#anakin is the only one with a STEM major

[asocial-skye]

This is like, the weirdest headcanon ever, but I think that the Jedi would be like, terrible in regards to STEM. Like, if you wanted to go into STEM, you'd best be going to Coruscant University or space Community College because you ain't getting classes at the Jedi Temple. Qui-Gon believes that midichondrians impregnated Anakin's mom with like zero evidence other than a vague answer of "there was no father."

Everything about the Jedi screams "philosophy, humanities, ethnic and gender studies." This is like, humanities school paradise. No grades, no rigid structures. The Jedi teach their kids in beanbag shares and have weekly circles where everyone shares out their interpretation of space Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet. The Jedi have reading lists of literature throughout the galaxy in time (the Jedi Library definitely had the largest collection of books in the galaxy, which pisses me off that its not a public archive) and have a set amount of books you need to read by the end of the year. The Jedi write on-demand essays every other day in class alongside laser sword training, and have three essays due per week.

Don't get me wrong, humanities is great. It's excellent, and I do think that if Anakin paid a little more attention in Ethics or AP Galactic Government, his political views might have been developed a bit more beyond, "Jedi Council but on a larger, evilier scale", but fuck, I would never want to go to Jedi school. I like creative writing sure, but oh Lord would I die if I had to spend every day analyzing books, and doing philosophical shit.

It makes perfect sense that Anakin "I built a robot at nine and enjoy doing the calculus necessary to refit warships" Skywalker would chafe in the Jedi Order. You put a STEM child in a humanities-oriented school.

[anna-does-a-fandom-thing]

nothing serious.

professor! anakin skywalker.

a/n: hiii! so, @fuckmyskywalker came up with the idea for this concept, and I've decided to write my own fic on it! LOVEE me some starwars boy. But put him in a SUIT?? drool worthyyy.

tw!: smut. lots of smut. ahem. p in v sex, sort of breeding kink? it's small but it's there. use of the name pet!! unprotected sex! do not attempt! dumification kink? also miniscule but there. big big sir kink. Anakin loves asserting the fact that he's the top here.

Disclaimer: 18+ only please! I'm not responsible for the media you consume as an adolescent!

description: Attending the most sought after university definitely was the best decision you'd made regarding your college career, but one perverted professor almost makes you want drop out entirely. Anakin Skywalker, was in no short terms, egotistical and a hard-ass. At least that's what you knew, so why is he asking to see you after class?

Ah, Corscuscant University. One of the most popular STEM universities in the country. The same STEM university you attended. Being a biology major, it was a no brainer for you come here. When you arrived as a freshman Corscuscant felt like your dream school, but like every dream, reality had set in. Your painful reality was Anakin Skywalker; your math professor. Professor Skywalker was one of, if not the most attractive man you had ever seen. He knew he was good looking, too. Almost every person in school had a crush on him, one of those people being you. That's not to say you didn't find him annoying as hell, but you could appreciate a good complexion when you saw one. Despite his good looks, it didn't change the fact that Anakin Skywalker was an egotistical hard ass, whose courses were next to impossible.

It was easy to ignore his big mouth and jabs at any poor soul unfortunate enough to get a question wrong in the beginning, focusing on your studies and logarithmic equations. However, as the class began to get more difficult, your counselor started suggesting attending his after school lessons. Something you couldn't be bribed to attend. But alas, hell hath no fury like a college counselor.

The good thing about Anakin's tutoring is that it's only on Fridays. The bad thing, is that it's a ghost town most days. if he's lucky, Anakin might get 2 or 3 students. So by the second semester, it became just you and him.

Anakin Skywalker was now aware of your existence. He was aware you sucked at math, and he was probably aware of your attraction to college professors who made even Pythagoras hate math. So now here the two of you were.

Just earlier that morning, you'd been notified that the tutoring had been canceled, so your plans for the evening were to go home and sleep. But, before you can walk out of the classroom, Professor Skywalker calls your name. Leaning against his chair, he looks at you piercingly. "Come to my office as soon as possible. We need to discuss your grade in my class."

"Yes professor. " You stuttered, sending a questioning glance to your friend. You walked towards Anakin's office, knowing he'd already be in the room. You hesitated to enter, dreading whatever miserable information he had to bestow upon you, in private. You noticed while peering into the room that he's got a paper in his hand. 'please don't be mine,' you pray.

Once you entered, you moved to stand in front of his desk. "Are you free to stay awhile? I have some questions about your last exam." He says, seeming relaxed. You DID have plans, no, you were not free. Ugh. You guess you can't deny your teacher, so you nod politely. "Great to hear." He says, motioning for you to walk around the desk.

Anakin rolls out his seat, and moves to stand. Now standing in his personal bubble, per his suggestion, you fidget with your hands. "So, what about my exam? Did I fail it, sir?" You start to get worried. "No, no, nothing like that. You actually made top of the class once I graded it." Anakin praised. "I'd actually like to offer you some extra credit."

Anakin motioned for you to take a seat on top of his desk. "What kind of credit?" You asked, now level eye level with his chin. "Just some extra course work and a few more sessions in the week." Anakin shrugged, almost distracted. You hesitated, "I suppose I can, uhm, do that." Anakin smiled at your stutter. He placed his hand under your chin and lifted it to meet his eyes. "You're certainly obedient. I like that." You felt your brain screech to a halt. "Excuse me, what?"

Is Professor Skywalker hitting on you? This has to be a dream. You look up at him, and lo and behold, he's staring right back. He looks hungry, like you're a delicious piece of meat. "You behave when and how i tell you to. Has anyone ever told you that's attractive?" Anakin clarifies, placing both of his hands on desk, trapping you under him. You bristle at his statement. "Sir! that's inappropriate!" Anakin just laughs, and leans in. He says, quietly, "That's alright, pet. It's only inappropriate if someone finds out. I don't intend on telling a soul."

You feel your nose subconsciously scrunch up in confusion. "Pet?" Where did that come from? "You're my little teacher's pet, aren't you? It'll be our little secret." Anakin places one hand on your thigh, the other further along the desk to prop himself up. You can feel his hand wander to your hip, and you're not sure you want to stop him. You didn't know someone's hands could feel that good, with his feather like movements. You're about to let him continue, until you remind yourself that you didn't lock his door. Anyone could walk in.

"Wait, not here. Someone will see." You try to push Anakin away, but he grabs your wrist to restrain you, gently. "Yes here. I can't stop myself." Anakin ducks his head below your chin, and places butterfly kisses along your throat. You hold it in, but you want to moan at his touch. Anakin pulls away, "I'm going to give you your first extra credit assignment. Answer these 3 questions."

You try to focus on his words and not the pooling heat between your legs. "Yes sir." You're pretty sure Anakin noticed you squeezing your thighs together like no tomorrow, and he's just saying these things to rile you up. He quietly moans at your obedience. "Good girl, keeping doing that." You look at him, "What, calling you sir?"

Anakin nods, giving your hip a squeeze. "Yeah, baby. It means you know who's in charge here."

Clearing his throat, Anakin begins. "Now, question one. are you aware of how tempting your body has been to me?" You can feel your cheeks lighting on fire. He's certainly been bold. "N-no sir."

"That's okay, beauty, I'll show you. Question two: will you let me kiss you?"

Oh fuck. You knew that was coming. Oh well, you only live once. "Yes sir." As soon as the words left your lips, Anakin had cupped your cheek, pulling you into a passionate kiss. Anakin was a good kisser. You'd figured that was probably true a while ago, but now? To feel him? It was overwhelming. He pushed against your mouth, using one hand to lift your leg against his hip. Using the new angle, Anakin deepened the kiss causing you both to moan against each other.

You can feel Anakin get more and more aggressive in the kiss, to the point he's pushing the desk a little. You pull away from him for a moment, causing him to chase your lips. "Anakin.." You start, but he cuts you off with a growl. "Who, pet?" You should've expected that one. "You, sir. You're pushing the desk apart." You correct yourself quietly, murmuring your concerns into his ear. Anakin frowns in thought before donning a sultry grin. "I've got a better place for us to continue, dear pet." Before you can question him, Anakin wraps your legs around his waist and takes your mouth in a kiss. He lifts you from the desk before walking towards the couch in the corner of his office.

You yelp as Anakin gently throws you onto it, and you're once again locking lips.

"Mm, sir.." You moaned into his mouth, feeling him crawl on top of you. Anakin smiles, looking down at such a pretty sight. "Such a good girl, pet. You gonna spread f'me?" Anakin tapped your thighs, and you pulled them apart at his request. Anakin settled himself between your legs. "For the last question, pet," Anakin pulls up your skirt and hooks his fingers into the hem of your underwear. "How badly do you want me to fuck you?" Feeling your heart speed up, you replied shaking, "So badly, sir. Please."

"Good girl. you've earned yourself an A+." He rasps, sitting up and undoing his belt. Craning your head, you watch as Anakin unzips his trousers. You almost gasp when he pulls out his dick. You're not even sure you can take him, with how large he is. "It's alright, pet, no need to look scared." Anakin cooed, kissing your jaw. He lifted up your skirt, and pulled on the hem of your underwear. Discarding them, you were now bare for his eyes to see. "We'll go slow, baby." Anakin reassured you, lining himself up with your entrance. Gently as Anakin could be, he pushed into you. Whimpering, you felt tears well up in your eyes. It was both painful and overwhelming, and you instinctually pushed at his chest. "Relax, little pet, relax." Anakin grunted, already being squeezed like a balloon waiting to be popped. Anakin finally bottomed out, after what felt like forever. It felt so good. "Tell me when, darling." Anakin refused to move until you gave him a sign. Taking several deep breaths, you nodded. "No, pet. give me words. Use them, baby."

"Please, sir."

"Please what, my girl?"

You knew Anakin was getting impatient, but you were so overwhelmed with pleasure it was hard to form words. You him growl in your ear. Feeling his hand touch your soft flesh, Anakin gripped your waist and moved without warning, "I'm not going to wait anymore, little pet." You couldn't help but let out a guttural moan. Holy shit. He was so big, and you've never felt so filled in your life. "Sir..!" You cried, pulling him down and kissing him. Anakin begins to kiss you passionately, pressing you into the sofa. His mouth meets yours in a loving and desperate kiss as he starts to move faster, causing your loud whining to be muffled. If you weren't blissed out, you'd die of embarrassment at the lewd noises the two of you created. Anakin, on the other hand, loved it. Feeling him speed up, you pulled away from his mouth and almost screamed. You knew you were close, and you told him so. "Sir, please! Close, close, please.. mm," You were practically crying from how good he felt. "I know pet, I know." Anakin replied, grunting when he felt you squeeze him harder. "God, keep squeezing and I'm gonna burst, baby, fuck."

Hooking his hands under your thighs, Anakin lifted them onto his shoulders, pressing you in half. The new angle made your insides burst with pleasure, making you scream. "C'mon pet, you can do it." Anakin encouraged, hitting all the right spots harder. "Cum for me baby, cum all over my dick, yeah?" His words sent shivers through your spine, and your eyes rolled. It was too much. The coil in your tummy snapped, and you finished with a moan.

However, Anakin didn't stop. Despite your release, Anakin moved even faster. "No, no, sir! I can't!" You cried, already overstimulated to high heaven. "Don't be selfish pet, i know you can do it," Tightening his grip on your thighs, Anakin grunted over, and over, and over with every thrust. "Don't want my cum, baby? huh? Don't want your teacher to fill you up till you're full?"

Too fucked out to use your brain to respond, you squeezed around him again. It was too much for you, and now, the last straw for him. Letting out an animalistic growl, Anakin buried himself as far in you as he could, bottoming out fully. Your tummy felt so warm, being painted with his load for what felt like forever to you.

He collapses on top of you, panting softly. "Such a good girl f'me, baby. M'so proud of you." He coos at you, still out of breath from the intensity of the moment. After a few seconds, Anakin lifts his head and chuckles. "Poor thing, too dumb to respond to me?" He gives your thigh a gentle squeeze. You whine at his teasing, pouting at him. He leans to your ear and whispers, "Don't be shy, baby. You did so good f'me."

[antianakin]

So I've seen a few arguments that Jedi could have relationships with planetary leaders/Senators so long as they're not letting themselves get attached and all parties are aware that the Jedi is going to have to place their duties before their personal relationship. And while I understand the appeal of putting Jedi with characters who can understand the responsibility and duty aspect of their lives, I'm not ENTIRELY certain that this is inline with what we know about the Jedi and their philosophies and values. While there's no rule FORBIDDING those kinds of relationships, I think there'd be a few reasons why the Order would probably heavily discourage them.

The first is straight-up just favoritism or the appearance of it. The Jedi are supposed to be serving, if not the entire galaxy, then at least the whole Republic. This is a major reason why they've chosen to be beholden to the Senate and the Chancellor as a sort-of symbiotic relationship based on a hell of a lot of trust. While FRIENDSHIPS with Senators and planetary leaders is totally fine and probably even encouraged to some degree, romantic or sexual relationships start adding extra levels of expectation and obligation that could end up being a problem.

As an example of this, we see in season 1 that when Padme discovers the Blue Shadow Virus becoming an issue on Naboo, she straight up LIES to the Queen and the Jedi Council in order to specifically get Anakin there by insisting that the Gungans revere Obi-Wan as a hero due to the events of Phantom Menace and so it would make things easier of Obi-Wan were there, knowing that it will mean Anakin comes along as well presumably. However, Obi-Wan is then never asked to speak to the Gungans at any point within the entire two episode arc once he does arrive, nor does speaking to Gungans even ever seem necessary. Padme straight-up takes advantage of the Jedi Order itself just so she can force a situation where she gets to see her secret Jedi husband again. This means the Jedi are now playing unintentional favorites, something they would theoretically try very hard NOT TO DO.

Obi-Wan having friendly relations with multiple planetary leaders obviously DOES come in handy more than once, but Anakin's secret romantic relationship with Padme is something that causes the Jedi themselves to be taken advantage of in a way that could've come back to bite them in the ass later if things had gone differently.

