#Quinlan POV IS HERE!!

[copypastus]

One last Nesta for @nestaarcheronweek

Ember Quinlan the MVP of standing up for Nesta. Take notes Cassian.

[yazthebookish]

House of Flame and Shadow

Prologue and Chapter 1 reading updates

(Warning: spoilers below!!)

Prologue (Lidia's POV)

Morven and Einar are pieces of shit.

I guess Cormac is gone for good 💔

At least we got some descriptions of how some of the other Asteri look like. It still bothers me Rigelus chose the form of a 17-year-old boy. Ugh what a creep.

"Quinlan and Athalar are mates. She will return to this world because of that bond. And when she does, she will go straight to him."

THEY 👏🏼 ARE 👏🏼 MATES 👏🏼

"Athalar and Baxian dangled unconscious from the ceiling, their torsos patchworks of scars and burns. And their backs..."

The Asteri better start counting their fucking days.

"Lidia couldn't look at the third figure hanging between them. Couldn't get a breath down near him."

UGH!!!!

"Baxian still hung unconscious. Pollux had beaten him into a bloody pulp last night after severing his and Athalar's wings with a blunt-toothed saw. The Helhound didn't so much as stir."

Pollux I hope you'll burn in the deepest pit of Hell and get to have the worst death in the history of SJM character deaths.

"They'd never spoken mind-to-mind outside of their dreaming, but she'd been trying since he'd arrived here. Again and again, she'd cast her mind toward his. Only silence answered."

This sounds a whole lot like a Daemati. Like I'm still not sure if she is but it seems like it.

---

Chapter 1 (Bryce's POV)

"The darkness seemed inherent to the three people standing across from her: a petite female in gray silk, and two winged males clad in black scalelike armor, one of them-the beautiful, powerful male in the center of the trio— literally rippling with shadows and stars. Rhysand, he'd called himself. The one who looked so much like Ruhn."

Let's fucking gooooo!!

"You said your name is Bryce Quinlan. That you come from another world —Midgard." Rhysand murmured to the winged male beside him. Translating, perhaps.

Yes Rhys show us how useful your Duolingo lessons were.

Rhys seems to be agitated about her.

Master of spinning bullshit, indeed. "So maybe I'm here for that. Maybe the sword sensed that dagger and ... brought me to it." Silence. Then the silent, hazel-eyed warrior laughed quietly. How had he understood without Rhysand translating? Unless he could simply read her body language, her tone, her scent—The warrior spoke with a low voice that skittered down her spine. Rhysand glanced at him with raised brows, then translated for Bryce with equal menace, "You're lying."

Bryce, honey, that's the Spymaster of the Night Court.

"I just watched my mate and my brother get captured by a group of intergalactic parasites," she snarled. "I have no interest in doing anything except finding a way to help them." Rhysand looked to the warrior, who nodded, not taking his gaze off Bryce for so much as a blink. "Well," Rhysand said to Bryce, crossing his muscled arms. "That's true, at least."

Not Azriel functioning as Rhysand's personal lie detector. Impressive though.

" I do not pry where I am not willingly invited." Bryce lurched back in the chair, nearly knocking it over at the smooth male voice in her mind. Rhysand's voice. But she answered, thanking Luna for keeping her own voice cool and collected, "Code of mind-speaking ethics?"

LOLOLOLOLOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣

"So this is it, then. This is where we-the Midgard Fae— originated. My ancestors left this world and went to Midgard. .. and we forgot where we came from."

The theory I had since before even HOSAB came out is finally confirmed. I mean it was semi-confirmed in HOSAB but some readers still debated it.

The corner of Rhysand's mouth curled upward. "We will not torture it from you, nor will I pry it from your mind. If you choose not to talk, it is indeed your choice. Precisely as it will be my choice to keep you down here until you decide otherwise."

Bryce couldn't stop herself from coolly surveying the room, her attention lingering on the grate and the hissing that drifted up from it. "'ll be sure to recommend it to my friends as a vacation spot."

Of course Rhys has to pull the "choice" speech whenever he can 🤣 also, BRYCE LOL!!!

"You haven't seen it in fifteen thousand years, or spoken this language in nearly as long-which lines up pertectly with the timeline of the Starborn Fae arriving in Midgard."

So they exist in the same timeline then but Midgard happens to be more advanced.

"It is in our history, Rhysand," Amren said gravely. "But the Asteri were not known by that name. Here, they were called the Daglan."

Asteri are the Daglan, we guessed as much in HOSAB but that's another theory confirmed now!

"Azriel, without Rhysand to translate, watched in silence. Bryce could have sworn shadows wreathed him, like Ruhn's, yet... wilder. The way Cormac's had been."

Ruhn's darkness seemed more similar to Rhys, but Cormac was close to what we know of Shadowsingers. But if Shadows are an Avallen Fae's gifts then how is Azriel one? We're told Shadowsingers are not specific to any courts but there are no Shadowsinger Fae in Midgard than Avallen Fae. But Azriel has a unique way with his shadows (given that magic is more powerful in Prythian.

"The Veritas orb?" Amren said, and Azriel lifted an eyebrow.

Oh damn.

Rhysand mastered himself, a cool mask sliding into place. "You live in such a world." It wasn't entirely a question. But Bryce nodded. "Yes." "And they want to bring all of that ... here." "Yes." Rhysand stared ahead. Thinking it through. Azriel just kept his eyes on the space where the orb had displayed the utter destruction of her world. Dreading-and yet calculating. She'd seen that look before on Hunt's face. A warrior's mind at work.

She showed them the destruction and all the weapons the Asteri have. She even showed them Rigelus. Rhys, Azriel, and even Amren seem at a loss for words.

Bryce examined the silver bean that lay smooth and gleaming in her hand. Amren said without looking at her, "You swallow it, and it will translate our mother tongue for you. Allow you to speak it, too." "Fancy," Bryce murmured.

Of course they have a pill for translating any language and here we've been pondering about how they would communicate.

Amen turned to Rhysand and said in that new, strange language -their language: "The glowing letters inked on her back... they're the same as those in the Book of Breathings."

Oooooh Leshon Hakodesh 👀

Then Azriel said in a soft, lethal voice, "Explain or you die."

Holy hell that's hot—I mean��Azriel that's not a way to treat a woman chill the fuck out.

---

And we got to the end. This is what SJM only had available on her website. 4 more days until I get the full book and continue then 🤩!!

Also, Azriel's shadows seem to be around and thriving after all 😌 I recall being told they're gone for good based on HOSAB's ending, not that I took it seriously Lol.

[bilbosmom-belladonna]

Surprise self-rec time! Pick 3 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics 💞

Aww, thank you so much! 💜💜💜 I will toot my own horn as instructed!

First up, from TCW, is Built on Bones and Middens, the noir-esque longfic mystery I wrote for Clone Bang last year. Fox and Quinlan investigate a case that leads them deep into the Coruscant underworld and reveals some dark and surprising secrets. I remain very proud out of it, not least because writing mysteries is hard, y'all!

Next, also from TCW, is From Over the Sea, a canon-compliant Waxer/Boil story that weaves Boil's post-Order-66 present with bittersweet flashbacks to the war. I wrote this for @waxerboilmonth 2024 and I love how it turned out! I know a lot of my stuff leans fluffy so it was fun to write something really angsty. And I made myself cry while I was finishing it, so that's gotta count for something!

Finally, from Stranger Things, I'll suggest Less Talk More Rokk, a one-shot no-Upside-Down AU where Eddie unexpectedly runs into Steve (and Robin) at a house party in late 1986. It was the first time I wrote something from Eddie's POV and I had an absolute ball with it. Also I played the song it was inspired by on repeat while I wrote it, which is absolutely not normal for my writing process, so that was fun.

(Man, the more I write the harder it gets to narrow down lists like this. I'm so proud of all my babiiieeesss)

((That's not true, some of them are a bit of a mess 🤣))

Happy reading, y'all! 💜

[bookbitchx]

Hello hello here's a lil rant about SJMs writing of Rhys and it driving me crazy :) (CC3 spoilers, ACOTAR spoilers, minor TOG spoilers)

I agree with your post that questions whether or not SJM was being purposeful when she created the dynamics of the IC and their allies. I personally think in order to determine if SJM is doing this purposefully its important to take all her books into account (especially with the crossover in CC3 😭 And because SJM's only finished series currently is TOG, most of my comparisons will involve that series)

I suspect that the IC's emotional journeys are still very far from over. Especially Rhys and Feyre since they have been arguing off page (which is understandable given it wasnt their POVs) and SJM purposefully included Ember Quinlan defending Nesta in the bonus chapter. Now each of these characters have VERY strong personalities, but Ember in particular comparing rhys to someone who abused her is EXTREMELY important for us as readers to note for future books. And i really hope that its because SJM is finally gonna let him be held accountable for being an ass towards his mate's sister and for meddling so much in their relationship.

Rhysand in particular out of all of the IC has probably the most potential for a good redemption arc. Hes traumatized by his families deaths and UTM in canon and it would be safe to assume his childhood in Windhaven wasn't exactly pleasant. So giving us the Archeron POVs to unpack these centuries old characters is bound to get messy due to their own lack of experience, (but it makes for good fan interaction, i see you sjm).

Rhys definitely has better intentions than the Highlords before him did, but he still has some iffy behavior that stems from needing to have control over his surroundings likely due to traumatic events where he felt powerless to save those he cares for. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he has (accidentally) hurt more people while trying to keep control. He withheld life saving info from his mate bc he didnt want her to worry, he threatened and chased Nesta from the city because she shared the info he was hiding, he stole the book from Tarquin despite the fact that he likely would have helped rhys anyway, he locked his IC in Velaris to protect them (when Amren could've solo'd anyone in UTM 🤫). All of which to me sounds like could be control issues.

Now for who I think is the closest character we have to really compare to Rhys, the MC of TOG also struggled with control issues throughout the series. And her own trauma also mirrors Rhys' to an extent, especially her family life and the fact she was also stuck without fresh air while she was in Endovier. She made bad choices throughout her story, ones that affected the people she loved directly. But when her arc concluded, she was able to make healthier decisions for herself and loved ones despite that.

If SJM truly loves rhys as much as she claims, I don't think she wouldn't give him an opportunity to heal like the one she gave to Aelin. Especially after she hinted in CC3 that things are NOT always all fine and dandy in Feysand's relationship, Feyre herself said she was furious with the IC in acosf, and the two of them have yet to discuss how Rhys' actions utm affected her.

Realistically, I don't the highest hopes for Rhys' character arc unfortunately, but a girl can dream of a better ACOTAR 😂 I wanna believe that it'll be a great series when it concludes but im hesitant in putting my faith into SJM tbh 😔 Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful rest of ur day/ night and im so excited to hear your thoughts!

Heyy

I hope you're having a good day/night too!

You definitely make some good points.

I can kind of see similarities between Rhysand and Aelin, but at the same time, I don't.

Aelin, for all her faults and mistakes, had at least tried to do the right thing, no matter how misguided it was. She was selfish and reckless and ended up hurting people close to her, but she owned up to it. She was also young. She was, what like 19-20? Not an excuse, but a factor.

Rhysand, on the other hand... God, where do I even start?

It's weird because ACOTAR is so different from TOG in terms of writing, and I'm just talking about first person/third person POVs.

I honestly believe that SJM tried to make the series black and white. Tamlin Bad, Rhysand good. Eris bad, Mor good. Nesta bad, Feyre good... and accidentally ended up with a controversial mess.

I mean good for her. Publicity is publicity no matter if it's positive or negative (here we are talking about it), but yeah.

Rhysand was supposed to be this morally grey character, but she ended up making him a self praising, self-proclaimed king of feminism, most powerful High Lord with nothing to back it up.

○ He gives Feyre 'choices' only when the outcome is in his favor.

○ He claims he's all for women's freedom to choose whatever they want... yet he lets those Illyrian camps keep women as glorified slaves and praises the leaders for giving them 2 hours of training.

○ He's 'the most powerful High Lord' yet he can't control the HC, and the camp leaders barely respond to him.

○ He, Feyre, and the IC feel entitled to information that affects the whole of Prythian... for what I don't know.

○ I'm not even going to get into the acts he commits against his 'family' bc I would be here for a while.

○ He encouraged his mate to take her petty revenge on Tamlin, destroying his entire court in the process, innocent lives and homes, not to mention making Prythian more vulnerable to Hybern.

○ He got mad at Nesta for giving the mask to Bryce... isn't that what he did with the book? Except he stole it and destroyed Summer Court property while Nesta controls the mask.

You're right about his control issues, though, as was seen with Nesta every time she didn't listen to him. I can see how that would relate to the lack of control he felt UTM, but...

Did 50 years UTM getting SA affect him? Obviously. I don't disregard the trauma he went through, but I also don't turn a blind eye to the things he did UTM.

He assaulted his mate with no excuse. He could've easily left her in that cell instead of making her wear a napkin and get drunk against her will. Amarantha didn't even care when he paraded her around and only got mad when she saw them kissing.

The children of the Winter Court that were killed, I don't know why it was brushed off with no consequences because who else would have done it? Daematis are extremely rare, and somehow, there was another one powerful trapped under the mountain, but he doesn't know who? Another Daemati who was working for Amarantha and didn't call out Rhysand on the Claire Beddor lie?

God, this turned into a rant, I know, and I'm sorry, lol.

I personally don't see a redemption arc satisfying enough happening or at all really. I read somewhere that Rhysand was created after SJM's husband Josh... yk where I'm going with this.

Anyway, if you sat through this, thanks!

[hunnyrants]

A/N You'll need context from the ending of CC2 for the beginning of the fic, but if you don't plan on reading that series it will (mostly) make sense. But hardcore spoilers for CC2 😭😭

But lmk if you guys would like more Azriel x Cadre!Reader! I've loved this concept forever and am finally ready to start sharing it 🥰 You'll meet reader in the next part and get her pov 🥰

ACOTAR X TOG crossover

Pairing: Azriel X Cadre!Reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, eventual smut, angst, trauma, CPTSD, war (to be updated ❤️)

⚠️ GIGANTIC ACOSF, CC2, AND KINGDOM OF ASH SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT⚠️

The Blade of Doranelle

part 0.5

Rhysand was going to go mad.

He paces behind his desk with furrowed brows, trying to get any sense of something rational in his life. Since Bryce Quinlan fell into his court months ago his brain has been close to bursting. Feyre is no better. They've each had dozens of reports of tears in their world, in the very air itself, with shifting light marking every last one of them. Even when the female made her way back to her world, the rifts didn't close behind her. Both high lord and lady had gone together to the closest one, just outside of Velaris, and tried to close it themselves. When that proved impossible for the two most powerful high fae to have walked Prythian, tensions rose considerably.

Rhys takes a deep breath and turns to his mate who has been watching him quietly from her perch on the couch. She had Rhea, Madja's assistant, watching Nyx while his parents were occupied throughout their busy afternoons, and this was no exception.

"Thought for a thought?" She murmurs gently.

