#always punch saresh

[sullustangin]

Slightly Intrusive Iokath ficlet

I think a bunch of people on tumblr played through Iokath this week.  So here’s a piece inspired by the fact I got a problem with Theron only calling Jace “father” after he’s been fried like a bug in a zapper.  So here’s LS!Ending Iokath.

**

“Father.”

Jace stopped mid-sip of his caf.  Swallow, don’t spray it in Theron’s face.  Once that was done:  “Excuse me?”

Theron winced and reached for his own cup on the table in Jace’s makeshift office on Iokath.  “Yeah, I didn’t think that sounded right either.”  He consulted the bottom of his cup and found it empty.  He put it down on the table, then he rubbed the back of his neck.  “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I wanted -- well, not wanted, but I didn’t expect -- I didn’t --”  Jace’s internal monologue started chanting Stop screwing this up stop screwing this up stop -- “It’s welcome.  Just surprising,” he finally managed to get out.  Jace thought for a second.  “It also sounds like you’re expecting me to be mad at you.  Or you’re mad at me.  That’s the only time I called my old man ‘Father.’“

“Well, that sounds like us, most of the time,”  Theron said, but he looked away from Jace and out a viewport.  Iokath gleamed in the morning light.  “And we already established 'Dad’ is the guy you ride speeders and go fishing with.  And it’s more than a little late for that.”  Theron’s glib delivery was belied by how his mouth twisted around the words, as if he was struggling with something, as if he was trying to decide to say it or not.  

What a pair they were.  Satele had an easy way with people that Jace envied.  It was clear who Theron got his social graces from ...

Jace grabbed the carafe at the table and poured himself more caf.  He offered it to Theron, who waved it off.  “Just ‘Jace’ is fine,” he said quietly as he set it down. “���Malcom’ is what my troops call me.”  Jace thought back to a cup of caf he’d had with Marcus Trant a few years ago and a lunch with Theron years before that.  ”I’m glad your commander has recovered.  She’s tough.”

Theron’s face relaxed at the mention of her.  “She’s had to be.”  He drew a breath in through his nose and let it out the same way.  “After missing five years and then being on the run or fighting for the last eighteen months, we had hoped for some quiet.  But the galaxy needs us.  Needs the Fleet.”

Jace had not missed the “we” in that sentence.  “She’s still someone special?”

Theron startled, mildly, but then he seemed to remember that avoided conversation after Yavin 4.  “Yeah, we are doing that,” he answered, quietly.  “Mutual ‘next of kin’ on certain forms.”

Jace knew what that meant.  He took another sip of his caf just to take the edge off the goofy smile and the already multiplying questions he had.

“That reminds me.”  Theron reached into his resilient red jacket and pulled out a small puck.  “I may have mentioned how... dissatisfied you were with the previous administration.  Eva sends it as a personal gift.”  

Jace stared at the puck, puzzled, then raised an eyebrow at Theron. 

“Let’s say the official report about Saresh’s arrest skipped over some details.”  He activated the device, and a small holo was projected onto the table between them.

Moments later, the Supreme Commander burst into raucous laughter. 

“She’s -- she’s got a hell of a left cross,” he managed to splutter out.  “And in a dress.”  Jace was wiping tears away as he gasped for breath, then: “Oh, it loops.  Good God.” Theron wore a distinctly amused yet proud smirk.

That was the last private conversation Jace and Theron had for nearly two years.

[rangerslayer-97]

Actually, you get the prompt that Theron still approves if you kill Saresh. He even says "Is it wrong to say I enjoyed that?" you can hear the slight tone of humor in his voice.

Doesn't matter what you choose to do, he's amused and approves of whatever you do to Saresh because everyone hated that Twi'lek bitch so much, even the Republic Senate did.

I personally prefer killing Saresh, it's freeing up a cell for Vinn Atrius, Malora, the Onderonian King's cousins, Savik, Gnost-Dural whoever.

Each to our own, you wanna imprison Saresh and play her speech in her cell on repeat as psychological torture, go ahead (though that is something some of us would do <.<)

Imagine being tortured with your speech, thinking you assassinated the Alliance Commander?

That dumb face should warrant enough to bury her 6ft under and feed her remains to the Odessen wildlife XD

[queen-scribbles]

Who are your 3 least favorite Swtor companions and why?

heh heh hoo boy. Details behind a cut so people don't have to read me venting about potential faves in a couple cases, but tl;dr is Kaliyo, Skadge, both of whom I strongly dislike, and either Vik or Lana(not nearly as strong).

1.Absolute hands down least favorite is Kaliyo. I legit hate her. She's self-centered, vindictive, and thinks it's funny to ruin people's lives. I literally won't even talk to her any more when I play Agents. She spends the ENTIRE GAME with a little yellow triangle over her head bc I refuse to engage. I did her convos/quest with Jaaide, my first Agent, up til the Anspi'shel thing, then stopped when she wanted to sell Anspi'shel to a life of slavery or worse bc it'd be funny revenge for some not-nearly-deserving of That "transgression". Jaaide wanted to punch her in the face and never spoke another word to her the game didn't make me. I watched her romance on youtube and it did her no favors. AND THEN we get to her presence in KotFE. Making all of Zakuul suffer bc of what their leadership did? Outright terrorism? I wouldn't recruit her ever if you didn't have to. The way I always do ch 12/13 is telling Jorgan to destroy the GEMINI signal and then telling Kaliyo to stay put. Which she ignores, and gets Havoc killed. And then refuses to accept responsibility for it. ("If they're so good, why are they dead?" Hmm, maybe bc you were throwing thermal detonators in an enclosed space????? THAT MIGHT'VE DONE IT) She usually dies there, unless I'm trying to keep the toon 100% light side, and there's a few that got through there before I figured out how you get the option. *Sidenote: makes me love Jorgan even more that he disapproves if you kill her. He can't stand her, is currently furious at her bc she got his team killed, and he still thinks executing her is Too Far for punishment. Honestly, if there was a Jail option like you get for Saresh in KotET, I'd do that instead of killing her. But I'm not letting a vengeful, psychotic anarchist who knows the location of my secret base just LEAVE, and I can't let what she just did go unpunished, so death it is.