I used to sort-of scoff at the season 3 episode where Padme and Satine meet up on Mandalore and it's PADME who says she has sway with the Jedi Council and can therefore ask them to send a Jedi to Mandalore to provide advice or something, despite the fact that Satine is close personal friends with Obi-Wan. However, if Satine is choosing NOT to call upon Obi-Wan and their personal relationship in order to ask for a personal favor as a planetary leader, this falls in line quite nicely with the way they seem to be handling their relationship in general. As a Republic Senator, Padme can presumably go through more official channels to ask for this favor on Satine's behalf in a way Satine, currently, cannot. The ONLY time we see Satine make use of this connection with Obi-Wan is when her government is being literally overthrown and her life is in danger, so the stakes are a lot higher. Satine waits until there's quite literally no other option for her before she pulls on her relationship with Obi-Wan, and she ASKS for help from Obi-Wan and the Jedi. Padme on the other hand seems to have very little hesitation about leveraging her personal relationships with the Jedi and lying to the Jedi in order to ensure their help comes to her planet. Satine is choosing to be RESPECTFUL in a way I didn't quite recognize before.

The second aspect of this is political agendas. It flows into the first one, obviously, they're connected. The favoritism issue stems from politicians having their own personal political agendas. Obi-Wan even states this outright in Attack of the Clones pretty early on when he's coming up against Anakin's feelings for Padme starting to blind Anakin to most everything else. He reminds Anakin that as much as they might LIKE Padme, as kind and selfless as Padme seems and can be, she is also a career politician which means she has political agendas by definition. It's literally part of the job. Padme is beholden to her people and her Queen and what they expect and ask of her as a Senator.

They can't trust that Padme will not attempt to use the Jedi to push her own agenda. They can't assume that Padme would set aside her agendas just because she's friends with them. They can't assume that their relationship to Padme would be her priority. It's her job to prioritize her people, her system. And it's a GOOD thing that she does so, that's the whole point of having a Senator. But this does mean that Padme's personal political agenda may not always line up that nicely with the Jedi's job of serving EVERYONE equally.

We see a good example of this relationship and the Jedi pushing back against it in the season 1 episode with Riyo Chuchi. Riyo attempts to order Obi-Wan into basically doing Riyo's job for her. Obi-Wan, however, says no. He argues that him stepping in at this point is no longer going to truly fix the problem, and convinces Riyo to do her job and speak for herself. Riyo wants to help her people, doesn't trust herself to do it well, and so tries to ask Obi-Wan to do it for her and won't listen when Obi-Wan tries to protest that that plan won't work anymore. She attempts to order Obi-Wan around specifically because he's a Jedi and she's a Senator. And Riyo's not even in a relationship of any kind with Obi-Wan really, they're barely even friendly acquaintances at this point.

Padme is required to push her political agenda in whatever way she thinks is best. As a Jedi, Anakin is supposed to treat everyone in the Republic (and ideally everyone in the galaxy) equally. Which means he CANNOT prioritize Padme OR her agenda, and he cannot trust that Padme is not at some point going to ask or expect him to do exactly that if they're in a relationship.

I don't think the Jedi discourage relationships of any kind, and are actually generally fine with their members having romantic relationships (and obviously have sex as per Word of God) so long as they put their duties as Jedi first and don't become attached. But that being said, I think they would GREATLY discourage relationships with planetary leaders and Senators, which is why we see Obi-Wan explicitly telling Anakin that while his FEELINGS for Padme aren't really an issue, he does need to keep that relationship strictly "friends." Obviously everyone sort-of knows Anakin's doing it anyway, three members of the Council are entirely aware of it existing and do exactly nothing about it, so it's clearly not explicitly forbidden or against the Code on its own, but I don't think any of them are particularly happy about Anakin's choice there given how dangerous it has the potential to be politically, and they're probably hoping at some point he'll be smart enough to end it.

[podcasts-8-my-heart]

Hint of Sugar

Ao3 Link

Chapter: 1/1

Rating: General

Archive Warning: No Archive Warning Applies

Fandoms: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media TypesStar Wars - All Media Types

Relationship: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi

Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, absentminded kiss

Fic and Card under the readmore

@codywanfirstkissbingo

It’s one of the rare times that the Negotiator (The law students) and the Resolute (Anakin’s band of STEM majors) are able to meet in the same area, and have time for a shared meal with their hectic schedules. The y’re in the mess hall of the Law College because Obi-Wan swears it has better tea (and really, it does). Obi-Wan chose one of the tables in the middle with enough space for Waxer, Boil, Rex, Fives, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Cody to sit at. It was nice to be able to catch up with his fellow siblings and cousins, face to face, rather than through the group chat and TikToks.

Ahsoka was a freshman physics major that Obi-Wan’s adopted younger brother, Anakin, had become a mentor for her in making sure she wasn’t getting stressed out with her new workload. Cody later learned that Ahsoka had a girlfriend, Barriss on the volleyball team that they both played for. It was sweet, and reminded him of Bly and Aayla.

“So the homework from professor Ti is driving me up a wall,” Ahsoka said, through a bite of salad to Anakin.

“Did you ask Cal for help?” Anakin responded, looking up from his Mech-E textbook.

“He was busy helping another student with the homework and, well, Barriss and I had scheduled lunch…”

“Have you emailed Cal about it then?” Obi-Wan asked.

“No…”

“Ahsoka, I can’t be the only one that helps you with your physics homework, that’s what the TA’s are there for, right Obi-Wan?”

Obi-Wan hummed, “He’s right, you know.”

Ahsoka sighed, “Fine.”

Cody watched out of the corner of his eye as Ahsoka pulls her strawberry pink laptop out to write an email. He took a sip of his evening coffee, sighed, before getting his own laptop out. Cody was working on a paper for his Ethics of Arts, which focused on the potential implications of A.I. when he heard Obi-Wan speak.

“Well, I need to get to a meeting with a pre-Law student, so I’ll see you in a bit.”

Cody looked up to see Ahsoka get kissed on the forehead, Anakin’s curls, and then himself?

He froze.

“Ah.” Obi-Wan, face flushed and ears pink, before looking at his watch, “I better get going.”

Cody blinked. ‘What just happened?’

“Did he just?” Boil said.

“So it would seem…” Waxer replied.

They watched as Obi-Wan ran from the hall.

“Should I…?” Cody started.

“Run after him?” Anakin replied, “Then yes, yes you should.”

“I’ll be right back, guys.”

Cody slammed his laptop shut and bolted after Obi-Wan, the ginger’s forest green sweater still visible in the distance. He knows his best friend is worth it, and if he gets a new boyfriend out of it, then it's worth it, right?

[nomi--sunrider]

I’d love the ⭐️ director’s cut⭐️ of literally any scene you’d like to talk about from TNAA!! Your last notes are so fascinating. (Don’t know who complained about the fight scene- it hurt me in the same way the Anakin/Obi-Wan fight hurt me and it was so so good)

Any way I literally haven’t stopped thinking about your incredible fic!!!

Oh Stars, many people complained 😅 just read through the comment section on Chapter 25. Some are quite mean. It's okay though. If what I wrote was complex enough to challenge people, that's a good thing.

Another behind the scenes for Then, Now, and Always....hm. God, I feel like I gave my best in the first one. Oh, I know! I'll tell you about an early version of the plot I had.

I'm remembering stuff while reading through my first, very early drafting document. In this one, the Witch Plague vaccine I mention in Chapter 10: Jem's Gift, was much more important. Like, Raelle and Scylla actually crack it, they figure it out. The problem is that Alder can't do vaccines, the Biddy bond makes them not work. I actually had this whole subplot, like a big press-conference thing where General Alder is photographed getting the first dose of the vaccine to comfort the American witch population and assure them it's safe.

But of course, it's a dose of saline.

That was going to be the Chekhov's Gun of Arc III, instead of Hearst finding Alder's blood after the big duel and making Blood Plague from it. It's this big, classified-above-top-secret fakeout where Alder's actually deeply vulnerable to Witch Plague, really the only witch who is. This, rather than the Biddy bond, is why she's the only one who can stop the big explosion of plague from Silver's Fountain.

But I kept running into "oh then why would this happen? why would that happen? why would this be important?" sorts of issues. Eventually, I realized they all stemmed from the fact that if there's a Witch Plague vaccine, Witch Plague stops being a threat. And this completely undercuts the death factory as a plot device. This source of the Camarilla's power that the army is so desperate to find, that Tally breaks into a top secret government facility to find, that she commits high treason to find, that Nicte murders the Secretary of State over, is now sort of irrelevant. The stakes of Tally and Alder's death factory infiltration in Arc III are much lower. Not only that, but it blunts the Ozarks reveal in Chapter 28: Alder's Folly significantly. And given the first 27 chapters, that scene had to come down like the hand of God.

I realized that if I wanted the death factory to be a major plot device, I had to keep Witch Plague in the game as a big, terrifying weapon of mass destruction. Not only that, but I had to up the ante in order to make the death factory as critical as possible. So I leaned harder into Blood Plague. An even more dangerous Witch Plague that ended up introducing all of the DNA/eugenics/technology stuff, which brought thematic depth to the fic. Not only that, but the development of Blood Plague as an unstoppable weapon of war added a ticking clock, which every action-thriller needs.

The only real bummer is that I didn't realize all of this until after I'd written the first seven or so chapters. So Chapter 6: The Nightmare Bat was already done. If I was going to write Then, Now, and Always again, I'd have Alder and co. go up against Witch Plague during the Idaho extraction.

I actually feel quite silly for not doing that. Like, I wrote Raelle into the scene initially because I knew the Unit wouldn't be getting much screen time and she made more sense than Abigail, given she's a Fixer and Tally might have been injured. But looking back on it, why would Alder risk the army's most valuable asset by bringing her into the field if they didn't need the Witchbomb, specifically?

(This ties into my whole rant as to how dumb it was that Alder let Raelle off-base in Season 2, even with the protection detail.

Why??? The fuck???? Would you allow a priceless, one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, war-ending asset to leave Fort Salem during an escalating conflict???? I know it's another Make The Plot Go decision so Raelle could be captured by the Camarilla, but come the fuck on, there's other ways that could have happened.)

Not only that, but I'm a big believer in Show, Don't Tell. Then, Now, and Always does a lot of Telling about the massive threat of Witch Plague, but not a lot of showing. In Chapter 10: Jem's Gift, Raelle tells Tally "Oh, it's weirder to not encounter Witch Plague in the field," after they pointedly don't encounter it in...really the only military field mission in the whole fic. That would have been the best time to Show, Not Tell.

They're trapped on the Idaho alpine plateau. Witch Plague is swarming in from all directions. It's a big black sea. A flood of pure death. No one can see the trees for it. Raelle's trying her best, there's glowing Witchbomb explosions everywhere, Alder's pouring torrents of lightning into the plague, Nicte's bombing the hell out of it with her jars, but it's not enough, not enough--

Until Tally puts her hands on the Nightmare Bat's console and gets it airborne.

In my defense, I started writing Then, Now, and Always before I'd really seen the show, so putting Witch Plague into the scene wasn't instinctive at that point. It's still a dope-ass scene and I'm proud of it. Just saying....y'know, if I was gonna do it again.

Fun additional fact: Tally mentions in Chapter 18: Hopi Cession that Witch Plague is being deployed more and more, becoming more dangerous, more aggressive because Tally's efforts in the mediasphere are working. A a few weeks ago, I started drafting a screenplay version of Then, Now, and Always as an alt-Season 3 and quickly realized I was going to need to actually show that action, versus just alluding to it. I came up with the coolest, most suspenseful, tragic, action-packed, badass, deeply allegorical episode of Motherland: Fort Salem ever.

And then I realized I couldn't write a Then, Now, and Always screenplay. It would be like composing a symphony, but never hearing it. A screenplay is just instructions. The medium is film. I could make a bangin' screenplay of Then, Now, and Always as the amazing, heart-stopping, transcendent final season of M:FS, but it could never be shot, and that would kill me. I'll save that idea for an original screenplay.

Thanks so much for the ask and for reading and enjoying the fic! I love all you guys very much.

[idontknowwhattoputasmyusernameee]

Star Boy

Chapter 5

Age:15, Year: 25 BBY

Word Count: 5,821

Warnings: Slavery and mentions of violence

A/N: I’ve been on spring break this week so I’ve managed to write at least two chapters, this one and another one. Also we’re slowly approaching AOTC and I’m pretty excited for that. Writing this is so much fun and it has gotten to the point where I’ve been neglecting my studies. Cries in STEM major. But anyways hope y’all are enjoying it cause I know I am. 

"Huh?" The blue Toydarian stared at you.

"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker," you repeated, attempting to sound non-threatening.

Watto fluttered towards your face, getting close and personal, "Who are you, huh? Coming in here and demanding to see my property? Get out of here." He waved a wrench in your face, using it as a threatening weapon.

You couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Anakin had told you stories about Watto's hot-headedness, and it seemed like he was living up to his reputation. "Look, I just want to talk to her. I don't want any trouble, so if you could just--”

"No, I won't ask you again. Leave before I make you," he threatened, growing impatient with your continued harassment.

Watto's wrench was still in the air, waving around carelessly due to his anger. In an effort to disarm him, you reached out your hand and summoned the metal tool into your own hand.

His eyes widened in fear as he silently deduced what was happening and recognized who you were.

"A Jedi...”

"More or less," you deadpanned. "Now, take me to Shmi Skywalker.”

Watto's face twisted in contemplation, his beady eyes darting back and forth as he weighed his options. The gears in his mind were practically visible as he considered the consequences of his decision.

He growled, "Alright, follow me, but no funny business. Last time a Jedi came, they managed to take one of my slaves.”

You bit down on your lower lip, feeling the familiar sting of your teeth digging into your flesh. It was a nervous habit that you had developed over the years, a way to keep yourself from revealing too much. You knew that you had to be careful around Watto, that one wrong move could ruin everything. So you tried to keep your expression neutral, even as your heart pounded in your chest.

"Of course, I just need to discuss a few things and then I'll be on my way," you assured him.

As you followed Watto through the streets of Tatooine, his wings flapping furiously, you couldn't help but notice the wary glances of the people around you. The locals viewed you as an intruder in their dusty, barren home, and who could blame them? The buildings were dilapidated, with peeling paint and crumbling walls, and the streets were littered with debris. It was a harsh and unforgiving environment, where the sun beat down relentlessly on the backs of its residents. The air was thick with the smell of dust and grime, and the only sounds were the occasional rustle of cloth or the flap of wings. You had seen worse, but that didn't make the reality of the situation any less jarring. It was clear that Tatooine was a place where even the strongest struggled to survive.