Rhysand stops pacing, and despite the exhaustion weighing on his soul he smiles. Despite his 500 years being alive, nothing could have prepared him for something this absurd.

"I'm thinking… that I want to throw something out of that window," Rhys grumbles. He turns to Feyre who can practically see the instincts in him roaring to protect and slaughter any who threatens what's his. But that now unsealed letter at the top of dozens of reports? It rattled him.

Azriel had brought it in, after his spies witnessed a village go into an uproar after a blonde fae male in silver armor stepped through a rift and politely requested a letter be delivered to their leader. But when Az had gotten there the male was long gone, stepping back through the rift.

As soon as Rhys finished reading the male's letter; he silently handed it to his mate and his eyes glazed over, immediately contacting everyone in his inner circle for an emergency meeting. Feyre's eyes had darted across the page before immediately turning back to Azriel, her face grave. "We need Amren here."

Although its contents itself were as pleasant as it could be, all things considered. Azriel's face had been dark since he brought in the damned thing, and now that the second in command was getting involved? As he winnowed away, Azriel was sure this was nothing but a bad omen.

He returned within a heartbeat with Amren. The small female was still intimidating despite her loss of power. Especially now seeing her delicate face contorted with rage as she's handed the offending paper by her high lady. Azriel's face was still dark as he moved to stand in front of the fireplace and a cunning eyed Amren now read the letter.

Feyre twists towards her mate once more and leans forward, "What is the political side of you thinking, Rhysand?"

Despite her young age, her eyes were sharp and clear. This was her court and her family potentially in danger, no matter how important these rifts may be, to be sent a letter from something on the other side was a security risk, no matter their intentions.

Rhys takes a deep breath in and considers. Just as he opens his mouth the door bursts open- "What the fuck do you mean a queen from across the rift requested an audience?"

"Hello cousin," Rhys grumbles before pinching his brows.

"There's no way in Hel that you're considering it," hisses Mor again, with Cassian and Nesta on her heels looking inclined to agree. She likely had winnowed them to the river house upon getting her own summons and brief explanation from Rhys mind to mind.

"As I was going to say," he rubs his face, "this meeting is risky."

"But so is leaving unattended rifts across our court." Amren says. She had been silent since she finished reading, the letter dangling haphazardly from her pinched fingers.

"We can handle the rifts across our court. We shouldn't be interacting with what is on the other side," says Azriel as he stalks forward towards Rhys, "It has to be a trap."

"What if it's genuine? Look at your orrery Rhys, you already thought other worlds existed. It was confirmed with Bryce. It wouldn't hurt to at least reply to the letter," Nesta says before she catches Azriel's eye, "You're a spymaster, shouldn't you be halfway through that rift to seek your own answers from whoever delivered the letter?" Azriel's eyes narrow in response.

"That is not a risk even I am willing to take. The rift itself could likely kill us-"

"It won't. I already have eyewitness reports of townsfolk stepping through a rift with rope tied around their waists and returning of their own accord," Feyre interrupts as she presses her fingers into her temples.

"Rhys and I entered their minds and they weren't altered at all, Madja looked at several as well and no bodily harm came to them either. And its been well over two months since the first rift opened, if something was going to happen to those people I think it would have already."

"Mother's tits Rhys. First the queens, Koschei, Bryce, rifts opening across all of Prythian and now finding something on the other side of one?" Cassian sighed before grumbling, "I need to make sure the Illyrians are ready to fly again."

Mor's skirt hissed against the wooden flooring as she swept forward to snatch the letter from Amren, who surprisingly allowed her with no more than a sideways glance. She refolds the paper to align the broken seal once more and traces the dark green wax.

"This seal is unfamiliar…" she muses before skimming the letter and promptly dropping it back onto the once organized desk of Rhysand's office. The paper now seemingly mocking the rest of the reports that were deemed unimportant.

"Do the initials A.A.G. ring any bells?"

[flowerparrish]

So during Voiceteam, @paintchipblue made this really neat Podfic Comment Bingo, and it was such a joy to tackle while going through post rounds / at the end and bookmarking stuff I wanted to listen to. Everything looks so new and shiny and exciting, so this was a really fun way to prioritize what I listened to I M M E D I A T E L Y and what I marked for later so I could make sure I got through the whole collection!

Here are the podfics I listened to (and as such, am now recommending YOU listen to and comment on!) under a cut:

Not in English: robot-revolutionarys tumblr dashboard read by CainPods, wilfriede0815

Fandom for Robots, German translation of a fic then podded

(Had) No Comments: Almost Home read by @devilwithabirddress

Hades (Video Game 2018), Asterius/Theseus

Has a Ghost: Light the Way read by @kittonafoxgirl

Pokemon, featuring Litwick, Lampent, Chandelure, and Original Child Characters

More than 5 Voices: Conventions for Robots, multi-voice organized and edited by @gilraina

Fandom for Robots, featuring Computron & bjornruffian

Free Space: gold in the dirt read by @kbirbpods

Star Wars, featuring Commander Fox, Quinlan Vos, and Jon Antilles

A Cold Read: robot-revolutionary's tumblr dashboard, featuring me & @olive2read and edited by olive2read!

Fandom for Robots

Not Safe For Work: the beauty of discovery, read by @42donotpanic

Marvel/DC Crossover, Bucky/Clint/Jason

Wild AU Premise: dark and burning (soaked with orange blossoms), read by @kbirbpods

Star Wars, Feemor/Fox

Has An Actual Ship In It: A kiss behind the barricades, read by @kbirbpods

AFTG characters (Jean Moreau/Jeremy Knox) in the Star Wars universe as Jedi padawans

F/F Ship: in search of a sky for smoke to rise to, read by @korechthonia

Star Wars, Padmé/Arla Fett

OC As A Major Character: By His Side, read by rambling_company

Star Wars, outsider POV about Obi-Wan/Anakin

Under 5 Minutes: The Living Among the Dead, read by @kbirbpods

LOTR: Eowyn-centric

Canon Over 200 Years Old: Silver Skins, read by wilfriede0815

Fairy Tale featuring a selkie's daughter

Character Study: Many Colors, read by @42donotpanic

Marvel, about Natasha Romanov

[sithfox]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox/Quinlan Vos

Characters: Quinlan Vos, CC-1010 | Fox

Additional Tags: Dai Bendu Language (Star Wars), Mando'a Language (Star Wars), CC-1010 | Fox is a polyglot, As are the rest of the clones tbh, Hurt Quinlan Vos, Quinlan Vos Needs A Hug, POV CC-1010 | Fox, Protective CC-1010 | Fox, Touch-Starved

Series: Part 2 of A Study In Scarlet, Part 7 of FoxQuin Week 2024

Summary:

Fox walks over to him, absently intending to wrap his arms around his waist, but the moment Fox brushes his bare skin he shudders violently, as if he's startled to be touched. Fox freezes in place.

Oh. He knows what's going on here.

[ryehouses]

Hi! Do you have any Jedi POVs that you could share? I really liked your take on them.

OK I'm sure I'm missing a few of the requests for various Jedi POVs, but here's a handful of different folks looking at Din and going "wow, we wonder what's up with THAT guy."

Bon appétit!

in which din djarin is an intergalactic man of mystery, and several people are confused about it. 

quinlan vos. 

“How have you been feeling?” Quinlan asked, pressing three fingers to the side of Din Djarin’s head. Djarin let him do it without any fuss. The first time Quinlan had reached out to Djarin to help him heal, Djarin had been warier than a Wayland wood-hopper. Trying to take off the edge of Djarin’s concussion had been like trying to dodge lightning during an electrical storm on Jabiim.

But now Djarin trusted Quinlan fine and he hardly flinched at all when Quinlan reached for him through the Force, and Quinlan was able to brush carefully against Djarin’s mind without needing to warn the other man first. 

Djarin’s mind met Quinlan’s easily. Quinlan had always thought of the Force as wind, sometimes a breeze and sometimes a hurricane, but he’d been told that his presence in the Force felt more like an ocean than the wind. A warm sea, Aayla’d once called him. 

Din Djarin, in the Force, was not an ocean. He wasn’t the wind, either. He wasn’t the star-bright of a Jedi or the cold black hole feeling of a Sith. But he was there, in the Force, and he recognized Quinlan. Djarin’s mind flickered. Not quite a proper Jedi’s greeting, clear and coherent, but at least an impression of welcome.  

“Better,” Djarin said, relaxed even as Quinlan put a little bit of the Force into his fingertips and started to map out Djarin’s head, feeling around for any lingering pain, for swelling or damage or darkness that would lead Quinlan to a wound that hadn’t yet healed. The Mandalorian had taken a few good hits on Tatooine. He’d had a few weeks to recover from that now, but still. 

I want to make sure that he’s okay, Quinlan thought. He liked Djarin. Most of the Jedi liked Djarin. He was a good sort underneath his armor, and Quinlan knew that as soon as the man’d finished cleaning up the Hutts’ mess on Tatooine and joined Quinlan on a freedom run or two, Quinlan would be happy to call Djarin his friend. 

Djarin was still some weeks out from being able to help with a freedom run, though. Tatooine was still a mess. Djarin and his friends had started to put things back together, but still. 

At least the palace was in better shape than it’d been when Quinlan and the rest of the Jedi had landed on Tatooine. Most of the debris had been cleared away, the great jagged holes in the ceiling patched with canvas. When Quinlan had landed this time, Djarin had brought Quinlan to a small courtyard that hadn’t fared too badly. A small, hardy tree grew in the middle of the courtyard, its narrow blue-green leaves turned up towards the suns, and the shape of the palace cast the courtyard into a deep, comfortable shade. 

There was still plenty of work that needed to be done. Quinlan hadn’t ever spent much time on Tatooine but he knew that ferocious sandstorms often tore through its deserts, and he was sure that Djarin and Fett both would want to patch over the holes in the roofs and cracks in the walls with something a little more sturdy than canvas before the next howler came through. 

“Not too much pain?” Quinlan asked, feeling his way carefully through Djarin’s head. He’d never been a great healer, Quinlan. War had taught him a bit, twenty years on the run a bit more, but he wasn’t anywhere close to the level of skill a Temple healer’d had back in the old days. 

Djarin’s mind flickered around Quinlan’s. Here and there Quinlan found a spot of pain, spitting sparks like a broken circuit, and Quinlan did his best to soothe what old injuries that he found. 

A few days in a bacta tank had done Djarin more good than Quinlan’s fumbling had, though. Quinlan’d put him into a healing trance – or what he’d hoped was a healing trance, anyway – at the sarlacc pit, but the other Mandalorians had spirited both Djarin and Boba Fett off pretty quickly after that. 

None of the old, dim hurts that Quinlan found felt life-threatening. Instead, he found a steady well of strength. Conviction. Djarin had shored up the inside of his mind with beskar, Mandalorian iron. 

“Since the fight?” Djarin asked. It was strange to hear his voice and feel his presence at the same time. Djarin wasn’t especially Force-sensitive. He was old enough to have been picked up by the old Order, which meant that he’d probably been tested as a child and had come in under the Order’s threshold, or Djarin was an Outer Rim kid who hadn’t ever been tested but who also hadn’t shown enough sensitivity to be caught later by the Empire. Who had learned how to hide it. 

Quinlan wasn’t sure how it was for Mandalorians, now that he thought about it. He didn’t know what Mandalorians had taught their Force-sensitive children. He rifled around in a few of his old memories, trying to remember if Obi-Wan had ever said much about Mandalorians and the Force, but couldn’t come up with anything distinct.

Mandalorians are weird about Jedi, I remember that. Maybe they’re weird about the Force, too. They’d hardly be the only ones. Djarin could just be a little odd in general. War did that to people.  

Djarin was sensitive enough to the Force to feel Quinlan moving around in his head, though. Even though he was welcoming enough of Quinlan now, the first time Quinlan had reached for his mind, Djarin had thrown him out. Quinlan had learned then that the trick with Djarin was to move carefully, like holding a very sharp sword. 

Quinlan found another frayed flicker of pain and quieted it, encouraging old hurts to heal. Djarin – Din, it was hard to think of the man only by his surname when he was so easy with Quinlan poking around in his head – relaxed even further. 

“Sure,” said Quinlan, rolling his eyes. Din was avoiding the question, which meant that he did have frequent headaches, but didn’t want to complain about it. 

Maybe he should have been a Jedi, Quinlan thought, amused, remembering several of his friends who’d used the same conversational trick to avoid talking about their physical or emotional well-being. “Since the fight.” 

Din shrugged. Amusement flickered through him too. He knew that Quinlan knew what he was doing, but was grateful that Quinlan was playing along anyway. 

“My head’s been fine,” Din said. “Thanks for your help, by the way.” 

Sincerity sank through the Force like a stone in the sea. Quinlan smiled and pulled back, retreating into himself, though he didn’t slide his shields all the way into place. Quinlan wasn’t afraid of Din poking around in his head, looking for secrets. Din was too polite. 

Din was going to be fine, most likely. He’d healed past Quinlan’s ability to help him, anyway, and that beskar strength ran all the way through him. Din would be fine.   

As he pulled back, Quinlan felt Din’s mind brush against his curiously. The air crackled with faint static, a strange feeling in a place like this. The touch made Quinlan think of rain. 

“Happy to help,” said Quinlan, matching Din’s sincerity. Din was a good sort. Many Mandalorians played the part of the ruthless hunter, as cold and unfeeling as the armor that they wore, but Din couldn’t fool Quinlan. 

Aside from the fact that the kid, Grogu, loudly and openly adored him, Din had been just as outraged by the slaving operation in Mos Eisley as Quinlan had. He’d let the kids at the temple climb all over him. He ran freedom runs for the ahra of Mos Eisley and, Quinlan thought, would’ve done the same for Force-sensitive younglings moving down the secret paths in the days of the Empire. Din was a good man. 

He fights like Obi-Wan, Quinlan thought. He’d seen Din use his strange Mandalorian lightsaber in that cantina, facing the Zygerrian and her crew. When Din’d pulled the blade up into the familiar opening stance of Soresu, Quinlan had been so surprised that he’d nearly taken a blaster bolt to the face. 

“Can all Jedi do that?” Din asked, tapping his own temple. Din had quick, dark eyes. He was sharp and observant. He leaned back against his sandstone seat, turning his face up towards the sky. The shadows were too deep in the courtyard for much sunlight to break through, but the stones were still warm.

“What?” Quinlan asked, mirroring Din and tapping a finger against his own temple. “Heal?” 

Din nodded. “Grogu can,” he said. “Never thought about using him to clear up headaches, though.” 

Gorgu could do just about anything that he wanted to do. Kids were like that. “Most of us can heal a little, at least,” Quinlan said, thinking Din’s question over. “It’s been pretty necessary, the last few years.” 

Really, Quinlan probably should’ve spent more time with Gungi and Chase, picking up healing, but Quinlan was a venerable Master now, and he didn’t pick up new skills as well as he used to. 

