#Level 1313

[aftergloom]

Give you one guess what setting I'm gearing up to write next. 🫣

[midnight-mourning]

Stave off the Cold

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 24❄️❄️

guhhh i went a LIL angsty for part of this, but you'll like it dw, it'll be worth it in the end ;) hope you enjoy!

Prompt: Perhaps post ruin, since its snowing so hard the power goes out. Yn and ruin snuggling to stave off the cold and are sappy together or something along those lines. ^-^

Word Count: 1313

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You're in the middle of the most delicate of work when it happens. The lights cut, and you curse, almost dropping the new CPU chip in the dark. Carefully, with another slew of curse—that probably wouldn't have been approved if they'd hear—you step back and search for your workbench, setting down the chip and pulling out your phone. 

Flashing it to the window, you can see the snowstorm blowing outside. That must've done it. Great. Just great. 

You glance over to the bot lying motionless on the table, heart twisting at the sight. You've been working for months to fix them, you knew there had to be way, knew that somewhere they still had to be in there. The fact that you'd been able to charge their body and get their limbs to move independently proved that. 

You rub your face and check the time, you could still work in this, as long as there was still some heat in here. The power had to come back on eventually, right?

You search for your lantern, finding it and lighting, hanging it from the ceiling above. Once everything's settled, towels stuff under the old door to help keep heat from leaking out, you get back to work. 

When you'd found them, having decided to take a look through the long abandoned Plex, you'd been horrified at their condition. Tattered clothes and broken parts, that's what remained of your beloved attendant. You remember cradle their cracked faceplate in your hand, tears welling up at the thought that'd they shut down alone, afraid, not knowing where they'd wake up again. 

That had been back in the fall, it was the dead of winter now and progress had been progressing best you could. You weren't well versed in this type of thing, you were relying on videos and online forums to guide your progress. And you were just hoping and praying you were doing all this correctly. 

You'd started with the surface level damaged and worked your way in, scrounging the Plex for spare parts and replacements. Anything you couldn't find you'd snatch up in eBay auctions or the likes. 

With tender love and care, you rebuilt your attendant back into the bot you loved. You just finished repairing Sun's rays the other day, but you kept Moon's hat on him, something about the look going along with their mismatched pants. 

Now all that was left was the hard stuff, the internal components. 

So much of their inner workings had been fried, smashed, or damaged in some other capacity. You'd feared for the worst, truthfully. Having to accept that they may actually be gone for good. It was something that haunted you for weeks before you finally bit the bullet and opened up their head. 

You had teared up a bit when you found their hard drive was in perfect condition, letting out a cheer loud enough to probably disturb your neighbors. 

Your hands are shaking now, you realize. Shivering, your shivering. You check the time again, it's already been two hours. But, you argue, it's not that cold yet. You can keep going, keeping working, keep fixing. Keep saving. 

You have to. You have to do it for them. 

You take short breaks every now and then, warming your hands on their casing. They may not be awake, but at least they're alive. 

Your breath is showing up in front of you now, your fingers feel stiff, but still, you keep going. You just have one final thing to do, give them a reset. 

Your legs hurt as you stand, walking up to where their head rests. You pull out the Faz wrench you'd found on your last trip to the Plex. A find that had you dancing around the abandoned building like an idiot. 

With a shaky grip, you insert it and turn, waiting with bated breath. 

Nothing happens. 

You step back, waiting a solid two minutes for the attendant to sit up, either AI greeting you like how you've been waiting six months for them to do. 

But they don't. 

You feel too tired and too cold to cry. Just a feeling of utter defeat overtaking you. Your head feels heavy, so do your eyelids. Maybe you just need to take a nap, and you can figure this out afterwards. 

You climb back up onto the table, laying down on the warm but empty shell of your attendant. Curling up, you pull your coat tighter around yourself and close your eyes. 

As you start to drift off, you swear you feel a shift underneath you, something laying on top of your body. 

You have a strange dream. 

In it, you're being carried through the snow by something. It has two bright eyes, one red, one white, with spikes coming off its head, and a blue hat. It speaks to you, murmuring sweet nothings that you can't recall. 

When you wake up on your couch, you realize it wasn't a dream. You go to get up, but a firm grip around your waist prevents you from doing so. Looking down, you realize your laying on top of Sun, or, Moon? You don't know, you don't care, because it clicks to you that his eyes are open and he's looking at you and he's awake—

"Hello, Starlight. We missed you."

Your voice is just a whisper. "You're awake... You're okay."

Before he can say anything, you wrap your arms around him, kissing his faceplate over and over. 

"I, I thought you guys were gone. That, that it wouldn't work, that I had to live without you." You're crying now. "I, I can't believe you're actually here."

"Silly Star. We never left." A shift in tone. "We were right there with you, Sunbeam!"

You realize what they mean. "Oh god. That means you heard all of that."

"You mean all your lovely conversations with us? Your laughter, your beautiful singing?" They take your hand, pressing it to their faceplate. "Because if so, the answer is yes."

You feel your face heat up and not knowing what else to do bury it against their neck as they laugh. 

"How awful." You mumble. 

They pet your hair for a few moments, fingers staying laced in it as you sit back up to look at them. 

You trace your hand down the side of their face, taking it all in. "I can't believe it, after all this time. Picked a terrible time to wake up. Can't even give you a proper tour of the place with the power out."

You start to get up, wanting to go grab a lamp, but they immediately pull you back down, arms firmly around you. 

"No leaving. Too cold. Stay here, we'll keep you warm."

You give in rather easily, especially when their hands start to explore just under your shirt, snickering at how you tense up. 

You scowl at them, taking their faceplate in both hands and leaning down so your foreheads are touching. "How did you two manage to get worse?"

Just another chuckle in response, their eyes nothing but thin, devious crescents. 

You kiss them then, soft, sweet. And then you do it again, and again. 

As you kiss, you feel the blanket you'd shoved off in your excitement be placed back over you both, adding to the warmth and coziness between you. 

You have to break away for a moment, panting ever so slightly. 

They tilt their head, watching you keenly. A thumb comes up to swipe against your lip. 

You smirk. "Thanks."

They nod. 

"I really missed you, you know?" You lay your head against their chest, listening to how with every tick and click and whirl, it's a sign that they're really there with you. They're actually home. 

Their hand comes up to stroke your hair, other arm snug against your hip. 

"We missed you too."

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Thank you @rosescarletful for the request! I had a bit of fun with it as you can see, very much enjoyed the concept your prompt allowed me to think up :)

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[iliumheightnights]

Obi-Wan going incognito to visit his lover, the owner of an exclusive club on Coruscant

It happens a lot during the clone wars. Obi-Wan's lover was a good information broker, which was also a good excuse for him to visit. It never made the council suspicious.

His lover's club was on level 1313. Of course, 1313 was one of the more 'gritty' levels of Coruscant. Of course, there were worse ones lower down, but 1313 was a famous one.

M/n's club, the Nexu's Claw, was one of the more famous places on the level...really the most famous clubs on many of the levels. Obi-Wan always made sure to wear his cloak and hood when going though. The last thing he needed was to be discovered by someone wanting to hold the information hostage...or worse.

M/n always knew when his lover was around. There was always just...a presence. "Let's go in the back. You're killing the mood out here."

"What? Am I not the party type?"

"You could be. But I fear you'd put many of my dancers out of a job."

They'd spend hours together, just enjoying each other's company. On the rare occasion, Obi-wan would get to spend the night. M/n looked forward to those nights.

When it was time to return, M/n made sure to give Obi-wan a disk of information. "Thank you. I'll be sure to return soon."

"Please do, I'd hate to have to sell this club because I see your face haunting me in every corner."

"I'm not sure if that's flattering or insulting."

"It can be both."

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Welcome to The Flour Tower. It's a 5 story, single family, converted 1910 former grain mill in Bridgeport, Washington. 4bds, 8ba, $945K.

First things, first. It has an elevator, b/c it's so high.

The "Grand Salon," as they call the first floor, houses the shop, garage, green house, half bath, family room & additional kitchen.

There's also a wine room.

The family room is nice. Looks like there's a walk-in freezer there on the left.

The downstairs kitchen and deck on the waterfront.

Very large sun room also on the water.

If you'd rather take the stairs.

This must be the primary suite. It's huge.

The en-suite.

Closet in with the water heater.

Large laundry room.

The main kitchen is big, too.

Down a few stairs is a dining area.

And, on the other side of the kitchen is the formal dining room.

Plus, a formal living room. This house is so large, you can decorate it a lot better.

Spacious pantry.

Perfect views of the Columbia River.

This secondary bedroom is large and it even has a little hair salon.

Ascending to the next level, they've got a TV area on the landing.

There's a separate apt. over the garage.

So, this could be rental income.

A long staircase goes down to a dock on the river.

The river bank property measures .67 acre.

[didyoubringauntienat]

Flashbacks

Description: You have flashbacks about some of the best moments you and Natasha had.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader (she/her pronouns used)

Warnings: angst, psych ward, kissing, mentions of alcohol, drunk Nat (please message me if I've missed anything)

Word count: 1313 words

Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @haeva @lilaloubear

You didn’t really expect to find yourself in this position, a 5’3 redhead using you as a human crutch after having one too many jägerbombs at one of Tony’s parties. “Have I ever told you how much I love you Y/n?” You sigh before looking down to see Natasha giving you a surprisingly goofy smile as you basically dragged her to the lifts. 

To not hurt her feelings, you give her a soft smile. “Lets get you to bed and you can tell me how much you love me when that killer hangover kicks in.” She groans at that as you gently rest her against the lift wall, you press the button for her floor and sigh as you lean on the wall next to her. “Just close your eyes for a bit, I’ll make sure you get to bed.”

