#WHERE IS NORRA WEXLEY

[stars-n-spice]

Me everytime I try and find a reason for an Aftermath character to show up in Ahsoka:

During that court scene I was trying to see if there was ANYONE there that could've been Sinjir </3

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 1): General Bracket Match 32

Ceret/Terec | Identity: non-binary | Media: The High Republic comic (2020)

Ceret and Terec were a pair of Kotabi bond-twins Jedi, meaning they shared a consciousness across two bodies. Promotional material has clarified that their use of “they/them” is about their gender not plurality. They’ve also been described as “trans non-binary”, a useful clarification here. Because they presumably were assigned a binary gender at birth, so despite their different neurology, I haven’t labeled them as alien non-binary. They’re very closed off, increasing the uncanniness of their nature.

They’ve unfortunately kind of been a punching bag in the comic series they appear in, with one or both of them suffering something terrible in basically every issue. However, this typically provides the protagonists important information about whatever they’re facing. They’re in most issues of the 2020 run of the main High Republic comic series, taking the same missions as the protagonist Keeve Trennis. When she went undercover with the Nihil, she was joined by Terec, so that they could give updates to the Jedi through their twin. However, in that mission they were nearly killed by the Leveler, forcing both twins into hibernation. Thankfully, they awakened from their hibernation during the destruction of Starlight Beacon, thanks to Avar Kriss’ battle meditation. After participating in the group Force feat to keep the top half of the station together just a little bit longer, they escaped in an escape pod with Keeve.

Rae Sloane | Identity: bisexual | Media: Aftermath Trilogy

Rae Sloane was created for the first New EU novel A New Dawn, where she is a sympathetic antagonist. Dutiful and loyal to the Empire, she serves it because when she was younger she was attacked by criminals and saved by stormtroopers. She opposed ruling through fear and enslavement, because such tactics were ultimately ineffective for maintaining order. As a cadet, she foiled an assassination attempt against Vader and the Emperor, making her a special favorite of Vader. She was assigned to leader the secret operation to complete the genocide of Alderaan by killing off planet survivors. Her internal thought process there remains unknown. She also got lost and missed the Battle of Hoth, but Vader didn’t kill her for it like everyone expected.

She appeared in a handful of short stories and the Kanan comic series, but her character really came into its own in the Aftermath trilogy. After the Battle of Endor, she formed one of the more powerful Imperial remnants. This attracted the attention of Gallius Rax, the man who Palpatine had groomed to arrange the establishment of the First Order. Under his guidance, her remnant grew in power and she assumed the rank of Grand Admiral. It was from her remnant that phase two of Operation Cinder was launched, the elimination of all imperial remnants that weren’t aligned with the Contingency plan. She attended the New Republic Liberation Day celebrated, signaling the beginning of a diplomatic end to the war. However, Rax had arranged the mass assassination of New Republic leadership using inhibitor chips implanted on former imperial prisoners. These tactics disgusted Sloane, turning her against Rax. Rax assumed control of her remnant and she was forced to team up with the rebel Norra Wexley to take him down.

Nora and Sloane tracked Rax to Jakku, where the cultish devotion of the Imperials Rax had deemed worthy and the brutality required for Imperials to survive after the war had turned disturbed her. The two women tracked Rax to the Observatory, a secret site where Rax was going to complete a Dark Side ritual which would cause Jakku to explode- killing most of the New Republic military and Imperials deemed unworthy. They stopped the ritual, and Sloane killed Rax. As Rax died, he told her that the rest of the Contingency plan was for her to take a replica of the Imperialis and lead the remains of the Imperial Remnant into the Unknown Regions. Sloane did so, hoping she could lead the Empire away from the crazy plans of people like Palpatine and eventually return to the galaxy to save it from itself. She did so, founding the First Order. Then ??????. It’s assumed Snoke killed her at some point, but honestly everything is up in the air. Her absence in the new Shadow Council in the Mandalorian, is conspicuous. She is possibly already dead by this point, or she has sent Brendol in her place as a deliberate snub, unaware he seems to be part of the coup that will eventually befall her.  She has been confirmed as being bisexual, and certainly had sexual tension with her aide Adea Rite. The only textual element of her orientation in the trilogy is that she specifically muses that she never had a chance to have a “wife or husband”. She’s also kind of a nerd. When trying to find out more about Rax or Kanan, she went to a massive imperial intelligence library. She was considered the only officer of her rank sufficiently knowledgeable enough about shuttle technology to conduct an inspection. She also successfully figured out that the Millenium Falcon survived fleeing through the asteroid field in Empire Strikes Back.

[alicemichelle297]

Star Wars Aftermath was my first Star Wars book

Hello my dears, I’m so excited to talk to you all about our first canon read: Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig. 

I first read Aftermath back in 2015 after seeing The Force Awakens in theaters. I was so excited for Star Wars to be “back” and I loved the movie so much that I was ready to consume anything and everything Disney had to offer me. That led to me reading the “Journey to the Force Awakens” books, which were branded as lead-ins to the new movie and (indirectly) into the new canon. 

At the time, I hadn’t read any old canon/Legends books, so I didn’t have a point of comparison. In fact, I disliked my experience reading Aftermath so much that I decided I wanted to read an old canon book to see what the difference was! Everyone from friends to social media influencers had always told me that the books were where it was at, so I believed that Legends had to have been better written than what I just read! 

Story Highlights

Aftermath focuses mainly on a cast of misfits: Temmin Wexley, a child who runs a less than reputable junk shop; Norra Wexley, Temmin’s mother and a Rebel pilot; Sinjir, an Imperial deserter and former loyalty officer for the ISB; and Jas, a bounty hunter. At first glance, these four have nothing to do with each other, but the events of the novel will bring them together as a team. 

Galactic events happen around our main cast rather than because of them, such as the Imperial remnant meeting above Temmin’s world of Akiva to discuss their strategy after Palpatine’s demise, Wedge Antilles being captured by the Empire, or the consolidation of the Rebel Alliance into the New Republic. These events have implications for the lives of our characters, but it all is happening in the background. 

Overall, I would say the story of Star Wars: Aftermath reads less like an official Star Wars novel and more like a Star Wars D&D campaign somebody kept a transcript of. Our main cast feels like the sort of random characters four players concocted on their own and the game master had to contrive a way to bring them together so they could play. 

Writing

Chuck Wendig’s writing style and especially his prose leave a lot to be desired. You can tell immediately that he spent very little time writing or editing this novel. Aftermath may have been rushed to deadline and comes across as a first draft at every turn. 

Wendig also tries very hard to shoe-horn in some Star Wars swearing as often as he can, seemingly for lack of any other ideas for dialogue. Most of his attempts at humor fell flat for me with the exception of Sinjir and Jas’s miscommunication on the way down to the droid factory. 

Well, I also chuckled every time the characters’ motivations boiled down to just “money.”

On the bright side, most of the interludes are actually both entertaining short stories and very informative about the state of the galaxy during this time. He covers a lot of ground from Coruscant to Tatooine, forming a general picture of where everyone is following Episode VI and what the power brokers of the galaxy are doing in Palpatine’s vacuum. And the book keeps a good pace, mainly because no time is ever spent dwelling on anything. It’s all forward momentum and it’s only a full-length novel because of all the interludes.

Review

I think we can and should expect better for a Star Wars book and thankfully there are better reads out there. However, if you’re just looking for a popcorn movie in book form, this is the one for you. You will get in and out without much fuss and the characters are fun enough. 

What did you think while reading this book? And what were your expectations going into it?

Next time (April 2) we'll be reading Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura by Kathy Tyers. Let me know what you think!

[afterthesequels]

LOVE AT ANY AGE!

We discuss two (of many) love stories that will be featured in our fan film trilogy, aside from Ben and Rey's love story! Wedge Antilles was a fan favorite from the original trilogy... an ace pilot devoted to the cause of the Rebel Alliance. A dear friend of Leia, Han, and Luke, he served as a "mirror" for those three legacy characters to look at themselves with. Well, in the canon novel "Aftermath" --- which is a trilogy of books written by Charles Soule --- Wedge takes center stage and his character is developed even further and given a deep rich story to tell that involves another ace pilot and Rebel Alliance officer, Norra Wexley.