2. Skadge is... Skadge. The threatening to shoot you and steal your ship if you don't agree to let him come along? Yeah, all my Hunters were ready to shoot him and dump him in the lava for that alone. BUT I will talk to him for the xp, so he's slightly less hated than Kaliyo. Still kill him in Rusk's alliance alert though /cough

3. Okay so this is a sharp drop off from the other ones. Kaliyo and Skadge I actively dislike/hate, this one is much more.... barely wavering to the negative side of neutral. Vik annoys me and I wish we could have Fuse if he was alive instead. He's selfish, and way too willing to throw away other peoples' lives for his personal gain.

Lana I don't hate, or feel strongly about at all, it's just... between her Developers' Baby plot armor so she doesn't die(like Koth, Theron, and Senya can) or lose anyone important from her life(like Theron can *glares at WFI and JUS*) and her "Whatever you think is Best" attitude, I'm not crazy about her. I don't like Yes Man companions in general(why I like Carver better than Bethany in DA2), so anytime we get someone who's just blindly supportive of the player character they rub me the wrong way. It's more a problem I have with the archetype than her specifically. (Not to mention the numerous things she's a hypocrite about) I don't mind her as a character or roll my eyes and groan when I have to talk with her, and I'm even running her romance on a couple toons(it's AMAZING with a smuggler). She's just not my favorite.

[voidendron]

whoops

punching Saresh is always v v satisfying-

[mercurypilgrim]

Vlante 35 39 4 3

35. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

Hoo boy. There’s a big list to choose from here!

Beryon V’lante, for all his loudmouthed, brash, sour attitude, is a deeply insecure person.

If he had to pick one thing to change about himself, it would be that.

He would wish to be more secure in himself, the way other Jedi are. He wants to be able to love the Order and the Code like they do, to give themselves to the will of the Jedi and serenely do what is asked of them.

But he can’t. He’s always felt so deeply, always been unable to lie to himself and accept things as they are. He’s an unsatisfied man in many ways, and he wishes he could just turn that part of his brain off.

Looking at other Jedi, happy and joyful in their work, he secretly wishes he could be like them.

39. Have they ever been accused of something they didn’t do?

Yes.

V’lante was never the best padawan (or Knight, or even Master...), although no-one could fault his dedication (that’s probably the reason he was never kicked out).

That said, there’s no way the Council could overlook such obvious temper issues, and he was frequently hauled in to be lectured.

Later, this was used against him when Zakuul invaded, and he led a good chunk of the fight against the Eternal Empire. When the Republic capitulated V’lante was furious at being recalled, but nothing topped his feelings when Saresh flung him under the proverbial bus as a peace offering to Zakuul.

He hadn’t done many of the things he ended up accused of, but the Republic (Saresh) needed a scapegoat.

Saresh was only too happy to provide one in the Jedi that had never respected her authority, and had probably told her so to her face.

V’lante took off and joined the Alliance, leading to meeting Ven again under strained, if neutral, circumstances.

4. Describe their worst nightmare.

Being powerless.

Not a lack of Force power, but an inability to do something meaningful.

V’lante desperately wants to matter (to someone, to anyone, please), so he throws himself into the Jedi, even though he’s not truly happy there. He needs rules and structure even as he feels stifled by it.

When he fights Zakuul, he throws all that he is into the task.

When he’s Alliance, everything he has goes into it.

He dreads the day when he can’t do anything. When he’s bound, either by politics or physical injury.

He just wants what he does to matter, to make a difference. If he can’t do that, he doesn’t know how he’ll go on.

3. What is the worst pain they’ve ever experienced?

Physically, it was when the Emperor was in his mind, although the time when Ven clawed his face is a close second.

The Emperor was not gentle or kind while he was shredding V’lante’s already rather shaky psyche, and that trauma is the worst pain he has ever felt. The Emperor’s voice in his mind, his presence tearing and shredding and rebuilding was something he will never forget.

He Fell then, and only just managed to pull himself back. He was never the same afterwards, and Kira noticed. He skirts the line now, every moment a chance to Fall again. The memories of that pain haunt him, and it puts strain on his unsteady mind.

Emotionally, it was probably when Scourge left.

V’lante has always had terrible luck with love, from being smitten with Master Siriastri Vol (my Consular!), the Master with the sad eyes and the joy for teaching who was dedicated to the Jedi code and never saw Beryon as more than a friend, to  hooking up as friends-with-benefits with Theron and catching feelings before they broke it off, all the while having feelings for Scourge, who very obviously didn’t return them.

He still cared deeply for the Sith, and it broke his heart when he left as the crew broke up during the war with Zakuul.

That all came back the moment he saw Scourge on Odessen, and it was a long coming moment of joy when it came out that the Sith could finally return his feelings. V’lante punched him in the face, and then promptly kissed him.

Scourge let him. ;)

[katyakiryu]

An Unexpected Wrath, Part 9

"You understand, Captain Quinn, that we cannot allow you to continue your search for the Empire's Wrath," Minister Lorman told Quinn. "It is in the Empire's best interest that she disappears, you understand."

One year. 12 months. 360 days.

However he staged the statistics in his mind, Quinn couldn't stand the fact that it had been a year and Asha'lie was still missing. What was now known as the Eternal Empire had bombed planets into submission. They'd taken her from him. There was no trace of her anywhere in the galaxy. All Quinn had was the one broadcast that an Outlander had assassinated the Eternal Emperor. Asha had killed the Emperor, he was sure of it. Quinn also refused to believe that she too had been slaughtered.

She was alive somewhere out there. He could feel it.

"I will not cease my search, minister," Quinn replied coldly.

"Then I have permission to take you into custody," Lorman replied. Quinn had never wanted to punch someone so much in his life, and that included Pierce.

"Yeah, over my dead body," Vette snapped behind Quinn.

She was the only one who remained after a year. Broonmark had left fairly soon, as had Pierce. Jaesa had stayed for some time before deciding to better herself in the ways of the force without Asha.