Din’s a quick learner, though, Quinlan realized. K’Kruhk’d said that Din had taught himself Makashi using a Padawan’s old lineage holocron. Din might not be particularly strong in the Force, might be a little strange, a wrinkle in the Force that was hard to smooth over, but he’d probably be able to manage a little bit of healing. 

“You get headaches?” Quinlan asked. “Regularly?” 

Din snorted again and pressed his knuckles against his temple. “Hazard of the job,” he said, which was enough of an answer. Despite the helmets that they always wore, Mandalorians did seem to get hit in the head pretty often. Din hadn’t been the only Mandalorian that Quinlan’d put in a healing trace after the fight by the sarlacc pit. 

Quinlan hesitated for a moment. 

The new Jedi Council, the one that Luke had painstakingly put together on Yavin-4, head-hunting Jedi survivors from all over the Outer Rim, hadn’t actually ever sat down to build a code of conduct. To lay out just who could learn which techniques, and when, and why. 

Din wasn’t a Jedi. He could touch the Force, but that only meant that he could touch the Force; it didn’t make Din a Jedi Knight. In the old days, the Jedi had kept the secrets of their techniques among themselves. The Force was dangerous, sometimes. A fire that could burn. A sea that could drown. A sword that could cut or slip from the hand, biting the one who’d lost control of it. Quinlan knew that better than most. 

But Din is a good man, Quinlan thought again. A Mandalorian, but not an enemy. 

Kark it, Quinlan said to himself, smiling a little, leaning forward to catch Din’s attention. It caught quickly; Din focused on Quinlan, the faint brush of his mind against Quinlan’s own still curious. 

Din’s an ally. He wasn’t strong enough in the Force to heal another, Quinlan didn’t think, though maybe Din was hiding the Force deeper inside his mind than he realized. As far as Quinlan knew, Din hadn’t approached any of the Jedi Masters at the temple to talk about it. He probably didn’t trust the Jedi like that yet. Connecting to the Force had been a dangerous secret for a long time. 

But the Force was there in him. 

“I know a few tricks that you don’t have to be a Jedi to use for that,” Quinlan said, propping his elbows up on his knees. “Luke – Master Skywalker – he had you meditating a few weeks ago, didn’t he? When you came by to pick up Grogu for the Mandalorian thing?” 

Calling whatever Din had been doing with the other Mandalorians – a rowdy lot, Quinlan’d learned, though they’d all been willing to join forces with the Jedi in the ruins of Boba Fett’s palace to go off and help Din defeat a Hutt – a ‘Mandalorian thing’ made Din laugh. He had a bright one, when he was out of his armor. 

“I don’t know if you could call it meditating,” Din admitted, grimacing. “I didn’t, uh, do it very well. Took a good nap, though.” 

Quinlan grinned. “I wasn’t very good at it when I first started either,” he said. “My head was too loud.” 

“Mine too,” Din said, wry. He tapped his knuckles against the side of his head almost absently. “It takes a lot to get it quiet, sometimes.”

Quinlan could relate. “Still,” Quinlan pressed. “Meditation – it’s good for taking care of small hurts. Anyone can do it, as long as they’re patient enough. It’s not gonna help you if you’ve got a concussion or a brain injury – you’d need a proper Jedi healer for that – but a headache – ”

Din hesitated, but Quinlan had him now. He could feel it. Din leaned forward. “Alright,” he said. “Show me.” 

k’kruhk. 

“You’ve been practicing,” K’Kruhk said, studying the new lightsaber burn scored into the sleeve of his robes. 

Djarin colored, looking strangely sheepish for a man who could hold his own against a temple-trained Jedi, at least for a few minutes. K’Kruhk hadn’t been keeping time in his head, but he knew that one of the younglings must have been. They were all crowded around the edge of the platform, watching K’Kruhk and Djarin with bated breath. 

It had taken K’Kruhk at least five minutes to disarm Djarin this time. Djarin was getting better and better with his strange Mandalorian lightsaber. He’d been good enough the first time K’Kruhk had ordered the Mandalorian to demonstrate his lightsaber skills, but now Djarin moved with the darksaber like he’d been born with it lit in his hand. 

“Sorry,” Djarin said, looking at the burn in K’Kruhk’s robes, and he sounded sincerely apologetic. 

K’Kruhk just shrugged. Djarin’d been careful enough. He had only singed K’Kruhk’s robes, not K’Kruhk himself. Djarin had good control; K’Kruhk had never seen him cut or burn something that he didn’t want to cut or burn. 

“I’ll live,” said K’Kruhk, dryly. He reached out with the Force and tugged Djarin’s lightsaber back from where it had fallen when K’Kruhk had disarmed him. He caught the strange hilt in his hand, then offered it back to the Mandalorian. 

Djarin hesitated, still clearly apologetic, but took the weapon back. 

“You’ve been practicing,” K’Kruhk repeated. “You opened the holocron I gave you, then?” 

He’d given Djarin one of the Makashi training holocrons the last time Djarin had visited the Jedi Academy. He came by fairly often now, stopping in at least once or twice a month to visit with young Grogu or help Master Kestis and Master Vos on one of their missions. 

The holocron that Djarin had started to learn with – a lineal record, an assignment that Jedi Padawans had once done as part of their training, before the Clone Wars and the Purges – had taught Djarin well enough, but those sorts of holocrons weren’t really proper training tools. Padawans had built lineal records to learn more about the Jedi in their line. To learn about their Master’s Master, and to see how the Force and the techniques for touching the Force had been passed down from teacher to student. They were not comprehensive records of lightsaber forms. 

The holocron that K’Kruhk had given Djarin last month was a proper training tool. Makashi had not been commonly practiced in the last days of the Jedi Order, but K’Kruhk still remembered watching the duels at the Mid-Year Fete, impressed by how gracefully – how cleanly, with no movement wasted – the Makashi duelists had fought. 

So he’d gone digging into the archives that Master Skywalker and some of the other Jedi had been cobbling together, and K’Kruhk had found a holocron that held all of Form II’s katas, and he’d given it to Djarin mostly just to see what would happen. 

Djarin nodded, guilt and embarrassment fading now that he realized that K’Kruhk was alright. 

“I did,” he said. He said it easily, too. K’Kruhk tried not to twitch, triumphant. 

So he is Force-sensitive, he thought. 

It had been hard to tell, with Djarin, and the matter had been one of some debate among the Jedi of the temple since Djarin had first shown up. One Jedi could usually feel out another, even one who wasn’t particularly strong in the Force. Usually, finding someone else who could touch the Force was just a matter of focus. The Force was in all things, after all. 

But trying to focus on Djarin enough to feel the Force moving through him – in him, around him, binding Djarin to the galaxy – was like trying to touch sunlight or trying to hold water in a cupped palm. Possible, but tricky. K’Kruhk didn’t know if it was because Djarin was Mandalorian or if he was just not particularly strong in the Force or if he’d had some rudimentary training in how to shield himself. The Force was easy to feel in a youngster. The young were born open to the Force, and only closed themselves off from it to shield themselves from pain. With an adult – a warrior, who had known his share of pain and more, if what K’Kruhk knew of the Mandalorian purges was anything to go by – finding the Force could be trickier. 

But if Djarin had opened a holocron – one that K’Kruhk knew hadn’t been tampered with, either, one that only opened to Jedi who asked it to open through the Force – then Djarin was Force-sensitive. 

“It took me a little while,” Djarin added, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d left his armor off today and was even faster without it weighing him down. He held his lightsaber comfortably in his hand. “And I might have, uh, whacked it a few times, but I didn’t break it or anything. The demonstrations were good.” 

K’Kruhk did twitch then, just a little. A few of the Initiates who’d been watching the bout saw him twitch and edged away. “You didn’t – you didn’t meditate with the holocron?” K’Kruhk asked. 

Djarin looked at him, puzzled. “Meditate with it? No,” he said. “Was I supposed to? They’re just puzzle boxes, right?”

Puzzle boxes, K’Kruhk thought. The most precious artifacts that were still left to the Jedi. The repositories of thousands of years of knowledge. The tools that helped a Jedi grow in the Force, that taught patience, and focus, and clarity. 

“A puzzle box,” K’Kruhk repeated out loud, to see if the words sounded less absurd when spoken. 

They did not.  

Djarin winced.  

Communing with a holocron was one of the many and myriad tests that the Order of old had used to assess sensitivity to the Force in a youngster. Jedi holocrons were not always gentle teachers, but they could be, especially when approached with respect. 

However, sometimes holocrons followed their own wishes, or bowed to the will of another. Sometimes holocrons opened because they wanted to. Other times, they stayed shut. 

Another test – this one somewhat more reliable, and easier to apply in a time-sensitive situation – was to gently lob an object, usually something small, at the child, and see if the child would instinctively catch it. 

Din Djarin was not a child. The rock that K’Kruhk pitched at his head was not small. 

Djarin didn’t catch it with the Force, either. He swept his black lightsaber up, neat as Yan Dooku had ever been, and slashed through the rock like it was made of water instead of good Yavin stone. 

He narrowed his eyes at K’Kruhk. K’Kruhk narrowed his eyes back. All of the Initiates pressed closer to the edge of the platform again, eager to see what would happen. 

Maybe Djarin wasn’t Force-sensitive. Maybe he was just stubborn. 

One way to find out, K’Kruhk thought, and lit his lightsaber. 

bo-katan kryze. 

In general, Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, second-to-last scion of House Kryze, soldier, general and sometime-leader of what was left of the Mandalorians, was too busy to wonder about just what was wrong with Din Djarin. There was plenty wrong with him, and she had too much to do: Fenn Rau had managed to coax Djarin into acting as he ought and except the responsibility that he’d so thoughtlessly picked up off the floor of Moff Gideon’s light cruiser, and that meant that Bo-Katan’s days had quickly fallen into a breathless rhythm of traveling and hunting and politicking, spreading word of Mandalore’s new king to even the most far-flung, secretive clans. She was more than happy to leave the day-to-day minutiae of king-wrangling to Rau. He’d volunteered himself for the job, as far as she was concerned, and Rau liked strangeness anyway. 

It was easy to forget Djarin’s strangeness while she was out in the galaxy. The mand’alor that the people needed was strong and honorable and cunning, loyal to his allies and unsparing with his enemies. Djarin was all of those things – or at least most of those things – and it was easy for Bo-Katan to forget that Djarin was often annoyingly stubborn too, that he was wary, that he thought that Boba karking Fett had personally strung all of the stars in the sky. 

None of that fit the shape of the mand’alor that Mandalore needed, so Bo-Katan bundled all of Djarin’s strangeness away at the back of her head and went about the business of trying to unite a bunch of blaster-happy, nervous, grudge-carrying or’diniise under one banner. 

She was pretty good at it, if she did say so herself. Most of the clans Bo-Katan’d sought out had eventually agreed to at least meet Djarin and judge for themselves whether or not he was a mand’alor they wanted to follow, which was how Bo-Katan found herself leaning against a rock in the middle of the desert on karking Tatooine, clinging to the only bit of shade she could see for miles around, watching Djarin spar politely with the best fighter of Clan Orar and trying to figure out what Djarin was doing that was bothering Bo-Katan this time. 

It wasn’t the darksaber. 

Well, she thought grudgingly, watching Djarin parry one of the Orar fighter’s gauntleted fists with a neat, economical flick of black light, it’s not just the darksaber. 

Seeing the darksaber in Djarin’s hand had stopped making Bo-Katan want to rip Djarin’s throat out with her teeth, mostly. She’d gotten over that on Krownest. It wouldn’t be very satisfying to kill Djarin if he didn’t try to fight back, and Bo-Katan had believed him when he’d told her that he wouldn’t fight her for the darksaber. 

Since he wouldn’t fight and Bo-Katan wouldn’t let go of the last few scraps of honor she’d managed to salvage since the Fall of Mandalore, Bo-Katan had resigned herself to the fact that Djarin carried the darksaber now. It belonged to Din. Bo-Katan would never carry it again. It was disappointing, but haar oya’la taab’e. The living kept marching. 

The Orar warrior – a truly massive man in piecemeal yellow and green armor – swung at Djarin again, a vibro-knife crackling in one hand. Djarin slid out of his way, graceful as a Dashta eel, and punched the hard durasteel hilt of the darksaber into a gap in the Orar’s armor. 

The Orar stumbled back, wheezing. 

Bo-Katan narrowed her eyes. 

There, she thought, looking at Djarin as he took a few steps back too, his stance loose and open. Someone had finally gotten around to forging him a new helmet and it gleamed in the suns. Djarin hadn’t painted his armor yet. The only color on him was one green vambrace. Bo-Katan was sure that Fett had a silver gauntlet around his own wrist, and grimaced at the thought. 

She fixed her attention back on Djarin. Something about the way he was moving prickled underneath of Bo-Katan’s armor like an itch she couldn’t reach, and she didn’t know why. 

The Orar fighter recovered, rubbing at the sore spot underneath the edge of his cuirass. The vibro-knife in his hand snapped and sparked. The spectators – more Orar warriors, a handful of robed and masked Tuskens, Rau himself and a small coterie of Mandalorians already won over to Djarin’s cause – whooped and jeered, depending on who they were supporting. 

Djarin’d refused to accept any formal challenges, but he could still be persuaded to spar. He liked to fight well enough. That, at least, wasn’t strange. Djarin had plenty of proper Mandalorian feeling. Mandokar. 

The Orar lunged a third time, trying to use his size against Djarin. Djarin eeled away again, armor glinting in the suns, and lashed out with a quick horizontal strike that scored across the Orar’s chestplate, spitting sparks. 

Bo-Katan and Djarin both knew that the darksaber couldn’t cut straight through pure beskar. Djarin hardly would’ve moved like that if it would have – he was very careful with the darksaber, in control of it all of the time, as graceful as a Jedi. 

But the Orar didn’t know that the darksaber wouldn’t cut, and he flailed back with a shout of surprise, breaking his form and nearly falling on his shebs to get away. 

His flailing gave Djarin the opening he needed to finish the spar. Djarin pounced, lunging forward too fast for the Orar to dodge, and with a flick of his wrist Djarin disarmed the other fighter and brought the snapping, snarling edge of the darksaber up to the Orar’s throat in the same move. 

Impressive, Bo-Katan thought, a little smugly. The Orars had been a little too proud of their own skill. Watching Djarin manage this one so neatly was satisfying. Proof that Bo-Katan had backed the right warrior for the throne. Even if Djarin was a little odd, he was – 

Wait, Bo-Katan thought, her mind skipping backwards several seconds, catching on a stray observation. 

As graceful as a Jedi? That can’t be right. 

Bo-Katan had watched Pre Vizsla fight with the darksaber. He hadn’t fought like a Jedi at all. He’d fought like a Mandalorian. Forward and direct, not ungraceful but certainly not as light on his feet as a Jedi was. As Djarin was. 

Bo-Katan had never stopped to ask herself where it was that Djarin’d learned to handle the darksaber. She hadn’t seen him use it on the light cruiser, but she had seen him hold it. He’d held it out from his body. He’d held it like any Mandalorian held a weapon they didn’t know much about – carefully, so they didn’t kill themselves with something that they didn’t understand. 