Norra had a family of her own, long before her interest in Wedge grew into a romantic liaison, that produced a son named Temmin "Snap" Wexley. When her husband was taken as a prisoner, she decided she couldn't just leave it up authorities to find him, she took matter into her own hands. Leaving a young Temmin with his sister and her sister's wife on her home planet of Akiva.

Along the way, Brentin Wexley unfortunately dies, and through the years Wedge and Norra grow closer and their relationship changes. And we see them twenty years after those events in the timeline of our post-sequel films. They are the "old guard" as Wedge's actor in our films, Charles Wilson, states and they were both incredibly close to Han and Leia. They represent them in a world where they cannot really be there in the way they want to be.

On the other side of the house, we follow the story of the canon book, "Poe Dameron: Free Fall" to discover that his teenage love is a torch that he's carried for decades. And when we see him in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker say, "I had a little thing in Kijimi!" --- he means her not just the "adventures" of being a Spice Runner. The young teenage girl that stole his heart, and broke it when in his mind she left him, is the one that greets him with a blaster to his head at Monk's Gate when he lands on that planet.

From Zorii's point of view, Poe left her. Zorii was born as the sole heir to this underground "empire" that her mother Zeva Bliss had built and ran for as long as she had been alive. Zorii had no choice of her own in the matter; she was instantly a target for her mother's rivals and enemies, and she was also instantly appointed to inherit a life she didn't really want. But... it was all she knew. So when Poe runs into her, everything about her life comes into question.

Our Zorii, actress Selene Hsin, was not able to make this taping but we did have actor Tony Rescigno, who plays Poe for our films, talks about the mysteries between these two characters and how they find themselves at very different points in their lives.

Zorii has lost her entire planet, 75-80% of the people on her team were blown up by Palpatine's General Enric Pryde. She has no home, no business, but still shows up for Poe with the rest of the Citizen's Fleet, along with her sidekick Babu Frik. We love that Anzellan!

And Poe, he's lost so much of his colleagues, one of his best friends in Temmin Wexley, his mother-figure in Leia, and he inherits the "Resistance" but its in shambles and there are so many refugees in need of assistance from the planets of Kijimi and the 5 planets that were destroyed in the Hosnian Cataclysm. And he's starting without any of the funding that Leia had secured with her many connections.

And we wanted to explore that story, and how these characters individually deal with their own trauma and hardships and then find each other again.

We hope you guys really enjoy these expanded stories that we are looking to tell --- and we do realize not everyone may necessary like the pairings, but again we are trying to follow canon as much as possible and it is a fan fiction... many of these exist and we celebrate them ALL and hope you give ours a chance too! As always, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel!

[kananjarus]

can’t stop thinking about how everyone involved except the disney overlords wanted finnpoe canon and how the next trilogy 10 or 15 years away will feature finn and poe living on a ranch together in quiet retirement maybe having started a family and it won’t surprise anyone

[yuri-alexseygaybitch]

Everyone reading Resistance Reborn: FINNPOE THIS REYLO THAT SHIP SHIP SHIP THEORY THEORY THEORY

Me, a simple Aftermath stan who is just happy to see my qween Norra Wexley back:

[zareleonis]

i hope alphabet squadron 2 has a gay couple (or more..)

like, quell is RIGHT there being bi and wyl gay you’re already halfway there mr freed!!!

[drinkupthesunrise]

I would love to see your take on Wedge and Norra being people who care about each other very much but absolutely should not be dating.

Hello anon!

This is… not what you asked for. Not really. See, I’m sort of in the process of writing an entire, proper fic, about Wedge and Norra and something vaguely related to the above premise, about them having a complicated relationship that really isn’t laid on a solid foundation. It’s also sort of a Norra character study, because I think we need more fic about Norra.

So, I don’t think my brain has room to process two separate fics about the reasons why, just maybe, Norra and Wedge shouldn’t be dating, here is an extract from the fic I am writing, which I hope is somewhat to your tastes.

“Did you know it was Wedge’s birthday last week?” Temmin asks Norra, popping into her office at the end of a long day.

Wedge has been gone a fortnight, on some classified mission that relates to his service for the Alliance somehow, the sort of thing that only he can handle. He’s left Norra in charge of the entire class, which turns out to be a whole hell of a lot of work. Which is why she looks up, bleary-eyed at her son, and replies in the negative. “How’d you find out anyway?” she asks, a moment later, realising that if she doesn’t know there isn’t a good reason for her son to know.

“Overheard a couple of the Rogues talking about it in the pilots’ rec room. I think they want to throw him a surprise party,” Temmin comments.

Norra didn’t even know that any of the Rogues – the few who still survived the war, that is, they’d retired the designation – were on Hosnia. But she trusts Temmin to recognise them, so she doesn’t doubt her son’s word on the matter. “He won’t be back for another two days, if everything runs to plan.”

“I told them that,” Temmin adds. “And I told them that you were snagging him for dinner the first night he gets back, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Norra nods in quiet appreciation. Her son has, so far, been remarkably positive about the relationship that is forming between her and Wedge. It’s still in the early stages, and neither of them are being particularly public about it – though they aren’t hiding it either, if people ask – but the feelings are there, already deeper and scarier than Norra wants to admit to. Even in her courtship with Brentin, when she fell completely head over heels in love with the fierce, brave, devoted young man, she’s not sure she ever felt like this.

When Wedge does return – on time for once, thank goodness – Norra takes one look at him and cancels the reservations she’d had at a trendy Hosnian restaurant, and drags him back to hers with Ithorian takeaway in tow. He looks exhausted, dark circles under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep, and Norra suspects that whatever this mission was, it was bad. So she sits him down at her dining room table, makes him tea and ensures that he eats something, and slowly, he begins to look better.

Norra’s in the middle of recounting some tale about student shenanigans whilst he’s been away when he reaches across the table and catches her hand in his. She stops to look at him, his gaze quietly serious and contemplative. “Missed you,” he says, words quick, like he’s not sure he has the right to be saying them.

“Missed you too,” Norra replies, because she’s ached for him whilst he’s been gone, and she won’t hide that from him. “Also, Temmin said that I missed something else whilst you were away.”

“Huh?” Wedge genuinely looks perplexed at the concept.

“A birthday?” Norra prompts, when it seems as if Wedge has missed her meaning entirely.

He furrows his brow, mouth pursed into a line, casting about in his head. He closes his eyes as he thinks about it, and then lets out an almighty sigh. “Kriffing hells. Yes, you did, but I missed it as well.”

Norra will admit that she’s let a couple of her own birthday’s slip past without much notice, but she’s never forgotten about one before. The idea that you could is antithetical to her. Wedge doesn’t seem tremendously fussed by the concept, something he confirms a second later when he says: “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He settles in his seat, remarkably comfortable with the idea.

“What!” Norra can’t help the indignation.

“Never really had anyone to celebrate it with since my parents died. The Rogues made the effort once or twice, but warzones are hardly conductive to birthday parties. I meant to do something about it this year, but I guess it got away from me again.” Wedge rakes a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I did want to spend it with you.”

“There’s always next year,” Norra says, a smile on her face. Next year is a long way away, but the war is over, and Norra thinks that they might actually get there. “I think the Rogues are plotting something. They didn’t forget.”

“Yeah, Wes likes to be a menace. Remind me that I’m the baby of the group – don’t know why! Skywalker’s two years younger than I am.” Wedge grumbles good-naturedly, not objecting to the Rogues actions as much as his words might suggest. Norra might even go so far to say he enjoys it. “Bunch of idiots who don’t know how to count, that lot!”

Norra blinks, doing some quick maths herself. Skywalker and Organa were born as the Republic died, so… “Wait.” Norra draws up short. “How old are you?” It’s bitter to admit that she doesn’t know, not exactly, she’s never paid it any mind.

“Twenty-se— No, twenty-eight. Standard.” Wedge cocks his head. “Why?”

Norra looks at him. She’d have sworn blind he was over thirty when they met; in looks, in his manner, in all she’s heard about his history with the Rebellion. The man before her can’t just be turning twenty-eight, it isn’t possible. But he says so, and that ties with what she knows about Skywalker. “Wedge, I’m forty-three.”