It was your first day dealing with some new recruits. Clint had told you that he had recruited an ex assassin and had asked you to guide her as he felt the both of you could relate to each other. You being an unwilling hydra experiment forced to do missions that still keep you up at night and from what Clint told you (which was very vague), she was a black widow. 

You opened the door to the training room to see a petite woman with fiery red hair tied up into a neat ponytail, looking down at her feet. You stopped and looked at her for a second before making yourself known. “Are you Clint’s new recruit?”

As soon as she heard you speak she looked up. She cleared her throat as she finally made eye contact with you. “Natasha.” You furrow your eyebrows and open your mouth to question her but get cut off. “My name is Natasha and yeah Clint recruited me for shield.”  

You nod in understanding as you walk over to the boxing gloves. “Well Natasha, Clint’s recruit,” You look up at her as you tighten the straps on the gloves. “Shall we start?” 

“Come onnn Y/n! Just stay for a little bit… I want no I need cuddles” You sigh as you sit down on the edge of the bed. You feel the bed dip before her arms wrap around your neck loosely. “You’ve been so weird with me recently… I miss you” You frown and look at the floor. You have been distant lately. 

Without saying anything you lie down and hold your arms open for her, which she gladly collapses into. “Don’t throw up on me okay?” She giggles (which she only does when she reaches this level of drunk) as she snuggles up to your chest.

“I promise baby… give me kisses though.” You laugh at that before gently kissing her hair. 

“I’ll give you proper ones when you don’t smell of vodka and jäger” You laugh softly at the pout she gives in return. As you pull the blankets over you, you feel lips press against yours, hard. You freeze up for a moment before you kiss her back, quickly smoothing out the hard and slightly sloppy kiss. Her hand moves up and caresses your jaw as she deepens the kiss. You reluctantly pull away when air becomes a problem. “You’re drunk. Go to sleep and I’ll give you all the kisses you want tomorrow.” 

She sighs but nods in agreement before resting her head on beneath your chin. “Good night baby, I love you.”

You inhale sharply before wiping away a tear. “I love you to, sweet dreams.” 

“Romanoff. Take these reports down to agent Y/l/n please.” Tony smiles at Natasha as he sees the blush form on her cheeks. 

She quickly grabs the reports and leaves the room without saying a word. She groans when she hears the team break out into laughter as she waits for the lift. Natasha steps inside when the doors open. She jumps and turns around when someone grabs her shoulder, without thinking she punches them square in the mouth.

“Ow! Fuck Nat! What was that for?” You hold your mouth as it bleeds. You look up to see Natasha with a shocked face and her hand covering her mouth. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry Y/n. I didn’t know it was you…”

You shake your head as you rub her arm. “Its fine, I would have done the same thing.” You smile after licking your busted lip. “So where are you going then?” You smirk at her as you step closer. “Maybe I could keep you company?”

She blushes at what you say. “Actually I was on my way to see you. Tony wanted me to give you some mission reports.” You finally notice the folders that are pressed against her chest. Her hand moves up and gently caresses your jaw. Her thumb wipes away the last of the blood. “I’m pretty sure the whole team knows I have a crush on you…” 

You do your best to hold back a smirk. “I bet Rogers and Banner aren’t happy about that.” She rolls her eyes at the comment but doesn’t say anything instead she kisses you gently, being careful of your small injury.

“Why would I care what they think when I have you?” She mutters against your lips before kissing you again, completely forgetting the lift was going somewhere.

As the lifts open you whisper between kisses, “I love you Nat.” You smile down at her after saying it. Not caring about the agents standing awkwardly outside waiting to get in. 

“I love you to Y/n.” You smile and grab the reports and her hand before leading her out the lift towards your office.

“How long do you think we have to keep her here doc?” Wanda sighs as she watches you through the window as she talks to Dr Cho.

“I honestly don’t know Wanda… She’s made no improvements, she still talks to Nat as if she’s here. There has now been mentions of Tony as well. To be honest… I don’t even think she realises that she’s at a psych ward.”

“Is there anything I can do? She’s all I have left… Everyone who ever cared for me is dead.” Wanda wipes away a tear as she watches you stroke the air before you hug yourself.

“I’m sorry Wanda… But this is all we have, we just have to be happy that she’s a lot more stable now than when we first brought her here.” Helen smiles sympathetically at Wanda before leading her towards her office and away from you.

“She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her…” 

“Do you see yourself getting married Y/n?” You and Natasha were currently resting in bed, the sheets lazily thrown over the both of you.

“Why do you ask?” You furrow your eyebrows as you look at her. She sighs as she rolls onto her front, the top half of her body resting on your chest.

“I don’t know, we’ve just never spoke about marriage and… kids. I just wanted to know your views on the whole idea.”

You sigh and look at the ceiling as you think of the best way to answer it. “I’ve never really thought about it… I just know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so if that means we get married then so be it. I’ll do anything to make you happy.” You smile at her and peck her lips “I love you so much Nat, you’re my soulmate.” 

She smiles at you before tackling you into a passionate kiss, nearly knocking you off the bed. As you kiss her back, all you can think about is the small black ring box in the drawer in your bedside table. You were going to make this woman your wife. Even if its the last thing you do.

[sammys-magical-au]

Theory/headcanon since I’m on a roll with the Coruscant Underworld stuff;

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how confusing it is for level 1313 to be basically an entire city in and of itself, but I think the reasoning for this is a lot more simple - some areas of Coruscant, especially notable ones, are designated by the highest level within the area. So 1313 is just the highest level out of all of this:

Level 1313 is the topmost level in this image, everything below it (since, according to the math someone on reddit did, one level is about 4 meters tall, so approximately 1 storey) is technically not 1313, but everything from “ceiling” to “floor” is classified under 1313

(And since in my last post I mentioned that I’m updating Lionel’s lore to have them be from the 1303rd level, that means they live here, within this image!)

My reasoning for this theory is that I often see this area here referred to as “level 5127”

But as you can see, this is way more than just one level. There are skyscrapers of varying heights, so it wouldn’t make sense for all of this to be 5127, unless, of course, 5127 is the just highest level on the surface here, and everything from the actual 5127th level down to about where the visual ends is all grouped into level 5127, although in reality what we’re seeing is level 5127 to, say, level 5003 (just for an example), and level 1313 really encapsulates everything from level 1313 to, say, level 1010 (again, just an example)

(Also, in addition, since the building Padmé’s apartment is in definitely isn’t the tallest building on the surface level, I would estimate she lives somewhere around the 5115th-5110th level when she stays on Coruscant)

[hellfiresky]

❤️🖤💔

I assume this is for the WIP asks? Anyway, thanks Anon!

——

❤️: what’s the working title?

My fic documents are titled: Solus, Shinies on crack, and On Assignment

🖤: what are your MC names?

Ge’tal Solus, Blaze, Ridge, Steel, Quake, Tavi Drezz

💔: give a brief character bio of your 3-5 MCs

I’ll give you six because I currently have six and don’t want to leave one of them behind.

Ge’tal Solus (Tal/Red in Seeing Red)

A Mandalorian bounty hunter exiled from her clan, Ge’tal operates in the underworld of Coruscant, mainly in the infamous Level 1313. Despite her disdain for authority, she finds herself reluctantly working with the GAR, making her anarchist ideals clashing with her growing attachment to the clones.

Blaze (CT-80-3498 in Seeing Red & Red Tides)

One of the four (then two) shinies assigned to escort Ge’tal on her occasional visit to the GAR base, Blaze earned his name for accidentally setting fire to something during training on Kamino. Cheerful and easygoing, he’s the leader of his squad. He eventually becomes one of the Coruscant Guard’s most reliable troopers.

Ridge (CT-80-8910 in Seeing Red & Red Tides)

The somewhat level-headed member of the squad. He serves as the unofficial voice of reason amongst his brothers. Later in his fic, he will be assigned to another unit. Also, Fox’s favourite caf guy and the squad’s go-to person to polish their reports.

Steel (CT-80-4422 in Seeing Red & Red Tides)

Steel is the quiet one of the group. He doesn’t complain much and pretty much always follows his order. Though he doesn’t speak much, he’s surprisingly the most social one in his squad. He enjoys doing admin work. He will also be assigned to another unit along with Ridge.

Quake (CT-80-7654 in Seeing Red & Red Tides)

Quake’s name was given after an obstacle course disaster that shook everything (literally). He can’t sit still, and his impulsive nature often lands him in trouble. He shares a close bond with Blaze, often acting as his partner-in-crime. Like Blaze, he eventually becomes one of the Coruscant Guard’s most reliable troopers.

Tavi Drezz (Written in Red)

A Coruscant-based journalist who is determined to uncover the hidden truths of the Clone Wars. Her work often leads her into dangerous situations, much to the disapproval of her affluent family. After pitching several projects to a prestigious journalism fund, she secured the funding and licenced access to embed herself with frontline GAR units - mostly with the Wolfpack.

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Martyrs and Kings - Chapter 9

Only Ghosts

Rating: Mature/18+/Minors DNI

Pairing: Kix x archivist/historian OFC

Wordcount: 4.2k

Warnings: angst; iconoclasm; the inevitability of time; boundary testing; SMUT; semi-public sex; accidental voyeurism; hair-pulling; biting; sex under the influence of alcohol

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The galaxy had changed a lot in the last half century, but Coruscant still smelled the same. The stench hit Kix like a punch in the face when the shuttle doors opened. It wasn’t so bad on the upper levels, but it got noticeably worse as he descended. Captain Ithano had sent him a list of supplies to requisition when Kix notified the Meson Martinet that he was headed to the old capital, and most of them were only available from some of the shadier establishments in the Coruscant underworld. More than one of the items were a complete mystery to Kix, and he didn’t bother to ask exactly what it was that he was picking up for his totally legitimate, not-at-all-disreputable employer.