But he’s not fighting like a Mandalorian. He’s fighting like a Jedi. 

Bo-Katan knew quite a bit about the Jedi. Aside from Satine’s unfortunate attachment to one, the Jedi had been Mandalore’s ancient enemies. Any self-respecting clan heir had learned about them. 

The Jedi had been such dangerous enemies because they had been able to touch something that most Mandalorians couldn’t. The Jedi could feel things, sense things, move things, influence them; they were one with their lightsabers, Bo-Katan had learned, because using a lightsaber well required a Jedi to tap into the Force. Lightsabers weren’t proper kad’e. They had no weight to them. To direct one with skill, real skill – 

Several explanations for Din Djarin’s strangeness fell into place all at once. Bo-Katan’s eyes widened. 

Oh, she thought, no. 

arza.

Arza bounced on the balls of her feet, nearly shaking out of her skin with impatience. Master Chase’s shuttle groaned as it descended out of space, a red, dusty planet growing in the viewport just past Arza’s nose. 

Beside her, Huzin and Valka, the other two Initiates who’d gotten permission from Master Skywalker to come and visit Tatooine, watched the planet grow bigger and bigger with wide eyes, though they weren’t as obviously as excited as Arza. 

Their loss, Arza thought. She squinted out of the viewport, trying to see where they were going before they got there. Master Skywalker said that Master Djarin, who the Initiates were visiting, lived in a place called Mos Eisley. He didn't live in a temple, like the Jedi, or in a house, like Arza’d lived in with her parents before she’d gone off to train, but in a palace. Arza’d never seen a palace before. 

“Arza,” Huzin said, rolling his eyes. “Relax. We’re gonna be there in a minute.” 

Arza ignored him. Huzin didn’t get it – he’d been on what Master Chase called ‘research trips before,’ but Arza hadn’t. This was her first time out of the temple since she’d arrived there three years ago, and she was going to see Master Djarin, who was wizard. He wasn’t a Jedi Knight, but he could fight with a lightsaber and fly with a jetpack. He traveled all over the galaxy. Even though he wasn’t a proper Knight, Arza still wanted Master Djarin to be her teacher. She bet that if he was, she’d learn all kinds of things that the other Initiates could only dream of. 

“Look!” Arza said, pointing. The mass of red and yellow dust had turned into huge, towering cliffs, deep canyons, miles and miles of sand. And there in the sand, getting bigger and bigger as Master Chase steered the shuttle towards a landing pad, was a funny-looking building, round and stony, with three or four tall, round towers rising up into the air. “That has to be the palace!” 

All of Huzin’s studied calm went out the viewport. He and Valka both rushed to join Arza there, pressing their noses to the thick glass as they dropped from the sky.

“Woah,” Huzin breathed, his eyes huge and round. “Wizard.”

Master Chase was a pretty good pilot. She brought the shuttle down in between a green and red ship and the battered, sleek ship that Master Djarin visited the temple in.

“There’s Master Djarin!” Valka added, pointing. 

Sure enough, Master Djarin was waiting for them at the edge of the landing pad, his silver armor bright and glittering in the suns. 

There was another man beside him, too. A Mandalorian. He was shorter than Master Djarin, but just as broad and strong, and his armor was painted green. He had something in his hand, a datapad, maybe, and was looking at it while Master Djarin looked at the shuttle. Arza wondered who he was. No other Mandalorians had ever visited Yavin-4 with Master Djarin. 

Master Chase docked the shuttle and Arza was out and bounding down the ramp almost before it had fully dropped to the sandy ground. The heat of Tatooine hit her all at once, but Arza didn’t mind. Yavin-4 was hot too, sometimes, and she’d gotten used to it. 

Valka and Huzin were skidding behind Arza close on her heels. Master Chase followed at a calmer pace, shaking her head. 

Arza remembered her manners, though, and when she reached the bottom of the ramp, she bobbed a quick bow and said, “Hi, Master Djarin!” 

“Hello,” Valka and Huzin chorused, bobbing their own bows too. 

“Hello, Arza,” said Master Djarin, warmly. Some of the Initiates had been a little scared of Master Djarin at first, because he wore a helmet a lot and it could be hard to tell what he was thinking or feeling, but Arza could hear the smile in his voice. She grinned back. 

“Initiates,” said Master Chase, catching up to the trio of young Jedi. “Manners, please. Djarin, hello.” 

“Hello,” said Djarin, still sounding warm. He tilted his helmet in the direction of the green Mandalorian. “This is Boba Fett. He’s in charge of the palace. Boba, these are some of the young Jedi, and this is Master Chase Piru.” 

“Knight Chase Piru,” Master Chase corrected, cheerfully. “I’m not ready to be a boring old master yet, right, kids?” 

Huzin rolled his eyes again, but Arza and Valka smiled. Arza peered closer at the green Mandalorian. 

Boba Fett, she thought. She’d heard of him. Master Skywalker had told Arza and the other two Initiates to be very nice and very respectful around him. He was a Lord of Tatooine, a powerful man, and he’d once been a famous and very dangerous bounty hunter. Arza’d gotten the impression that Master Skywalker hadn’t liked the idea of the kids going to see Lord Boba Fett, but Master Djarin was Lord Boba Fett’s friend, and spent most of his time around Lord Boba Fett on Tatooine. 

If Master Djarin liked Lord Boba Fett and didn’t think he was dangerous, Arza wasn’t too worried. Everyone at the temple knew, through Grogu, that Master Djarin wouldn’t let anything hurt a child of the temple. 

“Hello, Lord Fett,” said Arza politely. 

Lord Boba Fett twitched a little, like he was surprised that Arza would say hello.

“Hey, kid,” he said, gruffly. His voice wasn’t quite as warm as Master Djarin’s, but he didn’t sound mean or frightening. “You can – you don’t have to call me Lord Fett. Just Fett’s fine.”

Arza, Valka and Huzin exchanged glances. It was important, Master Skywalker often said, for a Jedi to be polite. In the old days before the Empire – however long ago that had been – the Jedi Knights had been dip-low-matts. They’d spent a lot of their time talking to people who had problems, and helping to fix those problems. Being rude made more problems than it fixed. 

“....Mister Fett?” Arza ventured. 

Mister Lord Fett shifted a little, but nodded shortly. “You’re – welcome here,” he said, still gruff. Master Djarin was looking down at Mister Lord Fett, and Arza could feel Master Djarin in the Force. It was harder than feeling Master Skywalker or Master Chase, but Arza could do it if she concentrated. Master Djarin felt – light. Happy.

“This is Mister Fett’s palace,” Master Djarin explained. “You’ll be seeing him around while you stay here. You guys want to take a look around?” 

Arza, Valka and Huzin all looked at each other again, their eyes wide, and nodded rapidly. Huzin and Valka hadn’t been inside of a palace either. Arza bet that the palace of the Lord of Tatooine had all kinds of interesting things in it. 

“C’mon, then,” said Master Djarin, tilting his head towards a cool hallway that branched off of the landing pad. “I’ll show you around before lastmeal’s ready. Master Chase?” 

Master Chase waved Master Djarin off. “They’re yours for the week,” she said. “I’ve got a thing over on Arkanis to look into.” She said it lightly enough, but both Mister Lord Fett and Master Djarin’s focus sharpened. 

“Comm me if you need anything,” said Master Djarin, tone firm. “We’ve got a few extra hands around this week.” 

“Will do,” said Master Chase. She looked down at the Initiates, fixing all three of them with a no-nonsense look. 

“You’re Master Djarin’s – and Mister Fett’s – guests for the week,” she said. “And you’re here to learn about different cultures and peoples. Be on your best behavior, yeah? No Force food fights.” 

That had only happened a few times. Arza nodded anyway.

“Good,” said Master Chase, ruffling Huzin’s already-untidy hair. “Then I’ll see you in a week!” 

Arza and the others turned their attention back to Master Djarin. Master Chase went back up the ramp. Master Djarin held out a hand, gesturing the three students into the palace, and Arza went. Master Djarin led the way, with Mister Lord Fett taking up the rear. 

Inside, the palace was cool and fascinating. Arza looked everywhere, still nearly vibrating with excitement. She couldn’t wait to learn something new. 

“You guys have a good trip over?” Master Djarin asked, peering down at Arza. Arza shrugged. She hadn’t been in hyperspace enough to tell what was a good trip or not. 

“It took a while,” Arza admitted, nearly skipping down the hall. She could smell something warm and spicy in the air, and she could hear noise further down the hall. The walls were all stone, like the temple’s walls, and light spilled in through windows cut deep out of the rock. “We – hey!” 

Something – someone – small and sturdy darted across the hallway in front of Arza, dodging Master Djarin nimbly but crashing into Arza like a pouncing tooka. Arza fell sideways with a startled “oof!” 

“Mirda!” Master Djarin called, but the shape – which had also toppled over, and revealed itself to be a small girl a few years younger than Arza, who had a Mandalorian helmet over her face – was already moving, scrambling back up to her feet. 

The other little girl was a Jedi. 

No, Arza corrected, looking up from the floor. Not a Jedi. Jedi lived at the temple. They trained with Master K’Kruhk and Master Chase, Master Cal, Master Luke. This was Tatooine. There were no Jedi here. 

But the other girl – she was bright in the Force. Arza could feel her. The other girl was unguarded and happy, bright as a star, and was already up and hurtling off down another hallway that sat cross-ways to the one that Master Djarin’s been bringing them down.

OUCH, Arza said into the Force anyway, aiming it at the girl. 

Hibyeseeyoulater! Then the smaller Mandalorian girl rounded a corner down the other hallway and disappeared, though Arza could still feel her in the Force like an echo bouncing off the hallways of the temple. 

Master Djarin sighed. “Sorry,” he said, helping Arza climb back up to her feet. Arza and Huzin were peering after the Mandalorian girl too. Mister Lord Fett was studying his datapad, but Arza thought that he was probably paying attention. “Are you okay?” 

Arza dusted herself off, more surprised than hurt. Master Djarin’s concern brushed against her face like a gloved hand. “I’m okay,” she said. She grinned. “We get knocked over in the temple all of the time.” 

Master Djarin snorted. Arza’d seen him wrestling with some of the younglings before. He knew how rowdy they could get. 

“Still,” he said. “That was Mirda. She’s – she doesn’t always pay attention to where she’s going. I’ll make her apologize later.”

“I’m okay, really,” Arza said. She reached out through the Force and poked at the small Mandalorian girl. It was hard to do now that there were a bunch of walls in between Arda and the girl – Mirda – but Arza managed it. Arza felt a flash of surprise, and then a cautious, wary poke back. “She didn’t mean it.”   

Master Djarin looked Arza up and down. Huzin and Valka looked between Master Djarin and Arza, their confusion unfurling like a leaf in the sun. Arza wondered if they’d felt Mirda in the Force too. 

“Still,” Master Djarin repeated, slowly, “you’re our guest. Your teachers wouldn’t let one of the younglings knock over a guest without saying ‘sorry,’ would they?” 

Behind them, Mister Lord Fett made an approving noise. He still hadn’t looked up and most of his attention was on his datapad and the Force around Mister Lord Fett felt – scattered, like his attention was being pulled in half a dozen places. 

He didn’t say anything, though, and Master Djarin was looking down at Arza patiently, like he expected an answer to his question. 

Arza thought for a moment. Master K’Kruhk would make Arza run laps up and down the side of the Academy’s tallest pyramid, without the Force, and he’d make her apologize. But that was because a Jedi had to be careful; a Jedi could hurt someone by accident very easily. Arza could feel and touch and pull on the Force, but she had to be responsible with it too. 

Maybe Mandalorians are the same, Arza thought. Everyone at the Academy said that Master Djarin was a fighter. Maybe it was easy for him to hurt someone too, even by accident, so he had to be extra careful, and extra responsible. 

“Is Mirda your youngling too, like Grogu?” Valka piped up, her head cocked to the side. She must’ve felt Mirda in the Force, then. Valka was also trying to figure out why Mirda felt like Master Djarin. 

Master Djarin shook his head, then paused. “Well – she’s not my youngling,” he said. “We – Mandalorians – call our children foundlings. Grogu is my foundling, but Mirda’s my brother’s.” 

“Oh,” said Arza, nodding. She poked Mirda through the Force again, helloi’marzajedifriend, pushing an image of the gardens of Yavin-4, warm sunlight, dappled leaves, laughter bubbling up from the creche, and Mirda got the idea. She prodded Arza right back, clumsier and somehow sharper, a prickle of whohowi’mmirda, a flash of a safe dark bunker underground, a big man in blue armor, the suns scorching the sand dunes of Tatooine. 

Arza wrinkled her nose. Mandalorians were weird. 

“We’re part of the same clan,” Master Djarin added, like he remembered all at once that he’d agreed to teach the Initiates about Tatooine and Mandalorians while they were here. 

That made sense. Master Chase’d talked about children inheriting Force-sensitivity from their parents, sometimes. Arza’s mother had been able to touch the Force, and Master Luke’s father had even been a famous Jedi. 

Wizard, Arza thought. 

“So are all Mandalorian clans Force-sensitive?” Arza asked, looking up at Master Djarin. “Or just yours?” 

Behind them, Mister Lord Fett dropped his datapad. 

[c-m-li-s-fanfic-corner]

WIP Lineup 5/30/2023

Below are my fics that are somewhere between the sandbox and WIP stages. I have these each planned and framed out but they are in various stages of being actually written.

(these are in vague order of when i plan to write them, but there are no timelines, schedules, or promises on the posting bc the quickest way for me to lose motivation is to give me a deadline)

So Uncivilized

Star Wars

Rule 63

Obi-Wan centric

CodyWan endgame

Lots of big big canon divergences

1. Heathen

Melida-Daan

Obi-Wan & Quinlan friendship

Qui-Gon & Yoda bashing

2. Barbarian

Mandalore Arc

(not Obi-Wan/Satine)

3. Savage

Clone Wars era

CodyWan

Order 66 fix-it

Anakin & Anidala bashing

*   *  *

Mesh’la

Star Wars

CodyWan established

Firefly (Joss Whedon ‘verse) crossover

(not dimension travel, SW:CW characters are a part of the Firefly ‘verse)

Post Order 66 / Rebels era vibes

*   *   *

History Has It’s Eyes On You

Star Wars

POV Outsider

Post Clone Wars era (way post, almost 1,000 years after)

CodyWan

Melida-Daan

Order 66 fix-it

Slight Anakin bashing

*   *   *

Her Sweetened Breath & Her Tongue So Mean

Star Wars

Post Clone Wars & Order 66 Fix-it

Leia centric w/ a dash of Luke

CodyWan

Pro Jedi (all of my fics are but this one bears repeating)

Anakin & Padme bashing

*   *   *

Family is More than Blood

Star Wars

Obi-Wan/Quinlan

Pro Jedi (this bears repeating)

Jedi leave the Republic

Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi

Shadow Obi-Wan Kenobi

1. Old Blood

Mandalorian civil war AU

2. New Blood

This is where Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes especially relevant

3. Shared Blood

Jedi & Clone Troopers

Mandalorians & Clone Troopers

Obi-Wan & Cody (big sibling energy here)

*   *   *

When the Need is Greatest

Avatar: the Last Airbender

All canon pairings remain canon

Post war dimensional travel

*   *   *

Destiny’s Due

Avatar: the Last Airbender

All canon pairings remain canon

Alternate Dimension AU in which the 100 Year War never happened

[rayningnight]

Star Wars - Ray’s Fic Recs List - Feb 2023

For Want of a Nail, Time Travel, AU/Dimension Travel/Crossovers, etc. Fic Recs List. Mostly Obi-Wan centric! Please mind the trigger warnings in the turn-offs. Relationships specified in the turn-offs too. I kept off the big name fics you probably already know/read that are the top-kudos-ed on AO3.