“And?” Wedge’s look is plaintive, completely unbothered by the entire predicament. There’s something about his tone that says he’s always know how big the age gap is.

Fifteen years isn’t a lot, not really. Twenty-eight isn’t that young; Norra was mother to a toddler at that age, getting into all sorts of mischief, and had been married for three years. She can’t say that Wedge isn’t old enough to know what he wants, because he does, and if he has decided that he wants her – than who is she to say that he shouldn’t.

“I just— I thought you were older.”

“People do.” Wedge shrugs it off, like it’s not a big deal. “Once people hear that I was with the Rebellion before the Alliance was even signed, they just assume that I’m of a generation above the one I am. Though it’s not like I was the only kid running about Atollon or anything. I don’t know. It’s just a thing. Doesn’t really bother me.” He sighs, again, looking at her. “Does it bother you?”

“No—” Norra’s lying. “It’s just a surprise.”

It does bother her. It bothers her that he’s closer to her son’s age than he is to hers, it bothers her that she didn’t know, it bothers her that he’s being so blasé about the entire situation. But he’s always known, and if he’s comfortably with it: it really isn’t her place to question it.

The Rogues throw him a party the next day, filling his office with confetti. Norra is there and he pulls her into a kiss in front of his friends, letting the cat well and truly out the bag, and no one makes any hint of a comment about Norra’s age, and well. Maybe she’s worrying over nothing. Everyone certainly seems happy enough for them. Give it some time, Norra thinks, and you’ll settle into it.

[asteroids-and-tractorbeams]

I am once again asking where the hell Norra Wexley was at the Battle of Exegol

[milfglupshitto]

ok you know I LOVED alphabet squadron so would you recommend aftermath? 👀

yes! it felt a little redundant to me having just finished alphabet squadron (ragtag group pulled together to go where officials can’t) but I still really, really enjoyed it. the whole cast is great, with Rae Sloane and Norra Wexley being particularly excellent foils. the plot is interesting too, especially the imperial stuff that ties into the creation of the First Order. it can be a little dense, and the perspective jumps to different interludes at times which tie back together, sometimes in very important ways and other times as a brief footnote. but overall I would definitely recommend!

[yelena-bellova]

Don’t Be Afraid: Poe Dameron x Solo!Reader - Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two: Plans and Proposals

Series Masterlist

Plot: The Resistance discusses how to move forward in rebuilding.

Warnings: blood, injuries

Word Count: 6.3k

A/N: Everything’s a mess but have no fear, the fic is here. Enjoy your escape into another world because Heaven knows ours is a flaming pile of garbage right now.

————

“What in the hell?” Poe mumbled as me, Shriv and him arrived at the fight. One of the pilots that Wedge Antilles had recruited slid across the floor. Teza Nasz stood next to us bleeding, but seemed unconcerned with her wounds. The ex-Imperial began to charge forward again but Jess reeled her back, begging her to cease the confrontation. Wedge went to help the young pilot up to his feet, his blood was still smeared across the stone floor.

“Poe Dameron,” Wedge called, “Y/n Solo.”

“Antilles,” Poe said, “What in the hell is going on?”

“Agoyo swung first,” a woman next to Wedge said. Judging by her age and the fact that she hadn’t left his side since we’d arrived, I took a guess she was Norra Wexley.

“I don’t care who started it,” I spoke up, “There’s no sense in fighting each other, we’re on the same side. Why did this even start?”

“You should care!” Agoyo shouted, rising back to his feet. His Phantom Squad uniform was stained now with blood.

“Identify yourself, pilot.” Poe ordered. Agoyo faced us, crossed his arms and took a defiant stance.

Poe impatiently repeated himself, “Name, pilot.”

“Pacer,” the young pilot seethed, “Pacer Agoyo.”

“Pacer,” Poe nodded, “You know who I am?”

“Poe Dameron.”

“No, I’m your commanding officer. And frankly, right now I’m not impressed with what I see. I understand you’ve come a long way to join us…”

Pacer answered that he was from Nuja and his late father was a Phantom Squad pilot. He’d come in his place.

“I appreciate your father’s service, and your willingness to join the Resistance,” Poe said, “But unfortunately, it looks like you’re not a good fit for this mission. You’re free to leave.”

Some of the gathered crowd let out gasps as Poe turned his back on Pacer. Even I was confused as to what he was trying to do. I watched Pacer shift awkwardly as my boyfriend tilted his head, he was waiting for Pacer to speak up.

“Poe...I mean, Commander Dameron. I-I want to stay, sir. Please. It’s just...”

“It’s just what, Agoyo?” Poe asked as he finally turned around.

The young pilot was no longer looking at Poe, his eyes were locked onto Teza Nasz once again. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, no one was this full of rage for no reason.

“Do you know each other?” I asked, taking a step forward to reiterate my presence.

“She murdered my brother!” Agoyo revealed, he raised his fists once again and took a step in Nasz’s direction.

“Agoyo!” Poe snapped, Pacer turned back but still wouldn’t meet Poe’s stare.

“Eyes on me,” he said, the pilot finally looked up, “You will stop menacing Teza Nasz, or I will have you thrown in the brig until you can cool down. Is that understood?”

Pacer looked embarrassed and slightly intimidated by Poe’s threat. Wedge put a hand on his arm and whispered something I couldn’t make out, whatever he’d said was enough for him to let Wedge pull him back. Poe then turned to Teza Nasz, “Well?”

“It’s possible I killed his brother, but I don’t remember. It’s possible,” the warlord said as she scanned the crowd, “That I killed all of your brothers. And cousins. And mothers and fathers and former lovers. It was my job.”

“Then why are you here?” I inquired, crossing my arms.

She looked jolted by the question I’d posed, “Because it was wrong. But I didn’t know it at the time.”

“You were young and ambitious,” Poe guessed, “So you joined the Empire.”

Teza nodded, “Mostly hungry, but yes.”

Never in my life did I think I would ever feel sympathy for an ex-Imperial warlord. Yet here I was, a little bit of my heart going out to the woman. She still intimidated me, but I understood her a little better now.

“You joined the Empire,” Poe finished, before turning his gaze to Wedge, “Just like you.”

“It’s no secret I attended Skystrike Academy,” he said to the crowd, his hands spread out with a shrug, “But I left once I realized what the Empire was doing.”

Poe nodded in reply before turning to Zay, “And your mother.”

“My mother was an Imperial officer,” Zay answered softly, “But she defected. She and my father. They died for the Resistance. Ask Leia. She knows.”

“Suralinda?” I called, hoping I wasn’t stepping on Poe’s moment by calling on one of his squad members.

“I didn’t give a care about either side much,” she said easily, “I was ready to sell Resistance secrets if it would get me what I wanted. Oh wait, I did.”

The shocked faces around her did not match with her laughter, “Relax, I came around.”

“And you?” Poe turned finally to Finn, who I hadn’t noticed was standing to the back of the group with Rey.

“Used to be a stormtrooper,” Finn answered as he came forward, “But now I’m rebel scum,” his fist hit his chest so loud, the thump echoed, “Until the end.”

We shared a small smile, he’d become one of the most devoted pieces of lovable scum I’d ever met in such a short amount of time. I was proud of him.

“My point,” Poe said as he turned back to Pacer, “Is that many of us have dubious beginnings, but it is how we end that counts.”

“My father was Darth Vader,” Mom’s voice rang out through the hanger, “Is there anyone who wants to question my loyalty to the Resistance?”

I’d never heard a more silent room, damn right…

“Now, is there anyone else with a grudge that needs airing?” Poe asked loud enough for everyone to hear, “Something that’s bothering them? Someone in this room that they can’t wait to knife once their back is turned?”

The tension eased up as a couple people laughed. Just as Poe was beginning to gesture for Mom to take the floor, a voice that hadn’t been heard yet rose.

“I got a question!”

The voice belonged to a bald, grey skinned man. Immediately you could tell that he was an older pilot, just as cocky as he’d probably been his whole life. This was going to be fun.

“Go on,” Poe acknowledged.

“What about you two?” the man wagged his finger at Poe and I.

“What about us?” I confusedly asked.