Republics and empires could rise and fall and rise again, but some things never changed, and black market dealers seemed to be a universal constant. Kix kept his head down and his blaster close. He wore his armor, craving both protection and anonymity. This deep in the city, it was always dark, and anyone who let down their guard was likely to get robbed or worse. He kept a watchful eye on the shadows, ignoring the fetid puddles and skittering vermin on the walkway. Ithano’s errands kept him busy most of the day, and his life was only threatened twice, which was a marked improvement over the last time he’d gone to level 1313. His last stop brought him near a familiar neighborhood, and as he headed back topside, Kix made an impulsive detour. 

The building still stood, of course. 79’s had been located in one of Coruscant’s massive skyscrapers, so it was no surprise that the platform and facade were still intact. But the bar itself had obviously gone out of business years or even decades earlier, and nothing had moved in to replace it. Even the iconic neon sign was still installed over the doors, though it was not illuminated any more, and he could see that the transparisteel was broken in several places. The doors were boarded up, but it was easy enough to work a few free so he could squeeze through the gap. He switched on his helmet light and looked around, wary of finding something—or someone—living in the derelict club. It looked like nobody had been inside since it closed.

The floor was littered with assorted detritus: broken glass, cocktail napkins, faded drink menus. A few crumbling pro-clone propaganda posters still hung on the walls: actual posters made of paper, not holosigns. He could see bits of graffiti scratched into some of the tables, and he laughed quietly as he remembered the night he had scrawled “Fives’s sister” next to a sketch of a wampa in the refresher.

Kark, he had so many memories of this place. He remembered his first trip to Coruscant as a wide-eyed shiny, dragged to the bar by his new brothers in the 501st, terrified the entire time that he was going to be reconditioned for breaking the regs. He’d overheard a cute civilian sigh, “Captain Keeli. The prettiest clone in the GAR.”  

Kix had spotted the legendary clone captain right away, sharing a drink with his Nikto Jedi General Di. That night, Kix went back to the barracks and drunkenly shaved his head in imitation of the older clone. Jesse had teased him relentlessly, telling him he’d gotten the pattern wrong. 

“I didn’t get it wrong,” Kix had retorted. “I made it my own.”

When the news came back that Captain Keeli, General Di, and their entire company of clone troopers had sacrificed themselves to protect the Twi’leks of Ryloth, Kix had kept the hairstyle to honor their memory and added a tattoo that read, A good droid is a dead one . 

He’d lost count of the nights he’d spent here, celebrating victories, mourning fallen brothers, searching for something more than the life of a man bred exclusively for war. Nights spent dancing and drinking with Jesse, Fives, Cerra, and Tup; nights spent seeking out nameless hookups with beings who only saw him as a piece of meat; nights spent brawling just to feel something, even if it hurt. Anything to drown out the screams of the brothers he couldn’t save, to drive away the memory of blood on his hands.

The last time he’d been here, he’d come with Jesse to celebrate his brother’s successful completion of ARC trooper training. It was his first time visiting the bar since the fateful night Fives had cornered him in the filthy bathroom, ranting about inhibitor chips and conspiracies and corruption at the highest levels of government. Kix had avoided the place after that, but Jesse had been so proud of his promotion, and he’d wanted to show off his new armor, and Kix had never been able to say no to Jesse. They’d started the night with tihaar shots, and then somebody had passed around tablets of sansanna spice. Kix had a vivid memory of a stunning Zeltron woman trailing her hand suggestively over Jesse's pauldrons.

“I like your armor," she'd said. "It’s so thoughtful of the Republic to provide leg rests.”

The night had degenerated into a wild blur of spice, booze, and anonymous sex after that. Jesse had loved every second of it. Kix, on the other hand, had been in full self-destruction mode after losing Fives and Tup, and that particular outing was when he hit the bottom. The next morning, bandaging his knuckles after a fight he didn’t remember, reeling from a nuclear hangover and a deep feeling of self-loathing, he’d commed Cerra and asked her to help him follow Fives’s investigation. He started by removing his inhibitor chip, growing his hair to cover the scar. It had been strange to let go of something that had been a part of his identity for so long. 

Without direct access to the Kaminoan data, it had taken months to uncover the full potential of the chips, and he’d been assigned to the mission on Skako Minor before he’d completed his investigation. Finding Echo alive had renewed Kix’s determination to save more of his brothers, and he’d redoubled his efforts. Within weeks, he found what he was looking for, and then the Separatists found him. 

He couldn’t save any of his brothers after all.

Kix took a long, last look around. The galaxy had moved on from the Clone Wars, and 79’s had failed to adapt and survive. All that remained of the clone bar was an empty shell, and only ghosts within.

It was late when Maree arrived on Coruscant. Teejay had booked a driver to pick her up from the spaceport and take her directly to her hotel at the top of one of the city’s gleaming towers. It had been a long day, and she desperately wanted to take a shower and go to bed. She stared at the garish holosigns that flashed by the speeder, replying mechanically to her driver’s inconsequential chatter.

It had taken longer than anticipated to receive approval for Kix to enter the Imperial Military Records Archive, and thus several days had passed since they had spent the night together. He hadn’t contacted her except to acknowledge that he’d received her message explaining the delay. The approval had arrived in the late afternoon, and Maree had Teejay book transport to Coruscant that night. As soon as she boarded the shuttle, she sent Kix a message with instructions to meet her at the archive the next morning.

Maree avoided Coruscant whenever she could. Something about the planet gave her the shudders. It was strange; she loved Hosnian Prime even though it was also an ecumenopolis. She had attended university on Coruscant and left the planet at the first opportunity. Accustomed as she was to the endless expanses on the planets of the Outer Rim territories, she felt claustrophobic and panicky among the towering spires and plastcrete canyons of Coruscant. At least on Hosnian Prime she could see the planet’s actual surface. The only way she could do that on Coruscant was to visit the peak of Mt. Umate in Monument Plaza, as if it were a curiosity or a tourist destination, and not the very foundation on which the ancient city was built.

But beyond all of that, Coruscant had always seemed to Maree to have an air of desperation. Strip away the glittering facade of the upper levels, and underneath one would find only pain and misery and exploitation. She was too young to remember Coruscant under Imperial rule, but she couldn’t imagine that much had changed with the formation of the New Republic. The corruption here was too systemic, too entrenched, to be undone with a mere regime change, no matter how determined or well-intentioned the government might be. It had been this way under the Old Republic; it had continued under the Empire; and there was no sign that anything had improved under the New Republic.

The soft chirp of her commlink startled Maree out of her pessimistic ruminations. It was a message from Kix.

Are you on 000?

She typed out a quick reply. Yes. Heading to my hotel now.

Have you eaten? He responded immediately.

Not yet, Maree typed. I was planning on getting room service.

Want some company? He replied.

Maree was a little surprised at the offer. She’d thought that his lack of communication had signaled that he wasn’t interested in continuing what they’d started his last night on Hosnian Prime. She’d told herself it was for the best, even if it stung a bit. She didn’t do long term, as Valsi had pointed out. The rational part of Maree’s brain said she could hardly fault Kix for sharing her attitude. But there had been something different about her time with Kix—something she could almost have believed was special, if not for the haunted look in his eyes as he’d left her flat.

Still, it couldn’t have been such a terrible night for him if he was interested in a repeat. The cynical voice in her head told her it was just more convenient for him to booty call her than to go to the effort of picking up another bedmate. Maree took a moment to consider. Kix had been good in bed—fantastic, actually. She definitely wouldn’t mind going another round or three with him. She was fully capable of keeping her feelings under control—it was her specialty, after all. And if she felt a twinge of disappointment that he only saw her as a warm body, it would fade.

Sure, she replied. Meet up at the hotel bar in an hour?

She sent him the name of her hotel, and he replied with a thumbs-up. She sighed a little, thinking wistfully that she’d have to settle for a sonic shower. She could see the hotel from the speeder now, and by the time she checked in, she had just enough time to unpack her bags and touch up her makeup after getting cleaned up.

Kix was already at the hotel bar when she arrived. She spotted him immediately, leaning against the bar, looking impossibly handsome and absolutely radiating unfriendliness. Something in his posture made him look dangerous in a way she hadn’t noticed during their earlier encounters. The other bar patrons gave him a wide berth. He stared down into his glass and didn’t notice her until she slipped into the space next to him. He looked up, and his stormy expression cleared at once.

“Hey, stranger,” she said, stretching up to kiss his cheek. “Am I late?”

He shook his head. “Got here early. Nothing better to do.”

Maree raised her eyebrows. He wasn’t slurring, but his breath smelled like whiskey, and she wondered how many he’d had. She signaled the bartender and ordered a cocktail, while Kix ordered another whiskey. The bartender shot her a meaningful look.

“Let’s get a table,” Maree said. “I’m starving.”

“Can I get anything started for you?” the bartender asked.

Maree glanced at the menu and ordered an assortment of appetizers, then led Kix to a cozy little booth in the back corner of the bar. Remembering his dislike of having his back to a door, she scooted into the side with the best view of the room, then patted the seat next to her. He dropped into the booth and immediately slid his hand high up her thigh.

Damn, he’s not wasting any time, she thought.

“How’ve you been?” she asked, hoping to pump the brakes a bit.

He shrugged. “Didn’t come here for small talk.”

He leaned in to kiss her, and she pulled back automatically.

“Agreed, I came here for dinner,” she said pointedly. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“Don’t remember,” he said. “Not hungry. At least not for food.”

He pushed his hand higher up her leg and cupped her sex through her gown. She suppressed a twinge of irritation and—to her horror—arousal.

“Well, I am,” Maree said, firmly pushing his hand back down her leg to rest safely on her knee. “I guess you’ll just have to wait.”

The bartender approached with their drink order as well as two glasses and a large pitcher of water, then beat a hasty retreat as Kix glared at him. Kix reached for his whiskey, but Maree picked it up and moved it to her side of the table.

“Water first,” she said.