💫 are my favourites at the time of posting!

Italics are excerpts, summaries, author’s notes or tags, etc, for a glimpse of the fics!

Happy birthday I.C.! Hope whenever you need a break, you can peruse through this easily and find fics you haven’t read or fics you want to go back to! 😊

For Want of a Nail

Pre-Episode I

How one (1) mission changed mission reports for all by jemtessaremuslupin Review: Obi-Wan isn’t taken back by Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and becomes a Floater Padawan. His reports are... interesting. Part 2 is where this fic series shines! Work in progress, as of 12 Aug 2022. Words: 31,473. Works: 3

Be that monster you've been wanting by otherpeoplescoats Review: Imagine if Dooku took Obi-Wan as his padawan when he was 10 years old. Work in progress, as of 12 May 2022. Words: 29,164. Chapters: 12/?

aka, Obi-wan's no good very bad Padawanship fucks up the galaxy

Episode I

Tatooine Gusha by Natural_Logarhythm Review: Master Qui-Gon lost Obi-Wan on Bandomeer. Ben ends up in Tatooine, raising Anakin. This is an interesting storytelling method, where we see Ben’s voice at the beginning when he’s already back at the Order, explaining Episode I in his POV. Work in progress, as of 03 Feb 2023. Words: 51,592. Chapters: 11/15

“How in the Sith-hells do these things happen to you, Kenobi? Enslaved to a Hutt on a desert backwater in the Outer Rim and you still end up raising the Chosen One and defeating the first Sith Lord anyone has seen in a millennium.”

A Novel Alignment by quomores Review: Imagine if Darth Plagueis took in Obi-Wan. (This is not a happy fic.) “Sith Family Comedy,” indeed. I have mixed feelings overall after finishing, but I still think it’s a fic worth reading, this bleak world is... Yeah. Complete, as of 20 Jun 2020.  Words: 62,291. Chapters: 21/21

Darth Plagueis comes into possession of a Force-sensitive child and decides to run a little experiment. It doesn't go quite according to plan.

Cin Vhetin, Ogir'Olar (New Beginnings, One way or Another) by pureimagination Review: Okay, so the premise is that Obi-Wan gets separated from Satine and ends up losing his memories under torture from Death Watch, and this fic starts off 6 years after this, when Ben aliit Mereel ends up preventing Galidraan, and walks the path only Tarre Vizla has ever walked before. SUPER fast updates! Author write 4 chapters ahead and keeps a speedy schedule, and has already posted a sequel! Complete, as of 30 Jan 2023. Words: 28,260. Chapters: 17/17. Turn-Off(s): Character Death

When he is sixteen, Obi-Wan Kenobi is separated from his Master while protecting Duchess Satine Kryze. In one galaxy, he does his duty, falls in love, and leaves that love behind to follow the path of the Jedi. In another, he does his duty, and Death Watch takes him. Torn between two families, Obi-Wan has to find his own path forward.

Post-Episode I

Just Go Kill Palpatine by nevertheless_turtle Review: Yes. Obi-Wan is given the sus truth from Quinlan and responds not as a Jedi but as the caretaker for Anakin, thus exposing Palpatine’s hand early. I dearly hope this updates! The memes in the end too, are just *chef’s kiss*. Work in progress, as of 24 May 2021. Words: 6,832. Chapters: 4/5

In Which Obi-Wan Kenobi is Shown Holofootage of His 12-Year Old Padawan in a Seedy Nightclub With The Chancellor of the Republic And Has A Proportionate Response.

Men of Power by AlabasterInk Review: So, so many father-son feels between Obi-Wan and Anakin here! The what-if where people DO second guess why Old Sheeve Palpatine wants access to tiny padawan Anakin here? Work in progress, as of 04 Jan 2021. Words: 86,177. Chapters: 11/? Turn-Off(s): Gaslighting.

When an old powerful man suddenly comes in and sweeps your underage Padawan away without so much as a by your leave, that’s the time to start asking questions.

💫 Sith Killer by Livsy Review: This takes canon a bit sideways, because a Sith is not just a title here. Work in progress, as of 20 Dec 2022. Words: 107,559. Chapters: 27/40

In this one the Sith are magical dark space creatures kinda like demons

Based on the idea that killing a Sith Lord in turn makes you a Sith Lord

Where We’re Going by Thousand_elf Review: Can we just keep giving Anakin some hobbies? This is great. The glassblowing fic! Work in progress, as of 26 Dec 2021. Words: 8,436. Chapters: 2/?

In a Galaxy where Anakin Skywalker learned how to handle delicate objects, the Jedi and the Republic didn’t shatter, and Palpatine never got to rule an empire.

dead and the gold by Icarus_is_flying Review: This is not a fix-it. This is a what-if: Orders 66, during Episode I. Obi-Wan runs to his ex-grandmaster, because at least he’s not a hunted Jedi, right? Work in progress, as of 25 Dec 2020. Words: 115,123. Chapters: 27/? Turn-Off(s): Gaslighting.

The Republic is in turmoil. In the wake of the harrowing Naboo Crisis, Chancellor Valorum has seized control of the Trade Federation’s droid armies. A failed coup has branded the Jedi Order as traitors. Thousands of Jedi are dead. The rest, fugitives.

Stand By Me (What's in a Padawan?) by ShawnArms Review: Give Obi-Wan a padawan, so give him therapy too! Master Nu really is the best. Throw in some positivity and Tatooine Slave Culture realizations and... tada! Work in progress, as of 25 Dec 2022. Words: 40,138. Chapters: 10/?

The Making of Mand'alor Kryze by phoenixyfriend Review: If Satine died and it turns out Korkie Kryze was Obi-Wan’s son with her? Love the justification that Obi-Wan has to call Anakin his son... Work in progress, as of 18 Oct 2022. Words: 3,916. Chapters: 3/?

Obi-Wan now has his Jedi brother-son, age eleven, and his literal blood son, age six. He’s still a depressed mess; he’s kind of, retroactively, broken the Code, and Bo-Katan won’t stop calling him in the middle of the night to demand her nephew.

💫  Obi-Wan Declares Himself Dad Shaped by phoenixyfriend Review: There seems to be a trend here... but nevertheless, this is such fantastic voicing, for the POV Outsider. Complete, as of 19 Sep 2021. Words: 2,403. Chapters: 2/2

In walks this thirty-something Jedi-looking motherfucker, in robes with some small amount of armor, the second-most ridiculously Core accent you’ve ever heard outside a holo screen, and two kids who look ready to bite someone. The human one is twelve-ish and angry and wearing clothes that are too big for him, and has a lightsaber that he can’t really wrap his entire hand around. The Togruta looks about eight, and is chomping her way through a freshly killed, still bleeding lizard the size of her arm. She is clinging to the human kid’s tunics, and looking around like she’s got no fear whatsoever. You're almost impressed.

Episode II

💫 Shifting the Blame Around by Machina_Fun_T Review: Anakin places the blame on the Senate instead of the Jedi. This skews his views on a lot of different people. Complete, as of 14 Jan 2023.  Words: 17,680. Works: 3

The Ground Beneath Us by stolen_pen_name23 Review: Basically if Obi-Wan put the walker in Skywalker. If only one simple change could have happened for real... Complete, as of 27 Nov 2021. Words: 7,566. Chapters: 4/4

General Jocasta by BairnSidhe Review: Give the librarian the leadership to organize an army and well... Complete, as of 03 May 2022. Words: 18,474. Chapters: 8/8

there is no death (there is a wedding) by virdant Review: Crack. Pure, but hilarious. Excerpt: “Married?” Obi-Wan squeaked. He was unfortunately going through puberty. “What do you mean, I’m married now? I’m a Jedi! I can’t get married.” Or: Obi-Wan accidentally marries a ghost. Only... Jango isn’t dead. Complete, as of 11 Jan 2021.  Words: 8,759. Works: 5. Turn-Off(s): Jango/Obi-Wan

Episode III:

The Vagabond Crew by StephanieStephanie Review: What if Anakin didn’t Fall and ran away with the younglings? It’s not actually that long, and it paints a bleak picture still, but this some-what-of-a-fix-it isn’t a new hope, but many hopes still burning. My heart... WIP as of 16 March, 2021. Words: 19,185. Chapters: 31/?

Sacrifice by Artikka Review: Obi-Wan watches the video of Order 66 with Yoda. There’s a different hurt, here. Even as my heart shrivels up and twists more tears out.... this is still a better 'verse than canon. WIP as of 5 Sept 2020. Words: 6,976. Works: 2. Turn-Off(s): Character Death.

Post-Episode III

💫  Knightrise by deviantaccumulation Review: I think I’ve reread this like four times. There’s so much going on in this ‘verse where we get into the heads of the survivors of a genocide, of Vader, and the bonds between all. The nail here though, is Obi-Wan convincing Yoda away from a fight, from fighting Vader at all, and saving the cinders of the Order. Work in progress, as of 03 Dec 2021. Words: 89,475. Chapters: 27/?

Instead, a small but still alive Jedi Order rises from its ashes on Mandalore.

Unmasked by Mallow_of_the_Marsh Review: There isn’t a central character to this one, but it delves into the consequences of the whole Galaxy seeing the Jedi Temple getting gunned down. Complete, as of 12 Dec 2022. Words: 16,673. Chapters: 6/6

sun of my right hand by loosingletters Review: I need more fics like this one, where Obi-Wan raises Luke himself. Work in progress, as of 01 Mar 2021. Words: 4,307. Chapters: 6/?

inheritance by jesuisdeux Review: Grandpa Dooku gifts his life savings to Obi-Wan. Some officer shows up at Ben’s doorstep on Tatooine. Yes. Now we await part 2 in this series... Complete, as of 14 Mar 2021. Words: 4,737. Chapters: 1/1

Time Travel

Pre-Episode I

Hope Like a Blade, Intolerable by berrymascarpone Review: Would you like your heart shattered, just a little bit? Obi-Wan is born crying, remembering his death. Complete, as of 22 Apr 2020. Words: 2,716 Chapters: 1/1

Whispers of the Future by cywsaphyre Review: Oldie and goodie from ffnet. Author’s stopped writing, so read knowing that Obi-Wan may see the future, but we may never see the future of this fic. WIP as of 28 Jul 2012. Words: 37,640. Chapters: 5/?

💫 One Hundred Hours To Rearrange The Stars by soft_but_gremlin Review: PLEASE READ THIS. Part 1 is completed and Part 2 is a WIP and it’s just glorious seeing Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka in teeny-tiny bodies being cared for by Mandalorians and Jedi on Galidraan. Work in progress, as of  03 Feb 2023. Words: 41,319. Works: 2

Jango Fett expected several things from this hunt on Galidraan. Three hypothermic Jedi children stumbling into his camp was not one of those things.

💫 Change in the air by Ancathepurple Review: Obi-Wan travelling back after his death in canon to his 13-year-old-body fic on the ride back to the Temple after Melida-Daan. The trauma of a General is much worse in everyone’s eyes, and the ‘genius’ he shows by accident... yes, all of this, YES. Peggy Sue-ish, but I’m living for the family lineage feels. I’ve reread this twice already... Work in progress, 18 Nov 2021. Words: 34,521 Chapters: 14/?

Obi-Wan Kenobi left the Jedi order, for many months, only to return, sullen and quiet at Qui-Gon Jinn's side as people speculated the future fate of the once padawan.

Who you are today (is not who you have to be tomorrow) by wildimaginingsofhalfbakedideas Review: Another Obi-Wan travelling back in time to his 13-year-old-body fic, but this time, he hails the True Mandalorians for help since he knows their views on children. There’s quite a bit of mando’a throughout the fic, as Obi-Wan leaves with the True Mandalorians. Work in progress, as of 29 Jan 2023. Words: 69,612 Chapters: 20/?

Time and Time Again by seriouslythoughwhat Review: This has a lot of potential and I hope it’ll continue one day! Basically, if Ben was sent back , before Xanatos is found, but after Melida-Daan. Work in progress, as of 13 June 2020. Words: 12,168, Chapters: 3/?

Obi-Wan's mind travels back in time to his 13-year-old body post Rise of Skywalker. He tries to navigate being a child again, dealing with a Master who doesn't really trust him, and saving everything he loves. In order to do so, he must be willing to accept the help of those who love him, the question is, can he?

💫 a comedy in four acts by jesuisdeux Review: There isn’t another fic out there that captures this kind of prose, at least not one that I’ve found. It’s funny and definitely written by some English major out there who was like: what if we had not-gonna-take-your-shit Master Obi-Wan and living-to-spite-the-world Grandpa Dooku deciding to change the plot.  Words: 17,263. Chapters: 4/4

Yoda tries to comfort Padawan Kenobi about Melida/Daan, he just doesn't know that Obi-Wan takes his words for, uh, a particular Clone War. Nor does he know he is actually 57.

undeserving fall (this kind of sunlit love) by loosingletters Review: I’m putting this FIRST - Turn-Off: Luke/Palpatine. Yes, you read this crack right. This is crack treated seriously. I gave this fic a chance and so maybe everyone should? Redeeming Palpatine is never something most fics do. Complete, as of 19 Mar 2021. Words: 9,662. Chapters: 1/1. Turn-Off(s): Luke/Palpatine, Romance

A Naboo proverb says that it takes seven steps to fall from grace or climb towards glory. Sheev had never understood why the fall wasn’t considered a victory, when he had fallen towards the dark side with laurels adorning his head.

Post-Episode I

💫  General Kenobi and the Twins by phoenixyfriend Review: Obi-Wan is trying to train Anakin here, and then comes his future-self straight out of a war with two babies in tow. Lovely. Wish there was more in this ‘verse! Complete, as of 11 Nov 2021. Words: 13,174. Chapters: 2/2

Episode II  

💫 Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by Livsy Review: OMG OMGOMG THIS IS JUST. PERFECTION. The POV Outsider from Anakin’s view on a changed Obi-Wan and how THIS Obi-Wan treats him. ;-; I have no words how much I love the hurt/comfort vibes. Work in progress, as of 29 Jan 2023.  Words: 24,477 Chapters: 9/10

In which Old Ben has time travelled back to the clone wars era, but twenty years on Tatooine have left their mark. Anakin notices.