“I heard the stories,” he continued, “About what happened on the Raddus. To Holdo. I fought with Holdo. She was a good leader.”

My stomach lurched, but I tried to still appear calm as every eye came to rest on us. I felt Poe’s anxiety which only heightened my own nerves. I wanted to throw myself at the feet of the crowd and let them all have a free punch. I deserved it. But it wouldn’t do much good. Maz’s emotion provoking questions and Poe’s ‘we fix it’ answer played in my head at a dizzying speed. Everything I did from here on out was about trying to make amends for what I’d done. Just as Poe and I had promised Black Squadron.

“I agree,” Poe finally said.

“Me too” I immediately followed.

“You agree?” the veteran smiled cruelly, “That’s not what I heard, that’s not what any of us heard.”

He motioned to the rest of Phantom Squadron plus Wedge and Norra. Snap must have told them what had happened, he was right to have done so. They deserved to know what they were walking into, gut-wrenching details and all.

“You two are the ones who should be in the brig,” the veteran went on further, “Or better yet, tossed out of an air lock.”

There were quiet agreements coming from the crowd, I had to fight to keep the heartbreak from reaching my face. I’d disappointed so many people. One look at the tears I was holding back and Poe instinctively took over.

“You’re right,” Poe said loudly, garnering everyone’s eyes on him, “You’re absolutely right. We disobeyed a direct order, we got people killed, we undermined our commander, and led a mutiny. And if you don’t think that eats both of us up, that it haunts us every day, every minute, then you don’t know a damn thing.”

I blinked back my tears and watched him keep going, “And yeah, you could lock me up, throw me into space, but you tell me how that helps the Resistance? How that brings down the First Order? Because, trust me, if I thought my death would bring them down, I’d sacrifice myself in a heartbeat,” he snapped his fingers before pointing to me, “And Commander Solo already tried. She was willing to die at the hands of the First Order just so the Resistance could live.”

“Poe,” Finn said to my side, shaking his head in disapproval of the images Poe was painting.

Jess came forward suddenly, “Poe’s my squad leader and I trust him with my life. There’s no one else I want leading Black Squadron. Y/n too, she’s one of the best commanders the Resistance has got.”

“He saved our butts over Grail City just a few days ago,” Karé added.

“And he saved mine on Jakku,” Finn said, “Y/n did too on Takodana.”

“And mine on Crait,” another voice called.

“And mine.”

More and more people spoke up with instances where Poe and I had been competent commanders. It was overwhelming, I let a stray tear fall in gratitude. The belief that the Resistance still had in Poe and I was not deserved, but I had no choice but to accept it.. Poe’s head was ducked, it was hitting him just as hard.

After a moment, the room settled down and Poe looked to me. He was silently asking if I wanted to say anything, I shook my head slightly and let him take the floor once again. He had always been better at public speaking than me, he was altogether a more confidant leader even in his worst moments.

“We’ve all made choices. Choices that caused harm, led to destruction, even at times death. We are all responsible for our deeds. The great and the terrible. But if we define ourselves only by what we’ve done, only by our failures, then this Resistance, this spark? It dies here and now. We’re all here because we have a chance to change things. A chance to change the galaxy. A chance to change ourselves. But we have to make that commitment. That choice. A choice...”

He stopped, searching for the words to cap off his inspiring speech.

“A choice to be better,” Zay finished his sentence as she stepped forward. She was so young but was lightyears ahead of others with her passion for the cause.

“A choice to be better,” Poe echoed.

As I scanned over the crowd, there were smiles and nods of approval. One person even clapped. Wedge said something I couldn’t hear but it had roused laughter from the people around him. After that, everyone started to break off in their own groups and conversations.

“Hey,” I touched Poe’s arm, “I’m proud of you.”

The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly, “They’ll want to hear from you too at some point.”

“You’re better at rousing a crowd than I am,” I complimented, “Besides, according to Zay, everyone already knows what they need to about me.” I shot him a wink as he chuckled, “I’m gonna go talk to Mom.”

I broke away, surprisingly my mother wasn’t surrounded by people for once. I had a hunch she was waiting for me.

“Not too bad,” I said as I approached her, “We’re not a fleet but we’re not nothing.”

“It’s hope,” she replied knowingly, “That’s more necessary in a war than a fleet. Although, a fleet would be nice.”

I smiled, attempting to mask the pain I’d been trying to hide all day. It had broken me down in the ship with Poe, but I couldn’t fall apart a second time in front of people.

Mom, as usual, sensed it. “I miss him too. I could use him right now.”

“He’d just want to run headfirst into the fight,” I chuckled sadly, remembering stories of my father charging into battle with little to no plan.

“You’d be surprised,” Mom raised an eyebrow and smiled nostalgically, “He was a better general in the war than you’d think. Now,” she squeezed my hand warmly, “Let’s get to work, Commander.”

I was thankful for the snap back to the present, that’s where I needed to be. We went around gathering the people Mom wanted as her new leadership team, including our gracious host, Yendor.

“Commander,” Mom called out to Poe, he abruptly ended his conversation with Zay to join us, “I would like you all to join Ambassador Yendor and me for tea. There’s much we need to discuss, and little time to do it.”

————

We made our way into what was formerly Yendor’s library, it had now been converted to a war room. There was a large round table in the middle of the room with a holo readout that contained inventory lists of our resources, people and supplies. It was shockingly low, all of it.

“Hey,” Rey greeted me quietly as I stared at the lists, “How’d things go with Maz?”

I puffed out my cheeks and exhaled, “Not great.”

“She can’t help?”

“She won’t help,” I turned away from the holo and began to stroll the room with her, “I don’t pretend to understand how Maz works. She usually speaks so cryptically but what Poe and I got was a flat out rejection.”

“Maybe she’ll still find a way to come through,” she suggested as we planted ourselves in a corner of the room.

Rey hadn’t been there, she hadn’t heard Maz’s callous words. How she’d simply sat back in her lounge chair while we were struggling to keep our heads above water. “You’re much more hopeful than I am.”

A smile flashed across her face, “Someone I know told me something about the people I place my hope in. They won’t always disappoint me.” 

“You have to be careful who you take your advice from,” I teased, bumping my hip into hers.


After sharing a laugh, Rey’s expression sobered quickly. “Y/n, there’s something I didn’t get to tell you about my visit with Luke. It’s something that concerns you.”

“What is it?” I asked, pushing off the wall we were leant against.

“He told me that when you-“

“I’m sorry,” Wedge interjected, tapping me on the shoulder, “Y/n, we’re about to start.”

Damn everything, I wanted to hear what Rey had to say. What Uncle Luke had told her. It could’ve been something to do with his vision, something about my future. But there were more pressing matters at hand and I needed to prioritize.

I sighed frustratedly before pointing to Rey, “We will finish this conversation.” I turned with Wedge to go join the group, trying to put the subject of my uncle’s post-humous words anywhere but the forefront of my mind. I spotted Poe and headed for the empty spot next to him. He was, shockingly, in pleasant conversation with the veteran pilot who had wanted to throw us into spaces moments ago. I only caught the last thing Poe said.

“It’s a deal.”

The large man gave Poe a hearty pat on the back, sending Poe stumbling forward. I caught his arm and steadied him, “Do I want to know what bet you just made?”

“A race,” he answered in a low tone, “That I’ll win. If I weren’t the better pilot, he’d get to shave my head.”

I shot him a disapproving glance but didn’t get time to voice my thoughts as the room went hush. Poe had never been in the habit of betting credits like a normal person. But then again, he never lost if it involved flying. 


“I’m glad you’re all here.” Mom’s voice echoed in the large room, all attention was given to her, “I know many of you came at great personal cost with small hope of success. I can’t promise that we will survive this. That we will all still be alive tomorrow, or the day after. But I can promise you one thing. I will fight beside you until the end.”

“If I may,” Norra Wexley said after a few seconds of silence, “Everyone in this room knows what they signed up for, General. This isn’t our first battle, although it might be our last. We’re done with ‘homes.’ We’ve made our choice. This,” Norra gestured to our team, “This is our home now. The Resistance is our family. And just like you, we’re ready to die for it.”

Mom looked touched enough to cry, but instead ducked her head, “And the rest of you? Is that how you all feel?”

