#Sabine Reiter

[universal-rebellion]

It's April in Jorvik - ( sabine x reader ) Chapter 1

hi! I plan to crosspost this fanfic to AO3 as soon as I get my invite :')

( cw: swearing. )

It’s April in Jorvik. 

The snow is off the ground, the grass is green, and the Equestrian Festival is finishing its preparations. 

And as for you, you were truly excited for it, but now you’re stuck running errands for your fellow Soul Riders… again.

You thought last year was ridiculous dealing with Alex and Linda’s last minute tasks, but this year was even worse. Both Anne and Lisa were tagging along this year which has added on to your own preparations for the festival. As much as you’re usually happy to help, you can’t help but curse to yourself this time for being so willingly. Stupid Soul Rider nonsense. All you wanted to do was practice and prepare your horses for the events you were set to participate in. But no, you’re were dealing with setting up another booth for the girls, helping Lisa gather her tack and outfits, and attempting to prevent Concorde from spooking at everything. Thankfully, everything other than Concorde has been dealt with, but now you’re losing light and you’re walking your horse next to Anne while she hand walks Concorde. 

This reincarnation of Concorde is, respectfully, a major pain in the ass. She still isn’t able to talk just yet, even after being aged by Vala, so it makes every situation worse because she can’t even tell you what her problem is. You were riding your starbreed, who is just about as fed up as you with everything. Unfortunately, for your horse, he was the best option for putting up with Concorde’s bullshit. The gelding pinned his ears at every out of line movement by Concorde. If she got too close he nipped at her, putting her back in line. By this point, you’ve figured out that she hates the balloons, so you were doing slow laps around the arena to get her accustomed to them. 

After your tenth lap Concorde finally calmed down enough to walk without trying to break free from Anne’s grasp. 

“ Anne, it's like 8pm. I think she’s about as desensitized to everything as she’s gonna get .” You give a gentle tug on your horse's reins and his ears pricked back up as he stopped. Anne looked at you and looked back to her horse, defeated. You hop off your gelding and give his neck a good pat. 

“ She’s as good as she’s going to get. ” Anne reiterates your sentiment with a sigh. 

“ Can we please get back to the stables? Between everything I’ve done today, I haven’t had time to see my other horses that I might be riding tomorrow. ” 

Anne nods. “ I have to deal with cleaning up Concorde anyways. She isn’t anywhere where she needs to be if she’s possibly going to be performing tomorrow. ” The grey mare pinned her ears back at her and snorted in annoyance at the notion she isn’t up to par. Does it make sense to clean a grey horse the night before a competition..? Who knows, but you aren’t gonna rain on her parade. However, Concorde’s a priss so maybe she’d stay clean. The two of you start your walk back over to the stables and trailers. You don’t bother to grab your starbreed’s reins, he follows you along like a dog. Besides, you’re too focused on making sure Concorde doesn’t try to pull a fast one on the two of you.

“ Where are you stalling her? Are you bringing her back to your home stable or are you staying here for the night? ” 

“ I could not imagine leaving her here. ” Anne practically scoffed at you. “ We are going back home. I won’t lie, I truly don’t know how I’d fit all of my outfits and whatnot into a suitcase. Also, where on earth would I get ready? ” 

“ I’m staying at the inn? A lot of the people who are competing are staying at the inn? ” You give her a look. Anne returned the look and rolled her eyes. 

“ Yeah, not happening. I’ll just deal with waking up earlier tomorrow. “ You shrug at her and the two of you finish your walk to the stable and part ways. Your horse audibly breathed a sigh of relief when Concorde was out of sight. You chuckled at him and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“ Yeah, I know. That was awful. But, hey, you were great, boy. ” You gave him a rub on the forehead. “ Let’s get that tack off of you, you deserve some rest. ” You led him to his stall and untacked him, leaving his tack on the stand next to his stall door. 

As you walked out the stall he tried to follow behind, but was stopped by you closing his door. He bobbed his head and snorted at you in protest. 

“ I didn’t forget bud, I promise. ” You rummage through the bag you brought and grab your bucket of Stud Muffins. The starbreed eagerly, but politely, snatched the treat from your hand, satisfied. 

You turn to the next couple of stalls and see the two other horses you brought with you. You were set to compete in a few categories in the following days and decided to use some of your other horses to give them some time away from the stables.

Your starbreed was going to be your horse for the cross country section. That honestly should be a given from the amount of nonsense the two of you have gotten yourself into throughout all of Jorvik.

 You brought an 11 year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding for show jumping. Thunder is black with a small snip on his nose and he towers over you at a good 16.9 hands. He’s been with you for a while now and has proved to be a fantastic performer.  

Finally, you brought your new 6 year-old Andalusian mare for dressage. Daybreak is a gorgeous dapple grey mare, you are still in awe that you managed to snag her. In all honesty, you aren’t too serious about the dressage portion, but you thought it’d be a good experience just to test out your new mare in the ring. However, you know that she’d be fantastic no matter the rider. 

You give the two of them their own Stud Muffins and give them both a scratch for good measure. 

You were in your own world when suddenly two tall shadows nearly made you jump out of your skin. At the entrance of the stable a tall woman walks in leading a large black Fresian through the door. It doesn’t take you long to realize who it was.

Sabine. 

Of course. Why wouldn’t she be here? She was the last two years. You briefly recall the events that transpired between the two of you last April and the one before. 

You stay silent and try to finish up your chores for the night, grabbing a bucket for your horses’ grain. Khaan's steps thundering through the otherwise silent barn.

Annnnnnd of course she has Khaan stalled right next to your overly friendly gelding, Thunder. You mentally groan and try to not let your embarrassment show. The black gelding immediately tries to make friends with Khaan through the bars separating their stalls. The larger stallion pins his ears back at the attention, but doesn’t truly react until Sabine exits the stall. The moment she closes the stall door, the Fresian emits the lowest squeal you’ve ever heard from a horse and he kicks at the wall separating them. Thunder backs off and goes to seek attention from Sabine. She ignores his attempts and flings Khaan’s lead rope over her shoulder.

Sabine glares in your direction before turning to a bag sat next to Khaan’s stall door, pulling out a hoof pick and returning inside Khaan’s stall. Hm, bold after your horse just raised hell.

“ Wouldn’t have taken you as a person with more than one horse. ” She commented as she began to work on Khaan’s hooves, not bothering to make eye contact with you. “ Thought a Soul Rider would be too loyal to even think about it. ” 

You try and fail miserably to stop yourself from chuckling which earns you another glare and scowl in your direction when she puts Khaan’s hoof down. 

“ And I wouldn’t take the Dark Rider as one that would stall their horse in a public stable. ” You shoot back at her sarcastically, but lightheartedly. “ But I guess, no one else really knows that you’re a Dark Rider here. So, what difference does it make? ”  You say as you dump grain into Thunder’s feed bucket, which makes him entirely forget about Sabine and Khaan. 

“ You should see my home stable. It’d make your head spin if you think me having two other horses is more than you expected. ” You make your way back to your bag of grain, making Daybreak’s dinner. Sabine gave an audible huff as she finished up her work on her horse’s feet. She exited the stall again and threw the pick down in her bag. 

“ I don’t think it’s really any of your business why I have Khaan stalled here. Why don’t you just focus on your horses and I’ll deal with mine.” Ah there you go, that’s the Sabine you remember.

“Hey, you spoke first.” You dump the grain into your mare’s bucket. The two of you go to your work in awkward silence. You weren’t really sure why you were comfortable being alone with her, or moreso, why you didn't feel threatened by her presence. However, your starbreed wasn’t too happy about her being so close to you. You could feel him grow uneasy as you heard him pace and paw at the ground. Maybe you were too tired to really acknowledge the amount of danger you could be in? However, she didn’t seem too intimidating right now. If anything, she was a bit underwhelming for what you’d expect. 

You finish up your tasks with your horses and hang your feed bucket up. Looking over to Sabine you see that she’s fiddling with something in her bag. 

“ If you get bored again, I’m always up for a chase around Jarlaheim between competitions. ” You said picking up your bag. “ I could always use the warmup for my horses. ” Sabine stops what she was doing and cocks an eyebrow at you.

“ And willingly give you what you'd consider an advantage? That’s the stupidest shit I think I ever heard you say Soul Rider. ” She practically chuckles at you, dumbfounded by your words. 

“ Thought you’d enjoy the chance to kick my ass and leave me in the dirt. You know, like the last two years. ” You shrugged. “ Whatever. If you change your mind I’ll be around. ” You walk off and make your way back to the inn to call it a night, not waiting for her response.

That was fucking stupid.

[killervelveteenrabbit]

Reaction to "Revelator" (S6, E11)

Wow, Disney is not even trying to air these eps in order anymore…

I appreciated seeing Chat Noir co-leading the training regimen Ladybug set up for the Miraculeurs (sp?). He is no longer “a holder like any other”.

People may complain about what this new animation engine did to Adrien’s hair, but it certainly did him a favor everywhere else. Our guy now has defined pecs and even some starter abs, a physique worthy of a teenage fashion model. Nino isn’t a teen model and is appropriately less cut.

Alya’s angst over her new role is understandable. Her blog had more purpose when she was trying to discover Ladybug’s identity and after she redirected her efforts towards HawkShadowMonarch. But now she’s in on that first secret and the second one’s a moot point, so now she’s reduced to mere PR work. If it seems like a downgrade, it is.

We first encountered Vincent Aza as Pixelator, the obsessive Jagged Stone fan turned supervillain. As an influencer, he’s still seeking the same thing he wanted from JS: external validation at any price.

IRL Tom and Sabine could easily sue the pants off Vincent for defamation of their minor daughter’s character resulting in harassment and material damage to their business. One could envision Natalie, as a favor to Adrien, hooking the Dupain-Chengs up with a good lawyer, with almost any judge worth their gavel throwing the book at Vincent for being a grown-ass man aggressively attacking a teenage girl. But this is a superhero kiddy show, not “Ace Attorney”.

Vincent’s declaration of Chloe as the new fashion idol and his partial sponsorship by Tsurugi Industries raise questions about who’s influencing this influencer. Chloe’s motivation for trying to ruin Marinette needs no explanation. Meanwhile, Tomoe Tsurugi may be trying to torpedo Adrinette in hopes of Adrien reconnecting with Kagami and rebooting Operation Perfect Alliance. And can it be such a coincidence that Ladybug is also one of Vincent’s targets?

