#apparently one of them is friends with aaryn

[garyshouldhavewon]

Ew

[jabbajambler]

8

Powerless

The Mandalorian/Din Djarin x f!OC

Word Count: 2,090

*GIF by @babyyodastuff​*

         The bar was vacant except for a few tipsy aliens. Their words slurred together as they spoke and slung their arms around one another. They started to sing some sort of song, but the lyrics were soon lost in the puddle of sounds. It was then nothing more than a hum that drifted in the air.

         Honestly, any sound would've been better than this conversation. Every look in that cruel woman's green eyes made me want to spring across the table with my saber. I was sure Din wouldn't complain too much.

         "Trask is a black market port," Bo Katan leaned against the table with a determined look in her eyes. There was something lying beneath that stare, something she wanted. "They're staging weapons that have been bought and sold with the plunders of our planet. We're seizing those weapons and using them to retake our home world."

         I laughed, choking on my drink as I tried to hold it in. Mandalore? Was she serious? That planet was a wasteland and it was partially her fault. I could feel her cold glare on me before she continued.

         "Once we've done that," her voice was darker now, "we'll seat a new Mandalore on the throne."

          "That planet is cursed," Din spoke with ease as I struggled to hold back my grin. "Anyone who goes there dies. Once the Empire knew they couldn't control it, they made sure no one else could either."

           I shrugged, "with the Empire gone, who knows, but that planet is a wasteland."

         Bo Katan's hungry green eyes focused on mine. "And who exactly are you?"

         My throat felt dry at her mocking question. She held a slight grin on her face as she tilted her head to the side, batting her eyes as though there were no hints of resentment. I still tried to hold my head high despite the feeling of her staring down at me. "I am Myrah Koor," I said, my stomach dropping slightly as I said it, "adopted daughter of Aaryn Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi. I suspect you remember them, don't you?"

          "I do. You don't like me," she rolled her eyes and placed her hands beneath her chin, "why? From what I remember, I helped your family."

         "You betrayed my family," I snapped as the overwhelming anger started to swell in my chest. "You're a cheat and a liar and-"

         Bo Katan scoffed, "don't believe everything you hear." She shrugged me off and turned back to Din whose momentary focus was on me. I could see how my face flushed red and warm in the reflection of his visor.

         "Our enemies want to separate us," her gaze drifted over to me quickly, "but Mandalorians are stronger together"

          I struggled to hold in my fury as the heat consumed my body. I swore one more sly comment and she would have wished she wore the helmet all the time. The gentle brush of leather against my hand distracted me, pulling me from my rage-filled thoughts. Din's hand was quick to pull away from mine before the others had questioned it.

         As if we weren't already as dramatic as possible on the boat. Surely they weren't that naive.

         "That's not part of my plan," Din answered Bo quickly as he turned his gaze to the child who watched the exchange curiously. "I've been quested to return this Child to the Jedi."

         Her eyes flickered between me and the child. "And she wasn't good enough?" she hummed, "what do you know of the Jedi?"

         "Nothing. I was hoping you would help me by Creed."

         Her lips lifted into a small, smug smile as she looked between her other Mandalorian friends, "I can lead you to one of their kind," she spoke quietly, "but first, we need your help on a mission?"

         I scoffed, "what sort of mission do we need to help you with? You three seem to be perfectly capable on your own.'

         "We usually are," she snapped before taking a deep breath and straightening in her seat, "but this is more intense than what we usually deal with on Trask."

          "Let me guess," I leaned forward in my seat with my arms folded on the table, "imperials? I'm shocked you don't feel like betraying the galaxy and go side with them. After all, isn't that what you're good at?"

         Koska, her brunette friend, had to hold her back from lunging at me across the table. Even the slight squeeze on my arm told me to settle down. If I went any further, I was sure to have a knife in my chest or her hands wrapped around my neck until I blacked out. I certainly wasn't going to die at her hands.

          "Yes," Koska finished for Bo Katan as she and their other friend tried to calm her down, "they're imperial and highly guarded. We will provide more details at sunrise. Should we meet here?"