A resounding chorus of agreements came from each person around the table.

“Then we have work to do. Yendor?”


The aforementioned Twi’lek came forward, he looked almost regal. “Welcome to Ryloth,” he greeted us, “Like Leia, I thank each of you for all that you have sacrificed. We are all here for the same purpose: to stand against the tyranny of the First Order. Those of us from Ryloth know a thing or two about standing against tyranny. I and my children and those who are part of the Ryloth Defense Authority offer you all we have, but as you can see, we are few.”

“You called the Resistance’s allies from Crait, did you not?” General Rieekan addressed Mom, “Others will come.”

She frowned as she remembered the disappointment on Crait. “So far the only allies we have been able to reach are the ones you see in front of you. We suspect that the First Order has been rounding up and imprisoning those sympathetic to the Resistance, and we think that they’ve figured out how to block our frequencies, but we aren’t sure. We can’t rely on reinforcements. Not at this point.”

There was more discussion about the subject, it was made clear that General Rieekan was unaware of just how large a threat the First Order had become. Contrary to what he thought, they were 100% capable of taking prisoners.

“Besides, what do they need?” Wedge asked, “A few local governments to look the other way, a few dark holes to lose people in. It’s not hard.”

“Speaking of local governments,” Charth, one of Yendor’s children, spoke up for the first time, “you should all understand that while Ryloth welcomes you in your time of need, there has been a complication.”

“Complication?” I asked.

“The First Order has come to Ryloth,” Mom answered, “Not because of us. As far as we know, they aren’t aware of our presence here.”

While it was worrisome, I was secretly relieved for personal reasons. I couldn’t sense Ren’s presence on the planet. Charth went on to explain that the First Order wanted to tithe their shipping lanes to raise money to rebuild the ships they’d lost, ironically, fighting us. It felt good to have put the tiniest dent in their fleet.

“I suggest we act quickly,” Mom went on, “Given our time and our limitations, I am most concerned with rebuilding our forces, giving us another week, another month. A foundation. I had hoped for time to find more leadership, but...I want ideas.”

“Ships,” Poe answered quickly, pointing to the holo inventory list that detailed our ships, “Is this up-to-date?”

“Yes,” Rey answered from where I’d left her, “I saw Rose account for the arriving ships before we met here.”

Poe nodded to her before turning back to the table, “I see a handful of starfighters, a few transports, a yacht. It’s not a fleet, and we can’t fight much less expect to win any kind of battle against the First Order with equipment like this. We need ships.”

“I agree. How do you suggest we get these ships?” Mom asked.

“We could steal them,” Norra suggested, “The First Order’s actively building fighters. You just said so,” she finished, gesturing toward Charth.

“The rumor is the Corellian shipyards are running continuously to meet the quotas,” the Twi’lek confirmed.

“Then we go to Corellia,” Poe said with a clap, as if it was an easy task.

“Too high-profile,” Wedge said, “And we don’t have enough people to stage a raid.”

“Send me in with a handful of pilots and I’ll get your ships for you,” Poe continued his urging, these were the moments where he needed to slow down.

Mom shook her head in rejection of the idea, “Wedge is right. We can’t risk the few pilots we have to liberate a handful of ships. We need a more strategic plan.”

She waited a beat, expecting Poe to argue that he could get the job done. I was proud of him for staying resigned, he was actively trying to do better at following orders.

“Bracca,” Shriv spoke up, “It’s just a thought.”

I’d never been to Bracca, but Pacer explained that it was a junker planet. Not exactly what we were in search of.

“It sounds like a waste of valuable time,” I commented, hoping Shriv didn’t take too much offense, “Time we can’t spend stealing junkyard scrap, we need functional ships.”

“Bracca has become the place that the First Order sends any and all claimed New Republic ships to be decommissioned and junked,” Finn countered from nearby, “It’s bound to be a treasure trove of the kind of ships we want. Parts, too. We could fix up those X-wings out there. Besides, beggars can’t be choosers, and let’s face it. We’re beggars.”

Connix entered the room, out of breath. “A message came in on the Millennium Falcon,” she announced, looking to my mother, “From Maz Kanata. She said you’d want to see it immediately, or I wouldn’t have interrupted.”

Poe and turned to each other in confusion, what did Maz have to say that she didn’t say to us?

“Can you patch it through?” Mom asked.

After Charth helped Connix connect, Maz’s face replaced the inventory list in the center of the table.

“Greetings, Leia.” Maz greeted loudly as she looked around the room, “I see you’re doing well collecting your allies to you.”

“We would be better if you had joined us.” Mom replied, I had a feeling she was trying her hardest to be polite. After Poe and I had recounted our encounter with Maz, Mom was just as confused and slightly offended.

“Ah, of course, of course,” Maz said passively, “But the ways of the Force are mysterious, and it was not my time.”

“I hear you have news for us, Maz,” Mom continued, trying to propel the conversation forward.

“Yes!” Maz exclaimed, “Did Dameron and your daughter tell you of the list?”

“A rumored list of First Order political prisoners and dissidents,” Mom answered.

“It’s not just a rumor anymore. I’ve seen it. Well, parts of it.”

Everyone began to talk amongst themselves, Mom silenced them with a wave of her hand, “How?”

“A rule I live my life by: If you have anything worth stealing,” Maz said, “Someone will eventually steal it.”

“Someone stole the list?" Mom asked with a lightness to her voice.

“Fortunately, the thief who has acquired it is an old acquaintance of mine.”

“Will they give it to us?”

“Hard to tell. Nifera can be mercurial. She likes games,” Maz answered with in a playful tone.

“We have to play a game for it?” Mom raised a brow.

“Not exactly, but then again...” Maz went on, “She’s holding an auction at her birthday party. Invitation-only to the party, and the auction will happen sometime during the event. List goes to the highest bidder. You know how thieves are.”

“When and where?” Mom asked, we were finally starting to get somewhere.

“The party will be held on Corellia, in Coronet City,” Maz explained, “As for when, you’ll just have to be ready to move quickly when the information comes in. I should know soon.”

Poe and I connected the dots at the same time and shared a smile before he addressed the group, “As long as we’re in Coronet City, might as well pick up some ships.”

Mom muttered something I couldn’t hear, but I made out the word ‘Force’. She turned her attention back to Maz, “Maz, you said it’s invitation-only? Can we-”

“I’ve already taken care of it,” Maz waved a hand, “Two invitations secured. One for a handsome but unscrupulous profiteer from Canto Bight, his wife and his junior business partner, and one for the ambassador of Ryloth and guest. It’s the best I could do under the circumstances. You’ll have to improvise.”

“Who’s the profiteer from Canto Bight?” Poe questioned with a scrunched brow, “There’s no one like that with the Resistance.”

“Well, of course not, Dameron. I made him up. Pick someone, whoever you like. But,” Maz said with a devious smile sliding across her face, “I was thinking of you when I said he was handsome.”

Maz flourished her sentence with a wink, my entire body went rigid as I tried to contain my laughter. I rubbed a hand over my mouth to conceal my grin. It became harder to hide when the veteran pilot Poe had been talking with slapped him on the back and said, “The little woman has you there, you are a handsome man.”

“Thank you, Maz,” Mom jumped in, “We accept the invitations.”

“Leia,” Rieekan quietly said, “How do we know this list is even real?”

“Who said that?” Maz asked, leaning forward in the holo, “Hmm...it’s real because I just confirmed it’s real. Didn’t you hear me? I’ve seen it.”

“You said you saw a partial list,” Rieeken corrected, “So even if we concede it’s real, how do we know it’s useful?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s useful or not” I strongly stated, “There are good people being kept prisoner for doing nothing more than disagreeing with the First Order. We have to help them.”

“They could be friends and family,” Norra supported me with a firm nod, “Y/n’s right. We should help them.”

“And we will,” Mom confirmed, “But Rieekan has a point. Our funds are limited. Before we commit to spending them at some thief’s auction, we should know more.”


“We could just steal it,” Shriv suggested, “I mean, the list is stolen. We could just steal it again.”

“Is that really the best idea?” Poe asked.

“We’re talking about stealing ships, aren’t we?” Shriv shrugged, “What’s the difference?”