Of all the slings and arrows Vincent sends Marinette’s way, the “apprentice designer” crack seems to upset Marinette the most. It’s not even an accurate insult. Had Vincent done his homework, he’d know about Adrien modeling one of her hats during Paris Fashion Week, that album cover she designed for Jagged Stone, and her costuming work for Kitty Section and the indie film her school produced. Vincent fancies himself a journalist, but he’s not even good at that!

Any savvy big-kid viewer of this series could have predicted Vincent’s “creative editing” of the Adrinette interview. It’s not even the first time this trick has appeared in-series: in “Collusion”, Gabriel secretly recorded his private conversation with Andre Bourgeois and leaked an edited version to Miss Bustier to trigger her akumatization into Miss Sans-Culotte.

Vincent’s justification of what he said in his videos reminds me of “The Narcissist’s Prayer” by Dayna Craig. He never said such-and-such. And if he did, it was “sort of” the truth. And if other people acted on what he said, he’s not responsible for it, etc.

Alya’s explanation of the difference between journalists like herself and influencers like Vincent was a bit on the nose. But it could use reiteration in an era where self-professed journalists and news agencies act more like influencers, less interested in the truth than in exposure. And Alya is right about one thing: the only way to fight bad journalism is by exposing its biases and trickery.

Yours truly adores Alya’s raver e-girl undercover aesthetic. But I’m more impressed with how easily Alya got Vincent to spill his secrets. All she needed was a little flattery, and his “appointment” became an afterthought.

Alya’s reaction to Marinette’s secret is upsetting, but it makes sense. She prizes truth and openness above all things, and Marinette just embroiled her in the World’s Biggest Lie. Furthermore, her best friend had every opportunity to tell her about it, but she didn’t. Alya’s reaction makes it unlikely that Marinette will trust her secret to anyone else. If her main BFF wanted to claw her eyes out over it, followed immediately by her own, how the hell would anyone else react?!? Maybe if they weren’t in the middle of battling a supervillain, Marinette could have explained herself better, but Alya wasn’t giving her that chance. And I suspect if Alya ever finds out how Ladybug and Chat Noir essentially brainwashed her to forget what she learned, she’ll be even angrier, even though she essentially asked for it.

At least we can say this for the ending: enabling Chat Noir to broaden the power of his Cataclysm may finally allow Marinette to exorcise any lingering phantoms of Chat Blanc.

This episode’s post-closing scene featuring Lila suggests she takes a special interest in Marinette’s secrets. Taken together with Chrysalis’s activity thus far and Lila’s previous interactions with Marinette, I’m guessing her motivations for the wish and for destroying Marinette are parallel if not identical. Lila hated Marinette for being one of the few people who couldn’t see through her façade and for having the one thing her machinations couldn’t get her—namely, Adrien. Her motivations make Gabriel look almost noble.

[am-i-obsessed---maybe]

hello!!! sosoosososo sw rebels. gn reader and ezra and reader have a sibling relationship. in my mind its like zeb and ezra but tamer .. if you can somehow fit hurt/comfort into the story thatd be fun!!! but ty for reading and doing this request if you do!!! 🫶🫶

I don't know if this is tamer than Ezra and Zeb but it's kinda like a mashup of Ezra and Zeb and Ezra and Sabine. That being said be ready for my favorite Star Wars ship and the parents of the Ghost family to be very good parents.

Also Hera's voice actress also voices Black Canary on Young Justice and between this and the Shadow Of A Bluejay series I think you can tell I want her to be my mom.

Am I slightly projecting? Is the reader Autistic coded? Who knows but I found myself projecting my own communication issues on Mandalorians so...

Platonic Ezra Bridger x Mandolorian!Reader

Wordcount: 1.6k

Masterlist

"Y/N"...

"Y/N"...

The doors to your room opened but you didn't look up, you were after all very comfortable on your top bunk polishing your blaster.

"You know one micro movement and I can splatter your insides on that wall right?" You asked, still not looking up from your blaster.

"You wouldn't do that" Ezra said confidently.

"I might not mean to, seeing as you keep coming in here without knocking" You told the slightly younger boy. He rolled his eyes.

"I was calling your name" Ezra said.

"And I wasn't listening" You replied.

"Well that's not my fault" He said.

"What do you want anyway shorty?" You asked and that got to him.

"We are the same height!" He exclaimed.

"No we're not" You said calmly.

"It is by half a centimeter, it's the same height" He insisted.

"No. It's not" You reiterated.

"You know what, forget it" Ezra said, storming out of your room.

"Oh come on, you know I'm joking" You said, finally putting the blaster away and going after Ezra.

It had only been a few months since the kid joined, maybe you were a bit too comfortable with your teasing but you thought it was a game.

"Ezra come back here!" You yelled after the little streak of blue hair you saw running out of the open hull of the Ghost.

"What's going on here exactly?" Hera asked, she'd heard yelling and saw Ezra run off.

"He just ran off!" You told her but she raised a brow in question.

"Okay, maybe there was some teasing but he came into my room without knocking. That's against the rules" You told her.

"You gotta let up on him, he's not used to... well to you yet. And you can be a lot sometimes kid" She said. You supposed she was right. She was far from the first person to tell you that.

Still you looked out at the direction that Ezra ran to. You were parked by a mountain with some caves on Lothal, decently far from any major cities and very much in the middle of nowhere so he had to come back sooner or later... right?

Later came and he still wasn't back. It was getting closer to sunset and you were getting worried.

"He'll be back before sundown, don't worry so much" Kanan told you as you paced the hull of the Ghost. He still wasn't back. He must have been really mad at you.

You grumbled, "I didn't mean to upset him so much, really I— I just—"

"Hey" Kanan said, lightly shaking your shoulder, "He'll come back and you'll tell him just that." he said.

Do you really think he'll come back?" You asked.

"It's not like he'd spend the night in a cave" Kanan said. Well nighttime rolled in and Ezra still wasn't back.

"That's it. I'm going to find him" You said, grabbing a flashlight and walking out.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Zeb asked but Kanan just shrugged.

"They're big kids, they'll figure this out themselves" He said, "Besides when was the last time it was this quiet on here?" He asked, kicking back and laying his feet on the holotable.

Chopper beeped sassily.

"Yeah well no one asked for your opinions chop" Kanan retorted.

You started by going in the direction you saw Ezra run in hours ago but it's been so long he could practically be anywhere.

"Ezra!" You called out.

"Ezra! It's me! Can you please come back?" You yelled out into the mountains and heard it echoing back.

"Great" You grumbled. You kept walking, the flashlight and the stars being the only ones lighting your way.

You eventually found Ezra, sitting in the entrance of a shallow cave carved into one of the mountains.

"Ezra?" You asked and he scooted away from you.

"What do you want?" He asked and you stopped. Every step closer to him you took he kept scooting away on the floor of the cave.

"It's dark..." You said, trailing off.

"Yeah, and what do you care?" He asked.

"Well you weren't back and everyone was worried" You answered.

"So where's everyone else?" He asked.

"Well..."

"Just leave me alone." He said.

"Look, I get it, your mad at me and maybe a crossed a line but can you please just come back to the Ghost? It's dangerous out here" You tried to tell him.

"I'm fine. I made it out here all on my own before and I can do it again" Ezra said.

"Yeah but you don't have to. Come on Ezra, let's just go home and—"

"The Ghost is not my home!" He yelled and it echoed through the cave.

"Ezra"

"I get it, you don't like me, you don't have to pretend. Just go away and leave me alone" Ezra said, turning his back to you.

"You know what? Fine! Die alone in a cave for all I care, I'm going back to the Ghost! You do whatever you want" You said and stormed off.

When you came back to the Ghost alone Kanan looked a bit worried.

"You didn't find him?" He asked.

"Oh I found him but if he wants to be a jerk he can be a jerk in a cave." You said, walking past him and straight back to your room.

Hera, who had been sitting beside Kanan looked at him.

"Do you wanna take the moody teenager or the runaway kid?" She asked and Kanan sighed.

"I'll take the kid" He said and went out to find Ezra meanwhile Hera went to knock on your door.

It didn't take Kanan long to find Ezra, still holed up in the cave where you found him, throwing pebbles at the walls of the cave in frustration and grumbling to himself.

"Hey" Kanan said.

"Hey" Ezra replied and Kanan took a seat on the ground o the cave.

"You had us a bit worried back there" Kanan said.

"Yeah well I only go where I'm wanted." Ezra said.

"We want you on the Ghost. You know that" Kanan told him.

"Y/N obviously doesn't" The boy replied.

"Sit down" Kanan told him and Ezra turned around.

"What for?" He asked.

"Just do it" Kanan said and Ezra eventually did, sitting down beside the older Jedi.

"Why do you think Y/N doesn't want you around?" Kanan asked his padawan.

"Cause" Ezra replied.

"Cause what?" Kanan asked.

"Cause they're always such a jerk. I mean, I just wanted to ask if they wanted to hang out and they were—" "Being Y/N?" Kanan asked.

"Well yeah" Ezra replied.

"Listen, I'm gonna tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone I told you" Kanan said.

"Why?" Ezra asked.

"Cause if Y/N found out I told you they'd have my head" Kanan replied humorously before clearing his throat a bit.

"Y/N's a bit rougher around the edges than the rest of us, well except maybe Chopper" Kanan began.

"You're telling me" Ezra grumbled.

"But there's a good reason for it. They lost everything when they were really young and the Empire took over Mandalore." Kanan explained, "They survived by being tough. By not showing any weakness and the verbal sparring just came along naturally"

"So they're trying to show me they're tough?" Ezra asked.

"No, they're showing you that they think you're tough and that they care about you" Kanan explained.

"They don't talk that way to people they aren't close to or that they think are weak. And sometimes they take it too far but if anything that's because they think you can take it" He continued.

"So what? All those things are jokes to him? Cause they're not funny" Ezra told him.

"Then tell them that." Kanan told Ezra.

Meanwhile on the Ghost Hera knocked on your door.

"Y/N? May I come in?" She asked.

"Don't bother" You told her but the door still opened and Hera still came in.

"Kanan went to go get Ezra" She said.

"Good for him" You grumbled.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Hera asked and you sighed.

"He hates me" You told her.

"Ezra doesn't hate you, he's upset but he doesn't hate you" Hera said. climbing up to sit beside you on your bunk.

"Yes he does. I went too far again and he hates me" You told her and she sighed.

Ezra didn't reply, he stared off into the dark sky outside the cave.

"They went looking for you when you didn't come back. They didn't mean to go too far" Kanan told Ezra, "And sometimes Y/N doesn't always know how far to take it but trust me kid, they care about you. Heck, they care about you enough to go after you and bring you back. That's not nothing"

"Yeah, I guess" Ezra relented.