He glowered at her, but she didn’t back down, meeting his eyes squarely with an expression she normally reserved for arguments with NRGL administrators. He grumbled a protest but drained one of the water glasses, and Maree refilled it before she gave him back his whiskey and sipped her own cocktail.

“Bossy,” he muttered.

“Yep,” she said agreeably. “If you’re a good boy and do what you’re told, maybe I’ll let you have dessert later.”

His eyes darkened. Maree hadn’t missed the way he responded when she’d called him a good boy in the bedroom, and she was not above exploiting that tidbit of knowledge to get him to make at least slightly healthier choices.

“Why wait?” he rumbled.

“Because the food is here,” Maree said, stifling a relieved sigh. 

A service droid rolled up and deposited a tray of food at their booth. Maree picked up a bite and offered it to Kix. He ate it directly from her hand, his warm lips brushing against her hand. 

“I know what you’re doing,” he said.

“I should hope so,” Maree replied, handing him another bite. 

“Do you know how much whiskey it would take to get me drunk?” he asked. 

“I don’t know. How much have you had?” she asked.

“Not enough,” he replied. “I don’t need to sober up.”

“What do you need?” she asked.

“Something stronger than whiskey.”

“What happened, Kix?” she asked. “Why are you doing this?”

He sighed, looking away from her. His eyes focused somewhere in the middle distance on something only he could see.

“It’s this kriffing planet,” he said at last. “Too many memories.”

“I didn’t realize you’d spent much time here,” she said.

He laughed humorlessly. “I used to live here. It’s been a long time.”

“I take it that things didn’t end well?” she asked, feeding him another bite, and then scooting his water glass closer. 

“You could say that,” he said. His glance flicked between her face and the water glass, and his lips nearly twitched into a smile, but he obediently took another drink of water.

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

“Not particularly.”

Stars, the man held onto his secrets like they were made of solid beskar. It didn’t bother her, exactly. After all, he was technically just her client, and spending a night together had not changed that, nor had she expected it to. She shrugged and began to eat her own food.

“Well, with any luck, it won’t take long to find what we need in the Archive, and you can get back to your life and leave this place far behind,” she said.

Kix made an odd expression, but he didn’t reply. Once she’d gotten him to eat those first few bites, he seemed to realize that he was ravenous, because he polished off the three plates she’d set in front of him and then began to steal bites off of her plate, too. He drained a second glass of water as well, so she didn’t object when he finished his whiskey. Throughout the meal, he’d kept his hand firmly on her leg, though he didn’t attempt any further explorations after she shut him down. Instead, he contented himself with drawing lazy circles on her thigh with his thumb. 

They ate in silence, and Maree couldn’t help contrasting it with their banter at the hanging garden. Just when she had thought she was getting to know Kix, he reminded her that she really had no idea who he was. 

He flagged down the server droid and ordered it to bring the bottle of whiskey. Maree sighed but didn’t intervene. She wasn’t his mother, and if Kix was determined to get plastered, that was his call to make. Still, she had no interest in watching him make a public spectacle.

“We’ll take it to go,” she said. “Charge everything to my room.”

To his credit, Kix didn’t stumble or weave on the walk to the lifts. In fact, he didn’t show any visible signs of intoxication at all. He was a perfect gentleman until they entered the empty lift and the doors closed behind them. And then he pounced. His mouth crashed into hers as he pinned her against the wall. All the air rushed out of her lungs, and she nearly dropped the bottle of whiskey. His hands roamed over her body, squeezing, stroking. His kiss was rough and hard, and Maree let out a strangled moan as he used his tongue and teeth. He kissed and licked and sucked his way down her neck and chest, pulling her neckline down to give him access to her shoulder. He bit her hard enough to leave a mark, and she flinched. He pressed his lips soothingly to the mark, and then returned to her mouth, consuming her with a kiss that danced along the edge of pleasure and pain. She didn’t even realize he’d rucked up her dress until she felt his rough fingertips slip into her underwear. She broke the kiss with a gasp.

“Kix, w—wait,” she panted.

He froze.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” he asked raggedly. “Isn’t this why you told me to meet you here?”

“Yes, but you’ve been drinking, and—”

“Do I look drunk to you?” he demanded. “I know what I am doing. If you don’t want this, tell me now, and I’ll leave.”

“No, I—I want this,” she said, and he lunged back into action, kissing her until she was breathless. He yanked the fabric of her panties to the side and stroked his fingers over her pussy, hissing when he felt the wetness there.

“Not so calm as you pretended, are you, dirty girl?” he asked. “Is this all for me?”

“Yes, damn you,” she cursed as he slipped one of his fingers inside. Her body convulsed around him. “F—f—fuck!”

He thrust into her over and over, stretching her out until he could fit a second finger inside, dragging his thumb over her clit. She arched into the sensation. Her legs quivered and gave out, but Kix was there to catch her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she clung to his shoulders. There was no trace of the gentle man who’d touched her so reverently the last time they were together. This time, Kix was dominant, almost aggressive, handling her with a sublime roughness that had her trembling on the edge of an orgasm within seconds.

The lift slowed and emitted a soft chime. 

“It’s not our floor,” Maree gasped.

Kix moved to shield her with his body just in time for the doors to slide open. He snarled at the hapless intruder, an Ishi Tib who stumbled back with wide eyes as he took in the scene before him.

“Sorry!” he squawked. “I’ll take the next one!”

The doors slid closed. Maree’s cheeks burned with humiliation, and she hid her face against Kix’s shoulder.

“Look at me,” he commanded. “I want to see your face when you come all over my hand.”

His filthy words, the deft movements of his fingers, and the adrenaline rush of getting caught were too much. He wrenched her pleasure forcibly from her. She whimpered in surprise as her body clenched around him, her orgasm bursting through her.

“That’s it,” he growled. “That’s my beautiful woman. Kriff, you look so gorgeous like this, coming apart around my fingers. I could watch you for hours.”

He didn’t slow his movements until she stopped twitching and slumped against him with a breathy moan. Still supporting her with his arm around her waist, he gently withdrew his fingers from her. He stroked his thumb across her clit in one last, soft caress, and then he allowed her skirt to fall back into place, smoothing the wrinkles. She leaned against his chest, gasping for air. He wrapped both arms around her and held her close, whispering into her hair, telling her how well she’d done, and how sexy she was, and how he was going to take such good care of her. 

“I can’t wait to get you back to your  room,” he murmured. “I’m going to fuck that pussy until you scream my name. Everyone in this karking hotel is going to know who is getting you off.”

Her knees buckled. He caught her with a dark laugh, taking the whiskey bottle from her loosened grasp. 

“Not much longer, love,” he said. “Just a few more floors. Can you hold it together for me?”

She nodded, dazed. She was already wildly turned on again by the way he mixed praise with the dirtiest of promises. The lift slowed and the door chimed.

“This is us,” she said, her voice sounding embarrassingly unsteady.

She led him down the hall and fumbled as she keyed in her door code with shaking hands. He followed closely, dropping the whiskey on the console table and crowding close to her, his hands roaming greedily over her body. Her skin felt like it was on fire wherever he touched her. He tugged her dress off over her head in a single fluid motion as he backed her up against the bed. She tumbled onto the mattress, and he stood back, eyeing her with a hungry look.

“Stars, look at you,” he breathed. “Prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You are overdressed,” she observed. 

He began to strip off his clothes as Maree propped herself up on her elbows to watch. He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a thick chest that tapered down to a lean waist. His smooth, golden brown skin was criss crossed here and there by scars, and he had a smattering of dark hair. She had seen him naked before, but she hadn’t had time to admire him at her leisure. He was glorious.

As he lowered his trousers, she could see that he was fully erect, and a bead of precum had dampened his underwear. She sat up to reach for him, teasing his cock through the fabric before easing the garment down over his narrow hips. She made a happy little noise and leaned forward to swirl her tongue around his shaft. He tangled his hands in her hair with a curse. She loved the gentle tugging on her scalp and hummed with pleasure at the taste of him. His hips bucked forward at the sensation. Before she could proceed, though, he used her hair to pull her head away from him, then pressed her down onto the mattress, climbing on top to straddle her hips.

She could feel the weight of his erection resting on her belly. She traced her hands up his thighs, but he stopped her before she reached his cock. Gripping her wrists, he pinned her hands to the bed. He leaned down and began to explore her body with his mouth. Rubbing his cock against her torso, he kissed and licked down her chest, and then he drew one breast to his mouth and bit down, hard, as he sucked on her. She let out a ragged, broken sound.

“You’re going to remember me,” he growled as marks bloomed across her skin. “Don’t ever forget me.”

“Never,” she whispered as he sucked bruises onto her breasts again and again. 

“That’s fucking right,” he said, and he plunged into her in a single, hard thrust, sheathing himself fully in her slick heat.

She cried out his name as he drove himself into her again and again. She could feel her body pulling taut around him, drawn like a bow, all her sensation pulling itself into the base of her spine, building in intensity until all at once, it was too much. The bowstring snapped, and she shot into ecstasy. Kix ground out a curse as he buried himself deep inside her and spilled into her heat. His arms gave out, and he collapsed onto her chest, breathless and utterly spent.

---

I humbly apologize to the 79's girlies (gn). If you'd like to read about the club in happier times and tag along with Kix and his friends on a night out, please allow me to recommend my fic "Do It Again," which shares continuity with this story.

Chapter 10

Tagging: @blueink-bluesoul @secondaryrealm @spicy-clones @wings-and-beskar @523rdrebel @goblininawig @merkitty49 @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @arcsimper5

[murder-clone-tech]

Missing Persons

There had been reports of Imperial Officers going missing on Coruscant, most of them later being found dead. The murder was never caught, rarely seen, but he always heard.