“Lifting a few First Order fighters is payback,” Norra said.

“I’d rather not turn the Resistance into a den of thieves,” Leia sighed, “But we’ll do what we have to do.”

“You’ll have to pay the reserve to be allowed into the auction,” Maz noted, “After that, it’s up to you. But if you get caught with your hand in the biscuit bin, there won’t be a nice trial and punishment, you know. These people will kill you.”

“Fun,” I whispered under my breath.

“Your friend sounds charming,” Mom said dryly.

“Meh,” Maz shrugged, “Rich, yes. Charm? Charm was never her strong point.”

“I still think we should see who and what is on this list before we commit to any action,” Rieekan objected once again, “Maz, can you share what you have?”

“It will come over encrypted,” Maz said before a sudden noise interrupted her, “Have to go, hope I see you in Coronet City. Especially you, Dameron. And wear something nice. This Canto Bight fellow is quite dapper, I hear,” Maz blew a kiss to Poe, “Tah!”

She disconnected and I leaned over discreetly to my boyfriend, “Looks like I’ve got competition.” The comment earned me an elbow in my side, it was well worth it to watch his face change ten shades of red.

“Did we get the partial list?” Mom asked Connix.

“She just sent the invitations,” she answered as she searched her data pad, “No list yet.”

“Thoughts, while we’re waiting?” Mom asked our group.

Eventually, with a little more discussion, it was decided that Shriv would take command of a squadron and head to Bracca. They were to collect as many star fighters as they were able to. Wedge had pulled Mom and Poe into a conversation where I overheard him proposing he should be the one to go to Corellia and get the list. Mom was just suggesting we wait and see the list when Connix announced it was transmitting. The holo appeared, branded with the First Order logo. Sure enough, there was a partial list of names and last known locations under the title ’Subversives’.

“Hey, Poe,” Finn said as he came to stand with us, “You’re finally on someone’s most-wanted.”

I quickly scanned down the list to see Poe’s initials with the word Crait next to it. A chill ran down my spine, I’d always known with our reputations that we were both high on the First Order’s kill list. But knowing and seeing were two different things and seeing his name made what we were doing feel all the more real. My own initials rested at the very top of the list, I wasn’t sure if it was organized by most wanted. If so, I knew exactly who wanted me dead that bad. I’d always feared for Poe’s life more than my own, but Crait had been a sobering experience. It had shown me just how much I didn’t want to die.

The tips of Poe’s fingers brushed the back of my hand lightly, just enough to let me know he was there. Had we not been in a room full of people, I would have been seeking comfort in his arms.

“This is an assassination list.” Norra’s voice broke my thoughts, “This is why we can’t find our allies. They’re hunting them down, one by one.”

“Well, they’re not going to get us,” Finn said confidently. I wished I was as steady as he was in the moment.

We looked over the rest of the list, it included the names of those currently detained and those they were planning on arresting. Next to their initials were their reason for arrest, which all sounded ridiculous. Something as simple as questioning a directive would get them imprisoned.

“So Maz’s friend can decode these names for us?” I asked, finally having drained the fear from my voice.

“That’s my understanding,” Mom said quietly, her eyes were still scanning the list.

“It’s smart,” Wedge observed, “The auction list, I mean. Offer enough information to make people think that someone they know is on the list but with no guarantees.”

“People will pay their last credits for even the possibility of finding their missing loved ones,” Norra added.

“When it could all be a false hope,” Snap voiced the , fear we were all trying to ignore, “Foolish people and foolish dreams.”

“Nothing foolish about hope,” Rey mumbled from nearby, I turned and we shared a knowing smile.

There was more talk and guessing as to who the initials might belong to. There were titles like senator and diplomat all the way to celebrities and athletes. Those thought dead now stood a chance at being alive. Poe turned to Mom to ask if we would go through with the plan. She suddenly appeared much older than she actually was, trembling and silent with her eyes glazed with tears. Poe and I were on each side of her instantly.

“What is it?” he asked with a protective hand on her shoulder, “Are you okay?”

“Mom,” I whispered, holding onto her waist, “Talk to me. Do you need to rest?”

She looked up with tear streaks painting her face, her lips curved into a smile. “It’s the list” she said in disbelief, “I-I never knew. I thought he was gone.”


“Who?” Poe asked.

“An old friend,” she said as she patted our hands in reassurance that she was alright. We cautiously let go and went back to our spots next to her, keeping a close eye on her. “And if I’m reading it right, he’s being held on Coronet City."

As we discussed the possibility that it could all be a trap, it began to feel less like one. Mom now had another fire lit under her at the thought of being reunited with her old friend and though it was risky, it felt like a chance we needed to take.

“So we’re going after the list?” Poe asked after a moment.

Mom looked around the room and gauged everyone’s reactions. For the most part, we’d reached an agreement. “Yes, and the ships. And if you can, Senator Casterfo.”

“Leia,” Yendor said, shocked, “Do you think it could be?”

She gave a single nod. Whoever this person was, he meant something to a lot of people.

“And if we can’t?” I asked, hating to be pessimistic and dash my mother’s hope, ”What happens if it’s not him?”

Mom let out a heavy breath, “Then I’m a fool. But it doesn’t change our mission. We rescue those prisoners, anyway.”

I wanted it to be the person she was searching for. She needed a win after all she’d been though the past week. We all did.

Shriv confirmed that he had his team together to go to Bracca. Charth said that he would join Poe at the party with the invitation for the Ryloth ambassador. Wedge and Norra volunteered to go to Coronet City and retrieve the ships we needed. As Poe dismissed them, the pressure amplified. Three teams with three missions and the survival of the Resistance resting on their backs. While I still had doubts and there were a million ways any one of the plans could go wrong, I had faith. More than that, I had hope. I was so wrapped in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize there was a conversation happening next to me until Mom bumped me with her cane.

“Where’s your head, Commander?” Mom asked, Poe was beside her watching me carefully. Probably to make sure I wasn’t ready to fall apart, but I was far from it.

“In the future,” I answered firmly, “With the Resistance thriving.”

Mom smiled proudly, “Good answer.” She turned to leave, but Poe’s call of her name stopped her.

“What you said, about the First Order being on Ryloth,” he said, “Do you think it’s safe for you and Rieekan and the others to stay?”

She shook her head, “No. But there is no ‘somewhere safe’ for us anymore. We’ll stay as long as we can, monitor the missions and give tactical support.”

The fear was gnawing away at my stomach at the thought of the First Order figuring out where we were. I didn’t want us to get hit just as we were gaining a little bit of ground. “What happens if the First Order finds us?”

Mom sighed and patted both our arms, “Then we do what we always do, fight.”

Poe and I were left in silence, a few conversations continuing softly as people left the war room. It was a heavy thought Mom had left us with. But it caused another surge of determination to run through me, failure wasn’t an option.

“You good?” Poe asked, sliding a hand up my lower back.

“Yeah,” I replied, looking up to meet his wondering gaze, “C’mon, we’ve got work to do.”

“Hold on, speedy,” he laughed under his breath as he pulled me back to my spot, “We’ve got an important matter at hand.”

I narrowed my eyes in confusion as he took hold of both my hands. I quickly looked around to see that we were the last two people in the war room.

“It seems like I’m in need of a wife,” he said, referencing the invitation, “And I was wondering if you would do me the honor of…wait.”

Poe dropped to one knee, keeping my hands locked with his. The sincerity in his eyes made my heart flutter as we took advantage of a few seconds of intimate silence. “Y/n Solo, will you do me the honor of being my wife for the evening?”

“Poe Dameron,” I grinned, “I would love to be your one night wife.”

He let out an exaggerated exhale of relief, clutching his chest as if he’d thought I would decline. I laughed and began to pull him up, but he stayed planted on the ground. 

“I think you’re forgetting something,” Poe said teasingly, squeezing my hands before releasing them. He reached around to the back of his neck, undoing the chain that lived permanently against his chest. He collected his mother’s ring in his palm and grabbed my hand again.

“Poe,” I protested hurriedly, “I can’t wear-“

“Yes,” he argued with a content smile, “You can. Even in a fake marriage, this is the only ring I’d ever consider giving you.”