         Din quickly shook his head, "meet at the west docks. We'll rendezvous there in the morning."

         "Right, well," she huffed, "you should probably get going."

         The hand on my arm lifted me from my seat before I could fit in another snarky remark. I couldn't even shout anything on my way out because we were out in a flash. I almost thought Din forgot the kid with the way he tugged me out of the building.

       "What were you thinking?" he snapped once we reached the cool, night air.

        I shrugged, "I was thinking that she was a traitor to her family and mine. Listen, she carries a long history with her, one that I'm not too fond of. Let's leave it at that."

         "Fine."

        The docks were so empty at night. Or was it morning? It felt like we had accompanied Clan Kryze for ages. Each stare was full of threats, maybe even promises, of destruction. Bo Katan knew the weight of her words and how they would carry with Din. She knew that the child was everything to us and if she could use us to her benefit, she would.

       It wasn't like it would cause her any grief. She'd done it many times before. To her, people who suffered from strong emotions were simply pawns in her game. As though we deserved to suffer from loving something so much.

         The child, I mean.

         My family must be under some sort of Kryze-Curse where we are forced to do their bidding. I wish I could break it. I would like to be the last sort-of-Kenobi to suffer by their hands.

        The air smelled like fish. Dead fish. It was absolutely horrid yet the child couldn't get enough. He smiled sleepily as he breathed in the air. The moon lit up the dark sky and reflected across the vast ocean. The light rippled across the waves so perfectly, I almost thought it was a dream.

         As we journeyed towards the Razor Crest, the wood creaked. Every single step was followed by a small sound of it bending beneath our boots.

         Step.

              Creak.

                   Step

                          Creak.

         The monotonous sound was followed by the slight splash of the waves against the wood. It felt like the dock was moving with the water. Honestly, it probably was. Who knew how far down the posts went and the planet was almost entirely ocean. It wasn't such a far-fetched idea.

         We no longer had to await the painfully slow door of the Razor Crest thanks to the gaping hole that took its place. In some ways, it was nice. Still, a part of me worried about being robbed in our sleep. That is, if we had any valuables left.

         "We could get a motel room if you want," Din's gentle voice floated through the air. He sounded shy, almost ashamed of the state the ship was in.

         "No," I gave him a weary smile, "we'll just be careful. There may be more weird aliens out to kill us."

        He breathed out a huff of air, a quiet laugh if you could even call it that, and shook his head. "Right. As if you can't handle that."

         "If I can't, I know I have you right beside me," I held the child close to my chest as I sat on the edge of the cot. At least one thing was still intact. My eyes drifted to the small hammock above me as the child reached for it. His brown eyes were wide and his lips trembled as he struggled to grab it. I breathed out a soft chuckle and lifted him into it, pulling a small blanket over his body.

         He couldn't speak, I knew that. Or, at least he hadn't done so yet, but I felt gratefulness swarm my mind as though he was communicating subconsciously.

         "Go ahead and sleep," Din cut through the child and I's silent moment, "I'll keep watch."

         Of course, ever the gentleman. Or he still didn't trust me. I assumed it was the latter, but I wouldn't say anything. I didn't need to incite another argument, let alone bring up any questions about what happened today. Sure, he knew my history as a force-user but I didn't need any more questions. As far as he knew, I could move things with my mind, heal people, and had a 'laser sword.' That was enough for now.

          "Alright," I agreed with a friendly smile, "but I expect you to wake me up as soon as you're tired-" he started to speak before I started up again, "and you're taking the cot as soon as it's my turn. You can't get out of this one either. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor or in your chair."

         Din stood silent for a moment. His brain was undoubtedly searching for some excuse to avoid a somewhat decent night's sleep. Eventually, his head fell down with the chin of his helmet resting against his chest plate. A long, exhausted sigh escaped him, followed by a quiet, reluctant, "fine."