Looking Glass by Livsy Review: Another Obi-Wan time travelling to the past; but he carries a Sith lightsaber. Misunderstanding ensue. Work in progress, as of 08 Aug 2022.  Words: 18,451. Chapters: 7/?

💫 Living Memory, My Fate to Follow by elsa3beth Review: Ben here really doesn't know his self worth and I hope that this journey not only saves the galaxy, but saves himself. Props also on handling the mental issues, the moral issues, the politics and the military! Definitely a favourite! WIP, as of 13 November 2021. Words: 353,548. Chapters: 30/40

It is a road paved with military campaigns, media faux pas, too many OCs to name, good Jedi, and a very very slowly developed angst that will eventually come to a boil. An exploration of war and friendship, and the moral grays of the Star Wars universe.

Visions in Red by likethesoda Review: So, imagine if jedi and clones recall the canon future-that-would-be. I wasn’t sure to put/categorize this as it’s technically time travel but the memories time travelled, not the person? Anywho. It’s amazing to see how people react to Anakin, how Anakin reacts, and though horrifying, this is also comforting? That they are all alive, and can maybe, possibly, do something. Work in progress, as of 06 June 2022.  Words: 16,546. Chapters: 6/?

The Jedi suffer a mass vision, one of death and horror. One of the end of the Order and the Republic. In order to prevent this and save their family, in order to plan, they run to far corners of the galaxy. They lock down as hard as they possibly can. It allows them to truly reflect, for the first time in decades.

💫 Birds Fly in Different Directions by Triscribe Review: One by one, jedi recall their deaths in the future. Yes. YES. Complete, as of 15 Dec 2022. Words: 14,666. Chapters: 3/3

In the corridor beyond her quarters, other Jedi were emerging from their own doors, most of them wide-eyed with shock. A few merely looked blearily concerned, and Aayla heard snatches of questions as she darted past, queries as to whether everyone experienced the same distressing vision. But those who clutched at their chests or throats, their weak points- those Jedi bore a muted horror in their eyes, and Aayla didn’t doubt they’d just suffered their own betrayals from trusted men.

desecrate my lungs by loosingletters Review: Let’s have Vaderkin wake up in the body of General Skywalker, and he forgets to breathe, because he’s been in a suit for two decades. Work in progress, as of 12 Dec 2020. Words: 16,050. Chapters: 8/?

Anakin Skywalker died in his son’s arms on the Death Star. He woke up again in the middle of a battlefield during the Clone Wars, choking because he forgot how to breathe without a machine forcing air in his lungs, unable to stand because he hadn’t been standing on his own legs for two decades.

a distant fire is burning by e_va Review: Cal Kestis travels back in time and ends up in his 10-year-old body, sent off to be Obi-Wan Kenobi’s padawan, and everyone deals with the consequences. I love the perspective,   the video-game-esque aesthetic, and I want to see more of the changes in dynamics with this new addition to the dysfunctional Jedi lineage! Work in progress, as of 23 Jan 2023. Words: 40,214. Chapters: 7/?

Cal's "time travel" ability has its roots in me joking with a friend about how the game could have canonized the Meditation Points/death respawns in the game (the way they did with the Force Echoes being used as an excuse for worldbuilding.) Don't expect it to be wildly OP or get spammed; it's just a game mechanic that spawned this idea and will be used with reserve.

They Don't Care About Us by ironhoshi Review: Here is another Cal-centric fic! With an added time traveller: Boba Fett! Imagine if these two interrupted Obi-Wan’s meeting with Jango at Kamino, and ended up causing much confusion and interesting changes to the world? Work in progress, as of 27 Feb 2022. Words: 62,215. Chapters: 33/? Turn-Off(s): Obi-Wan/Jango

(I Promise) This Time Will be Different by Nation_Ustria Review: Yes, here’s a third one with Cal. I love the conversations and the interactions with the clones in this one! Seriously... There’s something about these fics... Work in progress, as of 05 Nov 2022.  Words: 21,975. Chapters: 7/?

Cal doesn’t know how he ended up back in the Clone Wars. Last he’d checked, time travel isn’t possible, but then, what would he know? He’d only been a Padawan for eight months before Order 66 had gone out.

To Fix the Shattered Past by Forever_A_Thief Review: Throw Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka from the Clone Wars into child bodies during Melida-Daan, and stir. I love the Grandpa Dooku vibes here. Sometimes it’s nice to have fics without the dark side showing in Anakin and Dooku, y’know? Work in progress, as of 22 Jan 2023.  Words: 35,976. Chapters: 10/?

Stop All The Clocks by Panda_2703 Review: This fic has Obi-Wan thrown into the body of his General body, and he attempts, through his trauma of dying four years into his exile on Tatooine, to save whoever he can 8 months before the end of the Republic. Ahsoka’s trial goes differently! Work in progress, as of 14 Nov 2022.  Words: 37,866. Chapters: 7/?

how to disappear completely by jaigeye Review: Have you ever read a fic with Jango Fett as the time looper? Not just a single travel back but he dies, so many times, and gets back to square one- at least, until we have a hopeful ending for everyone. Complete, as of 25 Feb 2022.  Words: 11,595. Chapters: 1/1

Touch Starved by CourtesyTrefflin for uncorrectgrammar Review: This is THE hurt/comfort fic starring Obi-Wan and Vaderkin. There is so much to unpack with these two... Complete, as of 15 Dec 2022. Words: 71,012. Chapters: 22/22

They are Anakin and Obi-Wan. They are Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi. It doesn't matter. Names mean nothing. Not for them. They should be enemies. They are a Jedi Master and a Sith Lord. And yet... nothing can truly keep them apart.

Fate Gives Second Chances by The_subtle_briar Review: Ben is not of sound mind when he wakes up in the past, and it’s understandable that years of trauma and in exile would make him think this all a sham at the beginning. Work in progress, as of 16 Sept 2022. Words: 111,199. Chapters: 30/35. Turn-Off(s): Longfic, Cody/Obi-Wan

there but for the grace of god by wanderlove Review: Let’s have Luke travel back in time from an alternate universe where he’s being raised by Ben! Miscommunication and misunderstandings ensue. Complete, as of 24 Apr 2021. Words: 49,217. Chapters: 12/12

The Kenobi Scandal by AppoApples Review: Both Luke and Ben travel back, and they explain Luke’s existence as Luke Kenobi. Shenanigans ensure for a grand fix-it fic! Complete, as of 23 Dec 2020.  Words: 97,426. Chapters: 19/19

Alternate Universe / Crossovers

💫 still much that is fair by RaineyDay Review: Padawan Obi-Wan dimension travels/time travels into a war-torn universe where his padawan saves him? He’s a Master? He’s on the Council?!? Complete as of 4 May 2021. Words: 21,173. Chapters: 8/8. Turn-Off(s): Suicide Attempt/Thoughts.

Aliit ori'shya tal'din by SilverRayan Review: This universe has the Sith Empire, the Mandalorian Empire and the Galactic Republic. The excuse to have Obi-Wan and Jango Fett fight for their sons is great. Work in progress, as of 25 Jul 2022.  Words: 18,847. Chapters: 6/? Turn-Off(s): Jango/Obi-Wan

Manda'kara by Virodeil Review: BB!Obi-Wan delves deep into the archives as he nearly ages out for Knighthood. The worldbuilding in this one is amazing! The idea of the culture of the Mandalorians still being preserved here... the POTENTIAL of this series! Completed, as of 22 Dec 2022. Words: 10,569. Chapters: 10/10

24 Seconds by c_m_li Review: Imagine Obi-Wan and Quinlan, teenagers sent off to a mission, go MIA, until they are found by the True Mandolorians. I like the respect in cultures/traditions in this. Complete, as of 26 Sep 2022.  Words: 11,314 Chapters: 1/1.  Turn-Off(s): Obi-Wan/Quinlan

devoted by loosingletters Review: If Anakin was more eldrich, god-like and this has consequences, in a world, “where the Force splits into aspects of itself, deities for all sentients of the galaxy to worship, people cling to their silent gods, wishing they could be just as powerful.” Complete, as of 06 Mar 2022. Words: 34,308. Chapters: 8/8. Turn-Off(s): slightly Anakin/Obi-Wan.

“You Jedi keep the Republic’s deities,” Shmi spoke before Anakin could. “Or at least those that are not owned by their planets. You have a certain pull to you.”

falling up by obiwanobi, shatou Review: This series is based on if Obi-Wan never got to take in Anakin as his padawan, and Anakin is raised by Palpatine. Vader shows up at Obi-Wan’s doorsteps, and this is Vader’s journey back to the light. Work in progress, as of 18 Nov 2021. Words: 24,060. Works: 9. Turn-Off(s): pre-Obi-Wan/Anakin hinted?

With no root in the land --(To keep my branches green) by llamallamaduck Review: This NARUTO crossover is something I never imagined to like, but wowza. Imagine Anakin, an eldrich being instead of our canon humanoid, dimension travels to the Five Great Shinobi Countries, specifically, Whirlpool. Uzushiogakure will never fall, but the other nations? Hm. Work in progress, as of 28 Nov 2022. Words: 25,490. Chapters: 7/?

He is not a human and he is not a beast and he is not a creature, but he is. He is a being, then. A being that changes and learns and lives. He thinks his name is Ani.

A Star to Steer By by dogmatix, norcumi Review: I’ve never even read/watched Stargate Atlantis before, and you don’t really need to after either. Just… Jedi are all snake-things. Sorta. Obi-Wan and the 212th Company arrive in an alternate dimension. Work in progress, as of 21 Dec 2022. Words: 115,437. Works: 2.

Not so long ago, in a galaxy not very far away at all, there's a Republic with an order of Jedi - a symbiotic species and their clone hosts.

Bare Your Teeth, Soldier by phoenixyfriend Review: OKAY AS A HEADS UP THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. IT IS NOT SMUT. Now, imagine our regular, canon duo, The Team, ending up in the omegaverse. Yes. This is that fic. I highly recommend, please suspend all disbelief, for the worldbuilding. Work in progress, as of 19 July 2022. Words: 13,306. Chapters: 2/?

A pair of assholes, covered in blood, land in your conference room during a meeting. They bicker for five minutes without even acknowledging the dozen people that were already here, and then greet your coworker like they know the guy, immediately asking why he isn't dead anymore.

On the other side by esama Review: What-if Obi-Wan never became a Jedi Knight? AgriCorps = academics and plants. Much love. Complete, as of 20 Dec 2020.  Words: 53,143. Chapters: 14/14

Canon Universe

💫 Reputations. by outpastthemoat Review: There’s something to be said about a fic that captures a badass Gary Stu from POV Outsider, and then POV Obi-Wan is like: ??? Me??? Perfect??? What is a consummate jedi because it ain’t him, fumbling along. Read when you want a feel-good. Complete as of 18 March 2021. Words: 36,738. Chapters: 12/12

not the place that I was born in (doesn't mean it's not the place where I belong) by ghostwriterofthemachine Review: Worldbuilding on Jedi Traditions, in Anakin’s POV. Could be AU and lead to a hopeful future, but too short (and sweet) to know for sure. Complete, as of 06 Aug 2020. Words: 5,030. Chapters: 1/1

Acknowledged by EclipseMidnight (EternalEclipse) Review: What-if there was more initiations to be done to become a Knight of the Jedi Order? 25 Sept 2017. Words: 14,328. Chapters: 1/1

The Folly of Foresight by Blue_Sunshine Review: The author of Desert Storm made a side-story about canon Obi-Wan knowing his fate with Infinite Sadness, and I live for this. Complete, as of 18 July 2022. Words: 2,431. Works: 2

twin suns by too_obsessed_with_everything Review: There’s something special about fics that verge off the script but still end up back into canon. Leia from Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV Series) is precious and precocious and this really captures a dangerous, coming-of-age adventure. Complete, as of 18 Dec 2022. Words: 37,610. Chapters: 15/15

everything I have ever learned by Fialleril Review: I’m sure everyone and their mother in the SW fandom has heard of the author of Double Agent Vader and the originator of the Tatooine Slave Culture tag. It’s again, amazing worldbuilding, focusing on Luke, and can coincide mostly with canon! I missed this years later, so here’s a flag you missed it too! Complete, as of 04 June 2019. Words: 12,717. Chapters: 2/2

Remedial Jedi Theology by MarbleGlove Review: This one is old, and I was going to leave the big-name, many-kudosed fics out of this list, but I felt like this one may be harder to find. The fic that made me first click the Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker tag. Complete, as of 15 Aug 2018.  Words: 51,336. Chapters: 7/7

Let us consider the fact that the Jedi Order is a monastic religious organization based out of a temple, with five basic tenets of faith. Ch 1: Death, yet the Force (meeting Anakin) Ch 2: Chaos, yet Harmony (teaching Anakin) Ch 3: Passion, yet Serenity (teaching a teenaged Anakin, good grief) Ch 4: Ignorance, yet Knowledge (Anakin is a Knight now, why is he still Obi-Wan’s problem?) Ch 5: Heresy, yet Orthodoxy (actual plot? Ie, Clones and Sith) Ch 6: Emotion, yet Peace (epilog) Ch 7: extras / deleted scenes

[bilbosmom-belladonna]

Clone Bang Promo Post: Team 35!

The members of @clonebang Team 35 are proud to announce our upcoming contributions to the Clone Bang! 🎉

I wrote Built on Bones and Middens, a 90K (!!!!) Commander Fox/Quinlan Vos mystery fic set late in the war on Coruscant. This Fox POV story follows our hard-knock, heavy-drinking commander as he (and a very irritating Jedi) dive deep into Coruscant's underworld to solve a mystery before Fox's brothers suffer the worst fate.

Action! Intrigue! Banter! A fatalistic view of Coruscant's inherent corruption!

Check out a snippet under the cut. Chapter 1 posts on January 6th, 2024!

The immensely talented @sankt-jesper contributed their artistic chops. Here is a might fine preview for you:

And the dulcet-toned @flowerparrish did a podfic for one of the chapters! For a scintillating preview, please enjoy a recording of the snippet below.

Friends, I'm so excited to share this work with you all. It is the longest thing I've ever written (by a lot) and it was so lovely to collaborate with others to create these works. This was my first Star Wars fandom event and I had a lot of fun. Enjoy!

🎉

“Are you sure?” Vos asked. “They make the best Ithorian food on the planet. Would you like to try it?”

“I would like,” Fox said, keeping his voice level, “to know what we’re doing here.”

Vos went still again, eyes locked on Fox’s face with the air of a predator preparing to pounce. Fox regarded him back evenly and tried very hard not to find it intimidating. 

Once again, Vos’ smile emerged after a moment. He relaxed back into his chair. “All business, I see. No worries, Fox, I won’t waste your time. We needed to be able to speak openly and that called for a change of scenery.” Vos spread out his arms, indicating the decor. “And also a change of wardrobe. I suppose you’re wondering where I left my robes.”

Fox took another sip of his whiskey. Damn, it was good. “I wasn’t going to comment on your fashion choices,” he said.