I went silent as he slid the ring onto my fourth finger. It fit too perfectly, like it was made for me. I knew the history of who’d worn it before me and I hoped that had she still been alive, Shara would have approved of me. I had to remind myself it wasn’t a real proposal, no matter how much it felt like one.

Poe and I smiled softly at each other as he rose to his full height, pulling me into his arms for the hug I’d longed for since we’d arrived. I dug my head into his shoulder and took a deep breath, inhaling his comforting scent and trying to exhale every anxious thought I had.

“We need to get going,” Poe murmured, reluctantly pulling back from me.

“No, just a little longer,” I pleaded as I tightened my grip around him, “Please.”

Poe responded to my request silently by sinking back into our embrace, his warm palms seeping through my clothing to my skin. He face found its favorite place buried in my neck, pressing a few light kisses against the skin. My hands fisted the orange fabric of his flight suit. It felt like the galaxy had frozen time momentarily for us to simply hold each other. Just a few more seconds, I told myself, then we’d come back to our problems.

————

A/N: If you only knew what a chaotic trio there will be in next week’s chapter...😂 I’m not even going to mess around with adding the taglist because I know tumblr will mess it up again so I’ll place it in the comments. Hope you enjoyed! 🧡

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 3): General Bracket Match 11

Zeen Mrala | Identity: wlw | Media: The High Republic Phase I

Zeen Mrala was raised in the Elders of the Path cult, a religion which saw force-sensitivity as abhorrent. In a metaphor for being neurodivergent and/or queer, Zeen was force-sensitive, which was something she had to keep secret. When her planet was simultaneously affected by an Emergence and attacked by the Nihil, she was forced to use her powers to help the Jedi save her people. This caused her closest friend, Krix Kammerat, to feel betrayed, and he joined the Nihil. Unable to stay with the Path, she joined the Jedi of the Star Hopper, who agreed to train her as essentially a Jedi auxiliary even though she was too old to become a proper Jedi. She found it was much easier to make friends when she didn’t have to hide who she was, and easily found a family among the Padawans on the Star Hopper. She grew closest with the padawan Lula Talisola. She joined the Jedi in attempting to hunt down Krix, who was quickly growing in power within the Nihil. Through her Force connecting with Lula and the balancing of love and nonattatchment they were able to succeed. After Starlight Beacon was destroyed and Lula was declared missing, she swore she would do whatever it took to find her love.

When Zeen first confronted Krix after she decided to hunt him down, her anger at Krix’s reaction to his view of her powers drove her to Force choke him, only being held back by Lula. After further Jedi training, the next time she had Krix had her mercy she was able to resist his bait and didn’t harm him. She had come to terms that Krix had never really loved her if he couldn’t accept all of her. She took well to Jedi training, but never had any angst about not being allowed to become a proper Jedi. 

Sinjir Rath Velus | Identity: gay | Media: Aftermath Trilogy

Ignoring Moff Moors, Sinjir is tied with Esmelle and Shirene for being the first queer character in the New EU. And unlike those two, he is a major character. He was abused by his mother and then the ISB training process. An ISB loyalty officer, he was stationed on the Endor shield generator, where he nope-d out and attempted to become a regular civilian. An alcoholic, he found himself on Akiva, where he was pulled into helping Norra Wexley, her son Temmin, and the bounty hunter Jas Emari drive the Empire off the planet. Afterwards, he decided to make up for his time with the Empire by joining a New Republic war criminal hunting squad with the rest of the Aftermath novel’s ensemble cast. He began dating New Republic slicer Conder Kyl, but due to his alcoholism and trauma, their relationship was rocky. His team helped Han Solo in an unauthorized mission to liberate Kashyyyk. Afterwards, considering himself unworthy, he broke up with Conder. After the Liberation Day attacks, he joined Norra and her team in attempting to hunt down Rae Sloane. They tracked her to the planet Jakku, where the Imperial fleet was massing. After sending Norra, Jas, and Mister Bones down to the planet, Sinjir and Temmin returned to Chandrilla to convince the New Republic to launch an attack against Jakku. Sinjir got pulled into the political shenanigans necessary to get the resolution to pass, where he had to go crawling back to Conder and beg him for help. After Conder’s life was threatened in the process, Sinjir realized he couldn’t stay away from Conder. With his found family, he was able to become sober. He was recruited by Mon Mothma to become her aide. He and Conder got married after the end of the war.

Sinjir was snarky and cynical, in part as a defense mechanism and the result of his alcoholism. But even after he got better, he was still a silly guy. As a former loyalty officer, he was skilled in intrigue and intelligence, as well as self-defense. After a lifetime serving the Empire, even though he wanted to help the New Republic, he rankled at still just following what a government tells him to do- hence all the unauthorized missions. Mon Mothma recruited him because she needed a cynic and someone who could play the game. He was very close with Jas Emari, essentially platonic soulmates. 

[atamascolily]

lily reads “Aftermath: Life Debt” by Chuck Wendig

This was one of the first nu-canon novels to come out in 2016, meant to fill the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. So far, all of the nu-canon stuff has been readable (unlike, say, some of Legends’ more memorable failures) but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Wendig’s writing is the most exciting and engaging I have encountered to date.

The problem is, of course, that he keeps using it to accomplish things I disagree with, but I am sure he did the best he could within the constraints Disney gave him and I don’t take it personally.

Anyway, I had to skip the first Aftermath book because it’s AWOL from the library right now, but fortunately, Wendig is pretty good about explaining How We Got Here without huge infodumps, so I got oriented pretty fast.

This book is written in present tense, which also surprised me. Even though I have read several pro-published novels that use present tense, I’m still not used to seeing it outside of fanfic, and it feels delightfully novel. I like present tense because it encourages concrete verbs, as well as a sense of immediacy and groundedness in the action (which is one reason I use it in fics). Present tense forces me to be a better writer precisely because it doesn’t come naturally. But I also enjoy it as a reader. 

Life Debt is set immediately post-Battle of Endor in 5 ABY. Leia is a few months pregnant. Luke is name-dropped a few times, but never appears. (Sigh.) Han is upset that the New Republic is dragging its feet on liberating Kashyyyk and he and Chewie decide to take matters into their own hands. When things go wrong, Leia asks Wendig’s OC Nora Wexley and her crew to bring him back.

Nora Wexley was one of the Y-wing pilots at the Battle of Endor. Now she roams the galaxy hunting Imperials for New Republic bounty, with a motley assortment of beings. There’s Sinjir, ex-Imperial and gay; Jas Emari, a Zabrak bounty hunter; and Jom Barell, who didn’t have any defining personality traits that stuck in my mind outside of his on-again, off-again friends-with-benefits with Jas;. There’s also her teenage son Temmin “Snap” Wexley and the refurbished battle droid he built as a personal bodyguard, Mr. Bones. Mr. Bones is an unrepentant murderbot and utterly delightful, especially when he tries to “blend in” by being more human.

More backstory: Nora joined the Rebellion after her husband Brentin was imprisoned by the Empire and presumed dead. Nora and Wedge have a thing as well. Mon Mothma is chancellor of the New Republic, and Leia is... I’m not sure what her official title is.

Meanwhile, on Team Empire, there’s Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, ostensibly in charge of a large slice of the Imperial Remnant, but who is being manipulated--to her deep resentment--by a man named Gallius Rax with ties to both Palpatine and Jakku. Sloane tortured Wedge in the previous book and Nora is frustrated she didn’t kill the Grand Admiral when she had the chance.

There’s also a hilarious sequence where the guy running Coruscant tries to surrender and Mon Mothma and Leia refuse because he doesn’t have anything they especially want.

In addition to the main plot, there are also short chapters titled “Interludes” showing various doings in the wider galaxy. I think a lot of these are supposed to be tie-ins for other material because they mostly don’t have any relevance to the current storyline. There’s one about a Vader-inspired death cult on Corellia, a pirate queen named Eleodie, Alderaanians mining asteroids from their former homeland and arguing about politics, Twi’leks freeing Ryloth, Malakili the ex-rancor-keeper gets a new job training a baby Hutt (?? - would have liked to hear more about that one!). I like the one about Maz Kanata’s castle, even though it still makes NO SENSE in terms of world-building.