Finally, Watto led you to a small, run-down hut that looked like it could collapse at any moment. The boards creaked and the walls groaned as you stepped inside. The air was thick and heavy, and the smell of must and mildew filled your nostrils.

You were struck by the simplicity of the space. The furniture was minimal, consisting of only a small cot pushed up against one wall and a rickety wooden chair tucked into a corner. A few pots and pans hung from the ceiling, while a small makeshift dining table was located in the center of the room. The walls were bare, with no decorations or artwork to speak of. However, as you took a closer look, you noticed a few drawings of creatures hanging on the wall above the table. You could only assume that they were drawn by Anakin, and they added a touch of warmth and personality to an otherwise spartan environment. Despite the lack of material possessions, the space felt homey and cozy, a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of its resident.

You could hear a clinking sound noisily move in your direction. You stood up straight to address whoever it was but paused when you saw a golden protocol droid come into view.

"Meh, I'm leaving, and remember, no funny business,” Watto said, pointing a crooked finger at you before he left.

As Watto fluttered away, you rolled your eyes. His wings beat furiously against the hot Tatooine air, carrying him off into the distance.

"Oh, hello. Where are you supposed to be?" the droid asked. You looked around, thinking it was talking to someone else, but then realized it was actually addressing you.

"Oh, I'm not," you said as you removed your robotic mask, revealing your human face. Your skin was slightly flushed from the Tatooine heat, and your hair was slick with perspiration. "Sorry, I'm human.”

The droid made a mechanical squeal as it approached you, grabbed your hand, and shook it enthusiastically. "Pleasure to meet you. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations," it said.

"My name is Y/N," you said as your arm kept moving. "Can I have my arm back, please?”

Startled, he jumped back and released your hand. "Oh, my apologies. We don't get many visitors here.”

You nodded in understanding. "That's all right." You watched the droid walk toward the kitchen, grab a glass from a cupboard, and fill it with water. "I'm looking for Shmi. Do you know where she is?”

C-3PO turned around and placed the glass on the makeshift dining table. "I'm afraid she's not here at the moment. She's out working on the moisture farm," C-3PO replied, with a look of concern on his metallic face. "Is there something I can help you with in the meantime?”

You shook your head, “No, that’s alright. I’ll just wait for her to come back.” You took a seat at the table, glancing at the drawings once again. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

C-3PO tilted his head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe it should be soon.”

As the door creaked open, a figure emerged, shrouded in a headscarf and goggles to protect against the persistent Tatooine winds. The woman's frame was small and frail, and her clothing was tattered and worn. Despite the harsh conditions of the environment, she still managed to maintain a sense of dignity and grace. Her eyes were weary and cautious, as if she had seen too much in her lifetime. As she stepped tentatively into the room, you could sense the tension in the air, the uncertainty of what was to come.

As you stood up from your seat, you immediately recognized her. Sensing the apprehension around her, she looked at you and asked, "Can I help you?" Her voice was soft and hesitant.

"My name is Y/N. I am a friend of Anakin's.”

As soon as you mentioned Anakin's name, Shmi's eyes softened, and she looked around the room with a mixture of hope and despair. You could see the longing in her gaze, the desire to be reunited with her son after all these years. Her eyes flicked back and forth between you and the door, as if expecting Anakin to burst through it at any moment. However, you shook your head, and her expression fell.

"Sorry, it's just me. I have a few things to discuss with you if you'd let me.”

She nodded, took off the scarf and goggles from her head, and walked to the kitchen.

“Can I get you anything to drink or eat?” She asked. You smiled but declined.

"So... what's so important that you had to come all the way to Tatooine to find me?" she tapped her nails against the wooden table, fidgeting around to calm her racing heart, hoping that there wasn't anything wrong with Anakin.

Your expression turned serious as you considered what to say.

"I've come to free you.”

Confusion was evident on her face as she blinked. "I'm sorry?" she asked.

You leaned forward and placed your hand over hers. "I've come to save you from this place," you said.

Shmi's tears came suddenly, bursting forth like a dam breaking. She buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.”

"She shook her head. "No. I'm not upset—these are happy tears," she replied. She stood up from her seat and immediately embraced you in a big hug. Your hands hung limply at your sides for a moment, caught off guard and uncomfortable with physical affection. But your arms soon wrapped around her, knowing she needed the comfort.

As you held her tightly, you felt her body trembling with sobs. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped away her tears. "Thank you, thank you so much," she whispered with a voice heavy with emotion, holding your face in her weathered hands. You could see the overwhelming gratitude and relief etched on her face, and you knew deep down that coming to Tatooine was the right decision.

"But how? Why?" she asked, wiping away tears.

You explained everything from the beginning, including your time as a Padawan, your kidnapping, and how you ended up here. She listened with intrigue; her eyes widened at certain parts and turned sorrowful at others.

"Then, I decided to come here. When we were little, I promised Anakin that I would help free the slaves on Tatooine. However, I only have enough money for one person," you finished your story, revealing all the credits hidden in your boots. Her eyes widened at the amount, never having seen so much in her life.

You picked up the pouches of credits and placed them on the chair next to you. As a spice runner and smuggler, you had accumulated enough wealth over time to buy anything you wanted. However, since you were raised not to care about possessions, your thoughts drifted to people in need. You knew that this money could help countless individuals, and Shmi included.

"Watto will take whatever you have. He's been struggling ever since Ani left.”

You raised your brows at that. "I could tell. He did seem a bit out of sorts.”

She snorted, "You could say that.”

The smile she gave you brought you back to the temple, reminding you of Anakin. As you reminisced, you were struck by the sudden memory of his smile. It was a smile that could light up a room, radiating warmth and joy. You could almost feel his presence beside you and hear his laughter ringing in your ears. It was in moments like these that you missed him most, when the weight of his absence felt heavy and suffocating. You longed to see him again, to feel his reassuring presence by your side. But you knew it was unlikely, that he was off on his own adventure fulfilling his destiny as the Chosen One. So you pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

You nodded, pushing away your thoughts. "Yeah, I'm okay, just thinking. Is there anything else I need to know about Watto before I negotiate?”

She shook her head. "No, but I do have this chip implanted. It discourages me from traveling off-world. If I do, then... you know.”

You furrowed your brow, understanding the implications of what she meant. At the temple, you never realized just how differently others had lived, too sheltered by the Jedi to understand the difficulties that others faced. When you lived with Hondo, you saw just about every kind of evil, and in some ways, it made you bitter toward the Jedi. You came to the conclusion that the order was hypocritical and unjust, placing themselves on a higher pedestal and turning a blind eye to the suffering in the outside world, despite having the power to stop it. This was one of the reasons why you never went back; you didn't want to be part of an order with an insane god complex.

In simpler terms, you had a reality check. Over the years, there have been many instances where you have been humbled, and this is one of those times. You have come to realize just how difficult Anakin's mother's situation was. She was taken into slavery, raised her son alone as a single mother, and had her son taken away by an order that couldn't save her. Her life was far from easy, and in just a few minutes of being in her presence, you could truly say how much you admired her. You admired her strength and optimism. Despite having everything taken away from her, it seemed like no obstacle was too great for her to overcome.

After a while, you rose from your seat and informed her that you would return. She wished you farewell and good luck. Despite her confidence in you, she knew better than to get her hopes up, aware of Watto's stubbornness that would be difficult to overcome. However, you were confident that you could make a deal. You were, after all, the most cunning sixteen-year-old in the galaxy. Although you weren't particularly proud of it, you could also say that you were the most manipulative. You had learned to get what you wanted over the years with Hondo.

After a short walk, you returned to where you had first found Watto. To your relief, he was still outside, banging on whatever scrap metal he was working on.

He noticed your shadow looming over him, blocking the sun's heat from his skin. His eyes rose to meet yours, and it was clear that he was unhappy.

"I thought you would have left by now," he grumbled, returning to the incessant banging.

Without hesitation, you retrieved the credits from inside your robes and placed them in front of him. Watto's eyes widened at the sight, clearly impressed.

"I'd like to make a deal with you," you said, your voice calm and collected.

He looked around the area, making sure no one was present to hear.

"Come inside," he uttered, "quick.”

The inside of the shop was cluttered and chaotic, with piles of scrap metal and discarded machinery littering every surface. The air was thick with the smell of oil and rust, making it difficult to breathe. The walls were stained with grime and grease, and the ceiling was so low that you had to duck your head to avoid hitting it. The only source of light came from a small, flickering bulb hanging from a frayed wire, casting eerie shadows across the room. It was clear that Watto had no interest in keeping the place clean or organized; it was simply a place to store his valuables and conduct his business.

"Sit," he commanded, motioning for you to take a seat on one of the dusty barrels or stools surrounding the rough-looking table.

"That's all right, I think I'll stand for now.”

He shrugged and fluttered over to the table, then sat down. "So, what kind of deal are we talking about?" he asked.

"I'd like to... buy Shmi Skywalker," the words tasted bitter as they left your mouth. You didn't like the way they sounded.

He laughed, clearly amused by your request. "Buy her? You Jedi are all the same. You think you can just come in here and take whatever you want. Well, I'm not selling my property, not even to a Jedi.”

You leaned forward with a serious expression. "I'm not asking for a handout. I'm offering a fair price for her freedom, and I have the credits to back it up." You slid the pouches across the table, the sound of metal clinking against wood filling the room.

"No," he said.

You raised your eyebrows. "No? I'm offering you more than a fair price for a slave.”

Watto shook his head. "It's not just about the credits; she's been with me for years. She's part of my family.”

You scoffed, "Family? You buy and sell people. I'm not buying that excuse.”

Watto's face grew red with anger and frustration, and he stood up from his seat, his wings flapping furiously. You could see the veins bulging in his neck and temples, and his nostrils flared as he struggled to keep his temper in check. Watto stood up, his face growing red. "You don't understand, it's not that simple.”

Frustration mounted within you as you narrowed your eyes at him. You had expected some resistance from the Toydarian, but his stubbornness was starting to test your patience. “Then make it simple," you said sharply. "Sell her to me, or I leave with my credits and you dead."

Watto's eyes widened at your threat, and he took a step closer to you, brandishing his wrench menacingly. "You wouldn't dare," he hissed, as the wrench in his hand inched closer to your face. "I'm not afraid of Jedi. I've dealt with your kind before.”

You stood your ground and refused to back down. You had come too far to let Watto's threats intimidate you. Your hand instinctively went to your blaster, ready to defend yourself if necessary. "Is that so?" you replied calmly, never taking your eyes off of his. "I'm not here to cause trouble, Watto. I just want to buy Shmi's freedom. You know as well as I do that it's the right thing to do."

Watto hesitated, his eyes flickering back and forth between you and the pouches of credits on the table. You could tell he was considering your offer, but there was still a hint of reluctance in his expression.

"Think about it. Those credits will buy you a new life, away from this place. You won't have to struggle to make ends meet anymore.”

He looked conflicted, glancing at the credits for a moment before turning back to you. "Fine," he said in a whisper. "I'll sell her to you.”

You let out a breath that you didn't realize you were holding, feeling relief wash over you. You had done it - you had freed Anakin's mother.

"Thank you," you said, your voice sincere. "I promise you won't regret this.”

As Watto handed you the datapad, you noticed that his eyes were downcast and his demeanor was defeated. You could sense the conflict within him as he muttered, "Just take her and go." Despite his status as a Toydarian slave owner, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him.

Without a word, you took the datapad from him, trying to hide your emotions. As you turned to leave, a sense of accomplishment washed over you. You had done something good, something that would make Anakin proud. Part of you wanted to fly to the temple and tell him what you had done, but you knew that you still had a long way to go before you could truly call this a success.

You had promised Shmi that you would help her escape from slavery, but you still needed to figure out how to get her off the planet and to a safe place. You also knew that there would be repercussions for your actions and that you needed to be prepared for anything that came your way. But for now, you felt content in the knowledge that you had taken the first step towards keeping your promise to Anakin.

…

After your success, Shmi invited you to live with her for a while. Grateful for a place to stay while you figured out your next move, you accepted her invitation. Over the course of the next week, you managed to deactivate the chip. You told her of your plans to move her off-planet, but to your surprise, she refused. She insisted on staying in her quaint little hut, saying that there were too many memories to leave behind. You understood, knowing how difficult change could be, especially since this was the only life she knew. Together, you made her hut feel like a home. With more money and time, she was able to decorate it the way she wanted.

As you spent more time with Shmi, you learned about her life and struggles. She told you about her experience as a slave, the harsh conditions, and the constant fear of being sold to someone worse. She shared her pain about the day Anakin was taken from her, how she cried for days, and the loneliness she felt after he was gone.

Hearing about the hardships she had gone through broke your heart. You felt grateful that you had been able to help her in some small way. Every day, she insisted that you stay with her and live with her until she got her bearings. You realized that she felt lonely, and you couldn't bear to leave her alone. So you stayed by her side.

You and Shmi walked through the bustling streets of Mos Espa, where the annual market had just opened. The cacophony of sounds and sights was overwhelming, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the vibrant scene around you. Vendors shouted out their wares, their voices blending together into a symphony of noise. People haggled over prices, their faces animated with excitement and anticipation. The smells of exotic fruits and spices filled the air, adding to the sensory overload. You and Shmi weaved through the crowds, admiring the colorful displays of fabrics, intricate jewelry, and curious trinkets. The chaotic energy of the market was a stark contrast to the desolate and barren desert that surrounded the town, and it was clear that Shmi was enjoying herself. She held a small basket woven from grass in one hand and clutched your arm with the other, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the sights and sounds around her.

Suddenly, her footsteps stopped, causing you to turn your head.

"What's wrong?" you asked her.

She shook her head, her face turning red. "It's nothing. I just saw someone I knew," she said, trailing off and looking around the crowd.

You followed her gaze, trying to see whom she was looking at. However, the sea of people made it impossible to spot anyone in particular. "Who is it?" you asked, your curiosity piqued.

Shmi shook her head. "No one important. Just an old acquaintance," she said, though you could tell there was more to the story. Her eyes kept glancing ahead to a small vendor where a family stood.

“Is that who you're looking at?” you asked, nodding toward the family.