"And you care about them too" Kanan said, "Otherwise this wouldn't have bothered you so much so come on, let's get back home"

"Yeah, alright" Ezra relented.

When Kanan and Ezra got back you were awkwardly sitting beside Hera on the couch in the Ghost's lounge. Ezra didn't look particularly confident either as he walked in with Kanan.

...

"Hey" You said after a decently long silence.

"Hi" Ezra Ezra replied.

Kanan and Hera looked at each other. "Alright, we'll be in the cockpit if you need anything" Hera said, dragging Kanan along with her.

"So..." You said and Ezra took a seat beside you.

"Yeah" He said.

"I'm sorry" You both said at the same time and you chuckled.

"I didn't mean to go overboard on the teasing" You said.

"And I didn't mean to be so mean in the cave" He said.

"It's fine, I kind of deserved it. Besides I didn't actually want you to die alone in a cave" You told him.

"You know we're kind of like the siblings in this weird crew" Ezra told you.

"I've never had a younger sibling sibling before" You told him.

"And I've never had an older sibling before" Ezra said.

"So, siblings?" You asked and put your hand out.

"Siblings" Ezra agreed and shook your hand.

[jedimandalorian]

Ahsoka Episode 7 “Dreams and Madness”: The Story, the Symbolism, and the Score

Here are my notes on episode 7 of Ahsoka.

Soft, ethereal music plays as the episode begins. The score rumbles ominously under the dialogue of the opening scene and fades out as we see that Hera Syndulla is being court-martialed for disobeying orders.

The notion that this particular Star Wars story is really a children’s fairy tale is reiterated in this scene, this time by Senator Xiono: “…this report reads like a child’s fairy tale. Jedi, false Jedi, Star maps, star whales, distant galaxies. Honestly, are we to believe any of it?”

The closed captioning indicates that emotional music is playing when a beloved character from the original Star Wars trilogy appears onscreen. John Williams’ Star Wars Main Title, a.k.a. the Skywalker theme, is heard when See-Threepio enters the courtroom. The tempo of this beloved familiar theme is slower, the notes are more elongated, and the dynamic level is softer than what we are accustomed to hearing when this heroic theme is typically used. Not only does this music indicate Threepio’s association with the Skywalker family, it also represents hope, just as it did when the world first heard it back in 1977 on the soundtrack to Star Wars: A New Hope.

The incidental music continues as Threepio presents a data transcript from Senator Leia Organa saying that she personally sanctioned General Syndulla’s mission to Seatos. In this scene we discover that Leia is the leader of the New Republic’s Defense Council.

Hera’s theme is heard after she thanks Threepio for delivering his important message.

When Mon Mothma and Hera talk after the case has been dismissed, Mon wants to know how real the threat of Thrawn’s return truly is.

“We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Hera replies as the score’s rumble of low strings segues into intense drumming. Brass instruments play a brief rendition of Ahsoka’s theme as the title card and episode title appear onscreen: “Dreams and Madness.”

Purrgil calls are heard as the massive creatures, along with Ahsoka and Huyang in the T-6 shuttle, travel through hyperspace. Inside the ship we see Ahsoka training with her lightsabers while an old Clone Wars era hologram of Anakin Skywalker plays.

Huyang tells her they are nearing their destination because the star whales’ velocity is slowing down. Ahsoka has returned to the cockpit of her ship when they exit hyperspace and fly straight into a minefield surrounding Peridea. Ahsoka’s Theme and other brass and percussion-heavy action music accompany the whales’ flight through the mines. Ahsoka’s ship is attacked by enemy fighters once they are clear of the minefield.

This is followed by a segue to a scene of the Chimaera docked at the Nightsister fortress. Enoch makes a report to Thrawn about the fighters’ pursuit, and Thrawn receives a report from Morgan Elsbeth about Ahsoka’s former Jedi master’s identity. Anakin Skywalker is a threat that Thrawn has encountered before. Thrawn was, at one time, one of the handful of people who knew that Anakin Skywalker later became the infamous Sith Lord, Darth Vader.

(This tale is told in Timothy Zahn’s novel Thrawn: Alliances.)

The Grand Admiral is determined to be one step ahead of Ahsoka because he expects her to be as unpredictable and dangerous as her former master.

Gentle music plays as Ahsoka flies into the star whale graveyard and Huyang scans for Sabine’s location.

Harp music accompanies a scene change. We see the Noti pods traveling to a different location on Peridea. Ezra is driving one of the larger pods, and a Noti goes inside of the pod, switching places with Sabine, who sits next to Ezra as he drives.

“I never really thought about how much I’ve missed,” Ezra says as Sabine and the Noti baby in the next pod wave at each other. Ezra and Sabine certainly have missed out on a lot of things, especially the time they could have spent together developing their relationship, perhaps a romantic relationship that could have led (and might still lead) to marriage and children. This is the second time Sabine has noticed the Noti baby. This could be foreshadowing that she might become a mother herself one day. Quiet, gentle music accompanies Sabine and Ezra’s conversation. Ezra wants to know how Sabine found him and she replies, “It’s complicated,” a description that also applies to their relationship.

When Ezra asks about Ahsoka, a mournful quotation of Ahsoka’s theme is played by a French horn softly under their dialogue, reminding the audience that Sabine believes Ahsoka is dead, but she doesn’t tell Ezra about this for fear of the questions he might ask.

We hear intense drumming when we see Baylan and Shin riding howlers along with the red-armored bandits. Low rumbles accompany the arrival of the Great Mothers at the henge. Morgan’s Theme (the Nightsister theme) is heard as the three speak in unison, activating their golden orbs, and creating a triangle of red energy to connect them.

When Ahsoka senses Sabine through the Force and calls out to her, the Nightsisters also sense their link. They discover and reveal the location of Ahsoka and Huyang.

When Baylan and Shin find Sabine and Ezra, Baylan tells Shin to contact Thrawn and kill Sabine and Ezra then take her place in the coming Empire. “Your ambition drives you in one direction. My path lies in another,” he says.

Although Baylan’s sinister theme is heard in this scene, when Baylan makes his cryptic remarks, ethereal choral music is heard. I believe that this music is foreshadowing a mystery that this series has yet to reveal. This is a quote from my notes on the previous episode: “Choral music suggesting the mysticism of the fallen Jedi Order is heard as Baylan speaks of Peridea being a realm of ‘dreams and madness’ from old ‘children’s stories come to life.’ Once again, the viewer is reminded that we are being told a fairy tale, a myth.” The big mystery must involve the Force in some way. Perhaps Baylan is seeking a power to help him rebuild, or maybe replace, the old Jedi Order. “Impatience for victory will guarantee defeat” might be a quote he needs to remember later on.

The red garbed alien bandits riding howlers remind me of J. R. R. Tolkien’s warg-riding orcs. The music for this scene is reminiscent of Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings films, momentarily making use of similar instrumentation, harmonies, and orchestral textures.

Thrawn’s stormtroopers are sent out in Imperial patrol gunships which appear to be a visual callback to the Rebels animated series.

Intense music plays throughout the chase scene and battle that follows it, as Sabine, Ezra, and the Noti defend themselves from the red bandits. As in old Hollywood Westerns, Ezra has the Noti “circle the wagons” (pods) to make a stand. Ahsoka’s ship is shot at by the fighters as she heads towards their location. Sabine and Ezra exit their pod as Shin arrives. Ahsoka makes a sliding leap from the ship as Huyang flies close to the planet’s surface.

We hear the sound of what the Kiners call “alien war horns” as Baylan and Ahsoka’s confrontation begins. This is accompanied by intense drumming.

Sabine offers Ezra his lightsaber and one of her blasters but he refuses, claiming that the Force is his ally.

Ahsoka and Baylan duel. Shin attacks Ezra and he deflects her lightsaber with the Force alone.

Baylan: “You can’t defeat me.”

Ahsoka: “Perhaps I don’t have to.”

Fighters chase the T-6 as Huyang evades their attack. Ahsoka abandons her duel with Baylan, riding away on his howler.

Thrawn wonders why Baylan isn’t at the battle site.

Ezra saves Sabine by using a Force pull to tug her away from Shin. They are surrounded by stormtroopers. Ezra comically tries to convince them to take them as prisoners.

Ahsoka arrives. Ezra and Sabine shoot and blow up several troopers while Shin and Ahsoka fight.

Back at the henge, Thrawn views the mission as a success but Morgan only sees their enemies reunited. The mysterious cargo transfer to the Chimaera is almost complete. We learn that the attack was to keep Thrawn’s enemies distracted. He believes time is on his side.

When the troopers battling the heroes are given orders to move out, Ahsoka tells Shin to surrender her weapon and even offers her help but Shin runs away.

Sabine’s theme is heard when she says “Ahsoka—I thought you were dead.” Ahsoka hugs Ezra. Ezra says he has a feeling that he might be going home after all. One lovely character moment that stood out in this scene was when Ezra comforted a Noti by holding hands with the little creature and speaking quietly to it, like a father soothing a frightened child. (I know I watch every episode with shipper goggles on, but was this more foreshadowing?)

The music here is a version of the end credits music, the variant of Ahsoka’s theme that is heard when all seven of the golden lines on the map reach Peridea. I think that the seven lines may represent Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, Huyang, Baylan, Shin, and Morgan. All of the main pieces have been assembled on the board, but who is the chess master? Is it Thrawn, or is it the three Nightmothers who were named after the Fates themselves?

[laurelslegacy]

Rebel’s shorts:

Will it turn into a whole story? Oh likely, most likely a lemon chap.

Just been moving and not really able to work on anything at all sans packing.

Way too hot:

“AGH!” It was accompanied by the crunch of yet ANOTHER datapad being destroyed,the string of curses in a wide range of languages accompanying it.

Kallus took a slow deep breath “What is wrong Garazeb?” clearly the use for the full name paired with the lack of compassionate tone was telling to his lack of care. Then again there was FEW creatures that could handle this heat, humans least of all but all furred beings had been relived and yet there was Garazeb, one moment BOASTING how Lasat were from a desert planet and now unable to handle the heat of Yavin 4. Having collapsed three times from heat exhaustion and included at least two hours of IV hydration its was quite clear Zeb was not handling the heat. They had not taken into account the thickness and the weight of the wet heat felt.

Kallus was as sympathetic as he could be. His furred lover had to hate this place, yet never quite expressed it. On the Glimmer Kallus did his best to keep it cool but that required fuel…

He found that Zeb more often than naught had a few frozen packs with him. Happy to snuggle in close so long as he had the pack with him.

But there was the “incident” after many arguments and lectures-

Teeth bared and the desk thrown with inhuman power, Zeb snarled.