"Are you leaving as well?" Quinn had asked Vette.

"I owe Asha'lie everything. I'll help you find her, I promise," the Twi'lek had replied. "She'd want me to stick with you anyway."

Now Vette stood at his side, ready to fight an entire squad of Imperial soldiers just to stop him from being taken. Quinn was almost touched, but he knew the consequences if she stood with him. She'd be killed or thrown back into the slave pens, and that Asha would never forgive him for.

"I surrender, then," Quinn told the minister.

"What?!" Vette exclaimed.

"Vette. Let it be."

The prison cell was dark and metalic. Quinn lay on the cot within and let out a breath. He could always try and escape, but odds were that he'd be shot dead.

If Vette found Asha, how would the Sith react if he was dead? He wondered about that for several minutes. Odds were she'd kill the entire Empire in revenge. No, he was thinking of himself too highly in her mind. She would certainly kill Lorman.

Quinn wondered if she was happy where she was. He doubted it. Asha'lie wouldn't have run off and left them after she killed the Emperor.

Do you want to run away with me?

She had once asked him that. Quinn realized that he would in an instant. He wondered where they'd go. Asha had loved Voss. She loved Alderaan. It would have to be a planet with woods. Woods and streams. Somewhere beautiful, just like her.

He turned to writing her a letter in his head.

My lord,

No, that was too formal.

Asha'lie,

Too casual.

Quinn frowned and shook his head, turning onto his side. There wasn't a point to it now. He'd write that letter when she saved him. Even better, he'd tell it to her face.

The last thing Quinn expected was a pardon and a promotion. He was allowed to keep his search discreet as he served Empress Acina. Even with the high privilege of his promotion to Major, throughout the next year of his life, Quinn felt as if someone had carved a hole into his heart. Asha was still missing. There was no way to fill the gap.

Vette hadn't contacted him, either.

He was considering taking a shuttle to look for the Sith he loved when news of a resistance against Arcaan reached him. An Alliance, they called it. At first, Quinn wrote it off, but as time went on, more and more blows were struck against the Empire that had conquered them all. Massive blackouts in Zakuul, the Outlander escaping prison, the entire Eternal fleet gone haywire, and Arcaan's disappearance from the throne. Quinn couldn't believe it. He could believe it even less when Acina offered to aid the Alliance.

He waited near the entrance to the throne room, curious to see this so called Outlander. Perhaps he could convince them to find Asha. She was a powerful fighter, and an Alliance between Sith and Jedi was all she ever wanted.

Quinn nearly choked when Asha'lie herself walked in with who he recognized as Theron Shan and Lana Beniko. It was her, it was really her. He moved to approach her, to throw himself at her feet and beg for her forgiveness. Had she found Vette and Jaesa? He hoped she had. Surely she'd be happy to see him?

Quinn stopped in his tracks when he watched Theron grab her hand. Asha smiled at the former SIS agent.

The Major's shoulders slumped. She was involved with the spy again. Of course she was. Undoubtedly, Shan held just as much affection for her now as Quinn had refused to see on Yavin 4.

One would think that six years apart would numb the pain, but it did nothing to soothe the ache in his heart.

"The Empress and the Alliance Commander are dead."

Dead. No, not like this. Not when he could have said something to her, not when he could have held her again, seen those clear blue eyes that still haunted his dreams sparkle.

Quinn was mentally punching himself until Acina walked back into the citadel, soaked but unharmed.

To his own surprise, the Minister was behind it. Both Acina and Asha'lie had survived.

"When can we expect a prision transfer for Lorman?" He asked the ensign beside him that evening. Asha had taken a shuttle away from Dromund Kaas to save her Alliance, and to Quinn's regret, he hadn't been able to speak with her. Now was the time to send that letter. He picked up his datapad to send the order.

"He was found dead, Major."

Quinn slowly lifted his gaze from the pad.

"Forensic report," he ordered.

"Three lightsaber wounds to the chest, Major."

She'd killed Lorman. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Quinn was suddenly very certain that killing the Emperor had sent Asha over the deep end. Had she woken up alone and angry that he hadn't found her? No, she was Sith at heart, he had to remember that.

"I can't believe she threw Saresh in jail."

The passing conversation of an Imperial solider crossed his ears.

"After that betrayal? The Wrath went soft."

Quinn relaxed. Acina could have killed Lorman. He was jumping to conclusions.

The Eternal Empire crumbled at her feet. She'd won the battle and the people. Asha had saved them all from a fiery death, but she now held an insanely powerful weapon-- the throne itself. Quinn could see the fear in the Imperials around them. They needed something to defend themselves with.

Iokath held all the answers.

Quinn wasn't too concerned. Acina was worried that the Alliance would use the fleet to kill them all, but she hadn't fought beside Asha'lie long enough to know how loyal the Sith lord could be. She would never use that fleet for harm, especially against the Empire.

Perhaps it was fate that he was selected to deliver the offer of a temporary alliance against the Republic forces.

Quinn gripped his hands tightly behind his back. The waiting was making him go mad. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to speak with her again. He didn't even care that Asha was in a relationship with Shan. He wouldn't hide this time.

He knew she'd choose to support the Republic. She had that option now, along the freedom that she desired. The Empire had done nothing but abandon her. Quinn swallowed. He'd follow her anywhere. It was time to run away, just like all those years ago.

Even when he was expecting her, Asha'lie still made him fall speechless.

She had armor on. Not simply a tunic or robe, but legitimate armor that was stained with oil. Quinn couldn't help but wonder if she'd been injured again.

Asha'lie looked exhausted. It was the first time he'd seen her since that last private moment on the bridge of her ship. He'd assumed that she was at peace, that she'd finally found a place where she belonged in the galaxy. The Emperor was dead-- surely she had everything she desired?

"You're looking more potent than ever, my lord," Quinn managed, shaking himself out of the trance she'd put him in. Asha's eyes brightened with hope. His shoulders relaxed. She was happy to see him.

"Is that you, Quinn?" She whispered.

"In the flesh. Though we'll have to continue this reunion at a later time," he explained regretfully.