She blushed even more and nodded, knowing it was useless to lie to you.

"That man, with the greying hair, his name is Cliegg Lars," she sighed. "He's a moisture farmer.”

You smirked, knowing where her emotions were leading her.

"You like him," you meant for it to come out as a question, but instead it floated out as a statement.

She shook her head. "No, it's not like that. We're just friends." But you could see the way her eyes lit up at the mention of his name and the way her cheeks flushed at the thought of him.

You couldn't help but smile. "Well, we should go say hello," you said, taking her hand and leading her towards the vendor. As you approached the family, you noticed the way Cliegg looked at Shmi, his eyes softening at the sight of her. It was clear that there was more than just friendship between them, and you couldn't help but feel happy for Shmi.

"Shmi," he nodded before looking at you. "Who's this?" he asked, eyeing you curiously.

Before you could introduce yourself, she beat you to it.

"This is Y/N, a friend of Anakin's. She's a Jedi.”

You smiled impishly not used to the attention you were receiving. You didn’t want to make a bad impression so you decided to play it off as nothing.

"It's nice to meet you, Cliegg. I'm just here visiting Shmi.”

He nodded at you before turning his attention back to her.

You watched their interactions with glee, seeing the spark between them as they spoke. Though they may have been just friends long ago, today they seemed to be something more, like young lovers finally reuniting. After a while, the two of you said your goodbyes.

As you made your way back to Shmi's hut, you felt content. The day had been a pleasant distraction from the weight of the world that usually rested on your shoulders. You were grateful for the chance to spend time with Shmi and see her happy. And you couldn't deny the small spark of excitement that had ignited within you at the thought of what could happen between Shmi and Cliegg.

As you walked through the door of Shmi's hut, the familiar smell of must and mildew hit you. But instead of feeling the usual discomfort, you felt a sense of comfort. This place had become a home away from home for you, and you were grateful for the chance to stay here with Shmi.

Shmi hung up her basket and turned to face you with a small smile. "Thank you for today," she said softly.

You grinned and said, "No need to thank me. I had a great time.”

She walked over to the small stove and began preparing tea. "I'm glad you could come with me. It's nice to have someone to share these moments with.”

You nodded, "I know what you mean. It's easy to get caught up in the bigger picture and forget about the small moments that make life worth living.”

As the tea brewed, you and Shmi sat down at the dining table. Anakin's drawings of creatures still hung on the wall above it.

"How did you two meet?" you asked.

Lost in thought, she smiled. "I was about twenty years old. He was twenty-five, I believe. He was handsome, strong, and an all-around good man. At the time, I had just been sold to Watto, who had me pick up parts at nearby markets. Each day, I would see him talking to the shopkeepers. I admired him from afar but never approached him until he came up to me one day.”

She explained how he had approached her, offering to help carry some of the parts back to Watto's shop. They struck up a conversation, and before she knew it, they were spending more and more time together.

"But then he stopped talking to me. I could never understand why until I confronted him. Apparently, his parents found out about us and forbade him from talking to me, or he would be shunned.”

You listened intently, sympathizing with Shmi as she spoke. "So I let him go. He was angry with me for not putting up a fight, but eventually I think he understood. He couldn't be with a slave like me," you furrowed your brow at her words. "Later on, he got married to a pretty girl, and together they had a son just a bit older than Ani.”

"I'm sorry," you said softly, not knowing what else to say.

Shmi smiled sadly. "It's okay. It was a long time ago," she said before taking a sip of her tea. "But seeing him again today brought back a lot of memories.”

You nodded in understanding and said, "I can imagine. It's hard to see the one that got away.”

Shmi chuckled softly and said, "I don't know if he was the one that got away, but he was definitely the one that could have been.”

You smiled at her words. "Well, who knows what the future holds? Maybe there's still a chance for you two.”

Shmi's eyes lit up at the possibility. "Do you think so?”

You shrugged and said, "Anything's possible. Just look at me. I never thought I'd be here on Tatooine, helping to free slaves and reconnecting lost loves.”

Shmi smiled at your words and replied, "You're right. Anything is possible." She finished her tea and stood up, saying, "But for now, I think it's time for bed.”

As you and Shmi headed to your respective cots, you gazed up at the skylight, watching the stars twinkle in the distance. The idea of a rekindled romance excited you, taking you back to the countless books you used to read. Your view of romance had been warped by the teachings of the Jedi, but your curiosity during your time away had led you to explore the world of love. From your findings, you knew how intense and deep it could be. On one hand, you understood the darkness of it, the jealousy and pain it could bring. On the other hand, you couldn't help but feel drawn to it, the idea of finding someone who understood and loved you for who you were. As you drifted off to sleep, you wondered what the future held for you and Shmi. For now, all you could do was be present in the moment and watch the stars.

As days passed, the relationship between Cliegg and Shmi grew stronger. He would visit the two of you at the moisture farms behind the town, paying special attention to Shmi. You smiled happily each time as she recounted her conversations with him.

"Then he told me how he wanted to take me out to dinner," Shmi giggled. "It's been ages since I've been on a proper date.”

You grinned, "That sounds wonderful.”

Shmi blushed, "Thank you, Y/N. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me.”

You shook your head, “Don't mention it. I'm just happy to see you happy.”

As the days passed, you spent most of your time with Shmi, helping her with daily chores, cooking together, and spending time with her new beau. You couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging in this place, and a part of you didn't want to leave. However, you knew that you had to move on. You couldn't stay on Tatooine forever, no matter how much you wanted to.

As you sat outside, gazing up at the twinkling stars, Shmi quietly joined you. She wore a wistful smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and the light from the stars cast a soft glow over her face. The two of you sat in comfortable silence, lost in your own thoughts as you contemplated the vastness of the galaxy. The stars were particularly bright tonight, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the beauty of it all. The silence between you was peaceful, a welcome respite from the chaos of the world. Despite the harshness of Tatooine, there was a certain magic to it all, a feeling that couldn't be described in words.

"I have something to tell you," she said, her features displaying a mixture of apprehension and excitement. "Cliegg... asked me to marry him.”

You couldn't contain your joy as you watched Shmi's face light up with the news of Cliegg's proposal. Her eyes shone with happiness, and a smile that stretched from ear to ear graced her lips. It was a beautiful moment, and you felt grateful to have been there to witness it. You pulled her into a tight hug, feeling the warmth of her embrace as she squeezed you tightly. "That's wonderful news!" you exclaimed, your voice filled with excitement. "I'm so happy for you." Shmi's joy was contagious, and you couldn't help but feel happy as well. Anakin would have wanted this for his mother, and you were glad she had found someone to share her life with. As you pulled away, you looked into her eyes and saw love and gratitude shining back at you. This was a moment you would never forget, and it would stay with you for a long time to come.

Shmi's voice broke with emotion as she spoke, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. You could see the joy in her expression, the light that had been missing for so long finally returning.

"You deserve to be happy, Shmi," you said, reaching out to take her hand. "You've been through so much, and you deserve to find love again."

She nodded, acknowledging that she deserved it. "I'm just so grateful for you," she said. "You're a kind person, and you've done so much for me. I don't know how to thank you.”

You smiled,"Seeing you happy is thanks enough. Now, when is the wedding? I expect we have much to prepare for.”

Shmi smiled at you and said, "We haven't decided on a date yet, but I'll let you know as soon as we do." You nodded, happy to help in any way you could. As the night wore on, the two of you sat in comfortable silence and watched the stars twinkle in the sky.

…

The next few weeks were chaotic. Shmi was an emotional wreck, trying to prepare for the wedding and move from one house to another. Every day, you knew that your time with her was running out. By the day of the wedding, you planned on saying goodbye.

The ceremony was both beautiful and simple. Only seven of you were present: you, Shmi, Cliegg, his son Owen, his daughter-in-law Beru, C-3PO, and a hired priest. The vows were beautiful, acknowledging their tragic past and the enduring nature of their love. Following the ceremony, you all gathered in the Lars’s home below to eat and celebrate with traditional Tatooine food. However, by the end of the celebration, you knew you had to leave.

Shmi walked you out, with a wide smile still displayed on her face.

"Thank you for everything, Y/N," Shmi said, with tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know how to repay you.”

You hugged her tightly and said, "You don't have to do anything. Just promise me that you'll be happy and safe.”

She pulled away and wiped her tears. "I will. And you promise me that you'll come back and visit," she said.

You nodded, "Of course. I'll come back and visit whenever I can.”

As you turned to leave, you realized you had grown attached to this place and to Shmi. You knew you had to depart but couldn't help feeling sad at the thought of saying goodbye. With a heavy heart, you walked away from the Lars home and returned to Mos Espa to plan your departure.

"That was admirable, young Y/L/N.”

You stopped and turned to face the voice. Instinctively, your hand went to your blaster. Before you stood a tall and imposing figure, his cloak swirling around him in the wind. Although his face was obscured by a hood, you could feel his gaze on you. "Who are you?" you asked, your voice steady.

The figure stepped closer, its presence almost suffocating. "I am a friend," it said, its voice deep and gravelly. "And I have been watching you.”

You tensed, not liking the sound of that. "Watching me?”

The figure nodded, with their hood still obscuring their face. "Yes. Follow me. Your journey is about to begin.”

Next Part

[gffa]

I know I've brought this up before, but how much of the fandom reception of the prequels do you think stemmed from the genre dissonance? That the prequels, genre-wise, are closer to high fantasy, while the OT is more an adventure/space western/underdog triumph story.

The prequels also have elements more reminiscent of a romantic period/court drama/Shakespearean tragedy, while if you consider the underdog angle of the OT, the OT also seems kinda similar to some of those inspirational movies about sports teams or something, or a shonen anime with the "Power of Friendship".

I'm just saying, these are rather disparate genres that tend to attract different demographics of people.

And not many people tend to be... great about understanding why they don't like something, much less putting it into words, or understanding that they can dislike something without that something being actually bad. (For example, instead of "I just don't really like [thing]," the usual statement is something along the lines of "[thing] absolutely sucks.")

So the usual response is trying to find (and gather) solidarity while putting down or being condescending towards any dissent, and trying to justify their own dislike. (*gestures vaguely towards pineapple on pizza*)

And historically, it's not uncommon for people to... react strongly towards things they find... different or abnormal, which they judge based on themselves, their emotional response to something, and what they're used to.

Looking at kids, this behavior is... fairly normal. "You're weird," "ew, why do you like that, that's gross," "that's stupid," and so on. A lot of kids/teens/young adults also get defensive really easily. And let's face it--adults are basically just older, taller kids who've had to deal with more of life.

(To be honest, I also get defensive really easily. A lot of people do, and it's... it's normal. The defensive reaction can be lashing out, denial, or just being passive-aggressive or staying silent and tuning it out or mentally rolling your eyes at it. But I'm trying to work on it, because just because it's normal doesn't mean it's a good reaction.)

So, what I'm wondering is whether some fans dislike the prequels simply because it's a different genre...

...but instead of realizing that, they try to defend and justify their dislike by pointing fingers and criticizing whatever stood out or looked different from the OT or cherry-picking details/taking things out of context or making negative conflations (that can be refuted).

Because it's not about logic, it's about how they feel. And people want to feel justified and validated, and we want to feel like we're right and we enjoy staying in our comfort zones. So... yeah. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LOL, okay, this response is going to be really disjointed because I went off in like a dozen different tangents and even then it's not enough to cover everything, so just kind of read this in a Scattered Thoughts Nerd kind of tone, where I'm staring off into the distance because Navel Gazing Gets Me Going Sometimes. 😂 In my experience, it's sort of a mix. I don't hang around a lot of people who dislike the prequels (in the sense of dismissing them/not being fannish about them) because, well, that's the heart of my interest in Star Wars, so our areas of interest basically don't really overlap that much, so I don't have a chance to talk to a lot of people and find out their reasons or even how they dislike the prequels, in the bigger trends of fandom. I do think there's an element of what you're talking about, that sometimes people can't just dislike things because it's not their genre of choice, that's absolutely a part of it. Mostly because that's how a lot of people react to anything they don't like (and it's something I and literally everyone else has to work on), there has to be a reason for it that it's objectively bad and, like, I have experienced a lot of people getting mad because I like something in a different way than they do. And I don't mean just in Star Wars fandom, but in almost any given fandom--if someone likes something in a way someone else doesn't, if they talk loudly about it (even within their own space), then there's always a contingent of people who have to find a reason why that person is objectively wrong (or even try to make them morally wrong), rather than just shrugging and going, "We see things differently, my view on things doesn't overwrite theirs and their view on things doesn't overwrite mine." It gets more complicated in instances where fandom attitudes genuinely can be hurtful, especially when they're overlapping into the way real people are treated, likes/dislikes don't 100% exist in a bubble, especially when it comes to queer fans, fans of color, disabled fans, mentally ill fans, etc. But that there are a lot of instances where fandom culture has always been--and is increasingly so--contentious and it's hard to chill out when someone is always screaming at you, when the atmosphere of the fandom is always so intense. Further, there's also an element of how fandom has always been--and also is increasingly so--about personal resonance, personal emotional investment, interpretation, and meaning. That sometimes we identify with something so deeply that we feel attacked when someone else likes or dislikes something we feel so strongly about, something that we feel is a reflection of ourselves, and I see a lot of that as well. And this, too, often crosses over into lines of how the context of how we treat characters can be reflections of how we treat real world people, but that there's no monolith here as well. For example: I make fun of Anakin, this angers some people, because how dare I not take this fictional victim 100% seriously, despite that I have repeatedly said that Anakin is the character I most identify with, that things I make fun of him for are ones that I resonate with personally. I'm not disrespecting mentally ill people, especially considering that Anakin is not bound to a single interpretation on this front--he is not canonically mentally ill, no matter how easy it is for us in fandom to map much of that onto his character or, in my case, feel that so much of what I see in him are things I struggle with myself. By and large, the majority of the people I see (at least on tumblr) who make fun of Anakin are doing so within the same vein, that they're being silly about him on things that they personally relate to. (My experiences on this are not universal, I cannot speak for the whole of even any one part of fandom, only my own sphere of experience, but this is what I've seen.) As always, it's fine if someone doesn't vibe with my style or they find that it's not their thing because they do take him more seriously, but that preference does not make my jokes

suddenly not have the context that I relate a lot to what I see in Anakin. In contrast, the way some of the fandom treats Mace or Finn isn't just personal all the time. Not liking their characters isn't inherently racist, but the way they're consistently, consistently treated sure as hell speaks to a larger pattern of racism in fandom and doesn't come without that context. It's the same with Rey--is there a huge vein of misogyny when it comes to her character? Abso-fucking-lutely there is. Things Luke and Anakin get a pass on, Rey is raked over the coals for. Is everyone who dislikes Rey a misogynist? Not even close. Some don't like her because Finn was used as a prop for her story. Some people don't like her because she got sucked into Kylo Ren's story too much. Some just don't care for the way she was written for other reasons. Some just don't vibe with her. It's fine. Nothing is a monolith. And to circle this back around to what you're talking about--it's hard to judge, both because no part of fandom is a monolith in their reactions, but also because we're only hearing from a selection of the fans. How do you know how many people who aren't fans of the prequels, who just don't care for them because it's not their genre, but just go about their day? You don't hear from a lot of them because they moved on to things they do like, so it seems like they must not exist--except, they do, and they're just out there doing things they like more. We only hear from the people who feel the need to tell others they dislike the prequels for this reason or that reason, some valid, some less valid, etc. Ultimately, I do think there's probably a fair amount of genre dissonance for why people dislike the prequels and channel that into "they're objectively bad" and get defensive when people like them and say they were great, but only because that's true of anything anywhere. But that it's only one small slice of the bigger picture (and there's a lot of stuff that I had to eschew in the writing of this response as well because it can be a pretty sprawling topic), where there are tons of reasons and reactions that people have, as well as they're perfectly free to dislike the prequels for whatever reason they do or don't have, it doesn't really affect my opinions, unless they're trying to shove it in my face or are being a dick to those who disagree with them.