          "Wait, really?" My eyes grew wide as his simple agreement. He was never one to easily follow anything unless it was his idea, especially so quickly. I felt a short laugh bubble out of my chest, "have I finally tamed the wild Mandalorian?"

         "Stop," he grumbled.

          I held back my laughs as I stood up and circled him, "next up, we see a rogue Mandalorian, broken away from his pack. At first, he seems untamable. He's unable to be captured, but then! A Jedi? She's caught him, fed him, shown him all the true joys in life! Now, he has no choice but to become a domesticated Mandalorian, politely obeying every word the Jedi says-"

         His hand closed over my mouth, his other arm wrapped around my back to pull me near. "Not another word," he spoke quietly.

         "Apparently not as well trained as I thought. Maybe we need to teach him some manners," I winked and pushed his hand away from my mouth. My nose scrunched up in disgust, "and how to clean his clothes. Those smell rotten."

         "Well, I did fall in the ocean," he stated simply and pulled his arms back to his side.

         I snickered and sat back in the cot, pushing myself towards the back wall, "it's a good thing someone was there to save you, then. Must've been some beautiful, strong woman, right?"

         "Yeah," his voice came out breathy, but quickly went back into his regular, stiff tone, "too bad she's annoying."

         My jaw fell slightly, leaving my mouth gaping as I stared at him. A joke? A funny one too. I laughed and fell back in the bed. My head hit the thin pillow, bouncing slightly against the mattress. "Whatever," I rolled my eyes with a wide smile on my face, "just make sure you wake me up, okay?"

         I could hear a small hum in agreement as I shut my eyes. For the first week in Coruscant I was terrified to fall asleep. New places used to always scare me and I never showed my face before I was alongside Din. Now, I was safe. Everywhere I go, I know there is someone to protect me.

           Instead of succumbing to the aching pains of sleep like I used to, I drifted off easily with a smile on my face. I knew, no matter what happened between us, he wouldn't let anything get to me.

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[hacknownews-blog]

[Update: Though it's been delayed until 2019, EA has confirmed that Anthem will be appearing at 2018's EA Play event which takes place just before E3 2018. The event will run until June 9 until June 11 and although it doesn't seem likely that there will be any kind of hands on experiences for attendees, there will be an "inside look" which suggests some new footage and perhaps and insight into where the development process is.]

Article continues below...

E3 is always full of surprises, and one announcement we weren't expecting at E3 2017 was a whole new game from BioWare, called Anthem.

From the short trailer shown at EA Play keynote we got a tiny glimpse of the game world wall that's the only thing that separates the civilized world from a dangerous and savage animals. Exosuits also seem to play a big part in surviving in the wilderness, and a player might jump into them as part of the game.

But while EA gave us our first taste of the game and what we might find in its Pandora-esque world, Microsoft gave us our first true look at its keynote presentation. 

BioWare describes Anthem as "a new game from EA's BioWare studio, explore a landscape of primeval beauty, confront the dangers you find, and grow in power with every step".

It's the first game BioWare has unveiled since its polarizing Mass Effect Andromeda, and it looks to build on BioWare's legacy of great Sci-Fi games.

Cut to the chase

What is it? BioWare's newest IP

When can I play it? 2019

What can I play it on? To be announced

Release date

When it was first announced at E3 2017, Anthem was slated for a Fall 2018 release. However, in January 2018 a report emerged from Kotaku that the game will be delayed until early 2019.

Kotaku's report is based on the word of three sources closes to the project, one of whom said that the 2018 release date was "never realistic." There is, the report says, now a feeling in BioWare that the future of the company is tied to Anthem and its success. 

It's for this reason that work on the studio's other titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic and the next Dragon Age, is now reportedly being done by much smaller teams.

There is, according to the report, no exact date decided for 2019 and "Anthem’s developers must also plan for a beta release, an EA Access launch, and an ongoing schedule of patches and updates." 

It's unlikely, however, the EA will allow development to delay the game any later than March 2019, as that's when the company's fiscal year ends.

EA later confirmed that the game would in fact be launching in early 2019, but denied that Kotaku's claim about the game being behind schedule was accurate. 