“Back down” was the Green Twi’lek’s command. Hera Sendulla had her eyes squarely on Zeb, nearly half his size but her command was not wavering.

Zeb’s nostrils flared, he growled but backed down.

“Go see Kallus.” was her only command. There was a growl, deep, dark.”Go see Kallus.” she reiterated and with a snort Zeb relinquished.

The story was told by Sabine later, Garazeb had returned with a water soaked blanket in and Dropped it on the Twi’lek yelling “that’s what it’s like!”

And the response, well she had suspended Zeb for a week on the Glimmer.

“Some of us still have work.” Kallus rose naked from the shared bed, ice packs scattered about like confetti to keep the two cooler. Zeb grumbles “and I expect supper to be ready.”

“ I ain’t yer maid.” The grumbled sounds of an already panting and heated Lasat came from the bed.

“Actually “ Kallus paused to pull up a foot and adjust his blaster straps “ as you are kicked off the Ghost, you are.” It earned him a gutheral growl Kallus only chuckled at.

[grxceful-ly]

It was bound to happen and/or ventress goes back in time AU for the ask game! 😁

thank you for the ask my sabezra queen 🧎‍♀️

it was bound to happen (wanted to reiterate that this is secret dating sabezra, not fake dating, i cannot type apparently)

He was considering voicing these thoughts to the others. They’d appreciate it. He’d learned to reflect on moments like this, especially after losing the memories of his parents to time. And he opened his mouth to do just that, except—  “Heraaaa,” Sabine started, this cute, pouty frown on her face, “have you seen my boyfriend? I can’t find him.” Ezra stopped right in his tracks, mouth half open, eyebrows shooting up.

ventress time travel au (screams this fic is such a monstrous undertaking for me so i'm glad i got to write a little today)

And now she had to exist in a world where Quinlan Vos didn’t know who she was. A world where he might not even get a taste of the dark side if he never got a taste of Asajj Ventress.

[luciana-morningstar]

One-Shot

Rating this like a PG-13/M for implied nudity and implied activities. Nothing graphic.

Donatello x Fem OC (INFM)

Contains Spoilers for Fic

Aged up Characters

:: Strained ::

Luciana pressed her palm flat against the biometric scanner next to the large thick metal doors to her husband's lab.

With a funny little sing song beep the doors whooshed open, allowing her within.

"Donnie?" She called out as she entered the massive room. He was probably seated at his giant monitor screens. Like she usually found him. Occasionally he was hunched over some contraption, welding something together, fiddling with numerous wires, staring at blueprints and schematics. But most of the time he was seated in front of the two massive monitor screens and the touch panel that went with them.

Today was a typical day.

She noticed his hands move across the touch panel, flicking aside various charts, readings, sometimes one would flick up onto one of the screens to remain fixed in place.

That's all she could see of him as she approached, his hands, deftly moving across the smooth surface.

"Love, come eat something and maybe take a break? You have been at it for hours." She reached around the back of his large rolling chair to gently caress the back of his neck with her knuckles, gliding her fingers down to his shoulders where she massaged at the tightly knotted muscles there.

She smiled at his soft sigh in response to her kneading fingers. His own hands stopped moving across the touch panel so he could focus on her.

"I'm almost done." He told her, his voice cracked dryly and his words slurred slightly from his groggy state of mind.

"You said that three hours ago. You have been up since three in the morning." Luciana's lips turned down in a frown, her brows knitting in frustration.

"I'm almost done. No one else knows how to run this system but me. I know I said I was almost done three hours ago but I mean it. Now, if you do not mind. I would like some peace and quiet. " He reiterated, this time his tone sharpening with the rest of his tyraid. She knew that tone. Stubborn softshell.

"Donatello Hamato-Morningstar." Lux felt her teeth click as her jaw clenched.

"Luciana Sabine Morningstar." His ire washed over her like a tidal wave, frigid and dark like the sea itself.

Luciana's hands froze in place, still resting on his shoulders. Where Donatello's irritation and anger always manifested in icy fractles, her anger, her irritation, blazed like an inferno.

She felt her canines lengthen, her horns, wings and tails manifesting in an instant, the latter lashing the air like whips. If he turned he would look into blood red orbs instead of evergreen.

"Fine. Have it your way." She felt her lips lift in a disdainful snarl as she spun on her heel and stormed from the room.

It was slow to start, little by little she could feel through their bond the chilly wasteland of his irritation with her disappearing in clouds of steam as if warm water had doused the glacial surface of his emotional state, melting it away and leaving him laid bare to her again.

He was exhausted.

He was mentally drained.

He was remorseful.

Luciana pinched at the bridge of her nose as she stopped in the corridor a few feet from the lab doors that were opening with another whoosh.

Donatello's arms circled around her from behind and he rested his cheek against the top of her head, avoiding the rigid and rough edges of her horns.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her wine red tresses, she could feel him breathing in her scent deeply, as if it were his oxygen and his arms around her were the only things keeping him planted firmly on the ground.

"What was that?" The corners of her petal pink lips twitched ever so slightly upward.

She felt a soft rumble vibrate in his plastron that was pressed against her back as much as he could with her wings in the way. He cleared his dry throat before answering her again a little more firmly.

"I said... I'm sorry."

Lux lifted her hands to grasp at his, still wrapped around her. She spun in the circle of his arms and then let go of his hands so he could rest them on the flare of her hips.

She looked up into his bloodshot eyes, the red veins striking against his pale yellow sclera, the dark chocolate brown of his irises warm and familiar to her again.

"I wish you wouldn't get so prickly. I'm your wife, it's my job to pull you away from your work when you have clearly over taxed yourself. It's my job to take care of you. It's my j-" her ranting was abruptly halted as Don leaned down to claim her lips with his own, chaste at first but it never remained that way for long with them.

His hands kneaded gently at her hips and pulled her closer to him, pressing her firmly against his plastron as their kiss increased in its heat, beginning a steady blaze within them both.

Lux pulled away slightly, nipping at his lip as she did so, eliciting a small desperate moan from him, his hands moving to rub small circles at the small of her back, his forehead bumping against hers.

"Come eat something, I know you are hungry." She nuzzled the tip of her nose against his beak and she heard a faint contented chuff in response from him.

"You are right as always." He smiled at her. She couldn't hold back the small laugh that escaped her.

"Oh? The genius himself admits defeat? That the woman he married is right? What a day. I shall write this on my calendar to remember it fondly for years to come."

"The only time I will ever allow myself to be wrong is in regard to you. You are the exception." His smile turned lopsided and she returned it candidly.

"C'mon. After you eat, and, take a nap. I will make you a pot of coffee and you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. But i want you to take a solid nap. At least four hours. No less." Luciana turned and grasped his larger hand in her own, pulling him down the corridor. Her wings disappeared in a 'poof' of black glittery snoke but her horns and tails remained.

"I've decided I will not be going back to what I was doing. I have other plans now." Don followed behind her, still relatively groggy but she could feel him prodding gently at her mind with his own.

She furrowed her brow but let her mental wall fall down only to be bombarded by image after image from him. Nothing but pale opaline and textured green skin, glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, tangled limbs and torn and tattered clothing.

Luciana whipped around and was met with a self satisfied smirk pulling at the corners of the spunky softshell's lips. His eyes, though weary, were hooded and dark with undisguised desire.

"My my. Someone has quite the.....productive... evening planned. I will have to have a look at my schedule to see if I am available to....assist you." Her own smile became coy, her canines lengthening with anticipation. She squealed as she was unexpectedly pulled back towards him by their joined hands.

Luciana sucked in a sharp breath as Don leaned down to nip at his own mark on her neck, his breath chilling her now heated skin as it tickled her just under her ear.

"Clear your non-existent schedule, sugar. I want you all to myself. No interruptions." His still rasping voice had deepened in tone, his lips, feather light, brushed against her flushing skin at the corner of her jaw.

Damn him and that pet name. He knew how to wield one singular word with cunning expertise. Leaving her to melt into a puddle at his feet.

Damn him.

Lux shivered and pulled back from him again and narrowed her luminous green eyes, tugging on his hand again.

"Stop distracting me. I'm attempting to feed you." She said with a half hearted huff of annoyance.

"Oh, please do. I know exactly what I would like to devour at this very moment." He flashed her a toothy grin, his own sharp canines glinting in the soft torch light of the corridor they were...slowly...making their way down.

"Youuuuu. Knock it off." Lux laughed pulling him forward again. He followed more readily this time, his expression resuming into a lazy smile as he allowed his wife to lead him to the kitchen in this particular wing of the castle.

Lux smiled to herself and mentally shook her head. She knew without a single doubt that as soon as his head hit the pillow he would be out for the rest of the day. And that was fine by her. He needed it more than anyone here.

"I can hear you." Don told her as she pulled him into the kitchen and made him sit at the large island on one of the bar stools there.

"I know." She grinned impishly at him as she turned to the fridge and opened it to peer within.

She could feel her husband's eyes on her but she could also feel his exhaustion pulling him down as well so she found something easy and quick for him to eat.

She set a container of sushi down in front of him and watched his brown eyes light up briefly before he eagerly opened the container and accepted the chopsticks she offered from across the bar.

"Stay." She told him firmly, pointing at him before she turned and left the kitchen, wandering down to their room so she could close the blackout curtains for him and turn down the bed. She picked up the remote and turned the T.V. on, selecting one of the various shows that he tended to binge watch to play as white noise for him. By the time she was done and returned to the kitchen he had finished his meal and was scrolling on his phone, probably texting Leo or April.

He looked up at her when he heard her approach.

"I stayed." He smiled at her, already looking like he felt a little better and less 'walking dead.'

Lux walked around the island to him, patting his cheek affectionately before leaning forward to peck a soft kiss there as well.

"Good boy. Come on." She grasped his hand again and pulled him from the kitchen down the hallway, back to their room.

"Remember. At least four hours. No less." She waggled her finger at him as he pulled off his shirt, pressing a tiny button on the black eight pointed star that clung to his plastron, causing the armor that wrapped over his shoulders and his shell to contract like he was in some dark version of an Iron Man suit. He pulled off the black arm wraps he tended to wear and left his dark gray joggers on.

"Four hours at minimum. Got it." He nodded, climbing under the weighted satin comforter. Lux smiled as she watched him gaze at the T.V. for a fraction of a second before, like clockwork, his eyelids drooped and drooped until they closed completely and his breathing evened out and deepened, the faintest snores could be heard mere minutes after.

"Called it." Lux said to herself as she sat down on the couch to scroll her own phone. "And record timing too." She snickered softly, glancing at his peaceful serene expression while he slept dreamlessly.