[communistkenobi-archive]

Force-Sensitivity & Disability

A long-standing (and often aggravating) debate in the SW fandom is centred around the Jedi practice of taking Force-sensitive children from their families, with the argument stemming from whether or not this is justified. A very common reason cited in defense of this practice is that Force-sensitive children will suffer emotionally, mentally, and physically in various ways without Jedi training, and being raised by Jedi is the best (and only) way to prevent that from happening.

Note: I’m not using the word “taking” here as a moral judgement or implying the practice is akin to “kidnapping”, it’s just the term I’m going to use because it’s the easiest and most basic way to talk about it.

I don’t necessarily want to argue whether or not those justifications hold up, but I do want to offer a framework for viewing this topic that I haven’t really seen acknowledged, even though it is often used in these discussions - namely, that Force-sensitivity acts as an analogue to disability in a lot of ways, both within the text of SW itself and throughout the meta-discussion about the topic. There are some deeply troubling implications and historical parallels when framing it this way, which I will get into, but I think it’s useful to explicitly talk about it in these terms, since fandom is already doing so implicitly a lot of the time. My aim is to basically formalise the mostly-informal ways people discuss the topic of Force-sensitivity (especially as it relates to the Jedi raising said Force-sensitives) and how the language being used in the fandom encourages people to think of it as similar to disability.

First, I’m going to discuss the different ways the Jedi talk about the Force itself, and then compare those to some prominent models of disability to demonstrate how similar they are - and therefore how the discussion in fandom often mirrors and reproduces those similarities, even if people don’t consciously intend to do so. Then I’m going to address the argument outlined above (ie, the justification Jedi have for taking children from their families) with this comparison in mind. I am also going to talk about the problems of framing the discussion in these terms, because there are several and they’re important to address. Again, my hope with this is to offer an explanation for why framing the argument in these disability-analogue terms is common in fandom, and the ways in which it is both useful and harmful.

I’ll try to stick to the major canon sources (ie the movies & shows) in this discussion, since those are the most familiar to a general audience and have the most bearing on how the Force is discussed in canon, but when I do deviate I’ll make note of it.

As always, this post is gonna be a mile long, so the rest will be under a cut.

Models of Force-Sensitivity

There seem to be two major models for understanding Force-sensitivity in Star Wars - a biological model and a social/relational model. Neither of these are explicitly called models within the canon or talked about as such, but for the purposes of this discussion I’m going to divide them into two general categories.

The biological model way of thinking was first introduced in tPM, with Qui-Gon talking about midi-chlorians. These, he claims, are microscopic organisms that reside in all living cells and give people the capacity to be Force-sensitive. Generally speaking, the more midi-chlorians a person has in their body, the greater capacity for Force-use that person has (Anakin had a high count in his bloodstream and was generally considered one of the most powerful Jedi in recent memory, for example). Midi-chlorians were also brought up in The Mandalorian - the Imperial remnants wanted Grogu in order to study his blood and use it to produce Force-sensitivity in test subjects via blood transfusion, which have all been unsuccessful thus far.

The biological model of Force-sensitivity answers the question of “how” the Force interacts with living things. When approaching Force-sensitivity this way, it is something that is housed in individual people’s bodies and can be quantified and measured using medical instruments. 

So the biological model of Force-sensitivity frames Force-sensitivity as:

individualistic - your capacity for Force-use is housed within the body

deterministic - your biological make-up (M-count) is what determines Force-sensitivity

This line of thinking doesn’t seem to have mainstream appeal with most Jedi. A few have mentioned midi-chlorians before (Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are the big two), but a lot of Jedi talk about Force-sensitivity in a different way, which I’ll call the relational model.

The relational model is a bit broader and doesn’t require midi-chlorians when talking about how people interact with the Force. It is also the inaugural explanation of the Force given to Luke by Obi-Wan in ANH:

The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.

Viewed this way, connection itself is what confers Force-sensitivity, not anything biological. A focus on training and lifelong discipline is what is viewed as more important than the “M-count” in your bloodstream. Thinking of the Force this way also leads to Jedi placing specific importance on things like Force bonds, which strengthen through repeated and sustained contact with other people - the most obvious example of this is the bond between Master and Padawan.

So the relational model of Force-sensitivity frames Force-sensitivity as:

collectivistic - your Force abilities begin with your connection to other people and things, not your body itself

non-deterministic - Force ability is a function of training and social interaction that can be nurtured, suppressed, ignored, or any combination thereof

Now, these two models are not mutually exclusive. Midi-chlorians, for example, are the standard measure used to determine if a child has the capacity to be Force-sensitive regardless of how individual Jedi think about the Force itself, and the consensus amongst Jedi seems to be that training is the most important component of a person’s abilities, regardless of their M-count, even if they think of the Force in more biological terms. I think it’s fair to say that most Jedi believe in a combination of these two models to varying degrees.

I also don’t think these two models fit perfectly with the canon - Star Wars is very expansive and often contradictory, which is sort of inevitable with a franchise as massive and enduring as this one. You could probably find bits of canon to contradict or up-end either one, and since we haven’t really gotten a simple, easy, and direct explanation of basic Jedi philosophy, we’re left with snippets of dialogue and plot devices to figure that out for ourselves.

I want people to think of these models as non-exhaustive and fuzzy - they don’t account for every piece of information we have about the Force, nor do they have definite boundaries that separate them clearly from one another. I don’t think it’s actually possible to create a model that accounts for all of canon, because as I said, canon is inconsistent and self-contradictory. Instead, me laying it out in these terms is merely an attempt to understand the canon we’ve been presented with and formalise the common ways people discuss it in fandom.

So, what does this have to do with disability?

Models of Disability

There are a lot of conceptual models for disability, but I’m going to talk about the most common two; the medical model and the social model.

The medical model is the “traditional” view of disability - that it is biologically determined and housed within the body. This gives a very individualistic view of disability, and policies that come from thinking about disability in this way often focus on “fixing” an individual person or alleviating disability in a medicalised manner.

The social model, by contrast, argues that disability begins at the barrier, rather than the person themselves, and further argues that society in general is structured in such a way that produces disability through its built environment and social attitudes, rather than disability being an inherent quality to the human body. When thinking of disability in this way, policies often focus on updating existing buildings and public infrastructure to be more accessible, or providing public-facing workers with training on how to interact with disabled people in a dignified and respectful manner (the efficacy of those training programs is a different matter entirely and often fall short of their intended goal, but generally speaking, the ideal “aim” of those programs is supposed to make society more accessible for more people).

A good example to contrast these models is: a person is unable to enter a building because the entrance is at the top of a set of stairs. The medical model would frame this problem as “the person cannot enter the building because they are disabled”; the social model would frame this problem as “the building is inaccessible and difficult to get into”. The first focuses on individual difference or physical “shortcomings”, while the latter focuses on the built environment being poorly designed for human movement.

As I mentioned, these aren’t the only two models of disability, and there are numerous critiques of both, which are too complex to get into here. Just know that they, too, are generally not mutually exclusive either - most policies around disability are a heavy blend of the two, in addition to other, newer models.

Where does the disability analogue come from in canon?

I have been searching the wiki looking for any canonical sources on the argument that children suffer from a lack of Force-sensitive training. So far, the most explicit one I’ve been able to find is from Star Wars: Wild Space, which is a fan-favourite Legends novel. The relevant quote is from Obi-Wan, who is speaking to Bail Organa:

Believe me, Senator, there is more suffering experienced by those Force-sensitives denied Jedi training than any Padawan you might meet.

The newer Canon sources that I can find are a more vague version of this: that children denied Jedi training are uniquely susceptible to being recruited by Sith, falling to the Dark Side, or generally expressing their Force abilities in harmful ways. This was especially relevant in The Clone Wars, where Jedi emphasised the need to recruit Force-sensitive children in order to keep them away from the Sith, which was addressed in the episode arc 2x01 to 2x03.

Note: We’ve also gotten directly contradictory information on this in The Mandalorian, where Ashoka says that training Grogu would be dangerous because it could lead him to the Dark Side. Given that Ahsoka has a unique perspective on the Jedi (partly because of Anakin), and because the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian frames Grogu leaving to go train with Luke Skywalker instead as a positive thing, I’m going to take this as an unreliable narrator situation on Ahsoka’s part - or at the very least, her claim is being contested to some degree within the canon of the show.

These two arguments (the explicit suffering argument from Legends and the Dark Side susceptibility argument from Canon) seem to have synthesized somewhat in fandom discourse. And while a fairly niche and dated Legends book doesn’t have much bearing on mainstream Canon, I’m going to treat it as a valid argument precisely because of its continued prevalence in fandom. I think it is also a logical conclusion to draw even if you are just working from the Dark Side susceptibility argument - at best, children will suffer no ill consequences and have their abilities fade; or they could lash out in negative ways with their Force abilities in times of distress or anger; or they could suffer personally because they have trouble managing or controlling their powers, especially more intense abilities like psychometry (the ability to sense memories and history from an object by touching it); or at worst, could be recruited by Sith and trained as such. The Jedi Order clearly takes the stance that these risks are concerning and prevalent enough that they need to keep track of and recruit as many Force-sensitive children as possible, which seems to bear out in the canon.

Force-sensitivity as an analogue to disability

So by now, hopefully you can see some of the similarities between the Force-sensitivity models I outlined above and the common ways in which people think about disability - there is a biological, individual way of thinking, and there is a social, collectivistic way of thinking. As I said up top, the arguments people in the fandom often use when discussing whether or not it’s acceptable for Jedi to take children from their families represents this similarity - again, it is argued, children will suffer if they are not trained in the ways of the Force, and not allowing them to have access to that training is disabling for them.

What this means is that the society in the Star Wars universe “in general” is not set up to allow for Force-sensitive children to manage their Force abilities, and as a consequence they can become marginalised and deal with a host of social, mental, and emotional problems. The Jedi Order is an “accessible” alternative to that - a place in society where Force-sensitivity is not only allowed but actively nurtured and catered to. The social and physical barriers relating to Force-sensitivity in society are removed, and children can flourish (ie no longer “disabled” in relation to their Force-sensitivity). Their disability therefore is contingent upon their social and environmental circumstances, rather than any biological or innate characteristic of their body.

Thinking back to the biological model of Force-sensitivity I talked about earlier, that model focuses more on the specific qualities of individual children and adults when discussing Force-sensitivity; remember again the Imperials subscribe to this model in The Mandalorian, because they believe Force-sensitivity is a matter of blood rather than connection or social circumstance. I think the relational model makes up for that discrepancy, and it is definitely the model the Order subscribes to when we’re talking about how they deal with Force-sensitive children - they don’t give them blood transfusions or try to physically alter their bodies, they take them to a place that is enabling and allows their Force-sensitivity to mature and grow. They also don’t try to “produce” more Jedi through medical experiments, either. 

Problems with this comparison

There are some major issues with talking about Force-sensitivity in these terms. First is the most obvious one - not caring for disabled people in society absolutely does not make them susceptible to becoming violent or evil in any capacity. In fact, they are often the victims of violence at the hands of friends, family, social workers, landlords, and the police because of this lack of care. The real negative outcome to not caring for disabled people is suffering, trauma, and an overall worse and more punishing society. I think this is especially important to remember as disabled people are often cast as dangerous, malicious, or harmful people to be avoided, so I want to make it crystal clear that if you are making a comparison of disability with something as goofy and inconsequential as Star Wars, you NEED to keep in mind what the implications of this comparison are.

Additionally, children being relinquished or taken by the state from their families has a long history in countries like Canada (and I’m assuming in other countries as well, but I’m not familiar with those histories), something that is obviously highly traumatic for the child, and the “alternative” group homes, medical institutions and/or hospitals they are raised in were (& still are) absolutely not a nurturing or enabling environment for them. And even they were, it is still not an ethical or adequate solution to a deeply inaccessible and ableist society. Me comparing the two is not an endorsement of this practice whatsoever, because it is morally abhorrent.

Framing it this way can also lead to the implication that offering care to people with disabilities (Force-sensitive people in SW) is only rational/justified when said disabled people can be of benefit to the state (the Order/the Republic in SW) that is offering them help, which is something I also want to make clear I’m not arguing for. That also has a real life parallel - state aid for disabled people is usually framed as temporary relief to get you back into the workforce as opposed to a basic right you should always have access to, and that aid can often be outright unavailable to you until you prove you “deserve” to have said aid in the first place.