Witnesses described it as a deep rumbling noise that could be felt deep in one's bones. Right before or after the killings of the Officers the noise could be heard. Some have claimed to hear the noise following the Officers as they made their way home from work or a bar.

Some witnesses claimed to have seen an orange glow or a dark silhouette with glowing orange lights.

Some witnesses came forward and said they'd seen a mysterious figure taking refuge in an abandoned building on level 1313 and that they'd seen it leave an hour or two before an Imperial Officer went missing...

@imperial-elite-squad-87

[zinniajones]

Florida’s newest Boards of Medicine appointees wrote an anti-trans letter calling for gender “exploratory” therapy, citing a report of a trans teenager being involuntarily hospitalized for nearly two years

Previously:

Gender Analysis calls for a hearing on the Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine proposed trans youth care bans 64B8–9.019 and 64B15–14.014 F.A.C.

Anti-trans group SEGM’s cofounder Stephen Beck is an executive at Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth-largest Catholic healthcare network in the US

Background

On December 2, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Monica M. Mortensen to the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by the appointment of pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Matthew R. Benson to the Board of Medicine on December 28. Benson previously spoke in favor of the state Medicaid trans care exclusion Rule 59G-1.050(7) at a July 8, 2022 AHCA meeting, and coauthored a September 23 letter to the Boards of Medicine with Mortensen and seven others in support of the trans youth care bans 64B8–9.019 and 64B15–14.014.

Benson and Mortensen’s positions are relevant to an ongoing issue: although the Boards of Medicine voted to advance the trans youth care ban at the November 4 meeting, it has not yet taken effect. Another joint meeting on the ban will now take place on February 10 in response to calls for a rule hearing from Southern Legal Counsel, ACLU of Florida, Gender Analysis and others. Public comment is now open for the upcoming hearing until February 7 at BOMPublicComment@flhealth.gov. Benson and Mortensen’s letter provides important clues to how they will likely approach this rule and other issues involving gender-affirming care as Board members, and this letter warrants extended analysis.

The September 23, 2022 letter to the Boards of Medicine (“Benson letter”)

Benson and Mortensen’s letter was coauthored with seven other pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric endocrine nurse practitioners working at Nemours Children’s Health Jacksonville: Larry A. Fox, Rehem Hasan, Nelly Mauras, Lournaris Torres-Santiago, Lydia Snyder, Joseph W. Permuy, and Kaley Carroll (“An Open Letter to the Florida Board of Medicine: Regarding the Proposed Rules to Limit the Use of Hormonal and Surgical Care for Gender Variant Youth”, pp. 1308–1313 of October 28 meeting public materials). Benson’s background includes research in the use of GnRH analogues to treat central precocious puberty in cisgender children (Benson et al., 2021), while Mortensen was involved in providing medical and psychological records of an adolescent trans boy treated at Nemours Jacksonville in the case Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County in 2017 (Expert report of Diane Ehrensaft, 21 Sep 2017). The Benson letter repeats several common anti-trans talking points that have featured heavily throughout the rulemaking process, including:

Arguing for any gender-affirming medical treatment of trans minors to be restricted to “high-quality research protocols approved by an IRB” (para 9).

Citing Dhejne et al. (2011), a study of transgender adults from 1973 to 2003, to assert that adolescents who transition are at risk of “persistently high rates of suicide, depression and premature death” (para 7).

Asserting that the practices of Sweden, Finland, France, and the UK support adoption of highly restrictive regulations of trans youth care in Florida (paras 3, 9).

Relying on a flawed and widely criticized review of transition treatments commissioned by the state of Florida (para 8), which was conducted far outside the usual standards for the authors’ evidence reviews (see section 9) as well as outside the normal Florida Medicaid processes for making a coverage determination.

Claiming that evidence supporting transition treatments is “mostly low quality and largely expert opinion, which is among the lowest level of medical evidence”, with “limited data from prospective, controlled trials, which are the gold-standard by which we judge any therapeutic intervention” (para 2).

Arguing for “nonjudgmental exploratory psychodynamic therapy in gender-dysphoric youth” as an alternative to transitioning (para 10).

The letter features a number of erroneous claims and misinterpretations of evidence, and Benson et al. rely on mostly low-quality sources to support their arguments.

Exploring “exploratory therapy”

“Gender exploratory therapy” is a recent term for non-affirming prolonged psychotherapy for trans youth and adults (Ashley, 2022), now frequently promoted by the closely connected anti-trans groups Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) and Gender Exploratory Therapy Association (GETA). These groups, emerging in only the last few years, repeatedly assert that “exploratory therapy” is not an anti-gay or anti-trans conversion therapy — while at the same time campaigning against conversion therapy bans (see section 4) and claiming that this psychotherapy may cause gender dysphoria to resolve without a need for gender-affirming treatment.

Benson and Mortensen cite five sources in support of their call for “exploratory psychodynamic therapy”:

We also support the expansion of competent expert psychological support with rapid implementation of nonjudgmental exploratory psychodynamic therapy in gender-dysphoric youth [7–11].

7: Levine, S. B., & Lothstein, L. (1981). Transsexualism or the gender dysphoria syndromes. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 7(2), 85–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926238108406096

8: Davenport, C. W., & Harrison, S. I. (1977). Gender identity change in a female adolescent transsexual. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 6(4), 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541204

9: Churcher Clarke, A., & Spiliadis, A. (2019). ‘Taking the lid off the box’: the value of extended clinical assessment for adolescents presenting with gender identity difficulties. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24(2), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104518825288

10: D’Angelo, R., Syrulnik, E., Ayad, S., Marchiano, L., Kenny, D. T., & Clarke, P. (2021). One size does not fit all: in support of psychotherapy for gender dysphoria. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01844-2

11: Lemma, A. (2018). Trans-itory identities: some psychoanalytic reflections on transgender identities. International Journal of Psychiatry, 99(5), 1089–1106. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2018.1489710

Levine & Lothstein (1981) is a case series of transgender adults in the 1970s; uncontrolled case series are considered one of the lowest “levels” of evidence in most evidence hierarchies (Stony Brook University, 2022). Churcher Clarke & Spiliadis (2019) and Lemma (2018) are also small case series of patients (12 and 2 subjects, respectively). Davenport & Harrison (1977) consists of a single case report of an adolescent, and D’Angelo et al. (2021) is a letter to the editor by six members of SEGM; this expert opinion is generally considered even lower in the hierarchy of evidence than case series or case reports.

While Davenport & Harrison (1977) long predates any formalization of “gender exploratory therapy”, the treatment described appears extreme and alarming. The abstract states that this consisted of “two years of individual and milieu therapy” for a 14.5-year-old trans boy, but the authors later explain that this took place at an inpatient psychiatric facility:

In accordance with those treatment goals, the patient was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital for adolescents, where she remained for 20 months. In the hospital she was involved in triweekly, individual psychotherapy with a male therapist and milieu therapy. The milieu therapy included active intervention by psychiatric nurses and aides, therapeutic school, recreational therapy, and occupational therapy geared specifically toward adolescents. The patients admitted to this service manifest a wide variety of adolescent pathology. Approximately two-thirds of the patients are short-term admissions and one-third remain in residential treatment for prolonged periods of time.

It then becomes clear that this confinement was involuntary and distressing:

Her severe social withdrawal was striking, and she spent much of the time in her room avoiding both staff and other patients. … There seemed to be a quality of stubbornness demonstrated in her refusal of hospital activity and withholding of information in interviews. When first admitted, she refused to eat, and seemed to be using this to pressure her parents to sign her out of the hospital. Signs of anxiety, however, were also clear, and weeks later she was able to acknowledge in psychotherapy that she was scared and did not have any appetite.

…

She talked also about being angry about being in the hospital, having to come to psychotherapy and not knowing what to say. The material about cross-dressing again arose. Her cousin was getting married and there was to be a formal party to which she was invited. However, she knew that this would entail wearing a dress. She marked her ambivalence by saying that one way to avoid the problem would be to run away and then be restricted to the ward.

…

She then returned to the hard line: there was no conflict, she just had gotten the wrong body, when was the therapist going to quit bugging her by keeping her in the hospital? She began missing appointments and only returned when her milieu manager said if she did not go to therapy she would lose privileges, including weekend passes.

…

Her favorite female staff member was leaving, which aroused feelings of abandonment. She said that she wanted to leave the hospital when the staff member did, but her father would not permit it until she saw herself as a girl.

Psychiatric hospitalization from ages 14–16 is a drastic intervention, especially in cases where there isn’t actually any mental or behavioral disorder that disrupts normal functioning to the point of requiring treatment under constant supervision and confinement. TASN School Mental Health Initiative (2016) describes some circumstances in which children may be hospitalized for psychiatric reasons:

Severe mental disorders are associated with a variety of symptoms that disrupt life at home and at school. Not all mental disorders require hospitalization. However, when a child or youth manifests such symptoms as hallucinations, threatens to self-harm or harm others, and/or has not eaten or slept for days, psychiatric hospitalization is a common reaction.

Being trans — identifying as a gender different from one’s assigned sex — is not like a hallucination, endangering oneself or others, or otherwise acting in a way that requires continuous monitoring by professionals. Trans youth and adults accept and embrace their identities as trans people all the time and have done so for decades, broadly to the benefit of their own well-being and sense of self, and generally with no need for psychiatric hospitalization in relation to this or any other matter.

Benson et al. assert in their letter that “data are lacking on the long-term safety and efficacy of the prescribed treatments” of puberty blockers and HRT (para 3), and they contend that “These decisions are too critical and important for young children to make as they cannot easily comprehend the long-term ramifications” (para 14). However, they fail to address the long-term developmental and psychosocial impacts of being involuntarily held in a residential psychiatric facility for almost two years in the middle of adolescence. This near-total separation from one’s family, community, and peers from ages 14–16 jeopardizes an adolescent’s well-being in ways that simply do not apply to trans youth who receive gender-affirming medical treatment while being welcomed in their communities. Tougas et al. (2022) describe a variety of adverse impacts on youth hospitalized in a psychiatric facility:

In the United States and Canada, it is estimated that close to one third are rehospitalized in the year following discharge (2- 6). Moreover, in addition to high social costs (7–8), youth hospitalizations may result in serious academic and social difficulties (e.g., absenteeism, social isolation, stigma, bullying, difficulty managing psychiatric symptoms, low academic performance, motivational problems, dropouts; 9–11).