EA meets its Destiny in Anthem

The premise we know so far is that humanity is holed up in a bastion, cut off from the outside world. Venturing out, it appears, requires a suit of armor that will help fend off the wilds of the Pandora-esque planet.

EA is describing it as "a shared-world action RPG where Freelancers challenge the wilds past the wall, exploring a vast world filled with savage beasts and ruthless marauders, but also teeming with amazing technology and forgotten treasures". If this sounds like Destiny, you're not crazy. 

"Players will be able to join with their friends to unravel the world's mysteries and defeat the forces plotting to conquer humanity." 

Okay, this is Destiny. 

"Throughout their journeys, players can outfit their Freelancers with powerful Javelin exosuits, each of which are equipped with unique weapons and abilities. Freelancers can customize their Javelin with gear they earn and craft throughout the adventure, and leave a lasting mark on the world".

Admittedly, the word Freelancers make the game sound a bit more like a Borderlands game than Destiny, but considering that your class is determined by which Javelin you have on, we're still seeing Destiny written all over it. 

When Anthem was first announced, taking on Destiny 2 seemed like a tall order, but now that Destiny 2 appears to be having some growing pains, Anthem may be able to seize on a dissatisfied playerbase. 

Life after Andromeda

Anthem will be BioWare's first title after the somewhat polarizing Mass Effect: Andromeda. 

Anthem will, apparently, be a science fantasy game more in the vein of Star Wars and offerings from the Marvel universe, rather than hard core science fiction title like Mass Effect BioWare Edmonton general manager Aaryn Flynn has revealed.

In a recent interview with CBC Flynn said that like these franchises Anthem will be a game in which "you see a lot of amazing things happening but we don't worry too much about why they are happening or how they are happening; the science of it.“

BioWare has dipped its toes into the science fantasy genre before with titles such as the RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the online multiplayer game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Anthem will, apparently, be much more along these lines and "much more about just having fun in a game world that is really lush and exotic and really sucks you in." Unlike Mass Effect, which Flynn says was a "more a real hard core science fiction IP."

Taking this into account, alongside the game's more online multiplayer leanings, and it seems like BioWare is certainly attempting to step into a space currently dominated by games such as Destiny. It'll be exciting to see what else a developer with so accomplished a background in lore-heavy single player storytelling can bring to this genre. 

Looking for some games to play right now? These are our picks of the best PS4 games

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://ift.tt/2t708AX

[jabbajambler]

03

When We Were Young

Obi Wan Kenobi x f!OC

Word Count: 2,007

*GIF by @nerdgiffing​*

         Debris was crashing into the waters, forcing the buildings to shake. The ground started to tremble with every drop. Everything about the apparent victory appeared much too simple. The Separatists were skillful and thought out every move, they would never become so naive.

        The clones worked diligently to try and figure out a plan of attack. Everything in the sky was working, or so it appeared. Perhaps working a bit too well.

         "I'm gonna press the attack, Master." Anakin's voice came through Obi Wan's comm link. From his point of view, they already won. The Separatist defenses were weak.

         "No, Anakin. Wait." Obi Wan was quick to respond. "It's too easy. Not even Grievous would attack so recklessly."

         "Master, the battle's up here in space, not down there."

         Obi Wan's brow furrowed, creating a sharp crease between the two. His face held more wrinkles than it used to. He'd aged since Aaryn last saw him, but eleven years could not create such stress lines. No, those were from Anakin's constant rebellious tendencies.

         It must've run in the Skywalker blood.

         Obi Wan was still, in Aaryn's mind, the loveliest person she'd ever laid eyes on. His hair was neatly pushed back away from his face, framed by a reddish beard that was very clearly well-groomed. He was the image of elegance and perfection from every angle.

        He presented himself with pride and poise. The confidence seeped from him, filling everyone around him with the same feeling. He was meant to be a leader, he was built for this.

         "The debris from the destroyed Separatist ships is the key."