Her body language seemed to change entirely. She looked as strong as she had six years ago, and carried herself with dignity and power as she listened to the offers given by Malcom and Acina.

Asha'lie's eyes met his briefly before she straightened and announced her descision to allign with the Empire.

She'd become even more deadly in the time they'd spent apart. She was faster, stronger, unpredictable. Quinn found himself wondering if her eyes still held the same pain when she fought. He believed that she'd found a cause to believe in, one that she didn't regret. Perhaps that was the reason for her increased skillset.

That, and Shan. They worked together well in the field, two bolts of fire that scorched all who stood in their way. She was there when he faltered, and him for her. Quinn tore his eyes away from the surveillance feed. Theron Shan was better for her. The major was just glad to have her back, safe, and alive. Quinn decided to join her alliance, her empire, when this was over.

The battle ended in their favor.

He was eager, so uncharacteristically eager to tell her of his intentions to join her again. That was, if she would have him.

Quinn's world cracked when Shan returned with her smoking body cradled in his arms. He gripped his hand in a fist, but relaxed apon hearing that she was still breathing. Asha would recover. Knowing her, she'd be up on her feet in mere hours.

So he waited. Waited and waited for her to wake up.

When she did finally emerge from the medbay, she did not have the warm smile Quinn was expecting. Concern ate at him as he saw the worried look in her eyes. Paranoia radiated from her along with Shan and Beniko. What was wrong? What had happened?

Unlike the previous times that Quinn had seen them together, Asha and Theron were distant. There seemed to be a stone wall separating the two of them. There were no jokes, no affection. He knew that thick tension all too well. What had Shan done to earn her distrust?

To his surprise, Asha's body relaxed when she finally approached Quinn.

"It's been a long time, Quinn," she greeted him.

"Too long," he replied. "After you disappeared, I spent months looking for you. Minister Lorman heard about my crusade and ordered me to call off the search."

"Yes, Vette told me that you were arrested," Asha'lie responded with concern in her voice.

"I did spend some time in Imperial prison before I recieved a pardon, yes."

"You must have known I was back. Why did you stay hidden?"

Quinn turned to her and swallowed. Her expression was sincere and attentive. She wasn't angry, he could tell that much, but she did want answers.

"I was concerned that you still hadn't forgiven me for the betrayal all that time ago," he explained. "I also believed that my aid would be unwelcome."

"It isn't. I'm so glad that you're okay," Asha'lie told him. Her voice was soft, and for a moment he swore that he saw tears in her eyes. "Do you want to come back with me? Join our alliance?"

"I do, if you'll have me," Quinn murmured. "I can hand in my resignation to the Empire this instant."

"Then I hope to see you on Odessen soon," she said. She smiled warmly at him and briefly patted his arm. "And I have forgiven you, Quinn. I did a long, long time ago."

He nodded and walked away. The moment his back was turned, Quinn found himself smiling. He was back where he belonged.

[honekitteh]

my asks bugged so i accidentally sent this private when i meant to post it.  

@joiedecombat asked for  ☠ - angry/violent headcanon for whichever character

-- 

Jyana: For the longest time she never truly handled her anger very well.  In early training and early life as a Jedi, she was always taught that it was bad.  But overtime, she knew emotions needed to be felt rather than suppressed, especially after her time from the Emperor’s Fortress.

But she does have a temper that she tries to keep under control.  If something has pushed her to the brink, she will snap, then quickly be apologetic because she is not proud of it.

Except Saresh.  Bitch deserved that punch.  And that new comfy cell.

Teshalia: My Darth Nox has never suppressed her emotions like those silly Jedi do.  But even then, she doesn’t have a hot temper.  She has a cold one.  She tends to gravitate towards slow retaliation as opposed to a quick electrocution.  She will stare at you and perhaps Force persuade you just with a look to get you to rethink your life choices, or make you question if you have a death wish.

Unless they are slavers.  She doesn’t hold back against them.  She will never be a slave again.

[keldae]

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction? 39. What is you greatest strength as a writer? 28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of? 20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

ALL the questions!! :D

50. The year is somewhere around 2001-ish. The Return of the King is in theatres. 12-year-old Kel and her bestie have taken a running leap into Middle-earth and are completely in love with Legolas Thranduilion. They’ve been left unsupervised on a computer and are scouring the Internet for anything and everything connected to the Lord of the Rings, and find a site (... I want to say Moon Books? Green Books? Something like that?) with a bunch of stories on it that weren’t written by JRR Tolkien/Peter Jackson/anyone else official. The stories are enthralling to two impressionable young would-be-elves (and both of us were shipping Faramir/Eowyn to the MAX. Jawa’s very first OTP!).

Fast forward to late 2008/early 2009. Kel is in Grade 12 (senior year of high school), and having established her reputation as the class introvert, takes to spending her lunch periods in the library on the computers. With Facebook being blocked by the school servers, she idly starts looking for those same LOTR stories. It is then that she learns of the term “fan fiction”, and winds up tripping and falling into FFN’s LOTR archives, and the rest, as they say, is history. (My very first fic wound up being a *le confessional sigh* dread Girl-Falls-Into-Middle-Earth Tenth Walker story. But I think, despite the hardcore Legolas crush, the character started gravitating toward Boromir?)