“Big of you,” Vos replied breezily. “Here at The Little Dipper I’m known as Garyth Lidon, a small-time gangster trying to break into the casino business. He has… a certain look I need to maintain.” Vos tugged a little at his voluminous trousers.

“And why,” Fox asked, “are we meeting at Garyth Lidon’s favorite restaurant to discuss this case instead of the secure GAR facility?”

Vos hummed. “Not so secure, though, is it?”

Fox looked down at his glass, swirled the whiskey around. He took a moment to control his expression. “You have a problem with my security?” he asked cooly.

“Oh, don’t be insulted, Fox!” Vos cried as he flopped back in his chair. “It’s nothing against you personally. I’m sure you run a very tight ship. But we can’t ignore the obvious here, can we? It was clones who attacked Obi-Wan and we don’t know why.” He spoke with his hands, rings catching the light as they moved. “Maybe they were just angry mutineers. Maybe they were brainwashed by a Sith. Maybe they swallowed one of those brain slugs from Geonosis!” Vos leaned forward, elbows on the table, and pointed at Fox. “Maybe it was the first attack of a massive coup and you brought two squads here to kill me when my back is turned.” 

Fox raised an eyebrow and used his glass to point at one of the windows. “My sniper is getting into position now, I’m just waiting for the signal.”

Vos snorted and sat back again. “I get it, I do, Fox. You have faith in your brothers, as you should. But we have no idea who we can trust here, even among friends. So we’re going to keep this investigation as far away from the GAR and the RCMO and that bantha-kriffer Tarkin as we can. And that starts with meeting at fine establishments like this one.”

“You don’t trust Tarkin either?” Fox asked.

Vos shrugged. “We don’t know how far up this goes. The attackers told Commander Cody they were acting under orders, but not who gave them. We can’t rule anyone out yet.”

Fox tried not to be too pleased at the idea that he might get a chance to arrest Tarkin, far-fetched though it may be.

“And the serene mystic act?” Fox asked.

“Ah!” Vos waggled his eyebrows. “That was my spot-on impression of Obi-Wan’s late master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He could stonewall politicians with all that Force babble for hours. When we have to be under close supervision I want to discourage anyone from asking too many questions. And no one wants to talk to the guy that makes you want to strangle him after two sentences.” 

“The thought did cross my mind.”

“Then I’m doing my job!”

Fox allowed himself to relax a little. Vos wasn’t what he had expected from this meeting and he certainly wasn’t like any of the other Jedi Fox had met. But he didn’t seem to care if Fox got a little sarcastic with him. Vos himself had insisted they forgo the formalities. Maybe he wouldn’t be too much of a hindrance during this investigation. Even if he was a little… cocky.

[sofiasjornal]

House of Sky and Breath Review 🌙

I’ve been in a real battle over how to rate this book. Until I reached half of it I was entirely convinced this would be another five-star book but a few things irritated me enough to lower the rating a little. So here we are:

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a 90%! 

So let’s begin with the things that irritated me. First, the whole Danika thing. How many things can Danika hide from her supposed best friend until Bryce realizes she doesn’t know her at all? I understand why she hid the whole “we can end the Asteri” thing. But why hide Braxian and who her father is? I’m sure Bryce would’ve also preferred to hide the fact she was the autumn king's daughter. In HOEAB, Danika’s secrets were compelling enough to move the story, but in HOSAB, I thought it went overboard. Every time Bryce said “Danika would’ve told me/ she would not hide this” I really wanted to scream. Let’s hope this changes in HOFAS.

Another thing was regarding the references to Aelin. Like I said while I was reading the first two books, Bryce reminds me a lot of Aelin. I’ve felt the same with Rhysand in ACOTAR. I don’t how to explain it but I feel these two are very much connected with the Queen I love so much. What pissed me off was when her references started to be lampooned by other characters. Lidia saying “Liar I might be but at least I’m no fool” really and royally pissed me off. Aelin is Aelin. Lehabah’s “I'm not afraid” is much easier to accept because she was sacrificing herself, a parallel to Aelin’s entire existence. But I think it’s time to give it a break. Either put Aelin in HOFAS and let me be happy or let her rest in Terrasen. 

With that being said, let’s go to the good things! Everything I said about the first book applies here. I still wished we saw a little more of Ruhn outside the group and his romantic involvement with Lidia (that I knew was Day from the fucking start, so points for me!). I hope HOFAS changes that as well. For the next book, I think it would be really interesting to see the story or some parts of it from Lidia's pov! I’m assuming she will be the one that helps them all escape but we’ll see. 

Also, Hunt, Ruhn, and Braxian being prisoners of the Asteri really didn’t surprise me. Bryce is the key to everything so she couldn’t be the one to get caught and made prisoner. Hunt, I was almost certain because there’s something about himself he was still to figure out- the whole thing about him being bred for something else. Perhaps finding this out will be the key to escape and bring down the Asteri with Bryce? We’ll see! Now Ruhn was a surprise because I don’t see a purpose for his imprisonment other than the connection with Lidia. He has trauma enough, even though it’s rarely mentioned, so it can’t be to give the character some depth. We’ll see that as well! 

I want to fucking kill Celestina with my own two hands! I was so right about not trusting that bitch! So much love for Hypaxia, how will she explain she was partly responsible for them being caught and betraying them all? If Hypaxia doesn’t leave her crying on the ground I will!

Now, the best part of the entire book is that last chapter! I felt my heart racing through all of it! I ran from spoilers like they were the plague so I really wasn’t expecting this at all! Before Bryce was caught and she was looking over the map, I thought maybe there would be a reference or an indication about Acotar’s world or togs, but nothing. So I thought maybe there was nothing there. BUT THEN! Then Bryce goes through the portal and falls into the grass! Hell doesn’t have grass (I think!). And then “the demon” appeared with his black wings. And I started screaming! Because we know who has those black wings and scarred hands! That’s Azriel! And then all of them started to appear and my brain turned to mush. And that ending… “Hello, Bryce Quinlan. My name is Rhysand!” I SCREAMED! 

I’m very curious to see how this falls into the ACOTAR timeline but before I go into my theories I really need to reread this last chapter again to really set it into my head before starting HOFAS! 

But what an ending!! 

[tremendouscreationperson]

Obi-Wan x Reader

So this is an Obi-Wan fic based during the events of the Kenobi series, there are obviously flashbacks which you’ll love. I wont lie, I sorta just don’t mention Satine so you can decide whether they had a bad breakup or she doesn’t exist. This is mainly Obi-Wan’s POV, it is also a two parter, if anyone is interested.

To think he’d be on a planet that wasn’t dry or course, to be somewhere where it rained, surely it should be enjoyable. But no, he was on a mission, something he hadn’t done for almost eleven years now. He was rusty. The neon lights burnt his eyes in a different way than the sun usually did, the brilliant greens and reds, even the purples, making him pause to take a calming breath.

He’s safe. It’s not as if he could really be hurt any more. His Master, his brother, his friends, his soldiers, his responsibilities. All gone. Despite them winning the war. They defeated Grievous for Makers sake! That was the goal, defeat him and the droids. Stop the Separatists at any cost. A sarcastic huff escaped him as he eyed the propaganda Holos for the ‘NEW EMPIRE’. They were wearing the same armour his troopers wore, why did they attack? Surely there was a reason, surely, they wouldn’t just turn on the Jedi, not Rex, not Cody. He had hoped that Fives was right, that maybe it was programmed into them, but who knows? The Chancellor had banned talk about Fives and Rex wasn’t meant to tell Ahsoka who told Anakin who told him.

Was he wrong to miss the war? Probably.

Obi-Wan shook his head and hurried along, he was on a mission. He must stick to the mission, then get back and continue his observation on the boy. Luke. His name was Luke. And his mission was Leia. Would they every meet? He hoped so. Maybe one day. When its saf-

“Spare any Credits?” Cody? Obi-Wan stopped in surprise. No, but he was wearing 501st armour, he was one of Anakins men. Obi-Wan stared at the familiar face and remembered a time he would be sitting across from it eating, or creating battle plans, or just watching the democratic debates. It was older than Obi-Wan had ever seen, even the ‘reject clones’ never really got this old, or scraggily but he wasn’t one to judge. “Help a veteran get a warm meal?” He held his helmet a bit higher.

Obi-Wan, despite the initial suspicion of being ratted on, threw what he could spare into it. At least this Trooper wasn’t firing at him. Maybe he knew Obi-Wan was no longer a threat, just a tired old man. The Trooper nodded in thanks before his eyes flickered to an imposing Holo behind Obi-Wan’s shoulder. A frown set on his face and he looked away in shame. Obi-Wan turned, eyebrow raised, before sucking in a shaky breath.

There you were on the screen. It was your Jedi Archives portrait. Your eyes bore into his soul, looking dead on; your lips slightly curved into a smile, he could remember being the cause of; and your hair was lime green. He loved the colourful nature of your species, every few months you’d come into the Temple with a new set of armour and hair, he had even compared you to a Mandalorian a few times. Both so expressive and changing in nature. He and you would have long discussions about the meanings behind certain colours and Obi-Wan could tell that you weren’t being completely honest about a few, you were allowed to like the colours for whatever reasons you wanted, you needed no excuse in his eyes.

You had been trained by a Master called Cjuria but she had died at the hands of Ventress, meaning Yoda took over your final years and after that you did help Qui-Gon and himself before Anakin came along. You were basically a co-parent to the boy but he would never admit what that truly meant. Never accept that fact because you and Anakin were gone. You, Anakin, Ahsoka, Padme, Qui-Gon, Rex, Cody, the 212th, Windu, Billaba, Aalya, Fisto, Plo Koon, Quinlan, Yoda, even Jar Jar. There was nothing where he once could feel everyone. An all-consuming nothingness.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t stay here too long.” The Trooper interrupted his wallowing. “Those Inquisitors are nasty.”

Obi-Wan took one last look at this face, the face of his many friends, his men, and now of an unlikely ally. He had wished that all the Clones would live to look like this and now he had seen it he was bitterly disappointed. If Anakin knew a member of the 501st was suffering he’d be livid. If Anakin-

“Thank you.” Kenobi bowed his head before continuing his path to Leia.

///

“Obi!” You called from the top of the curved stairwell, launching yourself over the banister from the very top to the bottom.

He had been intending to go over strategies with Mace but seeing your wide smile as you bounded up to him halted that. The setting sun peeking through the elongated windows did wonders for your skin, making you almost glow. Your eyes were brighter, but they always got like that when you were excited.

“Are you quite alright?” He chuckled, taking in your bright orange hair. It was the colour of the flora from Lantrien. The very toxic spore producing flowers were a lovely sight once you and he had gotten over the worst of the symptoms.

“Luke.” You whisper, your smile not wavering. “She’s so convinced it’s a boy, she keeps thinking of boys names; that’s the current favourite, though.”

The subject of your mutual friend’s child was taboo amongst most. Obi-Wan wasn’t stupid, nor blind, despite trying to be. Anakin had unashamedly loved the Queen from the moment he met her. He was secretly happy for them, one day he knew it wouldn’t be a secret. He had allowed himself to imagine a scenario where the child called him uncle. He would care for him or her no matter what, Anakin knew it, Padme knew it, you knew it. He would keep their child safe, once the war was over, once he could choose his own path.

‘Jedi weren’t meant to be generals.’ Qui-Gon had spoken, ‘we are peacekeepers’ and that is all Obi-Wan craved. He was getting weary of war, of duty. If only the day could come when the war was just memories.

“And what if it isn’t a boy?” He raised his brow.

“She was thinking Lila.” You shrugged. “Or Leia, I like Leia more. It’s more regal.”

Obi-Wan had to agree with you on that one, despite agreeing with you on practically everything. “A little Prince or Princess.”

“Woul-” You paused before mouthing, “Would he be a king?”

Obi-Wan had no answer to that. How was he to know? Could a Jedi still truly be a Jedi with a wife, and child? If not, he could be king, if so, he could be a king and a Jedi, was that morally correct?

“Kenobi!” Mace’s voice stopped you both as he walked by, “I almost can’t believe you’re not early to our strategy meeting.”

“Sorry, I distracted him.” You pulled a ‘whoopsie’ face, raising your brows and shoulders, your lips pulling inwards .

Mace gave you the very same unimpressed look he gave practically everyone but his eyes were warm with affection. You were friends and had been for years. “Don’t you have a queen to guard?”

“She requested a walk and Skywalker knows the best paths.” You said with such bravado. “I would be useless.”

///

Were all 10-year-olds this annoying or was it just the Skywalkers? Obi-Wan saw so much of Anakin in this feisty girl. She was forthright and observant when she disregarded his orders and claimed he was her father. But his already fragile heart broke when she apprehensively asked: “Are you my real father?”

“I wish I could say I was.” She bent her head in disappointment, the wind whipping at their hair, he’d say that’s why his eyes were glassy if she asked.

“Sometimes I try to imagine what he was like.” She muttered, eyes actively avoiding him.

Obi-Wan felt that pain himself being a Jedi. “I know that feeling.” She glanced in his direction, “as Jedi we were taken from our families when we were very young. I still have glimpses, flashes really, my mother’s shawl. My father’s hands.” He had only ever told you the next part; whispered on cold bunks, during one of the worst battles you’d endured, hands entwined between the empty space. “I-I remember a baby.”

“A baby?” Leia was now fully turned towards him.

“Yes, I think I had a brother. Though I really don’t remember him. I wish I did.” He felt regret for that. Was it possible to miss a life you didn’t live? To want it, yes, but to miss it? He thought not. He didn’t want for anything really, and he had ‘siblings’ so to say but would it have been an equally great life? Would he have been on the Republics side? Yes, he was sure he would. “But then I joined the Jedi and I had a new family. Just like you.”

She was silent then and he allowed her to take in the information he had given her. “Ben?”

“Yes, Leia?”

“Were they happy?”

That question was one of those where you automatically say ‘yes of course’, but he knew deep down. Anakin and Padme were happy. They were in love and didn’t care by the end who knew. They were destined to be together from the start but despite that. They were friends. They-they were happy. “Yes.”

The truck started to slow down then, drawing both passengers’ attention. Freck had said it wouldn’t take long, just a routine checkpoint but the hair on the back of Obi-Wan’s neck stood up. Leia was calm, she had been surrounded by the bucketheads since birth, she didn’t hold the same fear Kenobi did.

Freck exited the truck and spoke with the Troopers before they started walking around the back. Obi-Wan pulled his hood up keeping his gaze down. Leia did no such thing, scanning the watch tower and the red laser gate.

‘I am one with the force’ was the mantra rattling around his head as the Troopers asked who they were and why they were travelling this way. ‘Master’ he basically pleaded as he was no where near strong enough to use any form of Jedi trick. He wished he could, that would’ve been an easier escape than shooting his and Leia’s way out.

///

“Guns are so-” He paused in contemplation. “So uncivilised.”