[mademoiselleclipon]

 Yannick Schuette / Freda + Woolf  / Mariam Adekunle

[scintillulae]

[multi-lefaiye]

to round off my gas station posting for the night. have some picrews of my six faves (i.e. the characters i care about the most). also with some headcanons to go with each!! under the cut b/c i feel bad about how long my rambles have been ASDFJKL;

friendly reminder, these are based on my interpretations of the characters, and you’re allowed to disagree with me! unless you’re a dick, in which case i know more than you.

picrew link: [link]

Jack Townsend - demi-biromantic asexual trans man (also polyamorous <3)

[Image Description: A picrew of Jack Townsend from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Jack is a man with pale skin and medium-length, dark, somewhat messy hair. He has wide eyes with deep shadows under them, a small beard, and pierced ears. Jack is wearing an orange shirt under a grey jacket with a furry collar. Behind him are the bisexual and trans flags, with a white circle around his head and surrounded by white hearts. End ID.]

Jerry Pascal - the only word I can really think of to summarize him is queer tbh--he’s queer in his gender, in his orientation,,, everything.

[Image Description: A picrew of Jerry Pascal from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Jerry is a man with pale, freckled skin and long, fluffy, pale blond hair. He has a smirk on his face and a small beard, and his ears have multiple gold piercings. Jerry is wearing a yellow t-shirt with a sun printed across it and a brown flannel. Behind him is the queer flag, along with a white circle and several white stars. End ID.]

Rosa Vasquez - biromantic asexual trans woman (unfortunately shown without the pink streaks in her hair :’( )

[Image Description: A picrew of Rosa Vasquez from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Rosa is a dark-skinned woman with long, dark hair that hangs loosely around her shoulders. She has a wide smile on her face, and her eyes are closed. Her ears are pierced with pink, heart-shaped studs, and she wears a flower-patterned, yellow button-up and a black choker. Behind Rosa are the bi and trans flags, as well as a white circle around her head and several white hearts. End ID.]

Antonio “Tony” Vargas - grey-aromantic gay man (I do really like the idea of him being non-binary as well but I am still thinking about that) (also Vargas is my headcanon surname for him dw about it)

[Image Description: A picrew of Antonio from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Antonio is a dark-skinned man with curly brown hair and a short beard, as well as bags under his eyes. He has a skeptical expression on his face and a notch in his right eyebrow, as well as multiple gold piercings in his ears. He’s wearing a yellow button-up shirt over a black undershirt, under a dark jacket with a furred collar. Behind him are the aromantic and mlm flags, as well as a white square around his head. End ID.]

Spencer Middleton - non-binary aroace mlm (I have a lot more thoughts about his orientation but I don’t want to turn this into a thesis paper)

[Image Description: A picrew of Spencer Middleton from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Spencer is a pale-skinned man with long red hair and a short beard. He has a wide smirk on his face, showing his sharp teeth, and a splatter of blood across his face. His ears are pierced with red studs, and he wears a black suit with a red tie. Behind him are the aroace and mlm flags, as well as an abstract white design similar to a sun. End ID.]

Amelia O’Brien - non-binary demiromantic lesbian (I also have further thoughts about her orientation but again. Don’t wanna make this a big thesis paper.)

[Image Description: A picrew of Amelia O’Brien from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Amelia is a dark-skinned woman with her black hair styled into cornrows and pulled up into a ponytail. She has a slightly perplexed, tired smile on her face and silver studs in her ears. She is wearing a black undershirt under an open, cream-colored shirt. Behind her are the sunset lesbian and demiromantic flags, as well as a white circle around her head. End ID.]

And as a bonus! A character that is just Headcanons for me! My girl Sabine <3

Sabine Lemoyne - pan-aroace non-binary woman (I have a lot of thoughts for Sabine but again. No thesis here. Also Lemoyne is my headcanon surname for her as well)

[Image Description: A picrew of Sabine from the Tales From the Gas Station series, shown from the shoulders up and looking to the right. Sabine has tan, freckled skin and dark hair pulled back into a bun, as well as a wide smile on her blushing face. She has gold piercings in her ears, including heart-shaped studs, and she wears a black choker with a low-cut, black shirt under a red button-up. Behind her are the pan and aroace flags, as well as a white circle around her head and several white hearts. End ID.]

[yourmumsc0ck]

Friends?

Summary: Sabine gets a bit jealous when you run into an old friend

Sabine Wren x Fem!GhostCrewR (she/her used)

Word count: 2.2k

"When you said 'I know a place'," Sabine mumbles, looking around the back alley with a hint of wariness, "I didn't know you meant a place to get murdered."

"Never thought I'd hear a Mandalorian so worried for their own safety," I smirk, taking a few more well-versed turns and jumps to get through the cramped space.

"It's just that I saw a nice enough place out on the main square," she continues, "but instead-"

"-instead, I'm taking you to the best bar this side of the west spice triangle," I reiterate what I had told her earlier. Honestly, I'm taking her this far because I just wanted us to get away from the others for once.

She pauses, turning the final corner right behind me. Rapid blurs of holo-ads and brightly-illuminated signs envelope the small dead end. She appears uncertain at first, but her curiosity soon grows, "How do we get in?"

"No travellers 'find' this place, so the only ones who use the front door are Imps. The bell on the door may as well be an alarm siren," to our right, I push back a few weathered shirts hanging on a washing-line, before pulling a large metal panel (discreetly screwed onto hinges) aside. With the press of a well-worn blue button, the back door a few steps below slides open silently. I gesture her forwards, "After you, madam."

"Shut up," she lightly shoves me down the steps ahead of her, closing up the entrance behind us. As we walk through, she still appears sceptical, "I'm still not sure why we're here: it doesn't seem... safe."

"So, I'm sure you'll fit right in," I laugh lightly, as we navigate the small underpass, "Anyways, everyone in the system knows this place. It may as well be folk lore."

We approach a final door, which has another dented blue button. Above, hangs a small red and blue sign: 'FLAYZ DROID REPAIR SHOP, SPA RETREAT, EATERY AND NAVI-MAP UPGRADERS'.

"Business owners needed to diversify 'round here," I explain, before ducking slightly to enter. Immediately, we're hit by a wall of sound, flashing lights and the distinct smell of cheap alcohol. I lean down, basically yelling into her ear to be heard, "You needed to have some fun."

"So you took me to a party?! We could've blown up few imperial transports and that would've worked too," she complains, her freshly-dyed hair flopping into her eyes. Looking around, she seems warily suspicious of anyone who even glances our way.

"Everyone in here is a name you would recognise one way or another," I ignore her previous comments, ordering us two drinks. The bustling floor moves constantly, never fixing in a constant position for more than a second.

Just as I do, a hand clasps my shoulder, "(Y/N)? No... it can't be!"

I turn, meeting the piecing eyes of a long-missed blonde, "Vel, it been so long!"

I immediately hug her, which is reciprocated warmly. We talk for a moment, until she looks over my shoulder and smiles warmly, "And I see you have befriended a Mandalorian."

"Oh, right, of course," me eyes widen, realising that I had completely forgotten to introduce them, "Vel Sartha, this is Sabine Wren."

She's usually the polite conversational type, but I see a firmly-set stare blazing Vel's way. She nods stiffly after a moment, only adjusting her deflector cuffs between her fingers.

"She's not always the most talkative, sorry," I lie, trying to relieve the slightly awkward tension which had momentarily settled.

"No worries, I- have you redone your hair! Again!" Vel reaches up, bringing my now shimmering blue hair - which is done up in its usual mix of plaits, interweaving braids and flowing loose sections - to the light. She admires it for a second, "It suits you. Better than that horrible red you did back at school, that's for sure."

"No, no that was your fault. You mixed the wrong amount of both sachets and turned half my hair a sludgy green!" a retort, laughing as the waiter hands us our drinks. She joins my laughter, placing a light hand on my forearm as she smiles humorously.

"So, what brings you two to this end of the galaxy? No less Flayz?" she questions as she takes a sip of her drink, looking up at me from the rim of her glass.

"Oh, well Sabine here needed to have a bit of fun for once," I turn and gesture to the Mandalorian beside me. However - despite her earlier amusedly sarcastic reaction to my almost identical comment - her face is set in a solid stone expression, her eyebrows narrowed above her darkened eyes.

"Your plan seems to be going amazingly," Vel smirks, watching the two of us closely with a light, mischievous glimmer shimmering in her eyes. She sets the glass down on the bar top and places a light hand on top of mine, finding the thick, painted band on my fore-finger and tracing over it lightly. Smiling, she says, "Well, sadly my transport back to Chandrila is here soon; you should really visit sometime. Bring friends: I'd love to meet who you run with now."

"Mhm, you'll love them. We're quite a... rabble," I smile, looking back to Sabine. Her thoroughly distasteful - bordering on almost loathful - look averts from Vel to me for a split second. However, in this short time her eyes soften slightly and her expression relaxes minutely at the mention of our family on the Ghost.

"I'm sure I will: you always had a knack for finding the right kinds of people," the Chandrilan states with a faintly knowing smile.

"And what's that meant to mean?" I quirk an eyebrow in questioning, taking a small gulp of my colourful drink.

"Oh," her eyes dart over my shoulder to Sabine for a moment, before she gives me a teasing smile, "You know exactly what I mean."

And with a short hug and peck on the cheek, she disappears out into the dense fog of drunk party goers. I smile to myself, happy that I had bumped into such an old and good friend.

"I think we should go," Sabine states, downing the last of her rather strong drink. I turn to face her, watching how she avoids all direct eye contact as she fiddles around with all of the clips and buttons on her armour.

"Look, I'm sorry, Sabine," my shoulders sag slightly as I reach out to her arm reassuringly. We'd known each other for enough time now that she was comfortable with these small tactile advances, yet she now intentionally moves her arm out of the way to scratch the back of her neck. My hand drops, as I look into the bottom of my empty glass, "I know this isn't really your scene."

"Everyone in here is a criminal," she states.

"Including us, don't forget," I point out.

"But we're not those types of criminals: we're not imminently dangerous."

"Those explosives on your belt say otherwise."

"She was dangerous," Sabine says, after a moment as she gestures to the third glass on the bartop.

"Vel? Vel's not dangerous," I huff, wishing I had another drink to 'sip' on, "impulsive and reckless maybe, but not dangerous."

"I know the eyes of a criminal," she says firmly, "and she... the way she looked at you... she..."

"How did she look at me, Sabine?" I ask, confused.

"With these narrowed eyes, and smirk that may as well have had fangs and a Loth-snake's tongue..." she insists, in the nervous way where she trips over her smaller words so they end up all in a garbled mess of almost indiscernible nonsense, "she just... she wasn't safe."