39. Oooooh. Hmmm. I’ve been told by professors/other grown-up readers that I have a very strong voice, and my writing style tends to be pretty consistent (and one of my sociology profs always got a kick out of reading the dry wit and snark I’d throw into my papers. Like at uni grad she was eager to meet my mum and see just where I had learned to write like that. XD). As far as fic goes, I’ve been told I’m an emotive writer and seem to be good at conveying emotions and feelings and making readers cry! I’m working on the descriptive skills and writing out combat. :D

28. I would probably say Drastic Measures, since that’s my biggest project that’s eating my soul right now. There’s some one-shots that could inspire an artistic mind though -- The Orgus Maneuver and Memento Mori are the ones that come to mind. (It’s not published yet, but @andveryginger and I, with @corey-067‘s help, have been writing out Reanden and Mairen’s wedding, and that’s another one I could see art for!) As for what the art might be -- for Drastic Measures, I’m not sure! I’ve had a WIP on the backburner for aaaages of Theron and Xaja escaping the Spire, but there could be scenes from them fleeing Rishi with Doc, or on Dromund Kaas, or Voss, or something. (Not gonna lie, I would loooooove to see art of Jace punching a hole through Saresh’s desk. >.>)

20. Ooooooh, good question! I gotta think about this for a minute. >.>

Believe it or not, I was not expecting the Theron romance in Shadow of Revan to hit me out of left field like it did. Initially I had played Xaja through that story like “it’s an NPC like the ones on Makeb where you’ll never see them again so meh”, and that lasted until... Manaan? So yeah now Theron/Jedi Knight is my biggest current OTP. XD 

I’ve come to the realization that Jedi Consular/Zenith is a fantastic ship (BIOWARE, LET US ROMANCE ZENITH) and I dig it. :D I also like unconventional pairings -- @kunoichi-ume‘s Jedi Knight/Torian is a delightful ship that I would never have imagined, but I dig (and may have inspired Korin/Kira over in Taerich’verse!). 

Outside of SWTOR... hmmm. Thorin/Bilbo in the Hobbit was not a ship I had ever even got a whiff of in the book, but the movie version had me shipping it hard. And when I started casually watching Fairy Tail, I wound up shipping Lucy/Leo. And I’m rather digging a Poe/Rey ship in the SW Sequel Trilogy!

[joiedecombat]

Since I'm diving headfirst into SWTOR fandom, allow me to introduce my OCs.

Maia Sunder, Jedi Sentinel

The first, and by far the most developed by virtue of being the only one I have finished the class storyline for so far and thus the one who got to carry my first run through any of the expansion content.

Light Side With Emotions(TM). Has always preferred the modified version of the Jedi Code she learned as a kid, the one that goes "emotion, yet peace" and "chaos, yet serenity" instead of denying the former entirely in favor of the latter.

Miyazaki Girl

"How can I help?"

Sincere and forthright aka can't tell a lie to save her life.

No sense of direction, even with the Force.

Minimal sense of self-preservation; favors Ataru form and a high-risk high-reward best-defense-is-a-good-offense combat style.

I assume Lana and Theron share a permanent case of anxiety re: how they're supposed to keep this woman alive, dating all the way back to Forged Alliances and persisting to this day.

Doesn't slip into Dark Side behavior as much as more orthodox Jedi would think, but she's had some memorable lapses including punching Saresh in the face in front of the entire Alliance and murdering the shit out of Vinn Atrius (who, to be fair, really brought it on himself).

When she has no idea of what the right thing to do would be, she identifies what she wants to do and leans the other way (RIP Torian).

We do not talk about Iokath.

Married Theron Shan.

Owns a private retreat on Manaan under a false name, which aside from herself and Theron only Lana and Teeseven know about or how to reach them there. It's very comfortably and tastefully appointed, with a meditation room and roof garden with a hot tub, and they almost never go there unless one of them is hurt badly enough to need recuperation time because they are both ridiculous workaholics.

Secretly worries she no longer qualifies to be called a Jedi, and might not be wholly wrong about that at this point?

Not so secretly really kind of relieved to have lost the Eternal Fleet.

Needs A Vacation

Will never actually take a vacation because as soon as she hears that someone needs help, off she goes again.

The above is actually her fourth look, due to a tendency to plot-related expository changes.

Newly minted eighteen-year-old Jedi fresh off Tython. Spunky, energetic, ready to take on the galaxy. Orgus Din took one look at her and started drafting his will, probably.

After the whole business with the Emperor (the first time). A little older, a little wiser, a little sadder. Her longest-running look. Picked up the Force Apprentice armor set after Ziost and stuck with it through all of KotFE and KotET.

Post-Umbara trauma haircut, now in the process of growing out again. She's due for a new armor set to mark returning to the Republic fold, if I can figure out what to go with.

And that got longer than expected so the rest of the Sunder legacy will go in a different post, I think.

[drthrvn]

23, 40, 54 and 61 for Mav! :D

ahhh thank you!

do they like their role in their current situation? ei: if they are a sith do they like being in the sith order?

before the sith academy she was a slave, so she’s really glad how it all turnt out. after all those years she could finally regain control over her life. not only that but she could also use all this anger and hatred she felt towards her family (that practically had sold her) and her opressors to fuel her power.  and jedi code would just be another prison for her. yes i’m writing a fanfiction about her backstory even though i’ll problably never finish it

and when it comes to being the commander... mav likes being in the position of power and she really wants to sit on that throne. she’s not that fond of the idea of the alliance, but she trusts lana. 

oh shit, it’s been 5 year?! how do they feel about that?

pissed off that she’s wasted so much time when so much was happening. she’s pretty much sure she alone could have turnt the course of war. it may sound a bit naive but well... that’s mav mabou for you, always certain of her strength and power.

what did they do with Saresh? 

punch and kill, easily. 

torian or vette? why?

vette cause she’s one of two people (the second one is lana, of course) that she deeply cares about, even though she won’t admit it. 

[meonlyred]

Day 15: (Canon) Choices

What choices do they make in the main/class quests of their game? Why? What is the hardest decision they make?

Majority of the choices Rossa made were Light side. She will always choose to allow others to seek redemption for past deeds. Because she believes, or at least wants to believe, there is no true evil in the galaxy. Valkorion notwithstanding. 

There is only a few things she has done that she has regretted. She still is not sure she made the right choice choosing Tai Cordan and Zasha Ranken instead of saving Malita Tal. But the one that will effect her personal life the most is because of pure headcanon reasons is choosing Vette over Torian. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Her sister, Rivkah, is the Bounty Hunter and married to Torian. Vette is the wife to the Lord Wrath, Lucwayn Tal Sivron, who is a dear friend of hers. In the end Rossa chose to save Vette because she believed that Torian would accept death better than Vette would. This choice however will irreparably damage the already estranged relationship she has with her Mandalorian sister.