This is a massive tradeoff of quality of life, particularly when hospitalization is not apparently necessary for any reason. A child kept in an inpatient facility during this time will miss out on countless milestones and memories that are irreplaceable, but this study seems to argue that this is preferable over freely enjoying your teenage years as a trans person with your friends, schoolmates, family, and others in a normal community setting.

The case report is also not an instance of “nonjudgmental” therapy as claimed by Benson et al. Although this patient wanted to leave the hospital, their parents would not allow this “until she saw herself as a girl”. The report goes on to describe hospital staff reinforcing “feminine traits” and “feminine behavior”, encouraging the patient to identify with their mother, and providing “therapy for her dread of femininity, which she had needed”:

Near the end of the first year of hospitalization, we had begun gradually to recognize feminine traits and to reinforce them. Her attempts to avoid being involved with the girls’ group were confronted, and she was seemingly merging with that group.

…

She began to experiment with “feminine” behavior, and this was encouraged and supported by staff.

…

In reality, the father was psychologically and physically absent; his appearance of strength was based on degrading the mother and the maternal role. Certainly the patient’s recognition of the true dynamics made identification with her mother more possible. It helped the patient take another look at the role of women and to see her parents’ marital situation as pathological and not like that of most families.

…

Therefore, she could now participate in the therapy for her dread of femininity, which she had needed but could not previously acknowledge.

Finally, note should be made of the role of the milieu staff in the treatment. They were able early in hospitalization to get her involved in the adolescent issues that are current on an adolescent service. They were very supportive of her feminine behavior and tactfully reinforced it during the second year in hospital when this was appropriate.

It’s clear that any “exploratory” therapy here was done with a fixed destination in mind: identifying with one’s assigned sex, and no longer requesting any gender-affirming care. This was a gender identity change effort directed toward establishing a cisgender identity, which is encompassed by the widely understood meaning of conversion therapy. Major medical and professional organizations recognize that conversion therapy is ineffective and dangerous (Forsythe et al., 2022), and a United Nations independent expert has described conversion therapy as “inherently discriminatory” and “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” (UN OHCHR, 2020).

The treatment of a trans adolescent described by Davenport & Harrison may actually constitute a serious human rights violation. Even if an “expansion” and “rapid implementation” of long-term psychiatric hospitalization for thousands of new teenage patients was at all feasible or realistic, its use for this purpose would be completely immoral and ethically unacceptable. Being transgender, and identifying as such, is fundamentally not a treatable “illness”. As a trans woman living in Florida, I fervently hope that this pathologizing perspective will not be represented at the Boards of Medicine by Benson and Mortensen.

Familiar faces: Dr. Stephen B. Levine

The remaining four sources cited by Benson et al. to support “exploratory” therapy at least do not describe involuntarily hospitalizing us in psychiatric wards until we stop saying we’re trans. Regardless, they still fail to provide any high-quality evidence supporting this exploratory psychotherapy in its own right, let alone as any kind of replacement for gender-affirming care. Levine & Lothstein (1981) is a case series of 150 transgender adults — the authors describe a minimum age of 21 for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. This is a distinctly different population from the trans minors in Florida whose access to gender-affirming care is now being jeopardized by the Boards of Medicine. The authors also do not provide any detailed information on the overall outcomes of their patients who were treated with gender-affirming care or alternative psychotherapies. Instead, the study describes the baseline co-occurring mental health conditions of 51 adult trans women and 18 adult trans men, with 7 case vignettes, and only “overall impressions” of the patient population undergoing gender-affirming surgery at Case Western Reserve University. Only one of these vignettes illustrated an apparent disappearance of gender dysphoria following psychotherapy.

Levine & Lothstein acknowledge the shortcomings in the evidence base for psychotherapies to eliminate gender dysphoria:

These clinical impressions have not been documented by systematic studies. There have been numerous published case reports of apparent “cures,” and fewer papers by clinicians who have seen large numbers of patients but do not report on any one case in considerable detail. The latter group contains accounts of patients who improved in many ways but were not cured of their gender problems.

The psychotherapy they’re proposing is also not a “nonjudgmental” therapy. The authors posit “realistic” goals for trans patients:

Some realistic goals for gender patients include: strengthening the patient’s heterosexuality; decreasing the frequency of cross-dressing; enabling a comfortable acceptance of a homosexual life style.

All of these goals — being straight and cisgender, gay and cisgender, or cis without “cross-dressing” — are formulated with the intention of discouraging gender-diverse expression and identifying as transgender. This, too, is a gender identity change effort that can fall within the definition of conversion therapy.

Notably, the authors provide several arguments against prohibition of gender-affirming care or restriction to narrow clinical research settings as proposed by Benson et al.:

Prohibition of SRS in the United States. Some patients would seek a foreign source, but others might be totally dissuaded from the idea of surgery. Many professionals are familiar with patients who have “seen the light” about their gender identities after some media exposure to transsexualism. If SRS receives less publicity, patients may be forced to find nontranssexual solutions. Such an approach may actually be unethical, since SRS appears to help some patients. Should the moral objections of some citizens deprive others of potentially beneficial medical treatment?

…

Restriction of SRS to centers involved in a multiuniversity research project aimed at answering relevant clinical questions. This rational approach might yield significant new knowledge within five years. Given the current economic climate, however, it seems unlikely that the federal government, or any other granting agency, would fund research on a problem that is relatively rare, personally unsavory, and politically controversial.

What Benson and Mortensen are proposing would similarly amount to a de facto ban on any such care by effectively regulating it out of existence. Far from the “judicious pause” that Benson et al. request, this would be utterly disruptive to the status quo, where trans youth are able to receive these treatments as a matter of private clinical decisionmaking between themselves, their healthcare providers, and their parents or guardians.

After 1981, coauthor Stephen B. Levine has continued to contribute to the scientific literature, public discourse, and legal debate on gender-affirming care and non-affirming psychotherapies. In several cases, Levine has testified against allowing incarcerated trans women to receive gender-affirming surgery, and has more recently offered numerous expert declarations stating that reversible social transition causes persistence of gender dysphoria into adolescence. This claim relies on his misinterpretation of the findings of Steensma et al. (2013), a study which only examined associations rather than causation, and found only a minimal association in trans girls and no association at all for trans boys.

Levine has accepted thousands of dollars from SEGM to write and publish articles against informed consent for gender-affirming care (Deposition in Fain v. Crouch, 27 Apr 2022, p. 30):

Q: Okay. And what about to, did you receive any grants to research or publish about the treatment of gender dysphoria?

A: I received a $5,000 grant to publish, to work on, to develop an article on informed consent which of course involves the treatment of people with gender dysphoria.

Q: And what’s the name of that grant?

A: It’s from the Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine and I, I, I don’t really have a, I don’t know the answer any further than that, that is a grant number or something, I couldn’t tell you.

Levine frequently coauthors commentary against gender-affirming care with SEGM cofounder Julia W. Mason (Levine et al. 2022a; Levine et al. 2022b; Abbruzzese et al. 2023), and recently coauthored GETA’s “clinical guide” to exploratory therapy with SEGM’s Roberto D’Angelo, Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano, and Dianna T. Kenny, as well as Genspect founder Stella O’Malley (Ayad et al., 2022). Levine also disclosed that he is a clinical supervisor of Miriam Grossman (Deposition in Brandt v. Rutledge, 26 May 2022, p. 34), who has worked as an anti-trans expert for the Florida AHCA and has previously endorsed anti-gay conversion therapy.

In contrast to his public-facing work, Levine was remarkably candid about the state of evidence for non-affirming or exploratory psychotherapy during deposition in Kadel v. Folwell (pp. 109–110):

Q: Okay. Understood. And as for your more conservative approach, can you cite to any studies or research that resulted in better outcomes than people who adhere strictly to the WPATH standards of care version 7?

A: No. This is part of the problem in the field for — although there are alternative approaches, there’s no randomized controlled study of any approach, including those which the standards of care seem to endorse. But the alternative approaches are equally deficient scientifically and are just like many people who are advocates are based on anecdotal evidence.

Q: Sorry. I missed the last part of that. You said your approach as well is not — has no controlled studies or support in that way?

Mr. KNEPPER: Objection, form.

A: Not only does it have no controlled studies, it has no systematic follow up based upon prior agreements about how we’re going to evaluate those things.

Benson and Mortensen’s own source attests, in 1981 and again in 2021, that this alternative of exploratory psychotherapy does not have an empirical basis sufficient to meet their high standards for evidence. In his foreword to a book coauthored by SEGM cofounder Marcus Evans (Evans & Evans, 2021), Levine describes the benefits of these psychotherapies as a matter of “faith” rather than “compelling data”:

What is known about the outcome of psychotherapies for trans-identified young people and adolescents? This book’s erudite chapters about highly defensive intrapsychic development provide evidence that some psychotherapies can enable some patients to decide to desist from a trans identity. Those of us who have faith in the benefit of such work regardless of the patients’ ultimate decisions about their gender expressions do not have compelling data to support our faith.

Where does faith sit within the levels of evidence? “Mostly low quality and largely expert opinion” would be too generous for this. As state regulatory agencies, the Boards of Medicine are intended to make policy and decisions based on compelling data, not unconditional faith. Faith-based policymaking at the Boards of Medicine would be unacceptable under any circumstances, but especially when this is used to disrupt access to real medicine in favor of promoting an unproven alternative therapy that runs on confidence instead of evidence.