         "There's something larger at play here." Aaryn whispered, tearing her eyes from Obi Wan's face to watch the ships fall from the glowing maps around them.

         "What are you thinking?" Shaak Ti turned towards him, her eyes wide. She knew his plan, Aaryn did too. But that did not mean they agreed with it.

         "I think I'd like to go for a swim." Obi Wan shrugged. "You stay here. Do you understand me, General Skywalker?" He turned towards Aaryn with a stern, darkened look in his eyes.

         Aaryn huffed out a quiet scoff and rolled her eyes. "Loud and clear." She delivered a mock salute and directed her attention to the hologram in front of her. She did not like being treated like a child on this mission. Being babysat by the Jedi was not ideal, she knew she was meant for something greater than being watched.

           Obi Wan gave her a nod and swiftly left the room. He was a man on a mission, determined and prepared to face anything that came his way.

        They continued to work while Obi Wan was off on his own. They hoped he was winning them the battle, but no one could tell. He was difficult to connect to, practically impossible to read.

         The rain was pouring down now. It began drumming against the roof like a stampede. The storms on Kamino were dangerous. They were often deadly with the combination of the floods and whipping winds.

         Aaryn's brain began to think through all of the worst possible situations with Obi Wan out there. Perhaps even out in the rain. Another foolish decision on his part in her mind. She was left with a choice to make, one that she may regret, but it was something she felt she had to do.

         "Excuse me." Aaryn whispered to the Kaminoan. "I just need to use the refresher. Where might that be?"

         "Just down the hall we came. Second door to your right."

         "Thank you." She smiled and bowed her head as she left, hoping to avoid Shaak Ti's suspicious gaze on her way out. She busied herself with the clones, not concerning herself too much with Aaryn's chaotic decisions.

          Aaryn was able to sneak outside into the storm. The rain was rough, pelting her skin with each drop. It was so aggressive that it almost hurt. Her clothes stuck to her body while her hair matted down against her head.

         The rain created a haze around her to the point where she couldn't see anything more than five feet in front of her. She searched for Obi Wan, hoping that she might catch sight of a blue blade or a man clad in beige, but there was nothing.

         "Damn it." She mumbled, trying to shield her eyes.

         Even if Obi Wan was out there, she would never be able to tell.

         Another alarm went off from the speakers. It was difficult to see, but Aaryn's eyes caught sight of the flashing lights that alerted everyone of intruders in the building. Her body was growing weary as she stood out in the pouring rain. Certainly any form of exhaustion would not help her in fighting off the battle droids that were crowding the halls.

         Inside, the lights beamed a bright red that almost felt blinding when compared to the fog outside. The metal stomps of the droids' feet were loud, masking the sound of the rain that continued to pummel the roof.

         Aaryn's footsteps were light as she ran through the hall. All she could think about was finding Obi Wan or Anakin. She could sense their trouble, it clouded her mind to the point she couldn't think of anything else but them. Seeing how the two of them did everything on a whim, it could easily be either one.

         "Kenobi, Kamino has fallen." A raspy, strained, and mechanical voice echoed through the hall. Aaryn chased it, finding a tall, robotic man standing over Obi Wan with a pair of lightsabers. "Your clone army is doomed."

         "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Aaryn stepped out from behind the corner into the middle of the hall to reveal herself from her hiding spot. "General Grievous? You're dumber than I expected." She grinned and pulled her lightsaber from its clip, twirling it in her hand before she ignited the white blade.

         He looked to Aaryn and Obi Wan before crawling away. Grievous could tell he was outnumbered and would be taken care of far too soon for his liking if he stuck around. They could have let him get away and call off the ridiculous attack, but Aaryn always had something to prove.

         She took off down the hall after Grievous, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Obi Wan grunted as he stood, snatching his lightsaber from the ground and chasing after her.  

         The rain came to a halt outside, leaving a heavy mist in its wake as the wind picked up the ocean waters. Aaryn slid onto the platform, gripping her lightsaber tightly in her hand. Her eyes narrowed while they darted around, looking for the robotic Separatist.