"So you care deeply for my safety now, hm?" I tease, a small smile playing on my lips.

"What?! No!" she says a little too quickly and rehearsed.

"No?" I repeat, quizzically.

"No, I do care, but she had her hands all over you, and you were all distracted by that smooth voice she had, and that look. She could've injected you with anything. Or maybe she would've stabbed you or slipped something in your drink. Or a tracker. Or on that ring that I made you that she was so obviously fascinated by-" she reaches down and begins to check the brightly decorated ring for any sign of tampering.

She continues to incessantly ramble and fuss, "-Or in your hair. Or when she kissed your cheek in that brief hug that she wanted to run from so quickly. She ran like she was like a criminal escaping from a crime scene. What if her lipstick had a chemical agent in it? Poison, toxins, nano-droids -"

Her hand was now resting on my cheek, as the pad of her thumb rubs lightly over my cheekbone as she checks for anything. As her jumbled and stumbling speech comes to an apparent end, she almost freezes at the moment she realises her position. Her eyes widen in alarm, yet her hand stays firmly where it is, as if trying not to startle me.

"You think the cousin of the Chandrilan senator... has nano-droids in her lipstick?" I question, a breathy laugh escaping my slightly parted lips.

"You can never be too sure. And we're rebels: we're not mean to trust people," she explains, slowing her speech to control what she says, "And I don't like her, no less trust her."

"Well, you trust me. So, maybe," I begin, knowing that a small - but definitely noticeable - smirk had emerged on my lips, "you're just jealous that I have other friends-"

"-Friends?!" she exclaims, earning a look from a pair of twi'lek party goers walking by. She swallows stiffly, glancing awkwardly to the side, "She didn't look at you like a friend. No one is that tactile with just a friend."

"Really? So, only like your hand, which is still on my cheek," maybe it's the rainbow liquor talking, or I'm just feeling bolder than usual, "and those looks you've been giving me for a while now."

Her eyes immediately widen and her jaw slackens only slightly. Her breath catches as she quickly pulls her hand away, readjusts a panel of armour and suddenly finds the rim of her deflector cuff immensely fascinating, "I... I haven't been... you're..."

"Sabine..." I trace my fingers over the bright paint work on her forearm. Her chest heaves steadily, still unable to meet my eyes, "it's okay."

Despite not specifying what was okay, we both knew what I meant: it was okay that we weren't just friends, even if we never said it out loud. She finally looks at me, her shoulders sagged and her fiddling ceased. She seemed relieved, as if a trade cart of spare parts had been lifted from her back. The inward ends of her eyebrows curve up, like the always did when she was wondering what to say.

I don't mind the silence: we've got other times to fill the gaps. Strands of her hair had fallen into her eyes, so I brush them away with a short tuck behind her ear.

Another pause.

Neither of us knew what to do now. Maybe I should say something. No, I should definitely say something, even if the silence was nice.

"I don't want to make things weird between us, but I do really like you," I admit, knowing backing down from those feelings was the coward's route, "and-

"-it's not weird," she interjects, her features suddenly becoming animated from their previously statuesque state. Reaching up to meet my hand, her fingers interlace through mine as she leans into my light touch, "because, I... I li-"

"-Spectre 2 to spectre 5, spectre 2 to spectre 5," the all too familiar voice of Hera cuts into both of our coms. The bubble around seems to pop, as the raucous rampage of noise around us becomes audible again.

Sabine sighs, eyes meeting mine with a humorous twinkle, "Copy, Spectre 5. What's going on over there?"

"Long story short, Ezra, Zeb and Chop went on a supply run into town," she knows she needn't say more, because we immediately exchanged a look of knowing, "We'll pick you up on the corner of sector B72."

"Copy that, Spectre 2. We'll be there."

"We? Oh, so you are with (Y/N)..." Hera replies, her voice teasing. After a moment, she continues, though her voice is a bit distant, "Pay up, Kanan."

"Seriously! They could just be getting supplies!" the equally distant voice of Kanan exclaims with exasperation.

"Spectre 2, Spectre 7," Hera comes back into clearer audio, "Where are you?"

Sabine's eyes widen, "Oh, uh, just looking for repair parts-"

"We're having a drink at a bar half a click south of the rendezvous," I cut in, rolling my eyes at her lame attempt at lying, "we'll be there soon, Spectre 2."

"I told you so, Kanan!" Hera exclaims, evidently proud of her accomplishment.

"Ugh, seriously!" Kanan grumbles in a way that I can almost picture his expression, "Maybe they're just there as friends."

"I thought the Jedi weren't meant to lie, love," Hera laughs, as the faint whir of the engines springs to life.

"I'm not..." Kanan responds, though evidently not convinced by his own words.

"At least I have the balls to admit I like her, Spectre 1," I laugh, pulling Sabine along behind me as we exit the bar into the alley, "maybe you should take a leaf out of my book."

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “The Lost Commanders”

After the harrowing peril of the premiere we settle in for a more laid-back and chill adventure with some old familiar faces.

We open with the Rebels discussing what to do next, after the shankening that Vader handed them last episode.

(And let’s appreciate for a moment how, if not for becoming distracted by Ahsoka, Vader would have completely decimated Phoenix Cell in its entirety by himself.)

Ezra blurts out his ideas before remembering that he needs to have a modicum of proper decorum.  (I love his awkward little salute and Sabine shaking her head all cutely long-suffering.)  Clearly he feels comfortable enough to be himself in this formal, militarized environment.

“You are never shy with your opinions, Ezra Bridger,” has all the hidden consternated tones of, “Why did we let this feral gremlin child into the Rebelllion.” lol, Sato is just so confounded that this is his life now, he’s the commander of ragtag teams with literal fifteen year olds.

This episode is the first of what I’m going to affectionately call the “Friendship Fetch Quests”, in which we go have mildly interesting adventures and do something seemingly innocuous that gains us an ally that will wind up being important later.  Season Two is mostly this, if we’re honest.  We go to this location, we do this character’s Loyalty Mission, we gain them as an asset to call upon later.  It fits very well with the overall theme of connection and family, of making friendships and bridges that benefit the cause.  Ezra’s unique Force ability is literally the power to connect, so it makes perfect thematic sense that the show emphasizes the connections made to bring so many disparate people together and unite them in the fight against the Empire.

Anyway, Ahsoka decides to aim the Ghost crew at Rex, not telling Kanan beforehand that she’s sending him to meet some clones which is... a bit of a questionable decision.

“There are questions... questions that need answering.”  Aaaaaand take a shot every time there’s a Lord of the Rings shoutout in this show, we’re gonna be seeing a lot of them.

The fanfare is slightly altered this episode, vaguely TCW-sounding?

The Ghost suffers a Plot Contrivance so that Hera and Chopper can stay in orbit while the rest go down to the planet.  And MY GOSH this is pretty.

I know I keep harping on the soft, watercolor-like quality of the textures but seriously, the Ralph McQuarrie style is all over these backgrounds.

Ralph McQuarrie being one of the original concept artists for the OT; his designs and art style were largely recycled, reused, and repurposed for Rebels.

You can already tell Kanan is suspecting what they’re about to encounter.

Multiple other people have already pointed out that the AT-TE has a lot of Studio Ghilbi Howl’s Moving Castle vibes.  I’m just gonna reiterate them.

I love this moment right here with no music or dialogue, just the soft sound of the wind chimes.  Very zen.  Very lovely atmosphere.

I still haven’t actually seen TCW in its entirety, full disclosure, so I was not nearly as excited about this reveal as the Tari Husband was.

(He was sooo excited, lemme tell ya.)

HGKAJHSFKAHSFSA KANAN BEING CONFRONTED WITH A WALKING PTSD TRIGGER FROM HIS PAST AND HIS IMMEDIATE FIRST THOUGHT IS TO STEP IN FRONT OF HIS PADAWAN.

A couple people have pointed it out but Kanan’s posture here is mirrored to Depa’s in the Kanan: The Last Padwan comics.  (AKA the superior tragic Kanan backstory *glares at The Bad Batch*)  One hand forward, one hand with lightsaber back, shielding the padawan.

Love that.

Lol awww, Ezra being excited about the Gen 1 Clone Trooper helmet and then disappointed when Rex tells him not to touch it.

Kinda dig that Ezra’s the one doing the talking.  Kanan has obvious issues with clones but Ezra doesn’t have that bias, and he’s naturally likable, so it’s easy for Rex to give in to him, at least somewhat.

*continues to grumble about The Bad Batch retconning Rex’s characterization here*

No, listen, this is why new writers need to be given refresher courses on the characters before they come on board and shows with interconnected continuities need to have detailed arc and plot maps to follow, sure we can infer and theorize that something or other sapped Rex of his motivation and drive to fight but then that’s fandom carrying the water and doing the work for the writers and I hate that, don’t do the writers’ work for them we deserve better than that!

*ahem*

But I’ll refrain from going into that rant.

Kanan’s expression. :(  He hates every minute of this.

This is a nice dolly shot around here.

THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION. :(

Ezra the empath, trying to understand why his master is so agitated.  How he shrinks slightly when Kanan yells.  How Kanan says he doesn’t want to discuss it but does so anyway because Ezra just has that effect on people?

THE ABSOLUTE PAIN AND RAW EMOTION IN KANAN’S VOICE AS HE TALKS ABOUT ORDER 66 AND WATCHING HIS MASTER DIE.

*grumbles a little bit about TCW Season Seven making this line of Rex’s into more of a self-cope than the honest truth*

This whole sequence with the Joopa hunt is technically completely superfluous but it’s soooooo much fun. :D

The camerawork, the dialogue, the animation, the sound design and music, the Old West adventure-feel of it, the badass little moments and characterization bits for Sabine and Zeb and Kanan and Ezra...

It just makes me smile.

Speaking of the music though, this has such a classic Hollywood sound.  Bombastic strings and brass, soaring into high notes and dancing.

(Favorite bit of this sequence is Kanan kick-jumping his rod into Ezra’s hands and Ezra immediately turning around and jamming them both into the line.)

Sweet.

This shot. <333

Zeb deciding to roll with Gregor’s compliment. <333

A brief snippet of Ezra’s theme here, when Kanan calls Hera.  I’m actually not going to grumble about Hera’s backstory later being filled in a little, that was undefined enough that the fleshing out didn’t change anything vital.

Instead I’m going to note this very pretty flute line here.

Rex and Ezra’s friendship is criminally underrated.  I bet Rex sees shades of a younger Ahsoka in him and Ezra just sees a cool old guy with great stories, another strong male influence for a teenage boy who needs them.