I’m bringing all of these things up because I think they’re important to understand, especially if you find this comparison useful. Again, if you’re using this sort of disability-analogue language to talk about the Jedi taking Force-sensitive children from their families, be aware that there are real-life historical parallels to that practice with disabled people that are deeply vile and have eugenist undertones (or overtones, in a lot of cases). I’m not accusing anybody in this discussion of being ableist, just pointing out that it’s important not to throw real-life parallels around haphazardly when discussing media, even when the media actively encourages you to draw those comparisons, which I think is the case with this topic.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that while the Jedi Order might be an accessible alternative to Force-sensitive children that alleviates the suffering they would otherwise face in mainstream society, that doesn’t mean they don’t have other problems or cause harm in other ways. Anakin is a pretty good example of this - he had specific emotional needs that were not met by the Order, and he suffered greatly as a consequence (I’m not endorsing him becoming Vader or saying his fall was “because of” the Order, just that he very clearly had a lot of psychological and emotional needs that were being ignored or unmet). Ahsoka’s trial also highlights that the Order’s due process is susceptible to failure and false positives, and the punishment Jedi receive for being found guilty of specific crimes can also be deeply traumatising and harmful, such as being removed from the Order altogether - which, if you’re following along with the disability analogue, means that they are forcibly pushing Jedi back into an inaccessible society. Again, I’m not saying this is the case or that the Jedi are ableist, just that if you’re using this framework to think about Force-sensitivity, there are some pretty troubling implications that potentially go along with it that you cannot (and should not) ignore.

Conclusion

I think Force-sensitivity parallels with disability in a lot of interesting ways, both within Star Wars and within fandom when discussing Star Wars. This comparison often goes unstated during discussions of Force-sensitivity in the fandom, so this post has (hopefully) demonstrated that there are meaningful parallels both within the general discourse and the text of SW itself. Those parallels also have some pretty significant drawbacks that require just as much scrutiny; namely, the negative implications of comparing Force-sensitive people to disabled people, of which there are several.

I think that in general, it is almost impossible to not come across these negative implications and troubling comparisons when talking about a piece of media as expansive, historic, and deeply political as Star Wars, and it’s important to remember that while these parallels can shed interesting light on the topics and conflicts covered in Star Wars, they also come with historical and social baggage that must be addressed when drawing these comparisons. It isn’t limited to this specific topic either - warfare, genocide, statehood, slavery, free will, and a whole host of other complex and historically fraught conflicts are brought up in Star Wars in varying degrees, all of which have multiple and direct real-life parallels.

I also want to reiterate again that even if the text itself is making these real-world comparisons, that does not absolve anyone from the responsibility of understanding the implications of those comparisons (good or bad) when discussing it. A general audience can’t be expected to know the intimate history of every real-world analogue to every topic of course, but it’s important to listen to people who are knowledgeable on the topic and discuss the ways in which these comparisons can be problematic, troubling, bigoted, and/or inaccurate.

So I hope this post was insightful! As I’ve said, I think the comparison between disability and Force-sensitivity is already present to varying degrees in SW and its fandom (albeit informally and unconsciously most of the time), so talking about it in these explicit terms has hopefully been enlightening. I’ve tried my best with the knowledge and academic background I have to be as accurate, respectful and attentive as possible when discussing this topic, but I encourage anyone to correct me on something I’ve missed or gotten wrong.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

What do you think about rules against attachments in Jedi order and Anakin’s fall and redemption due to attachment, mostly, I suppose? His fall and redemption both seem to occur because he badly wants the people he loves to live and would do anything for that.

On Anakin Skywalker

I suppose what I’d say for the latter is it’s more Anakin’s driven by his attachment to those he loves. Yes, it plays a part in his downfall and in his redemption, but the point being that this never changed for him.

For example, in the films, once he knew Luke was alive Luke was always a priority to him. I don’t think it was so much a switch flipping at the end of the films where he suddenly realizes the err of his ways and sacrifices himself for Luke, more that this was the only option he had.

What do I mean?

Well, Vader’s first plan of action is to find Luke, recruit him to the dark side, and take him as an apprentice. We can infer the plan from there is to, with the help of Luke, murder the emperor and launch a coup.

This is Vader’s best plan to protect Luke. If Luke is left to his own devices, he will be found by Palpatine eventually, and that would be very very very bad. If Vader takes him under his wing directly, trains him how to be a Sith, then he is in a sense protecting him to the best of his ability.

Luke’s week of Jedi training in a swamp from a very reluctant Yoda and Obi-Wan isn’t going to cut it. And, well, it doesn’t. We get to the end of the last film where Luke has been captured and, in order to save his son, Anakin has to murder suicide.

Point being, Anakin is always, at every point in the series, driven by the love and attachment he has for others and how he can best protect them. Sometimes this leads to good actions, such as saving his son’s life and getting rid of the emperor (though now that I think about it, even if it is Palpatine, I’m not sure I can call murder suicide a good thing...) Sometimes it leads to terrible actions such as the murder of all the Jedi children, launching a coup of the republic, and then hunting Jedi rebels down for years.

Anakin doesn’t particularly care which (well, he does, but he’ll go and do it anyway).

On the Jedi

It feels really weird for me to remark on significant cultural aspects of the Jedi. I mean, yes, we clearly see the negative consequences of this on Anakin and the practice of taking tithes in the form of Force Sensitive babies isn’t good but... it is a culture. 

It’d be like my questioning why, oh I don’t know, monks in the real world are celibate and then telling them they shouldn’t be because it doesn’t fit my own cultural values. They usually have deep, cultural, reasons for being the way they are and my saying “conform to my superior culture!” feels... not good.

Right, so that out of the way, why do I think the Jedi are like this?

Well, they tell us early in in the prequels.

The Jedi walk a fine line between the light and dark side and their entire code seems to have evolved in such a way as to keep people as far from the dark side as possible. Now, does this actually work? Who knows? The majority of Jedi don’t seem to fall to the dark side, though you do get some who leave due to breaking or disagreeing with the code in some manner or another.

Point being, they’ve looked at those who have fallen in the past, and gathered some common factors. Fear, anger, rage, hatred, and often stemming from a powerful catalyst such as attachment to others. In the case of Anakin, this of course makes things worse as it means he has these very strong attachments that he then hides from the Order and snowballs into... well... what it snowballs into.

And I imagine there have been others like Anakin, though I imagine a good number of them simply leave the Jedi Order altogether, as Anakin might have done had a war not gotten in the way.

An Order with a different view on attachment might not have seen the loss of Anakin, certainly an Order with less hubris might have been able to save itself from Palpatine (maybe, that guy is one clever dude), but that’s going off into a very AU land that’s very hard for me to imagine.

[webswingers]

welcome to avengers campus, isn’t it nice to be back, PETER PARKER ?  it’s been so long since i’ve seen you being a typical TWENTY-TWO year old INTERN AT OSCORP, the image of TOM HOLLAND against the retroreflective panels of headquarter buildings.  feels like forever since i’ve seen you hanging around PIZZA PLANET. i don’t blame you, though;  it fits your vibes perfectly given everyone associates you with BATTERED CONVERSE, INK SMUDGES, HALF EATEN TAKE-OUT.

death mention tw

...... hey, have you seen the news reports lately …?  i heard you’ve been getting visions from MARVEL beginning to return, waking up from dreams of J. JONAH JAMESON REVEALING HIS SECRET IDENTITY.  must be something in the water …  say, did you always have A LEGO ANAKIN SKYWALKER on hand ?  i’ve never seen you leave home without it.

BASICS:

birth name: peter benjamin parker

alias: friendly neighbourhood spiderman, pete, kid, queens, etc.

species: mutate: superhuman abilities/powers stemming from a bite from a radioactive spider

date of birth: august 10

sexuality: bisexual 

gender and pronouns: cismale, he/him

occupation: intern at oscorp industries 

CANON: 

“canon” timeline wise, peter’s taken from the mcu so everything on this wiki are the specifics if you wanted to know in depth, but long story short:

super secret superhero living with his aunt in queens (until the Reveal), only the four people closest to him know about this; Ned, May, MJ, and Happy

lived a relatively normal ‘teenage’ life when he wasn’t a vigilante: a little bit of a loser, friend-group of one (his guy in the chair) for the majority, had crushes, got good grades, just tried his best to make his aunt and tony stark proud after the death of his mother, father, and uncle.

joined the avengers to help iron man, got a little bit out of his depth but stark helped him become a better supe, he’s a lot better but he’s still learning.

the death of his mentor and third father figure heavily influenced his behaviours and added to his constant need to keep the people he loves safe, but somehow never manages to do so and it keeps him up at night.

trusts men too easily still for some reason??

everything that has occurred in peter’s arc in the mcu timeline to this point is all canon for him, he obviously is just slowly remembering it.

EARTH 200000:

for peter’s alternative timeline, i wanted to incorporate more of who he is in some of his comic arcs, in some of the cartoon tv shows, too, but primarily his personality/some relationships are inspired by the ps4 spiderman game.  i realise this can get a little confusing given all the different characters and plot lines, so if you’re confused at all please feel free to message me and we can talk about it ! i wanted to incorporate his canon relationships with people outside of what they’ve introduced in the mcu for peter, but this will be something that needs to be plotted out, so pls lmk if you wanna do so ! here are the basics:

still a super secret superhero living a few floors above aunt may, so he can still see her whenever but he has some adult privacy.

slightly older than the spidey on screen currently, is an intern at oscorp industries and admires what they do there (this is not his first internship rodeo, but he gets paid a lot better at oscorp)

still has a relatively small friendship group, peter will never be mr popular but he’s absolutely okay with that.

wants to help people constantly; other than his spidey work, he volunteers with his aunt at F.E.A.S.T and works with the people staying there so he can learn how to help the people who don’t get helped.

big believer in justice, probably rants a lot to his friends and co-workers when he’s in That Kinda Mood, but ultimately keeps to himself and stays in his lane (unless he feels he needs to intervene)

he is a lot more confident as spidey than he is as peter, so his personality shifts slightly depending on what he’s wearing

has been known to sell some of his photography when he’s a little low on rent 

just a big nerd who luvs his aunt < 3 

inspirations for earth 200000:

ultimate spider-man (tv), spider-man (2017, tv), spidermen (comic), mcu spidey, the spiderman ps4 game-- these are just inspirations for his personality and interests, but if there are particular plots you’d want to write out from these i’m more than happy to plot that out !

[emperorsfoot]

For the character/fandom ask meme, motu or spop? :3

How about MotU and SPOP! 

Masters of the Universe 

The character I first fell in love with: Keldor. I have a soft spot for long dark hair and unresolved emotional issues stemming from childhood trauma and an unavailable father figure. I do consider Keldor and Skeletor two separate characters, in the same way that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are sometimes thought of as two separate characters, but my love for Keldor has also extended into a love for Skeletor as well. 

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Basically all of them really. I don’t think there’s a single character I dislike. There are some I love more than others, but none that I ever expected to dislike. 

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: I do not love Orko. I don’t dislike him either, I just don’t love him. But the vast majority of the fandom (the fandom is, like, 10 people) all seem to love him. He’s alright. He just doesn’t do it for me. Wrong kind of angst. I like characters with baggage that goes with mine. 

The character I love that everyone else hates: I’m not sure the MotU fandom really “hates” any of the MotU characters. We’re just too small a group to form sweeping fandom opinions. 

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: King Miro. Since my own dad was (for the most part) MIA during my formative years, I tend to gravitate to father-figure characters that their kids love and have positive experiences with. In the Filmation series, Randor loves his father, has only good things to say about him, and in the episode where King Miro returns from being “lost” Randor is ready to give up his crown and abdicate to give the throne back to Miro. I was all like, “is this my new emotional support fictional dad?” But then I got deeper into the fandom and read some of the comics and spent some time on the wiki studying the deeper lores and I realized... Miro is actually pretty terrible. He’s no different than my IRL dad. Miro is not worthy of my love. 

The character I would totally smooch:

Keldor

Evil-Lyn

Beastman

Randor

The Faceless One

The character I’d want to be like: Man-at-Arms | Duncan. He’s so in-control and always knows what's going on around him. He’s a natural born leader and very charismatic. People like him, and people in high places of power trust him. I wish I was him. 

The character I’d slap: All of them at one point or another for various reasons. But, I guess the one I wanna slap the most would be the Sorceress. For lying to her daughter and going out of her way to lie to her daughter and keep things from her that she not only needs to know, but is going to need time to adjust to once she does learn them 

A pairing that I love:

Evil-Lyn/Keldor

Evil-Lyn/Keldor/Beastman

Keldor/Kronis

Skeletor/Hordak

Skeletor/King Hiss

A pairing that I don’t:

Skeletor/He-Man

What is wrong if you people? THAT’S HIS NEPHEW! AND THERE’S A 20+ YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM! I HATE YOU ALL! 

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

The character I first fell in love with: In season 1, Entrapta. Immediately. She meets Adora and the first thing Entrapta tries to do it perform a vivisection. Queen shit, right there. Later I fell in love with Hordak. 

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: The Horde Trio; Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio. 

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Catra. 

The character I love that everyone else hates: Swift Wind. I don’t know what he did to earn so much scorn in the fandom. I think he’s hilarious! <3 Way more entertaining than the 80s Swift Wind. 100% a glow-up. 10/10

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Mermista. I really liked her during my initial watch through. But the more I re-watch the series the more I notice how bad her communication skills are. She sends mixed messages and then gets angry when people don’t understand her. What used to read as a dead-pan frustration that I could empathize with now reads to me as her acting like things aren’t “good enough” for her. And I really don’t like how she calls Entrapta “Geek Princess” instead of her fucking name! Even Perfuma (who puts Entrapta on a leash!) still calls her by her name! 

The character I would totally smooch: 

Entrapta

Hordak

Lonnie

Micah

The character I’d want to be like: Lonnie. She comes off as a little abrasive at first. But she’s also a natural leader who cares deeply for her friends and isn’t intimidated by her superiors. She tells Catra to her face when she’s being unreasonable and I wish I had that kind of backbone. 

The character I’d slap: Catra. But I’d also prefer to just not have to interact with her at all. 

A pairing that I love:

Entrapdak

Glitterdora

Bow Hawk

Scodora? Adorpia? Scorpia/Adora 

A pairing that I don’t:

C//A

[ariainstars]

Reylo is Canon... It Isn’t the Plot

All right, before some of you will want to kill me: I have no doubts that Ben and Rey are meant to be together.