I like Sinjir’s relationship with his slicer boyfriend, and I like that from his perspective, it’s not that the Empire particularly cares about homosexuality per se, (as long as you’re discreet about it), but the Empire uses relationships to manipulate and control people, so being open about them is a form of weakness. Just brings home the point that the Empire is a piece of shit (which is why it’s so hard for me to care about Rae Sloane or any of the scheming on Team Empire).

I don’t think I like Sinjir as a person, mind you, but he is certainly interesting, and he has no illusions that he’s a good guy, even though he’s now working against the Empire.

Also, there’s a bounty hunter named Mercurial Swift, which is the most metal name ever, and cameos from Brendol Hux, who ran some sort of boarding school, and whose bastard son is name-dropped occasionally.

No one will be surprised that my favorite scene is Leia meditating next to a sanctuary tree sapling on Chandrila she grew from a seed that Wicket gave her, and she touches the Force for the first time, and realizes that her child is a boy. Nice.

Anyway, Nora and her team find Solo--Chewbacca is a prisoner on Kashyyk when their rebellion attempt failed--and they sneak into a prison called Ashmead’s Lock on Kashyyyk, which happens to be where Nora’s husband Brentin has been this whole time! The prisoners have been stuck in stasis pods and mined for energy in a Matrix-like scenario that really should have been explored more, but they bust out, with Nora taking the prisoners home and Han and Chewie continuing to lead the rebellion.

Time skip! Brentin is distant and has PTSD, Snap is angry and acting out, Nora feels guilty because she’s attracted to Wedge and she isn’t able to connect with her husband anymore. Wedge is, of course, heartbroken.

Sloane comes to Chandrila for peace talks, and Leia leaves to go after Han on Kashyyk when Mon Mothma refuses to back her up. She ends up getting Wedge to come with her for back-up, and her pilot is Evaan Verlaine from the comics (nice to see you Evaan!)

Meanwhile, the Empire continues to be a piece of shit on Kashyyyk, and it’s way more graphic than I expected this book to go. They get what’s coming to them eventually, when Han and his team disable the chips that are keeping all the Wookiees prisoner. 

The peace talks turn out to be a trap engineered by Gallius Rax--all of the prisoners from Kashyyyk are brainwashed to start murdering people at the big ceremony and Mon Mothma narrowly avoids assassination at Brentin’s hands thanks to Nora’s quick reflexes. Sloane escapes, is super-pissed about being manipulated yet again by Rax, and she and Brentin (who also wants revenge) go to Jakku to follow up on a lead about Rax’s past.

Han ends up stealing a Star Destroyer, and Leia saves the day, and they finally kiss and make up and it’s lovely. Han leaves Chewie behind on Kashyyyk to be with Leia. Norra and her remaining team members go after Sloane.

But the biggest disappointment, of course, is the New Republic’s inability to liberate Kashyyyk, which I think epitomizes the difference between Disney’s version of Star Wars and Legends for me. In Legends, it was never a question that our heroes would liberate Kashyyyk; that was important and the entire point of the Rebellion. Even though it happened more or less off-screen, it was mentioned and cited as proof of the New Republic’s victory and triumph. So to see Mon Mothma and Ackbar trying to dissuade Leia from this is just... wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Like I said, I think Wendig’s hands were tied on this one, but it just... lands wrong. It will never not feel wrong. Is it grittier and more “realistic” this way? Maybe, but what is the point?

Overall,  this is an action-packed adventure, with lots of good moments and funny bits that feel very much “Star Wars” to me. The interludes range from fan service-y to “hey, that’s neat, tell me more!” to  “wow, is there going to be a payoff for this years down the line?” In general, I find Disney Star Wars depressing as hell, but despite the downers I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. Like I said at the beginning, this is probably the best nu!canon thing I’ve read to date outside of the Shattered Empire comics. 

I came to like most of Wendig’s OCs, even though I’d really rather read about characters I already know--like, say, Luke! Imagine that!

(I don’t know why Disney thinks we’re not interested in what Luke’s doing, but tbh they write him so poorly when they bother that I’m not really sure I want them to.)

[j-thehutt]

*Wedge Antilles comes on screen*

General Audience: Who dat?

Fans: It's Wedge!!!!

Me and my Star-Wars-book-reading ass: DOES HE NOT KNOW HIS SON-IN-LAW JUST DIED?! WHERES NORRA, OH GOD NORRA'S GONNA LOSE IT WHEN SHE FINDS OUT NO NO NO. SNAP WEXLEY YOU SWEET BOY! IM WEEPING.

[lesbinewren]

Hera!

How i feel about this character

I LOVE HER!!!!!!!! she’s so interesting and so fun to write and i just. love her so much. i’m in love with that lady.

All the people I ship with her romantically

there’s only one and if you know you know

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I mean the whole Ghost crew, plus Rex, Ahsoka and her dad, but I also really love the idea of her becoming friends with characters like Shara Bey or Norra Wexley and bonding over being pilot moms

My unpopular opinion for this character

She’s easily the best pilot in the galaxy, I don’t know why anybody says otherwise

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

I wish that her conflict with Thrawn had a little more resolution. He took part in the takeover of not just her homeworld, but the personal family home where she grew up. I have no opposition to Ezra being the one to face Thrawn in the finale, I just wish Hera had gotten... more than just her kalikori back, you know? but we may get that in some way when Sabine and Ahsoka find Ezra and Thrawn and bring them back, so who knows!

give me a character; and I’ll break their ass down

[the10veliest]

Be With Me (60621 words) by unseenforgenerations

Chapters: 6/?

Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy , Star Wars - All Media Types

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo, Poe Dameron/Finn, Kaydel Ko Connix/Rose Tico

Characters: Rey (Star Wars), Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Finn (Star Wars), Poe Dameron, Rose Tico, Kaydel Ko Connix, Chewbacca (Star Wars), Padmé Amidala, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda (Star Wars), Jyn Erso, Chirrut Îmwe, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo, Larma D'Acy, Wedge Antilles, Norra Wexley, Karé Kun, R2-D2 (Star Wars), C-3PO (Star Wars), BB-8 (Star Wars), Original Skywalker Character(s), Original Rebel Alliance Character(s), Lando Calrissian, Jannah (Star Wars)

Additional Tags: JJ Abrams Can Suck It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Resolved Sexual Tension, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Humor, ALL THE FLUFF, Medium Slow Burn, Poe Dameron: Chaotic of Bi and Dumb of Ass, Fix-It, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, A Fix It Fic for the Ages, Everything Will Feel Good, Nothing Will Hurt, eventually, But We've Got Some Shit to Work Through First, Ben Solo Braids Hair, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Rey Needs A Hug, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Finn Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Rose Tico Needs A Hug, They all need hugs, there will be smut, you're gonna suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Anxiety Attacks, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Dry Humping, A Christmas Carol but make it Star Wars

Summary:

With the Final Order defeated, where do Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose go from here?

How will they rebuild the Republic?

How will they process their trauma?

How will they handle the stages of loss?

And, having sacrificed himself to save Rey, where does Ben Solo go from here?

Will he go to be with his family, or is something preventing him from truly moving on?

There is only one way to find out.

Excerpt from this chapter:

          Ben isn’t sure how long they end up staring at one another in the quiet, but it must be an unsuitably long time for Ahsoka because she shoots up off the bench in a huff, crossing her arms and scowling at them both. “Look, you idiots, as much as I’d love to spend all of time waiting around for one of you to grow a spine, I don’t fancy being stuck here in the place that reminds me of when my best friend murdered me. So, one of you’d better start talking, or I’ll start interpreting your facial expressions and speaking for both of you. I will make it weird.”

           Luke scoffs at her, indignant, although clearly used to this sort of verbal lashing from the Togruta. Ben, on the other hand, unsuccessfully attempts to stifle his laughter. She turns her scowl on him directly, and he clears his throat, a smile playing at his lips. Then, she sardonically waves an open hand at the ground in front of her, an invitation to take the floor and kick-start the uncomfortable yet inevitable proceedings. Ben nods at her, accepting, and she winks at him before stepping away to give them some semblance of privacy.

           Here goes nothing, Ben thinks.