A core group: D’Angelo, Syrulnik, Ayad, Marchiano, Kenny, & Clarke (2021)

D’Angelo et al. (2021) is a letter to the editor by six members of SEGM:

Roberto D’Angelo. D’Angelo is president of SEGM, an advisor to the closely related anti-trans group Genspect, and coauthor of the 2022 GETA clinical guide. Before his work with SEGM, D’Angelo served as the adversarial expert psychiatrist on behalf of a trans girl’s disapproving mother in the Australian case Re Imogen (para 4). This is notable as an early instance in which a core SEGM member directly attempted to interfere with a trans child’s gender-affirming care, in favor of imposing “psychotherapy and psychodynamic psychiatry” and “‘agenda free’ psychological exploration” (paras 174, 219). During the case, D’Angelo argued to the family court that Imogen, a 16-year-old trans girl, should be taken off her estrogen for at least one year to undergo weekly “intensive psychotherapy” (para 218). Imogen’s mother had a history of being physically violent to her (para 128) and had attempted to file complaints against her medical providers (para 244). D’Angelo sought to diagnose Imogen as having complex post-traumatic stress disorder rather than gender dysphoria (paras 170, 174) on the basis of “two online interviews” (para 182). Imogen’s mother then argued that Imogen was not competent to consent to gender-affirming care because she had not volunteered to D’Angelo that she had ordered estradiol from overseas (para 196). However, the court recognized that “Imogen did not want any medical information shared with her mother and she knew if she told Dr D’Angelo about the overseas drug, that information would be shared with her mother” (para 196). The court ultimately found that Imogen was competent to consent to treatment, setting a crucial precedent in Australia to protect access to gender-affirming care for youth. Elsewhere, D’Angelo has contributed a chapter to the anti-trans book “Inventing Transgender Children and Young People” (D’Angelo, 2019a), published a case report of a trans adult who “no longer believes he is a man” following psychotherapy D’Angelo (2019b), coauthored commentary with four other SEGM members (Clayton et al., 2021) and coauthored a letter to the editor with four SEGM cofounders (Malone et al., 2021).

Ema Syrulnik. Syrulnik is a healthcare data analytics expert who assisted with Clayton et al. (2021) and received an acknowledgment in Evans & Evans (2021). A 13 Jan 2023 privilege log in the Florida Medicaid trans care exclusion case Dekker v. Weida (previously Dekker v. Marstiller) shows that then-assistant deputy secretary Jason C. Weida emailed Ema Syrulnik on June 29, 2022 regarding “RE: Followup thoughts” (Plaintiffs’ motion to compel production, 20 Jan 2023). The privilege note describes Syrulnik as a consultant: “Email between General Counsel, Chief of Staff, and consultant regarding GAPMS Report.” This correspondence followed SEGM member Romina Brignardello-Petersen and SEGM associate Quentin L. Van Meter contributing two anti-trans expert reports for Florida AHCA on May 16–17, 2022, and the appointment of SEGM member Patrick K. Hunter to the Florida Board of Medicine on June 17, 2022.

Sasha Ayad. Ayad is a psychotherapist whose practice, Inspired Teen Therapy, provides “individualized therapy and parent coaching around adolescent gender identity issues” and advertises tiered monthly subscription memberships for parents of trans and gender-questioning youth. She describes herself as a founding board member of GETA, Genspect, and the International Association of Therapists for Desisters and Detransitioners. Ayad also serves on the board of the Institute for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research with Roberto D’Angelo, Lisa Marchiano, and Stella O’Malley, and is lead author of the GETA clinical guide.

Lisa Marchiano. Marchiano assisted Lisa Littman in developing her “rapid onset gender dysphoria” study (Littman, 2018), defended Evans & Evans (2021) with Roberto D’Angelo (D’Angelo, Marchiano & Gorin, 2022), and is a coauthor of the GETA clinical guide. She has described the emergence of trans youth in terms such as “outbreak”, “psychic epidemic” (Marchiano, 2017), and “modern hysteria” (Marchiano, 2022). Health Liberation Now! has identified Marchiano, Ayad, and Stella O’Malley as constituting a “core trio” substantially responsible for the founding or development of nine highly similar anti-trans groups over the past five years (Leveille, 2022).

Dianna T. Kenny. Kenny is an Australian psychologist who contributed a chapter to “Inventing Transgender Children and Young People” (Kenny, 2019), coauthored the GETA clinical guide, and was paid $75,000 by the state of Alabama to provide an anti-trans expert report in Eknes-Tucker v. Ivey (now Boe v. Marshall). Kenny has described trans youth coming out, and even gender-affirming medical care itself, as “social contagions” (Kenny, 2021).

Patrick Clarke. Clarke is an Australian psychiatrist who coauthored Clayton et al. (2021) and submitted an October 2022 letter to the Icelandic parliament arguing against a ban on conversion therapy, claiming to be “greatly concerned that this Bill will result in ethical, neutral psychotherapies being conflated with Conversion Therapy”.

The article is a letter to the editor rather than a study with any original research findings or systematic synthesis of evidence, and this expert opinion would be among the lowest levels of evidence as described by Benson and Mortensen. D’Angelo et al. is mostly an argument against the findings of Turban et al. (2020) that gender identity change efforts are harmful, against that study’s use of the 2015 US Trans Survey, and against using the USTS as a source generally. This is a criticism of one publication���s methodology, not a refutation or even an engagement with the substantial overall body of evidence showing that sexual orientation and gender identity conversion therapies are ineffective and harmful. Were D’Angelo et al. to prevail in their argument that Turban et al. is an unreliable study, this would still do nothing to provide positive evidence that gender identity change efforts are themselves safe or likely to be effective. Elsewhere, SEGM members Stephen Levine, Ema Abbruzzese and Julia Mason briefly described the “evidence that psychotherapy can ameliorate gender distress in youth” as “low quality” (Levine et al., 2022b), but this is only mentioned informally and in passing. It is not the conclusion of any kind of systematic review that would rank this evidence as being even of low quality, rather than very low quality or completely excluded from consideration.

D’Angelo et al. refer to case reports of psychotherapy resolving gender dysphoria, citing the same Churcher Clarke & Spiliadis (2019) and Lemma (2018) sources as Benson and Mortensen:

Further, GD can present as a transient symptom that resolves spontaneously or in the context of developmentally informed psychotherapeutic treatment. Some common examples of transient gender-dysphoric states include adolescents girls, often on the autism spectrum, experiencing distress around the physical and social changes of puberty or gender-non-conforming young women struggling with shame about being seen as “butch.” These individuals, searching for ways to understand and remedy their distress, can incorrectly attribute their discomfort to being transgender. Several case reports (Churcher Clarke & Spiliadis, 2019; Lemma, 2018; Spiliadis, 2019) indicate that the distress of young people with GD can lessen or resolve with appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions that address the central issues.

Lemma (2018) is a case series of two patients: an adult trans man who stated he did not regret transitioning, and a trans boy who did not want to be in therapy (“She said she was seeing me only because her parents would not let her take hormones unless she saw me”). Churcher Clarke & Spiliadis (2019) is a case series of 12 patients, with crucial limitations; the authors state “the majority had not received a formal diagnosis of GD”, and 7 had not socially transitioned. By the conclusion of this study, 5 still identified as transgender. Worryingly, one of the study’s success stories appears to be a 14-year-old publicly performing masculinity for reasons of safety, while continuing to experience unresolved distress:

He spoke openly about continuing to feel confused about his identity and was still struggling with low mood, although his suicidal thoughts had decreased. However, in relation to gender, Alfie was reflective in talking about the ways he understood himself to be a vulnerable and sensitive young person, alongside the need to embody and perform masculinity differently across different contexts; to be read as a ‘guy’ in particular ways in public (Butler, 2004; Kimmel, 2004). He connected this to preserving his own safety as a non-stereotypically masculine young man. Clinicians understood these changes as signifying Alfie developing a more integrated sense of self.

Coauthor Anastassis Spiliadis serves on the board of the Institute for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research with D’Angelo, Ayad, and Marchiano, and has repeatedly referred to “Gender Exploratory Therapy” or “Gender Exploratory Model” as though these were trademarked terms. In the UK, Spiliadis’ application in 2021 to trademark “Gender Exploratory Therapy” and “Gender Exploratory Approach” was refused. The services intended to be associated with the trademark were listed as training courses, workshops, and seminars, as well as psychotherapy:

Class 41

Training consultancy;Postgraduate training courses;Conducting training seminars;Provision of training;Educational and training services;Training;Training and further training consultancy;Training services;Continuous training;Practical training;Training courses;Providing training;Conducting workshops [training];Organisation of training;Education and training;Providing of training;Organisation of training seminars.

Class 44

Psychotherapy;Psychotherapy services.

