If you’ve made it this far through my babbling 1) ⭐️ for you!!! 2) please join me in a moment of silence for all the fics that have been lost but not forgotten 💕