Ezra still can’t help talking Kanan up though.

<3333

Ezra playing peacekeeper.  (Not for the last time.)

As I said, still haven’t fully watched TCW but I do appreciate that Wolffe and Gregor are both obviously damaged by their wartime experiences, Gregor by going just slightly batty, Wolffe by being a paraonoid anxiety wreck, white bites the Rebels when he calls the Empire.  Rex having to remind him, “[The Jedi] weren’t the ones that betrayed us.” and “The war is over.” are like so many self-regulating mantras he must have practiced, to remind both him and the others of the truth.  The chip’s influence lingers, even though they’ve all had it removed.

Ezra looking between Rex and Kanan like an anxious child in the middle of a custody battle lol.

This sequence is loose with the animation, bouncy like the first season, but the quick movements and shot choices emphasize the frantic nature of them needing to shoot the probe.

A veeery small excerpt of the Imperial March here as we close out.

This episode (and it’s following companion) is soooo rewatchable.  It has the fun chill vibe of the first season with an emphasis on heavier character development and background stakes.  The clones are well-integrated into the plot, used mostly to trigger and discuss Kanan’s personal traumas, while also hinting at the crap the clones have gone through themselves.  There’s an almost self-defensive anger in Rex’s voice when he insists, “I didn’t betray my Jedi. [...] We all have a choice.” because for the clones... they didn’t.

I’m one of the people who likes the chips, who likes it being literally mind control rather than just genetic conditioning that turned the clones on the Jedi, like in Legends.  The way I tend to sum it up is thus:

With Order 66 being just one order in many that the clones followed unquestioningly because they’re just that loyal and obedient, it makes the clones seems more monstrous.  With it being a literal brainwashing device overriding their free will, it makes Palpatine more monstrous.

That he would choose clones instead of droids, because the Jedi would see the clones as human, as friends, as worthy of protecting and fighting alongside, and thus would be more blindsided, and the clones would be loyal and dependable friends right up until the chip kicked in and blanked them out, giving no warning, snaring the Jedi into the perfect deathtrap...

Hgnnnh the feels.

Ezra-as-everyone’s-therapist would continue through the season but for now let me just appreciate that Kanan’s issues are so deeply rooted it takes a few episodes to solve, lol.

Anyway, this episode is great.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Apparently, Qilin was censored in France by TF1 (it's cut 3 minutes, essentially the part to see how and why Sabine got akumatised) because it's give a bad view about policemans and RATP controllers and the thread Thomas tweeted about that...it's just talking to say nothing in the end and it's also kinda say that children are stupid, he would have just contented with "It was a decision of TF1".

The thread link : https://twitter.com/Thomas_Astruc/status/1500492926081765383?t=0q3PkgDOP8KHmlnkKZFNXQ&s=19

(The tweet in question)

I always love how Astruc has to go on these long tangents about how deep some things can be when most people would say something along the lines of “This channel didn’t think the scene where Sabine got arrested would be appropriate for children”.

Now, obviously, this isn’t Astruc’s fault, and I feel he kind of makes a good point. Police brutality is a very serious issue no matter which country you live in, and explaining it to children can be very complicated.

When George Floyd was murdered in 2020, two shorts were made about the characters from Sesame Street and Arthur respectively talking about the concept of racism during events that are heavily implied to be connected to Floyd. While Elmo learned about group protests from his father, while Mrs. MacGrady taught Arthur and Buster the importance about discussing racism with friends and family. The circumstances of Floyd’s death aren’t mentioned, and the most detail we get describing racism is that it’s “unfair”. Yes, it’s very simplified, but it’s honestly the best these writers could have done to explain current events to the young children watching, simply teaching them about the idea of racism and not getting too graphic by talking about police brutality and hate crimes.

Unlike with those two shows tackling a broad subject like racism, it’s a lot harder for Miraculous Ladybug to teach kids about police brutality because at a young age, they’re taught to trust the cops and view them as a high moral authority, so seeing a cartoon say they’re not supposed to trust them might give them some conflicting messages.

Am I saying I agree with TF1 censoring this scene? HELL NO.

Putting aside the fact that I still thought the racism allegory was poorly done, and the fact that there have already been episodes where the police have been portrayed in an antagonistic light (Rogercop, Captain Hardrock), saying that you removed a scene meant to reflect real life events because it would make kids uncomfortable is missing the entire point the episode was trying to make. As poorly written and oversimplified as it was, it’s SUPPOSED to make kids feel uncomfortable and ask questions about racism. This is like those articles you read about school districts banning books about racism like To Kill a Mockingbird because “They make people uncomfortable”. That’s the point of the book, dumbass!

And then you get to the fact that this scene was still pivotal to the plot of the episode despite being cut out. Kids are seriously supposed to assume five minutes after Marinette left with Sabine’s purse, she just got akumatized off-screen? It was already kind of hard to sympathize with her, but the fact that we lose the context to why she was akumatized makes her look insane. It also makes the scene where Ladybug talks to those SWAT Team officers look weird because we don’t get the irony of the cops overdramatizing the threat Sabine posed when she was trying her best to be reasonable before getting arrested.

Good lord, this was a stupid edit to make. Congratulations, TF1. You made the Greedo shooting first scene from the special edition of A New Hope look like a competent edit by comparison. And once again, I want to reiterate, this is an issue I have with TF1, not Astruc.

And the strange thing is, the fallout from this incident was what convinced Astruc to stop trying to reply to fan criticism on Twitter. It wasn’t after he tried to explain how Sentimonsters work while denying the Sentidrien theory, it wasn’t after he was bombarded by criticism from “toxic” Chloe fans when Zoe first appeared, and it wasn’t even when he got heat from the Rising Sun Flag controversy that he somehow spun into being called a Nazi by fans. It was a last-minute edit that he had no control over he tried to defend that convinced him to finally step back from responding to criticism on Twitter

[x-reader-things]

Edit [6 / 8 / 25] ; Requests closed for now - I have a backlog of requests I need to go through and write, so- TvT

—————————————————————————————

Because I am content deprived and decided that I will instead create content myself-

I will be opening up requests for imagines and / or headcanons for the following fandoms ;

[Bolded ones are the fandoms I'm looking for requests from primarily]

Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Stranger Things

Arcane

Ironheart

For Star Wars Rebels I will write for the following characters ;

Ezra Bridger

Sabine Wren

Kanan Jarrus

Hera Syndulla

Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios [only platonic ones for now - no particular reason for this other than he gives me strong older sibling vibes and I can’t see him in any other way besides that]

Ahsoka Tano

For Star Wars: The Clone Wars I will write for the following characters ;

Anakin Skywalker

Ahsoka Tano

Padmé Amidala

Obi Wan Kenobi [Maybe - mostly platonic atm though - same reason as with Zeb]

For Stranger Things I will write for the following characters ;

Steve Harrington

Robin Buckley

For Arcane I will write for the following characters ;

Ekko

Vi

Viktor

Jayce

Mel

For Ironheart I will write for the following characters ;

Riri Williams

Parker Robbins

Rules ;

No NSFW. I’m ace and uncomfortable with writing that. The farthest I’d write is characters making out.

No 18+ stuff like requests including alcohol or pregnancies either - both of those topics are uncomfortable for me to write for.

Please be respectful about requests and be patient if a request takes a while!

I have the right to decline a request if I do not feel comfortable with writing it.

If you want any specific pronouns for the reader please tell me! I’ll do my best to write with them!

Requests can be romantic or platonic [unless if stated above in the list of characters as only platonic].

Something to note ; I haven’t written for these fandoms much yet so I apologize if some stuff is a bit out of character- [not really a rule, just putting that out there as a warning / precaution]

Please specify if what you want is headcanons or just a fic instead!

And I think that’s about it on the rules-

Just to reiterate again - please be respectful and patient when requesting!

Thank you!

• Ray / Sky

Can’t think of anything to request?? Look at these prompts here, just tell me the list and which prompt you want me to write for- :000

Blossoming Romance Prompts

Touch Starved Prompts

Protective Prompts

More Protective Prompts

Undercover Prompts

There was Only One Bed Prompts

[lightwise]

The Force Pt. 2 - Ahsoka, Sabine, and the Implications of Jedi Training and Talent

I have so many screenshots for this post that I had to split it into 2...so here's the rest of my thoughts!

SPOILERS FOR AHSOKA EPISODE 3 BELOW (Technically spoilers for the entire OT and TPM too, but if you need that warning at this point...idk why you're in this corner of Tumblr ;):

So we've established that the Force flows through all living things in the galaxy and binds them together, and that it can be found more strongly in certain people and families than others, especially if higher concentrations of midichlorians are involved. However, neither of these things form the foundation of training that Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Qui-Gon lay out for their apprentices. While they are the foundations of how to understand the Force and how it works, becoming open to it and using it is heavily emphasized as something that takes training, discipline, and commitment, from the very beginning.

Ahsoka reiterates this when explaining her training to Sabine. She admits that talent (or genetics, so to speak) is a factor. A factor, or one factor among many. But what makes the heart and soul of a Jedi is training, focus, practice, and commitment. To learning about the Force, to sensing it, to harnessing it for good, to learning to face and overcome hurt, anger, disappointment, resentment. Choosing to put one's on a certain way of looking at the world.

In addition, Yoda has an interesting exchange with Luke in RoTJ where he puts the actual "certification" of becoming a Jedi as something that Luke will only have once he has faced Vader--which comes only after his training, understanding, and belief.

As for Ahsoka, she tells Huyang (although not Sabine herself yet), that she actually doesn't need or want Sabine to strictly become a Jedi, at least not in the way the Order might have defined it before the Empire.

And then, we have Huyang change his thought process a little, and admit that Ahsoka being a part of the disaster lineage, and training Sabine both with her understanding of the Force as it was given to her via Yoda, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, as well as her own understandings of what she has been through post-Order 66 and post-Empire, fits in very well.

So, do I think that Sabine "has the Force"? Not exactly, at least not in the way that Jedi would have traditionally accepted. Do I think that just anyone can become a Jedi, and that the Ahsoka show is somehow ruining established canon and making the concept of being a Jedi meaningless? Absolutely not. I think that both the OT and the PT, as well as TCW and the flow of the story going forward, are blending together multiple aspects of how the Force works, what it is composed of, how it interacts with living beings, and how those living beings can tap into it and train their focus on it. I think all of them complement and build upon each other, rather than contradict each other.

Everyone has the Force inside them, but not everyone can tap into it. Some people are born with the talent to interact with it more easily, but that talent does not replace discipline and training. And those born without that talent can still learn to become more aware of what is inside them (see Chirrut Imwe, Broom Boy, etc. etc.).