Spiliadis and coauthor Anna Churcher Clarke also work at “Explore Consultation”, a group now conducting training seminars on gender exploratory therapy for the South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Trust in England. D’Angelo et al. similarly endorse an “exploratory psychotherapy that is neither ‘affirmation’ nor ‘conversion’”, repeatedly positioning this “non-affirmation-non-conversion” as “agenda-free evaluation”, “agenda-free psychotherapy”, or “agenda-free, neutral therapy”. It is nonsensical and unwarranted for anyone to position themselves as being “agenda-free” here, as though they are uniquely outside of a system of influences, assumptions, and attitudes that inform how all of us approach questions of transgender identities and gender-affirming care. In particular, there is nothing agenda-free about “non-affirmation”, because there is nothing agenda-free about refusing to recognize or address a trans person as their name and gender. Certainly it was not “agenda-free” for Roberto D’Angelo to argue before a family court that a 16-year-old trans girl should be deprived of her HRT for a year or more. Remarkably, D’Angelo et al. argue that trans people cannot be trusted when we say we were subjected to conversion therapy, because we may be mistaken or unreliable due to mental illness:

Further, patients with psychiatric diagnoses, highly prevalent in transgender-identifying populations (Gijs, van der Putten-Bierman, & De Cuypere, 2013; Goodman & Nash, 2018; Wanta, Niforatos, Durbak, Viguera, & Altinay, 2019), can potentially experience or misinterpret neutral interpersonal interactions as invalidating or rejecting (Barnow et al., 2009; Beck & Bredemeier, 2016; Gotlib, 1983). Not only does the survey question provide no detail to help discriminate between these essential therapy encounters and unethical conversion therapy, but it arguably biases the recall of neutral encounters toward recall of conversion by using emotionally charged language (e.g., “stop you being trans”) and by conflating recall of religiously motivated encounters with clinical ones. … As we have demonstrated, it is not uncommon for agenda-free, neutral therapy interventions to be experienced by the subjects as non-affirmative. However, non-affirmative is not the same as “conversion,” as the latter implies a therapist agenda and an aim for a fixed outcome (American Psychological Association, 2015).

It is hardly “agenda-free” to argue that cisgender healthcare professionals should be believed over vulnerable trans patients when we say that we experienced conversion therapy. In their conclusion, D’Angelo et al. openly acknowledge their specific agenda for treatment:

We call on the scientific community to resist the stigmatization of psychotherapy for GD and to support rigorous outcome research investigating the effectiveness of various psychological treatments aimed at ameliorating or resolving GD.

In depositions in B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education and Brandt v. Rutledge, Stephen Levine describes presenting an American Psychiatric Association symposium on May 24, 2022 with Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano, and Ken Zucker (Deposition in BPJ v. WV, p. 89):

A: I forgot to tell you. I also sometimes am invited to give continuing education lectures. And, for example, at the — I’ve given courses, for seven years in a row, at the American Psychiatric Association on sex and love, mostly love I use as — as the title, and we talk about sexual problems and the barriers to loving. And this year’s APA meeting, I — I am presenting a symposium with three colleagues on whether or not this is time to reexamine the best practices for transgender youth. So all those things are — in my review, are — are my teaching.

Q: I was going to ask you about the May presentation. Who are your copresenters for that?

A: Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marciano and Ken Zucker.

Levine later explained the agenda of this psychotherapy — “helping people to desist” (Deposition in Brandt v. Rutledge, p. 238):

A: Yes. I just came from a symposium two days ago where two people talked about their psychotherapy helping people to desist, what we call desist or detransition through psychotherapy. So these are, again, anecdotal reports. Basically psychiatry has a lot of those anecdotal reports.

Q: Who were those clinicians or those that spoke about their experience?

A: You want their names?

Q: Yes, please.

A: One was Sasha Ayad and the other was Lisa Marchiano.

In B.P.J. v. West Virginia, Levine agreed he was trying to dissuade people from being transgender (pp. 237–238):

Q: No, no, I — I — I just want to know the basis for these — these paragraphs, so I appreciate you telling me that. My question is — you know, I read 202 and 203, and you say — you list various perceived harms and challenges from being transgender; is that fair?

A: Yes.

Q: What I’m confused about is, is this premised on the notion that there’s a way to dissuade someone from being transgender so that they don’t have these outcomes?

A: Exactly. I — this is what I’m trying to do.

Additionally, during deposition in Kadel v. Folwell, Levine explained that “people in SEGM are biased in the direction of being conservative and providing psychotherapeutic evaluations of the child, of the teenager and of their parents” (p. 112); in B.P.J. v. West Virginia, he stated “Parents would very much like me to be able to return their child efficiently and quickly … to a cis state” (p. 221). AHCA expert report contributor Quentin Van Meter described his work with SEGM at the God’s Voice conference in June 2022, claiming that SEGM members “all agree” that even social transition is an “abomination” for trans and gender-diverse youth:

[53:23] QUENTIN L. VAN METER: So there are little chinks in the armor that are starting to form. There’s a group called the Society of Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, SEGM. You should look them up because they are a reference, a beautiful scientifically-based reference group, that has a broad clinical spectrum of politics in terms of the backgrounds of these individuals. But what we all agree on is that the affirmation, from social to medical to surgical, is an abomination for these children, it is the wrong thing to do.

Exploratory psychotherapy is not “nonjudgmental”, “agenda-free”, or “neutral” if it considers the outcome of living openly as a trans person to be an “abomination”. Are trans people merely “patients with psychiatric diagnoses” who “misinterpret” this “neutral” stance by psychotherapists as “invalidating or rejecting”? This is the contention of D’Angelo et al., who ask readers to ignore SEGM members’ own documented activities and statements demonstrating an intended therapeutic outcome of desistance or detransition, and instead attribute any appearance of conversion therapy to the alleged mental incapacity of the trans community generally. This insulting dismissal of the trans population and thousands of respondents to the 2015 USTS, as though we are unable to recognize conversion therapy when we are subjected to it, is not agenda-free. It is an agenda of gaslighting a community whose medically necessary healthcare has been directly targeted and disrupted by members of SEGM in several states and countries. Such an agenda should not have any place on the Florida Boards of Medicine, and if Matthew Benson and Monica Mortensen continue to promote this “non-affirming” psychotherapy, every effort must be made to reveal this practice for what it is: anti-trans conversion therapy.

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[kcrabb88]

Fic Poll Excerpts #1

Might share an excerpt from each of the fics on my poll, but this one (Fives Lives/Dooku captures Obi-Wan and ends up Redeemed/Palpatine Does Evil Stuff) tied for first place at 28%. It's on tap to be my next long fic when WFTD is finished!

As expected, Quinlan answers on the second ring.

“Hey, Obes,” he says, tilting his head in holo form. “You on your way home?”

“Yes, but there’s an emergency,” Obi-Wan begins without ceremony, drawing calm into himself. “I got a comm from Anakin, and it cut out before I could hear everything. Something about Fives being unstable. Something about Chancellor Palpatine. Rex and Anakin were chasing him. Fives, I mean to say. Anakin was quite panicked, and it isn’t like him. Not like that. Are you available?”

That familiar stickiness beneath his ribs, that gut-sinking sense he always gets around Palpatine, comes to life. He’s never liked the man. His influence on Anakin has never been a good thing, and his interest is … too much, sometimes, but impossible to lay a finger on. His treatment of the Jedi—and the clones—during this endless war has not won him any of Obi-Wan’s esteem. Besides, he’s always gotten the feeling that Palpatine doesn’t like him, and he does wonder why.

“Where are they?” Quinlan asks, furrowing his brow. “I’ll go right now.”

“Level 1313. Running past a bar of some sort though I know that hardly—”

“I’ll find them. Comm me when you land.”

“Be careful, Quin.”

A silly thing to say to a master spy when they’re in the middle of a war, perhaps, but the twist of anxiety in his gut demands it.

Something is wrong. First Tup. Now this.

Quinlan blows him a kiss, and under different circumstances Obi-Wan would affectionately roll his eyes. “Always am. See you soon.”

Quinlan clicks off. Obi-Wan tries Anakin again. Nothing. Rex too. Nothing.

He taps one finger against his knee. How long until they reach Coruscant? One standard hour, he sees, when he checks his chrono.

Cody. He ought to speak to Cody.

An alert pops up on his datapad as he stands, about to go in search of his commander, who will be worried about Rex and Fives both.

Count Dooku accuses the Jedi Order of War Crimes in front of the Separatist Senate!

Obi-Wan snorts. War crimes. This war has made them the soldiers they were never meant to be, but the war crimes are Dooku’s.

[playingwithhistory]

1311-1320 | Recap

Previous | Beginning | This decade | Next

During this decade, the Hambleton family really expanded and we got to welcome a new family: the Normanns. In this decade, the Hambleton family also went through the Great Famine in 1315, and lost little Simon because of the lack of food.

Events

1315: The Great Famine

The Great Famine of 1315 was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century. Most of Europe was affected. Crop failures were not the only problem; cattle disease caused sheep and cattle numbers to fall as much as 80%. The period was marked by extreme levels of crime, disease, mass death, and even cannibalism and infanticide. Historians debate the toll, but it is estimated that 10–25% of the population of many cities and towns died.

-> 1 sim & 2 dogs died

Births

1311: Edward Hambleton

1312: Clarae Hambleton, Walter Hambleton

1313: Organa Hambleton, Benedict Hambleton

1315: Matheus Hambleton, Arnald Hambleton

1317: Mary Hambleton

1318: Joan Normann, Simon Normann

Marriages

1317: Sibel & Thomas Normann

1320: Peter & Sibel Hambleton

Deaths

1311: Lilly (dog)

1312: Clarae Hambleton, Walter Hambleton, Malyna Hambleton

1313: Organa Hambleton

1315: Arnald Hambleton, Simon Hambleton, Benedict Hambleton

1317: Warin Hambleton

1318: Joan Normann

Current Family Tree

[hotingscreenprinting]

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[cola-canine]

Bounty Hunter's version of Coruscant is probably one of my absolute favorite interpretations of the planet - I love the night life; the cyberpunk-y feel of the lower levels. Underpopulated, of course, because of the games limitations of the time but still captures the feel of it all.

Switching to a helmet POV to look for and mark bounties in this stage is such a vibe. I wish 1313 made it through development so it could capture this atmosphere again.

[onychaos]

The big update log

Here we go. The “Super update” log so this is where my updates will go in. I hope this will be a big update log and lets start. Genshin impact Primogems min goal: 10000 () Primogems max goal: 60000 () Primogems as of 02/28/24: 1073 Level 90 weapons: 9 Primogems as of 03/02/24: 1313 AR 56 > 57 I will try to pull for Yae Miko Yae miko pulls 03/02/24 I got 8 wishes already, and I will try…

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