It might just be quicker to say she is a precious, angelic, snowflake who loves everyone, and just wants to do some good. But below is a list of the major choices in game. Or at least the ones I can remember...

Knight’s Story

On Tython Rossa forgave Ranna Tao'Ven for turning her and Orgus over to Bengel Morr. 

She was later able to redeem Bengel back to the Light side. 

On Tatooine she was able to convince Lord Praven. 

She asked the crew of the Daybreaker strand themselves to help the survivors of Uphrades. 

On the Empire’s Fortress after Orgus helped her free herself from Vitiate’s control she pretended to still be Dark side long enough to get to Kira and Force Persuade Chaskar into thinking their was something wrong with the torture device.

She chose not to tell the Council about Leeha Narezz’s relationship with Jomar Chul.

She spared Warren Sedoru and Tol Braga.

On Dromund Kaas she rescued Rusk instead of pressing on to fight the Emperor.

She chose one last time to try and redeem Vitiate. 

Makeb

She did not kill Veedrig.

She got a kiss for luck from Lemda Avesta

She did not kill Toborro the Hutt, allowed him to die when the palace blew up.

Shadow of Revan

Pretend to be a pirate. “Arrrr I’m a cannbial pirate... okay serious whose idea was this? Who is going to look at me and be like, yeah sure she eats people.”

Encouraged Marr and Satele to have both sides work together to stop Revan.

Scolded Lana for not letting them in on the plan to use Theron as bait.

She did not go with Theron’s plan to use the sensor to spy on the Imperials.

Chose Satele to be the one to interrogate Commandant Iven.

Romanced Theron. 

Ziost

She forced Rane Kovach to reveal to Theron that he was actually Saresh’s asset. 

She spared Master Surro and set her back to Tython. (Because that one hit too close to home for her.)

Knights of the Fallen Empire

Sounded the evacuation of Marr’s flagship.

She refused submit to Valkorion.

She took the time to stop the Sun Generator from blowing up.

Reveal to Lana that she believes that Valkorion is in her head.

Refused Valkorion’s power very time he offered it.

Continued her romance with Theron.

Did not let Kaliyo blow up innocences when they disabled Zakuul’s droids.

Helped the refugees in the Eternal Swamp.

Embedded Havoc Squad among the refugees. 

Choice to balance the Light and Dark side of the Force with both Satele and Marr’s aid. And chose to transcend declaring there was no limit she could not surpass. 

Chose only to keep just enough gold from the Gilded Star to fund the Alliance. Returning the rest of it the planets effect by Arcann’s tyranny.

She gave the information Theron was able to get about the factory to Shae Vizla.

She encouraged Shae to guide the Mandos to something that wasn’t open warfare.

She told Theron to save Tai Cordan and Admirnal Zasha Ranken leaving Malita Tal. 

She promiced Theron she would be careful. (HA! Girl couldn’t keep that promice if she tired.)

She did not fire on Senya’s shuttle and allowed her and the wounded Acrann to flee.

Knight of the Eternal Throne

She sided with Senya, allowing her to have the time she needed to save her son.

She chose to trust Empress Acina and work with her.

She asked Acina to show mercy on Minister Lorman.

Alas she did not punch Saresh... instead she had her arrested.

She recruited the redeemed Acrann to the Alliance. 

She freed Lord Dramath from his holocron prison.

She chose Vette instead of Torian. 

She chose not to become Empress of Zakuul.

[sullustangin]

When You Fail at Stopping the Cut Scene

KotET, Chapter 2.  The Alliance Commander visits Dromund Kaas with Lana and Theron in order to sort other whether Empress Acina is sincere in her desire for an alliance to beat Vaylin or if she just wants to take a shot at the commander. 

Premise out of the way, in my headcanon, when Lana found out that they were going to have a diplomatic mission to Dromund Kaas, she insisted that Eva dress up appropriately to be seen by the Empress.  Imperial court is a different bantha wrangle than even the highest Republic social circles, and Lana was not about to let Eva go in her typical smug duds.  Lana bullied her into wearing a dress. 

**

“Lana, you sure about this?” 

“Absolutely.  You must look the part and play the part, Captain.”

“I’m skeptical about the dress.”

“Would you please move on from the dress?”

“No.  Theron, what do you think?”

“....what?”

“Shouldn’t I be in something, I don’t know, more combat ready?”

“....I know for a fact you have four knives, a blaster, and electrodart hidden on you.”

“But it’s --”

“Just let me enjoy it, ok?”

**

As we all know, the leader of the Alliance and Acina had their shuttle gunned down in the wilds of Dromund Kaas, which was part of a plot by ex-Pub Chancellor Saresh.  Eva ended up having to trudge through the wilderness with a rather large cannon to blast creatures.  I’m basically imaging her as Vespa in the remains of her wedding dress in Spaceballs by the end of all this (”HE SHOT MY HAIR!”)

So, originally, my thought was she’d change clothes once she got back to civilization to avenge herself on Saresh.  And then I forgot to hit escape before the cut scene.

Please enjoy Eva slugging Saresh in the face while wearing a very pretty dress. Partner thought it was more enjoyable than the usual punching of Saresh. skip to 50 seconds for the festivities.

[insufficient-focus]

Oh she’ll definitely be going all the way! I’m really looking forward to Copero with her! I always punch Saresh. Haha I’ve never killed her. I’m not into killing npcs (or comps). Most of my alts are neutral or LS with very few exceptions.

My agent on Satele Shan (her name is Para Noid) has done the entire play through. I literally teared up during the Vector reunion. I’m such a marshmallow like that. XD

So if you help Chance on Taris you get this letter. It is so sweet. I really do like Chance. I’m sure everyone who plays the agent story line gets something/feels something a little different, or has a different perspective but I’ve always thought that Chance felt bad about the mind programming. He uses the phrase on her himself but he even says something about not really wanting to but needing to feel safe. I wish we could have had that drink scene in game. Perhaps one day someone will write it. Perhaps one day I will. You never know. :)

[queen-scribbles]

Ours

Here we go, only three years overdue, canon version of Tel finding out he’s a dad. :D

---

Elara was fidgeting.