Now, these are just my opinions, my point of view, if you will ;). But I am happy with the direction they are taking Sabine (if she chose to pursue Jedi training at all--her motivations on the matter would be a post in and of itself). It all feels like the same Force, the same Disaster Lineage shenanigans TM, the same Star Wars to me.

The Force Pt. 1 - Ahsoka, Sabine, and the Implications of Jedi Training and Talent

SPOILERS FOR AHSOKA EPISODE 3 BELOW (Technically spoilers for the entire OT and TPM too, but if you need that warning at this point...idk why you're in this corner of Tumblr ;):

Alright, I'm a little late making this but let's get into the big discussion from last week's episode of Ahsoka: Sabine being trained (as a Jedi...sort of), and what implications it has for Force use, talent, and Jedi training.

I was one of the people who when the trailers for Ahsoka aired, was very much not happy at the implication that Sabine was going to be retconned to have Force sensitivity and be trained as Ahsoka's apprentice. I have a bit of frustration with characters being headcanoned to be force sensitive or retconned to be force sensitive in general, but especially in this situation, it didn't make sense to me.

However, once episodes 2 and 3 aired and Huyang so graciously gave us and Sabine his opinion of her Force sensitivity and potential talent (aka the worst he's ever seen in his entire 25,000 years, not sure you can make a burn sicker than that), I was unexpectedly very excited at the direction this was taking: someone who is not measurably or traditionally strong or even decent in the Force trying to train and open themselves up to use it. Or, looking at it another way, taking Jedi principles after the fall of their Order and way of life, and learning to take some of those principles and add them to an already formidable repertoire and heritage of being a Mandalorian.

I went back to all three movies in the OT and TPM and pulled screenshots to compare and contrast Sabine's training with Luke and Anakin's. There are many more areas that Force usage is discussed (such as Yoda teaching clones how to tap into it in the first episode of TCW here) but I wanted to focus on our original sources of how George viewed it working, and how the audience was first introduced to it--through Jedi Masters training their padawans in the movies.

First we have the classic introduction to the Force from Obi-Wan in ANH: The Force is "an energy field created by all living things," and it "binds the galaxy together". It flows through and in everything, whether or not they are aware of it or can harness it. "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."

Ahsoka states it as: "The Force resides in all living things."

During Obi-Wan's first (and maybe only in-person) training session with Luke, he tells him to stretch out with his feelings and let go of his conscious mind to be able to feel the Force flowing through him and predict where the training droid is going to strike next. Ahsoka asks Sabine to concentrate, feel her presence, and sense what is around her in order to defend herself. While Obi-Wan does make the mention that a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him, and this is something that Sabine is unable to do at the moment, the emphasis is expanding one's ability to feel and sense what is around them, and not rely on their cognitive thinking abilities or five senses alone.

Now, from here you could argue that George seemingly presented two schools of thought between the OT and the PT on what exactly made someone eligible to become a Jedi. In the OT, midichlorians are not mentioned, but strength in the Force is, which could be interpreted as "you only become a Jedi or are capable of being a Jedi if you are strong in the Force." But I don't think that's the case. For one, this is mostly said about Luke in the OT and Anakin in the PT--the Skywalker family and the Chosen One in particular. It's presenting more of an upper limit on what being a Jedi looked like, not necessarily defining the minimum requirements.

With TPM, George introduced the concept of midichlorians, marking them as integral to at least Anakin's abilities with the Force and his place as the Chosen One. However, again this is applied specifically to him, and when discussed for other Jedi there is no "minimum" given as a requirement, nor even that they are required at all. And while having the highest midichlorian count of all time set Anakin apart, it did not automatically make him a Jedi or a strong Force user--it made him someone who had the potential to tap into it more easily than say, a Jedi with a lower midichlorian count, or say, a Mandalorian who has an indeterminably low aptitude for the Force. He also is mentioned as having a specific power--seeing things before they happen. But this is just one type of way to tap into or use the Force.

Also, I find it interesting that the term is "the Force is strong with..." not the other way around. Either the Force residing in all living beings contradicts the Force being strong with certain individuals (due to midichlorians or not), or it is meant to be two parts of a whole. While George retconned and changed infinite aspects of these stories and wrote them out of order, I don't think this is an area where he intended to blatantly contradict his worldbuilding.

*I am going to have to reblog in order to finish adding images to this post...see below for more!*

[gffa]

To answer this (and, as always, if anyone disagrees, that’s fine! when i speak with a strong meta voice that isn’t the same as getting mad if people see things differently!), I think it first helps to establish what the Force is, how it works, and what the light and the dark are, which is covered more thoroughly here, but basically:  balance is not an in between of light and dark, but instead that the light is the balance.  That we all have darkness within us and we must work to train ourselves away from it, to face it and let it go.  That is the Force according to Star Wars’ worldbuilding. This isn’t Jedi teachings (though, that is what they teach) but that George Lucas directly says, “Only way to overcome the dark side is through discipline.“  The characters are absolutely meant to overcome it, to be brought face to face with it and defeat it.  Not to never have it, not to never deal with it, but to choose the light again and again. This is why the Jedi younglings are taken to Ilum and shown their fears in the caves, this is why the Jedi Temple on Lothal shows Kanan and Ahsoka their fears, this is why Yoda talks to Ezra about the anger and fear he has in him and Ezra is willing to admit it and work on it, when Yoda says, oh, you might be a Jedi yet, this is why Yoda has to wrestle with and defeat his dark side in the immortal arc, this is why the Jedi teach their younglings in the creche that the dark side is part of them,  “[Qui-Gon] knew [the dark side] was a thing all beings carried within them, a part of himself he would learn to guard against—the crèche masters had taught him all that.“ I argue that even Mortis, which on the surface looks like “equal light and equal dark is balance” is more about trying to get Anakin to face the darkness within himself and defeat it, that the dark side will always be there, but he has to learn to acknowledge it before he can overcome it. So, having Anakin be the in between of the light and the dark is not balance.  I mean, that’s the role Bendu has in Rebels (immortal beings are not vulnerable to the same consequences of the dark side that mortals are--the story group has reiterated that mortals cannot use the dark side without consequence) and Bendu doesn’t bring balance, he sits on the sidelines and does nothing.  His last appearance is Kanan yelling at him that he’s doing jack all to help the galaxy, that he’s a coward for not actually doing anything.  The middle of the light and the dark has a role in the galaxy, but it’s not the balance or to the health of the galaxy in the way the light is. Further, we don’t really know much about the Guardians of the Whills.  In the canon, Qui-Gon learns about immortality from the Force Priestesses who do not appear to be the same thing as the Guardians of the Whills, we see Yoda’s journey with them which brings it back to--face the darkness within, overcome it, and then you can start on the path to immortality. So, what do we know about that path?  It requires overcoming the darkness within you, but it also requires (and word of god supports this, about how Anakin’s final moments were about selflessness) absolute selflessness, you have to be able to reach a place of caring completely about others--which is precisely what the ultimate light side is: “The core of the Force–I mean, you got the dark side, the light side, one is selfless, one is selfish, and you wanna keep them in balance. What happens when you go to the dark side is it goes out of balance and you get really selfish and you forget about everybody … because when you get selfish you get stuff, or you want stuff, and when you want stuff and you get stuff then you are afraid somebody is going to take it away from you, whether it’s a person or a thing or a particular pleasure or experience. [….]    “Only way to overcome the dark side is through discipline. The dark side is pleasure, biological and temporary and easy to achieve. The light side is joy, everlasting and difficult to achieve. A great challenge. Must overcome laziness, give up quick pleasures, and overcome fear which leads to hate.”  --George Lucas, The Clone Wars writers meeting “Not by the cave you were but by your mind. Lessons, you have learned. Find courage, you did. Hope, patience Trust, confidence, and selflessness.” --Yoda, “The Gathering” “The Jedi choose the light for all that it reveals.” --Jedi texts, Poe Dameron comics Ultimately, I think the Jedi were probably the best place for Anakin, their philosophies on the Force match him very well with George Lucas’ explanations of how the Force work, their teachings echo his beliefs on happiness vs joy, his beliefs on the best way to teach (and GL believes that education is THE most important issue, compared to how the Jedi are fundamentally teachers at their core, etc.) and because they weren’t just the most famous users of the Force, but they tended to be the strongest. We don’t really even know much about the Temple of Kyber, if the people there are Force-sensitive (I know, I hate it, too, but canon says Chirrut wasn’t Force-sensitive) and the Church of the Force definitely seemed to not be Force-Sensitive, if Lor San Tekka is anything to go by. Which is important because there is a very, very key difference between strong Force-sensitives and lower level Force-sensitives/non-Force-sensitives:  The Force literally works based on the emotion and mindset you put into it.  What you put into it is what you get back out of it. The Force is an echo chamber, it’s a sponge that absorbs all of that, it holds onto those feelings you’re pouring out of you when you use the Force with it, so if you’re a high level Force-sensitive and you’re pouring out anger into the Force, into your kyber crystal, into the very walls around you, as Kanan tells Sabine in Rebels, their thoughts and actions become part of the blade, then that is staying with you, it’s always whispering in your ear, it’s dragging you down into the dark side. For someone like Anakin, who has this connection to the Force that’s stronger than probably any Guardian could possibly understand, he would be hearing those whispers as increasingly loud shouts just because of the nature of the Force and his incredible connection to it.  He would have had an even harder time not being dragged down into the dark, he would have had a harder time overcoming it, if the teachings he received weren’t about letting all of that go as best he can, if he wasn’t being trained to overcome the dark. The whole way Force-sensitivity works is that it’s based on your mental health and that you have to get past the darkness within you to embrace being selfless, to embrace loving other people rather than your own desires and fears and possessiveness, and the stronger you are in the Force, the more that’s going to be screaming inside your head and you have to work even harder to choose the light because you’re going to hear everything so loudly.  And the Jedi understood that, but, as GL said, “[everything changes], which is a basic Jedi philosophy that he isn’t willing to accept emotionally”. Anakin’s problem isn’t the light isn’t enough, it’s that he didn’t want to accept that things change, he didn’t want to accept when he needed to be able to let go, rather than burning the galaxy down because of his own fears and desire to hold onto something even when it was time to let go. The Jedi were the best place for someone like Anakin, even GL says, “If he’d have been taken in his first year and started to study to be a Jedi, he wouldn’t have this particular connection as strong as it is and he’d have been trained to love people but not to become attached to them. “ --George Lucas, Attack of the Clones commentary which says that the Jedi methods are actually pretty in line with How The Force Works.