          "General Skywalker-" Obi Wan started as he reached the runway, but it was too late. Grievous already jumped up behind her, cornering her on the platform with nowhere to run.

         He chuckled and spun his sabers while he approached her, but she kept on her stern expression. Aaryn stared into the sabers' light with a look of determination. She didn't fear death and she most certainly did not fear Grievous.

         The two circled each other, waiting for someone to take the first strike. Before either of them could move, a piece of debris landed on the runway, breaking it away from the building.

         "Aaryn!" Obi Wan shouted as he dove out of the way.

         The pad began to tilt, causing Aaryn to stumble over her feet. Grievous tried to use it to his advantage, but she was still too quick for his strikes. Soon, it tilted too far for her to stand.

          Obi Wan struggled his way towards his fellow general, but ended up holding onto the edge alongside her for dear life. Aaryn looked to Obi Wan, whose brows were scrunched together in frustration. He was mad, but saving her life was more important to him right now than his anger.

         They clung desperately to the metal until they couldn't any longer and plunged towards the icy waters. Obi Wan's arms wrapped around Aaryn while she braced herself for the impact of the water, but it never came.

         The two met the back of an Aiwha, lifting them back into the sky. Aaryn could feel the breath of relief that Obi Wan let out against her neck, bringing a chill throughout her body. He helped her shift behind him on the alien, holding tightly to him as they rose up towards the fallen platform.

         "We've got to stop meeting like this, my friend." Obi Wan joked and rubbed the beast's neck, giving it a gentle pat.

         "You know this thing?" Aaryn snorted, receiving a harsh glare from the man in front of her.

         "I don't think I need to hear anymore jokes from you today, General Skywalker. You've done quite enough."

       Aaryn let out a puff of annoyance and turned away from him while they flew back to the base. Obi Wan was silent through the ride, but was kind enough to thank the alien before it dove back into the water. The anger that was building inside him had subsided for a moment, but as soon as they were alone, it grew louder than ever.

         The fire burning inside of Obi Wan was strong and while he was always one to push aside those harsh emotions, he couldn't hold it back this time. Aaryn was reckless. He knew this, the council knew this, yet they allowed her back so easily.

         Just the sight of Aaryn left Obi Wan in a state of shock and the overwhelming emotions that came with it were too much for the Jedi to handle. He hadn't felt such emotions for years and yet with one look, they all came flooding back.

         "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Obi Wan hissed through his teeth with his back faced to the woman. He stared out at the water, unable to bring himself to look her in the eyes. "I had it handled."

         Aaryn snorted. "Really? You were on the ground, no lightsaber, completely defenseless. I saved you. Have you truly grown so proud that you can't accept a little bit of help?"

         Obi Wan spun around swiftly on his heel, his finger pointed between her eyes as he seethed. "I didn't need help."

         "Eleven years ago, you always needed my help. How was I supposed to know any different?"

        "Eleven years ago! You think I haven't changed in eleven years? I have grown since you left. I'm not the same person you abandoned on Coruscant." His eyes held a certain ferocity to them that Aaryn had never seen in Obi Wan's innocent blue eyes. They reminded her of her own gaze, menacing and unforgiving as they pierced into anyone who dare look. "You need to learn your place in all of this. We're not on a silly mission, we're in a war. You came to play your part, do it responsibly."

         Aaryn sighed and reached her hand out towards his arm, only for it to be ripped from her grasp. "Obi-" She started.

         "It's General Kenobi to you." He snapped and turned his back to her once again. Aaryn's heart sunk as she was left with nothing but the shell of a man she used to know. "Gather your things and get on the ship. We're leaving."

       He left, not allowing her to speak another word. Knowing Aaryn, she would have been willing to carry out the fight for hours, days if she could. She was relentless and stubborn, that was something about her that had not changed in eleven years.

        Aaryn sighed and stared up at the base. She had no need to gather her things, everything she brought was already with her. Her gaze shifted to Obi Wan, watching his disappearing form as he went to gather their troops.

        Well, almost everything was with her.