It was an unusual enough sight it almost stopped Tel in his tracks. Elara Dorne--well, Airen--didn’t fidget. No matter how pleasant or unpleasant or boring the circumstances, she was the model of poise and professionalism. And she definitely. Did not. Fidget.

Except, apparently, for now. Her fingers picked at the small metallic object she held as she sat on the couch in their quarters, and she looked a hairsbreadth from bouncing her knee as well. Which meant whatever was on her mind was likely something beyond serious and should be treated accordingly.

So he swallowed any jokes he been planning and plopped down on the couch  next to her. “You wanted to talk, Els?”

“I did.” She nodded, her attention still on the object in her hands. She turned it over and over, picking at the edges.

“Must be important,” Tel hinted gently when she didn’t continue.

A wry smile pulled at one side of her mouth. “It is. Dearest...” Elara bit her lip as the words petered out, then shook her head slightly and started over. “I have... something important to discuss with you; a topic I’ve been wanting to broach since... since Iokath. With our schedules it’s proven difficult to find a good time, so I’m doing it now, whether or not it’s good, and I apologize for any meetings you may miss as a result.”

“I’m all ears,” Tel promised, reaching over to give her knee a comforting squeeze. “You’re way more important to me than any meeting.”

She mustered a smile at that, then leaned forward and placed the object she’d been fiddling with on the low table in front of the couch. It was a small holoprojector, etched with a simple design, the type made to be portable and store images long term. A brush of Elara’s thumb over the controls brought it to life.

Tel examined the pale blue image when it appeared. It was a young girl--maybe seven?--with dark hair that hung almost to her waist. She was smiling impishly, and even as a holo there was no hiding the twinkle of mischievous charm in her eyes. Her hands were clasped behind her back as if trying to keep something secret just a few moments longer.

“Cute kid,” Tel said, glancing at Elara and wondering which potential direction this was going to go.

“She is,” Elara confirmed with a faint smile. “Her name is Kaira.” She reached over and laced her fingers between his. “She’s ours.”

It took half a second for her meaning to hit, and Tel flinched, grip tightening around her hand, when it did. The air seemed to freeze in his lungs for a moment as he stared at the holo.

“She...” he finally managed through the punched-in-the-gut feeling. “...Yours-and-mine ours?”

She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Are you alright, Tel?”

“Sweetheart, I’m...” A dad. I’m a dad. He gave a breathless laugh. “I’m great. A little stunned, but elated.” He freed his hand to drag her into a hug, still staring at the holo of his daughter. He had a daughter. “Weighing the pros and cons of punching Arcann in the teeth for making me miss... her, but otherwise...” A thought occurred and he frowned ever so slightly. “Did Jorgan know?”

He might be having words with the man if he had and didn’t say anything.

Elara shook her head and sat back to meet his eyes, her posture noticeably less tense. “She must have been conceived just before the Expedition was... lost” --her voice faltered for just a moment-- “and I didn’t discover I was pregnant until after the Supreme Chancellor had relieved me of my Havoc command. Jorgan and I didn’t keep in touch much past the first month or two, while he was helping me attempt to get the position back.” She smiled. “He probably wondered why I wasn’t fighting for it harder, truth be told. But between my condition and Chancellor Saresh’s obvious obstinance, it quickly became evident that was not a worthwhile fight.”

“So working for Malcolm...”

“Was actually rather perfect,” Elara confirmed the unfinished question with a nod. “I was still involved, still doing my part, but in a more administrative capacity than field work. It allowed me to... look for you and prepare for raising a child alone.”

He winced. “Sorry I wasn’t there.”

“Considering you were frozen in carbonite half a galaxy away at that point, I think I can safely say it wasn’t your fault, dearest,” she said lightly.

“And we’re back to me punching Arcann in the face,” Tel muttered, tugging her in for another hug.

“That wouldn’t really help anything at this point, darling,” Elara remonstrated, though her lips quirked toward a smile.

“Would make me feel a hell of a lot better,” he grumbled. “But I guess it wouldn’t set the best example, would it? For... Kaira.” It made him grin a little just saying her name.

She giggled faintly, the sound muffled by his shirt. “No, it wouldn’t.”

Tel rested his chin against the top of her head and gave an exaggerated huff of resignation. “Oh, fine, I won’t punch the reformed tyrant for makin’ me miss my daughter growin’ up.” He hesitated a beat, gaze back on the holo. “Els? What’s she like?”

Elara was quiet for a moment, her fingers curling into his shirt, but he could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke. “She’s... wonderful. Challenging at times, but worth every moment she’s made me want to pull my hair out. She has your smile, a fact I’ve both loved and hated depending on the day.”

He hugged her closer wordlessly, shifting so the corner of the couch would offer some support.

Elara took a deep breath. “She was a good baby, for which I’m grateful. Could likely sleep through a bombing run.”

“Els.” He didn’t want to dwell on the odds that theory had been tested, knowing what the Eternal Empire had done to Coruscant.

“We’re fine. Nothing ever came close enough,” she promised, before carrying on. “She’s extremely curious, very smart-”

“She gets that from you,” Tel muttered, which earned a quiet chuckle from his wife.

“I wouldn’t sell yourself so short, dearest. You’re not a stupid man,” she said teasingly, her fingers tracing light patterns against his collarbone. 

“I was smart enough to marry you,” Tel conceded. “So I guess I’m not a total lost cause.”

“There you go, Kaira gets her smarts from both of us,” Elara laughed softly.

But more from you. Tel kept the thought to himself. “If anyone could raise a smart, amazing kid by themselves, it would be you,” he said instead.

“There you go putting me on a pedestal again,” Elara said, playful chiding in her tone.

“Again implies a point where you came down from the pedestal,” Tel rejoined.He kissed the top of her head. “You’re there for life, sweetheart.”

“Ah.” There was a smile in her voice. “Well, before you go counting up more honors for me,Tel; I did not raise her entirely on my own. I had friends who helped, and Aleksei did as well, when he could.”

“Okay, that one’s a bit of a surprise,” Tel admitted. “I thought your brother was in Republic custody?”