But I am also positive that Episode IX will not be a romantic love story.

I cannot say it often enough: despite the parallels, Star Wars is not Pride and Prejudice. Kylo Ren will not prostrate himself at Rey’s feet saying how sorry he is and asking her to tell him what he is supposed to do now and how she wants him to be.

The title says it: Pride and Prejudice is about a couple. His fault is the pride, hers is the prejudice. Elizabeth had judged Darcy quickly, believing everything George Wickham told her although she hardly knew him. Darcy had to tell her his own version of Wickham’s account in writing before she understood that there was more to it than she thought, and she felt ashamed immediately.

 “How despicably have I acted!” she cried. “I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! Who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. How humiliating is this discovery! - Yet, how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. - Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself.” (Chapter 36.)

This is a major plot point; Pride and Prejudice is not a Cinderella story where a guy wants a girl who is socially below him, but first must overcome his arrogance to realize that she’s the right one for him. Elizabeth, in her own way, is as flawed as Darcy is.

Please read Jane Austen’s novel again if you don’t believe me. I love the book but it hurts me to see it so often misunderstood. The author’s intentions are clear: man and woman both need to grow and mature one through the other. As for me personally, I see nothing romantic in a guy crawling before a girl asking her to permit him to become her sugar daddy, pardon my blunt words.

So, even if we would assume Ben and Rey are like Darcy and Elizabeth, we would have no situation where the woman is morally high above the guy. Man and woman are equally right and wrong in both stories.

I agree with many fans that Ben and Rey need to finish what Padmé and Anakin had started. However, “Reverse Anidala” does not quite hit the nail on the head. One couple was doomed from the start, whereas the other two will have a future; but Rey cannot save Ben from himself. Padmé tried to do the same with Anakin and it ended in disaster - not through any fault of her own but because it is not a woman’s task to redeem a guy. Anakin obsessed about her to the point that it drove him to madness and ultimately caused his descent to hell. No woman ever ought to be loved to the point that a guy will do anything out of fear of losing her. Apart from that, Padmé did not know Anakin’s intentions, and if she had, she never would have wanted what he did.

What was Padmés and Anakin’s tragedy? They knew and loved one another since childhood, they had a romance, they got married and wanted to have children; they loved one another beyond death.

But:

1) Padmé did not have the Force; thus, she never understood the conflict in her husband’s heart, but it also never tempted her to do evil. Rey and Ben have a telepathic bond through the Force, both know well how each other’s minds work. But Rey needs to know the temptation of the Force in order to understand that she judged Ben although she never was in his shoes.

2) We hardly see Padmés own parents (so I assume they play no major role in her life), and Anakin loses his mother at age nine: both of them ardently wish for a family. Padmé had relinquished her mandate as queen of Naboo because she wanted to get married and have children of her own. Anakin declared the happiest day of his life when his wife told him she was pregnant. Their tragedy was that their children were born, but that they could not be parents, never actually have the family they desired.

The Skywalker family was meant to bring balance to the Force, and there can only be balance once the family wounds are finally healed. The last scion of the Skywalkers needs a family of his own, a happy and united one.

Ben needs to be redeemed; Anakin had cursed himself killing the Jedi padawans, and the last person we saw in Episode VIII was a Force-sensitive child. That is why I am positive that they are his redemption, not Rey.

Rey’s role is not to be Ben’s savior but to be the mother to these children who, like her, were abandoned. That is what’s important about her provenience, not that she might be a Skywalker or Kenobi or whatever else.

Ben is not meant to become Rey’s pet on a leash but the Good Father opposite to Darth Vader, the Dark, the evil Father. Ben is the last scion of the Skywalkers and the protagonist always becomes the central figure, finally choosing his own fate, only in the third installment of each trilogy. Essentially this is his story, not Rey’s. Adam Driver has Vader’s stature but his features are the opposite of Vader’s creepy mask. If you watch a few other movies with him, you quickly realize that he very often deals with children, and that he does it well. And there has never been a Star Wars film or series without a father figure until now. Who else is it supposed to be? I hope not Palpatine. 😉

Conclusion: we are not following a romantic couple here but a future mother and father. If Ben and Rey “only” declare undying love for one another, not much will be won. There is a lot more at stake here than romance. The strong chemistry between the protagonists is not leading to some passionate scenes with the lovers saving the galaxy through their devotion for one another; honestly, I am not even sure that Rey is requiting Ben’s feelings yet. They are almost strangers and politically arch-enemies, the exact opposite of Padmé and Anakin. Two actors with an intense sensual aura were necessary to make the bond between them palpable, although in the story’s context it stems from the Force.

I know I am speculating. But the saga’s themes are clear, and I have studied them for almost two years now. I would be very surprised if things went differently after everything that has happened in the saga before. You don’t need leaks to see where things are going, all you have to do is listen.

I am 99 % sure that Ben and Rey will be together and happy in the end. But I am also quite sure that they will have much more than that - a purpose, most probably taking care of children who were trapped and alone the way they were, each in his own way.

Remember how The Last Jedi gave Reylo’s so much more than they hoped for? The Rise of Skywalker will do the same.

In any case, I have my fingers crossed. 😉

P.S. I had already written about this at length some time ago, in case somebody is interested in more details: Homecoming of the Children

[twilightofthe]

for the OTP au post, Coffeeshop au! Herasoka pwease :3

Ooooh this’ll be a new ship for me, I hope you like what I did with it!

(OTP prompts list found here)

Herasoka 1 - Coffee shop AU: Who is the barista, and who frequents the coffee shop?

Hera did not know that she was such a sucker for pain before she decided that maybe an intensive college major wasn’t enough, no, aerospace engineering was just a little too easy for her.

No, she needed to get a job at Starbucks too to prove to her dad that she knew how to be independent.  She’d rather get a job at the local mechanic shop, honestly, but they aren’t hiring and to be honest, she doesn’t like the way one of the guys working there looks at her.

So churning out too much caffeine to already over-caffeinated fellow college students at the heart of campus is where she’s at instead.  When the boss decides to make the switch to 24/7 service, Hera must still be braindead after her last exam because she decides that you know what?  Agreeing to take the midnight shift for a miniscule payraise is a great idea!  Yeah!

Cue her frantically studying for her next quiz module under the counter at two A.M., the only person currently in the store because she’s the manager and she had to send her only other employee home and it is dead fucking empty in this store.

She’s trying to memorize theorems, she really is, but the next thing she knows her face is smushed into the sticky counter and someone is tapping her on the shoulder and she’s jerking awake to face one of the prettiest women she’s ever seen, dark skin and bright blue eyes and a curiously concerned smile.

The woman’s lips are moving and Hera’s realizing that the woman is asking if she’s okay and Hera’s stammering to say that she is fine, she is also so sorry, would she like a free pastry item (please don’t report me and get me fired).

The girl laughs and holds up her hands and says it’s quite alright, that it’s frankly ridiculous that they’re making kids Hera’s age stay up all night for the sake of capitalism.

Hera’s eyes narrow because this chick can’t be that much older than Hera herself and says so.  

The woman laughs, scolds her about not asking a lady’s age, and while Hera feels her face heat, the woman reveals her age and hah, yep, only three years more than Hera is.

Hera tells her this too, and the woman laughs again.  Hera’s sleep addled brain really likes her laugh.  Since her sleep-deprived snark seems to be getting her somewhere, she adds in that if she’s so sympathetic to the sleep-deprived prisoners of capitalism, why is she here at ass o’clock in the morning?

The woman’s eyes glitter and says that if it’s open, she might as well stop by.

Hera agrees without really thinking much of it because this woman is pretty and Hera is Weak.

She remembers she has a job to do and asks the woman her name for her order and gets “Fulcrum” as a response.  Hera can’t help but snort.

Like the earthquake centerpoint?

The woman laughs again when Hera asks-- yes, good --and asks if Hera’s a STEM major.  Hera agrees, mentions aerospace, and “Fulcrum”’s eyes light up, says one of her best friends is a grad student who TAs for the undergrad classes in the engineering school.

Hera narrows her eyes and asks who.  Something about “Fulcrum’s” personality rings familiar

Fulcrum confirms it by stating the name of Anakin Skywalker, Hera’s hectic TA who stands on the desk, throws overly complicated paper airplanes at students, has atrocious handwriting and whose unique way of explaining the prof’s complicated jargon honestly saved Hera’s midterm grade.  She tells Fulcrum this and smoothly uses her thankfulness to her friend as an excuse to offer to pay for the woman’s drink in.

Fulcrum denies her, making Hera damn near melt by adding that her friend never told her his students were so sweet.

Hera needs to cool down by agreeing to make Fulcrum’s iced drink.  As she punches her name into the system, she hesitates, and maybe her sleep-deprived brain is what prompts her to do it but she asks if that’s Fulcrum’s real name-- because it’s really cool if it is.

Fulcrum laughs and says that no, her real name is Ahsoka, but since baristas literally never get that right, she comes up with something else.  Hera challenges her, let her try and spell it right on the first time.  

The woman arcs a brow.  And what does the winner of this bet get?

Hera has no filter right now so she goes for it: winner’s choice.

Ahsoka agrees, and Hera thinks long and hard, sounding it out in her head, thinking on how most people would try and spell it and what might make it different enough to stump all the baristas before her.

Eventually, she gets it, feels Ahsoka’s eyes on her while she makes her her Pink Drink, and eventually plops it in front of her with the name Asokah attached to it.

The woman stares at the drink for a moment and breaks out into a smile, and for a moment, Hera thinks she’s won.

But then she is informed that nope, Hera spelled it wrong, though nice job remembering the “h”.  It’s actually missing the “h” after the first “A” and the digits of Hera’s phone number aren’t there either.

Hera jerks her head up at this, stunned, and Ahsoka is smiling almost shyly, asking that if Hera was interested, she’d like to--

Yes, Hera interrupts, fumbling in her apron for a Sharpie so she can snatch the cup back, scribble out the “h” and put it in the right spot, and then jot down her number below with her name next to it.  She hands it back to Ahsoka.

“Text me” she says.

Ahsoka reads the name out loud and smiles, asks, like the goddess?

Hera’s gotten that a million times before, but this is one of the first times hearing it makes her feel like one.  She awkwardly confirms yeah, like the goddess.

Ahsoka nods, heads for the door and yells over her shoulder that she will text.

Hera’s heart flutters as Ahsoka calls out, “Goodbye, Your Majesty!”

Maybe the night shift isn’t so bad after all...

[spclljar]

𝐋 𝐎 𝐀 𝐃 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 . . . anakin skywalker selected .

basic arcadia info .

—  childhood .

born to shmi skywalker and an unknown father , anakin had lost his both parents before the age of twelve . his father , having died just shy of anakin’s second birthday had been glossed over up until anakin’s mother’s death . before this , anakin’s life was quite normal -- he was gifted in math and sciences having spent most of his childhood building small robots and inventions . the summer before his thirteenth birthday was tragic , after losing his mother in a car accident on the way to his air cadet graduation . anakin held his mother as she passed , having been in the backseat of the vehicle . from then , anakin was placed into the foster care system , feeling isolated . it was during these years after his mother’s death where anakin struggled heavily with his anger . 

—  past history .

at 17 , anakin married his then-girlfriend padme amidala after finding out she was pregnant . anakin was thrilled over it , having spent the majority of his life completely smitten for the woman . though with no financial security , the couple were forced to place their twins , luke and leia up for adoption . a decision that anakin resented , having experienced the foster care / adoption system first hand and feeling like a failure for being unable to properly provide for his family . this choice placed a large amount of tension on the pair with anakin feeling as though he was the only one who truly cared for the outcome . padme and anakin ended up separating . 

— powers .

anakin has only a slight connection to the force , though it does affect his emotions frequently . he often feels connections to people that he has no explanation for .

— currently .

anakin is currently an engineer , though he spends his spare time making small robotic inventions . both him and padme are attempting to work on things though anakin is still struggling .

basic aesthetic info .  

— appearance .

anakin stands 6′1 , he has medium length brownish-blond hair . he has a scar tracing down the side of his eye , believing it to have been from the car accident  which also claimed his right hand . he often dresses in all black outfits to match the robotic hand’s glove , attempting to draw attention away from it , it is a constant reminder along with his scar of things he blames himself for . though separated , anakin still sports his wedding band . 

— personality .

he’s best described as fiery . anakin is very charming , a little bit egotistic & does not mesh well with positions of power . anakin is extremely jealous and has a very short temper , he does not handle competition when especially when it’s for padme’s affection . there is an emotional side to anakin that is pure . his aggression and resentment stems from his own personal struggles but on the side remains a scared little boy who truly just wishes his mother could be here . although he is prone to tantrums , anakin would never harm anyone he loved and has made it his duty to protect them above all else . 

[journodale]

Why I’m mad about the Rise of Skywalker

My first reaction to The Rise of Skywalker – once I got past the litany of eyerolls and “oh, come on!” reactions while I was watching it – was just how mad I was about it. It’s not a deep-abiding rage, mind you, and much of my anger is a form of disappointment, but some of it is just about how petty and spiteful aspects of the film seemed to be in response to things that happened in The Last Jedi. (Spoilers, and occasional salty language, about herein).

My biggest and first complaint is that JJ Abrams and his co-writer, Chris Terrio, turned Rey into Ken the Jedi Prince. Ken. The. Fucking. Jedi. Prince. For those of you who are unaware, these stemmed from a series of largely shite (but occasionally charmingly shite) young adult novels in the early 1990s, as the franchise was experiencing its first major revival with the publication of Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. Several of those books revolved around the discovery of a Jedi “prince” named Ken, who started to follow Luke Skywalker around until he discovered that he was indeed Palpatine’s grandson (the books had a whole story arc about his father, Palpatine’s son, being a three-eyed mutant), though these storylines and characters conveniently disappeared from the old expanded universe and were never spoken of again. Around the same time, Dark Horse Comics also published Dark Empire, many of the plot points therein were also lifted liberally by Abrams and Terrio – specifically that Palpatine has resurrected himself by use of clone bodies and mysterious dark side powers – the film simply called the planet Exogol rather than Byss, but the broad strokes are the same, including that Palpatine was eventually trying to move his essence into a new body (in this case it was Leia’s unborn third child rather than Rey). These comics touched off a whole litany of spin-offs wherein the nature of the Force and the conflict between the Jedi and Sith descended to increasingly cartoonish depths, and yet here they are, reviving themselves, because of the need to give Rey a bloodline.