You looked up at him from your spot lying on the meadow. You both had two days before you were to meet the informant. It wasn’t meant to be that late but there were suspicions and you guys were taking the first opportunity to relax; even for a moment. The trees hung low and smelled like home, although you didn’t know what or where that was. You recognised the smell, and the feeling of contentment. You’d told him that and he revealed the sound of waves reminded him of home.

“But you’ll happily cut someone in half?” You gave him a smirk as he rolled his eyes, leaning back next to you. You put on a posh accent, one hand resting on your chest and the other dramatically thrown across your forehead. “My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I cannot bare the thought of shooting a gun, but I will redirect a laser. Much in the same way a gun shoots.”

He shoved your hand away. “I do not sound like that.”

“I do not sound like that.” You tried and failed not to giggle at his expression.

“Well, I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t stop giving away our position.” His hand twiddled a lock of your half blue hair. “This side isn’t as bad but that one is basically a target.” He brushed a few flyaway strands of red from your temple.

“A girls gotta get you to notice her somehow.” You winked.

He just rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t say that.”

You shrugged, bits of the yellowed grass getting caught on your shoulders.

“The war will be over soon; might as well enjoy the freedom it brings.”

He never quite understood that statement until now. You had meant that once it was over you would be ‘real’ Jedi. No hiding behind the cloak of battle, no missions together because it was needed. You would have to rebuild the galaxy and after that you would have to keep the peace in it. The whole galaxy. There would probably be one Jedi per quadrant.

What you meant by that statement was ‘I know you’re scared; I am too. Why can’t we be scared together?’ You had both had the talk no relationships, no love, love lead to the dark side. But there were Jedi who had wives, who had husbands, who had kids, who had a life outside of the order.

Why couldn’t you?

///

Tala positioned them in an archway, before going to check everything was in order for them to escape through ‘the Pathway’. He made sure to keep a hand on Leia’s shoulder. If Anakin was anything to go by he’d need to tie himself to her.

Once the coast was clear they made their way to the safehouse.

Inside was a mechanics den, the tables littered with tools and exposed wires. There was a droid who seemed intimidating but Tala reassured them he was friendly. Leia was fascinated and showed him her little L0LA.

Tala reached behind what looked to be an electrical cupboard and the walls parted. A woman was behind them packing a bag, “Tala you said a child too? I only have this; I hope it isn’t too flashy.”

That voice.

Surely not.

Obi-Wan walked towards her as she began to turn to face the group and low and behold. It was you. You-you were alive. Your hair was an ashy brown colour, your skin paler and thinner. The chubbiness had vanished in your cheeks, but your eyes and smile were the same. And they shone.

“Ob-h my maker.” You cut yourself off from saying his name. Unsure if it was wise to reveal you knew each other.

He was the same. He had no idea how to react. So, you both just stood there in awe.

“Raya?” Tala’s head was tilted, a clear sign she wanted to know what was happening.

You spared her your gaze for half a second before it landed back onto him.

“I-I’ve got you some supplies.” You stiffly spoke, awkwardly offering him the bag.

He looked down before taking it, “Thank you. Raya?” You gave a minute nod. “I am Ben.”

You chuckled a little then and he did the same. “Ben? That’s a very unique and unusual name.”

He rolled his eyes. How had he not seen you in 10 years and the first thing you do is tease him? “Thank you.”

There was a shuffling behind him, oh yes, a child. She was watching this whole interaction in the same fashion as Tala. But by the Stars she looked familiar. You couldn’t quite place why as she stood with poise and dignity. Her chin pointed upwards and her hair, only slightly out of place. She looked regal next to Kenobi.

“Is this your daughter?” You felt a little indifferent as you voiced the question. She didn’t particularly look like him but it was possible. He may not even tell you the truth because Tala is standing right there almost gawking at this situation.

Obi-Wan brought her forward, to his surprise with no complaint or noise, placing a hand on her shoulder and patting it with his fingers. “Raya. This is Leia.”

Leia? You weren’t sure if you said it or thought it but a thousand memories flashed the moment that name left his mouth. Of course, she was Leia. She had the same hair and eyes as Padme and the same composure. At your visible shock her eyebrows were drawn slightly in a very Anakin way. She had his chubby youngling cheeks too.  

You knelt to shake her small hand. You were meant to help her; you had been devastated when Padme was buried and like everyone else believed her bump was real. Believed her unborn child had become part of the stars with her. “Leia. It’s very nice to meet you.” A tear oozed it’s way down your cheek.

“It is nice to meet you, too.” Even her small voice held such power. She was made to be a ruler, you wished she was, it was the least she deserved. Kriff she deserved the life of a Princess, the life her parents were going to give her.

“I’m sorry to break up whatever this is but we need to get you and you out of here.” Tala pointed at them. “Maybe you’ll follow them?” She asked hopefully, wishing you some peace finally.

You were about to talk when the sensation of grinding teeth settled in your mouth, a shiver made its way up your spine also and settled on the back of your neck. A cold, dead feeling wrapped around like a shawl.

Ob-Ben met your gaze, his hand finding the sabre you hadn’t noticed on his belt. He was a brave man to be carrying that around. Yours was hidden in the mechanics of NED. Figuring that was the safest place for it, in a droid who couldn’t speak. You guys used to hide stuff in R2 all the time.

Ben was at the window, peaking behind the curtain to see an imposing figure. “Get Leia out of here.” He told you. “Get her to Alderaan. To Bail.”

“Bail?” You said in disbelief. “O-Ben! Who is it? It’s familiar, but twisted.”

His eyes pore into yours. “Darth Vader.”

///

You had picked up Leia and ran with Tala trying to formulate a plan. How on earth would you get to Alderaan, the pathway doesn’t go to Alderaan. Kriffing Alderaan?! Maker how long are these tunnels?

You felt a wave through your body and suddenly stopped. That wasn’t good. Or was it? Was that? Was Kenobi using the force? WAS KENOBI FIGHTING DARTH VA- of course he was.

“Tala.” You placed Leia down and connected their hands. “Please. I have to go back. Comm Bail Organa. Find a way. I don’t care how, kriff tell him (y/f/n) wants him.”

“You knew the Organa’s?” Her eyes were wide but she nodded. You had told her some of your history but most was secret so you could live.

You scoffed, “I knew the Queen of Naboo.” Your eyes flickered to Leia. “Now please, go.”

“Wait!” Leia called as you ran towards the current that the Force had created. “You knew my mother?!”

You bit your lip as you ran from her and Tala. Both of whom you wished to know more of but were so fearful they would be hurt in the hunt for you.

//

You sat on the floor of your ship floating adrift in space. Your arms wrapped around your legs as you stared at the body in front of you. Reach. He was your friend, why did he attack you?

You were on your way to help Ahsoka with Maul, despite your orders.

“Ahsoka has asked for help.” You informed Obi-Wan, thinking he was unaware. He was and he told you that he couldn’t let Grievous escape yet again, that you were too close to winning the war. “Obi.. its Maul… It’s Ahsoka.” You took a step back, “I’m going to help her.” He seemed a little take aback by you but nodded.

“Keep safe,” His hand found your wrist. “Only take who you need, this can’t be known. We’ve already given them too many Clones as it is.”

“I’ll take Reach. I think her and I could handle him. At least I’m confident she can.” You tried to joke.

“Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Only if you say it first.”

“I will be careful.” He vowed.

“I love you, too.” You winked.

You hadn’t made it to Ahsoka. You were halfway to her, before she popped up letting you know she was successful. You were so proud of her, remembering the little scamp she used to be. She may well be the most powerful Jedi, behind the chosen one of course.

“Ahsoka, another message is coming through, I only brought Reach’s Pad to spare resources, uh, send me your coordinates and I’ll be on my way, we’ll meet in the middle.”

She gave you a quick salute before a cloaked figure appeared, you and Reach gave each other a look before he demanded: EXECUTE ORDER 66.

“Order-?” Something hit you so hard in the temple you fell off of your seat. “Kriff!”

You were then being straddled and punched again and again and again. Bringing your arms up to block the attacks, you kicked your legs in the hopes of pushing Reach off balance. It worked and you were able to scramble away, pulling yourself just barely to a standing position. Reach’s face was blank, his hand going to his belt finding it empty.

“You were cleaning it,” You panted, igniting your sabre before he could jump on you again. “Reach, what’s going on?”

“Good soldiers follow orders.” He spoke as though it was obvious.

“Orders? Was that an order?” You tried to piece together, despite your headache. “Who was that?”

He was silent.

“Reach, please.” Your head was pounding now. He took advantage of your dizziness and you didn’t mean to. You didn’t. But he was now laying, bleeding out, still trying to grab at you. You withdrew the sabre before flinging it far from you. You vision was blurred before but now you were crying, kneeling over him. “We don’t have any medical supplies.” There would be a whole hospital wing on Ahsoka’s ship. If only you left earlier.

He muttered something you were too hysterical to hear but he kept repeating it like a mantra. “Kill the Jedi.” His last word was ‘the’.

You had moved so you weren’t kneeling but otherwise you were sitting next to his body. You could tell your head was bleeding, probably turning your purple hair a wet maroon. There wasn’t anything you could do. The comms were down and in the scuffle you had been knocked majorly off course. The stars were almost a good companion in your grief. It wasn’t just you. There were thousands. You felt them. Or actually you ceased feeling them. There was an empty void where previously a small hum had been.

How long had you sat here?

How long until you had to get your shit together?

How did Sidious corrupt the Clones? He must’ve had an inside man.

You sat for quite a while longer in slow contemplation.

But there was a rapping at the air lock. As if someone had knocked. You ignored it until it happened again. Scowling you braced yourself upon the wall before attempting to stand. It wasn’t easy being bruised and numb and stiff and dizzy and just sad. You did it though. You took one step and immediately fell as a myriad of pain shot through your leg like lightning. You hadn’t realised he’d grabbed it in the chaos, but alas you continued leaning heavily on the wall. The airlock had a window and outside floated a small box. Maybe it was a bomb. No, the ship, despite not moving, still worked and it would’ve detected danger. You squinted and could just about make out the symbol of the Republic etched into the metal.

What more could you have to lose? You sealed and opened and resealed and opened the compartment to find an unintimidating box. It was small enough to fit into your palm but had a surprising weight to it as the gravity settled. The top pinged off and you were half expecting a creature to fly out.

Is that? No. A Jedi Beacon was resting in the box. That wasn’t good.

You shakily took the small blue device out and dropped the box as it started playing a message.

“This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He looked his normal, pristine, self. That was good, right? “I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Be secret... but be strong. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always.”

You shook your head, tears forming again, “no.” You pressed play again and he appeared again.

“This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi: trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple. That time has passed, and our future is uncertain. Avoid Coruscant. Avoid detection. Be secret... but be strong. We will each be challenged: our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere and, in time, I believe a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you always.”

“This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi…”

//

“I’m coming Obi-Wan.”

[brachiosaurus-on]

I wanna know about Holocron Heist and Rako Hardeen Aayla POV!!!

OMG. Okay, Holocron Heist is one of my favorite fics-in-progress. It's a prank fic, the title is self explanatory, and what you need to know is that Depa gets truly and thoroughly bamboozled by the trio Quinlan, Obi-Wan, & Luminara. It is very Jedi and very fun.

Rako Hardeen Aayla POV! This is an exploration of how that arc would have looked to the rest of the Order outside of the circles that were very close to the operation/operative. I chose Aayla as a character that would be close enough to Obi-Wan that there would be a personal loss, but working far enough away that I could show a broader perspective. I shall share some snippets!

Aayla pushed herself up in bed and stretched her arms above her head, bending side to side to feel a stretch through her back. She pushed the sheets off her lap and got out of bed, turning around to fold it back and make the bed just enough to smooth out the woven blanket. She and Bultar had made the blanket together when they were about 15. Since then, they had made a tradition of leaving it in the other’s rooms when they left on a mission. When she came back to the Temple, she knew Bultar was gone if the blanket was there, and if it wasn’t, she could go and find her best friend. If she didn’t smooth it out she would hear Bultar in the back of her head playfully mocking her, “How dare you leave our blanket in a heap, does our friendship mean nothing to you?”

ahahaha. wouldn't it be fun if something ruined her morning

A small hologram of Master Windu appeared. “This is Master Mace Windu. I regret to inform you that yesterday evening, one of our High Council Members, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, was killed here on Coruscant while returning to the Temple.” Aayla stilled. “I am unable to share details of the ongoing investigation, but I can tell you that there were no other casualties. Master Kenobi was a beloved member, respected leader, and a guiding light of our Order. He will long be remembered not only in the Archives of our Jedi Order, but in our hearts, and most of all, in his teachings and the lessons we learned from him. The past two years have brought forth many trials for our Order, and we have faced each and every one of them together, as Jedi. I have faith in all of you, that we will overcome this loss together as well. May the Force be with you.”

[flowerparrish]

Writing Patterns (Tag Game)

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thank you to @42donotpanic for tagging me!!

Hevy was doing a lap of their current base camp, not so much checking the security–he knew their soldiers, trusted them to uphold their responsibilities and maintain the night watch–but instead checking for anything out of order or anyone needing help. (fic here)

Clint feels the presence of the Imps before he sees them, sensitive as he always is to both Darkness and foreign minds. (fic here)

Clint knows, intimately, what it feels like to have no pack. (fic here)

“I go where I’m needed,” Jon had told Knol, the central truth of his adult life. (collab fic with @kbirbpods, here)

Fox doesn't know what to do with a traumatized Jedi. (fic here)

Fox almost ignores his comm when it goes off, rousing him from a not-quite-sleep full of endless formwork and chilling laughter. (fic here)

When zir phone rings at just past eleven in the evening, Obi-Wan knows it's important. (fic here)

Quinlan is not the Jedi General of the Coruscant Guard, mainly because that position doesn't (officially) exist. (fic here + podfic by @kbirbpods)

It was cold. (fic here)

Jon wakes in agony, his head spinning before he even opens his eyes. (fic here + podfic)

For the most part, it looks like I start with the POV character's name and whatever they're doing in the moment the story begins. Also, strong preference for beginning in media res in some way, and overall preference for present tense.

Tagging: @cacodaemonia @marbled-polecat @elismor @seascribbling @sishal01 @medic-6116 & anyone who wants to do this!

[sithfox]

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox/Quinlan Vos, CC-1010 | Fox & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker

Characters: CC-1010 | Fox, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Quinlan Vos

Additional Tags: Force-Sensitive CC-1010 | Fox, Sith CC-1010 | Fox, He's not being very sith-ly here though, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, POV CC-1010 | Fox

Series: Part 2 of FoxQuin Week 2024, Part 1 of setting fires to keep you warm

Summary:

"Why, Commander," Quinlan purrs at him. "how devious of you." His form is flawless when he steps forward and drops into a shallow bow, but his eyes don't leave Fox's for a moment.

Fox hums quietly and stretches a hand forward, expecting the light kiss that's brushed across his knuckles but still thrilled by it. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean." He smirks slightly, unwilling to drop the mask of Rear Marshall Commander Fox just yet. "What's your story, then? Has Senator Amidala found herself some arm candy?"