“He was. A ‘person of concern’, I believe was the classification; same as I once was. And then he made some valuable contributions at great personal risk in fighting the second Zakuulan assault on Coruscant, which earned him some greater freedoms. Such as lending the Republic his technical expertise and assisting me with Kaira.”

“‘Great personal risk’?” Tel repeated, having noticed how her voice caught on the phrase.

Elara gave a shaky sigh. “Let’s just say you are no longer the only person I care about who has gotten himself blown up in the course of being noble. It wasn’t quite bad enough to require cybernetics, but there was scarring. And a limp.”

Tel blew out a breath and rubbed her back. “I’m glad he’s okay, Els.”

“As am I. After recovering, he was tasked with something computer-related that kept him on Coruscant, so he could help sometimes with Kaira. A lot, actually.” She smiled again. “They’ve grown quite close. She calls him Uncle Lesky, even now that she can say his name correctly.”

Tel smiled, his brow furrowing slightly in thought. “Oh, yeah, she must be, what, six or seven by now?”

Elara stilled for a moment, then reluctantly slid from their hug so she could look at him. “That’s part of why I felt it so urgent to tell you; she’ll be six next week. I assumed you would want to meet her before then. So we could celebrate as a family.”

Yes. “I dunno Els,” he deadpanned with a faint smirk. “Depends on what you’ve told her about me.”

Elara matched his smirk. “Oh, you know, as we discussed; you’re brave, handsome, charming. How you took the stuffy Imperial no one liked and made me the happiest woman in the galaxy, every day we were together. That you always stood up for those who couldn’t protect themselves, and helped those who could stand their ground. That you have a ridiculous sweet tooth she apparently inherited along with your kindness. That you like to steal the blankets,” she continued playfully, leaning in to steal a kiss. “And that you always know how to make me laugh.” She paused, sighed. “How much you would love her.”

“And the fact I was declared KIA? That come up yet?” he asked dryly.

Her brow furrowed briefly, and Tel caught the flicker of pain that danced through her brown eyes. “It did, when she was three. I told her some people believed you died fighting something very dangerous to protect the galaxy, but they were wrong. You were still alive, fighting to keep us safe.” She looked him in the eye. “Because that’s what I believed, with all my heart. She accepted it--what’s the saying about mother knows best?--and it didn’t come up again. Then the Republic learned of your Alliance, and I could show her you were alive and” --she smiled drolly-- “fighting bad guys to keep us safe. I suspect she’d be very excited to hear she can finally meet you.”

“Feeling’s mutual,” Tel grinned, kissing the tip of Elara’s nose. “She with your brother right now?”

Elara nodded. “She is. Whenever I’m off-planet.”

“Then hell yes, see how fast you can get ‘em out here.” He kissed her again. “I know Aleksei might not be able to stay long if he has a job to get back to, but I’d like the chance to ‘meet’ him without transparisteel and a Republic watchdog in the picture.”

A soft, giddy laugh escaped her. “I’ll get right on that. As soon as I steal you for myself just a bit longer,” she amended, leaning back into his space and bracing a hand against the arm of the couch to kiss him.

Tel grinned slyly, cupping her face with one hand and running his thumb along her cheekbone. “Seventy three minutes?”

Elara smiled back mischievously and carded her fingers through his hair until her hand rested at the back of his head. “If you think we can manage that long...”

He closed the distance to capture her lips in a kiss. “Sweetheart, I’d like to see them try and stop us.”

----

They got forty seven minutes, which was frankly longer than either of them had really expected, before Tel’s comm started trilling. And so, with much grumbling about “no rest for the wicked”, he got himself together and headed off to see what the Alliance needed, leaving Elara to work out getting their daughter to Odessen.

She slipped the holo in his pocket as he headed out the door. “In case you want to show her off.”

And show her off he did; to Theron, Lana, Vette, Senya--anyone at all  who commented on the grin he couldn’t seem to wipe off his face. He did his best not to be distracted from the Important Alliance Business that required his attention, but a man had his limits.

He slipped a hand in his pocket to curl around the cool metal as he tried to focus on Aygo’s briefing about ship deployments rather than what was (hopefully) coming soon, and smiled to himself. 

I can’t wait to meet you, Kaira.

--------------------------------

(I was originally gonna take this through Tel actually getting to meet Kaira, but that part’s getting crazy long and I need to work on other stuff that has actual deadlines, so it’ll have to wait.)

[sullustangin]

Tell us about Taste of Ashes !

Thanks for asking!

Taste of Ashes is the Ziost fic. I've talked about it before, but it's the next big unfinished WIP I have. I reaaaaaally don't want to work on it, because it's sad.

(Don't cry for me, Marge and Tina -- I did this to myself when I decided to follow an operatic tragedy arc.)

During the course of the Ziost op, as the situation on the planet deteriorates, so too does the relationship between Eva and Theron. Theron shuts down. The first part of the fic is the few days on Ziost -- it's as we see it in game, all the way to the declined drink at the cantina.

The second part is the alienation. Theron is relieved of duty, and he receives the advice from Satele not to contact Eva while he's suspended. That's not bad advice; don't go carousing with criminals when you're already in trouble, y'know? It's not bad advice, and in most circumstances, she's right. Theron has always valued his career, most of all. In my characterization of Theron, he has always sacrificed his personal life for his career in SIS and for the Republic. If he has to choose between Eva and his service to the Republic, there is no real choice. It's the Republic and SIS, every time.

While Theron is sidelined, Eva starts doing intel work for Marr, who is more interested in chasing the Emperor and preventing another Ziost. This is the one part I am looking forward to writing. Saresh wants to further her own political fortunes before she's term-limited. Maybe if she really does take a planet from the Empire, she can convince the Senate to override her limits as chancellor. (I'm still poking at this part.) Eva sends missives to Theron that go unanswered... and Risha tells her the writing is on the wall. "There's more to you than this obsession."

Because it is an obsession, when you're carrying on a one-sided relationship with someone who's not there.

I've actually already written an AU where the bad stuff doesn't happen, haha.