In an interview with Terrio in The Hollywood Reporter, Terrio stated that they chose to make Rey a Palpatine because it was the “worst news she could receive,” and then handwaved a bunch of bullshit about “dark side royalty” and how she was choosing her own family over her ancestry. The problem is that this makes no sense, either from a story perspective, or from the broader continuity of the Star Wars universe. Terrio insisted that the original films established that the Force ran along family lines because of Luke Skywalker’s line to Leia in Return of the Jedi about how the Force was strong in their family – discounting that this was Luke’s awkwardly trying to tell a woman who made out with him six months before that she was actually his long-lost twin sister, or the fact that the whole existence of the Jedi Order and their prohibitions against marriage and children precluded there being Force-wielding dynasties out there. Rian Johnson in Last Jedi to make the significant revelation that Rey was the children of junk traders and nobodies was not only “democratizing” the Force – that one didn’t need famous parents to feel the Force – but also to being a hero. Terrio insisted that they weren’t slighting Johnson – and that could be the case. They instead were taking the laziest course to telling the story of the film.

Absolutely nothing in the story demanded that Rey be of Palpatine’s bloodline – if they insisted on bringing back Palpatine (another lazy choice, but more on that later), he could simply have demanded that Kylo Ren find her because she was simply a powerful Force user, whom the Force seemed to manifest in her as a response to the rising darkness (which would seem to have been the whole promise of The Force Awakens’ title). They wouldn’t have needed to invent a son for Palpatine (and then handwave away the fact that he apparently didn’t have Force powers despite their insistence on strong Force lineages, or if he did, how he managed to avoid being groomed as his father’s new apprentice and heir, and how he wasn’t the subject of a war of succession to the throne upon Palpatine’s death), and they would have maintained the notion that the Force belongs to everyone – not the Jedi, not the Sith, and certainly not to famous bloodlines (as Johnson made explicitly clear in Last Jedi). But no – giving Rey a bloodline was about fan service, and the constant need by certain fans that she be related to somebody important (never mind that all of the theories they put forward would not have worked out in terms of ages and timelines).

Another example of Abrams and Terrio totally not thumbing their noses at Johnson was the complete abandonment of the core theme of Last Jedi – that it’s people and relationships that matter, not things. What Abrams and Terrio replaced it with was about turning objects into fetish items – lightsabers in particular. The fact that they insisted on Rey having rebuilt Anakin/Luke’s lightsaber – recreating it exactly rather than turning it into something new – or having Rey build her own lightsaber before the film opened, coupled with the fact that they also introduced Leia’s lightsaber to imbue it with special meaning, as though it was the fact that it was these two lightsabers in particular that imbued Rey with particular symbolic meaning for the final fight was a complete abrogation of Johnson’s message. Lightsabers are not Excalibur – they are not magic swords bestowed upon Jedi by women in lakes. That said, Abrams is pathologically incapable of writing screenplays that don’t have MacGuffins (though the Sith Wayfinders were themselves also MacGuffins, and the dagger another one – even though its appearance and history made absolutely no sense), so this is more of his particularly lazy writing. As an aside, the whole Wayfinder MacGuffin is itself partially lifted from the Jedi Prince series, where the Imperial warlords were looking for the Glove of Darth Vader and found it in pieces of the second Death Star…on a water planet. I’m not even kidding.

The redemption of Kylo Ren didn’t make any sense. Terrio tried to handwave some Joseph Campbell bullshit about how great myths required atonement with the father figure and the great sin of patricide, but Ren’s actual rejection of the dark side was completely nonsensical – particularly because of how they used the device of Leia going into some kind of meditative state that eventually led to her death, as though it was her mystical intervention and self-sacrifice that somehow drove it out of him, as though the dark side was some kind of demonic possession. It also didn’t make sense how Rey decided to heal Ren immediately after she struck him with a lethal blow with her lightsaber – which they played as an act of mercy – and it was Terrio’s contention that it was what allowed Ren to let the light in and see his father again (which was a memory and not a ghost, because how else were they going to get Harrison Ford wedged into the film for fan service). There’s no logic to any of that. Both Force Awakens and Revenge of the Sith showed that going to the dark side was a choice – Ren chose to kill his father because he thought that was what would allow him to bury his past. After a career of mass murder and raping the minds of his interrogation victims, he’s going to suddenly turn it all back because he got stuck by a lightsaber and healed? Really? I’m not buying it. (Incidentally, the fact that Ren’s body dissolved in the end also makes no sense either – Kenobi, Yoda, and Skywalker’s corporeal dissolution had to do with the powers that Qui-Gon Jinn learned to unlock to maintain his presence in the Force after death, which he later showed Yoda how to do in The Clone Wars series and in Revenge of the Sith. I can see Luke having taught Leia the powers, but Ben/Kylo Ren before his training had been completed? I have a hard time with that).

Yet another of Abrams and Terrio’s lazy choices was the need to bring in a Big Bad™ in the form of Palpatine rather than engaging with another of the significant aspects of the Last Jedi’s themes, which was about the banality of evil. The whole point of the casino sequence that fanboys like to deride is that it showed Finn the evil of indifference of those who profit from war, while the underlying theme of the rise of the First Order in the films had to do with people being nostalgic for fascism – sure, a lot of people got trampled underfoot but at least the trains ran on time and we were “safe” with stormtroopers on every corner. It made the film as relevant to the 2010s as George Lucas did with commenting about Nixon and Vietnam in the original trilogy, or his construction of a trilogy of films about political violence and the rise of authoritarian populism with the prequels. Killing Palpatine does nothing about these bigger, underlying societal problems that the Resistance has to confront. Remember in Last Jedi where Poe talks about being the spark that will light the flame that will burn the First Order to the ground? Well, that’s all evaporated with the revelation that hey, it was Palpatine pulling the strings all along. Nothing to confront here, people, let’s just kill the Big Bad™ and go home. Again, it’s cheap, it’s lazy, and it’s fan service.

I have a big problem with the way Abrams and Terrio treated the Finn/Poe relationship, which all of the actors were pushing for. Abrams, in several interviews, dismissed this as the fact that they have a bond that’s “stronger” because they’ve been through the fire together, or some bullshit like that, then assured fans that they would get their LGBT representation because it’s important to show queer fans that they too belong in the Star Wars universe. That “representation” – the fact that a tertiary character from Last Jedi shares a same-sex kiss with another woman (whom the materials accompanying the film identify as her wife) – is brief, in the background, and was easily sliced out of the film for foreign distribution. And yet, Abrams expects plaudits for his “representation,” while also trying to reinforce Finn and Poe’s hetero credentials with the ambiguity of what Finn planned to declare to Rey as they were sinking in the quicksand, and with Poe’s awkward flirting with Zorii Bliss (and we did learn in the subsequent materials that the pair’s previous “emotionally complicated” relationship was when they were teenagers). Abrams later said that a kiss between Finn and Poe would be “heavy handed” – erm, you know, like the fact that he had Rey kiss Ren, the man who chased her, tortured her, tried to rape her mind, killed her friends, and was a mass-murderer. Yeah, he’s a dark, broody soul who just needs the love of a good woman to complete his redemption story (and I’m sure that the Internet is replete with all kinds of fanfic about how her magic vagina cures Ren’s manpain). That’s totally not heavy-handed, heteronormative fan-service in the slightest. There was actual ground that could be made where Finn and Poe were gay male leads in one of the biggest blockbuster franchises on the planet – something that has never been done before. It would have been ground breaking, keeping entirely with the story that had been established, and would have actually been worthy of applause.

The diminution of Rose Tico’s role is also bullshit, and Terrio’s assurances that they filmed more good stuff with her that just wound up on the cutting room floor also doesn’t pass the smell test. Terrio asserted that it was great how she rose from being a lowly mechanic to being one of Leia’s right-hand advisors – which conveniently had very little screen time. There was an opportunity to have her included with the group aboard the Millennium Falcon on its spy mission right at the very beginning of the film, rather than the insertion of the puppet creature Klaud, so as to show that Rose was an integral part of “Leia’s best agents” entrusted with getting the valuable intelligence from their spy in the First Order, but no, that would be a little too obvious. What is left is essential proof that they have caved to the loud and obnoxious fanboys who objected to her presence in “their” films.

There’s a lot of other nitpicking I could do – whether it’s Abram’s inability to grasp how hyperspace works, the fact that the celebration scenes at the end don’t make any sense with the exception of going down the fan service checklist, or the fact that the closing scene contained so much cheese that I’m surprised the Supply Management marketing boards didn’t file a trade complaint and impose 300 percent tariffs on it. The pace of the film was so frenetic that any scene that could have been poignant or moving was lost in the bang-bang-bang editing. Overall, however, I’m just incredibly disappointed in the lazy writing and fan service that pretends it’s being clever.

This was not the film we deserved. This was a film that rewarded the legions of fanboys who complained that films with strong female characters who don’t wind up in bed with a man at the end were a “feminist agenda;” that films that didn’t pander to the very straight white male entitlement to a particular fandom were the works of “social justice warriors” that hate their own fans; that films that don’t recreate the wonder they felt when they were twelve years old – which is an impossibility – are somehow raping their childhoods. The CBC’s Eli Glasner called it “cinematic comfort food,” but it’s more insidious than that – it’s a repudiation of attempts to grow the franchise beyond just a nostalgia cult, as it increasingly morphs itself into (and by cult, there is now a legion of online “truthers” who trade conspiracy theories about how the films have been hijacked by executives with agendas). And because it will rake in billions of dollars, it will assure the people with the purse strings that this is what the market needs more of. My hope for the franchise is moving toward vehicles like The Mandalorian, and the other forthcoming live-action series on Disney+, because the lessons for blockbusters are apparently to be hollow facsimiles of what came before.

[oswednesday]

okay i guess characterization,

 i wish rey had more time to develop like a struggle, like a consistant narrative that unfolds over time, its not Worse than lukes but it could have been elevated beyond the pre-existing limits of star wars as it is like Its Star Wars but theres really so much room to tell these nuianced stories, she never gets the time to own her own suffering like anakin does and neither does ben either really its all just plot plot plot credits dfg but there are so many posts that was like legit They Made Her Into A Sue (its going to be 2020??) For These Reasons and like,,,that shit all ruled like hell wtf are you talking about, it was stupid and awesome but stuff would have felt more if it was more simplistic like that sounds like a step backwards i guess but if it was like rey has one issue, this issue stems from x, all the symbolism resolves around this issue, because there is  symbolism theres foreshadowing, like thats difficult even for solo writers with their own “ip” but it was really hurting for that, i think an easy fix would have been making the culture she came from extra family like its all that matters and have her have like been orphaned at some space nunery or something, her parents running and hiding her has been so done to death and the reveal that she had surpressed memories wasnt really satisfiying imo, i havnt read much of the reviews with neg stuff about her character, shes often just There,moving ghost like through the scenes (the actress was amazing dead like her acting is really good she just idk underwritten)

i guess that can be said about the whole cast tbh like completely underwritten, rose is brought in to break up the trio het it up obvi but the character is awesome and so is the actress who deserved to be apart of the group proper after the last movie : / she gets a nice scene with poe but its literally the only thing that happens after the last movie like fdfgdf??? she gets some lines but the character is underused, like used as much as unnamed background characters

finn is written soooo hostile in this movie too like whys he have so much beef fdjdgdf like okay theres a scene where it looks like poe is going to confess his feelings to rey which!! SURPISED me cause posts ive seen make it sound like they didnt even have screentime together, like, is it enough? no, but it is something dsfgh thanks for the crumbs, i guess you can read the hostility as jealousy and i kind do love that he brought it back up when they looked like they were going to be death squad’d with poe being like hey ill tell you later dssfgh, it as such a relief when random character from finns past was like no hetero and it was all done in head nods and how warm the scene was when finn and poe reunied and rey joined them in this super tender hug, that was nice

there was also like a half min of two women looking people making out so theres that

i feel like poe’s parts were better than the last movie but also like, under written, i really liked the scene when he meets another trooper, like, theres almost a moment of emotions happening, and i really enjoyed the ex-troopers side plot even though it was super short and kinda tacked on for the hets, she was a really expressive actress for what a small role she had!

i guess the major thing is i didnt feel like i knew or got closer to any of the main characters or like,,cared,,about what was going on and thats WILD for a three hour movie dfdgh

and i know i know this is going to sound awful but i actually liked that scene where ben like force heals her, like that kiss should have been just a forehead touch, or like, maybe his mom speaking to him through rey as he dies, like a lullyby or something, that was a pretty decent redemption arc in like force lore but it was like so strange what little lines he had during that whole thing, it was like, okay this is The character you want delivering a bunch of dry speeches instead of like finn or poe who should be more personal, it was just this weird basic half hour of silence from the cast who should be saying wack stuff with finn  and poe being the audience connection to these wackos?? finn the everyman and poe like the connector and with rose like the deep lore person,the formula was there?

also i think it would have been better is c3p0 died during then, like, if it was more emotionally built up where he recounts his life like the one who created him has died in many ways and many times, if the rebellion is going to end this then i too should go out with the empire, thank you all for being my friends or something like that LIKE THERE IS A SCENE SIMILAR but its super quick and they use the droids as constant slap stick, it doesnt make much sense for finn to be so mean to him through out???? after he sacrafices so much it makes finn this unpleastant character? like character growth would have had him like soften up a bit towards the droid when he comes back but i think it was a deprement to the plot to have that happen, imo it should have been something like my creator installed it in me after he rebuilt me after such and such battle so that i may be free from control of sith influences and then like request to be destroyed after the sith memories are re-instated? again it was just plot point plot point no emotional depth

chewbaca should have also died but that scene should have been better, done in genral also what was UP with that single military dude gettng some actual lighting in that scene fjugjhgh

it was uggh to just have palpatine regurgitate like narrative and not like, have rey come to that conclution herself with him like, saying words an actual person would say like its clear hes lying but its like theres no room to feel anything about it, it just barrels right through

her being like im a skywalker and fade out into the twin suns ruled SO hard tho